I apologize for the lack of blog updates throughout the months of April and May! My wife and I are preparing for our first child (expected to make his debut any day now), so I have been a bit preoccupied with preparing for the responsibilities and expectations of being a first time dad! With that being said, students from Team 8-1 American History have been very busy and quite impressive since my last blog post. Below I will provide some of the highlights from the past few weeks, but I would first like to say THANK YOU to everyone who has reached out and wished my wife and I congratulations on our first child! We are so grateful for the many cards and gifts that have been sent our way, and we both really appreciate the generosity of the Elizabeth Forward community!
Smithsonian Learning Lab: Since my last post, students utilized the Smithsonian Learning Lab in a new activity that I created this school year. Each time that I access the Learning Lab, the more I fall in love with this awesome resource. If you have not check out the learning lab, please do yourself a favor and spend a couple of minutes on their website! Students used the Smithsonian Learning Lab to investigate the causes to the War of 1812. While the majority of students have some knowledge of the War of 1812, I created my collection of resources on the Learning Lab to take a deeper look into the causes of the conflict. Students were introduced to famous individuals like William Henry Harrison and Tecumseh. Students also spent tie becoming familiar with “War Hawks” like Henry Clay and John C. Calhoun. I am also in the midst of creating a Learning Lab Collection that will be used during a Breakout EDU activity. The collection will focus on the Age of Reform, specifically the Women’s Rights and Abolitionist Movements. I hope to debut this activity some day this week, but the amount of standardized & NWEA testing has resulted in a lack of time before the end of the school year. QR Code Gallery Walks: Students have also participated in a few QR Code Gallery Walks since my last blog update. I really enjoy the QR Code Gallery Walks because it allows students to explore a topic at their own pace. In addition, the QR Code Gallery Walks often include Ed Puzzle Videos and other “Ice Breaker” types questions that students respond to on a large sheet of bulletin board paper. This allows every student, even the most shy of students, to have voice in class. The images below are of the QR Code Gallery Walk that focused on the actual events of the War of 1812. Andrew Jackson Facebook Page: I have several posters within my classroom that show the Facebook Pages of the founding fathers. While these posters are quite humorous, they do include detailed information about the particular person that is beneficial for a student of American History. With this in mind, I created an activity where students created a Facebook Page for Andrew Jackson. A Prezi Presentation and an article titled The Nine Lives of Andrew Jackson first introduced students to Andrew Jackson. Students used a Facebook template on Google Slides to create their profile page for “Old Hickory”. The students really enjoyed this activity because it combined humor and history... which is normally a winning combination. Trail of Tears Weebly Website: Last school year I created a Weebly Website that focused on Native American removal via the Trail of Tears. After a few tweaks and changes, I shared the website with students and we began to “travel the Trail of Tears” together. As we navigated the website, students were asked to keep in mind a question that posed the following: Did the United States government commit genocide against the Native Americans? Students responded to the question on the blog forum on the Weebly Website as a closure to the website.. Please feel free to check out the Weebly website by clicking this link! Manifest Destiny Flip Grid Response: Prior to using the Flip Grid application, students examined two primary sources pertaining to the idea of Manifest Destiny. Students then utilized the Flip Grid application to respond to the following question: Was Manifest Destiny Justified? The Flip Grid platform is an awesome tool for students to use in order to convey their thoughts about a particular subject. Students respond to a question by recording themselves through the app. Students have the ability to watch and listen to what their peers have to say about the same topic. I really like including the Flip Grid app into my lessons because it allows students to share their opinions in a nontraditional manner. The Oregon Trail Video Game: After being introduced to the Oregon Country & the Oregon Trail, students played the 1990 version of the Oregon Trail video game. This is always a popular day in American History class. Congratulations to the students who were able to complete the difficult journey! To those who did not make the journey (maybe you perished due to a snake bite, measles, dysentery, etc.), you can play the game at this link! Independence for Texas Google Tours: A new activity that I created for this school year focused around Google Tours. Google Tours uses Google Earth & maps to make a customized “tour” for students. I focused this Google Tours lesson on the Texas Independence Movement. Students were able to visit places like the Alamo and Battle of San Jacinto Monument through the tour. While the students are exploring the different sites, I was able to add additional comments and a narrative for students to guide them as they moved from each location to the next. I definitely would suggest any teacher to look into Google Tours! Camp Guyasuta Field Trip: In addition to going to the Flight 93 Memorial, students also participated in the Camp Guyasuta field trip. This field trip allows students to participate in numerous team-building activities. In addition, students have the ability to challenge themselves on a ropes course that includes a rock climbing wall and zip line! Thanks to all the chaperones and staff members at the Flight 93 Memorial and Camp Guyasuta! Our students really enjoyed both field trips! This week we begin the United States Civil War. I am excited to use several amazing resources from the Civil War Trust, including animated maps and Virtual field trips to several battle fields.
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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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