Students became real-life historians during the week of October 5th! Students were introduced to the Jamestown colony, analyzed the first primary sources of the year, and investigated another historical mystery 425 years in the making! Students also used a resource from the Library of Congress to analyze several primary sources this week. Many childhood memories were also “ruined” after several myths of Pocahontas were exposed. *A special shout out to my Olweus Group for great teamwork in your challenge this week! Also thank you to those who made me the Abraham Lincoln poster, cookies, and chocolate! I am so privileged to have such great students! American History: Monday: Students were introduced to the early English settlements in North America. Topics such as the defeat of the Spanish Armada and rivalries between England and Spain sparked discussion within class. The Jamestown Colony was a popular topic during Monday’s class. Students examined the hardships faced by many of the colonists and also investigated several myths of Pocahontas. To view the Prezi Presentation for Monday’s class, please click on this link. Tuesday: Happy Primary Source Day! Students were introduced to what a primary source is and the differences between primary and secondary sources. An excellent video created by Shmoop was used to introduce primary sources. Students then used the Educreations App to discern between primary and secondary sources. A source was described on the board, and students needed to decide if the source was primary or secondary. Students then used the Library of Congress Document Analysis Tool to analyze a primary source. Finally, students read the Starving Time written by John Smith in 1624. Students were very intrigued by Smith’s account of attempted cannibalism by some of the Jamestown colonist during their time of struggle. Wednesday: Students were once again on the historical mystery case! This missing persons case focused on the Lost colony of Roanoke. Students were introduced to the case and were given their case file via eBackpack. Students then used the Ed Puzzle app to become more familiar with the Lost Colony of Roanoke. Within their investigation teams, students selected possible theories and began to research their theories on what happened to the Roanoke Colony. I adapted a wikispace for students to aid in their investigation. Thursday: I was at a Technology Committee Meeting today, but students were still on the case! I recorded today’s lesson on the Ed Puzzle App due to by absence. Within the Ed Puzzle video, students listened to a video of me analyzing a primary source from John White, a leader of the Roanoke Colony. Students also used a map created by John White to piece together evidence from the Lost Colony of Roanoke. Students continued to collaborate with one another to develop a final answer of what happened to the Lost Colony of Roanoke. Friday: Friday marked the day that students began to analyze their own writing in American History Class. Before students began to compose their final ideas on that happened to the Roanoke Colony, each class critiqued two writing samples from previous assignments. Students identified the importance of being specific, using evidence to back up claims, and rereading their writing for mistakes. Students then began to compose their final explanations to what happened to the Roanoke Colony. I apologize that these have not been graded yet… I promise that I will have these graded in the very near future! Discover History: Monday: Monday marked the beginning of the Executive Branch Unit. Students were given three tasks list that contained different responsibilities of the President. Students marked these items easiest to hardest to gain an better understanding of the responsibilities of the President. Students also read different portions of Article II of the Constitution to find out more on the powers of the Executive Branch. Tuesday: Students were introduced to the other members of the Executive Branch: the Vice President and the Executive Departments. Students investigated the duties of the Vice President and looked at the different roles of each of the Executive Departments. Wednesday: Foreign versus Domestic Policy was the focus of today’s class. First, students described the differences between foreign and domestic policy. Students described the importance of foreign aid, military use, and treaty making. Students then were given different scenarios and identified these as foreign or domestic policies. Thursday: Students took a second look at the Executive Departments and the President’s Cabinet. Students looked at specific departments such as the Department of Defense and the Treasury, to gain a better understanding of what these departments actually do. Friday: Students had the opportunity to act as the President of the United States. Using the game Executive Command from iCivics, students were voted into the White House and became the leader of the United Sates of America. Students were forced to deal with different foreign and domestic challenges that would face the President. Some students were even forced to go to war with other nations! To play this very engaging game, please click on this link.
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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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