I apologize for not updating the blog last week, but I have provided the highlights of the past two weeks below! Over the last two weeks students have been very busy (take a look at the title of this post if you do not believe me). Since the American Revolution is one of my favorite topics to teach, I really enjoy coming up with new and engaging activities for the students to participate in. Not only did the last two weeks see the use of different iPad applications and platforms, but the Smithsonian Learning Lab was also included! Students analyzed different battles, critiqued General Washington, and are currently acting as spies using the Culper Code Book.
***A special shout out to Home Room 212 and their great work during the 100-Straw Tower Challenge during our Olweus Lesson. Also, excellent job to the girls of the Arts & Bots Club! The robots and presentations were awesome! *** Monday (January 11th): Students used the Ed Puzzle App to watch a series of video clips produced by George Washington’s Mount Vernon. These video clips portrayed the Trenton & Princeton Campaigns during the American Revolution and are rightfully titled, The Winter Patriots. As students used the Ed Puzzle App, the students completed accompanying questions on eBackpack. I highly suggest that you view The Winter Patriots videos! Not only are they interesting, but they are also very entertaining and full of history! To view the videos, please click on this link. Tuesday (January 12th): We backtracked a bit during Tuesday’s class to investigate in more detail the Battle of New York. Students used the History Animated website to see how the devastating battle for the Patriots played out. The animations not only show troop movement throughout the battle, but also provide students with explanations of the key individuals involved and a battle analysis at the conclusion of the animations. To view the battle animations, please click on this link! Wednesday (January 13th): Today we investigated a topic that I have never taught my students before, and that was the critics of George Washington. In my experience, students are taught how George Washington was a strong leader and led the Patriots to victory during the American Revolution. Seldom do students know that Washington had his critics during the war and that there was talk to replace him as leader of the Continental Army. I introduced students to men like Charles Lee and Thomas Conway and explained how these men had harsh opinions of General Washington. We also looked at the Conway Cabal, the supposed plot for Horatio Gates to replace General Washington. Class ended with the Verso App, where I asked students to comment on whether or not the criticism of General Washington was justified. Thursday-Friday (January 14th): Students participated in a two-day Gallery Walk focusing on key events after the Battles of Saratoga. At each station, students were required to complete a reading, watch Ed Puzzle videos, or analyze primary/secondary sources from the time period. These stations pertained to the following events:
As students rotated, they answered questions that coincided with the particular station. Tuesday (January 19th): Class was devoted to the Southern Campaign of the American Revolution. Students debated in class why the British would switch their strategy and we looked at the effects of the Southern Campaign. Before the Southern Battles were mentioned, students were informed of the actions of men like George Rodgers Clark, the Siege of Fort Stanwix, and Native American during the war. The Battle of Monmouth was also discussed during class. Students were introduced to Nathaniel Greene and the Battle of Cowpens and Guilford Courthouse during Tuesday’s class. Wednesday (January 20th): The Southern Campaigned carried into Wednesday’s class, with the students analyzing the battle plans from Cowpens and Guildford Courthouse. Students also familiarized themselves with individuals like John Paul Jones and his ship, the Bonhomme Richard’s epic battle with the British ship Serapis. At the end of class, students participated in a mini debate on the subject of privateers and whether or not these “paid-guns of the sea” were a good idea for the Patriots. All of the information presented to the students on Tuesday and Wednesday was done on Near Pod and can be found here. Thursday (January 21st): Students used the Smithsonian Learning Lab today to investigate George Washington and the Culper Spy Ring. Students were informed of the formation of Culper Spy Ring and the major role that espionage played in the Continental Army. Students used the Smithsonian Learning Lab to view the actual Culper Code Book, a secret code consisting of 763 numbers that represent names, items, and places. Students used the alphabet cipher from the Culper Code Book to write their name in code and also examined other espionage techniques used during the American Revolution (invisible ink, ciphers, masked letters, etc.). At the end of class, I informed students that I had hid a “prize” and the only way to locate it was by using the Culper Code Book. If you are still-hunting for the prize, be sure to use this link for the Culper Code Book. Good Luck! To view the actual Smithsonian Learning Lab Collection that I made, please click on this link. Friday (January 22nd): Today marked the first day of the Valley Forge Document Based Question. The DBQ prompt is: If you had been a soldier in George Washington’s army at Valley Forge, would you have quit? Students participated in a historical-hook exercise to formulate the setting and then students performed a “close-reading” exercise of a background narrative on Valley Forge. As students read, they would decide if a paragraph supported quitting, staying, or was a neutral paragraph. Students also completed concept-check questions and these were reviewed to ensure everyone was on the same page. On Monday, students will be performing document analysis on several documents relating to Valley Forge.
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Happy 2016! I hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday break and enjoyed the New Year festivities. I am so excited to begin where we left off in American History class. The remainder of the school year is going to be full of new and stimulating activities and lessons. I hope everyone enjoyed the first half of the school year and are feeling refreshed to continue the journey! Over the break, I had the opportunity to read In the Heart of the Sea. Not only is the novel full of history, but also contains adventure and some cannibalism! I highly recommend that you give this book a try! Monday: Students were eased back into the “swing-of-things” from a long holiday break. Students utilized the Ed Puzzle App to view several short video clips on early events of the American Revolution. These video clips came from History Channel’s The Story of Us. These video clips focused on three specific events: the Battle of Lexington, the Battle of Concord, and the Siege of Boston. As students watched these video clips, they completed accompanying questions on eBackpack. Tuesday: Tuesday marked the beginning of the Fantasy Sports: American Revolution Style. I came up with this activity after listening to students talk about their Fantasy Football Teams in the hallway and during Team Time. I created a list of events and individuals who played a role in the American Revolution and students drafted seven different “fantasy players”. I reviewed the scoring and other guidelines with the students. The Fantasy Sports: American Revolution Style will supplement the other activities and lessons that will take place during the American Revolution Unit. Wednesday-Thursday: the NWEA Exams in mathematics and language arts complemented Wednesday and Thursday’s schedule. A special shout-out to all EFMS students for completing these exams! Team 8-1 teachers were definitely impressed with many of the scores that the students achieved. Due to the shorten class period, students worked on a Web-Quest that pertained to early defeats and victories of the Patriots during the American Revolution. Some of the topics that students investigated were: The Battle of Long Island, the Trenton & Princeton campaigns, and the Battle of Saratoga. To access the Web-Quest, please click on this link! Friday: Students used the knowledge gained from this week to successfully complete a quiz on Section 6-1. I was very impressed by the results of this ebackpack-given assessment. The quiz asked students to recall specific individuals, events, etc., and asked students to analyze several primary sources from the time period. Well done everyone! Following the quiz, students took a survey associated with Amplified Games. Nice job to all of the 8th grade students that took the National History Bee’s Intramural Bee Exam. Mr. Englert and I are in the process of reviewing the results and we will notify those who moved onto the next round of the competition! If you would like to try the Intramureal Bee, please send me an email! |
Mr. Steve Hartnett
Mr. Hartnett will update the Room 212 Blog with classroom updates on a regular basis. Be sure to follow me on Twitter @ MrHartnett212 Archives
July 2019
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