Information for Participants

Information on this page is here for access by participants in the Essex LINCs program.

Lesson Plan Information

Lesson Plans developed for the Summer Institute are more involved than the activity plans developed to correspond to the workshops during the school year. Links to these templates can be accessed below.

Primary Sources and Educator Produced Lesson Plans

Lesson plans developed by the museum educator, Rebecca Zimmerman can be accessed through the Lesson Plans page. They are linked directly to the primary resources found here.

Important Web Links

Summer Institutes 2009

Topic: "Governing in New England & the United States "
This institute is limited to participants who have joined us in our school year workshop series. This institute is fully subscribed.

This summer institute contains a graduate credit component in conjunction with Salem State College.Graduate level readings, book notes and a thematic essay, as well as more elaborate lesson plans based on Essex County sources are part of this institute.

Monday, July 6, 2009
(Amesbury Cultural Center & Rocky Hill Meetinghouse, Amesbury, MA.)
Salem State College Professors, Brad Austin and Elizabeth Duclos-Orsello, are joined by Professor Emerson "Tad" Baker in discussing early town governments. We will then have a rare opportunity to tour the Rocky Hill Meetinghouse in Amesbury, MA. A property of Historic New England, this building was used as both a house of worship and a public building.The lesson this day will focus on early records of Essex County and how to use them in your classsroom.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009
(Marblehead Historical Society & Jeremiah Lee Mansion, Marblehead, MA)
Taking place in the hometown of Elbridge Gerry, a signer of the Declaration Of Independence, this seminar will concentrate on the significance of that event for localities on the North Shore. A tour of the Jeremiah Lee Mansion and the Marblehead Historical Society will be a highlight of the day. Our lesson will examine Revolutionary War and early national documents.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009
(Sawyer Public Library and Judith Sargent Murray House, Gloucester, MA.)
The coastal fishing city of Gloucester provides a backdrop for discussion of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. It is the perfect place to talk about the national and local effects caused by adoption of these documents. Furthermore an outspoken intellectual of her day, Judith Sargent Murray, in her writings embodies committment to inclusion for all people in the protection and rights of the American government. The group will visit her house and discuss the nature of the times.

Thursday July 9, 2009
(Hamilton Hall, Salem, MA.)
A focus on the history of the Early Republic and its influence on culture and daily life lead us to the historic Hamilton Hall in Salem. After a lively lecture and discussion, participants will take a walking tour of Salem with a specific concentration on public buildings within this significant Essex County city. The lesson of the day will feature local architecture and its link to Greek and Roman ideals of government.

Friday July 10, 2009
(Paulist Center & African American Meetinghouse, Boston, MA.)
The "hidden" populations of Essex County and the United States are the focus of this seminar as Professors Austin and Duclos-Orsello discuss the effects of government on people of color and women. The experiences of disenfranchised groups who worked through the system to change government, or simply felt its effects are explored on this day. A private tour has been arranged with staff from the African American Meetinghouse for our cohort. The final lesson of this institute will focus on those populations and how you can tell their stories in relation to the theme of "governing."

Topic: "Working in New England & the United States "
This institute is limited to participants who have joined us in our school year workshop series. This institute is fully subscribed.

Monday, July 27, 2009
(Gloucester Maritime Heritage Center, Gloucester, MA.)
An exciting sail around the Gloucester harbor will begin our discussion of the fishing and maritime work that occupied scores of Cape Ann residents. Professors Brad Austin and Bethany Jay will lead our group in a spirited exploration of the historical trends in this industry. A tour of the newly rennovated Heritage Center will be a highlight of the day.The lesson this day created for teachers by our museum educator, Rebecca Zimmerman, will focus on early records of Essex County and how to use them in your classsroom.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009
(Spencer Peirce Little Farm, Newbury, MA.)
The other main profession in Essex County, farming, will be discussed today. Located in the heart of the agricultural community, the Spencer Peirce Little farm, owned by Historic New England, shows the evolution of several eras of agricultural business. The lesson this day challenges students to predict the use of bygone tools and then has them take an active part in dairying and the production of butter, while examining the Essex Agricultural Society's awards and testimonials of the 19th century.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009
(Royall House and Slave Quarters, Medford, MA)
Today's workshop will take us out of Essex County to see the only existant slave quarters in Massachusetts. Unpaid work will be today's subject and specifically evidence of slavery in Essex County. Through examination of newspaper articles, and pension requests we can discover evidence of people of color who toiled in our midst. A special tour of the site will help us gain insight into this little explored world.

Thursday July 30, 2009
(House of Seven Gables and throughout the city, Salem, MA.)
A focus on the history of trade and merchantilism will drive the discussion today. Salem was the leading port in Massachusetts and boasts the first American millionaire. A close look at the Far East trade and the development of commerce here in Essex County will lead us through the streets of the city, by warehouses and the West India Goods store. The lesson will have students interact with reproductions of some of the trading items and play a game designed with Essex County history in mind.

Friday July 31, 2009
(Peabody Institute Library and the George Peabody House, Peabody, MA.)
George Peabody epitomizes the "rags to riches" story in Essex County. A humble store clerk, he rose to great wealth and was even recognized by Queen Victoria as a banker in England in the 1800s. Moreover he never forgot his birthplace, South Danvers, which changed its name to honor him and became "Peabody" in the 1860s. Peabody left a huge legacy of public buildings; libraries and schools with endowments to help people throughout the U.S., and England. We will learn about other entrepreneurs and their creative spirit during the workshop today. A discussion of the industrial revolution and business will take place. The lesson will further examine these topics and then allow students to create a book to "show what they know".