THE HISTORIC CROFT HOUSE AT THE
NASHVILLE ZOO
A Lesson Kit for Teachers and Parents
The Croft House, listed on the National Register of Historic Homes,
is the centerpiece of the Grassmere Farm, which is now the location
of the Nashville Zoo. Come visit and discover the house that was
home to five generations of one local family.
Lesson Kit designed by Rachel Gibson, MTSU Graduate Student
Updated: Summer 2016
1
A Note for Teachers and Parents ~
This lesson kit is designed to provide students with crosscurricular activities that will both enhance and expand on a
visit to the Croft House. Some of the activities are directly
related to the history of the farm and others illustrate how
history can be applied to other fields of study.
The following activities are targeted toward fifth graders. All
exercises are labeled with appropriate curriculum standards as
defined by the state of Tennessee. For the teacher’s
convenience, the activities are designated as “pre-visit” and
“post-visit,” although any of the activities may be completed
before or after a visit.
This lesson kit is not exclusive to classroom settings. Although
directions are aimed at teachers and classes, all of the
activities may be completed by one child on his or her own
time. Please be aware that most activities will require some
explanation and supervision. Parents and families who visit
The Croft House at Nashville Zoo will find these exercises to be
fun and educational ways to further explore what was learned
during a visit to the zoo.
2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Pre-Visit Activities
Lesson One: Why is There an Old House in the Zoo?
Teacher/Parent Instructions
Activity A: Who Lived in the House? (Reading 1)
Activity B: How did the Zoo Get Here? (Reading 2)
Activity C: The Grassmere Historic Farm in U.S. History
Lesson Two: How Do Historians Know What Happened in the Past?
Teacher/Parent Instructions
Activity A: Exploring Primary Sources – Journals
Activity B: Exploring Primary Sources – Photographs
Activity C: Exploring Primary Sources – Objects
Lesson Three: Where Do Animals Live?
Teacher/Parent Instructions
Activity: Animal Environments Reports
Post-Visit Activities
Lesson Four: Mathematics in Architecture
Teacher/Parent Instructions
Activity: Exploring The Croft House’s Floor Plan
Lesson Five: Margaret and Elise – World Travelers
Teacher/Parent Instructions
Activity: Where in the World are Margaret and Elise?
Lesson Six: Croft House Vocabulary
Teacher/Parent Instructions
Activity: Croft House Crossword
**Bonus**
Teacher/Parent Instructions
Activity: Croft House Fun Handout
3
WHY IS THERE AN OLD HOUSE IN THE ZOO?
Objectives: The student will understand and discuss the historical context surrounding the
Croft House. He/she will identify how significant events in U.S. history affected the
families living in the house.
Standards: English/Language Arts CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.5.2 Determine two or more main
ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by key details; summarize the text;
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.5 Compare and contrast the overall structure (e.g., chronology,
comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in
two or more texts Social Studies 5.1 Compare and contrast the myth of the Antebellum
South to the realities of the region including the harshness of slavery, increased
immigration to urban areas, and growth of railroads; 5.8 Analyze the geographic, social,
political, and economic strengths and weaknesses of the North and South; 5.18 Describe
the physical, social, political, and economic consequences of the Civil War on the southern
United States.
Prep Time: 15 minutes, to make copies of handouts
Materials: None
For More Information: On the Croft House: http://www.nashvillezoo.org/historic-home; on
teaching with timelines: http://www.homeschoolinthewoods.com/HTTA/TimelineHelps/.
1. In order to prepare students for a visit, brainstorm some of the reasons
for why there is an old house in the zoo.
2. Activities A and B: Reading about the historical context of the House
 Teacher’s Note: The purpose of these activities is to familiarize students
with the history of the Croft House. Each reading covers a different period
in the history of the house. This activity can be done aloud, in groups, or
individually.
 Have students read the following readings (“Who Lived in the House?”
and “How Did the Zoo Get Here?”) and answer the discussion questions.
3. Activity C: Comparing the Croft House with events in national history
 Teacher’s Note: This activity can be completed several ways. Copies can
be made and the students can complete the timeline in groups or
individually. Alternately, complete the timeline as a class.
 Explain to the students why it is important to place local and personal
events in a larger context. Spend some time exploring how significant
events in students’ lives, such as the birth of a new baby or a move to a
new city, occurred in the same year as a major world event. How did the
major event shape the personal one, even indirectly?
 Have students fill in the blanks on the timeline, using information
learned from the readings.
 As a class, answer the discussion question.
4
Name _____________________________
Date _______________________________
WHO LIVED IN THE HOUSE?
Directions: Read the paragraphs below and use the information to
answer the questions.
The Croft House was built in 1810, only thirty-four years after Thomas
Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence. A sheriff named Michael
Dunn built the house for his family. The house was passed down to Michael
Dunn’s grandson, William Dixon Shute.
William Dixon Shute owned the home during the Civil War. The Civil
War was fought between 1861 and 1865. It was a war between the Northern
and the Southern states. In 1861, eleven southern states seceded from the
U.S. To secede means to break away from a country. The Southern states
formed a new country called the Confederate States of America. Tennessee was
the last state to join the new Confederate States.
Very soon after that, the Northern states, which were called the Union,
took control of Tennessee. For the rest of the war, Nashville was controlled by
the Union army. During that time, the farm was home to several Union camps,
and the Union soldiers took many of their animals.
When the Civil War was over, the family went back to farming the land.
They grew corn, wheat, and sweet potatoes. During those years, William Dixon
Shute, his wife, and his four daughters changed the look of the house. They
added the porches and divided the main parlor into two parlors. They also
5
named the farm Grassmere. In 1888, the family’s youngest daughter, Kate,
married a man named William Croft. They had their wedding in the house at
Grassmere. Kate and William had two children, Margaret, who was born in
1889, and Elise, who was born in 1894.
Questions:
1. Circle which happened first:
a. Michael Dunn built his house.
b. The Declaration of Independence was written.
2. Circle which happened first:
a. William Dixon Shute named the house Grassmere.
b. The Civil War was fought.
3. Circle which happened first:
a. Union soldiers lived on the farm.
b. Kate and William Croft got married.
4. What happened to the farm during the Civil War?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
5. What part of the house did William Dixon Shute change?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
6
Name _____________________________
Date _______________________________
HOW DID THE ZOO GET HERE?
Directions: Read the paragraphs below and use the information to
answer the questions.
In 1898, the United States fought against Spain in the Spanish-American
War. Because the United States won the war, the country gained control over
the Spanish colonies. Soon, many Americans moved to the old Spanish
colonies to make their fortune. One of those colonies, Cuba, was in the process
of gaining independence. In 1902, Cuba declared its independence from Spain.
William Croft decided to move his family to the new, independent country of
Cuba. He started a concrete company there. Kate and her daughters spent a
lot of time in Cuba. They also traveled all over the world and came back to
Tennessee often. During the 1920s and 1930s, Cuba became a dangerous
place to live. Many different groups tried to take control of the government. By
the 1930s, Kate and her daughters moved back to Nashville. William Croft
died in Cuba in 1938.
Even though Margaret and Elise did not live in Cuba anymore, all of their
money came from the Cuban business. But, in 1959, a man named Fidel
Castro took control of the Cuban government. He was a dictator. A dictator is
a ruler with complete control over the government. Castro was also a
Communist, and he believed the government should own all of the businesses
and property. Almost all of the Croft’s money was taken for use in the new
7
Cuban government. Soon, Margaret and Elise could not pay their bills here in
Nashville.
Many people offered to buy the house from the sisters, but they would
not sell it. They did not want their family farm to be torn down, so that new
buildings would be built. Then, in the 1960s, the Nashville Children’s
Museum offered to pay their taxes, and in exchange the sisters would have to
leave the farm to the Museum in their wills. The sisters could live in their
home for the rest of their lives. The Croft sisters agreed, but left very specific
directions in their wills that the house can never be torn down and that the
property must be used as a place to study nature. Margaret died in 1974 and
Elise, who was the last person to live in the house, died in 1985.
In 1990, the Grassmere Wildlife Park opened, but it closed only five years
later. Then in 1996, the Nashville Zoo opened on the Grassmere property.
Questions:
1. Why did William Croft move his family to Cuba?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
2. Who was Fidel Castro?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
3. What happened to Margaret and Elise’s money?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
4. Did Margaret and Elise ever sell the house? What happened to the house?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
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Name ______________________________
Date _______________________________
THE GRASSMERE FARM IN U.S. HISTORY
Directions: Using what you learned from the readings, place the
following answers in the blanks on the timeline.
1. The Zoo opens at Grassmere
2. Abraham Lincoln becomes President; 11 states secede and the Civil
War begins
3. Michael Dunn builds his house
4. Margaret and Elise move back to the U.S.
5. The Croft Family moves to Cuba
6. Spanish – American War
7. Fidel Castro takes control of Cuba
Discussion Question:
A lot of things about life in the United States have changed between
George Washington’s presidency and now. What events on the timeline, do you
think, contributed to these changes?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
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THE GRASSMERE FARM IN U. S. HISTORY
1789:
George
Washingto
n becomes
President
1814:
The
StarSpangle
d
Banner
is
written
1861:
1902:
1930s
.
1959:
1888:
Kate
Shute
marries
Willia
m Croft
1990:
Grassmer
e
Wildlife
Park
opens
1790 1800 1810 1820 1830 1840 1850 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990
1810:
1859:
William
Dixon
Shute
becomes
owner of
the farm
1865:
The
Civil
War
ends
1889:
1929:
1914: Great
World Depressi
War I on Starts
begins
1939:
World
War II
begins
1961:
John F.
Kenned
y
become
s
Preside
nt
1989:
George
H.
Bush
become
s
1996:
Preside
nt
10
THE GRASSMERE FARM IN U. S. HISTORY (Answer Key)
1789:
George
Washingto
n becomes
President
1814:
The
StarSpangle
d
Banner
is
written
1861:
Abraha
m
Lincoln
becomes
Presiden
t; 11
states
secede
and the
Civil
War
begins
1888:
Kate
Shute
marries
Willia
m Croft
1902:
The
Croft
Family
moves
to
Cuba
1930s
Margare
t and
Elise
move
back to
the U.S.
1959:
Fidel
Castro
takes
control
of
Cuba
1990:
Grassmer
e
Wildlife
Park
opens
1790 1800 1810 1820 1830 1840 1850 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990
1810:
Michae
l Dunn
builds
his
house
1859:
William
Dixon
Shute
becomes
owner of
the farm
1865:
The
Civil
War
ends
1889:
SpanishAmerica
n
War
1929:
1914: Great
World Depressi
War I on Starts
begins
1939:
World
War II
begins
1961:
John F.
Kenned
y
become
s
Preside
nt
1989:
George
H.
Bush
become
s
1996:
Preside
The Zoo
nt
opens at
Grassme
re
8
HOW DO HISTORIANS KNOW WHAT HAPPENED
IN THE PAST?
Objectives: The student will analyze and interpret various primary sources.
Standards: English/Language Arts CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.3 Explain the relationships or
interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical,
scientific, or technical text based on specific information in the text. Social Studies 5.27
Explain the need for the South and Tennessee to move toward industry and mechanization
after the Civil War and identify examples of the effort, including Coca Cola bottling in
Chattanooga, mining on the Cumberland Plateau, coal and iron processing, the growth of
urban areas, and the increase in railroads.
Prep Time: 15 minutes, to make copies of handouts
Materials: Objects from home, optional (See Activity C)
For More Information: On teaching about primary sources,
http://www.loc.gov/teachers/tps/quarterly/elementary/article.html; on interpreting
primary sources, http://teachinghistory.org/teaching-materials/teaching-guides/25690
1. Discuss with your students the nature of primary and secondary
sources.
 As a class, list specific examples of primary and secondary sources.
Brainstorm about why primary sources are important for learning
history.
 Explain that the following activities are designed to help students learn
how historians use primary sources to uncover the facts of history.
2. Activity A – Analyzing Primary Sources: Journal of Maggie Shute
 Using the family tree chart provided, explain who Maggie Shute was in
relation to Margaret and Elise Croft. Share this information with the
students: Maggie never married, and lived at Grassmere with her father,
William Dixon Shute. By 1913, her sister, Venie was married and living
elsewhere. Although her sister Lelia was not yet married, she often stayed
with Venie, leaving Maggie and her “Papa” at home alone.
 Have the students read the excerpts from her journal aloud and answer
the questions that follow in groups or as a class.
3. Activity B – Analyzing Primary Sources: Photograph of Miriam
Hotchkiss
 Teacher’s Note: This activity will probably be easier to complete as a
class, although a handout version is included for the convenience of the
individual student.
 As a class, complete the following photo analysis activity, adapted from
the National Archives website’s form
(http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/worksheets/photo_analysi
s_worksheet.pdf).
9

Analyze the photograph using the following steps:
1. As a class, look at the picture for 2 minutes. Discuss what the
first thing you notice about the picture is. Have students divide
into 4 groups. Each group should look carefully at one quadrant
of the picture and look for new details.
2. Make 3 columns on the blackboard and list all the people, objects,
and activities in the picture.
3. Explain the difference between inferences and direct knowledge.
Have each group list 3 things they can infer from the picture and
then share those inferences with the class. Does anyone disagree
with someone else’s inference? What does that tell you about the
difference between inference and direct knowledge?
4. Explain that we know this picture was taken at the Croft House in
1916 and the girl is Miriam Hotchkiss. We know these details
because the photograph was labeled. Discuss how this knowledge
might change some inferences made earlier.
5. Discuss how knowledge of the 1913 journal might affect what you
can learn from this picture. (For example, this is likely the car that
Maggie refers to in her journal.) Discuss with the students how
primary sources work together to create a more complete picture of
the past.
6. On your visit to the Croft House, see if you can discover the
vantage point this photograph was taken from.
4. Activity C – Analyzing Primary Sources: Objects as Primary Sources (A
Bonus Post-Visit Activity)
 Explain to the class that in the same way that written sources and
photographs serve as primary sources, objects can also tell us many
things about how a person or family lived.
 As a class, think about 3-5 objects you saw at the Croft House. Describe
them as carefully as you can. What can you infer about life at the Croft
House based on the objects?
 To further reinforce this point, have students bring in an object from
home. Spend some time observing each object. The Heritage Education
Network website (referenced above) has a good worksheet for analyzing
objects.
 Have the class develop inferences about the life of the owner. Then, have
the owner of the object identify themselves. Discuss whether the
knowledge of the owner changes what you had thought about the object?
Was the class correct in its inferences?
10
CROFT FAMILY TREE
William Dixon
Shute
Kate Shute
married
William Croft,
1888
Margaret Croft
(1889-1974)
Venie Shute
married
Marshall
Hotchkiss,
1900
Lelia Shute
married
Holland Tigert,
after 1913
Maggie Shute
never married.
Miriam
Hotchkiss
Elise Croft
(1894-1985)
11
Name _____________________________
Date _______________________________
LEARNING ABOUT THE PAST THROUGH WRITTINGS
Directions: Read the following selected passages from Maggie
Shute’s journal. It was written in 1913. As you read, try to imagine
what life was like in Nashville in the year 1913. Answer the
questions at the end.
Tues Jan 21st
Phone dead – We don’t know what they are doing – The paper keeps
us posted about the business at the capitol. At 12 Holland and Lelia
came out in the auto – much to our delight, for we had been shut off
from everything and everybody. We have dinner at 5:30 and then
spend a pleasant evening – talking, reading and discussing
generally the things of the Legislature.
Mon Jan 27th
Everything dripping wet from all night rain. Papa gave out going
to Town – too bad a day. He, Lelia and I here together for the first
time in some weeks. Papa has been reminiscing about the war
telling many interesting and amusing incidents in connection with
it.
Fri Jan 31st
Leila reads to Papa tonight while I write to my Sister Kate in
Havana.
Sun Feb 2nd
No wind blowing, but quite cold. Sun came out early in the
morning – then cloudy by 10 o’clock and cloudy all day. (I’m
uncertain as to the Ground Hog legend – but it looks like there
would be six weeks more of winter.) I go in to Church – came back
with Marshall and Venie who take dinner here, also Holland – they
go for a Motor Car ride immediately after dinner.
At dark the joyriders return. They had a blowout and went to Town,
got a new tire.
12
Venie and Marshall go back home early and we settle down to read.
Mon Feb 17th
Another lovely day – springlike. Venie goes to her physical culture
class at 10. I remain at her house, feeling badly all day. She gets
out the Machine and up to afternoon services – has two guests. Then
they go across to Nolensville Pike and Albrights Store and get my box
and back before dark! Nothing went wrong with the car. We read
and have a most pleasant evening.
Discussion Questions:
1. What year was the journal written? Mark it on the timeline.
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
2. Why, do you think, did Maggie write a journal? Did she intend for someone
to read it?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
3. List 3 things you found interesting about life at the Grassmere farm in
1913.
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
4. What did Maggie and her father do for fun in the evenings? Compare this to
what your family does in the evenings. Is it similar or different?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
5. In your opinion, why did Maggie wrote, “Nothing went wrong with the car”?
Do you think early cars had a lot of problems? What other evidence from
the reading can help you answer this question?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
6. When their phone was broken, how did Maggie and her father feel? What
ways of communicating did people have in 1913?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
13
LEARNING ABOUT THE PAST THROUGH PICTURES
Directions: Use this picture to answer the questions.
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Name: _____________________________
Date: ______________________________
LEARNING ABOUT THE PAST THROUGH PICTURES
Directions: Complete this worksheet using the picture.
1. Look at the picture for 2 minutes. Write down the first thing you notice
about the picture.
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
2. Divide the picture into fourths. Look carefully at each fourth of the
picture for new details. Write down anything you notice.
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
3. List all the people, objects, and activities in the picture.
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
4. To infer means to guess what might be true, based on what you already
know is true. Write down a few things that you infer or guess to be true
about life in the 1900s.
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
5. Historians know that this picture was taken at the Croft House in 1916
and the girl is Miriam Hotchkiss. We know these details because the
photograph was labeled. Does this knowledge change any of your
guesses?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
6. How does reading the 1913 journal change what you can learn from this
picture? (For example, this is probably the car that Maggie refers to in
her journal.)
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
7. At the Croft House, see if you can discover where this picture was taken.
17
WHERE DO ANIMALS LIVE?
Objective: The student will research and report on the natural habitat of an animal and
compare it the environment he/she observes in the zoo.
Standards: Science GLE 0507.2.1 Investigate different nutritional relationships among
organisms in an ecosystem; GLE 0507.2.3 Establish the connections between human
activities and natural disasters and their impact on the environment; SPI 0507.5.1 Identify
physical and behavioral adaptations that enable animals such as amphibians, reptiles,
birds, fish, and mammals to survive in a particular environment.
Prep Time: 15 minutes, to make copies
Materials: Poster board to make Venn diagram, optional.
For More Information: Convention on Internationals Trade and Endangered Species of Fauna
and Flora: www.cites.org
1. Start by sharing this information with your students:
Margaret and Elise Croft loved animals. They also loved their home and did
not want their family farm to be torn down and turned into a commercial
business area, like a mall or Wal-Mart. That is why they insisted that the
house remain standing and that the land be used as a place where people
can study nature and learn to appreciate it like they did.
 Discuss how the Grassmere farm is used now for studying nature.
 Discuss why zoos are important. How can zoos teach us about
nature?
2. Create a Venn diagram to identify the similarities and differences
between animals’ natural habitats and zoos.
 As a class, define the term “environmental changes.” Discuss how
natural habitats are frequently threatened by human actions.
 How can zoos protect endangered and threatened animals?
3. Have each student complete the following report on one of the animals
in the zoo and its natural environment.
 Teacher’s Note: The handout has a list of the animals at the
Nashville Zoo. These reports can be as elaborate as posters and oral
reports or as simple as filling in the blanks on the report form. The
goal of this project is to reinforce the impact of humans on animals
via the impact of humans on the environment.
18
REPORT: ANIMALS AND THEIR ENVIRONMENTS
Directions:
Each of the species below can be seen at the Nashville Zoo. Pick an animal
from the list below to write a report on. Look for information at the zoo, in
books or on the internet. (Be sure to get a grown-up’s permission to use the
internet.)
Mammals:
Clouded Leopard
Masai Giraffe
Meerkat
Short-tailed Leaf-nosed Bat
Red Ruffed Lemur
Siamang
Reptiles:
Alligator Snapping Turtle
Anaconda
Bushmaster
Emerald Tree Boa
Mata Mata
Rhinoceros Iguana
Birds:
Caribbean Flamingo
Double-Wattled Cassowary
Hyacinth Macaw
Lorikeet
Ostrich
Rhinoceros Hornbill
Insects/Arachnids:
Black Widow Spider
Brown Recluse Spider
Goliath Bird-Eating Tarantula
Mexican Red-Kneed Tarantula
Trinidad Chevron Tarantula
Amphibians:
Axolotle
Blue Poison Arrow Frog
Hellbender
Marine Toad
Surimam Toad
Tiger Salamander
Fish:
Blue Tang
Lined Seahorse
Lionfish
Piranha
White-Blotched River Stingray
19
Name _______________________________
Date ________________________________
Animals and Their Environment
This report is about ______________________________________________
(give the name of the animal).
Describe the environment that the animal lives in. Where does it
live? What does the animal’s natural home look like? Does it have
a lot of water, or very little? Is it cold or warm?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
How does the natural environment affect the animal’s life? (For
example, fish have fins because they live in the water.)
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
How have people changed the animal’s natural environment?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
How do those changes to the environment affect the animal’s life?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
21
Is the animal endangered or threatened? Why?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
What are people doing to help save this animal?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Compare and contrast the natural habitat to the one at the zoo.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Use this space to write anything interesting you learned about this
animal.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
22
Mathematics in Architecture – The Croft House
Objectives: The student will apply math skills to analyzing the floor plan of the Croft House.
Standards: Math CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.5.NBT.A.3 Read, write, and compare decimals to
thousandths; CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.5.MD.A.1 Convert among different-sized standard
measurement units within a given measurement system (e.g., convert 5 cm to 0.05 m), and
use these conversions in solving multi-step, real world problems.
Prep Time: 15 minutes, to make copies
Materials: None
1. Explain to the students the importance of math in building a house.
Using the attached floor plan for the first floor of the Croft House,
answer the following questions.
 Teacher’s Note: It might be helpful to review that
o length x width = area
o the apostrophe symbol means “feet” and the quote symbol means
“inches”
o there are 12 inches are in a foot and 3 feet in a yard
2. Brainstorm some ideas about why it is important for the staff of the
Croft House to know the area of each room.
 Discuss how this knowledge can help the staff care for the house and the
collections.
 Discuss how this knowledge will help the staff plan tours.
22
Name: _____________________
Date: ______________________
Mathematics in Architecture – The Croft House
Directions:
Look carefully at that floor plan of the Croft House’s first floor. Use it to
answer the following math problems.
8. If one parlor is 14’ long and the other parlor is 11’ long, how long are
both parlors together?
9. The kitchen is 11’ 6” long. 6” =
a. 1/2 of a foot
b. 3/4 of a foot
c. 5/6 of a foot
10.
Write 11’ 6” as a decimal.
11.
Find the area of the following rooms:
a. dining room
b. hall
c. parlor
d. parlor
e. kitchen
12. Using the answers from the previous question, list the five rooms
in order from smallest to largest.
23
Mathematics in Architecture – The Croft House
Floor plan of the first floor of the Croft House
24
MARGARET AND ELISE – WORLD TRAVELERS
Objective: The student will identify various world cities by using a series of clues that are
based primarily on geography.
Standards: Social Studies 5.43 Locate and map the countries of the Central and Allied Powers
during World War I; 5.47 Make connections with the growth of popular culture of the
“Roaring Twenties” with the following: W.C. Handy, Bessie Smith; automobiles, radios, and
nickelodeons; Harlem Renaissance; WSM, Grand Ole Opry; Charles Lindbergh and the
Spirit of St. Louis; mass production, “just in time” inventory, appliances
Prep time: 15 minutes, to make copies
Materials: None
For More Information: On women travelers in the early 20th century:
http://www.womeninworldhistory.com/essay-07-07.html
1. Explain that in the early part of the 20th century, Margaret and Elise
spent a lot of time traveling.
 Ask if anyone remembers seeing the trunks in one of the bedrooms in
the Croft House.
 Explain that one of those trunks has several stickers from various
locations, one of which also has Margaret’s name on it.
2. Spend some time discussing what travel would have been like for two
single women in the early 20th century.
 Discuss what their travels would have been like, in light of the
increasing independence for women in this period.
3. Have students complete the following activity using an atlas,
textbooks, or the internet.
 Answers: (1) Prague; (2) Florence; (3) Stockholm; (4) Zurich
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Name __________________________
Date ___________________________
WHERE IN THE WORLD ARE MARGARET AND ELISE?
Directions: Using the clues below and an atlas, books or the
internet to discover each of the places that Margaret and Elise
might have visited. (Be sure to get a grown-up’s permission
before using the internet.)
1. The first city is: _______________________________________________________
A. “Good King Wenceslas,” from the Christmas carol is buried in this
city.
B. This city is located on the Vltava River.
C. This city is the capital city of the country that is bordered by
Germany, Poland, Austria, Hungary, and Slovakia.
2. The second city is: _____________________________________________________
A. This city is the capital of the region of Tuscany.
B. The famous artist, Michelangelo, is from this city.
C. This city is located in the country that invented pizza!
3. The third city is: _______________________________________________________
A. This city is the capital of the county where the Nobel Prizes were
founded.
B. This city has around 100 subway stations, most of which house
paintings and sculptures, like a museum.
C. This city is located on the southeastern coast of the country that is in
between Norway and the Baltic Sea.
4. The fourth city is: _______________________________________________________
A. People in this city eat 23 pounds of chocolate every year! (Americans
only eat 11.7 pounds. How much do you eat?)
B. This city is located on the Limmat River
C. This city is the largest city in the country that borders Austria, Italy,
France, and Germany
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GRASSMERE HISTORIC FARM AND HOME
VOCABULARY
Objective: The student will recall various vocabulary words used throughout this lesson kit to
complete the crossword.
Standards: English/Language Arts CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.4 Determine the meaning of
general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 5
topic or subject area.
Prep time: 15 minutes, to make copies
Materials: None
1. Have students complete the following crossword. All the words are
used elsewhere in this lesson kit, particularly in the readings.
Answer Key:
1
2
3
G R A S S M E R E
P
5
7
A
I
P
S
E
9
C
H
R
B
I
I
I
C
I
V
I
L W A R
T
M
T
S E
O
R
R
S
I
12
S E C E D E
13
A
E N V
M
A
Y
M A R G A R E T
I
E L
8
P
U
C O N F E D E R A T E
S
10
6
4
C
S
11
O
N
U
A
R
T
C
U
E
R
I
R O N M E N T
Created with EclipseCrossword — www.eclipsecrossword.com
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Name ______________________________
Date _______________________________
CROFT HOUSE CROSSWORD
Directions: Use the clues below to fill in the blocks. All these words are used
in the other activities. (Hint: Two-word answers do not have an empty space
between the words in the puzzle.)
1
2
5
3
4
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
Created with EclipseCrossword — www.eclipsecrossword.com
27
Across
1.
5.
8.
9.
10.
12.
13.
The name of the farm where the Nashville Zoo is today
Jefferson Davis was the President of the ___ States of America.
The ___ ___ was a war between the Northern and Southern States.
William and Kate Croft's oldest daughter
The last person to live in the Croft House
To break away from a country
An animal's natural ___ is sometimes different than its habitat in a zoo.
Down
2.
3.
4.
6.
7.
11.
The ___ ___ War was fought in 1898.
The island county where William Croft began a concrete business
An original document or firsthand document that tells about a past event
A ruler with complete control over the government
The African Elephant is an example of a ___ at the Nashville Zoo.
Margaret and Elise Croft wanted their property to be used as a place to
study ___.
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GRASSMERE HISTORIC FARM FUN
1. This handout is meant “just for fun.”
2. The gardens at the Croft House are maintained by a volunteer group,
The Davidson County Master Gardeners (http://www.mgofdc.org).
3. The answer for the species names are:
Scarlet Runner = Bean
Black Beauty = Eggplant
Cherokee Purple = Tomato
Jonathan = Apple
Crook Neck = Squash
Silverskin = Garlic
Lady Cream = Peas
Purple Tops = Turnips
4. The recipe that follows is from Attic Heirlooms, a collection of recipes
that were found in the attic of the Croft House. The cookbook can be
purchased in the Nashville Zoo gift shop.
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Name: _____________________________
Date: ______________________________
GRASSMERE HISTORIC FARM FUN
Is a Black Beauty a kind of squash or apple? Can you guess?
Directions: Draw a line between the names of a specific species of plant and
the kind of vegetable it is. All of these plants are planted in the garden at
Grassmere.
Scarlet Runner
Black Beauty
Cherokee Purple
Jonathan
Crook Neck
Silverskin
Lady Cream
Purple Tops
Squash
Tomato
Turnip
Bean
Peas
Apple
Garlic
Eggplant
Cooking at home was an important part of life at Grassmere. Many recipes
were found in the attic and are now in a cookbook. Below is one example. Try
it out at home. Be sure to get a grown up to help you. (The Attic Heirlooms
Cookbook is available in the gift store in the zoo.)
**NOTE: This recipe was sent to Margaret Croft by a friend of hers.
Christmas Cookies
1 egg
1/3 c. packed brown sugar
2/3 c. molasses
1/3 c. melted shortening
2 ¾ c. sifted all-purpose flour
1 t. salt
1 t. soda
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. ginger
Beat egg well. Blend in brown sugar, molasses, shortening. Sift remaining
ingredients and stir into molasses mixture. Chill several hours or overnight.
Roll out and cut into shapes. Bake 10 minutes at 375º.
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