635 South Broadway
Tarrytown, NY 10591
Gwen Kopeinig and Diane Moller
This trip is designed to give students an understanding of what life was like at Lyndhurst in the 19th century. Visiting an older manor, such as Philipsburg, allows students to compare and contrast this period with colonial times. More Overview
- What things do you see that were recent inventions?
- How did these inventions of the19th century affect peoples lives?
19th century transportation and inventions
- Post-Civil War industrialization and its affect on various groups of people and their communities
- 19th century child labor
- Industrial revolution, industrialization
Suggested Time Frame(s)
One day trip plus one class period for pre- and post-visit activities as needed.
Pre-visit: Use your social studies text and other readings to familiarize the students with the Industrial Revolution. This background knowledge will enhance the learning at Lyndhurst. Ask students to pay attention to the inventions that they will see at Lyndhurst. Suggest that they note how they are different from our own and ask them to be prepared to answer questions such as those listed above.
Site Experiences: Students view life from two perspectives -- the wealthy Gould family who lived at Lyndhurst and the servants who supported their life style. Site staff give out cards with years and inventions of importance on them and ask students to create a living timeline starting with the opening of the Erie Canal. A guessing game about unusual inventions of the time gives students a sense of the pervasive nature of the spirit of growth and progress that the people felt.
Next, they tour the mansion and carriage house to uncover evidence of how industrialization affected a family's everyday life. Students have an opportunity to handle objects to better understand the impact of hand made vs. machine made items. They also examine and discuss photos of child laborers.
Post-visit: Ask students to write about their experience considering, in particular, the differences between the 18th century (Philipsburg), the 19th century (Lyndhurst), and their own lives. You can use the essential questions listed above as writing prompts, along with questions such as: What did you like best? What was most interesting to you? What differences are there between your life and that of a Gould?
What Should Students Know At The End of This Lesson
See content and concept understandings above.
How do you assess student learning?
- Level of discussion/participation during classroom activities and the trip
- Writing assignments
For this age group, Lyndhurst focuses on the post-Civil War period and recommends a program called, "Industrial Revolution and Everyday Hudson River Life." Be sure to talk with the site staff in advance to discuss your goals and fine tune activities if necessary.
Lyndhurst begins booking for the school year in September and fills up quickly, so reserve early if you can. The site can accommodate two classes at a time if you divide students.
Photographs cannot be taken in the house, so you may choose not to use the camera groupings created for the Philipsburg trips.
Lunch can be eaten outside or in the carriage house.
It's best to have four chaperones per class.
The visit is inside and out, so chaperones and students should dress for the weather.