I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving Holiday and enjoyed the break from classes! I apologize for not updating the Blog over the Thanksgiving break. I was diagnosed with pneumonia and spent most of the break sick in bed. I was absent from school Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, and I want to say thank you to all of the students for being patient while I was recuperating! This past week introduced a topic that really hits home for many students, The French and Indian War. Major events of the conflict took place in and around the Pittsburgh area. This topic puts the strategic location of Pittsburgh on full display and students begin to realize why the junction of the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio River were so important to the British, French, and Native Americans of the area. When I teach about the French and Indian War I utilize a plethora of resources that I gathered from a training at the Heinz History Center. If you have never visited the War For Empire exhibit at the History Center, I highly recommend visiting the exhibit! In addition, I tie in a video series produced by PBS titled The War That Made America. The PBS series introduces students to familiar names and places such as George Washington, Edward Braddock, Fort Duquesne, Jumonville, and many more. In addition, students get a glimpse of what it was like to be a solider in the French and British armies and also witness the dilemma that faced Native Americans during the French and Indian War. A portion of the video series was placed on the Ed Puzzle App for students to watch. To check for understanding, students answered a series of concept check & critical thinking questions based on what they were watching. Next week begins a new Unit in American History class, titled Towards Independence. Next week also includes one of my favorite activities of the year, the Boston Massacre Mock Trial. Students will be serving as prosecutors, defense attorneys, witnesses, and members of a jury to reenact a famous event in American History. Finally, I wanted to say thank you to everyone who donated to the food drive! Elizabeth Forward Middle School raised over 5,000 food items and $1,400 dollars in cash donations. I am always so impressed by the generosity of the EF community, especially during the holiday season!
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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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