The Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum today announced that it will host a one-day fall workshop for 25 Virginia history teachers on Tuesday, October 13, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The workshop is part of a three-year program of history education seminars for social studies teachers from Bedford County Public Schools and six other Virginia school districts. The program is made possible by a Teaching American History grant from the U.S. Department of Education. Bedford County Public Schools received the grant in partnership with the Presidential Library and Alleghany, Bath, Craig, Giles, Highland and Pulaski Public Schools.
The October workshop, along with another workshop in March, will prepare teachers for the first of three week-long summer seminars in a professional development curriculum entitled “American History in International Context.” The program will explore the full breadth of American history – from the first contact between natives and Europeans to the present – by focusing on critical intersections between the United States and the rest of the world.
During the first year of the program, the teachers will examine four international moments that shaped the early history of the development of the United States: the contact between native peoples and Europeans in North America, the creation of the Atlantic system of trade and the development of colonies in British North America, the origins of the American Revolution, and the early development of the United States in a global context.
The participants will return to the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum in July for a week-long seminar. Later in July, the teachers will continue the program with historic site visits to Jamestown and Williamsburg.
Through the participating teachers, the Teaching American History grant will enhance the history education of thousands of students over the term of the grant. The project is designed to strengthen teachers’ understanding of American history, impart a sense of the interplay of factors that influenced national development, provide knowledge of primary documents and material artifacts, demonstrate the use of advanced technology and, ultimately, improve students’ performance on standardized tests in American history.
Those interested in more information about this program should contact Dr. Joel Hodson, Director of Education at the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum, at (540) 885-0897, extension 103, or jhodson@woodrowwilson.org.
did you know?
Wilson was president throughout World War I. He attempted to keep America out of the war and even won reelection with the slogan "He kept us out of war." Nonetheless, after the sinking of the Lusitania, continued run-ins with German submarines, and the release of the Zimmerman Telegram, America became involved. with the Lusitania, the continued harassment of American ships by German submarines, and the release of the Zimmerman Telegram meant that America joined the allies in April, 1917.
Woodrow Wilson was President when the 19th amendment was ratified in 1920 giving women the right to vote.
Wilson piloted the ship that brought America onto the world stage. He made the first steps of leading us out of isolationism, violating Washington's tenet of avoiding foreign entanglements.
He led America during World War I. His fervent hope was for the US to join a League of Nations, the precursor to the United Nations.
A Woodrow Wilson Quote: "Life does not consist in thinking, it consists in acting."
A Woodrow Wilson Quote: "The Constitution was not made to fit us like a straitjacket. In its elasticity lies its chief greatness."
A Woodrow Wilson Quote: "I believe in democracy because it releases the energies of every human being."
The Seventeenth Amendment was formally adopted on May 31, 1913. Wilson had been president for almost three months at the time. The amendment provided for the direct election of senators. Prior to its adoption, Senators were chosen by state legislatures.
Wilson was the first president to receive a PhD which he got in Political Science from Johns Hopkins University. He had received his undergraduate degree from the College of New Jersey, renamed Princeton University in 1896.
Woodrow Wilson could not read during the first decade of his life. Though undiagnosed, he may have suffered from a learning disability
Woodrow Wilson was known as "Tommy" until his college years.
Woodrow Wilson during his boyhood, helped establish the "Lightfoot Baseball Club" with his friends. Wilson played second base and was an avid sport fan throughout his adult life.
Woodrow Wilson was the first president to attend the Major League Baseball Fall Classic. He saw the debut of a young 20 year old pitcher by the name of George Herman "Babe" Ruth.
Woodrow Wilson was a graduate of Princeton University and Johns Hopkins University and the only president to hold an earned doctoral degree.
Woodrow Wilson image is on the $100,000 bill although it is no longer in circulation
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