Podcast #197 - Brainstorming Ideas for Constitutional Convention Activity

Hello. We will be starting our unit on the Constitutional Convention in about two months and for the past two years I've had an idea that I think would work well with my students but I have yet to flesh it out. I would like to match each of my students with a delegate at the convention and then as we study about the issues and debates at the convention they would look at the issue through the eye of "their" delegate. Each student would become personally connected to that delegate during the unit.

Today's podcast discusses how this project might look in an 8th grade classroom, what resources could be used to build this activity, and (probably most importantly) does this activity already exist in some format?

After you listen to the podcast I'd love to hear what you think. If you any thoughts or suggestions please leave a comment on this blog post. Thanks.

Direct link to Podcast #197 - Constitutional Convention Activity Ideas

Podcast #196 - Visual Timeline Activity to Start the Year

Hello. Today I would like to describe an activity that I recently did with my 8th grade American history class and I think is a fun way to start off the school year. This past summer I attended a session at the Project Zero Classroom workshop at Harvard with Mary McFarland - a former NCSS President. She described some routines to use with students in terms of visual time lines. I really liked the idea and decided it would be a great way introduce the curriculum to my students the first full week of school.

The podcast gives an overview of the project and some tips if you would like to replicate this activity in your own classroom. I have also included the PowerPoint presentations (links below) I used to create my visuals for the activity - please use and modify to your needs. If you have any suggestions or ideas about activity please share them by posting a comment to this blog post. Thanks.

Link to Visual Timeline PowerPoint Presentation

Direct link to Podcast #196 - Visual Timeline Activity

Corps of Discovery - Dress As Your Favorite Member of the Corps Day

Hello. Each year I come to school on one day dressed as a member of the Corps of Discovery. About 7 years ago I received a grant to purchase an outfit based on the records of what a member of the Corps of Discovery wore on the Lewis and Clark Expedition. In the past I have dyed my hair red and tried to become William Clark. Today I just came as a "common" member of the Corps.

Podcast #165 - The Book Blitz Classroom Activity - Getting Students to Read Historical Novels

Hello. We did an interesting activity in class today that I thought I would share - a Book Blitz. Our library media center has a great collection of historical novels and books with a historical interest - my task is to encourage students to check them out and read them. For some reason though it just doesn't work for me to tell them to "go to the LMC and find a good historical novel" so I decided to bring the books to them.

The podcast describes how we did the activity and the handout I created is available here as a PDF if you want to use in your classroom. I have also listed a partial list of novels and books that were pulled from the LMC to use for the blitz activity. I have read some, but not all, of the books on this list.

- Book Blitz Student Handout - PDF Format

- Online Timer - can be used in class to keep track of time for the activity

If you would like to comment on this podcast, let me know how this activity worked in your class or would like to comment on a novel from the list (or add a historical novel for junior high students to the list) please leave a comment to this blog post.

George Washington, Spymaster - by Thomas B. Allen

The Captain's Dog by Roland Smith

The California Gold Rush - An Interactive History Adventure (You Choose Books) by Elizabeth Rawn

The Rifle by Gary Paulsen

Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson

Hope's Crossing by Joan Elizabeth Goodman

The Ransom of Mercy Carter by Caroline B. Cooney

Beyond the Divide by Kathryn Lasky

Letters from the Corrugated Castle by Joan W. Blos

Just Jane by William Lavender

47 by Walter Mosley

The Journal of Douglas Allen Deeds - The Donner Party Expedition (My Name is America Series)

The Murder of Abraham Lincoln (Graphic Novel) by Rick Geary

Cabin on Trouble Creek by Jean Van Leeuwen

The Slave Dancer by Paula Fox

An Enemy Among Them by Deborah H. DeFord and Harry S. Stout

Hang A Thousand Trees with Ribbons - The Story of Phillis Wheatley by Ann Rinaldi

Direct link to Podcast #165 - The Book Blitz Activity - MP3 Audio File

What Would You Tell Mr. Obama in 100 Words or Less?

This blog post is a special assignment for my 8th grade American History class but anyone is free to join us.

If you could tell Mr. Obama anything in 100 words or less what would it be? Would it be advice? Would it be words of wisdom? Would you tell him what you would like to see him do as President? Would you tell him which issue is most important to you? Here is his official website as he transitions to the presidency.

Please leave a comment on this blog post. I am asking my students to leave their comment as "anonymous" but leave their first name at the end of the post. No last names please. Thanks.

Check Out Our Current Book Blog Project on Guerrilla Season

Hello. Please take a moment to drop by and check out our 2nd annual Guerrilla Season Book Blog Project. For the second year we have over 300 students and parents in Liberty, Missouri reading a historical novel about the Civil War and are joined by students in California, Illinois and Pennsylvania. The author of the book - Pat Hughes, who lives just outside of Philadelphia - is also joining us again to answer student questions and describe the writing process.

The blog includes comments and discussions by participants - using pen names only - along with links to more information, podcast interviews with the author and other interesting facts about the book.

Please stop by and check it out, even join us if you want. We just started. The project is live from March 3, 2008 through April 4, 2008 and the blog will remain up after the project is finished.

Podcast #126 - Ideas for Teaching a Lewis and Clark Unit

Hello. Today's podcast is a description of how I teach the Corps of Discovery to my 8th Grade American history class. I recieved an e-mail question from Jessica in Illinois asking me to describe what type of activities we do in class and I thought it would be a great topic for a podcast.

The picture you see above is me dressed an reenacter clothing as a member of the Corps of Discovery. The student in the picture is one of my students from this year who just happens to be the great, great, great, great, great granddaughter of William Clark - honestly! Her family often attends ceremonies at National Parks etc. celebrating the Lewis and Clark expedition.

Please feel free to add comments or suggestions as a comment to this blog entry or e-mail me at speakingofhistory@gmail.com



Direct link to Podcast #126 - Ideas for Teaching a Lewis and Clark Unit - MP3 file - 21:00 minutes

Show Notes for Podcast #126

- DVD - "Lewis and Clark - Great Journey West" from National Geographic

- DVD - "Technology of Lewis and Clark" from The History Channel

- DVD - "Lewis and Clark" from Ken Burns and PBS

- Book - "20 Plays for U.S. History Classes" from Walch Publishing

- Book - "Undaunted Courage" by Stephen Ambrose

- Book - "Tailor Made, Trail Worn - Army Life, Clothing adn Weapons of the Corps of Discovery" - everything you would ever want to know about the clothing of the Corps of Discovery

Podcast #54 - What Would Lewis and Clark Text Message to Thomas Jefferson?

Hello. Last week we studied one of my favorite topics in the curriculum - the Corps of Discovery. I think this is such an amazing story with so many different angles from which to approach it - heroic, adventure, risk, etc.

We have done various activities over the years to bring it alive to students. Around 4 years ago I was awarded a grant through the Friends of the Missouri Archives Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Commission to purchase the clothing that would have been worn by a member of hte Corps of Discovery. I did my research on the clothing of the era - the most complete resource I found was the book Lewis & Clark: Tailor Made, Trail Worn--Army Life, Clothing, & Weapons of the Corps of Discovery . I then worked with the James Country Mercantile - a local business here in Liberty that outfits Civil War reenacters and other historical time periods. I typically come to school one day a year in the entire outfit. Some years I have even put red coloring in my hair and portray William Clark. A couple of years ago I came to school in the outfit and then sat through 4 hours of parent teacher conferences dressed as a member of Corps of Discovery - the scary part is some of the parents did not even ask me about it and most have assumed that was the way I usually dress! More details about the outfit in the podcast.

There are numerous videos available on the Corps of Discovery which work well in the classroom. Some of the videos I have used in the past include: BIOGRAPHY: Lewis & Clark: Explorers Of The New Frontier from A&E and The Techology of Lewis and Clark by the History Channel. The video I am currently using to show my students is Great Journey West - Lewis and Clark by National Geographic - orginially created as an IMAX film this 45 minute video has some of the most beautiful and authentic footage of the trail. If you do show your class the video don't forget to show them the bonus material on the DVD that includes a "how they made the video" segment which is also top notch.

This year I also thought I would mix in a little of modern reality to the study of the expedition and I asked my students to imagine that one of the members of the Corps of Discovery was using a cell phone to text message Thomas Jefferson about an event along the journey - the first sighting of the Pacific, the discovery of the source of the Missouri River, etc. I gave them a copy of an IM glossary that I took off the Internet - I did some editing of course. They had to use 10 "IM terms" in the exchange. The students thought it was great. As several educational bloggers have stated in the past - we shouldn't be upset that our students use IM as a way to communicate, we should be impressed that they have created a useful and practical language to quickly communicate with each other.

Direct link to Podcast #54 - What Would Lewis and Clark Text Message to Thomas Jefferson? - MP3 Format - 15:00 minutes