Family Letter
Writing: Leaving a Legacy
Lesson Plan
for Liberty Hall Video
Grade Level: 4th - 5th Grades
Background
Information
In the Liberty Hall of Kentucky video, many of the quotes are from letters written between family members while they were apart. A few times the video shows Margaretta Brown sitting down to write about what is going on in her life at Liberty Hall in Frankfort. Letters written by the Browns are the best primary source we have about their everyday life.
Kentucky Goals/Academic
Expectations
1.3, 1.4, 1.11, 2.19, 2.20, 2.29, 4.1
Other Kentucky Goals/Academic Expectations correlate to the Extensions found in this lesson plan.
See Extensions for these extra Kentucky Goals/Academic Expectations
Objectives:
As a result of this lesson, students will:
Learn the difference between primary and secondary sources
Write letters that reflect correct grammar and layout
Realize the importance of letter writing in learning about history
Materials Needed
letter paper
envelopes
postage stamps for each student
addresses that students bring from home
Time Required 3-4 Class Periods/Days:
45-minute period for Preparation for Video and Watching the Video.
45-minute period for discussing video and teaching about primary and secondary sources
60-minute period for writing letters
30-60 minute period for extension (if not given for homework)
INSTRUCTIONAL FORMAT
Preparation for Video
Tell the students they will be watching a video on Liberty Hall. Introduce Liberty Hall and the Browns to the students using some information from the “Liberty Hall History” Sheet. After this, lead the students in discussion by asking them questions like the following:
Ask: How do we know so much about Liberty Hall and the Browns?
Where did researchers find out information about Liberty Hall?
If you wanted to learn about your great-great-grandfather, where would you look
or who would you ask?
Watching the Video
Have the students listen for ways that Margaretta and John Brown’s lives might have been recorded so that we can know about them today. You may want to watch the entire video straight through, or stop it every five or so minutes to ask what they found out about each section of the film.
Follow-Up Lesson
Discuss what they learned. Write more sources the students talked about on the board. Explain to the students that legal records, paintings, maps, newspapers, family heirlooms, and books (and other things that the students have talked about) are all ways that we can know about the lives of people who lived long ago. The best way that researchers at Liberty Hall can find out about the details and everyday life of the Browns is from their personal letters.
Introduce the terms primary and secondary sources. Go through the list of sources on the board and have students say whether that source is primary or secondary. (See Extension Primary and Secondary Sources)
Since letters can be an important primary source of history, tell the students that this can be one way that they leave their own history for others to read later. Two letters that were written by Orlando Brown, the younger son of the Browns, are included with the information on the web site. He wrote these in 1810 and 1811 when he was about 9 years old. Show a print-out of these letters to the students and read the letters out loud. (A typed-out version of each letter can be found at the end of this lesson plan.) Have the students make a list of things that Orlando told his mother and brother and suggest other things that people two hundred years from now might want to learn about them (for example they might want to know what type of games they play, what they eat for lunch, what they are doing at school etc.)
Have the students write a letter to a family member whose address they have brought from home. The length of the letter will depend upon the grade level of the students. Have them start with the date and greeting. Then have them write to their family member about the Browns. Instruct them to explain in their letter what they learned. Have them write interesting facts about themselves and what they have been doing. Encourage the students to ask their family member to write them back. Possibly, allow students one day a week for a few weeks to write letters back and forth between this person. End with an appropriate salutation. The Browns often used the salutations “I am aff. [affectionately] yours” or “Yours affy. [affectionately].”
Extensions
Quill Pens (1.3, 2.5)
To write letters in the early 1800’s, the Browns would have used quill pens. Carry out an exercise where students experience writing with a quill pen. You will need to provide feathers (preferably chicken or turkey feathers or you can use plastic feathers from a local student/teacher store and cut off the ends), tempera paint or other ink, water, and containers for paint and water. Talk to the students about quill pens: they were usually turkey or chicken feathers and the Browns had special knifes that would cut the ends at the right angle for writing. You might want to point out the quill pens in the video. Have students try to write the following line from Orlando’s letter to his mother November 25, 1810:
“Oh how I wish you were all home again for we are very lonesome. I have been very well ever since you left me, and my nose has not bled for a long time. Mr. and Mrs. Innes were very kind to me. I think I was a good boy for they never found fault with me.”
After the activity have students discuss the difficulty of writing with a quill pen. Have them find out more information on writing and printing instruments of the 19th century to today by researching on their own, at home, or in groups.
Primary and Secondary Sources (6.3)
Print out “Primary and Secondary Sources Worksheet” from the Liberty Hall website: www.libertyhall.org. This worksheet can be found at the end of this lesson plan. Have the students fill out whether the sources listed on the sheet are primary or secondary. This may be done as a quiz or for homework or for group work.
Field-Trip (2.33,
3.5)
Set up a field trip to Liberty Hall. (We would love to have you and your students!) When coming, tell someone at Liberty Hall that you studied primary and secondary sources when watching the video, and we will be sure to show the students some of the Brown family writings and quill pens.
See www.libertyhall.org for more lessons plans related to taking a field trip to Liberty Hall.
VOCABULARY
Secondary source
Primary source
Greeting
Salutation
Credits
Some information for Family Letter Writing: Leaving a Legacy was taken from the lesson plan for Liberty Hall field trips written by Tracy Lynn Kjeldergaard (Midway College, 1999). You can find this lesson plan at www.libertyhall.org.
Letters written by
Orlando Brown (1810 and 1811)
These letters were written by Orlando Brown, age 9, when his mother, brother and little sister had gone to New York to visit Margaretta’s family. Margaretta and her two children, Mason and Euphemia, had gone north, leaving Orlando and John Brown for several months in Kentucky. Because traveling was so strenuous, dangerous, and expensive in the 1800‘s, people would often stay at their destination for months, even years, at a time. As you can see in these letters, Orlando is very lonesome while the rest of his family is away.
LETTER #1 (1810)
Frankfort 25 Nov 1810
My Dear Mamma
Mr Coleman came here last night and gave me your letter, which made me very happy indeed. I can’t tell you how glad I am to learn that you, Mason and Euphemia got safe to New York, and are all well and that your still love me as much as ever. You know, my Dear Mamma how much I always loved you, and you need not fear that I shall forget you, for Papa and I are talking day and night about you. Oh how I wish you were all home again for we are very lonesome. I have been very well ever since you left me, and my Nose has not bled for a long time. Mr and Mrs Innes were very kind to me I think I was a good Boy for they never found fault with me. Papa talks of going to Mr Knowles (?) to eat, but I hope he will not, for we have plenty of Venison, Turkies, Beef, Butter, Eggs, Milk and Chocolate and you know you left us so much Jelly and sweet meats that we are, I believe, better off than any Body in Town. Mr Coleman says that the things that you and Mason sent for me are in Lexington that he will send them shortly to me. I want to see them very much and will take great care of them. But Mamma do not forget to buy the Lottery Ticket you promised me and if you can chuse one that will draw a Capital Prize. I don’t love Blanks. Dawson came back poor but he is well and as fat as you ever saw him. Give my love to all my Relations in New York and to Mason and Sister. Kiss her for me
Farewell my Dear Mamma Continue to love me
Orlando Brown
Papa is well and will write next mail.
LETTER #2 (1811)
Frankfort 17th March 1811
Dear Brother
I received your letter and am very happy to hear that you are so well pleased with your present situation that you have a good school, fine skating and plenty to eat I wish you had told me something about the large ships and the great Steeples and Bells, and fine Houses in New York. When you return home, I will ask you a great many questions about them all. I can’t think of traveling 1600 miles to stay only a few days. I now go to school to Mr. Atherton. He is very strict and takes great pains to teach us both Latin and English grammar. Besides our Latin lessons he makes the whole school read two Chapters in the Bible every day also repeat grammar and spell together. He makes me say the whole of Catechism to him every Sunday. Papa and I have enjoyed good Health but have been very lonesome. We never sit down to eat or go to bed but talk of Mama, you and Euphemia and wish you all safe at home again. I thank you for the things sent by Mr. Coleman. The Penknife was a very good one but it has absconded. The dissected Map is thought to be a great curiosity by the boys in this place. I put it together the first trial. I wish you would bring me a better Fife. Kiss Mama and Euphemia for me. And give my love to all my relations with you.
I am your Brother
Orlando Brown
Primary and
Secondary Sources
LIBERTY HALL OF KENTUCKY WORKSHEET
Name:___________________________________________ Date: _________________________
Indicate
in the blanks whether the sources of information listed are PRIMARY or
SECONDARY sources.
1. A letter written by Orlando Brown to his
mother
_______________________
2. A map made in 2000 of Kentucky in the 1800’s
_______________________
3. Original architecture plans of Liberty Hall
_______________________
4. A painting of John Brown
_______________________
5. A journal entry
_______________________
6. An encyclopedia description of a quill pen
_______________________
7. A book about the Browns written today
_______________________
8. A legal document declaring John Brown
senator
_______________________
9. Your history textbook
_______________________
10. A letter from you to your grandmother
_______________________
Answers
to Primary and Secondary Sources
1. A letter written by Orlando Brown to his mother primary
2. A map made in 2000 of Kentucky in the 1800’s secondary
3. Original architecture plans of Liberty Hall primary
4. A painting of John Brown primary
5. A journal entry primary
6. An encyclopedia description of a quill pen secondary
7. A book about the Browns written today secondary
8. A legal document declaring John Brown senator primary
9. Your history textbook secondary
10. A letter from you to your grandmother primary