STEAM Teacher Workshop: Revolutionary Textiles

Explore textiles in the 18th century and their importance in the story of the American Revolution. Gain confidence in integrating history and STEAM concepts in an interdisciplinary context to support student learning while building a network of local peers.

Learn about textile production at the spinning house where Washington had clothing made for his enslaved fieldhands to save money. A costumed interpreter will walk through the process of making cloth and demonstrate how the spinning wheel was used to make thread.

In the greenhouse, discover the development and history of weaving and the loom, a machine used to make cloth. Participants will be able to try out different types of looms and can learn to create different weave structures or patterns in the cloth.  

During a working dinner, teachers are invited to take what they've learned about the creation of textiles and apply it to the American Revolution to understand what it meant to clothe and protect an army.