3) HOW: Place Based Heritage Education Lesson Plan:


Suggested Curriculums:

            Social Studies/History

            Language Arts/Reading/English/Writing


            Computer Class



Suggested Vocabulary:












Suggested Objectives:

-In the classroom students will be introduced to vocabulary which will help them learn the concepts of this unit

-The students will research facts about their community, its founding, history, commerce,

citizens, faith and important events unique to their community

-Students will then research about their individual family lineages…how their families came to be living in their community

-Students will trace as far back as possible where their families originated and the history of their families

-They will interview their ancestors for stories about earlier days in their community


Students will take a field trip, adequately supervised, to a Family Heritage Home in Lake Arthur, LA. This home was built in 1904. A single family lived there for 47 years, is owned by two descendants and utilized to this day.  The home holds artifacts and memorabilia about the family and the community.  It has on display and labeled the history of both the paternal and maternal sides of the family dating back to 1694 and heritage/lineage data dating back to the beginning in the tracing of the families. The home holds years of history of the community of Lake Arthur.


-The students and adults will tour the home. 



At the completion of the field trip, the students will be asked to complete for ‘homework’ several assignments:


-They will be asked to tour their individual homes for memorabilia that demonstrates how their families are involved in their community.


-The will bring to school for ‘show and tell’ items which demonstrate facts, history, or specific information about their family’s ancestors.


-They will write a paper/essay on items related to their field trip and those topics covered in their school units.


-Students will be encouraged to start their own ‘family walls’ in their homes displaying what they have learned and collected about their family’s history.


-They will be asked to interview an elder in their family and present Power Point presentation on the stories learned.


-They will create a Family Tree tracing their family lineage



            AARP NRTA (National Retired Teachers Association) ‘Live and Learn’ Vol. 6 No. 1 Spring 2007  David Sobel

            Placed-Based Education:  Connecting Classrooms and Communities


 May 2011

To be facilitated by the librarian at the Jefferson Davis Public Library across the boulevard from The Heritage Home Tour…My Piece of History:






What is the oldest object in your home? How did it get there and why is your family saving it? Finding the answer to these questions can put students in touch with family history and help them discover how much of our past lies hidden in "old things." 


Guiding Questions:


What can old things teach us about our past? Why do we keep them? Why are some old things important to us? Why do some grow in value as they get older?


Learning Objectives:


After completing this lesson, students will be able to:


  • Provide a historical context for objects from the past.
  • Characterize the historical significance of objects from the past.
  • Learn about family heritage through their research.



Lesson 1:  A Piece of the Past


The Presenter/Teacher will share with the students a memento of their own from either a family keepsake that has personal significance or an everyday object that can give students a glimpse into the decades before they were born---for example a tool or kitchen object used in years past to accomplish a task or job, a typewriter, a 45 RPM record, 8-Track tape...  Tell students that objects like this one are pieces of history that can help us find out how people lived in the past.  NOW tell the story behind your object.


What is it?  Identify the Object.

How was it Used?  Explain the object's Function.

For what was it used?  Place the object in its historical context; telling something about

the period when it was used.

When did people use it?

Why was it significant?  Share memories associated with the object or explain how it

illustrates a facet of life in the past.