In this lesson, students relate 18th-century kitchen gardens to farming and food security today. They match garden pest problems with their 18th-century solutions, summarize what they learned, and compare to modern solutions. They then design their own vegetable gardens. More
Hotbeds were a way for 18th-century gardeners to extend their growing season through the cold winter months. The hotbed at the Colonial Gardens is modeled on descriptions from 17th- and 18th-century primary sources, although hotbeds have been used for centuries and are still used today. More
from The Gardens of Colonial Williamsburg, written by M. Kent Brinkley and Gordon W. Chappell
''I am constantly in my garden or farm, as exclusively employed out of doors as I was within doors when at Washington, and I find myself infinitely happier in my new mode of life."
Extract from Thomas Jefferson to Etienne Lemaire, April 25, 1809. The Papers of Thomas Jefferson: Retirement Series, 1:162. Thomas Jefferson's Monticello.
For the past 21 years, our Electronic Field Trips/HERO Live! broadcasts have been a cornerstone of our programming for teachers and students. Due to the changing use of technology in the classroom, April's broadcast was our last. However, the online, on-demand multimedia library of programming will remain available as we continue to collaborate with our nation's finest educators to develop innovative, engaging, and effective professional development offerings. Stay tuned!
We very much appreciate the support of everyone who worked on and promoted the HERO Live! and Electronic Field Trip series over the past 21 years. We hope that you will join us as we continue to explore groundbreaking strategies for engaging 21st-century learners. Thank you especially to our viewers---we could not have done it without you!