Just this week, I was reminded of a great site for teachers of U.S. history! It is called Places Teach! and is part of the US National Park Service website. This site comes complete with lesson plans, maps, historical information, and activities linked to the National U.S. History Standards for grades 5-12. What a find!
The many "places" included are properties listed in the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places. There is a database of lessons and places that can be searched by location and state, theme, time period, and curriculum standards. Searching by state will give you some great ideas for field trips within your state that can go hand in hand with the lesson plans.
A time period search gives choices of Pre-Colonial, Colonial and Revolutionary, Federal and National, Mid to Late 19th Century, Gilded Age and the Progressive Era, Early to Mid 20th Century, and Mid to Late 20th Century. If you are teaching a certain period of U.S. history, doing this type of search can be very helpful.
Lessons are also organized by theme, allowing teachers to focus on themes such as U.S. Presidents, the Civil War, transportation, science and technology, or one of the many others on the list.
Each lesson follows a similar format and includes a table of contents, an inquiry question, background information, maps, historical readings, images and activities. There are also related links and information as well.
All of the lessons are available free of charge. On-line lesson plans are ready for immediate use in the classroom. They can be used directly on the computer or they can be printed out, photocopied, and distributed to students.
There is even a template for creating your own lessons, and information on submitting your lessons to the lesson plan bank!
Right now there are some great lessons for Back to School that focus on important aspects of the history of education and educational facilities.
Here are a few others that caught my eye:
Lafayette Park: First Amendment Rights on the President’s Doorstep
“Learn how a group of determined women selected Lafayette Park, across from the White House, to demonstrate for their right to vote, providing a First Amendment model for many others.”
The Emerald Necklace: Boston's Green Connection
“Have students look at modern and historical maps of their community to compare the type of information each map contains. Have students, in groups, pretend to represent a landscape architecture firm creating a proposal to design and build a park and then present their proposal to the class to make the case for why their design should be implemented.”
Saratoga: The Tide Turns on the Frontier
This lesson gives historical background and includes much about local history. The maps and photos are accompanied by questions for study, and the final activities are all great.
The site also focuses on lesson plans that feature historic sites in the "Preserve America Communities" section.
So, whether you can actually plan a visit to one of these historic places, or if you just plan to use them as a virtual tour in your classroom, this site is well worth a visit for all teachers of social studies or U.S. history!
Copyright 2012 Irene Taylor.All rights reserved.
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Monday, July 23, 2012
2012 Summer Olympic Games Teaching Resources
From July 27 through August 12, all eyes will be on London, England for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games. Whether watching at home with your children or planning activities for school, camp or day care, these activities will enhance watching this, the Games of the 30th Olympiad.
The Ancient Olympics were quite different from our modern-day Olympics. Then the sports included Boxing, Equestrian events including Chariot racing and Riding, the Pankration - a grueling combination of boxing and wrestling, the Pentathlon which included the Discus, the Javelin, Jumping, Running, and Wrestling. Other events were Running, in four different kinds of races and Wrestling. Athletes had to be free men who spoke Greek - and athletes from other countries were not allowed.
The Ancient Olympics were a far cry from our Modern-day version. In 2012, there will be 45 different sports, 302 events, and more than 10,000 athletes from 204 countries are expected to go for the gold during this year's games.
In the Ancient Olympics, no medals were awarded to the winners. The first place winner wore an olive wreath on his head. Nothing was given to second or third place winners.
In the modern Olympics, medals are given to the first, second and third place winners. Gold is given to he first-place winner, silver to the second place winner and bronze to the third place winner. On the front of each medal is are pictured a Greek goddess, the Olympic Rings, the coliseum of ancient Athens, a Greek vase known as an amphora, a horse-drawn chariot, and the year, number of the Olympiad, and host city. The host city can design the back of the medal as they choose.
The Olympic Rings were adopted in 1913, and signify the five major regions of the world: Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania. Every national flag in the world includes at least one of the five colors of the rings, which are (from left to right) blue, yellow, black, green, and red.
The Olympic Flag debuted at the 1920 Olympic Games in Antwerp, Belgium. It is now a tradition that at the end of each Olympic Games, the mayor of that host-city presents the flag to the mayor of the next host-city. It then remains at the town hall of the next host-city for four years until the Opening Ceremony of their Olympic Games.
Visit the official schedule of events for all of the competitions at this year's Olympics.
Here are a few Olympics-related activities to try with your child.
Olympic Timelines: Students use library or online sources to create time lines of various events that took place during the modern Olympic Games.
Quest for the Gold is a complete unit plan on Olympics of the past and present.
Olympic Records through Time: Compare the records of gold medal Olympic winners for the last 100 years.
Olympic WebQuests:
London 2012 WebQuest
Summer Olympics London 2012
Olympic Lesson Plan 2012
Enjoy the Summer Olympics - they only come around once every four years. They will be held next in 2016 in Rio de Janiero.
Copyright 2012 Irene Taylor.All rights reserved.
The Ancient Olympics were quite different from our modern-day Olympics. Then the sports included Boxing, Equestrian events including Chariot racing and Riding, the Pankration - a grueling combination of boxing and wrestling, the Pentathlon which included the Discus, the Javelin, Jumping, Running, and Wrestling. Other events were Running, in four different kinds of races and Wrestling. Athletes had to be free men who spoke Greek - and athletes from other countries were not allowed.
The Ancient Olympics were a far cry from our Modern-day version. In 2012, there will be 45 different sports, 302 events, and more than 10,000 athletes from 204 countries are expected to go for the gold during this year's games.
In the Ancient Olympics, no medals were awarded to the winners. The first place winner wore an olive wreath on his head. Nothing was given to second or third place winners.
In the modern Olympics, medals are given to the first, second and third place winners. Gold is given to he first-place winner, silver to the second place winner and bronze to the third place winner. On the front of each medal is are pictured a Greek goddess, the Olympic Rings, the coliseum of ancient Athens, a Greek vase known as an amphora, a horse-drawn chariot, and the year, number of the Olympiad, and host city. The host city can design the back of the medal as they choose.
The Olympic Rings were adopted in 1913, and signify the five major regions of the world: Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania. Every national flag in the world includes at least one of the five colors of the rings, which are (from left to right) blue, yellow, black, green, and red.
The Olympic Flag debuted at the 1920 Olympic Games in Antwerp, Belgium. It is now a tradition that at the end of each Olympic Games, the mayor of that host-city presents the flag to the mayor of the next host-city. It then remains at the town hall of the next host-city for four years until the Opening Ceremony of their Olympic Games.
Visit the official schedule of events for all of the competitions at this year's Olympics.
Here are a few Olympics-related activities to try with your child.
Olympic Timelines: Students use library or online sources to create time lines of various events that took place during the modern Olympic Games.
Quest for the Gold is a complete unit plan on Olympics of the past and present.
Olympic Records through Time: Compare the records of gold medal Olympic winners for the last 100 years.
Olympic WebQuests:
London 2012 WebQuest
Summer Olympics London 2012
Olympic Lesson Plan 2012
Enjoy the Summer Olympics - they only come around once every four years. They will be held next in 2016 in Rio de Janiero.
Copyright 2012 Irene Taylor.All rights reserved.
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Reading Challenge: Play with Your Books
The July reading challenge at My Little Bookcase is Play with Your Books. This is a great family challenge, but it is also a wonderful culminating activity for a classroom reading project.
In this challenge, readers are asked to create a game around a favorite book - using characters, plot turns or settings. This is a great activity to tap into both the creative side as well as providing a chance for students to show off their comprehension of the story. Games can be created by individual students, or as a reading group activity. Sharing their games is a great way for one group to introduce a new book to their classmates.
There are many suggestions at the My Little Bookcase site that can be adapted to either home or school use. The deadline for submissions is July 31 - still plenty of time to enter! Prizes are for Australian entries only, but this wonderful idea can be done by readers everywhere.
Site owner, Jackie, is also going to be compiling a PDF of all of the game ideas submitted, which will be available as a free download. What a great resource for teachers and parents alike!!
Copyright 2012 Irene Taylor. Permission to republish any part in print or online must be granted by the author of this blog in writing.
In this challenge, readers are asked to create a game around a favorite book - using characters, plot turns or settings. This is a great activity to tap into both the creative side as well as providing a chance for students to show off their comprehension of the story. Games can be created by individual students, or as a reading group activity. Sharing their games is a great way for one group to introduce a new book to their classmates.
There are many suggestions at the My Little Bookcase site that can be adapted to either home or school use. The deadline for submissions is July 31 - still plenty of time to enter! Prizes are for Australian entries only, but this wonderful idea can be done by readers everywhere.
Site owner, Jackie, is also going to be compiling a PDF of all of the game ideas submitted, which will be available as a free download. What a great resource for teachers and parents alike!!
Copyright 2012 Irene Taylor. Permission to republish any part in print or online must be granted by the author of this blog in writing.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Books for Kids: The Chronicles of Narnia
Summertime, the perfect time to curl up under a tree, or at home in the air conditioning, with a good book. And what's better than making that book one of the timeless classics. A perfect summertime read is a great series by author C.S. Lewis, The Chronicles of Narnia.
It seems that everyone has heard of the Chronicles of Narnia series. I remember my first encounter with these books. I was about 7, maybe 8, and in the third grade. My teacher, the long-haired Miss Ilaria, read what was then the first in the series, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe to us in chapters. I was captivated by this quintessential allegorical tale of good versus evil. I imagined the amazement of the four siblings at finding the magic wardrobe, and for may years after, I was always on the lookout for a magic closet or passageway that might take me into such a mystical world!
I was enthralled at the reading, and looked forward to that part of the day when we would hear the next in the grand adventure. I still think that hearing this wonderful story is perhaps the best way to be introduced to it. With no pictures to prejudice an unexposed mind, the listener can create the most vivid and lovely images upon hearing Lewis's wonderful prose! (Avoid the urge to share the movie version first - the possibilities for using one's imagination are great in this series of books!)
Over my many years of teaching, I read this book to many a class, and always to the delight of my student listeners. But, once hooked, the urge to read the story for oneself becomes strong. I so loved hearing it, that I sought it out in the library and read it again for myself, cover to cover. And, over many years of teaching, I also taught this book to many classes.
For those not familiar with the series, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is a wonderful story set in World War II England. Four siblings, two brothers and two sisters, are sent away from London to keep them safe from the bombings. At the home of old Professor Kirke they stumble upon the magic wardrobe closet and find themselves in the strange and wonderful world of Narnia where they meet all manner of creatures, both very good and very evil. The story of their struggle against the evil White Witch makes for an enthralling read.
There are seven books in the complete series, each taking the four children on another grand adventure in the magical land of Narnia. The original chronology began with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, but Harper Collins, the United States publishers, have taken Lewis's stepson Douglas Gresham's order and suggest starting the series with The Magician's Nephew, actually written as a prequel to the series.
Start with either one, but start!! Enjoy these stories as a trip into your own reading past - or introduce them to someone you love.
Copyright 2012 Irene Taylor.All rights reserved.
It seems that everyone has heard of the Chronicles of Narnia series. I remember my first encounter with these books. I was about 7, maybe 8, and in the third grade. My teacher, the long-haired Miss Ilaria, read what was then the first in the series, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe to us in chapters. I was captivated by this quintessential allegorical tale of good versus evil. I imagined the amazement of the four siblings at finding the magic wardrobe, and for may years after, I was always on the lookout for a magic closet or passageway that might take me into such a mystical world!
I was enthralled at the reading, and looked forward to that part of the day when we would hear the next in the grand adventure. I still think that hearing this wonderful story is perhaps the best way to be introduced to it. With no pictures to prejudice an unexposed mind, the listener can create the most vivid and lovely images upon hearing Lewis's wonderful prose! (Avoid the urge to share the movie version first - the possibilities for using one's imagination are great in this series of books!)
Over my many years of teaching, I read this book to many a class, and always to the delight of my student listeners. But, once hooked, the urge to read the story for oneself becomes strong. I so loved hearing it, that I sought it out in the library and read it again for myself, cover to cover. And, over many years of teaching, I also taught this book to many classes.
For those not familiar with the series, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is a wonderful story set in World War II England. Four siblings, two brothers and two sisters, are sent away from London to keep them safe from the bombings. At the home of old Professor Kirke they stumble upon the magic wardrobe closet and find themselves in the strange and wonderful world of Narnia where they meet all manner of creatures, both very good and very evil. The story of their struggle against the evil White Witch makes for an enthralling read.
There are seven books in the complete series, each taking the four children on another grand adventure in the magical land of Narnia. The original chronology began with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, but Harper Collins, the United States publishers, have taken Lewis's stepson Douglas Gresham's order and suggest starting the series with The Magician's Nephew, actually written as a prequel to the series.
Start with either one, but start!! Enjoy these stories as a trip into your own reading past - or introduce them to someone you love.
Copyright 2012 Irene Taylor.All rights reserved.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Quick Tips for Teachers: Coordinate Graph Art Activity
Give your students practice using coordinate graphs while they complete this fun art activity.
Materials:
graph paper
pencils, crayons, markers
Steps:
1. Give each student a piece of graph paper. Have him draw and number the X- and Y-axes along the side and bottom of the paper. Then have each student make a simple outline drawing on the graph paper.
2. When drawings are completed, have students mark dots for each coordinate point on the graph where a part of the drawing passes.
3. Next, have students write the coordinates of these points in a list in the order they need to be connected in order to redraw the figure. If there are several objects in the drawing, have students make a separate list for each object.
4. Collect the lists and redistribute them to the class. Give each student a clean piece of graph paper, and have him again number the X- and Y-axes.
5. Using these coordinate point lists, instruct students to mark the points on their graphs. When done, let them connect the dots and see what they've drawn. Completed drawings may be colored and displayed.
Copyright 2012 Irene Taylor.
Materials:
graph paper
pencils, crayons, markers
Steps:
1. Give each student a piece of graph paper. Have him draw and number the X- and Y-axes along the side and bottom of the paper. Then have each student make a simple outline drawing on the graph paper.
2. When drawings are completed, have students mark dots for each coordinate point on the graph where a part of the drawing passes.
3. Next, have students write the coordinates of these points in a list in the order they need to be connected in order to redraw the figure. If there are several objects in the drawing, have students make a separate list for each object.
4. Collect the lists and redistribute them to the class. Give each student a clean piece of graph paper, and have him again number the X- and Y-axes.
5. Using these coordinate point lists, instruct students to mark the points on their graphs. When done, let them connect the dots and see what they've drawn. Completed drawings may be colored and displayed.
Copyright 2012 Irene Taylor.
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