Social Studies Bell Ringer for Grades 6–8: The White House cornerstone laid on October 13, 1792
A free social studies bell ringer for grades 6–8. Put the prompt on the board as students walk in, give them three to five minutes, then go over it together. The answer and teacher notes are in the box below the prompt.
The prompt
The cornerstone of the White House was laid on October 13, 1792. The first president to live there, John Adams, moved in during 1800, while it was still unfinished. How many years after the cornerstone was that? Then list two reasons building a large stone house might take so long in the 1790s.
Answer and teacher notes
1800 − 1792 = 8 years. Because Adams was the first to live there, George Washington never did.
Reasons will vary. Strong answers mention that there were no power tools or engines, stone had to be cut and moved by hand, wagon, or boat, workers and money had to be found, and weather slowed outdoor work. Fun detail: the walls are white-gray sandstone, and painting the outside today takes about 570 gallons of paint.
Sources: Britannica: This Day in History, October 13; Britannica: White House
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