1. The Mattox House Dilemma

2. Mattox House: Some Background
Henry Ford of Ford Automobiles used his vast wealth to build a museum
Items at Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village were ‘transplanted’ to Michigan for visitors
Part transportation museum part historical sites

3. The Problem!
In the 1980s, museum officials want to redesign the exhibit but there were NO FLOORPLANS!

4. Central Problems
Overarching Problems: What are the challenges involved when looking for and at source material? Are all sources made equal? What should we do when examining a source? What makes a source reliable?
Driving Question: What was the original floor plan of the Mattox House in the 1930s?

5. Evidence and Sources Four images of the Mattox House’s exterior.
Interviews with:
Dr. Leslie Long, Bryan County resident and agricultural specialist
Interviewed in 1989
E.J. Cutler, Ford executive (was present with Henry Ford when the home was purchased)
Interviewed in 1955
Charles Boles, Mattox neighbor
Member of the same church as the Mattox’s; Lived in Bryan County, Georgia at the time of his interview in
Carrie Mattox, Daughter
Born in 1926; 7 years old when house was sold; interviewed at 63 years old in 1989.
Amos Mattox, Jr., Son
Born in 1924; 9 years old when house was sold; interviewed at 65 years old in 1989.

6. Your task Review the evidence (photos and interviews)
Decide how many rooms were in the house and their purposes (e.g., kitchen, bedroom)
You may want to start with how many bedrooms there were
Decide where the rooms are as well as other features (e.g., halls, porches)
Design a floor plan based on the evidence you review.
Be prepared to support your floor plan by providing evidence from the photos and interviews.

7. Why Do This
Skills:
Learning to piece together conclusions from multiple and sometimes conflicting sources
Dissect sources to get as much information out of it as possible
Evaluate reliability of sources
Learn to support ideas, conclusions, answers with fact-based evidence

8. 1 2 3 4

9. Front
Back
Chimney Side
Arbor Side

10. ON the back of your paper, answer the following Questions:
What were the advantages/disadvantages of the primary sources?
What were the advantages/disadvantages of the secondary source?
Out of all the interviewees, who did you trust the most? Why?
For this activity, was the primary or secondary sources more valuable?