Before I describe the happenings in Team 8-1 American History, I wanted to give a shout out to all of those who participated in the Remake Learning Night at Elizabeth Forward Middle School. I was so impressed by the level of creativity that was displayed by the students and staff during this event. I had the opportunity to participate in a variety of different activities, each being led by an EFSD student! In addition, the Art Show was a huge success! Once again, the level of creativity and talent on display was extraordinary. Congratulations to all who made this event possible!
With the end of the school year quickly approaching, students on Team 8-1 have been busy investigating different historical topics and participating in various activities. The Jacksonian Era came to a close with several lessons on Andrew Jackson & the nullification crisis and the battle against the Bank of the United States. To examine these two events during Jackson’s presidency, students used the Near Pod application to record background information. From there, students utilized the Doc Teach lesson to examine several primary sources, specifically political cartoons of Andrew Jackson’s battle with the Bank of the United States. An example of a political cartoon used in this activity can be found in the gallery of images below. Before concluding the presidency of Andrew Jackson, students participated in a website investigation pertaining to Native American Removal & the Trail of Tears. I created a website using the Weebly platform that presented students with information about the forced removal of Native Americans from their lands, specifically focusing on the Cherokee Tribe. The website, which can be found at this link, shared the following information with students: · American expansionism & Manifest Destiny · Five Civilized Tribes- Native American assimilation · Jackson & the Indian Removal Act · Worcester v. Georgia · Chief John Ross & the Treaty of New Echota · The Legacy of the Trail of Tears One of my favorite portions of the website was a blog question that students posted responses to. In Ms. Betz’s Language Arts class, students have been reading the Diary of Anne Frank. Prior to reading, Ms. Betz had students complete a web-quest on World War II & the Holocaust. Students become familiar with the term genocide through this activity. For the blog question, students were asked to share their thoughts on whether or not the United States government committed genocide against the Native Americans. It was very interesting to read the responses by the students to this blog question. Be sure to check out some of the responses in the gallery of images below! Following the Jacksonian Era, the focus of American History class shifted to American expansionism. Students were introduced to the term Manifest Destiny and examined different routes that Americans used to settle the West. One of these famous trails was the Oregon Trail! On Friday, May 13th, students had the opportunity to play the 1971 addition of the computer game Oregon Trail. Students thoroughly enjoyed playing the game, although several students perished along the trail. Students also were introduced to Texas independence. I tried a new application when providing students information on this topic. The application is known as Plickers. Essentially students are asked a question and hold a uniquely shaped image as an answer. This shape corresponds with a specific student, and depending on how the student holds the image will determine the answer the student provides. I then use my iPad to scan the answers, which then project on the front board. Students seemed to enjoy this activity as we explored different topics like the Alamo, the Battle of San Jacinto, and the Treaty of Velasco. Students were able to go on Virtual Field Trips to the Alamo and the Golliad Massacre memorial as well. Students also utilized the Smithsonian Learning Lab one last time. In this Learning Lab activity, students created their own Collections. These collections were based on an activity that I participated in titled Burton Morris Nightstand Portraits. Burton Morris is a Pittsburgh artist that specializes in Pop Art. Morris has created a series of artworks, which are based upon an individual’s bedside nightstand. Each painting is composed of personal objects and ideas that represent the subject. “Nightstands are intimate reflections of who you are,” says Morris. Please check out Morris’s work at this link! Students were asked to locate images that represent who they are and that would appear on their nightstand. Students uploaded these images to the Smithsonian Learning Lab and went through a series of steps & procedures to create their own collection! Looking ahead, the remaining few weeks of school are packed with different activities and events. The following is a list of important dates for the remaining days of school: · May 17-18: Keystone Testing for 8th grade students · May 20th: New York City Trip · May 24th: iPad Collection at EFMS · May 26th: 8th grade Civil War water balloon reenactment · May 27th: 8th grade Award Ceremony & Picnic · May 31st: Step-Up Day · June 1st: Last Day of School
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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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