Journey to 250: Virginia ~ Mother of Presidents
Get the cake and candles ready… find the largest flag you can… tune up that singing voice. Someone’s turning 250 really soon!
As America prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday, HEAV is joining the festivities with a special (not)-back-to-school unit study. We are calling it “Journey to 250: Virginia ~ Mother of Presidents.”
Join us this summer and beyond as we drop some helpful, fun information about the origins of our beautiful and historic state, as well as some of the fascinating personalities born right here in Virginia. Virginia is rich with the history of this country—we have so much to celebrate!
We begin our “Journey to 250” by honoring the mother of presidents, Virginia! Each Wednesday for the next six weeks, we’ll highlight six of the eight American presidents who hailed from the Commonwealth of Virginia. Each weekly post will include a historic personality “Guess Who,” a map of Virginia to locate notable sites, and extra activities to deepen your learning. (Pro tip: HEAV members can get the entire unit in a ready-to-use PDF format!)
Have fun with it! Parents, you can use these facts in many creative ways.
- Put them on index cards and see how many facts it takes them to guess the president.
- Try some of the activities below to explore deeper into the lives of some of the country’s founding fathers.
Membership Has Benefits!
Everyone can enjoy these posts for the next six weeks, but HEAV members download the entire mini unit—including ALL EIGHT presidents—in a ready-to-use PDF format. PLUS, you’ll also receive our fun, 48-page Field Trip Planner and the complete, printable “Mother of Presidents” map!
Not a member? Join HEAV today!
Here’s our first personality…Can you guess who he is?
I was born at Belle Grove Plantation in the Colony of Virginia, the oldest of twelve children—seven brothers and four sisters. I was homeschooled with a tutor and studied mathematics, geography, and several languages, becoming proficient in Latin.
After this, I decided to further my education and enroll in college. While I lived in Virginia, where most people attended the College of William and Mary, I decided to attend the College of New Jersey, which you probably know as Princeton University. While there, I continued my studies in various languages as well as theology, speech, and debate.
I served in several nation-building political groups, including the Virginia House of Delegates, the House of Representatives, and the Continental Congress—both during and after the American Revolutionary War. I also helped organize the Constitutional Convention.
In 1808, I was elected president of the United States and led the nation through the War of 1812, which ended in 1815. My wife, a noted heroine, saved the 1796 portrait of George Washington from the White House when the British set fire to the residence in 1814. Shortly thereafter, I retired from public office in 1817.
My name lives on through landmarks across the nation—from arenas to schools, battleships, and more.
Who am I?
(see answer below)
Learn More about Presidents
Check out these quick videos to learn more!
Who AM I? for Kids
Fun Activities to Do
Mark the locations of our personality on the included map! How far are these places from your home?
Choose one of the personalities and create a poem using some of the information from the “Who Am I?” or the attached videos.
Share your work on one of the HEAV social media sites. Be sure to tag HEAV in your post. We can’t wait to see what you create!
Journey to 250 Unit Study
We would love for you to join HEAV. Remember, members receive a PDF of the “Journey to 250” unit study, including bonus information not included in the weekly posts! You will be able to download it when the weekly posts are complete.
But you don’t have to wait to receive all the goodies. When you log in to your member page, you will get your comp code for a free PDF version of our very own Field Trip Planner you can access right away. Use this fun book to plan your journey around Virginia with us. Join HEAV today
ANSWER:
Who Am I? President James Madison
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