This page is made to support Mount Vernon's Colonial Days event and colonial life pages, and contains inquiry questions, activity suggestions, lesson plans, and much more to help teach the colonial era. Use these resources in your lesson plans - or, discover new information about colonial life!
Inquiry Questions to Consider
Use these inquiry questions to spark analysis while teaching about colonial life.
- Why do we rely on archaeology, documents, and items when examining the past? What does each type of artifact tell us?
- How did colonial life differ by race, gender, and class?
- How has daily life changed since the colonial era?
- Who prepared most of the Washingtons' food, clothes, and lifestyles, and what do we know about them?
- Why do we study colonial life and the past?
Suggested Activities
These scaffolded activities for lower and upper Elementary grades provide quick, grab-and-go suggestions to implement into your lesson plans.
Lower Elementary Activity Suggestions (coming soon!)
Colonial Days: Make Your Own Exhibit
This all-encompassing lesson plan features artifacts from Mount Vernon's Colonial Days and Lives Bound Together exhibit and encourages students to make their own exhibits.
Lesson Plans
These lesson plans center on colonial life. Use them in your next history lesson or bookmark them for future reference!
Teach with Colonial Foodways
Teach with Objects
Teach with Place
Visiting Colonial Days
Are you and your class interested or planning on visiting Mount Vernon's Colonial Days events? Click the links below for more information.
What is Colonial Days? More Information
After Registration: What You Need to Know
Back to Colonial Days Resources
Click the link to go back to the Colonial Days home page
Back to Colonial Days