Elementary
"Dear Teacher": Letters on the Eve of the Japanese American Imprisonment
Submitted by Steven Lapham on Fri, 08/14/2009 - 1:43pm--Yoon Pak
Historical background and lesson ideas using primary source: short compositions written by American middle school students of Japanese descent as requested by their principal, Mr. Sears, in Seattle Washington on December 8, 1941 and then again in March, 1942. (Two handouts included.)
This URL downloads all 16 pages of Middle Level Learning as a pdf of about 1.0 MB. See pp. 10-15. --> read more »
Adobe Bricks: Building Blocks of the Southwest
Submitted by Steven Lapham on Fri, 08/14/2009 - 1:36pm--Byron Augustin and Michael Bailey
Students get dirty making adobe brick, just like those in the Palace of Governors in Santa Fe, New Mexico--the oldest continuously occupied building in the U.S. Also includes quiz "Tough Stuff" building materials; and book review of "Mud Matters."
This URL downloads all 16 pages of Middle Level Learning as a pdf of about 1.0 MB: --> read more »
The Makah: Exploring Public Issues during a Structured Classroom Discussion
Submitted by Steven Lapham on Fri, 08/14/2009 - 12:12pm--Bruce E. Larson
Students have to think on two levels: they must deliberate about a current issue (Native rights to small-scale whaling) and develop reasons to defend their thinking; and they must reflect on the discussion process itself.
- publications.socialstudies.org/yl/1001/100102.html
Buttoning Up a Hands-On History Lesson
Submitted by Steven Lapham on Fri, 08/14/2009 - 9:15am--Audrey C. Rule and Cynthia Szymanski Sunal
How can you tell that something is old? A historical collection of everyday items (buttons, carpenter nails, magazines, fabric, food containers, etc.) "can provide concrete examples to help students construct a concept of change."
Exploring the Past with 21st-Century Tools
Submitted by Steven Lapham on Thu, 08/13/2009 - 4:00pm--Kelly Schrum and Lynne Schrum
The Internet "is a tool for helping students engage with history and bring their understanding of the past to the present in new, exciting ways.
Exploring the Explorers: Using Internet Resources
Submitted by Steven Lapham on Thu, 08/13/2009 - 3:57pm--Cheryl Franklin Torrez and Gina Bush
Students investigate various sources to learn about the Age of Exploration--and think critically about what they are reading at the (sometimes mischievous) "All About Explorers" website.
Happy Birthday, Mr. President! New Books for Abraham Lincoln’s Bicentennial
Submitted by Steven Lapham on Thu, 08/13/2009 - 3:53pm--Terrell A. Young, Barbara A. Ward, and Deanna Day
Discusses 15 books published in 2007-09, "any one of which would make an excellent addition to a classroom collection."
A Closer Look: The Representation of Slavery in the [em]Dear America[/em] Series
Submitted by Steven Lapham on Thu, 08/13/2009 - 3:50pm--T. Lee Williams
A critical review of four books from this popular juvenile historical fiction series, focusing on their depiction of the experience and institution of slavery in the United States.
A Century of Veterans: Researching History Through Our Local Cemetery
Submitted by Steven Lapham on Thu, 08/13/2009 - 3:43pm--Lindsey B. Downey
Third graders research the memorials in the cemetery in the town of Otterbein, Ohio, and write tributes in response.
Artifacts Bring Grover Cleveland’s Presidency to Life in the First Grade
Submitted by Steven Lapham on Thu, 08/13/2009 - 3:39pm--Carol Macken
Children's literature is combined with "historical artifacts" to help children identify the roles and responsibilities of the president, and of G. Cleveland in particular, who was born in this town--Caldwell, Jew Jersey.
