Wow! Is tomorrow already August? Time has flown by this summer! I have been gone the majority of the summer, hence the lack in posts... but I am back now! I have a lengthy list of things to blog about from my summer adventures! To begin with, here is one of my crafty Pinterest projects that I have completed (here is the link to the original idea): Colonial America/Revolutionary War Guess Who! I have been wanting to do this project for a while now and finally made the time this last month. It took me some time to put it all together! The old-fashioned Guess Who game is hard to come by! They have made it all fancy now, which is not what I wanted! I scoured garage sales and thrift stores until I found one! Here are my directions: 1. Find an old Guess Who game and take out the cards (you might already have one in your game cabinet.) 2. Select people from history, family, students, etc. to turn into a game. 3. Measure the game cards in your Guess Who game. (Mine were 1.75" x 1.12") 4. Using your favorite document maker, (I used Power Point) create boxes that are the measurements of your cards. 5. Find pictures of your people you want to use either on the Internet or photos you have taken. 6. Insert the photos into your document, sizing them to fit inside the boxes. 7. Insert a text box at the bottom of your boxes and type the person's name. 8. Print, laminate, cut, insert, and play! (Make sure you print an extra set to draw from.) Rules of play: 1. Open the trays by turning them upside down. 2. Each player draws a card that their opponent will be trying to guess. 3. Ask "yes" or "no" questions to narrow down the suspects. (You can ask if they are bald, wearing a hat, male, or even about something they did in history like did this person fight in a war?) 4. Narrow down the selection until you think you know who your opponent has for you. Make your guess on your next turn to see if you are correct! Bonus: If you want it to be more of a challenge, pull 2 cards to guess. Then, you can ask questions like: Is either person involved in the Revolutionary War? or Are both people female? I hope you will create your own Guess Who game now! I would love to sell my cards that I have made, but I just got the images from Google, so that wouldn't be legal. However, it really didn't take long to make. Make sure you link up pictures of yours if you make one!
Westward expansion is such an interesting topic for students. The idea of traveling across the country on foot for months is something that many students cannot imagine. How Can We Make This Unit Even More Fun? Acting out the pioneers experiences and using interactive notebooks are both helpful. Add replicas and other items inside of a box for students to explore. They can write about their findings and "touch" the past. Interactive notebooks are also fun.Click here to access a westward expansion interactive notebook. Ask an intriguing question that students must research. This builds up interest in the unit and is a great way to integrate research into the lesson. (*Many sources have stated that water was not sold for $100 a cup, but prices along the pioneer trails were high for items.)
Do you have the honor of teaching your students about the Native American Nations? It's always one of my students' favorite social studies units. Along with the honor of teaching students about indigenous people also comes a great responsibility. It's very important as educators that we are always in touch with our bias and misconceptions about different cultures when we plan and teach. In this post we will discuss what and how I teach about indigenous people of the United States. Here are a few things to consider while lesson planning: 1. Use terms like indigenous people, First Americans, Native Americans. 2. Indigenous people span a large variety of nations and areas. Discuss and explain to students that they are all vastly different and cannot be grouped together. 3. DON'T dress your students up! It's not o.k. and we should all know better by now. 4. Don't speak of Native Americans in exclusively past tense form. We always discuss our local communities and some examples of how Native Americans in the area currently live. If we have any families in the class that come from the culture of topic, they are invited in to teach us about their culture. This is a practice we use when learning about all cultures. First American nations are vastly different and diverse. Due to this, my Native American Unit is my longest social studies unit of the year. We touch on this unit during Thanksgiving when we read and learn about the true story of Thanksgiving. We discuss this during our immigration unit when we learn who the first immigrants to the United States were and we have a month long unit in the spring when we learn about some of the different regions of indigenous nations. In order to fit this unit into our packed schedule, we align the unit to our reading and writing standards. I live in Florida which has adapted common core standards. For shared reading we spend about two weeks reading about some of the different North American regions. I align the lessons to these standards: STANDARDS CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.1 Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.2 Identify the main topic of a multiparagraph text as well as the focus of specific paragraphs within the text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.3 Describe the connection between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text. In writing we spend an entire month creating informative pieces. I align the lessons to these standards: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.2 Write informative/explanatory texts in which they introduce a topic, use facts and definitions to develop points, and provide a concluding statement or section. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.5 With guidance and support from adults and peers, focus on a topic and strengthen writing as needed by revising and editing. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.7 Participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g., read a number of books on a single topic to produce a report; record science observations). The main regions that we focus on are: REGIONS 1. Northwest 2. Northeast (Eastern Woodlands) 3. Southwest 4. Southeast 5. Plains We discuss the areas and the natural resources that each habitat had to offer the people who lived in the region. We learn the names of different groups who resided in the area. We also learn about one nation from the region. While learning about the natural resources we focus on these: AREAS TO COVER 1. Food 2. Clothing 3. Shelter 4. Practices 5. Art While reading and writing, students gather information in order to answer writing prompts that I've given them so that they can compose a book from the region of their choice. In the book, all on level and above level students write 7 paragraphs with support from me. The task is shortened for below level students according to their needs. The writing pieces have the introduction, the five areas mentioned above, each with it's own paragraph and the conclusion. Depending on the student, some of these paragraphs are shorter than others. We start the reading unit one week before we start the writing unit so that students have had a chance to learn a little about the different areas and can then make their choice of what to write about. Each student is given the opportunity to choose their region of choice because it makes them more invested in the task and they take it more serious. When students are done with their writing piece they get to choose a piece of art from their region to create. They must learn about the significance of the piece that they are making before they get to make it. Because we are on a strict budget, we use what materials we have on hand. I will show you the art below with the region. Just click on the pictures when you are done reading this post to go to a more detailed post about the art work. Southwest Rock Drawings Plains & Southeast Animal Hides Northwest Dream Catcher Northeast Jewelry This social studies unit takes a lot of resources to teach. In order to meet all of the students' needs, I wrote two different social studies units to teach with. I have a Native American Unit that includes passages from each region listed above, writing books and task cards. The passages each focus on all the information listed in the post. I also have a unit on specific Native American nations. The nations are: Cherokee, Sioux, Wampanoag, Pueblo and Comanche. You can find these units by clicking below. Feel free to leave any comments with lessons that worked for your class. We always learn and teach better together. Feel free to email me any questions that you may have. Happy teaching!
S is for Segregation and Civil Rights There are some ugly parts of American history and segregation is one of those. However, just because talking about that time period might make us uncomfortable, it doesn’t mean that we should skip it with elementary age students. Thankfully men and women came along who helped to bring...Read More »
Engage your students right when they walk in the door with bell ringers that will support your middle school American History curriculum! This low-prep resource only requires you to choose which bell ringer works best with your curriculum for the day. That's it! Inside this resource, you'll find 200 bell ringers to use throughout the year while you teach about United States history from the Age of Exploration up through the Civil War Era. Along with a PowerPoint version of the slides, the bell ringers are also compatible with Google Slides! There are links to digital versions of the bell ringers included for easy use in your classroom. Each bell ringer set also has a full page response sheet in Google Slides for students. What's Included: ⭐200 Bell Ringers for the Whole Year - These PowerPoint bell ringers will cover you every day of the school year. Pick and choose which one matches with your curriculum for the day. The bell ringers promote critical and creative thinking skills, vocabulary skills, historical thinking skills and positive growth mindset skills. Each of the five bell ringer sets includes 40 slides for a total of 200 options! ⭐Student Response Sheets - Printable student response sheets are included in two versions - as a whole page and in half-page formats - for each of the five bell ringer sets. A digital response sheet on Google Slides is also included so you can choose what is best for your classroom needs! ⭐A Variety of Ancient History Topics - The bell ringers cover the following content areas in your American History curriculum: 1. Exploring the New World 2. Colonial America 3. Causes of the Revolutionary War 4. The Revolutionary War 5. The Constitution 6. The Federalist Era 7. The Jefferson and Madison Eras 8. Westward Expansion 9. The Jackson Era 10. The Industrial Revolution 11. Causes of the Civil War 12. The Civil War Looking for more details about each set? Keep reading! 1. American History Critical Thinking Bell Ringers This resource includes a 40 page PowerPoint (non-editable) containing a unique writing prompt on each page that encourages students to use critical thinking skills and previously learned knowledge about American history to craft a response. There are also two versions of a response sheet that students can use when answering the prompts. A link to the slides in Google Drive is included. Please Note: Each unique critical thinking prompt requires students to have knowledge of early American history. These questions are designed to support your curriculum content. This resource is designed to be used once a week in your classroom. There are 40 slides – enough for each week of the school year! 2. American History Vocabulary Bell Ringers This resource includes a 40 page PowerPoint (non-editable) containing one vocabulary term and definition pertaining to U.S. history on each slide. There are also two versions of a response sheet that students can use during their vocabulary practice. A version for Google Slides is included as well, for the vocabulary slides. This resource is designed to be used once a week in your classroom. There are 40 slides – enough for each week of the school year! 3. American History Quote of the Day Bell Ringers This resource includes a 40 page PowerPoint (non-editable) containing 40 quotes from notable people in American history, a writing prompt on each page and two versions of a response sheet that students can use when answering the prompts. A version for Google Slides is included as well, for the slides - not writing prompts at this time. Weekly Writing Prompt: What does this quote mean? Do you agree or disagree? How does this quote relate to an event in history or in your own life? This resource is designed to be used once a week in your classroom. There are 40 slides – enough for each week of the school year! 4. American History Historical Thinking Bell Ringers This resource includes a 40 page PowerPoint (non-editable) containing questions related to maps, document excerpts, historic images and mini biographies. There are two versions of a response sheet that students can use when answering the prompts and an answer key for the teacher. A version for Google Slides is included as well, for the slides. This resource is designed to be used once a week in your classroom. There are 40 slides – enough for each week of the school year! All historic documents and images used are Public Domain. 5. Growth Mindset Bell Ringers This resource includes a 40 page PowerPoint (non-editable) containing one writing prompt pertaining to growth mindset, goal-setting and/or positive thinking per slide. There are also two versions of a response sheet that students can use when writing their thoughts to the prompt from the bell ringer. A version for Google Slides is included as well. What other people are saying about this resource: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐"Great Warm Ups for my class. Led to a lot of great discussions." - Marley S. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐"These are a great opener to Social Studies Lessons, I let my small groups read and discuss the prompts aloud." - Nicole S. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐"I love the variety of questions. Some that are just fun, some that make the students really think, some that leave them with helpful information. Well worth the money!" - Elizabeth R. Are you still not sure if these bell ringers are a right fit for your classroom? Check out the FREE Introduction to Social Studies Bell Ringers resource! They are perfect for the first unit of the school year. Please click on the preview to see examples of the five bell ringer sets and student response sheets. If you have any questions, please leave a question in the Q & A section of my store or send me an email at [email protected]. :) Happy Teaching! :) Let's Connect! The Teacher's Prep Blog The Teacher's Prep on Facebook The Teacher's Prep on Pinterest The Teacher's Prep on Instagram
It is project time again in our classroom! Students did an absolutely FAB job this year taking their learning and applying it to our region project - I just had to share! Students worked with their original regional group to design a diorama of their cultures environment, shelter, natural resources, and any other details they could. Students reread their information on their region. Loved seeing them reviewing their unit notes about their region to help them plan their diorama. They did an absolutely amazing job and really showcased their knowledge of each region! I really could not get over the incredible amount of DETAIL they put into them! It was so exciting listening to them share what they wanted to add based off of their knowledge. So. Cool. Painted sticks for "Sugar Cane" yes, that is a brave going through the "Sun Dance" Removable roof to see inside the "Kiva" This Eastern Woodland long house has an "open top" to see inside - love. it.! Love this depiction of a whale hunt! Ice Fishing Inuksuk formation Please note this adorable bundle of wood - it is even tied together with a string :p We were also able to get our dioramas on display at our public library in town - this was really neat because it gave the kids an authentic outside of school audience to showcase their knowledge and work. Here are more activities for Native Americans:
Engage your students right when they walk in the door with bell ringer questions that prompt them to analyze maps, excerpts, historic images and mini biographies from topics related to early American history! This resource includes a 40 page PowerPoint (non-editable) containing questions related to maps, document excerpts, historic images and mini biographies. There are two versions of a response sheet that students can use when answering the prompts and an answer key for the teacher. A version for Google Slides is included as well, for the slides. This resource is designed to be used once a week in your classroom. There are 40 slides – enough for each week of the school year! Historical thinking questions cover the following areas of early U.S. History: 1. Age of Exploration 2. Colonial America 3. Revolutionary War Era 4. Constitution 5. Federalist Era 6. Jefferson Era 7. Westward Expansion 8. Jackson Era 9. Industrial Revolution 10. The Civil War Era All historic documents and images used are Public Domain. Take a peek at the preview for a better look at what is included in this resource. Happy Teaching! :) Let's Connect! The Teacher's Prep Blog The Teacher's Prep on Facebook The Teacher's Prep on Pinterest The Teacher's Prep on Instagram
Free American History Lesson designed for homeschool moms and teachers. Fun, free and an engaging history lesson designed with kids in mind. A full lesson plan with worksheets created especially for this history lesson.
Aaron Douglas was an African-American painter who was influenced in the Harlem Renaissance 100 years ago. Sometimes called “the father of black American art,” his works often feature bold, graphic silhouettes of people, fractured color planes, and harmonious color schemes. For this art project idea,
Four ways to study American history with movies, plus an extensive, vetted lists of American History movies for your middle & high school homeschoolers.
Free Early American History Curriculum - Columbus Through The Civil War - Welcome to the first post in the Free American History Curriculum ! If you've ...
Are you looking for a Latin American craft to incorporate Hispanic culture in class? Make Puerto Rican vejigante masks with kids!
Teaching World War One for the first time can seem a bit daunting, especially if you aren't provided with resources or materials. If you are new to teaching the Great War and want to be sure you're providing a well-rounded perspective with meaningful activities, I’ve got you covered! This World War One unit is comprehensive, easy to implement, and includes primary source activities to get your students out of their seats and thinking critically.
10 activities to help middle and high school social studies teachers teach historical perspective plus a free download from History Gal.
Make learning American History hands-on and fun with this blank United States History timeline which categorizes events by type.
This amazing digital download features 17 sets of fully-editable digital interactive pages on all of American History through Google Drive! There are over 150 pages of activities in all! Based on…
If you were to walk into my classroom, there is a very good chance that music will be playing. Whether that be as background noise or as a classroom management tool, I cannot go without music in my classroom! Click HERE for all of my school appropriate playlists! Our kids now are stimulated 24/7 by all of the technology at their fingertips. They are watching Netflix, while Snapchatting, while playing a video game all at the same time! They go from an overstimulated environment at home, to school where they are expected to be quiet the majority of their day…
A list of Early American activities for 5th-grade social studies to help students understand the importance of history.
Vision boards are a great tool to keep students motivated and determined to meet their goals. They are also great for promoting growth mindset.
I randomly came up with this idea during the last week of school. One of my reading groups had finished their book and project before any of the other groups had finished. Instead of giving them a new book (there was only one week left), I quickly created this template and told them to pick an event in history and research it. I had one boy choose the Vikings, someone else chose the atomic bomb, a girl wanted the great depression, and another student picked the Korean war. I loved that everyone had such diverse topics. After they got started, I saw some great learning take place in my classroom! Because it's an inquiry-based activity, they generated their own questions. And because they got to choose their own topic, they were excited and felt ownership over the project. I plan on using this next year as a fun fast finisher activity. This list is something I quickly generated. {I know it is not all inclusive - if I left something off that you really want me to add on, please leave me a comment.} This would be fun to hang up somewhere in the back of the classroom so fast finishers can work on a project whenever they want. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD HISTORY DETECTIVES! * * * * * Want to hear some GREAT news? I am leaving next week on an 8 day history trip to Virginia where I get to study at the Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute! I also get to visit Jamestown and Yorktown. I'm so excited! I plan on posting lots of the things I learn, including pictures!
These Connecticut crafts for kids are a perfect way to teach geography in a fun, hands-on way!
Update your Social Studies classroom decor cheaply and easily with fun and useful decor. Make your classroom fun and inviting for students.
This year Kaleb and I have been wandering around the world via books, Little Passports, and various other things we come across in our
The Middle Ages and Medieval time period is so fascinating and kids really enjoy learning about it in history studies.
Help your child understand which tribal groups lived where with this Native American Tribes map.
These Unit Study Recap sheets are the perfect way to see what your child or student took away from their completed Unit Study!
Investigate the success and failures of the early American settlements with hands-on learning activities about the colonies and the pilgrims.
Early American history is full of exciting people & events that make it easy to love, so get out of the textbook & make it fun with these hands-on activities.
Here are Winslow Homer art projects for kids that help us understand the famous American artist, Winslow Homer, and his amazing work!
Do your students have to create timelines to meet academic standards? I'm sharing 10 engaging types of timelines that make this activity FUN for students!
Learn why I started letting my high school students color.
