NCSS Online Teachers' Library
Hard Times and New Deals: Teaching Fifth Graders about the Great Depression (Elementary Education)
Submitted by Jennifer Bauduy on Wed, 07/29/2009 - 2:28pm--Gary Fertig
The study unit on the Great Depression described here makes use of recent findings about how children develop historical understandings. The unit includes a simulation on the stock market crash of 1929, a letter-writing activity based on study of letters real children wrote to Mrs. Roosevelt, and the creation and performance of historical scenarios involving Depression-era characters.
Printer-friendly versionA Picture’s Worth: Analyzing Historical Photographs in the Elementary Grades (Elementary Education)
Submitted by Jennifer Bauduy on Wed, 07/29/2009 - 2:44pm--Keith C. Barton
Elementary teachers can use historical photographs in the classroom to engage young students in authentic historical inquiry. Students’ critical skills develop beyond mere observation as they consider what life was like when the photographs were taken.
Third Grade at Simmons Elementary School, ca. 1900
Submitted by Steven Lapham on Mon, 08/10/2009 - 3:29pmby Ronald V. Evans
Third grade students in Hope, Indiana, spend a day in a brick, one-room schoolhouse where they learn about life 100+ years ago.
Propeller Toys and the Industrial Revolution
Submitted by Steven Lapham on Mon, 08/10/2009 - 3:34pmby Andrew McClary
Do students enjoy making a propeller toy by hand? What is the advantage of using a mass-produced propeller toy?
Identifying with Ancestors: Tracking the History of America
Submitted by Steven Lapham on Mon, 08/10/2009 - 3:38pmby Josephine Barry Davis
Students and teachers construct a timeline of U.S. history, on which they insert entries for events in the lives of students' families.
The Rosa Parks “Myth”: A Third Grade History Investigation
Submitted by Steven Lapham on Tue, 08/11/2009 - 1:24pm--Hillary Landorf and Ethan Lowenstein
Have the authors of trade books and textbooks brushed over essential aspects of Rosa Parks and her story? She had a long background of service and commitment to promoting the rights of African-Americans. She was not an "anonymous" seamstress, as sometimes portrayed.
The ABCs of [em]Brown v. Board of Education[/em]: A Primer for the 50th Anniversary
Submitted by Steven Lapham on Tue, 08/11/2009 - 1:29pm--Loraine Moses Stewart
An overview of a historic Supreme Court case in narrative, A through Z format. "L" is for Linda Brown, "N" is for NAACP, and "Z" is for zebra crossing.
The Wright Stuff: Examining the Centennial of Flight
Submitted by Steven Lapham on Tue, 08/11/2009 - 1:35pm--Robin D. Groce, Eric C. Groce, and Lisa M. Stooksberry
Books for youth about the lives and accomplishments of Wilbur and Orville Wright are coupled with activities in social studies and language arts.
How To Do It: Oral History Projects
Submitted by Steven Lapham on Tue, 08/11/2009 - 1:40pm--Kathryn Walbert
This pullout details the planning, teaching, and assessing of oral history projects in grades K-3 and grades 4-6. Includes ten steps on how students can conduct an interview, and explains why such projects are so valuable and memorable.
The [em]Brown v. Board of Education[/em] Decision: Resources for Grades 4 and 5
Submitted by Steven Lapham on Tue, 08/11/2009 - 1:44pm--James Sheehan and James M. Shiveley
Recommended websites, organized by topic, for upper level elementary students who are learning about this Supreme Court case.
