When
George Washington was president, a plan was made for
the White House. The plan shows the size and shape of
the rooms on the first floor as if you were high above
the house looking down on it (and if you could see through
the roof!). This plan was drawn in 1792 by James Hoban.
Hoban was the architect of the White House. The other
picture shows the White House plan today. It is almost
the same as it was over 200 years ago.
Massachusetts Historical Society |
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Pretend
it is 200 years from now and a student wants to know
what your house looked like. Make a plan of your home.
You will need a pencil, paper, some cardboard and a
ruler or measuring tape.
Modern
floor plan of the State Rooms |
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- Start
at your front door and walk through all the
rooms on the first floor of your home. Make
a list of how many rooms look like squares,
rectangles or other shapes.
- When
you know how many shapes you have, cut the shapes
from sheets of paper or old gift boxes. The
big rooms in your home should have big shapes
cut from the paper. The small rooms in your
home should be small shapes cut from the paper.
- Now
make a plan of your home. Take the shapes and
place them next to each other in the same way
that the rooms are next to each other in your
home. Glue or tape the shapes on a piece of
cardboard or construction paper. If you need
help with scissors or glue, ask an adult.
- How
do you walk from room to room? Draw the doors
from room to room.
- Now
write the name of each room on your plan.
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Compare
the White House plan and your plan. How are they alike?
How are they different? Compare the sizes by measuring
the room where you have your dinner. With a ruler or
measuring tape, measure the length and width of the
room. The State Dining Room at the White House is 49
feet long and 36 feet wide.
There
is another dining room in the White House. When the
president wants to have dinner with his family, they
eat on the second floor in the President’s Dining
Room. This is a smaller room.
