targeting cross-curricular learning - Jefferson County Schools

TARGETING 

CROSS-CURRICULAR 

LEARNING 

CURRICULUM 

STANDARDS 

IInttegrattiing Sociiall Sttudiies and Language Artts 

Summerr 2007 

SOCIAL STUDIES 

LANGUAGE 

ARTS

FOREWORD 

Welcome to the Targeting Cross-Curricular Learning workshop for teachers. 

This year's workshop represents a significant change in content, combining 

language arts and social studies. This is a natural blending of disciplines, since 

both are humanities courses, both often cover overlapping content, and both 

employ many of the same classroom methodologies. Indeed, a consideration of 

the two subjects together enriches and deepens the content of both. Since best 

practice dictates that we integrate instruction whenever possible, a workshop 

focused on such integration seems to be a natural next step in our progression of 

professional development opportunities. 

In planning the workshops, representatives from both language arts and social 

studies were involved in creating the lessons, paying particular attention to 

aligning lessons to the content indicators of both subjects. This planning 

committee met and worked together on a number of occasions, in addition to 

working independently on the project. Their many hours of hard work have 

resulted in these workshops and in the notebook containing the lessons. 

Incidentally, you will notice that there are many more lessons in the book than 

have been covered in the workshops, since the books have been designed to 

provide a rich resource for classroom use. Nonetheless, it is important to 

remember that these materials provide only samples and suggestions. You 

know your students and your subject matter better that anyone else does; 

'consequently, you can best adjust and adapt the materials and strategies to meet 

the needs within your own classroom. 

We look forward to hearing from you regarding your classroom experiences, both 

as a result of your workshop experience and as a result of your own original 

ideas and strategies. 

Best regards, 

Brenda Ables, Social Studies Coordinator, brenda.ables@state.tn.us 

LaQuisha Oliver, Language Arts Coordinator, laquisha.oliver@state.tn.us 

Nancy Shumate, Language Consultant, nancy.shumate@state.tn.us 

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State Department ofEducation 

WEBSITE INFORMATION 

Home Page: www.tn.gov/education 

Tennessee Curriculum Standards: www.tennessee.gov/education/ci 

• Content areas with state assessments 

• Content areas with no state assessments 

• Academic vocabulary 

• Content area reading 

TCAP Testing Information: www.tennessee.gov/education 

Choose Assessment, Evaluation, and Research from menu bar on home page 

• End-of-Course Test 

• Gateway Testing Initiative 

• Writing Assessment 

• Test Dates 

• Test Strategies 

5 

5

Curriculum Standards 

Not 

Tested 

Home | Directories | Data | Reports | Programs | Online Services | Contact Us 


Revised K-8 Science Standards Curriculum (for public feedback) 

*** Effective for 2006-07 *** 

US History EOC | Math Foundations EOC | Algebra I Gateway | Physical Science EOC 

Biology Gateway | English I EOC | English II Gateway | Items for Public Review 

Tested Not Tested Vocational/CTE 

Subject/Grade K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 

Academic Vocabulary View 

Tested Algebra I Gateway 

Tested Algebra II 

End of 

Course 

VocEd Agriculture Vocational 

Tested Biology I -- Gateway Gateway 

VocEd Biology for Technology Vocational 

VocEd Business & Information Technology Vocational 

Tested Chemistry Endof Course 

Not 

Tested 

Not 

Tested 

Not 

Tested 

Computer 

Technology: 05- 

06 School year 

Preface 

(K-8) 

View View View View View View View View View View 

Dance View View View View Glossary 

Early Childhood View 

Tested English I 

End of 

Course 

Tested English II Gateway 

Tested English/ 

Language Arts 

Tested 

ESL: 05-06 

School year 

Preface View View View View View View View View View Courses 

Preface View View View View View View View View 

I - II - III - IV - 

V 

VocEd Family & Consumer Sciences Vocational 

http://tennessee.gov/education/ci/standards/ (1 of 3)9/28/2007 1:44:33 PM 

Coding 

Assistance 

Sheet 

TeacherGuide 

(xls) 

6


Not 

Tested 

Foreign Language 

Tested Geometry 

Not 

Tested 

Health View View View 

Modern - 

Classic 

End of 

Course 

VocEd Health Science Vocational 

Tested Language Arts Gateway 

VocEd Marketing Vocational 

Tested Mathematics 

VocEd 

Tested 

Not 

Tested 

Not 

Tested 

Not 

Tested 

Math Foundations II 

Preface 

Coding 

Sheet(K-8) 

View View View View View View View View View 

Introduction 

Course List 

Gateway 

End of 

Course 

Subject/Grade K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 

Music View View View View View View 

General General 

Instrumental Instrumental 

History 

Theory 

Vocal/Choral Vocal/Choral 

Class Piano 

Personal Finance View 

Physical 

Education & 

Lifetime Wellness 

Tested Physical Science 

Not 

Tested 

View View View 

Physical 

Education 

Lifetime 

Wellness 

End of 

Course 

Reading in the Content Area View View 

Tested Science 

Not 

Tested 

Not 

Tested 

Vol. I 

Standards 

Guide 

How to 

Use 

Standards 

School Counseling & Career 

Guidance Standards 


Courses 

Gateway 

View View View View 

Service Learning View 


Glossary 

9-12 Course 

Sequence 

7


Tested 

Tested 

VocEd 

Tested 

VocEd 

Academic 

Tested 

Social Studies: 

Standards, 

Learning 

Expectations and 

Performance 

Indicators (K-8) 

Social Studies : 

Accomplishments 

(K-8) 

Technical 

Algebra 

Technical 

Geometry 

NotTested Technical 

Mathematics 

Technology 

VocEd Engineering 

Education 

Not 

Tested 

VocEd 

Academic 

Tested 

Not 

Tested 

Preface 

Coding 

Process 

Standards 

View View View View View View 


Courses 

Vocational 

Mathematics 

Gateway 

Vocational 

End of 

Course 

Beginning 

Spring 2007 

Vocational 

Vocational 

Glossary 

Theatre View View (1-3) View (4-6) View (6-8) View Glossary 

Trade & 

Industrial 

Vocational 

U.S. History View 

Visual Art View View View View View View View 

View 

Art History 

Tennessee.gov | Search Tennessee.gov | A to Z Directory | Policies | Survey | Help | Site Map | Contact 


8 

Glossary

TN Department of Education:K-12 

Academic Standards >> 


Coding Assistance Sheet 

This coding assistance sheet will help you interpret the coding for the performance indicators and accomplishments in the K-8 

curriculum standards. 

Performance Indicator Coding 

Accomplishment Coding 

3. 3. 

3.3.spi.1 

spi. 1 

state performance 

grade level standard number 

indicator 

indicator number 

3.3.tpi.1 

3. 3. tpi. 1 

grade level standard number teacher performance indicator indicator number 

K.1.01.a 

K. 1. 01. a 

grade level standard number learning expectation accomplishment 

Note: In the Science Curriculum Standards, a bullet is used when there is only one accomplishment for a learning expectation 


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OUTLINE OF TEMPLATE INFORMATION 

Standard Number - Title of Standard and Number (Number does not denote sequence to be taught nor 

order of importance.) 

Standard - Aone sentence summary describing the standard title. 

Learning Expectations - Alist of major goals that are covered by the standard. 

Performance Indicators State (as documented through state assessment) - A list of specific 

performance indicators that will be tested on a GatewayJEnd-of-Course test. Each indicator 

includes alflimiting factor" to delineate the particular way the question is to be addressed. 

./ The Level I indicators will relate to content that should have been introduced previously, 

preferably in the middle school. Even though these indicators should have been introduced 

prior to the course, it is the responsibility of the course instructor to review and remediate for 

content in these indicators, as necessary. 

./ Level II indicators relate to the specific information that is to be taught within the 

GatewayJEnd-of-Course subjects. Since the majority of the indicators are at this level, 

instructional emphasis should be here. All students should be able to master these 

concepts. 

./ Level III indicators are at the advanced level. 

Note: The total ofthe numberofbullets in this section represents the approximate number ofquestions that 

wilJ be represented on the state test. 

Performance Indicators Teacher (as documented through teacher observation) - The 

indicators in this section represent topics that: 

1) cannot be adequately measured on a multiple choice test 

2) correlate to specific activities that address the state performance indicators 

3) lend themselves to assisting new teachers with ideas to address specific concepts 

4) delineate the types of activities that evaluators should expect to be exhibited in 

the classroom, including career exploration 

5) indicate the expected behaviors for students that can be measured by alternative 

classroom assessments 

Sample Activity - Sample activities include one or two simple, inexpensive activities that address 

more than one state andlor teacher performance indicator. 

Integration/Linkage - Integration/linkage areas are listed. In particular,· the teaching of the 

learning expectations should show integration both within the subject areas as wen as across the 

disciplines. 

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SS Grades K- 12 Procecess Standards 

Social Studies 


Approved by the Tennessee State Board of Education 

August 31, 2001 

PROCESS STANDARDS 

To be used with ALL grades 

Acquiring Information: Acquiring Information involves locating, gathering, observing, 

comprehending, organizing, and processing information from a variety of primary and 

secondary sources. These sources include printed materials, maps, graphic representations, 

and artifacts, physical and human environmental elements, media and technology sources. 

"Acquiring Information" emphasizes the learners' use of a broad base of strategies to 

● Read to gain literal meaning 

● use chapter and section headings, and topic sentences to select main ideas 

● detect cause and effect relationships 

● distinguish between fact and opinion to recognize propaganda 

● recognize author bias 

● use picture clues and picture captions to aid comprehension 

● read from a variety of sources 

● use maps, graphs, globes, media and technology sources 

● discover resources available from museums, historical sites, presidential libraries, and 

local and state preservation societies. 

Analysis of Data and Problem Solving: Problem solving involves the comprehension, 

analysis, and interpretations of data leading to the development of a solution or conclusion. 

Students will develop problem-solving skills through comprehension, analysis, interpretations, 

synthesis, summary, and evaluation. 

"Problem Solving and Analysis of Data" emphasizes the learners' use of a broad base of 

strategies to: 

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● identify relevant factual material 

● classify information by source, chronology, and importance 

● critically examine data from a variety of sources 

● detect bias in data presented in a variety of forms 

● compare and contrast data 

● note cause/effect relationship and draw inferences from a variety of data 

● predict likely outcomes and recognize cases in which more than one interpretation of 

data is valid 

● reinterpret data to develop alternative outcomes and their likely effects on subsequent 

events/issues 

● use available data to devise new situation and outcomes 

● demonstrate an understanding of the data through written, visual, or oral methods 

● extract significant ideas from supporting details, 

● combine critical concepts in a statement of conclusion based on information 

● determine whether information is pertinent to the topic 

● test the validity of the information using such criteria as source, objectivity, technical 

correctness, and currency 

Communication: Communication is the conveyance of ideas, value judgments, beliefs, and 

emotions through individual expression, group dialogue, cultural communities, and global 

networks by oral, written, symbolic, visual, and technological means. 

"Communication" emphasizes the learners' use of a broad base of strategies to: 

● transmit ideas through speeches 

● demonstrate conflicting ideas through debate 

● summarize judgments through essays 

● demonstrate ideas through dramatizations 

● transmit ideas through discussions 

● demonstrate emotions through the creation of visuals 

● demonstrate beliefs through multimedia projects 

● recognize beliefs through simulation and role play. 

Historical Awareness: Historical Awareness, integral to all of the Social Studies disciplines, 

includes an understanding of chronological placement, historical trends, and historical decisionmaking. 

Students will be able to comprehend the significance of historical data using a variety 

of analytical skills. Such understanding enables students to prioritize events, identify bias, 

recognize perspectives, interpret trends, and predict outcomes. 

"Historical Awareness" emphasizes the learners' use of a broad base of strategies to: 


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● read critically a variety of materials including textbooks, historical documents, 

newspapers, magazines, and other reference sources 

● prepare and analyze maps, charts, and graphs 

● construct and analyze timelines 

● utilize community resources such as field trips, guest speakers, and museums 

● incorporate the use of technological resources 

● utilize primary and secondary source material such as biographies and autobiographies; 

novels; speeches and letters; and poetry, songs, and artwork. 


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Social Studies Curriculum Standards 

Organization of the document 

Social Studies 


History is the 

witness that 

testifies to the 

passing of time; 

it illumines 

reality, vitalizes 

memory, 

provides 

guidance in daily 

life and brings us 

tidings of 

antiquity. 

Marcus Tullius 

Cicero (106 BC - 

43 BC), Pro 

Publio Sestio 

The Social Studies Curriculum Standards include the Process Standards, Content Standards, Learning 

Expectations and Accomplishments necessary to insure that K-12 Tennessee students develop the 

social studies skills needed to succeed in school, in the workplace, and in their lives. The foundation of 

the curriculum standards includes the four process standards: communication, data analysis, historical 

awareness, and acquiring information and six content standards: culture, economics, geography, 

government and civics, history, and individuals, groups, and interactions. However, the guiding 

philosophy of this document is that the process and content standards should be taught in an 

integrated manner, not in isolation. 

The learning expectations identify the essential and broad core of learning. The grade level specific 

accomplishments delineate the skills and knowledge necessary to master the learning expectations at 

each grade. The learning expectations and accomplishments mastered within each grade cluster will 

be assessed at the benchmark grades of three, five, and eight. 

On the benchmark pages, performance indicators detail the level of achievement for each grade 

cluster. These performance indicators are divided into two categories: state assessed and teacher 

observed. The Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) will evaluate the state 

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14


performance indicators. 

Classroom teachers will assess the teacher performance indicators through observation and other 

authentic methods. Within each category the indicators are leveled as follows: Level 1: Below 

Proficient, Level 2: Proficient and Level 3: Advanced. All students should master all three levels by the 

end of the grade cluster. Unlike the end of course assessments and Gateway examinations, level 3 

indicators are not extensions of learning but are part of the required mastery. 

The Social Studies Standards include standards, learning expectations, and performance indicators for 

the following curriculum areas: K-8 Social Studies, American History, World History, World Geography, 

Government, Civics, Sociology, Economics, and Psychology. Included in this document is an appendix 

which provides a glossary of terms, resource materials, lists, and further information on a number of 

topics related to the curriculum standards and their development. 

Development of the document 

In Tennessee the mandate to develop curriculum standards for Social Studies is dictated by policy. 

According to Rules, Regulations and Minimum Standards for the Governance of Tennessee Public 

Schools: "The State Board of Education shall adopt a curriculum framework for each subject area, 

grades K-12 . …The approved framework shall be the basis for planning instructional programs in each 

local school system." With this charge the Tennessee Department of Education formed the Social 

Studies Curriculum Standards Committee consisting of K-12 Social Studies teachers, state department 

personnel, and higher education representatives. The curriculum standards committee used the 

current Tennessee standards, the 

ten National Council for the Social Studies standards, curriculum guides from other states and current 

educational research to aid in revising the K-12 curriculum. Although social scientists have the 

reputation of being a contentious lot, this committee agreed on the importance of creating a cohesive 

and comprehensive social studies curriculum and unanimously worked together in harmony to achieve 

their set goals. 

Purpose of the document 

The curriculum standards are designed to provide guidelines in planning and implementing curriculum 

at the state, local system and individual school levels. This document is based on the important 

concept that the social sciences are a symbiotic set of disciplines that require a competency within 

each rather than a mastery of only one. Students at every grade level apply similar social studies 

process skills and concepts to increasingly complex and new materials. Students build upon and refine 

their knowledge, gaining sophistication and independence as they grow. 

Philosophy of the document 

The Tennessee Social Studies K-12 committee believes that the Social Studies Standards will guide K- 

12 institutions in understanding a comprehensive and statewide social studies coursework for 


15


Tennessee's school children. The Social Studies Standards integrate many philosophical and 

instructional approaches in order to enable students to achieve a true understanding of the world. 

These standards encourage a dialogue among students, teachers, and parents throughout the 

student's entire social studies coursework. 

Vision of the document 

The Tennessee Social Studies Standards K-12 present a vision of every child matriculating into a civic 

minded citizen armed with the six content and four process standards of knowledge. These standards 

guide and support school systems in their attempts to build a rigorous Social Studies Curriculum. The 

Social Studies committee wrote these standards for all students regardless of their age, gender, 

cultural or ethnic group, disabled, or interest in the social studies. The Social Studies committee 

developed these standards with different learning styles and multiple assessments specifically in mind. 


16


Academic Standards » 

Organization of the document 


English/Language Arts Preface 

The English/Language Arts Curriculum Standards include the Content Standards, Learning Expectations 

and Accomplishments necessary to insure that K-8 Tennessee students develop the language skills needed to succeed 

in school, in the workplace, and in their lives. The foundation of the curriculum standards includes the three 

content standards: writing, reading, and elements of language. However, the guiding philosophy of this document is that 

the three standards should be taught in an integrated manner, not in isolation. These three standards communicate 

the vision of literacy for Tennessee students which goes beyond the traditional reading and writing. Woven into the 

content standards are the elements of effective speaking, critical listening and viewing. These standards provide not only 

the skills necessary for English language arts but also the supporting skills for all other content areas. 

The learning expectations identify the essential core of learning for grades K-3, 4-5, and 6-8. The grade level 

specific accomplishments delineate the skills and knowledge necessary to master the learning expectations at each 

grade. The learning expectations and accomplishments mastered within each grade cluster will be assessed at 

the benchmark grades of three, five, and eight. 

On the benchmark pages, performance indicators detail the level of achievement for each grade cluster. These 

performance indicators are divided into two categories: state assessed and teacher observed. The Tennessee 

Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) will evaluate the state performance indicators. Classroom teachers will 

assess the teacher performance indicators through observation and other authentic methods. Within each category 

the indicators are leveled as follows: Level 1: Below Proficient, Level 2: Proficient and Level 3: Advanced. All students 

should master all three levels by the end of the grade cluster. UNLIKE THE END-OF-COURSE ASSESSMENTS AND 

GATEWAY EXAMINATIONS, LEVEL 3 INDICATORS ARE NOT EXTENSIONS OF LEARNING BUT ARE PART OF THE 

REQUIRED MASTERY. 

Included in this document is an Appendix which provides a glossary of terms, resource materials, lists, and 

further information on a number of topics related to the curriculum standards and their development. 

Development of the document 

In Tennessee the mandate to develop curriculum standards for English language arts is dictated by policy. According 

to Rules, Regulations and Minimum Standards for the Governance of Tennessee Public Schools: "The State Board 

of Education shall adopt a curriculum framework for each subject area, grades K-12 . . . The approved framework shall 

be the basis for planning instructional programs in each local school system." 

With this charge the Tennessee Department of Education formed the English/Language Arts Curriculum 

Standards Committee consisting of K-12 English/language arts teachers, state department personnel, and higher 

education representatives. The curriculum standards committee used the current Tennessee standards, the twelve NCTE/ 

IRA standards, curriculum guides from other states and current educational research to aid in revising the K-8 

curriculum. With the assistance of the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and the Tennessee Department 

of Education, a committee consisting of classroom teachers, state department personnel, a state board 

representative, higher education representatives, special education teachers, curriculum specialists, ESL 

consultants, principals, parents and community leaders aligned this framework to national models. This committee 

noted strengths and identified gaps. Using the committee’s gap analysis and recommendations, appropriate revisions 

were made. 

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Purpose of the document 

The curriculum standards are designed to provide guidelines in planning and implementing curriculum at the state, 

local system and individual school levels. This document is based on two important concepts. First, learning in 

English language arts is recursive. Students at every grade level apply similar language skills and concepts to 

increasingly complex materials. Students build upon and refine their knowledge, gaining sophistication and independence 

as they grow. Second, although represented separately in the curriculum standards, the content standards 

are interdependent. Each standard intertwines with and supports the others. Students might at any time read and 

write, view and discuss, or interpret and perform, in order to understand and communicate meaning. Thus, at all 

grade levels, effective English language arts curriculum units weave together skills and concepts from several standards 

and content areas to support student learning. 


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ASSESSMENT 

19

Suggested Informal Assessments 

Exemplary Excellent Acceptable Not Yet No Attempt 

93-100% 85-92% 76-84% 70-75% 0-69% 

Highly 

Skilled· 

Moderately 

Skilled 

Skilled Poorly 

Skilled 

Unskilled 

Above Proficient Proficient Below Proficient 

Almost Always Developing Seldom 

Frequently Sometimes Not Yet 

Completely Somewhat Not at All 

NOTE: Each ofthese assessments works well on a continuum. 

----- 

i.e. f 

COlnpletely 

Somewhat 

Not at all 

21 

18

CLASSROOM-BASED ASSESSMENTS 

ORAL 

Advertising campaign Children's story Choral reading 

Commercial Court trial Debate 

demonstration Dialogue ofa character Exit interview 

Fables Fairy tale Discussion 

Interview Lyrics News report 

Panel discussion Play Poem/poetry collection 

Power Point presentation Press conference Propaganda analysis 

Questions Radio/TV program Role play/skit 

Sales presentation Speech Pantomimes 

Nursery rhymes 

25 

22


GROUP 

Advertisement Advertising campaign Cartoons 

Children's story Choral reading Coat ofarms collage 

Choreography Collections Conclusion basted on data 

Constructions Cookbook Costmne 

Commercial Comic strip Comparison chart 

Court trial Creative story Crossword puzzle 

Debate Demonstration Design product line 

Dialogue ofa character Dictionary oftenns Diorama 

Drawing Display Dress up 

Fables Fairy tale Film 

Finger puppet Flag Flannel board 

Flip book/chart Game Game book/board 

Simulation game Discussion Haiku 

How to books Idea web Illustrated story 

Interview License plate Logo/slogan 

Lyrics Magazine article Motto 

Miniature room display Mural Museum display 

Myth Narrative News report 

Newspaper/newspaper story Pamphlet Panel discussion 

Paper dolls Paper Mache Photo essay/album 

Picture/picture book Play Poem/poetry collection 

Popup book Portfolio PowerPoint presentation 

Press conference Project cube Propaganda analysis 

Puppets Puzzle Questionnaire 

Questions Quilt Quiz 

Radio/TV program Record/CD cover Research on net 

Road map Role play/skit Sales presentation 

Science fiction story Scrapbook Treasure map 

Web page Timeline Videotape 

T-shirts Flags Pantomimes 

Venn diagrams Time capsules Nursery rhymes 

26 

23


VISUAL 

Accordion book Alphabet book Annotated illustration 

Applique Art gallery Banner 

Atlas Blueprint Bookmark/book cover 

Bulletin board Cartoons Catalogue 

Children's story Clay model Clay sculpture 

Coat ofarms collage Choreography Collections 

Constructions Costume Commercial 

Comic strip Comparison chart Court trial 

Debate Demonstration Design product line 

Diorama Drawing Display 

Dress up Film Finger puppet 

Flag Flallllel board Flip book/chart 

Game Game booklboard Simulation game .. 

Graphic organizer How to books Idea web 

Illustrated story Ink drawing License plate 

Logo/slogan Lyrics Miniature room display 

Mural Museum display Myth 

Narrative Newspaper/newspaper story Pamphlet 

Paper dolls Paper Mache Photo essay album 

Picture/picture book Play Poem/poetry 

Popup book Portfolio PowerPoint presentation 

Press conference Project cube Puppets 

Quilt TV program Record/CD cover 

Sales presentation Scrapbook Treasure map 

Web page TimeIine Videotape 

T-shirts Flags Pantomimes 

Venn diagrams Time capsules 

28 

25


KINESTHETICITACTILE 

Accordion book Advertising campaign Art gallery 

Audio tape Bulletin board Cartoons 

Children's story Clay model Clay sculpture 

Constructions Costume Commercial 

Creative story Demonstration Design product line 

Diorama Drawing Display 

Dress up Film Flannel board 

Flip chart/book Game Game book/board 

Simulation game How to books Illustrated story 

Logo/slogan Lyrics Mural 

Museum display\y Paper Mache Photo essay album 

Picture/picture book Pop up book PowerPoint Presentation 

Project cube Puppets Quilt 

Record/CD cover Sales presentation Scrapbook 

T-shirts Flags Time capsules 

29 

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Student Portfolios 

A portfolio is a collection of student work gathered for a 

particular purpose that exhibits to the student and others 

the student's efforts, progress, or achievement in one or 

more areas. 

A portfolio may contain 

• A creative cover 

• A letter to the reader 

• A table of contents 

• Reflections 

• Self Evaluation 

• Goal setting page 

• Conference questions 

Purpose of the Portfolio 

• Document meeting district, state, or national standards 

• Connect several subject areas to provide an 

"integrated" assessment of the studen. 

• Chronicle a student's growth and development over 

extended periods of a semester, year, or clusters of 

grades (K-2), (3-5), (7-9), (10-12) 

The Portfolio Purpose 

• COLLECT everything in a working portfolio 

• SELECT key pieces for final portfolio 

• REFLECT on the selections 

33 

30

RUBRICS 

35 

32

Rubric on Writing Good Rubrics 

A rubric that hits the bulls-eye , 

• has goals that are clearly stated and attainable 

• clearly describes attributes across a range ofabilities 

• judges characteristics that are observable and measurable 

• is age appropriate but encourages growth 

• is stated in positive tenus 

• is for a complex task that draws on higher order thinking skills 

A rubric that is on target 

• has goals that are a little ambiguous, but attainable 

• partially describes attributes across a range ofabilities 

• mostly judges characteristics that are observable 

• describes characteristics that are age appropriate 

• is mostly stated in positive tenns 

• is for a less complicated task that uses mid-level thinking skills 

A rubric that is off target 

• has goals that are unclear, unattainable, 'or unrealistic 

• does not describe a range 

• offers judgments that are merely opinions 

• describes characteristics that are not age appropriate 

• is stated only in tenns ofwhat not to do 

• is for a simple task that draws on low-level thinking skills 

37 

34

"" 

Performance Assessment 

Grading Rubric: Creating a PowerPoint Presentation 

CriterialExpectation Possible Points 

Points Received 

Appropriate for audience 5 

Appropriate grammar and punctuation 

• Verb tense 

• Capitalization 

• End marks 

• Spelling 

30 

Organization ofinformation 

• Clearly defmed purpose 

• Sequential order " • Strong conclusion 

Creativity 

30 

• Color 

• Graphics 

• 

30 

Originality 

Length ofpresentation 5 

Total Points 100 

42 

39

RUBRIC: A PERSUASIVE BROCHURE 

Writer's Name 

Title of Paper ---------------- _ 

Circle the numbers on the scales that indicate how well the persuasive brochure meets the criteria. 

Total the numbers circled. The lowest possible score is 14, the highest, 42. 

Ratings: 1 = Does not meet this standard 

2 = Made some effort to meet this standard 

3 = Clearly meets this standard 

Organization 

Sections are arranged in a logical order. 

The brochure's organization is clear and easy to follow. 

Content 

The front panel opens with a catchy slogan to grab the reader's attention. 

The front panel identifies the product, service, or cause the brochure 

advertises. 

The front panel uses eye-catching visual elements that will appeal to 

the brochure's target audience. 

The inside spread includes sections that explain the primary idea. 

The inside spread includes section headings and emphasizes major 

points visually. 

The middle panel continues to draw readers into the brochure with 

persuasive graphics and text. 

The back panel provides necessary contact information and tells 

readers what action to take. 

Style 

The brochure is creative and shows attention to layout and design 

elements such as color. 

The brochure's diction is persuasive and appropriate for the audience 

and purpose. 

The brochure avoids cliches. 

Grammar, Usage. and Mechanics 

The brochure is relatively free of problems in grammar, usage, 

and mechanics. 

Total: 

1 2 3 

1 2 3 

1 2 3 

1 2 3 

1 2 3 

1 2 3 

1 2 3 

1 2 3 

1 2 3 

1 2 3 

1 2 3 

1 2 3 

1 2 3 

1 2 3 

44

GRADESK-5 

49 

46

CONTENT STANDARD 1.0 CULTURE 

Social Studies Indicators 

• 3.1.tpi.3. recognize that the world is made up of many people, and their 

history may differ from the students’ own (by examining artifacts). 

• 3.1.tpi 10. compare a different community in the world with their own by 

examining generalizations, subcultures, similarities/differences by labeling 

sheets of butcher paper with words or symbols. 

Language Arts Indicators 

• 1.1tpi.19. express reactions and personal opinions in response to text. 

• 1.1.tpi.22. summarize orally what has been learned. 

• 1.1.tpi.2.9 write in response to literature. 

Materials needed: 

“Me I Am!” by Jack Prelutsky and The Lotus Seed by Sherry 

Garland; world map 

Assessment activity: Cultures 

1. Use “Me I Am!” to emphasize our unique individualities wherever 

we live in the world. 

2. Read aloud The Lotus Seed and have a class discussion and 

summary. Give a brief historical background of Vietnam, locate 

Vietnam on a map, explain special customs and immigration. 

3. Use a comparison chart graphic organizer to show 

similarities/differences in Vietnamese and American cultures. 

4. Have students role play characters in the story. 

5. The lotus blossom represents life and hope in Vietnam. 

Students write poetry about what represents life and hope to 

them personally. 

Assessment tool: Comparison chart graphic organizer 

EXTENSIONS: Students may illustrate a sentence from the story which can 

be used to make a class book or write a different ending to the story. 

50

Subject:__________________________ Subject:__________________________ 

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 

Write details that tell how the subjects are different in the outer circles. Write details that tell 

how the subjects are alike where the circles overlap. 

Venn Diagram 

51 

Name _______________________________________________ Date ______________________



• 3.1.tpi.6.examine cultural folklore and legends from different regions 

around the world. 


• 3.1.spi.15. recognize basic plot features of fairy tales, folk tales, fables, 

and myths. 

• 3.1.tpi.26. participate in creative responses to text. 


www.americanfolklore.net/ee.html to print off several regional folktales. 

Folktales from Tennessee can be chosen. 

Assessment activity: Folk Tales and Legends 

1. Log onto the American Folklore web site. Some of the legends or 

folklore are audio files. The class can listen to the legend or selected 

stories can be printed for partner reading or class read aloud. Choose 

a Tennessee folktale and a folktale from another culture. For 

example, you can use “Davy Crockett and the Frozen Dawn” and 

“Drought Buster, Febold Feboldson Busts a Drought in Nebraska”. 

2. After reading, compare the two tales with a venn diagram. Discuss 

plot features of folktales: larger than life character, events in natures 

are explained through actions of the characters. The main character 

may have been a real person but through many retellings of the story 

they become superhuman. 

3. Use the pattern included with this lesson and enlarge it to make a 

folktale character for each student. Create a list of events in the 

history of Tennessee such as the 1812 earthquake, Davy Crockett 

kills a bear, etc., as a basis for a folktale. 

4. Students will choose a character and create a folktale. The story can 

be published by attaching it to the folk character and displayed. 

Assessment tool: Folktales written and published on the folk hero 

pattern. 

EXTENSIONS: Students could create short plays of Tennessee folktales. 

52

CONTENT STANDARDS 1.0 CULTURE 

Social Studies Teacher Indicators 

• 3.1.tpi 6. Examine cultural folklore and legends from different regions around 

the world. 

Language Arts Teacher Indicators 

• 1.14.tpi 15. Read a variety of texts (e.g., short stories, fairy tales, non-fiction 

texts, folktales, plays, and chapter books). 

• 1.9.tpi 1.17. Derive meaning while reading by predicting outcomes based upon 

prior knowledge and adjust as knowledge is gained. 

• 1.07.spi.1.9. Determine word meanings through the use of context clues. 

• 1.07.spi.1.16. Recognize grade appropriate vocabulary within context. 


Copy of The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush retold and illustrated by Tomie dePaola. 

Dictionaries, glue sticks, markers, white strips of paper, index cards, scissors, tan 

strips of construction paper accordion folded at four-inch intervals to create a booklet. 

Assessment activity: The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush 

1. Make sure students understand the characteristics of a legend. Display the 

book’s cover, read the title, and ask children what a legend is. Guide the 

conversation to establish that a legend is a folk story told as though it is a true 

account of someone’s deeds or of something that happened. Discuss the 

cover. Have your students predict what the legend will be about as you note 

their thoughts. After reading the book, return to the predictions to discuss how 

accurate they were. 

2. Summary: A Native American boy uses berries and horsehair brushes to 

dutifully paint the stories of his people. But he is dissatisfied with his colors 

until the evening that his faithfulness is rewarded. He finds the blazing colors 

of the sunset and unintentionally plants them in the earth. Legend has it that 

because of his perseverance, Indian paintbrush flowers blanket the 

countryside with vibrant colors each spring. Students make connections as 

they compare themselves with what the main character likes to play with, 

wants people to do, wants to know, and how to make people happy 

3. Vocabulary: Before rereading the story, provide two paper strips for each 

child. Ask that he jot down two words from the story that seem unusual, 

intriguing, or especially important. Afterward, place all the slips on one 

tabletop; then have volunteers sort them, discard the duplicates, revise 

spellings, and add additional words if necessary so there’s one unique word 

for each student. Have each group of four children select four word strips. 

Provide each group with the materials listed above. Ask children to work 

cooperatively to locate each selected word in the story and read it in context 

before discussing its meaning. Students may need help from dictionaries or 

volunteers. Students write one definition on each card using his own phrasing. 

Have the members of each group glue their cards into the folded booklet, 

fringe the extended strip, and decorate the cover. 

Assessment tools: Students’ predictions, cooperation with group, vocabulary booklet 

53



• 3.1.tpi.7. investigate the cultural heritage of specific individuals in order to 

understand the relationships among cultures and ethnic groups. 

• 3.1.tpi 8. describe customs, celebrations, and traditions of racial, ethnic, 

and religious groups in Tennessee and around the world. 


• 3.1.spi.11. identify the stated main idea of a reading selection. 

• 3.1.tpi.15. read a variety of texts (e.g., short stories, fairy tales, non-fiction 

texts, folktales, non-fiction texts, folktales, plays, and chapter books). 


Supply of children’s print magazines and articles or online resources, 

highlighters, pencils, writing paper or 3-2-1 Strategy Charts. 

Assessment activity: 3-2-1 Strategy for Reading Informational Texts 

1. Write the topic of an informational article on the board (for 

example, Indians native to TN), have students share what they 

already know, and record their responses for all to see. Model the 

3-2-1 Strategy by reading aloud the article and following the next 

three steps. Students should have their own copies and 

highlighters or pencils. 

2. Write “3 things we discovered”. Students may go back through the 

text and highlight these three things. Have students share and 

choose three to write on the board. 

3. Write “2 interesting things” using the same approach as above. 

4. Have students think of one question they still have about the topic. 

Share some of these questions aloud. Write “1 question we still 

have” on the board. Students will use this strategy to help them 

understand what they read in other articles. 

5. In another session, have students try this strategy on their own. 

Monitor and adjust as needed. 

Assessment tool: Students’ abilities to read grade level articles; 3-2-1 

Strategy responses or charts; oral responses. 

EXTENSIONS: Have students research answers to questions they still have; 

they may use the strategy when reading classroom magazines, such as Weekly 

Reader; assign students to write a report, then have them read one another’s 

reports using the 3-2-1 strategy. 

54

Topic or starting sentence: 

3-2-1 Planner 

Beginning Middle End 

Detail Detail Detail Detail Detail Detail 

From Marvelous Minilessonsfor Teaching Beginning Writing, K-3 by Lori Jamison Rog © 2007 IRA. May be 

copied for classroom use 

- 

55 

52



• 3.1.tpi.12.read aloud various accounts that describe racial and ethnic 

groups’ contributions to the development of the community and world. 


• 3.1.spi.11. identify the stated main idea of a reading selection. 

• 3.1.tpi.34. draw conclusions from evidence within the text. 


“Gruetli,” or “Rural African American Church Project” article. Overhead of 

INSERT strategy, pencil, and eraser for each student. 

Assessment activity: How Cultures Contribute to Community 

1. Put a copy of INSERT on the overhead so that all students can see 

and refer to it. 

2. Give students a pencil, eraser, and copy of the article. You can also 

do this activity using any textbook. 

3. Guide a class discussion of how to read so that the important points 

are remembered in order to draw conclusions about the text. 

4. Demonstrate how to make the mark above the sentence. 

5. Have students read with a partner. Read each page silently, stop after 

the page and discuss the page, decide what marks to make. 

6. When everyone is finished, go over each page they read and ask 

what they noticed, questioned, were ”wowed” about. 

7. After a session with this strategy, ask some questions. Students will 

have retained more information. 

Assessment tool: Students can retell the main points or summarize what 

they learned by writing a paragraph and sharing. 

EXTENSIONS: Students could debate an issue or the conclusions they have 

from their reading. 

56

I agree = / 

I disagree = X 

That's new = + 

I don't understand = ? 

Wow! That's terrific = *! 

That's important = * 

"Insert" Notations 

57 

54


CONTENT STANDARD 3.0 GEOGRAPHY 


• 3.1.spi 1. Understand how to use maps, globes, and other geographic 

representations, tools, and technologies to acquire, process, and report 

information from a spatial perspective. 

• 3.3.spi 2. Recognize how to identify and locate major physical and political 

features on maps and globes. 

• 3.3.spi 3. Demonstrate awareness of the interaction between human and 

physical systems around the world. 


• 3.1.spi 21. Select information using available text features, such as maps, 

charts, and graphics. 

• 3.2.tpi 8. Produce a variety of written work in various formats (e.g., stories, 

poems, book reports, directions). 

• 3.3.tpi 11. Follow and give oral/written directions up to three steps. 


Large world map or United States map; sticky notes; yarn 

Assessment activity: Connecting with our World 

1. Students will make connections between reading passages and locations 

around the world. Whenever students discover settings of stories or 

historical/political places, have them locate these on the world map. Leave 

displayed and refer to the map often. Depending on grade level, a United 

States map could serve the same purpose closer to home. Maps could be 

placed in order for students’ better understanding in comparing: community, 

county, state, United States, world. 

2. Students can work together in groups or center time to write directions from 

one place to another. Likewise teacher can assess students’ ability to follow 

directions from one place to another. 

3. Students will be able to bring in news articles. After sharing these articles, 

they can be displayed with yarn leading to the location of the news story. 

Assessment tools: Various maps, settings, historical/political places, oral/written 

58

CONTENT STANDARD 1.0 CULTURE, 3.0 GEOGRAPHY 


• 3.1.tpi.3. recognize that the world is made up of many people, and their 

history may differ from the student’s own by examining artifacts such as a 

cultural time capsule or a cultural suitcase. 

• 3.1.tpi 10. compare a different community in the world with their own by 

examining generalizations, subcultures, similarities and differences by 

labeling sheets of butcher paper with words or symbols. 

• 3.3.tpi 10. describe and compare urban and rural communities in 

Tennessee and other regions of the world. Explain their interdependence. 


• 1.9.tpi.17. derive meaning while reading by predicting outcomes based 

upon prior knowledge and adjust as knowledge is gained. 

• 1.14.tpi.15. read a variety of texts. 

• 2.2.tpi.2.8 produce a variety of written work in various forms. 

• 3.1.tpi.3.2. use appropriate language structure in written and oral 

communication. 


Grandfather’s Journey by Alien Say, world maps, story mapping graphic 

organizers, paper for letter writing and illustrations 

Assessment activity: Grandfather’s Journey 

1. Before reading the book, briefly brainstorm students’ ideas about 

immigration. Read aloud and discuss the story. Use maps to 

locate places in Japan, Pacific Ocean, North America, Sierra 

Mountains, California. From pictures, have students point out 

differences in urban and rural communities. 

2. Students complete story mapping on graphic organizers. 

3. Students respond to this book with letter writing. “Pretend that you 

just moved to a new country. Imagine what you feel like. What 

would you eat? What would you do? Write a letter, note, or 

postcard to your family and friends telling them about your 

experiences in your ‘new’ home.” Students may wish to illustrate. 

4. Students interview each other, grandparent figures, or family 

members about their own family history in the United States. 

Share with class. 

Assessment tool: Story mapping graphic organizer, letter writing, 

interview results. 

EXTENSIONS: Shared interviews which may result in class books. 

59

Possible questions for interviews connected to Grandfather’s Journey: 

1. When were you born? Where were you born? What was your hometown 

like? 

2. What was life like when you were growing up? How was life different than 

it is today? 

3. Do you have any stories from when you were a child? What happened? 

4. Do you have any stories about the happiest day of your life? 

5. Do you have any stories about the saddest day of your life? 

6. What memories do you have from school? 

7. Do you have any stories about when you and grandma (or grandpa) met? 

8. Do you have any special family treasures, for example jewelry, books, 

pictures, etc.? Why are these so special? 

9. Do you have any stories about when mom (or dad) was born? 

10. Do you have any stories about when I was born? 

61



• 4.1.spi.1 identify pre-Colonial Native American groups (i.e., Cherokee, 

Creek, Chickasaw, Aztec, Mayans, Olmec, Mississippi Mound Builders.) 

• 4.1.spi.3. determine how various groups resolve conflict (i.e., school, tribal 

councils, courts.) 

• 4.1.tpi 5. identify various racial and ethnic groups in Tennessee at the 

founding of statehood (i.e., Cherokee, Creek, Shawnee, English, Scottish, 

French, American born pioneers.) 

• 4.1.tpi.5. create a poster about a cultural group 

• 4.1.tpi.6. experience a storyteller’s version of a historical account. 


• 2.01.tpi.3. establish a purpose for writing. 

• 2.01.tpi.12. write with a sense of audience. 


Research materials, poster board, colored construction paper, period clothing 

Assessment activity: Explore a Living Museum 

1. Allow cooperative groups of students to research the various Native 

American tribes that inhabited Tennessee during the pre-Colonial 

times. 

2. Each group will write a report on a particular tribe including 

information about the culture, customs, leadership styles, etc. 

3. Each group should create a poster depicting the chosen tribe and its 

location in Tennessee during this time period. 

4. Students should plan a living diorama to share the information that 

they have found about the studied tribe, including period dress. 

5. Choose a day to present these living dioramas to other classes in the 

school. Place the groups of “diorama characters” in around a large 

room. 

6. Position a large construction paper “ON” button on the floor in front of 

each “living diorama”. 

7. Students present their information to classes as they step on the “ON” 

button. 

Assessment tool: Construct a teacher/student made rubric. This should 

include both the written information and oral presentation. 

EXTENSIONS: Evaluate other ethnic groups that were in Tennessee using the 

“Living Museum”. Use with other periods of history. 

63



• 4.1.spi.1 identify pre-Colonial Native American groups (i.e., Cherokee, 

Creek, Chickasaw, Aztec, Mayans, Olmec, Mississippi Mound Builders.) 

• 4.1.spi.3. determine how various groups resolve conflict (i.e., school, tribal 

councils, courts.) 


• 1.07. tpi.9. preview the text to establish a purpose for reading, to activate 

prior knowledge, and to facilitate the reading process. 

• 1.07. tpi.17. set a purpose for reading (e.g., to understand, to enjoy, and to 

locate information.) 


Social studies textbook or selected book on topic 

Assessment activity: “Agree or Disagree” The Anticipation Guide 

1. Use this activity with a topic that is slightly familiar to your students. 

2. Choose a book or chapter from the social studies book you want your 

students to read. 

3. Identify the concepts you want students to understand from the text.. 

4. Create four to six highly opinioned statements that can support or 

challenge students’ current opinions and ideas about the topic. 

5. This activity may be used before learning only or returned to after the 

study to reread and discuss the statements and have students adjust 

their responses. 

6. Give the following guidelines to the students: 

• Read each statement. 

• If you agree put an “A” next to it. If you disagree put a “D”. 

• Share your reactions and reasons with a partner. 

• After discussing, write the main points you recall. 

• Return to the anticipation guide after reading the text; reread 

the statements and mark your responses again. 

• On the back, write reasons for any changes. 

Assessment tool: Observation of student discussions and adjustments 

made from the reading of selected text. 

EXTENSIONS: Use to motivate student reading of material in other texts and 

content areas. 

64

Early Civilizations 

Before reading: Read each statement below and write an “A” for agree or “D” for 

disagree by the line in front of the statement. 

After reading: On the line behind each statement write “A” for agree or “D” for 

disagree. List the page number where you can find information to support for your 

answer. 

1. _____ The Anasazi built some pueblos into the sides of high cliffs _____ 

ro protect themselves from enemies. 

2. _____ The Olmecs were known as the “mother civilization”. _____ 

3. _____ The Olmecs believed in a rain god that looked like a jaguar. _____ 

4. _____ The Adena people built earthworks to bury their dead. _____ 

5. _____ The Anasazi lived in homes called pueblos. _____ 

6. _____ The three earliest civilizations were the Olmec, the Adena, _____ 

and the Cherokee. 

List three facts you found to be the most interesting in this lesson. 

1. _______________________________________________________________ 

2. _______________________________________________________________ 

3. _______________________________________________________________ 

Designed for Grade 4, Harcourt Brace Social Studies, Early United States, Unit 1, Lesson 3. 

65



• 5.1.spi.4. analyze graphs to discover cultural trends ( i.e. clothing, music, 

or radio sales) 


• 5.1.spi.4. select and use common text features to make meaning from text 

(e.g. headings, key words, graphics, captions, sidebars). 

• 5.1.spi.16. locate information using available text features (e.g. maps, 

charts, graphics, indexes, glossaries, and table of contents). 

• 5.1.spi.27. identify, using a graphic organizer, placement of events. 

• 5.2.tpi.26. write frequently across content areas 

• 5.2.tpi.32. write a research report using multiple sources and notes taken 

from these sources 


Reference materials, rubric for scoring written report 

Assessment activity: Social Trends of the Era 

1. Have students select a specific era to research (i.e. the 1920’s, 

Civil War Era, etc.) 

2. During their research, the students should locate graphs that 

indicate the cultural trends of the era. 

3. Following the steps in the writing process, the student should 

compose a report identifying and explaining the cultural trends of 

the given era. 

Assessment tool: Use Tennessee Scoring Rubric for Writing 

EXTENSIONS: 1. For the presentation, students may share their reports orally. 

2. Students develop their own graphs, based on their research, 

showing the cultural trends of a given era. 

66

CONTENT STANDARDS 2.0 ECONOMICS, 3.0 GEOGRAPHY 


• 3.2.tpi 2. Recognize people must work in order to provide goods and services 

in the community. 

• 3.2.tpi 7. Explain why people specialize in different jobs, and how this causes 

people to engage in trade and to depend on each other (interdependence). 

• 3.3.tpi 9. Demonstrate an understanding of how human interaction with the 

physical environment is reflected in the use of land, building of towns/cities, and 

ecosystems. 

• 3.2.spi 1. Distinguish the difference between a natural resource and a finished 

product. 


• 1.13.spi 1.22. Determine the problem in a story and recognize its solution. 

• 1.9.tpi 1.17. Derive meaning while reading by predicting outcomes based upon 

prior knowledge and adjust as knowledge is gained. 

• 1.05.spi 1.7. Use decoding strategies, such as sounding out words, comparing 

similar words, breaking words into smaller words, and looking for word parts 

(roots, prefixes, and suffixes). 

• 2.10.tpi 2.9. Write in response to literature. 


How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World by Marjorie Priceman 

World Map(s); KWL chart; index cards, 5X8 and 3X5 

Assessment activity: How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World 

1. Pre-reading: Help students prepare for reading the story by discussing what 

they know about apples and apple pies. Make a KWL (what I KNOW, what I 

WANT to know, what I LEARNED) chart. Record the 1 st two columns on a 

class KWL chart or individual KWL charts as students share their prior 

knowledge. Discuss what ingredients they think they will need to make an 

apple pie. 

2. Teacher does a picture walk through the book talking about the different 

countries and their products. Show by examples and pictures the difference 

between natural resources and finished products. 

3. Read the book aloud. Help students decode new words, such as ingredients, 

steamship, charming, countryside, finest, acquaintance. As you reread the 

book, have students use non-permanent markers on desk maps to trace the 

route of the baker in the story as she travels from country to country for the 

resources (ingredients) to use in her pie. Teacher can also use a large world 

map to model and locate countries. As you read about and locate each 

country, have a student tape the 5X8 index card with the place name on the 

front board to create a sequence chain. Leave 6 inches of space between 

cards to add a transportation picture later. 

4. Help students use the text and pictures to list natural resources and country 

where each natural resource was found. Some of the human resources are 

inferred, but not directly mentioned. For example, a farmer was needed to 

raise and care for the cow. 

67


Assessment activity: How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World (continued) 

5. Students should work in groups of 2-3 to identify a different type of transporta- 

tion from the story. Have them draw and color a picture of their transportation 

, label it, and place it in correct sequence in the sequence chain of places. If a 

type was used within a country, have students place their picture below that 

country in the sequence chain. 

6. Return to the KWL chart and have students discuss what they have learned. 

7 Reread the page that begins, “Remember that apple pie is delicious topped 

with vanilla ice cream”. Ask the students to brainstorm with their work groups 

to list some questions they would need answered before they could write a 

book title How to Make Vanilla Ice Cream and See the World. Share some of 

the questions they write. Students could research and write their own 

sentences or books. 

Assessment tools: KWL chart; participation with groups and class discussions; 

sequencing chart; transportation pictures; lists of natural resources; writing responses 

Extensions: Talk about all the different kinds of apples that could have been used to make 

the apple pie. Then discover what each student’s favorite kind of apple is by having a taste 

test. Graph the results. As a class make an apple pie to conclude the lesson. There’s a 

tasty recipe in the book! 

68

CONTENT STANDARD 2.0 ECONOMICS 


• 3.2 spi.1 distinguish the difference between a natural resource and 

finished product. 

• 3.2 tpi.1 create a flow chart of a natural resource to a finished product. 


• 2.11 Summarize concepts presented in social studies (illustrations, 

reports). 

• 3.1.09 Use active comprehension strategies to derive meaning while 

reading and check for understanding after reading. 


Ppt. “Natural Resources,” downloaded from http://jc-schools.net/ 

Assessment activity: Natural Resources to Finished Product 

1. View the powerpoint, “Natural Resources.” 

2. In small groups, list items in the classroom and what natural 

resources are used to create these. 

3. Share each group’s lists and create categories for the resources 

named. 

4. Choose a natural resource to create a flowchart to demonstrate 

how the resource becomes a finished product. Model for the 

students on an overhead or the board. 

5. Students choose a natural resource and create a flowchart. 

6. Write a paragraph summarizing the steps. 

Assessment tool: Completed flowcharts and paragraphs. Use a rubric to 

assess the paragraph. 

70

Natural Resources to 

Finished Products 

Grade 3 

Social Studies Online 

71

Distinguish the 

difference between a 

natural resource and 

finished product. 

tree 

Blueprint: Economics 

to 

chair & 

desk 

books 

72

Natural Resources 

Natural resources are substances we obtain from 

the land, water, and air around us. 

People use many of the Earth's natural 

resources. All of the products we use have a 

natural resource base. Minerals, forest 

products, water, and soil are just a few of the 

natural resources humans use to produce 

energy and make things people use. 

73

Renewable Resources 

Some natural resources 

can be reproduced within 

a few years or decades. 

These are called 

renewable resources. 

Trees, water, plants, and 

air are examples of 

renewable resources. 

74

Non-renewable Resources 

Underground minerals must be 

mined or dug up from the earth. 

Some of these minerals are gold, 

silver, salt, iron, diamonds, petroleum 

and coal. 

Oil, minerals, and soil take hundreds, 

thousands and even millions of years 

to be made. These are called nonrenewable 

resources. 

75

apple tree 

EXAMPLES 

TO 

apple pie 

76

Classroom Activities 

Label objects from as many natural resources 

possible that are found in your classroom. 

Then sort the list into the different catagories. 

77

Resources 

http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/world/nres.html 

http://www.mii.org/pdfs/classroom.pdf 

78



• 3.2.spi 1. Distinguish the differences between a natural resource and a finished 

product. 

• 3.2.spi 3. Distinguish between import and export. 

• 3.3.spi 3. Demonstrate how to identify and locate major physical and political 

features on globes and maps. 

• 3.6.spi 3. Recognize major global concerns (i.e., pollution, conservation of 

natural resources, global warming, destruction of rain forest). 


• 3.1.spi 7. Develop and extend reading vocabulary. 

• 3.1.spi 9. Use active comprehension strategies…discussing similarities and 

differences in text. 

• 3.1.spi 11. Develop skills to facilitate reading to learn in a variety of content 

areas. 

• 3.1.spi 11c. Apply skills and strategies to comprehend informational text (e.g., 

pre-reading and comprehension strategies. 

• 3.2.spi 2. Write for a variety of purposes. 

• 3.2.spi 2c. Continue to write to inform. 


Chocolate bars – Hersheys are recommended; Chocolate Booklet for each student; 

access to world map or Google Earth; sticky notes or thumbnails; pictures of natural 

resources and content. 

Assessment activity: A Simple Chocolate Bar (3 rd Grade) 

1. This lesson will broaden the students’ understanding of how they are linked to 

others by challenging them to think of systems on a global scale. Natural 

resources (ingredients) from around the world will be identified and located. 

2. Discuss whether they are imports or exports as we go through the 

process of putting these “ingredients” together to form a final product, a simple 

chocolate bar. 

3. Students will describe how a candy bar illustrates the working of global 

systems. They will recognize that a breakdown in one part of a 

system affects other parts referring to wants and needs. 

4. A “Chocolate Booklet” will be kept for vocabulary, notes, written responses, 

similarities/ differences in natural resources/finished product and 

import/export. 

Content continued on attachments. 

Assessment tools: Students’ group interaction and performance; ability to locate 

needed items on map; Chocolate Booklet of responses, etc.; descriptions of how a 

candy bar illustrates the working global economic system. 

79

CHOCOLATE BAR 

Students should be divided into seven groups. They will consider a very simple item: a chocolate 

candy bar. Have one as a prop to focus students’ attention and ask them to imagine the following 

story: 

Let’s think of a small town where most of the people earn their living working in a candy 

factory – Hershey, Pennsylvania. Discuss economy and relate to their lives. Locate Hershey, 

PA, on a world map and place a sticky for reference. (Group 1) Poster: This small town in the 

northeastern U.S. is definitely a candy town! Most of the people earn their living working in a 

candy factory. The factory imports, or brings in from other countries, many of the ingredients in 

their delicious candies. 

Talk about what goes into a candy bar. The ingredients should include sugar, chocolate, 

nuts, corn syrup, coconut. Establish that all of these are natural resources found in nature. For 

each of these items, identify on a world map where it comes from: 

Chocolate comes from cacao seeds, cultivated, among other places, in central Africa. 

Group 2 will represent the Africans who grow and sell cacao seeds. Poster: Africa. Chocolate 

comes from cacao seeds that grow in pods on evergreen trees. The seeds are cultivated, or 

grown, in central Africa as well as other tropical parts of the world. They are sold and exported to 

other places around the world. 

Sugar might come from the Caribbean Islands. Poster: Sugar is produced from sugarcane, 

a species of tall grasses. Sugarcane is cut by hand then washed, chopped, shredded, and 

crushed to form cane juice. This cane juice goes through more processes until it is the crystal 

white sugar we use. (Group 3) 

Corn syrup comes from the corn fields of Iowa. Poster: Kernels of sweet corn grow on the 

cobs of tall green corn stalks. The cobs are picked from the fields and processed for eating. 

Sweet corn syrup is used in candies, baked goods, and other foods. (Group 4) 

Coconut comes from the South Pacific (Group 5). Poster: Coconut comes from the fruit of 

a large palm tree that grows to 30 meters tall. The fruit contains up to one liter of refreshing drink. 

We eat the white and fleshy edible part of the coconut seed, sometimes called the coconut “meat”. 

Nuts are found in some candies. Poster: The Brazil nut comes from the Amazon 

Rainforests of South America. It grows on one of the largest trees there. The trees may live for 

500 years or more! The Brazil nut has a rich taste, once you remove it from the hard shell. 

(Group 6) 

Candy needs a colorful protective paper wrapper! The Pacific Northwest, U.S.A., provides 

these materials for us. Poster: Candy needs a colorful protective paper wrapper! Since paper is 

made from trees, the paper might involve a lumber company in the northwestern region of our 

country. We do not need to import, or bring in, the raw materials to make paper. (Group 7) 

Make sure that the children are well aware of the wide geographical distribution of each of 

these natural resources. These natural ingredients are put together to make our finished product. 

Discuss wants and needs. (People have basic needs – air, water, food, shelter, and sleep. 

People need these things in order to survive.) (People want things that make their life more 

enjoyable. These wants are not needed to survive, but they make people happier.) 

Ask the students how their groups might be affected by each of the following events: 

o A drought in the Midwest damages the corn crop, making corn syrup hard to get. 

o A good advertising campaign on television makes many more people want to buy this 

particular brand of candy bar. 

o A tropical storm destroys the plantations that sold their coconuts to the factory. 

80

o A revolution in a Caribbean island cuts off an important supply of sugar. 

o War in central Africa involves the cacao regions. 

o The workers in the candy factory go on strike for higher wages. 

It is important that the children not be overwhelmed by the potential catastrophes. Make 

sure that they see that none of the negative events will necessarily wipe out the candy bar 

industry. But these calamities would make things difficult for everybody involved. That’s the key 

concept: that even with a simple thing like a candy bar, we are mutually dependent on people 

scattered all over the world and on events that we might not even be aware of. 

Chocolate Booklet will be used for written responses, vocabulary words, 

similarities/differences, and notetaking. 

81

CONTENT STANDARD 2.0 ECONOMICS, 3.0 GEOGRAPHY, 

6.0 INDIVIDUALS, GROUPS, AND INTERACTIONS 


• 3.2.tpi.2. recognize people must work in order to provide goods and 

services in the community. 

• 3.3.tpi 10. describe and compare urban and rural communities in 

Tennessee and other regions of the world. Explain their interdependence. 

• 3.6.tpi.1. create a list of wants and needs. 


• 1.1.tpi.11. demonstrate an awareness of the sounds of language (e.g., 

rhyme and rhythm). 

• 1.5.tpi.1.2. use letter sound knowledge and structural analysis to decode 

words. 

• 1.9.tpi.1.17. derive meaning while reading by predicting outcomes based 


• 1.9.tpi.1.34. draw conclusions from evidence within the text. 

• 3.4.tpi.3.2. use voice intonation to indicate appropriate end punctuation. 


Click, Clack, Moo Cows That Type by Doreen Croniin and Heartland by 

Diane Siebert; compare/contrast graphic organizer; paper for flip book; 

word family cards. 

Assessment activity: Urban and Rural Communities 

1. Use these two books to read aloud. Record differences between urban 

and rural communities. Teacher may want to do this with whole class as she 

records student responses or engage students to take notes individually. 

2. Guide a class discussion of wants and needs, pulling examples from our 

books. Create a class list or small group list of teses and emphasize the 

differences. 

3. Students make flipbooks of wants and needs. 

4. Use word family cards along with Click, Clack, Moo to practice structural 

analysis of words. Emphasize rhyming in Heartland for better awareness of 

the sounds of language. 

Assessment tool: Compare/contrast graphic organizer, flip book of wants 

and needs, participation in word family cards activity. 

EXTENSIONS: Writing letters or notes to show voice; writing poems with or 

without rhyming; Readers’ Theater with Click, Clack, Moo. 

82



• 3.2.spi.4.differentiate the difference between a producer and a consumer 

using a picture. 

• 3.2.tpi.2 recognize people must work in order to provide goods and 

services in the community. 

• 3.2.tpi.3 identify examples of making personal economic choices. 


• 3.2.tpi.5. develop a paragraph with topic sentence, supporting details, and 

conclusion. 

• 3.2.tpi.12. show evidence of written work in all classroom disciplines. 


Crackers of several brands, chart paper, The Goat in the Rug, overhead 

flowchart, ppt. “Goods and Services”, 

http://econedlink.org/lessons/index.cfm?lesson=EM457 

Assessment activity: The Best Cracker Choice 

1. Put the diagram on the overhead and discuss the process of 

producing and marketing a product. 

2. Watch the ppt. “Goods and Services”. Have students brainstorm a list 

of goods and services and record this on board. If you have access to 

a computer lab or large screen tv, use the web site above to view 

another ppt on consumers and producers 

3. Have several brands of a type of cracker. Display the empty boxes 

with prices. Give students one sample of each brand of cracker. Have 

them taste the crackers and rank them in order of their preference. 

Ask students to try matching each cracker with its box. Compare 

choices based on taste, price, and packaging. Discuss other things to 

consider when deciding which cracker to buy. 

4. In small groups, have students discuss how people decide to buy a 

product or service. 

5. As a whole group, create a semantic map with the word BUY in the 

center. 

6. Have students think of a toy they bought after viewing a commercial. 

Did the commercial portray the toy honestly? Will they rely on 

commercials when deciding on a purchase in the future? 

7. Students will write a paragraph explaining ways they felt the toy was 

better or worse than the commercial portrayed. 

Assessment tool: Paragraphs written about the toys students chose to 

purchase. 

86

What Gets Sold The Selling Buyers 

Process 

Inventions 

Supply 

Advertisement 

Competition 

Consumers 

Demand 

87

Goods and Services 

Grade 3 


88

Blueprint Skill Economics 

Identify examples of private and public 

goods and services. 

89


Goods are things you can buy that you 

can touch. Can you buy apples? Can 

you touch apples? Then the apples are 

goods. 

Can you touch and buy jump ropes, 

swing sets, bats and balls, caps, pans, or 

pencils? These items are all called 

goods. 

90


From time to time we also buy things that 

cannot be touched. For example, we buy 

haircuts when we go to the barber shop 

or the salon. We buy repairs and 

cleaning for our teeth when we go to the 

dentist. In both cases, we are buying a 

SERVICE. It is something done for us. 

91


Community helpers are people who 

provide SERVICES for us. Some of our 

community helpers are paid by our 

government. What community helpers 

are paid by the government and what do 

they do? Click on Ben's Guide to US 

Government: Your Neighborhood and 

find out! 

92


Can you tell the difference between a 

good and a service? 

Play this game to find out. 

Game 

93

Resources 

Community Helpers at Your Service 

Ben's Guide to US Government: Your 

Neighborhood 

94

CONTENT STANDARD 2.0 Economics 


• 3.2.spi.5 differentiate the difference between money and barter 

economies. 


• 3.1.spi.07 develop and use pre-reading strategies. 

• 3.1.spi.12c read independently to perform a task. 


Colored paper for venn diagrams, ingredients for Sancocho: 

plantains (bananas), sweet potatoes, cooked chicken, onions, 

corn, carrots, cilantro, tomatoes, cumin, crock pot, Saturday 

Sancocho by Leyla Torres. 

Assessment activity: Paragraph comparing bartering with using money. 

1. Before reading the book, ask the class if they can find South America 

on a wall map or globe. Point out some of the cities and discuss the 

setting of the story. 

2. Ask students if they have ever traded for cards, snacks, or toys and 

why they traded. Read the book aloud. 

3. Create a sequence chart to show the order in which the main 

character bartered for the ingredients. 

4. Make a word web with barter in the center. Encourage students to 

add ideas related to bartering. 

5. Have students work in pairs to create venn diagrams using circles cut 

from colored paper to compare money and barter economies. 

6. Prepare the ingredients for Sancocho and cook in a crock-pot. Enjoy! 

7. Students will write a paragraph that will compare the money based 

and barter based economies. 

Assessment tool: Paragraph comparing how our use of money to the 

bartering system of other cultures. 

EXTENSIONS: Students bring in old toys or collectables to barter. 

95

Sancocho Recipe 

2 cloves garlic, minced 

2 medium onions, chopped 

1 cup cooked, chopped chicken 

2 green plantains or ripe bananas, peeled and cut up 

2 small, husked corn cut off the cob 

1 large sweet potato (cassava in the story), cut up 

3 carrots cut up 

1 bunch cilantro, chopped 

4 small tomatoes, chopped 

1 tsp. Cumin 

Put all the ingredients into a crock-pot and cook on low for 1 hour. Serve. 

96

CONTENT STANDARDS 2.0 ECONOMICS, 

6.0 INDIVIDUALS, GROUPS, AND INTERACTIONS 


• 3.2.tpi 8. give examples of how economic resources in the home, school, and 

community are limited and how people must make choices about how to use 

these resources. 

• 3.6.tpi 1. create a list of wants and needs. 


• 1.09.tpi 19. express reactions and personal opinions in response to text. 

• 2.08.tpi 2.11. write across content areas; write for a variety of purposes. 

• 2.10.tpi 2.9. write in response to literature. 

• 2.11.tpi 2.17. write in a variety of modes and genres; write a friendly note or 

letter. 

Materials needed: The Rag Coat 

Copy of The Rag Coat by Lauren Mills; 2 sheets of chart paper, one titled wants and 

and the other titled needs; magazines; scissors; glue; construction paper; writing paper 

Assessment activity: The Rag Coat 

1. This book lends itself to many standards in Social Studies. It explains the 

need for family, neighborhood, community, and school. It shows how history 

is a part of each of our lives through teaching us values and an understanding 

of the past. This book also shows a difference between wants and needs. 

2. Think-Pair-Share Strategy. Individually and briefly, the students will think of 

things they want. Then pair the students up and have them share with their 

partner. During this time the teacher will put up chart paper to collect 

responses from group for wants. Repeat this process again for needs. 

3. Ask students to look for wants and needs in The Rag Coat as you read aloud. 

4. Guide students in discussion of the words written on the charts and the 

examples they heard in the book. Explain the difference in wants and needs. 

What are wants and needs that we have today? How do you think they are 

different to Minna’s time? How are they similar? How do you think Minna felt 

at the beginning, middle, and end of the book? 

5. Students will go through magazines and make collages of wants and needs. 

Pictures should be divided into two parts with wants and needs separated. 

6. Have students write a friendly note or letter to Minna, maybe to encourage her 

about the true value of her rag coat or have students brainstorm what they 

want to do. Illustrations are welcomed. 

Assessment tools: Guided discussions, completed collages 

97



• 4.2.spi.2 interpret a chart of major agricultural produce in Tennessee 


• 4.1.tpi.9. preview the text to activate prior knowledge. 

• 4.1.tpi.22. organize prior knowledge, using a variety of strategies. 

• 4.1.tpi.23. use content specific vocabulary. 

Materials needed: Blank paper or following page 

Assessment activity: Historic Acrostic 

1. Have students write the letters of the alphabet vertically on their paper or 

you may choose to use the form that follows. 

2. Beside each letter of the alphabet, have the student write the name of a 

product associated with Tennessee. 

3. Combine the class lists onto a large chart or chalkboard to determine the 

various letter associations. Eliminate those which do not have a direct 

relationship with Tennessee. 

Assessment tool: Have students use textbooks and other reference tools 

to build their lists. 

EXTENSIONS: The acrostic may be used by substituting the names of products 

with historical figures, places and items during any particular period being studied 

during the year. 

98

Historic Acrostic 

A B 

C D 

E F 

G H 

I J 

K L 

M N 

O P 

Q R 

S T 

U V 

W X 

Y Z 

99



• 4.2.spi. 1. recognize supply and demand 

• 4. tpi. 6 establish a class store to show the use of money 


• 4.1.tpi.15 summarize materials read and/or lessons learned. 

• 4.1.tpi.24 use library media sources to access information. 

• 4.1.tpi.29. deliver an oral presentation on an assigned topic. 

• 4.1.tpi.31. draw conclusions from evidence in the text. 

Materials needed: Graph located on next page 

Assessment activity: Prices Through the Years 

1. Determine a small number of items which have been featured 

in stores since early times (e.g. flour, meal, coffee, sugar, etc.) 

2. Have groups of students use the internet to locate the change in 

price of one of the featured items over the years (may choose to graph the 

price for every 50 years since 1800). 

3. Enter information on the graph by having students start at the year and 

extend their line upward on the graph to approximate the price they have 

researched. This could be done on a poster board to be displayed on the 

classroom walls. 

Assessment tool: Have students report their findings to the entire class. 

EXTENSIONS: Students create an oral report related to their research. 

100

$2.50 + 

$2.00 

$1.50 

$1.00 

$ . 50 

$ . 25 

The Price of ____________________ 

1800 1850 1900 1950 2000 

101

CONTENT STANDARDS 3.0 GEOGRAPHY 


• 3.3.spi 2. recognize how to identify and locate major physical and political 

features on maps and globes. 


• 1.01.spi 18. understand, follow, and give oral directions; respond to questions 

from teacher and group members. 

• 1.02.spi 11. use appropriate listening skills; follow oral directions. 

• 2.11.tpi 17. write in a variety of forms and genres. (Write in journals, write 

descriptive sentences or paragraphs.) 


2 cups smooth peanut butter (Be aware of any food allergies.) 

2 ½ cups powdered milk 

2 ½ cups powdered sugar 

2 cups white corn syrup 

Blue icing 

Chocolate chips 

M & Ms 

Any other edible material you want to use for landmarks 

Photocopies of map of area chosen to create 

Assessment activity: Creating an Edible Map 

1. Students will create a map and examine the physical geography, borders, 

and/or cities/towns of an area. Choose and teach basic map skills according 

to grade level. Discuss landmarks and physical features your students need 

to master per spis. 

2. Distribute photocopies of maps. 

3. Mix first five ingredients together, and distribute equal amounts of dough to 

each student. This will be the ‘base’ of their map. 

4. Students decorate their map: 

Blue icing – lakes, rivers, and oceans 

Chocolate chips – mountains 

M & Ms – cities and towns 

5. Students compare and identify others’ maps. 

6. Write a descriptive sentence(s) or paragraph about their maps and share. 

7. Eat and enjoy! 

Assessment tools: Finished map (before eating); comparing and identifying others’ 

maps; descriptive sentences or paragraphs; oral descriptions, responses to questions, 

102



• 3.3.spi.4.use absolute value and relative locations to identify places on a 

map (i.e., north, south, east, west, borders, lines of longitude and latitude, 

the equator, the north and south poles). 


• 3.1.spi.20. recognize how illustrations support the text. 

• 3.1.spi.21. select information using available text features (i.e., maps, 

charts, and graphics). 


http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/geology/leveson/core/linksa/direct.html, 

http://www.allaboutspace.com/usa/activity/latlong2/, overheads of US map 

with latitude and longitude, grid map, handout, crayons or colored pencils, 

Assessment activity: Mapping Longitude and Latitude 

1. Discuss the importance of reading a map, the use of a grid in 

mapping locations. Go to the web site above and read the 

information with the class. 

2. Demonstrate on the overhead, with the grid, how to locate a point or 

location. 

3. Give a copy of the US map you have printed from the 

allaboutspace.com web site to pairs of students. Using the same 

map on the overhead to demonstrate how to locate the longitude 

and latitude of a location. 

4. When you have demonstrated finding a location on the overhead, 

have the students complete their maps. Read the locations aloud 

and continue to do the activity having the students come to the 

overhead and mark the locations after they find them on their maps. 

5. Tell the students to pretend they are pirates and have a treasure to 

hide. Give out the centimeter paper and have them work individually 

to create a treasure map. They must include a map key, title, and 

labels for their maps. 

6. When students finish their map and write five questions that will be 

answered with their map. Exchange maps and answer the 

questions. 

Assessment tool: The completed maps. 

EXTENSIONS: Use software such as Map Maker to make a map of another 

location. 

103



• 3.3.tpi.5. determine direction using a compass, sun, and stars. 

• 3.3.tpi 6. utilize skills to locate a place using cardinal directions and 

symbols given an appropriate map with a key. 


• 3.1spi.11. follow and give oral/written directions up to three steps. 


Ten or more pairs of everyday, easily recognizable objects; signs saying 

NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, WEST; compass rose (optional). 

Assessment activity: Compass Tag 

1. Introduce the concept of the cardinal directions and the compass to 

children, and help them locate north. 

2. When children can easily identify north by pointing in that direction, 

review how they can find other directions when they know where north is. 

Have them hold the direction signs and stand in the correct place in relation 

to north. Teach concepts that south is opposite of north and east is opposite 

of west. 

3. To play Compass Tag, place the direction signs and pairs of similar 

objects in different parts of the room. For example, place one board eraser 

in the north, another in the east. Then ask a player to tag one of them by 

saying: “Find the eraser in the east.” The player must move to the correct 

eraser and tag it. Continue until every child has had at least one turn. 

4. Every few turns, remove one sign, until only NORTH is left. Also, rotate 

the objects so that they are in different positions. 

Assessment tool: Results of students following directions; application of 

skills used in mapping activities. 

EXTENSIONS: As students become familiar with following the directions, have 

them give directions themselves. Move the game outdoors, to the gym, or to 

another space, again starting with children finding north with the compass. 

Examine various maps to locate compass rose on each. Explain that they should 

check this every time they use a new map. 

104



• 4.3.spi.1 identify the routes of the explorers of the Americans on a map 

(i.e., Columbus, Balboa, Pizarro, DeSoto.) 

• 4.3.spi.3. recognize the reasons settlements are founded on major river 

systems (i.e., mountains, rivers, plains, valleys, forests.) 

• 4.3.tpi 3. write a journal article from the perspective of an early Native 

American, colonist, or European visitor with special attention to the 

surrounding geography. 


• 1.13.tpi.5. relate and discuss literary experiences (e.g., poetry, short 

stories, plays, novels, folk tales, myths, and science fiction.) 

• 1.13.tpi.15. express personal reactions and opinions to a selection or 

relate the selection to personal experience. 


Paper or a diary 

Assessment activity: Create a diary of a historical figure 

1. Read students Seaman’s Journal by Patricia Reeder Eubank. 

2. Discuss with students the story’s character and the characteristics of 

a journal. 

3. Ask students to select an explorer that they are interested in learning 

more about. 

4. Allow students to research the explorer to find the routes he took and 

the type of landforms he may have seen. 

5. Students will take on the persona of the chosen explorer and keep a 

diary recording the daily events and thoughts the explorer may have 

had as he discovered new territory. 

6. Students must have as least eight journal entries and each entry must 

be at least three paragraphs in length. 

7. Students should include a map of the territory discovered with routes 

marked. 

Assessment tool: Construct a teacher/student made rubric. 

EXTENSIONS: For the presentation, students may share their diaries orally. 

105



• 4.3.spi.1. identify the routes the explorers of the Americas on a map (i.e., 

Columbus, Balboa, Pizarro, DeSoto). 

• 4.3.spi.4. recognize river systems that impacted early American history 

(i.e., Mississippi, Mystic, Charles, Hudson). 

• 4.3.spi.6.use latitude and longitude to identify major North American cities 

on a map (i.e., Boston, Mexico City, Toronto, Charleston, Savannah, 

Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Santa Fe, Los Angeles). 


• 1.09.tpi.18. use library media sources to access information. 

• 1.09.tpi.28. use media and current technology as a research and 

communication tool to view, read, and represent information. 


Drawing paper and markers 

Assessment activity: Passport to Adventure 

1. Have students fold a sheet of paper into thirds. They will use this to 

design a travel guide to advertise or display a theme they have been 

exploring or studying in social studies. 

2. Students may choose to design one of the following travel guides: 

• A travel guide reflecting a particular time in history (e.g., 

Columbus, Balboa, Pizarro, DeSoto). 

• A travel/vacation guide for major North American cities. In 

this travel guide, students will provide the lines of latitude and 

longitude for the particular city described in the guide. 

Assessment tool: Teacher and students will create a rubric reflecting the 

material covered. Is the information accurate for the time in history, location 

of the city, etc. and has other pertinent information been provided? 

EXTENSIONS: This activity may be used in language arts to measure research 

and writing skills. 

106



• 4.3.spi.2 identify and use key geographical features on maps 


• 4.1.tpi.1. listen attentively by facing the speaker, asking questions, and 

paraphrasing. 

• 4.1.tpi.2 using established rules of conversation consistently. 

• 4.1.tpi.8 understand, follow, and give oral multi-step directions. 

• 4.1.tpi.22 organize prior knowledge, using a variety of strategies. 

Materials needed: Cards (see next page) placed in envelopes for each 

pair of students 

Assessment activity: I’ll State It-I’ve Got Your Back 

1. Using the picture cards on the next page, duplicate enough copies for 

each pair of students in your room to have one picture. 

2. Place each picture in an envelope 

3. Have students separated into pairs 

4. Provide one person in each pair with an envelope 

5. Provide one person in each pair with a sheet of paper and a pencil 

6. Have the student with the envelope look at the enclosed picture and begin 

giving their partner directions for drawing the picture on their card (the 

student giving the directions may not reveal what the picture is or use 

words which might lead their partner to drawing the exact item). Note: 

The person giving the directions does not have to be precise with every 

curve featured in the outline of the state. 

7. The partner will begin drawing using the directions, since the partner with 

the picture is sitting back to back with the partner, he/she may not look at 

what is being drawn to prevent giving additional clues 

8. When the activity is completed, the drawing will be shared with the partner 

and then the entire group. 

9. Time permitting, pairs may exchange pictures, and partners may 

exchange roles 

Assessment tool: Since there will be numerous copies of the same 

picture, these may be placed in groups for display. 

EXTENSIONS: For general fun, students may be given pictures of everyday 

objects or geometric shapes before attempting the state outlines. 

107

108

109



• 4.3.spi.2. identify and use key geographical features on maps (i.e., 

mountains, rivers, plains, valleys, forests.) 

• 4.3.tpi 5. determine how physical processes shape the United States’ 

features and patterns (e.g., erosion, volcanoes, plate tectonics, flooding.) 



• 1.06.tpi.19. use learned strategies to determine the meanings of unfamiliar 

words. 


File Folder, 5 x 7 index cards, tape 

Assessment activity: Geographic Features Flip Folder 

1. Open the file folder and align one index card with the bottom edge of 

the right side of the folder. Tape the top of the card in place. 

2. Place the next index card on top of the first one but higher, so that a 

half inch of the bottom of the card shows beneath. Tape the top of this 

card to file folder. 

3. Continue with additional index cards, staggering to allow a half inch of 

the card beneath to show and taping the top of the file card to folder. 

4. Write the name of a landform found on a map on each card’s edge 

(the half-inch of each card that shows). 

5. On each card define the landform and illustrate it. The cards flip to 

reveal the information. 

6. On left side, have students create a map of their neighborhood. 

Include a map key using symbols. 

7. Label folder “Geographic Features”. 


EXTENSIONS: This activity can be used for developing an academic vocabulary 

folder for Social Studies terms. 

110



5.3.spi.5. identify the physical and political boundaries of Tennessee 


• 5.1.spi.16. locate information using available text features (e.g. maps, 


• 5.1.tpi.1.6. understand, follow, and give multi-step directions, which may 

include pictures or graphics. 


Tag board, magic markers, scissors, atlas, and map of Tennessee 

Assessment activity: Puzzle Geography 

1. Give each student a map of Tennessee or an atlas to use for reference. 

2. List physical and political boundaries that you want to appear on the map. 

3. Have students draw an outline map of Tennessee on the tag board and 

draw the required features on the map. 

4. The students should then cut the outline m'ap out and then cut the map 

apart into puzzle pieces. 

5. Finally, students would switch maps and put together each other's maps. 

Assessment tool: Teacher created rubric 

111 

96

CATEGORY 4 3 2 1 

Neatness of 

Color and Lines 

Color Choices 

Accuracy 

Knowledge 

Total Points: 

All straight lines are 

ruler-drawn, all 

errors have been 

neatly corrected and 

all features are 

colored completely. 

Student always uses 

color appropriate for 

features (e.g. blue 

for water; black for 

labels, etc.) on map. 

At least 95% of all 

the required 

information is 

located on the map. 

When given another 

student's puzzle 

map, the student can 

rapidly and 

accurately put the 

map together and 

name over 10 

features. 

Grading Scale: 15-16 A 

13-14 B 

11-12 C 

9-10 D 

8 or below-F 

Puzzle Geography Rubric 

Name: 

All straight lines are 

ruler-drawn, most 

errors have been 

neatly corrected and 

most features are 

colored completely. 

Student usually uses 

color appropriate for 



labels, etc.). 


the required 






rapidly and 

accurately put it 

together and name 

8-9 features. 

Most straight lines 

are ruler-drawn, 

most errors have 

been neatly 

corrected and most 

features are colored 

completely. 

Student sometimes 

uses color 

appropriate for 



labels, etc.). 


the required 






rapidly and 



6-7 features. 

Many lines, 

corrections of errors, 

and/or features are 

not neatly done. 

Student does not use 

color appropriately. 

Less than 75% of all 

the required 

information is located 

on the map. 




rapidly and 



fewer than 6 

features. 

112

98 

o 0 

o Ln 

TENNESSEE 

113 

I 

Name _



• 5.3. spi.7. recognize and compare landforms, climate, and natural 

resources of the three grand divisions of Tennessee. 


• 5.1. spi.16. Locate information using available text features( e.g. maps, 

charts, indexes, glossaries, and table of contents). 

• 5.2. tpi.9. compare and contrast 2 persons, places, or things. 


Activity 1: Green and brown construction paper glue, Blue Book or map 

of Tennessee, scissors, glue, rubric for scoring 

Activity 2: outline map of Tennessee for each student, crayons, scissors, 

glue, Blue Book or atlas, rubric for scoring. 

Assessment activities: 

Activity 1: Three Grand Divisions Tree 

1. On the brown construction paper, have the students draw and cut out the 

shape of a tree with 3 branches. 

2. The trunk should be labeled Tennessee. 

3. Each branch should be labeled east, middle, or west. 

4. Students should then cut leaves for each branch and list the landforms, 

natural resources, and climate conditions of each region. 

Activity 2: Geographical Features Map 

1. Each student will need an outline map of Tennessee. 

2. Have students take construction paper cut in 3” by 5” squares and fold it 

like a card. 

3. On the outside of the card, the student should write a question about a 

landform, the climate, or a natural resource. 

4. On the inside of the card, they should write the answer to the question. 

5. Next, they should glue the card over its location in TN. 

6. Finally, they can share their maps with a classmate. 

Assessment tool: Attached rubric 

EXTENSIONS: Students would write a report that compares and contrasts the 

geographical features of the three grand divisions of Tennessee. 

The tree format could also be used to compare different Native American tribes, 

famous people, early settlements, etc. 

114

Name of Student _________________________________________ 

Assessment: Landforms, Climate, and Natural Resources of Tennessee 

Criteria/Expectation Possible Score Score Earned 

________________________________________________________________________ 

Correctly located 

major landforms 30 points 

________________________________________________________________________ 

Identified and located 

natural resources 30 points 

________________________________________________________________________ 

Identified correct climate 

conditions 30 points 

________________________________________________________________________ 

Neatness 10 points 

________________________________________________________________________ 

Total points 100 points 

115

CONTENT STANDARD 4.0 GOVERNANCE AND CIVICS 


• 3.4.spi.1.select from a set of visual representations a service provided by 

government (i.e., parks, schools, and libraries) 


• 3.1.tpi.17. derive meaning while reading by predicting outcomes based 


• 3.1.tpi.6. identify a purpose for reading. 

• 3.1.tp1.27 organize information from text or technological sources using 

graphic organizer. 


Large chart paper for Alpha Blocks activity, “Tennessee’s Government“ 

article, “Government Match-Up” worksheet, pictures of the state and 

national capitol buildings. 

Assessment activity: Government Services 

1. On large chart paper, divide the alphabet into blocks such as abc, def, 

etc. with room to write the words the students will brainstorm on the 

topic of government services. 

2. Show students a picture of the state capitol. Tell the students this is a 

symbol of our state government. Show a picture of the national 

capitol. Discuss and compare the two. 

3. Begin filling in the Alpha Blocks chart with terms they already know 

about government services. 

4. Read aloud or have students read silently the article, “Tennessee’s 

Government”. 

5. Go back to the Alpha Blocks chart and add more terms that have 

been learned from the article. This can be left up and used with any 

other articles, books, Internet sources, or guest speakers. The 

students can continually add new information to the chart. 

6. Have students work with a partner to sort the government words into 

the correct column on the government sheet. 

7. Have students work independently to complete the “Government 

Match-Up” worksheet. 

Assessment tool: The completed worksheet is a good assessment. 

EXTENSIONS: Invite local county officials to the classroom to discuss the 

various services provided in your county and the organization of local 

government. 

116

Tennessee’s Government 

My grandfather worked in the state capitol many years so he knew a lot 

about the building and our state government. He said the capitol was built 

in 1855. It took ten years to complete. Today, Tennessee’s Capitol Building 

is the second oldest working building in the United States. The builder died 

before the capitol was finished. They buried him in one of the walls. 

President James K. Polk is also buried on the grounds of the Capitol 

Building. 

People who run our state government work in the Capitol Building each 

day. The State Legislature meets in the Capitol and the Governor has 

offices in the building. My grandfather’s job was to make sure that people 

had clean places to work. 

He said Tennessee was similar to the United States of America. The leader 

of the United States is our president. The leader of Tennessee is our 

governor. The mayor of our city is like a governor and president because 

he is the leader of our city like they are leaders of our county and our state. 

118

Local Government 

State Government National Government 

119

Governor 

President 

Governor’s 

Mansion 

Vocabulary Cards 

Mayor 

White House 

Nashville 

Washington United States 

Supreme Court 

City Hall 

Tennessee State 

Supreme Court 

120

CONTENT STANDARDS 4.0 GOVERNANCE AND CIVICS 


• 3.4.spi 2. Determine the representative acts of a good citizen (i.e., obeying 

speed limit, not littering, walking within the crosswalk). 

• 3.4.tpi 4. Identify and explain the importance of acts of civic responsibility 

including obeying laws and voting. 

• 3.4.tpi 7. Participate in an election or mock election within the classroom. 


• 1.03.tpi 1.13. Preview the text to establish a purpose for reading, to activate 

prior knowledge, and to facilitate the reading process. 

• 1.09.spi 1.18. Select questions used to focus or clarify thinking while reading. 

• 1.13.spi 1.19. Determine appropriate inferences from text. 

Materials needed: Duck for President by Dr. Susan Shafer, storyboard, 

newspapers/magazines, construction paper 

Assessment activity: Take a Vote! Duck for President 

1. This humorous, light-hearted book is a great introduction to voting, 

campaigning, and job responsibilities. Before reading, set the stage by 

previewing the front and back cover and talk about the title and pictures. Ask 

the following questions: (a) Notice the emphasis on red, white, and blue 

colors. Why do you think these colors were used? (b) Why might Duck be 

standing at the microphones? Why do you think there are balloons and hats in 

the picture? (c) Explain that when the story opens, Duck is unhappy with his 

present job. What are some things he can do about that? 

2. During and after reading, lead a spirited discussion with these questions: 

(a) Which of Duck’s activities do you think do you think he enjoyed the most? 

What makes you say that? (b) When Duck ran for president, what are some 

steps he and his supporters took to get him elected? (c) What are some 

things Duck learned from his experiences? (d) Which picture in the book is 

your favorite? Why? (e) Did anything in the story surprise you? Please 

explain. 

3. Students pretend they are Duck running for head of the farm. Write and give a 

short speech telling the other animals why they should vote for them. 

4. With your students, list on the board ten major events in the story. Then 

create a large storyboard with ten frames. Have volunteers draw each of the 

events in the correct frame and add a speech bubble to show what the main 

character is saying. Retell the story using the finished storyboard. 

5. Ask students to find pictures in newspapers and magazines showing 

candidates electioneering. Which of these strategies are similar to those in 

Duck for President? Posters may be created to encourage people to go to the 

polls. 

Assessment tools: Student responses to questions; discussions; speech; storyboard; 

posters 

121

CONTENT STANDARDS 4.0 GOVERNANCE AND CIVICS 


• 3.4.tpi 4. Identify and explain the importance of acts of civic responsibility 

including obeying laws and voting. 

• 3.4.spi 2. Determine the representative acts of a good citizen (i.e., obeying 

speed limit, not littering, walking within the crosswalk). 


• 1.08.spi 1.20. Recognize how illustrations support the text. 

• 1.09.tpi 1.34. Draw conclusions from evidence within the text. 


Copy of Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann 

Assessment activity: Safety First 

1. This lesson is based on the book Officer Buckle and Gloria. 

Pre-reading: Students will participate in a “Guess the Covered Word” activity 

before reading. Teachers should write the following paragraph on chart paper 

or sentence strips. The boldface words are covered up so the children guess 

these words. Individual letters may be uncovered and clues from teacher will 

help students discover the word. 

Safety Officers 

Police officers who visit schools to talk about safety are sometimes called 

safety officers. In the story we’re going to read next, an officer and his partner 

give safety speeches at an elementary school. Like the audience in this story 

you should always pay close attention to a safety officer’s speech. He or she 

will explain many ways to avoid accidents and to stay safe. 

Guess the Covered Word is very effective when used with Big Books and 

students can use the illustrations for reference. 

2. During reading: Have students monitor (pay attention to) what they are 

learning with the strategy “Say Something”. Read one page and then tell a 

partner something that you learned from this page. If partners finish early, 

have them think of a safety tip that your class should follow. Write the tip 

down and draw a picture of Gloria acting out the safety tip. This is ONLY told 

after the reading. 

3. After reading: Students or groups make a list as a whole class of the safety 

tips shared by Officer Buckle. Students respond to what this story teaches 

about teamwork and friendship. Students write thank you letters like the 

students at Napville School to Officer Buckle and Gloria. Include what 

students thought of their speeches. Have students share what they learned 

about safety. 

Assessment tools: Level of participation with partners and groups; Guess the 

Covered Word and Say Something activities; safety tips responses and letters 

122

SOMEBODY 

(Who are the characters?) 

WANTED 

(What did they want?) 

BUT 

(What happened?) 

SO 

(How did they solve the problem?) 

123 

108

Who? 

Define 

QUESTION ANSWER RELATIONSHIPS 

RIGHT THERE QUESTIONS 

VVhat? When? Where? 

Recall Select Match 

Which one? 

Name 

SEARCH AND FIND QUESTIONS 

How would you compare/contrast...? What is the main idea? 

What facts or ideas show...? What can you say about...? 

Can you explain what is happening...? What is meant...? 

Which is the best answer...? How would you summarize...? 

AUTHOR AND ME QUESTIONS 

What evidence can you find ? What does the author mean...? 

rVhy do you think the author ? Author's purpose? 

ON MY OWN QUESTIONS 

Would it be better if...? What would happen if...? 

Can you predict the outcome if...? What way would you design...? 

Explain any changes you would make... How would you improve...? 

Explain or elaborate on your opinion... 

What choice would you have made? Explain. 

Do you have any questions that were unanswered? 

Compose at least three questions that you would like to ask the author or one of 

the characters. 

124 

109



• 3.4.spi 2. recognize the qualities of a contributing citizen in our participatory 

democracy. (recite and explain the meaning of the Pledge of Allegiance.) 


• 1.08.tpi 1.6. identify a purpose for reading. 

• 1.01.tpi 11. follow and give oral/written directions up to three steps. 

Materials needed: United States flag, copies of The Pledge of Allegiance, white 

construction paper 

Assessment activity: The Pledge of Allegiance 

1. Model the proper way to stand when reciting the Pledge with the right hand 

over the heart. 

2. Spend some time, maybe a little each day, to help students understand the 

meaning of The Pledge and its vocabulary. Inform your students that the 

Pledge of Allegiance is a promise to be loyal and true, both to our country’s 

flag and to the USA itself. Discuss the purpose for saying the Pledge often. 

3. Use this familiar text for choral reading. Students use their first or last name to 

know when to begin reading. If my name begins with J, I begin reading on the 

“J” line and continue reading until the end. You can also do it backwards, 

where everyone begins reading the first line, but you drop out as you get to the 

line with your letter on it. With K-1, you might want to color-code the lines 

rather than using the letter name idea. First line could be red, second line 

blue, etc. Small groups could be assigned a color and begin reading on their 

color. 

Assessment Tools: Saying The Pledge of Allegiance appropriately 

Extensions: Teach your students the following poem to remind them of the Pledge’s 

meaning: With my hand on my heart, 

That’s how I start 

The Pledge of Allegiance, you see. 

I say I’ll be true 

To the red, white, and blue 

And America, land of the free. 

Program the top of each sheet of construction paper with “I’m proud to be an American 

because…” Have students draw a full-body portrait using patriotic colors and symbols. Invite 

students to write (or dictate for you to write) an ending to the programmed sentence. Display. 

126

A, B, C I pledge 

D, E, F allegiance 

G, H, I to the flag of the 

J, K, L United States of America 

M, N, O and to the Republic 

P, Q, R for which it stands, 

S, T, U one Nation under God, 

V, W, X indivisible, 

Y, Z with liberty and 

justice for all. 

127



• 4.4.spi.1. identify the three branches of government. 

• 4.4.spi.2 identify the rights outlined in the Bill of Rights (i.e., Amendments 

1,5,6,8). 

• 4.4.spi.4 using a chart showing checks and balances, explain how one 

branch of government can limit the powers of others. 



• 1.08.tpi.30. extend ideas presented in texts. 


Seven sheets of colored paper per student 

Assessment activity: Constitutional Flip Books 

1. Provide each student with seven sheets of colored paper. 

2. Lay the pieces of paper on top of each other overlapping each by 

about one-half inch. 

3. Fold at staggering lengths so the sheets of paper will form 

layered steps. Staple at the fold to form a book. There will be 

fourteen folded sections. 

4. On the top fold students write “The Constitution of the United 

States”. 

5. On the second fold they should write “Preamble”. 

6. On the next ten folds they will write “Amendment 1, 2, …”. 

7. On the next fold have them write “Branches of Government”. 

8. On the last fold write “Definitions”. 

9. Under each flap students will write the information about what is 

listed on the top of the fold. 

10. Definitions will include items like the preamble, branches of 

government, constitution, and other necessary words. 

Assessment tool: Check each flip book and determine if the student has 

followed directions and completed the necessary information. 

EXTENSIONS: This is a great reference tool for students. Books may be varying 

lengths. It takes at least two sheets of paper to make a book. A flip book may be 

used in a variety of subject areas (e.g., money in math; elements of a story, 

literary terms, plurals in language arts and reading; scientific method in science). 

It is an easy and fun way for students to create their own books about historical 

figures, events, and book reviews. This activity is limitless. 

129



• 4.4.spi.2 identify the rights outlined by the Bill of Rights. 

• 4.4.tpi.6 design a set of classroom rules to illustrate ideas in the 

Constitution. 


• 4.1.tpi.12. predict outcomes based on prior knowledge and adjust as 

additional knowledge is acquired. 


• 4.1.tpi.31 draw conclusions from evidence in the text. 

Materials needed: large sheets of paper or poster board, sticky notes, the 

“Banner Sheet” which follows (optional) 

Assessment activity: It’s My Right (or Is It) 

1. Discuss with the students the terms “rights” and “privileges.” 

2. Provide students with a copy of the “banner” sheet. 

3. Have them list three items they feel are legal rights and three which they 

believe to be personal privileges. 

4. Post two large sheets of paper or poster boards on the wall with the 

headings, “RIGHTS”-“PRIVILEGES.” 

5. Have students write one right and/or one privilege from their list on a 

sticky note. 

6. Have them place them on the large displayed sheets. 

7. Discuss the featured items and have the class determine if they have 

been placed on the proper sheet. 

Assessment tool: Teacher may use the activity following a discussion of 

the Constitution and/or Bill of Rights to determine student understanding. 

EXTENSIONS: This activity may be used to determine how classroom rules 

govern their actions as a right or privilege. 

130

RIGHTS 

131 

PRIVILEGES



• 4.4.spi.3. examine how the Mayflower Compact is a symbol of the first 

United States Government. 


• 3.02.tpi.8. proofread and edit own work regularly for capitalization, 

punctuation, language, structure, and vocabulary. 

• 3.02.tpi.9. demonstrate the correct use of commas, semicolons, 

inderlining/italicizing, and colons. 

• 3.02.tpi.11 use and punctuate correctly constructed dialogs in writing. 


Unlined index cards 

Assessment activity: Stand Up For Correct Sentences! 

1. Take a sentence, quote, or statement from the social studies 

material being studied (e.g., refer to the Mayflower Compact). 

Write this sentence on index cards one word at a time. 

Punctuation marks should be on a separate card. On the back of 

each word card, write the word again in either upper or 

lowercase, the opposite of what it was originally. 

2. Hand various students one of these cards. 

3. Students line up so as to make a “human sentence” that is 

correctly capitalized and punctuated. 

4. Have remainder of the class read the sentence aloud and 

determine if it is correct. 

5. A sample has been provided. 

Assessment tool: Teacher observation will determine if the “human 

sentence” participants have placed themselves correctly. 

EXTENSIONS: This is a great way to assess student knowledge of elements of 

language skills while reviewing material in social studies, science, or even 

definitions in math. 

132

. Mr 

Gregory 

Said 

Mayflower 

The 

Compact 

A Was 

, 

133

mr 

, 

the 

compact 

was 

. 

gregory 

said 

mayflower 

a 

134

Document 

Signed 

On 

The 

By 

Pilgrim 

Men 

Board 

Mayflower Keep 

135

y 

pilgrim 

men 

board 

keep 

document 

signed 

on 

the 

mayflower 

136

To 

Order 

Quincy 

The 

Mayflower 

. 

John 

Adams 

Called 

Compact 

137

. 

john 

adams 

called 

compact 

to 

order 

quincy 

the 

mayflower 

138

The 

Foundation 

United 

Constitution 

The 

Of 

States 

Why 

. The 

139

the 

of 

states 

the 

the 

foundation 

united 

why constitution 

. 

140

Did 

It 

Was 

Write 

Pilgrims 

Think 

Important 

To 

The Mayflower 

141

pilgrims 

think 

important 

to 

mayflower 

did 

it 

was 

write 

the 

142

Compact ? 

“ ” 

143

? 

” 

compact 

“ 

144



• 4.4.tpi.7. elect a class president and vice president. 


• 4.1.01 continue to develop oral language and listening skills. 

• 4.1.04 use decoding strategies to read unfamiliar words. 

• 4.1.06 expand reading vocabulary. 

Materials needed: Straws, string, mobile shapes on the following pages 

Assessment activity: Electing a President 

1. Discuss the concept of virtues with students: faith, loyalty, honesty, 

perseverance, courage, work, friendship, responsibility, compassion, 

and self-discipline. 

2. Have the students determine which of these are necessary to possess 

in a good leader. 

3. Assign various historical figures to the students, or groups of students, 

to research incidents proving the person possessed such traits. 

4. Provide students, or groups of students, with the sheets which follow. 

Have them compile their information on each of the related virtue 

shapes. 

5. Have students assemble these into a mobile which can be hung in the 

classroom. 

6. Once the activity has been completed, the class may nominate peers 

as president and vice president in the classroom. 

7. Students will be asked to collect similar information about the 

nominated students related to their virtues. 

Assessment tool: Students may present the virtues of their candidates to 

the classroom before voting. 

EXTENSIONS: This activity may be used during election years as students 

research proof that popular political candidates possess the virtuous traits 

required to serve the country. 

145

LOYALTY 

HONESTY 

FAITH 

146

PERSEVERANCE 

FRIENDSHIP 

WORK 

147

COURAGE 

RESPONSIBILITY 

SELF 

DISCIPLINE 

COMPASSION 

148



• 5.4. spi.1. distinguish between the local, state, and federal levels of the 

legislative, executive, and judicial branches of the American government. 

• 5.4.spi.4. recognize the differences between the Tennessee State 

Constitution and the United States Constitution 


• 5.2.spi.1. complete a graphic organizer (i.e. clustering, listing, mapping, 

webbing) to group ideas for writing). 

• 5.1. tpi.18. use library media sources to access information. 

• 5.2. tpi.9. compare and contrast two people, places, and things. 


12” x 18” paper, scissors, crayons/markers, pencils, reference sources, 

rubric for scoring 

Assessment activity: Flip Flaps 

To compare the constitutions: 

1. Each student will need 1 piece of paper. 

2. Have students fold paper in half lengthwise. Have them cut in the 

middle up to the fold line so that there are 2 flaps to compare the 

constitutions. 

3. Have students label 1 flap “Tennessee Constitution” and the other 

flap “U. S. Constitution”. 

4. Under each flap, the student should list the most important 

characteristics of each constitution. They should include 

similarities and differences. 

To compare the branches of government: 

Follow the above directions, with the following changes: 

1. Each student will need to fold 3 pieces of paper to create 3 flip 

flaps. They will need to cut the flaps into 3 different sections 

instead of 2. 

2. When comparing the branches of government, name each flap 

book judicial, legislative, or executive. Label each flap local, 

state, or federal government. 


EXTENSIONS: The students may use the flip flaps to write a report. 

149

Flip-Flaps 

Student Name: ________________________________________ 

CATEGORY 4 points 3 points 2 points 1 point 

Content Accuracy At least 95% of the 


accurate. 

Organization 

All characteristics 

are arranged from 

greatest to least in 

importance. 

Grammar/Spelling There are no 

grammar or spelling 

mistakes. 

Required 

Elements 

The flip-flap contains 

all of the required 

information. 

At least 85% of the 


accurate. 

Most of the 

characteristics are 

arranged from 


importance. 

There are 1-2 


mistakes. 


most of the required 

information. 

At least 75% of the 


accurate. 

Part of the 


arranged from 


importance. 

There are 3-4 


mistakes. 


some of the required 

information. 

Less than 75% of 

the information is 

accurate. 

None of the 


arranged from 


importance. 

There are 5 or more 


mistakes. 


none of the required 

information. 

150



• 5.4.spi.3. recognize the rights established by the 13 th , 14 th , 15 th , and 19 th 

amendments. 


• 5.1.spi.6. recognize and use grade appropriate vocabulary within context. 

• 5.1.spi.24. identify the effect of sound within context (e.g., onomatopoeia, 

alliteration, rhyme, and repetition). 

• 5.1.spi.18. distinguish among various literary genres (e.g., poetry, drama, 

letters, ads, historical fiction, biographies, autobiographies). 

• 5.2.spi.2. choose vivid and active words when writing. 


Construction paper, plain white paper, glue, scissors, 

crayons/markers/colored pencils, Bill of Rights, pop-up book directions 

Assessment activity: Haiku Pop-up Books 

1. Have students identify the 13 th , 14 th , 15 th , and 19 th amendments using 

their textbooks or another source. 

2. Lead a brief discussion about the impact and importance of each 

amendment. 

3. Next, create Haiku poetry “pop-up booklet” using the four 

amendments as the different pages to illustrate. 

4. The students must write a Haiku poem about each amendment and 

illustrate each one. 

5. Encourage the students to be creative and to use alliteration, rhyme, 

and repetition. 

Haiku – 17 syllables 5 __ __ __ __ __ 

7 __ __ __ __ __ 

5 __ __ __ __ __ 

Assessment tool: Choose from list of suggested informal assessments to 

assess the poetry books. 

151



• 5.4.spi.5. differentiate among the purposes states in the Declaration of 

Independence, the United States Constitution, and the Bill of Rights 


• 5.1.spi.6. recognize and use grade appropriate vocabulary within context 

• 5.1.spi.25. identify information to support opinions, predictions, and 

conclusions. 

• 5.2.spi.5. select details that support a topic sentence. 

• 5.2.spi.7. develop and write a paragraph topic sentence with supporting 

details 


Paper and pencil 

Assessment activity: It’s Up to the King 

1. Allow the class to have a quick election for one of their classmates to 

be king. 

2. When the king is elected, allow the class to elect 5 representatives to 

serve as official liaisons to the king. 

3. Next, allow the representatives to question the class about some new 

rules, activities, etc., for the class or the school. When the 

representatives have an idea, they must present it to the king. The 

king can then decide to accept or refuse the proposal. 

4. While the class is interacting with the representatives, secretly tell the 

king to always refuse the ideas no matter what. 

5. Allow 15 minutes of “refusing” to take place. 

6. When the class has had enough and begins to get frustrated with the 

king, allow students time to record their feelings on paper. Prompt 

them with: Why are you frustrated? Is the king behaving fairly? 

Should anyone have that much power? What should be done? 

7. After allowing students to share, tell the secret and make a 

connection to colonial times. 

8. Explain to them the importance and purposes of the Declaration of 

Independence, the US Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. 


assess the activity and the students writing. 

152

CONTENT STANDARDS 5.0 HISTORY 


• 3.5.tpi 1. Use facts and concepts drawn from history. 

• 3.5.tpi 6. Identify people, events, areas, and ideas that create a history of a 

place. 


• 3.02.spi 3.6. Identify declarative, interrogative, and exclamatory sentences by 

recognizing appropriate end marks. 

• 1.14.tpi 1.20. Relate literary experiences (e.g., book discussions, literacy 

circles, writing, oral presentations, artistic presentations) 


The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles; words printed for display: patient, 

courageous, hopeful, peaceful 

Assessment activity: The Story of Ruby Bridges 

1. Before reading - Think-Pair-Share. Individually, have students think of the 

many differences they note among their classmates. For example, eye color, 

hair color, languages spoken, having the ability to roll their tongue, etc. As a 

class, students will list all of the differences they came up with. Students 

chart differences while you point out that there are numerous differences 

among the class and that each difference makes us unique from everyone 

else. 

2. Throughout this entire lesson, focus students’ attention on capitalization and 

ending punctuation. Have students identify these as well as highlight in their 

writing. 

3. Students participate in guided discussion, defining equality, and asking if 

differences make one person better than another. Provide students with 

hypothetical situations in which some of the class members were given certain 

privileges that other students could not participate in because they were 

different. For example, children who were left handed had to attend a different 

school from those right handed. Share feelings while emphasizing that we are 

all equal and we deserve the same opportunities and privileges. 

4. After reading - Numbered Heads. Upon reading the book, present the 

following questions to students: Who was Ruby Bridges? What made Ruby 

so different from everyone else? How would you feel if you were Ruby? What 

would you do if you were in that situation? In what ways has Ruby’s strength 

and courage affected your lives? Divide the class into 4 or 5 groups. Within 

each of these groups, have children number themselves 1 to 5. Each group 

will discuss all questions, making sure each member understands both the 

question and answer. Once each group has been given enough time to 

discuss each question, assign the 5 questions a number 1-5. Each group 

member will be responsible for the question that matches their assigned 

number. Provide students time to gather thoughts. Group members share 

their discussions. 

153


Assessment activity: The Story of Ruby Bridges (continued) 

5. Four Corners. Have the following 4 words taped up in the 4 corners of the 

room: patient, courageous, hopeful, peaceful. Call students’ attention to the 

following statement: “The word that best describes Ruby Bridges is…” Ask 

students to decide which word they agree with most and ask them to stand in 

that corner. Make sure they know what each word means to successfully 

accomplish this activity. As a group, students should discuss their reasons 

behind choosing their word and then why they think what she did was 

important. 

6. Have students write sentences or paragraphs to describe Ruby. Expect them 

to have declarative and interrogative sentences with correct capitalization and 

punctuation. You could have them highlight or color code the describing 

words. 

Assessment tools: Chart for Think-pair-share; observations during guided discussion; 

participation in numbered heads discussion; oral and written responses 

Extensions: Value Whip. Starting at one end of the room and going quickly around to the 

other side of the room, like a whip, ask the students to respond to any of the following 

questions: What is one thing you would change in Ruby Bridges’s life? Why? 

If you could choose one of the qualities of Ruby for yourself, what would you 

choose and why? 

If there was a child who was different from everyone else and wasn’t allowed in 

our school because of that difference, would you do anything to help that 

child? Why or why not? 

If you were Ruby Bridges would you have continued going to school or would 

you have stayed home where you were safe? 

Are you proud of who you are and what differences you may have? Explain. 

Give students a minute to think about the question you hve asked them to respond to before 

beginning the activity. 

154

Name _ 

Name 

Accomplishments 

155 

140

CONTENT STANDARDS 5.0 HISTORY, 

CONTENT STANDARD 6.0 INDIVIDUALS, GROUPS, AND INTERACTIONS 


• 3.5.tpi 1. Use facts and concepts drawn from history. 

• 3.6.tpi 01. Recognize the impact of individual and group decisions on citizens 

and communities. 


• 2.01.tpi 2.11. Follow and give oral/written directions up to three steps. 

Materials needed: rules for the Colonial games; hopscotch pattern; small stones; 

measuring tapes; place markers. 

Assessment activity: Picturing the Past – Colonial Games 

1. Colonial children did not have as much time to play as youngsters do today, 

but when they did play, they had loads of fun. Colonial children helped with 

family chores early in the morning and even after school. Several of the 

games that Colonial kids played are still played today! 

2. Hopscotch: Today’s version of hopscotch is very similar to the colonial 

version. Colonial youngsters, however, drew their hopscotch squares in the 

dirt with sticks and used rocks for their markers. 

3. London Bridge is Falling Down: Colonial kids sang and acted out this tune in 

much the same manner as youngsters do today. 

4. Stone Poison: You need one less stone than there are players to play this 

game of tag. Arrange the stones on the playing field. Choose one player to 

be It. When It tags a player, this player becomes the new It. A player cannot 

be tagged if she has one foot resting on a stone. 

5. Hop, Skip, Jump: Turn this colonial game into a high-interest math activity for 

partners. Beginning at a designated starting point, each player takes a turn 

completing three motions-hop, skip, jump- without pausing. The object is to 

cover as much distance as possible. A player’s partner marks his final landing 

point and together they measure the distance traveled. Each player tries to 

improve his personal best during the allotted time. 

6. Have groups of students plan a colonial game. Check for understanding of 

materials that cannot be used since they were not available 250 years ago. 

Students will illustrate, write, explain, and play the new games. 

Assessment tools: Cooperation in groups and following directions of games; creativity 

of new game and responses. 

156



• 3.5.tpi.1. Use facts and concepts drawn from history. 

• 3.5.tpi.2. Define past, present, and future. 


• 2.11.tpi2.17. Write in a variety of forms and genres. 

• 1.02.tpi11. Follow and give oral/written directions up to three steps. 

Materials needed: Background information, directions for games, map of the thirteen 

colonies, hornbook and friendship quilt patterns. 

Assessment activity: Picturing the Past – Colonial Times 

1. Background information: The colonial period began in 1607 with the settle- 

ment of Jamestown and ended with the start of the Revolutionary War in 1775. 

It began with a few hardy colonists. By the time it was over, more than 

2,000,000 European settlers called the New World home. Instead of the rough 

and primitive conditions of the earliest settlers, there was a land of thriving 

farms and plantations, prosperous towns and small cities, and well-established 

schools, churches, and institutions of government. No longer solely depend- 

ent on foreign shipments of basic goods, these later colonists grew and 

produced enough to maintain a brisk trade with England and other countries. 

What began as scattered settlements along the Atlantic coast grew to 13 

flourishing colonies and a frontier that stretched westward for hundreds of 

miles. 

2. School Days. The first school that boys and girls went to in colonial days was 

called a Dame School. The teacher was a woman, and most often the 

children came to her home to learn to read and write. Instead of schoolbooks 

the students used hornbooks. Each hornbook was a thin piece of board with a 

handle. A printed page (which usually included letters of the alphabet, 

numerals, and a prayer or verse from the Bible) was mounted on one side of 

the board. This page was covered with a clear piece of horn. The handle of 

many hornbooks had a hole so that the hornbook could be worn around a 

child’s neck or fastened to his belt. A child left Dame School once he could 

read and write everything on his hornbook! Emphasize the difference of past 

vs present school days. 

3. Have students make their own hornbooks. Mount a brown construction paper 

copy of a hornbook from the pattern included onto tagboard. Cut it out and 

punch a hole where indicated. Use a marker to add details before laminating. 

At each dotted line, make a slit and insert a paper clip. Staple a 6 ½ inch 

square of clear acetate atop the hornbook. Thread yarn through the hole and 

tie. Colonial related assignments can be clipped to their hornbooks for 

completion. 

Assessment tools: Correct use of hornbooks; completed assignments on hornbooks. 

157



• 3.5.tpi 1. use facts and concepts drawn from the past. 

• 3.5.tpi 2. define past, present, future. 


• 2.11.tpi 2.17. write in a variety of forms and genres. 


• 1.01.tpi 12. demonstrate an awareness of the sounds of language (e.g., rhyme 

and rhythm). 

Materials needed: Pencils, crayons, writing paper, construction paper 

Assessment activity: Primers 

1. Background information. What was school like 250 years ago? Children of 

wealthy colonists had tutors or were sent to private schools. Colonists 

established some public schools, but most children from poor families were 

taught by their parents at home. Because some parents could not read or 

write, they primarily taught their children obedience, religious teachings, and 

skills they needed in daily life. The colonists, however, firmly believed that 

education was the way to rise in the world. By 1647, laws were passed to 

provide schools for children in towns of 50 families or more. 

2. Older students used a book called The New England Primer. It taught the 

alphabet using two-line rhymes, some of which taught moral values such as “A 

dog will bite a thief at night.” Have students create an updated version of The 

New England Primer. Assign each pair of students one or two letters of the 

alphabet. Have each pair write and illustrate a two-lined rhyme for each letter. 

Then have students copy their rhymes and mount their illustrations on larg 

pieces of paper to make a class book. 

3. This would be an excellent activity for Buddy Readers where students in upper 

grades pair up with students in lower grades. They read to each other and are 

involved with projects and writing. 

Assessment tools: Completed “primers” and rhyming words in two-line rhymes 

following the pattern 

158



• 3.5.tpi 1. use facts and concepts drawn from the past. 

• 3.5.tpi 2. define past, present, future. 


• 2.11.tpi 2.17. write in a variety of forms and genres. 


• 1.01.tpi 12. demonstrate an aWareness of the sounds of language (e.g., rhyme 

and rhythm). 


Pencils, crayons, writing paper, construction paper 

Assessment activity: Colonial Schools 

1. Background information. What was school like 250 years ago? Children of 

wealthy colonists had tutors or were sent to private schools. Colonists 

established some public schools, but most children from poor families were 

taught by their parents at home. Because some parents could not read or 

write, they primarily taught their children obedience, religious teachings, and 

skills they needed in daily life. The colonists, however, firmly believed that 

education was the way to rise in the world. By 1647, laws were passed to 

provide schools for children in towns of 50 families or more. 

2. Older students used a book called The New England Primer. It taught the 

alphabet using two-line rhymes, some of which taught moral values such as "A 

dog will bite a thief at night." Have students create an updated version of The 

New England Primer. Assign each pair of students one or two letters of the 

alphabet. Have each pair write and illustrate a two-lined rhyme for each letter. 

Then have students copy their rhymes and mount their illustrations on larg 

pieces of paper to make a class book. 

3. This would be an excellent activity for Buddy Readers where students in upper 

grades pair up with students in lower grades. They read to each other and are 

involved with projects and writing. 

Assessment tools: Completed "primers" and rhyming words in two-line rhymes 

following the pattern 

159 

144

CONTENT STANDARD 5.0 HISTORY 


• 4.5.spi.1. identify major Tennessee political leaders (i.e., Andrew Jackson, 

Sam Houston, James Polk, Sequoyah, David Crockett, Nancy Ward). 


• 1.0.tpi.17. set a purpose for reading (e.g., to understand, to enjoy, and to 

locate information). 

• 1.0.tpi.31. interact with the text (e.g., ask questions, make comments, use 

post-it notes). 

• 1.0.spi.10 read to learn in the content areas. 


Two paper lunch sacks, stapler, four index cards, Sequoyah by James 

Rumford or book or informational piece on a famous Tennessean 

Assessment activity: Lunch Bag Books 

1. Have students read a historical fiction or biography such as 

Sequoyah by James Rumford. 

2. Give students time in cooperative groups to discuss the books read. 

3. Create at least seven questions for a reader to answer, in complete 

sentences, from reading the book or by researching the famous 

person/event. This may also be done by teacher or cooperative 

group. 

4. Each student will need two lunch sacks. Fold each sack in half (top 

to bottom). Place them together with open ends in the middle and 

staple three times on the folded ends. 

5. Students should have a book to design. The cover should contain 

the title, author, genre, and standard being addressed. 

6. On each addition page write a question to be answered or 

researched. 

7. The final step is to staple or glue index cards to the open ends of the 

sack. Write the category of question being addressed on one end. 

This should stick out of the open end. Students will write on 

notebook paper their answers and place these in the open sections 

of the sacks under the correct category. Books are ready to be 

shared. 

Assessment tool: The completed sack, books with questions, and correct 

answers. 

EXTENSIONS: For a presentation, students may share their books orally. This 

may also be set up as a center activity. 

160



• 4.5.spi.2. identify major Tennessean political leaders (i.e., Andrew 

Jackson, Sam Houston, James Polk, Sequoyah, David Crockett, Nancy 

Ward). 

• 4.5.tpi 10. recognize the accomplishments John Sevier contributed to 

Tennessee history (i.e., State of Franklin’s one and only governor, 

Tennessee first governor, United States Congressman, soldier). 



• 2.02.tpi.24. write friendly and business letters. 


Envelope, postage stamp format provided, colored pencils/markers 

Assessment activity: Historical Figure Stamps 

1. Address an envelope to a historical figure. 

2. Conduct research to find where a famous person in history lived, then 

look up a current zip code for the area. 

3. Design a stamp to honor the person or event that made him/her 

famous. An example could be—Sequoyah, 110 Pig’s Foot Road, 

Tuskeegee, Tennessee 37885, 

Assessment tool: Assess student’s stamp for knowledge and accuracy of 

material presented. 

EXTENSIONS: For the presentation, students may share their stamps and 

research findings orally. Use this in language arts by designing stamps that 

reflect characters in stories read. 

161

162



• 5.0.spi.01. identify the ancient civilizations of the Americas. 

• 5.0.spi.02. understand the place of historical events in the context of past, 

present, and future. 



• 2.09.tpi.19. write in expressive and imaginative modes. 


Post card form 

Assessment activity: Post Card Entries 

1. Have students imagine that each of them is a soldier traveling with 

Francisco Pizzaro as he travels through South America and discovers 

the Inca Empire. 

2. Students should write post cards to their families in Spain telling them 

some of the things they may have seen or experienced on their 

adventures. Ask them to describe specific events and the 

accomplishments of the Inca Empire. They should use primary 

sources for this information. 

3. On the front of the post card, have the “soldiers” draw the route that 

Pizzaro took as he landed in South America and moved into the Inca 

territory. 

4. Allow students to share their post card entries with classmates. 

Assessment tool: Use a rubric to assess the post card entries. This 

should include accuracy of information provided and language arts skills 

being taught. 

EXTENSIONS: Research the post card. Could it have been used during this 

time period. If not, how might these soldiers have communicated with family back 

home? Use this activity when studying other explorers, pioneers, or historical 

figures. Extend this activity to language arts by writing post cards to or from 

characters in books read. 

163

164



• 4.5.spi.2. identify major Tennessee political leaders. 

• 4.5.spi.12. read and interpret a passage about the Trail of Tears. 

• 4.5.tpi.7. identify the contributions of early pioneers to the development of 

Tennessee and America. 


• 4.1.02 demonstrate knowledge of concepts of print. 

• 4.1.09 develop appropriate information skills and study skills to facilitate 

learning. 

• 4.1.12 experience various literary and media genres. 

Materials needed: wide adding machine tape 

Assessment activity: Stripping History 

1. Provide students with a 36” strip of adding machine tape (wide tape 3” or 

greater is preferred). 

2. Using a ruler, have students draw a vertical line every 6”. This will serve 

as drawing panels. 

3. Assign, or have students select, a historical event such as “The Trail of 

Tears.” (Teams of students may be assigned an event with some doing 

the illustrations and others providing the dialogue.) 

4. Ask students to illustrate the sequence of events and provide possible 

conversation which might have occurred during their portion of the event. 

5. Display the completed projects on a bulletin board or wall. 

Assessment tool: Have a student from each team read their “comic strip” 

and answer questions from the class about the event featured. 

EXTENSIONS: The comic strip format may be used following the reading of a 

particular story, it may be useful for students to tell the story of their lives at the 

beginning of the year as a method to introduce themselves, or it can demonstrate 

how to do an experiment. 

165



• 4.5.spi.3 interpret a time line that depicts major historical pre-Civil War 

events 



• 4.1.tpi.17 respond creatively to texts. 

• 4.1.tpi.26 extend ideas presented in a text. 


roll of adding machine tape 

Assessment activity: The Times of Our Lives 

1. Using a roll of adding machine tape, secure a large strip on a blank wall. 

2. Draw a line along the middle of the tape with vertical markings spaced 

evenly. 

3. Below each vertical mark, write a year from 1980-present. 

4. Provide students with sticky notes on which they will write their names. 

5. Have Have each student place their note over the year corresponding to their 

date of birth. (You may wish wish to have them remove notes and place place them 

for the year a sibling was born, the year the funniest thing thing happened to 

them, the year the the worst thing happened to them, etc.). 

6. Using another strip of adding machine tape, follow the same steps but 

feature years related to the Civil War. (Include: events before and during 

the war) 

7. Have students divided into groups. 

8. Assign portions of the text to each group. 

9. Have students mark mark important dates from their section of the reading on 

the timeline. 

Assessment tool: Students may be asked to discuss their featured 

events to note comprehension of the text. 

EXTENSIONS: Using a large sheet of white paper, a timeline may be drawn for 

students to illustrate related events to the period being featured. featured. Similar 

timelines may be developed highlighting the child’s life or classroom classroom events. 

166



• 4.5.spi.03. interpret a time line that depicts major historical pre-Civil War 

events. 

• 4.5.spi.08. understand the place of historical events in the context of past, 

present, and future. 

• 4.5.spi.09. recognize major events, people, and patterns in Tennessee. 


• 2.03.tpi.31. write, using appropriate time-order words or transitional words 

and phrases. 

• 2.05.tpi.05. share written work with others. 


Paper bags, notebook paper 

Assessment activity: The Scrambler 

1. Organize students into pairs. 

2. Give each pair a paper bag that is filled with small pieces of 

paper that are labeled with historical events that happened 

during an era studied such as Era 3-Revolution and the New 

Nation. Do not include any dates on the pieces of paper. 

3. Tell the students that they are to unscramble the events and 

place them in proper order. 

4. Have student draw a picture to represent each event on the time 

line. 

5. Next, have student use their notebook paper to write three facts 

about each event. 

6. Finally, students should share their “timelines” with the class and 

the information they wrote in their facts. 

Assessment tool: Observation of accuracy of the sequence of 

events/pictures on the timeline during the specified era and the correctness 

of the facts written. 

EXTENSIONS: This activity could be used to review other eras and the placing 

of events in chronological order. Timelines may also be created from paper 

towels, adding machine tape, or paper chains. In order to showcase the “time” of 

the event, the facts could be written on crumpled paper bags, tissue paper, or in 

journal format. 

169



• 4.5.spi.2. identify major political leaders (i.e., Andrew Jackson, Sam 

Houston, James Polk, Sequoyah, David Crockett, Nancy Ward). 

• 4.5.spi.9. recognize the accomplishments John Sevier contributed to 

Tennessee history 

• 4.5.tpi.5. design a picture book showing famous Tennesseans and 

describe their accomplishments. 



• 2.8.tpi.8. use a variety of sources to gather information. 

• 2.8.tpi.25. write frequently across content areas. 


Paper 

Assessment activity: Biography Data Bank 

1. Have students construct a Biography Data Bank with facts about 

a historical figure from Tennessee history. 

2. Student writes a sentence biography report that addresses 

specific expectations in each sentence of an eight sentence 

paragraph and draws a picture of the historical figure. 

3. Use the following sentence biography checklist as a format. An 

eight sentence biography report 

• has a beginning question or statement that involves the 

reader. 

• tells who, what, when, where. 

• includes action words that tell what is happening. 

• shows cause and effect. 

• shows difficulties that were overcome. 

• tells what others say about the person. 

• tells of the person’s accomplishment(s). 

• has a concluding sentence that summaries or refers back to 

the first sentence. 

4. Make a class book of people studied and their accomplishments. 

Assessment tool: Construct with the students a rubric based on the skills 

studied in language arts and the accuracy of the historical information 

presented. 

EXTENSIONS: This activity may also be used with a character from literature. 

170



• 4.5.spi.5. determine the reasons for colonial settlement (i.e., religious, 

economic, individual freedom.) 

• 4.5.spi 9. determine the influence Lewis and Clark’s expedition had on 

westward expansion. 

• 4.5.spi 13 analyze how the Louisiana Purchase influenced growth of the 

United States (i.e., increased size, encouraged expansion, increased 

natural resources.) 


• 2.09.tpi.19. write creative, original, and imaginative responses to literature. 

• 2.11.tpi.11. compare and contrast two persons, places, or things. 

• 2.11.tpi.19 write friendly letters and business letters. 


Paper, art supplies 

Assessment activity: Letters Between Friends 

1. Have students create a collection of correspondence between two 

people in the 1800’s. One person lives on the East coast and the 

friend is on a covered wagon traveling to Oregon country. Give 

students the following criteria to follow : 

• Collection must contain at least 6 letters. 

• Letters must be interesting, having characters describing lives 

and asking each other questions. 

• Include 3 references to what was happening in the United 

States during this time (e.g., Who was President? Was there a 

war going on? What inventions had been invented?) 

• Mention towns and forts along the way West and places on the 

East coast. 

• Keep track of your dates. Remember how long it took for mail 

delivery. All letters should be dated. 

• Create an envelope for each letter. 

• Put the collection of letters and envelopes in a booklet and 

decorate the cover. 

Assessment tool: Rubric created by teacher including required criteria. 

EXTENSIONS: Write a collection of letters between two prominent 

Tennesseans of this time period. Give an oral reading of the collection. 

171



• 4.5.spi.6. identify the causes and results of the American Revolution. 


• 1.01.tpi.11. demonstrate active listening and observe conversational 

conventions in both formal and informal settings. 

• 1.01.tpi.14. summarize orally what has been learned or accomplished 

after completing an activity or assignment. 


Notebook paper 

Assessment activity: Ask FRED! 

1. After reading a selection on the American Revolution, allow students 

in cooperative groups to brainstorm questions they might ask about 

the American Revolution. 

2. During these cooperative groups, have the students use the F.R.E.D. 

strategy. The F.R.E.D. strategy is a method of focused conversation 

that requires students to progress to the higher order thinking skills as 

they formulate responses to questions about what they have read. 

F=FACTS—Students can point to the answer in the text; 

R=REFLECTIONS—Students respond with feelings about what they 

have read; E=EVALUATION—Students are asked to respond based 

on their evaluations of information; and D=DECISIONS—Students 

make decisions based on what they have read. 

3. Teacher monitors what is occurring in each of the cooperative groups. 

4. Have students produce a written report, in their own words, on the 

material read. 

Assessment tool: Teacher observation of student participation and 

responses during this activity. Rubric designed for the oral presentation. 

EXTENSIONS: Use this activity in other disciplines to measure student progress 

through the higher order thinking skills. It is a strategy that will take students back 

to the text and encourage responses that go beyond rote memory. 

172



• 4.5.spi.10 recognize the accomplishments of John Sevier contributed to 

Tennessee history (i.e., State of Franklin’s one and only governor, 

Tennessee’s first governor, United States Congressman, soldier). 


• 4.1.tpi.5. create a poster about a cultural group. 

• 4.1.tpi.6. experience a storyteller’s version of a historical account. 


Biopoem format, notebook paper, pencil 

Assessment activity: Historical Figure Biopoem 

1. Discuss the life, accomplishments, and contributions of a particular 

historical figure being studied (e.g., John Sevier). 

2. Brainstorm and list characteristics of the person on the board or a 

chart. This could also be done in a cooperative group setting. 

3. Provide each group with a copy of the biopoem format to review. 

4. After discussion of the parts of a biopoem, have students create their 

own biopoem on the person being studied. 


EXTENSIONS: This could be used with an event in history also. The biopoem 

would need to be changed somewhat to allow fit an event (e.g., Trail of Tears). 

173

Biopoem Form 

Line:1 First name 

Line:2 Four adjectives describing the person 

Line:3 Sibling of (Enemy of) 

Line:4 Lover of 

Line:5 Who feels (2 things) 

Line:6 Who fears (2 things) 

Line:7 Who would like to see 

Line:8 Resident of 

Line:9 Last name 

Example – John Sevier 

John 

Line:2 Pioneer, father of ten, first governor of two states, congressman 

Line:3 Enemy of Andrew Jackson 

Line:4 Lover of Democracy 

Line:5 Passionate about homeland; Dedicated to leadership 

Line:6 Take over by British; Loss of land 

Line:7 Tennessee grow to become a great state 

Line:8 Resident of Franklin, Tennessee 

Sevier 

174



• 5.5.spi.2. recognize military and nonmilitary leaders from the North and 

South during the Civil War( i.e. Frederick Douglas, Clara Barton, Chief 

Justice Roger Taney, Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses s. Grant, Robert E. Lee, 

and Jefferson Davis). 

• 5.6. spi.1. recognize people who contributed to reform in Tennessee and 

America society (i.e. Samuel Gompers, Jane Addams, Martin Luther King, 

Jr., Gov. Austin Peay, Anne Dallas Dudley). 


• 5.2. spi.1. complete a graphic organizer (i.e. clustering, listing, mapping, 

webbing) to group ideas for writing. 

• 5.2.spi.6. choose vivid and active words when writing 

• 5.2. spi.10. identify the most reliable sources of information for preparing a 

report or project. 

• 5.2. spi.15. select, limit, and refine a writing topic. 

• 5.2. spi.25. incorporate figurative language, vivid descriptions, active voice 

verbs, sensory details, and personal observations to display facility in the 

use of language. 


Reference materials, pencil, paper, graphic organizer, rubric for scoring 

Assessment Activity: Hourglass Poem 

1. Have students locate information (when they were born, where they 

lived, their job or career, contributions to society, etc.)on their 

assigned topic and complete graphic organizer. 

2. Students should organize the information in an hourglass poem using 

the following format: 

Line 1: 9 words 




Line 5: 1 word (the person’s name) 





Assessment tool: Use teacher/student created rubric. 

EXTENSIONS: Have students illustrate their poems. 

175

Example: Abraham Lincoln 

President of a divided nation during the Civil War 

Self educated, worked as an Illinois Lawyer 

Writer of the Gettysburg Address 

Born in Kentucky 

Lincoln 

Assassinated in 1864 

Writer of the Emancipation Proclamation 

Fiery political debates with Sen.Stephen Douglas 

Fatally shot by John Wilkes Booth at Ford’s Theatre 

176

Hourglass Poem Rubric 

CATEGORY 4 POINTS 3POINTS 2 POINTS 1 POINT 

177



• 5.5.spi.2. recognize military and nonmilitary leaders from the North and 

South during Civil War (i.e., Frederick Douglass, Clara Barton, Chief 

Justice Roger Taney, Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, 

and Jefferson Davis). 



• 5.2.spi.5. select details that support a topic sentence. 

• 5.2.spi.7.develop and write a paragraph topic sentence with supporting 

details. 

• 5.2.spi.13. choose the supporting sentence that best fits the context and 

flow of ideas in a paragraph. 

• 5.2.spi.20. demonstrate syntactic variety when writing. 

• 5.2.spi.23. select an appropriate concluding sentence for a well-developed 

paragraph. 


Paper and pencil 

Assessment activity: Supporting Details from the Civil War 

1. Write the following topic sentences on 6 separate sheets of paper and 

place them at different locations throughout the room. 

2. 1 st sheet – Henry Clay is known as the great compromiser. 

2 nd sheet – Chief Justice Roger Taney created more conflict 

throughout the country with his ruling in the Dred Scott case. 

3 rd sheet – Abraham Lincoln struggled with the decision to 

emancipate the slaves. 

4 th sheet – When the Southern states seceded, Robert E. Lee was 

faced with a major decision. 

5 th sheet – Jefferson Davis was a strong supporter of states rights. 

6 th sheet – Ulysses S. Grant is known as the greatest Union general. 

3. Divide the class into groups of three or four. Place each group at a 

starting point with one of the sheets of paper. Give each group a few 

minutes to write a supporting detail for their topic sentence (only one). 

When the time is up, rotate the groups to the next sheet. Continue 

rotating until all groups have written a supporting detail for each topic 

sentence. When the groups have finished, read and discuss the 

paragraphs. 


assess group participation. Check writing for grade level competencies. 

178



• 5.5.spi.4.recognize the rights that workers fought for in the late 1800’s 

(i.e. wages, hours, insurance, and working conditions). 


• 5.2. spi.10. identify the most reliable sources of information for preparing a 

report or project. 

• 5.1. spi.11. select stated or implied main ideas and supporting details from 

text. 

• 5.1. spi.12. identify stated or implied cause and effect relationships. 

• 5.1. spi.25. identify information to support opinions, predictions, and 

conclusions. 


Rubric for scoring oral and written presentation; text and other reference 

materials 

Assessment activity: Role Play: Management and Labor 

1. Divide students into 2 groups: management and labor. Have them 

make up a company and decide what it produces. 

2. Student should be allowed time to research the issues that divided 

these groups in the late 1800’s. 

3. Guide a class discussion where labor presents its demands to 

management. They may make protest signs to promote their ideas. 

4. Next, the management should defend their positions on why these 

demands cannot be met. They should create different graphic 

organizers to clearly present their point of view. 

5. Lead a discussion on how these issues could be resolved. Relate the 

discussion to what actually happened. 

6. The final step is to have students write a summary of the experience 

that demonstrates an understanding of both sides of the issue. 

Assessment tool: Teacher/student created rubric. 

179

Management and Labor Role Play 

Student Name: ________________________________________ 


Understanding 

of Topic 

Information 

Presentation 

Style 

Graphics 

The team clearly 

understood the topic 

in-depth and 

presented their 

information forcefully 

and convincingly. 

All information 

presented in the 

debate was clear, 

accurate and 

thorough. 

Team consistently 

used gestures, eye 

contact, tone of 

voice and a level of 

enthusiasm in a way 

that kept the 

attention of the 

audience. 

All graphics were 

well done and 

related to the topic. 

The team clearly 

undestood the topic 

in-depth and 

presented their 

information with 

ease. 

Most information 


debate was clear, 

accurate and 

thorough. 

Team usually used 

gestures, eye 




that kept the 


audience. 

Most of the graphics 

were well done and 

related to the topic. 

The team seemed to 

understand the main 

points of the topic 

and presented those 

with ease. 

Most information 


debate was clear 

and accurate, but 

was not usually 

thorough. 

Team sometimes 

used gestures, eye 




that kept the 


audience. 

Some of the 

graphics were well 

done and related to 

the topic. 

The team did not 

show an adequate 

understanding of the 

topic. 

Information had 

several inaccuracies 

OR was usually not 

clear. 

One or more 

members of the team 

had a presentation 

style that did not 

keep the attention of 

the audience. 

None of the graphics 

were well done and 

they did not relate to 

the topic. 

180

Management and Labor Summary 

Student Name: ________________________________________ 


Identifies 

important 

information 

Student identifies all 

the main points 

presented in the role 

play. 

Identifies details Student recalls most 

of the details for 

each main point. 

Summarization Student summarizes 

the role play activity 

accurately with 

brevity. 

Grammar and 

Spelling 

There are no 


mistakes. 

The student 

identifies most of the 

main points 


play. 

Student recalls many 



Student summarizes 

the activity 

accurately but 

includes 

unnecessary 

information. 

There are 1-2 


mistakes. 

The student 

identifies some of 

the main points 


play. 

Student recalls some 



Student has some 

difficulty 

summarizing the 

activity briefly and 

accurately. 

There are 3-4 


mistakes. 

The student includes 

very few of the main 

points presented in 

the role play. 

Student recalls very 

few details for each 

main point. 

Student has great 

difficulty 

summarizing the 

activity briefly and 

accurately. 



mistakes. 

181



• 5.5. spi.5. interpret a visual contrasting life before and after WWII 

(i.e. education, family size, transportation, urbanization, and the role of 

women). 


• 5.1. spi.2. identify a stated cause and effect relationship. 

• 5.1. spi.16. locate information using available text features (e.g. maps, 


• 5.2.spi.15. select, limit, and refine a writing topic 

• 5.2. spi.21. arrange multi-paragraphed work of exposition (e.g., 

persuasion, compare/contrast) in a logical and coherent order. 


Pictures and/or graphs depicting different trends mentioned above before 

and after WWII. 

Assessment activity: WWII Cultural Trends 

WWII Graphic 

1. Have students write the following in the center of their graphic: 

WWII. The graphic that they will use is on the next page. 

2. Give students time to examine pictures and/or graphs that depict 

different cultural trends before and after WWII. 

3. Have students complete their graphic based on the information from 

the visuals. 

WWII Cultural Trends Report 

Have the students write one paragraph for each of the above mentioned 

topics. Each paragraph should compare/contrast life before and after WWII. 

Assessment tool: Use a rubric to assess the written report and/or the 

graphic organizer. 

EXTENSIONS: Students may share their reports orally. 

182

183

WWII Graphic Organizer 

Student Name: ________________________________________ 


Information 

Accuracy 

Summary 

At least 5 major 

points are included 

on the graphic. 

Student interprets 

information in 

visuals with 98% 

accuracy. 


major idea in each 

visual in 1 sentence. 

Spelling/Grammar There are no 

spelling or grammar 

mistakes. 

Four major points 

are included on the 

graphic. 




accuracy. 



visual in 2 

sentences. 

There are 1-2 


mistakes. 

Three major points 

are included on the 

graphic. 




accuracy. 



visual in 3 

sentences. 

There are 3-4 


mistakes. 

Fewer than 2 major 

points are included 

on the graphic. 

Students interpret 


visuals with less 

than 94% accuracy. 



visual in 4 or more 

sentences. 



mistakes. 

184



• 5.5. spi.6. determine the hardships encountered by the Great Plain settlers 

in the late 1800’s (i.e. building materials, natural geography, climatic 

conditions, isolated communities, lack of revenue). 


• 5.1. spi.12. identify stated or implied cause and effect relationships. 

• 5.1.tpi.18. use library media sources to access information. 

• 5.2.tpi.26. write frequently across content areas. 

• 5.2.tpi.7write in a variety of forms and genres. 


Rubric for scoring written report; drawing paper, colored pencils, markers: 

reference materials 

Assessment activity: Great Plains Survivor’s Guide 

1. The teacher should explain to the students that they are survivors of 

the Great Plains of the 1800’s. 

2. Guide a class discussion to help students realize hardships the 

settlers faced. 

3. Using reference materials, the students will complete a graphic 

organizer that shows how the Great Plain Settlers dealt with these 

issues. 

4. When the graphic organizers are complete, each student should 

design a brochure that would help new settlers survive. 

5. Topics to include on the brochure would be: Building Hints, The 

Beauty and Problems of the Natural Geography, How to Overcome 

Lack of Revenue, How to Have Fun in Isolated Communities, and 

ideas to combat any other problems that a new settler may face. 

6. Illustrations may be added. 

Assessment tool: Teacher created rubric 

EXTENSIONS: A display of the brochures may be created. 

185

Making A Brochure : Great Plains Survivor's Guide 

Teacher Name: 

Student Name: ________________________________________ 


Content - 

Accuracy 

Grammar 

Spelling 

Organization 

Pictures 

All information in the 

brochure is accurate. 

There are no 

grammatical 

mistakes in the 

brochure. 

There are no spelling 

errors in the 

brochure. 

Each section in the 

brochure has a clear 

beginning, middle, 

and end. 

Pictures correlate 

with the text. There 

is a good mix of text 

and graphics. 

99-90% of the 

information in the 


There are 1-2 

grammatical 


brochure. 

There are no more 

than 2 spelling 

errors. 

90% of the sections 

in the brochure have 

a clear beginning, 

middle and end. 


with the text, but 

there are so many 

that there is not 

enough text. 

89-80% of the 

information in the 


There are 3-4 

grammatical 


brochure. 

There are no more 

than 3 spelling 

errors. 

80% of the sections 

in the brochure have 

a clear beginning, 



with the text, but 

there is so much text 

that there is not 

enough pictures. 

Fewer than 80% of 

the information in the 



grammatical 


brochure. 


spelling errors in the 

brochure. 

Less than 80% of the 

sections in the 

brochure have a 

clear beginning, 


Pictures do not 

correlate with the 

accompanying text or 

appear to be 

randomly chosen. 

186



• 5.5.spi.7. interpret a primary reading sample. 



• 5.1.spi.9. determine word meanings within context. 

• 5.2.spi.19. explain and/or illustrate key ideas when writing. 


Copy of the Gettysburg Address, pencil, paper, dictionaries, thesauruses 

Assessment activity: Understanding the Gettysburg Address 

1. Divide the class into 4 groups. 

2. Assign each group a section of the Gettysburg Address to work with. 

3. Students will identify and define the following vocabulary in their 

groups and rewrite their section of the Gettysburg Address for a 

clearer understanding. 

4. Group 1 – score, brought forth, conceived, liberty, dedicated, 

proposition 

Group 2 – engaged, conceived, dedicated, endure, portion, fitting, 

proper 

Group 3 – dedicate, consecrate, hallow, detract, little note, nobly, 

advanced 

Group 4 – dedicated, task, remaining, devotion, last full measure of 

devotion, resolve, vain, perish 

5. When students have finished writing their section, allow them to share 

it with the class. 


assess the paragraphs. 

EXTENSIONS: Use the Gettysburg Address as a tool for memory work. 

187

CONTENT STANDARD 6.0 INDIVIDUALS, GROUPS, INTERACTIONS 


• 3.6.spi.1.classify needs and wants using pictures of common items (i.e., 

food, cleaning products, clothes, candy, makeup). 


• 3.2.spi.1. complete a simple graphic organizer (i.e., webbing) to groups 

ideas for writing. 

• 3.2.spi.2. identify the purpose for writing (i.e., to entertain, inform, exhibit 

knowledge, respond to a picture, story, or art). 


PowerPoint from http://jc-schools.net/, “Need It”, large chart paper, 

magazines, catalogs, handout “Economic Wants”, The Table Where 

Rich People Sat 

Assessment activity: Need It, Want It! 

1. Show the PowerPoint, “Need It”. Discuss the slide show as it is 

viewed and after viewing. 

2. Create a “How Do They Compare?” chart with three columns. At the 

top of each column, write a category to classify items the students 

name. Some categories could be; food, shelter, clothing, toys, 

entertainment. 

3. Give out magazines and catalogs for students to cut pictures out. 

They will attach the pictures to the chart and explain why each picture 

they place should be in the category and whether it is a want or need. 

4. Give students the handout, “Economic Wants”. Have them fill in the 

sheet with their wants. Share the lists and discuss how much they 

must spend to get these things. Have the students add up the list for a 

total. Discuss job earnings and salary. Figure out how much money a 

person would need to make to buy some of the items on the lists. 

5. Read aloud the picture book, The Table Where Rich People Sat and 

have a group discussion of is really valuable in life, money or nonmaterial 

things such as family, the environment, pets, etc. 

6. Students will write a paragraph explaining how they will determine 

how to make a good choice as a consumer. 

Assessment tool: Paragraphs the students write confirm their 

understanding of needs and wants. 

EXTENSIONS: Students can share their paragraphs. 

188

Do You Really Need It? 

Grade 3 


189

Blueprint Skill Economics 

Classify needs and wants using pictures 

of common items (i.e., food, cleaning 

products, clothes, candy, makeup). 

190

NEED$ AND WANT$ 

One important 

idea in economics 

is that of needs 

and wants. 

191


Needs would be defined as goods or 

services that are required. This would 

include the needs for food, clothing, 

shelter, health care. These are things 

you must have to live. 

192


Wants are goods or services that are 

not necessary but that we desire or 

wish for. 

193


For example, one needs clothes, but 

one may not needs designer clothes. 

One does not need toys, movies, or 

games. One needs food, but does not 

have to have steak or dessert. 

194


Many times 

advertisers try to 

appeal to consumers 

in such a way that the 

consumers feel they 

need certain goods or 

services when in fact 

they only want them. 

195


Do you need this or do you want this? 

196


Need or want? 

197


Need or want? 

198


Try this need and wants activity. 

Activity 

199

Needs and Wants 

Resources 

200



• 4.6.spi.1 recognize how groups work cooperatively to accomplish goals 

and encourage change (i.e., American Revolution, founding of Tennessee, 

the failure of the Articles of Confederation, colonies). 


• 1.6.tpi.10. Use content specific vocabulary. 

• 1.7.tpi.10. Organize prior knowledge using a variety of strategies (e.g., 

webbing, mapping, and brainstorming). 

• 1.08. tpi.23. Discuss similarities and differences in events and/or 

characters, using evidence cited in two or more texts. 


Historical text (e.g., Can’t You Make Them Behave George? by 

Jean Fritz), whiteboard or poster board, markers 

Assessment activity: Town Message Board 

1. Prior to reading a piece of historical text about an event in history 

(i.e., American Revolution) do a K-W-L chart with your students. 

2. Have students jot down questions they want answered by the W in 

the chart. 

3. Read the piece of historical text to students. Have them review their 

questions following the reading. Were their answers there or do they 

need to do research? 

4. Divide class into the British and the Americans. Let each side do 

research on the causes and possible arguments for their group. 

5. Create a class poster/whiteboard area labeled “Both Sides of the 

Debate”. It should be in the format of a large “T chart”. On one side 

label it British and the other American. 

6. Each group should write one sentence “arguments” for their side, 

based on the facts discovered from research. 


EXTENSIONS: “Town Criers” could give their speeches orally to the class. 

A town newspaper could be created to write on the issues. There could be a 

page for Pro and Con in the town paper. 

201

Topic_--------- 

Name: Date:__ 

203 

177



• 4.6.spi.3 Read and interpret a passage about a political or economic 

issue which students may respond to with contrasting views 


• 4.1.tpi.5. Reflect punctuation while reading. 

• 4.1.tpi.10. Read and recognize various literary genres. 

• 4.1.tpi.17 Respond creatively to texts. 

• 4.1.tpi.19 Read aloud frequently, using appropriate expression and rate. 

Materials needed: (See following sheets) 

Assessment activity: Documents in Many Voices 

1. Select a known document or piece of literature. 

2. Divide the work into parts, or “voices”, which can be read by students on 

an alternating basis. (This activity decreases the level of risk in reading 

aloud since students have groups with which to work.) 

3. A copy of “The Preamble” to the Constitution (for 2 groups) and “The 

Gettysburg Address” (for 3 groups) have been provided. 

4. Groups, or “voices”, read their portions of the selection in alternating 

patterns. 

5. This heightens the interest and attention in the document or selection as 

groups await their part of the reading. 

Assessment tool: Have students present their readings to other classes 

or during assembly programs. 

EXTENSIONS: Have students select a piece of literature which they can divide 

to be used in a reading by groups. 

204

THE GETTYSBURG ADDRESS 

Abraham Lincoln-November 19, 1863 

(Group One) (Group Two) (Group Three) 

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this 

continent 

a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition 

that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, 

or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met 

testing whether that nation, 

on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, 

205

as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. 

It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But in a larger sense, we 

we cannot consecrate - we cannot hallow - this ground. 

cannot dedicate 

The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, 

have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. 

The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here, 

but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, 

206

to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here 

have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task 

remaining before us - that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to 

that cause 

for which they gave the last full measure of devotion - that we here highly resolve 

that these dead shall not that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of 

have died in vain - freedom - 

and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, 

shall not perish from the earth. shall not perish from the earth. shall not perish from the earth. 

207

PREAMBLE 

The Preamble in Many Voices 

The first of something, an introduction. 

WE THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES 

All people in our country, including kids. 

IN ORDER TO FORM A MORE PERFECT UNION 

To come together and make things better for everyone who lives in our country. 

ESTABLISH JUSTICE 

To make things fair and honest for everyone. 

INSURE DOMESTIC TRANQUILITY 

To make sure we can all have a nice life and get along with one another. 

PROVIDE FOR THE COMMON DEFENSE 

To protect us from other people or countries who might try to harm us, as in 

war, and to help us if we have been harmed. 

PROMOTE THE GENERAL WELFARE 

To help make life good for everybody. Having enough to eat, a place to live, 

being safe, and having friends and fun times are some of the things that make 

our lives good. 

AND SECURE THE BLESSINGS OF LIBERTY 

To protect our rights and freedoms and not let anyone take them away. Being 

able to choose our religion, to say what we think, and to get together with 

friends, family, and other people are some of the freedoms we have. 

TO OURSELVES AND OUR POSTERITY 

For kids, parents, other grown-ups, and all the people born in our country after 

we are. 

DO ORDAIN AND ESTABLISH THIS CONSTITUTION 

To write down, and then to live by, a list of rules and promises for our 

government to keep and our people to obey. 

FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

Our country----where we live. 

Except from We the Kids by David Catrow 

208



• 4.6.tpi.3 create a mini-book that illustrates contrasting views (e.g. slavery, 

indentured servitude) 


• 4.2.tpi.3 write for a variety of purposes. 

• 4.2.tpi.17 use a variety of sources to gather information. 

• 4.2.tpi.21 write using knowledge from the content areas. 

Materials needed: Blank paper, Venn Diagram 

Assessment activity: Indentured Servitude vs. Slavery 

1. Provide each student with a copy of the attached Venn Diagram. 

2. Have students write characteristics of slavery and indentured servitude on 

the Venn Diagram. (Remember to have them fill in any similarities they 

have discovered in their research.) 

3. Divide the class into pairs. 

4. Give each pair of students a stack of blank paper. 

5. Have the students decide which one will take the topic of slavery and 

which will take indentured servants. 

6. Each pair of students will decide those aspects of the topic which they will 

feature. (e.g. freedom, length of service, living conditions, family 

members, etc.) Each student will deal with the feature dealing with their 

topic. (i.e. one will deal with length of service for slavery; the other student 

will deal with length of service for indentured servitude) 

7. As pages are completed, they should be alternated by topic, thus having 

the indentured servant’s length of service page followed by the slave’s 

length of service page and each subsequent feature handled in the same 

manner. 

8. A cover will be designed and the completed pages stapled. (For alternate 

book ideas, see attached page.) 

Assessment tool: A rubric may be designed by teacher and students to 

score the finished product. 

EXTENSIONS: Finished products could be featured in a book center to be 

viewed by classmates and others. 

209

Indentured Servitude Slavery 

210



• 5.6.tpi.4.explain how individuals, groups, and nations interact through 

conflict, cooperation, and interdependence 


• 5.1.spi.10. identify the sequence of events in fiction and non –fiction 

selections. 

• 5.1.spi.11. select stated or implied main idea and supporting details from 

text. 

• 5.1.spi.12. identify stated or implied cause and effect relationships. 

• 5.1.tpi.16. participate in creative responses to text 


Copy of Number the Stars by Lois Lowry, drawing paper, black 

construction paper, crayons, glue, scoring rubric 

Assessment activity: Newsreel 

1. After reading the book, divide the students into groups of 2 or 3. 

Assign each group one chapter from the book. 

2. Explain to the students that they are to list at least 5 of the most 

significant events from their assigned chapter. 

3. The students should then draw a picture with a caption depicting 

each event on their list. 

4. Next, the students should glue each picture in the middle of a piece 

of black construction paper. 

5. The edges on the left and right side of the black paper should be cut 

with a small rectangular paper punch. This will give them the 

appearance of a strip of film. 

6. The strips should be arranged in chronological order. 

7. Finally, the students should share their filmstrips with the class. 

Assessment tool: See attached rubric. 

EXTENSIONS: All “newsreels” could be displayed on a bulletin board, arranged 

in chapter order. This will be a good visual summary of the book. 

211

Teacher Name: 

Making A Newsreel 

Student Name: ________________________________________ 


Main Events 

Pictures/Captions 

- Relevance 

Attractiveness 

Grammar 

The pictures and 

captions depict at 

least 5 major events 

from the chapter. 

All pictures relate to 

each event. The 

captions are to the 

point and accurately 

describe each event. 

The pictures are 

exceptionally well 

drawn and neat. 

There are no 

grammatical 


captions. 



least 4 major events 

from the chapter. 

All pictures relate to 

each event. The 

captions are to the 

point and most of 

them accurately 

describe each event. 

The pictures are well 

drawn and neat. 

There is 1 

grammatical mistake 

in the captions. 



least 3 of the major 

events of the 

chapter. 

Pictures relate to 

most of the events. 

The captions are 

wordy and do not 

describe each event 

accurately. 

The pictures are 

acceptably well 

drawn though they 

may be a bit messy. 

There are 2 

grammatical 


captions. 


captions depict 2 or 

less events from the 

chapter. 

Pictures relate to 

few of the events. 

The captions are 

poorly written and 

do not describe any 

of the events 

accurately. 

The pictures are not 

well drawn. The 

project is not neat. 

There are more than 

2 grammatical 


captions. 

212

GRADES 6-8 

213 

187



• 6.1.tpi.3. write and decipher messages using various alphabets. 






• 6.2.tpi.9. write in a variety of forms and genres. 


Copies of attached Egyptian hieroglyphics alphabet, materials for making 

cartouches (yarn and attached sample cartouche shape on cardstock), 

copies of attached message forms, rubric for assessing comprehension 

Assessment activity: Hieroglyphics and Cartouches 

1. Give each student a copy of the Egyptian hieroglyphic alphabet and 

ask them to write their first names using hieroglyphics. 

2. After discussing that only kings and queens had their names on 

cartouches, tell them they will each be kings and queens for a day 

so that they can have a cartouche. Have them write the 

hieroglyphic for either the word king or queen next to their names. 

3. Give each student a piece of yarn about 30” long and a cutout of the 

sample cartouche, Direct them to neatly put the symbols that spell 

out the appropriate title (king or queen) and then their name on the 

cartouche with the symbols in a vertical format. Give them crayons, 

markers, etc. to use, if available. Students will put the yarn through 

the hole at the top of the cartouche and wear it as a necklace. 

4. Students can then write short questions using hieroglyphics to each 

other using the attached form, exchange questions, and then 

answer the questions using hieroglyphics. They can exchange 

papers again for another student to check use of hieroglyphics. 


assess the cartouche and the deciphered message. 

EXTENSIONS: Direct students to use one of these websites, type in their first 

names, and compare their names: http://www.kingtut-treasures.com/hiero.htm or 

http://www.hbschool.com/activity/cartouche/cartouche.html 

(There will likely be discrepancies because of differences in hieroglyphics.) 

214

Egyptian Hieroglyphics 

Source: www.jimloy.com/hiero/yourname.htm 

215

Cartouche 

Directions: Use cardstock to copy and cut a cartouche for each student. Punch 

a hole at the top. Give each student about 30” of yarn to put through the hole 

and then tie around neck to make a necklace. 

216

Question in hieroglyphics: 

Hieroglyphic Messages 

_________________________________________________ 

_________________________________________________ 

_________________________________________________ 

_________________________________________________ 

Deciphered question: 

Answer in hieroglyphics: 

_________________________________________________ 

_________________________________________________ 

_________________________________________________ 

_________________________________________________ 

Deciphered answer: 

217



• 6.1.tpi 7. Read mythologies and/or oral histories from various cultural 

groups. (e.g., Greek mythology, African folk tales, Chinese fables). 


• 6.1.tpi.18. build vocabulary by reading a wide variety of texts and genres. 

• 6.2.tpi.10 write creative, original responses to literature. 


Selected mythologies, folk tales, fables (resource list attached) 

Copies of graphic organizer-Story Elements Web (see attached) 

Assessment activity: Mythologies, Folk tales and Fables 

1. Read aloud a selection of mythology, folk tales, or fables. Resource 

list attached. 

2. As a class, make a vocabulary foldable on new words found in the 

literature. Instructions included. 

3. Instruct students to record all literary elements on a literary web. 

Assessment tool: Assess the literary web to check for understanding. 

EXTENSIONS: Students may synthesize and evaluate the genre to use to write 

their own myth, fable, or folk tale based on what they learned. Use an oral report 

rubric to assess work. 

218

Fairy Tale Picture Books for Class Exploration 

This list is not inclusive. Be sure to check with your librarian for additional titles. 

Beauty and the Beast by Marianna Mayer and Mercer Mayer (2002) 

The Boy Who Lived with the Seals by Martin Rafe (1993) 

The Bremen Town Musicians & Other Animal Tales from Grimm by Doris Orgel and Bert 

Kitchen (2004) 

Brothers of the Knight by Debbie Allen (1999) 

A Brush with Magic by William J. Brooke (1993) 

Chin Yu Min and the Ginger Cat by Jennifer Armstrong (1993) 

Cinderella by Charles Perrault and Loek Koopmans (2002) 

The City of Dragons by Laurence Yep (1995) 

Clay Boy by Mirra Ginsburg (1997) 

The Crane Girl by Veronika Martenova Charles (1993) 

The Cricket Warrior: A Chinese Tale by Margaret Chang and Raymond Chang (1994) 

The Dancing Pig by Judy Sierra (1999) 

The Dragon Takes a Wife by Walter Dean Myers (1995) 

The Elves and the Shoemaker by Jacob Grimm and Jim Lamarche (2003) 

Fly, Eagle, Fly: An African Tale by Christopher Gregorowski (2000) 

The Gift of the Crocodile: A Cinderella Story by Judy Sierra (2000) 

The Girl Who Spun Gold by Virginia Hamilton (2000) 

The Girl Who Wanted to Hunt: A Siberian Tale by Emery Bernhard (1994) 

Goldlilocks and the Three Bears by Jan Brett (1996) 

The Goose Girl: A Story from the Brothers Grimm by Eric A. Kimmel (1995) 

Hansel and Gretel by Rika Lesser and Paul O. Zelinsky (1999) 

Jack and the Beanstalk by Steven Kellogg (1997) 

The Korean Cinderella by Shirley Climo (1993) 

The Legend of the Wandering King. García, Laura Gallego (2005) 

The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen and Lisbeth Zwerger (2004) 

Little Red Riding Hood/Caperucita Roja: Bilingual edition by Jacob Grimm, Wilhelm Grimm, 

Pau Estrada, and James Surges (1999) 

The Magic Nesting Doll by Jacqueline K. Ogburn (2000) 

O’Sullivan Stew: A Tale Cooked Up in Ireland by Hudson Talbott (1999) 

Peter and the Blue Witch Baby by Robert D. San Souci (2000) 

Puss in Boots/El Gato con Botas by Francesc Boada and Jose Luis Merino (2004) 

Raisel’s Riddle by Erica Silverman (1999) 

Rose Red and Snow White: A Grimms Fairy Tale by Ruth Sanderson (1997) 

Rumpelstiltskin by Jacob Grimm, Wilhelm Grimm, and Paul O. Zelinsky (1986) 

The Runaway Tortilla by Eric A. Kimmel (2000) 

219

Sir Whong and the Golden Pig by Oki S. Han and Stephanie Haboush Plunkett (1993) 

Spotted Eagle and Black Crow: A Lakota Legend by Emery Bernhard (1993) 

Talk, Talk: An Ashanti Legend by Deborah M. Newton Chocolate (1993) 

Thumbelina by Brian Pinkney (2003) 

Tukama Tootles the Flute: A Tale from the Antilles by Phillis Gershator (1994) 

The Twenty-Five Mixtec Cats by Matthew Gollub (1993) 

The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Andersen, Kevin Crossley-Holland (2001) 

Wan Hu Is in the Stars by Jennifer Armstrong (1995) 

Favorite Greek Myths retold by Mary Pope Osborne; Greek mythologies, 

220

CREATING A VOCABULARY BOOK 

1. Fold a sheet of notebook paper in half like 

a hot dog. 

2. On one side, cut every third line. This usually 

Results in ten tabs. 

3. Label the tabs with vocabulary words. 

4. Write definition of vocabulary words on inside 

flap. 

221

Name___________________________________Date___________________ 

STORY ELEMENTS WEB 

Instructions: Answer the questions about the story by completing the web below. 

Characters 

How are the characters 

developed? 

What is the 

conflict? 

How is the 

conflict 

resolved? 

Story 

Elements 

Plot 

Setting 

Describe the 

setting in the boxes 

below. 

What is the 

sequence of 

events? 

Include the 

exposition, 

the climax, 

the rising, and 

falling action, 

and the 

resolution. 

What effect 

does the 

setting have 

on the plot? 

222



• 6.1.tpi.10 Construct examples of appropriate items from various cultures 

(e.g. medieval castles, pyramids, clothing items, food). 


• 6.2.11 Compose notes that include important concepts 


Variety of color and sizes of construction paper; art supplies; yarn 

Assessment activity: Culminating Project: Egypt Pyramids Mobile 

1. Assign pyramid to study (suggested list attached) 

2. Divide class in to heterogeneous groups of three 

3. Each outside of the pyramid must have the same information. 

a. Side 1 – Name of Pyramid 

b. Side 2 – Facts/history 

c. Side 3 – Year built 

4. Research Pyramid and assign roles: 

a. Architect (side 1) 

i. Responsible for facts about the pyramid 

ii. Year structure completed 

b. Historian (side 2) 

i. Responsible for recording data of pharaoh 

ii. Items of interest found in the pyramid 

c. Chamber of Commerce Representative (Side 3) 

i. Responsible for demographic information 

ii. Persuasive statement on why the pyramid is the 

“Best”. 

5. Distribute handout on how to make a pyramid 

(instructions attached). 

6. Each member orally presents information contained on 

the pyramid. 

7. Attach pyramids with yarn to form a mobile. Display. 

Assessment tool: Project rubric included. 

223

1. Fold a sheet of paper into a 

taco, forming a square. Cut off 

the leftover piece 

2. Fold the triangle in half. 

Unfold. The folds will form 

an X dividing four equal 

sections. 

3. Cut up one fold line and stop at 

the middle. Draw an X on one tab 

and label the other three 

4. Fold the X flap under the other 

flap and glue together. This 

makes a three-sided pyramid. 

Label front sections and write information, notes, thoughts, and questions 

inside the pyramid on the back of the appropriate tab. Use to make mobiles 

and dioramas. 

*Zike, Dinah. “Reading and Study Skills Foldables”. Glencoe McGraw Hill. 

Name_______________________________________________Date_________ 

Rubric for Pyramid Foldable 

4 3 2 1 

All historical 1- 2 errors in Omitted some Historical 

224

Facts/content 

Oral 

Presentation 

Visual 

presentation 

Group 

dynamics 

information 

correct. 

Exceeded 

expectations. 

Each member 

knew material. 

Each spoke 

clearly, and 

focused on 

the audience. 

Foldable was 

well made and 

visually 

appealing. 

Very neat and 

colorful. 

All members 

performed 

their role 

without 

teacher 

intervention. 

Each student 

used time 

wisely. 

historical 

information. 

Met 

expectations. 

Two members 


Both spoke 

clearly, and 

focused on 

the audience. 

Foldable was 

well made but 

1 side slightly 

messy. 

Most 

members 

performed 

their role and 

used time 

wisely. 

key historical 

information. 

Expectations 

somewhat 

met. 

One member 


Member 

spoke clearly, 

and 

somewhat 

focused on 

the audience. 

Foldable was 

somewhat 

well made, but 

contents 

somewhat 

legible. 

Not all 

members 

performed 

their role. 

Time not 

utilized fully. 

information 

sketchy or 

missing. 

Expectations 

not fulfilled. 

No student 

knew the 

material. Not 

audible and 

no eye 

contact. 

Student did 

not follow 

directions. 

Messy 

construction 

and writing. 

Members did 

not stay on 

task or use 

their time 

wisely. 

225



• 6.1.tpi.11. analyze how communities kept track of and regarded the 

passage of time. 


• 6.1.spi.3. indicate sequence of events in print and non-print texts. 

• 6.1.tpi.4. summarize orally what has been learned or read. 

• 6.1.tpi.11. design and deliver an oral presentation using props or visual 

aids and incorporating several sources, including other content areas. 




Charts and materials for making visual aids, rubric for assessment, 

T-charts 

Assessment activity: It’s About Time! 

1. Students will work in small groups to research ways early civilizations 

kept up with time and/or specific items or people known for timekeeping 

advancements. The end result will be a group presentation in which 

they share their topic, the information they have found and whether or 

not this information had any kind of impact on today’s calendar, and 

some type of visual aid. Each group should have important information 

displayed on charts and have a bibliography of sites used. Go over 

expectations of each presentation and the rubric before work begins. 

2. These are suggestions for topics for research: sundials, water clocks, 

obelisks, merkhets, temporal hours, hourglasses, Scandinavian 

daymarks, Stonehenge, ice-age hunters in Europe over 20,000 years 

ago, Sumerians in the Tigris-Euphrates valley, early Egyptian 

calendars, early Babylonians, Mayans of Central America, Andronikos 

(a Macedonian astronomer), Hipparchos (a Greek astronomer). 

3. Some suggested websites for student use are listed here: 

http://www.crichtonmiller.com/ancient_time_keeping.htm 

http://www.dl.ket.org/latin3/mores/techno/time/tellingtime.htm 

http://inventors.about.com/library/weekly/aa070701a.htm 

http://physics.nist.gov/GenInt/Time/time.html 

http://www.units.muohio.edu/dragonfly/time/ (a webquest) 

226

4. Allow students enough time for their computer research and group 

time for working on their charts and other visual aids. 

5. During the group presentations, other students should complete a 

T-chart on the presentations. On the left side of the T-chart, 

they will 

write the main topic with detailed notes on the right side. 

6. Each group should post their charts and visual aids for display. 

7. After all presentations, engage students in a discussion relating how 

some of their research topics had an impact on the present day 

calendar. 

8. Next, students should form mixed groups with a member from each 

research topic group represented in each new group. Each new 

group will go over the T-charts to ensure 

that all students have 

accurate and complete information. 

Assessment tool: Use the attached rubric for assessment. 

EXTENSIONS: The class should work together to create a timeline of the 

in formation on timekeeping that has been presented. 

227

IT’S ABOUT TIME 

T-Chart 

228

IT’S ABOUT TIME 

Rubric for Group Presentation 

CATEGORY 4= Exceeds the 

standard 

Collaboration with 

Peers 

Almost always 

listens to, shares 

with, and 

supports the 

efforts of others 

in the group. 

Tries to keep 

people working 

well together. 

Research Students include 

at least 3 sites in 

their 

bibliography. 

Presentation Students present 

information that 

covers all of the 

purposes of the 

research plus 

other interesting, 

related 

information. 

Visual aids 

and charts 

Visual aids and 

charts are 

meaningful and 

well-done. 

3=Meets the 

standard 

Usually listens 

to, shares with, 

and supports the 


in the group. 

Does not cause 

"waves" in the 

group. 

Students include 

2 sites in their 

bibliography. 

Students present 


covers all of the 


research. 


charts add 

meaning but 

could be 

improved. 

2 =Partially 

meets the 

standard 

Often listens to, 

shares with, and 

supports the 


in the group but 

sometimes is not 

a good team 

member. 

Students include 

1 site in their 

bibliography. 

Students present 


covers few of the 


research. 


charts do not add 

meaning and are 

not well-done. 

1= Does not meet 

standard 

Rarely listens to, 

shares with, and 

supports the 


in the group. 

Often is not a 

good team 

member. 

Students do not 

include a 

bibliography of 

sites used. 

Students do not 

cover any of the 


research in their 

presentation. 

Visual aids 

and/or charts are 

not included in 

presentation. 

Score 

229



• 7.1.tpi.1. research a country for a fictional visit 


• 7.1.tpi.11. design and deliver an oral presentation incorporating a variety 

of sources and/or visual aids and props 

• 7.1.tpi.19. use technology as a research and communication tool 

• 7.2.tpi.4. share written work with others 

• 7.3.tpi.2. use conventional language structures in both oral and written 

language 


Attached project sheet, attached grade sheets, poster board, crayons, felt, 

contact paper cut into strips five inches deep, Altoid tins, 5 x 8 index cards 

Assessment activity: 

1. Make copies of the attached project sheets for each student. 

2. Give project sheets to the students. 

3. Students will choose a foreign country. This country will be used for all 

projects, the entire year. Students should not choose any that they have 

used for a project or a report for any other teacher, any other year. 

4. The teacher will explain the different projects on the sheet. 

5. The teacher will assign a due date for the projects, throughout the school 

year. 

6. The teacher will display the attached grade sheet for each of the projects, 

at least two weeks before the projects are due, explaining to the students 

that the point value 

7. Students should get the project sheets signed by parents returned to the 

teacher to be checked and then returned to the students for future 

reference. 

Assessment tool: Use the attached grade sheets for each project. 

230

COUNTRY PROJECT INSTRUCTIONS 

NAME____________________________ 

DATE_____________________________ 

COUNTRY_________________________ 

Every student will choose a country this year. There are 8 different parts to this 

year-long project. These will be so that you can learn about the country that you 

have chosen. You should not choose the United States or any other country that 

you have done projects on in the past. Each part will have a separate grade and 

will have a due date. The due date will be given at the first of the six weeks in 

which that project will be due. Please do not do a project until it is assigned. 

Grading of each project will be based on being on time, following directions, 

completeness and the effort that you put into the project. Each project must have 

a grade sheet to go with it that will be provided at least two weeks before the 

deadline. The grade sheet will let you know exactly what is required on each 

project and how many points will be assigned to each part of the project. All 

students must be done by every student. Zeroes will not be accepted. DO YOUR 

BEST AND TAKE PRIDE IN YOUR WORK. 

PART ONE - FLAG 

Make a flag of your chosen country. Use the computer if needed to get a picture 

of the flag. It MUST be made of fabric. Any symbol or design must be made out 

of fabric. It needs to be 9 x 12 inches (those must be the measurements after the 

flag has been attached to the staff). It may be glued, or stapled or sewn. The 

color and shape and design must be like the original. There must be a flag pole 

attached to your flag, in the correct position. Your name, class period and name 

of country must appear on the staff. This will count as two grades. 

PART TWO - MAP 

Draw an outline map of your chosen country on a regulation sized poster board 

(22x28). Color the map. Use crayons, colored pencils, markers or paint. Be neat, 

clear and creative. The map must have in it the following and nothing else (points 

will be deducted if additional information is added): title, key, compass rose, 

capital, three other cities, bordering countries and/or bodies of water (on all four 

sides, North, South, East and West), three major physical features (lakes, 

mountains, rivers, deserts, etc.). Your name and class period must be on the 

BACK of the poster. This will count as two test grades. 

231

PART THREE - COUNTRY VOCABULARY BOOK 

A is for_____________. B is for ____________. You will make a booklet that lists 

different facts about your country. You will list every letter of the alphabet. There 

must be a drawing for each example; it must be colored and labeled. There can 

only be one letter pre page. There will be a title page at the front of the booklet. 

On it should be the name of the country, your name, class period and the date 

the project is turned in. There should be a bibliography at the end of the book. 

List every reference that was used for your research. List the name of the 

research and the date. This will count as two grades. 

PART FOUR - POSTCARD 

Your teacher will give you an index card to use. If you lose it, be sure to replace it 

with one that is the same size (5 x 8). Imagine that you are visiting your chosen 

country. You go into a souvenir shop to buy some postcards to send home. 

Cover one side of the postcard, the side with no lines, completely with a drawing, 

a picture, a collage, of things relating to your country. Be sure that the name of 

your country appears on the card. On the lined side of the card, draw a line two 

thirds of the way over, from left to right. On the left side of the card, write a note 

to someone back home, describing your trip. In your note, include three facts 

about your country, being sure to write about them as if you have visited there, 

not just listing them. All writing on the back of the card should be done in ink. Be 

sure to say Dear__________, write the note and then sign it with your first and 

last name (this is the only place on the card that you will have your name). On 

the third of the card that is on the right, in the upper right hand corner, draw a 

pretend stamp with a drawing or picture that relates to your country. Then write: 

First and last name of person to whom you are writing 

Street number and name 

City, State, Zip code 

U.S.A. 

This will be turned in with a grade sheet. This will count as one grade. 

PART FIVE - PROMOTE YOUR COUNTRY 

Make an item to promote or advertise your chosen country. Some suggestions 

are: buttons, travel brochures, magazine or newspaper advertisements, t-shirt, 

baby onesies, cap, visors, dioramas, video commercials, doll, model of building 

or famous structure. Be sure to let the teacher know beforehand what the project 

is. Your name, your country and your class period need to be on the project. This 

will count as two grades. 

232

PART SIX - TREASURE CHEST 

You will use an empty Altoid or mint tin. Cover the tin with something that makes 

it appear to be a treasure chest. Put your name, the name of your country and 

your class period on the bottom, outside surface of the tin. On the inside of the 

tin’s lid, have a list that tells what is in the tin (five items that relate to your 

country) and how they relate to your country - cross =Christianity, sand=desert 

or beach, cotton ball = cotton. Put five items in your chest that relate to your 

country. If you put in an actual item, real or made by the student, you will get full 

credit. If you put in a picture, you will get half credit. This will count as two 

grades. 

PART SEVEN - WRITTEN REPORT 

Student will chose one topic from your country - person (alive or dead), famous 

building, holiday, geographical feature, myth, anything relating to your country. 

You need to get the topic approved by the teacher. The report must be typed, 

with a colored drawing or picture, a bibliography, and a title page. It needs to be 

in a folder in the following order: title page, report, drawing/picture and 

bibliography. The report needs to be between 250 and 300 words long and in 

the student’s own words. This will count as two grades. 

PART EIGHT - ORAL PRESENTATION 

This part of the project will be done at the very end of the year. The report 

CANNOT be read. Note cards SHOULD be used. BE ENTERTAINING - BE 

CREATIVE. Teach the class the Mexican hat dance, show us how to speak 

words in another language. Show off some of the projects that have been turned 

in during the year. Interview on tape someone who has visited your country. 

HAVE FUN. This will count as two grades. The presentation must be between 

three and nine minutes long. 

Good luck on this project. I hope that you learn a great deal about your country 

and I also hope that you have fun doing all the parts. If you need any help, 

please ask. You need to do all of the actual work on this project yourself. You 

can get ideas, guidance, support and assistance from others, but the work needs 

to be your own. 

Parents - please read and sign this paper and return it to your child’s teacher. It 

will be checked off that you signed it ad will be returned to the student for future 

reference. 

________________________________________ 

Parent’s signature 

233

FLAG GRADE SHEET 

NAME___________________________________________ 

DATE TURNED IN _________________________________ 

CLASS PERIOD ___________________________________ 

COUNTRY _______________________________________ 

MATERIAL (20) ____________________ 

CORRECT SIZE (20) ____________________ 

STAFF (20) ____________________ 

CORRECT COLOR (20) _____________________ 

CORRECT DESIGN (20) _____________________ 

TOTAL ________________________ 

234

MAP GRADE SHEET 

NAME____________________________________________ 

DATE TURNED IN __________________________________ 

CLASS PERIOD ____________________________________ 

COUNTRY _________________________________________ 

TITLE (6) ____________________ 

KEY (6) ____________________ 

COMPASS (6) ____________________ 

CAPITAL (6) ____________________ 

3 CITIES (18) ____________________ 

6 POINTS EACH 

4 BORDERS (24) ___________________ 

N/S/E/W – 

6 POINTS EACH ___________________ 

3 PHYSICAL FEATURES (18) ____________________ 

CORRECT SIZE (16) ____________________ 

22 X 28 

NAME/CLASS PERIOD 

ON BACK 

(-5 EACH) _____________________ 

TOTAL ________________________ 

235

VOCABULARY BOOKLET GRADE SHEET 

NAME_______________________________________________ 

DATE TURNED IN _____________________________________ 

CLASS PERIOD________________________________________ 

COUNTRY ____________________________________________ 

TITLE PAGE (7) ____________ 

A – Z PAGES (78) 

26 POINTS FOR LETTER AND 

WORD ON PAGE 

26 POINTS FOR DRAWING/COLORED 

26 POINTS FOR SENTENCE 

EXPLANATION _____________ 

BIBLIOGRAPHY (15) _____________ 

TOTAL ____________________ 

236

POSTCARD GRADE SHEET 

NAME ______________________________________________ 

DATE TURNED IN ____________________________________ 

CLASS PERIOD ______________________________________ 

COUNTRY ___________________________________________ 

FRONT 

BACK 

TOTALLY COVERED/ COLOR (20) ________________ 

NAME OF COUNTRY (5) ________________ 

DEAR… (5) ________________ 

3 FACTS ABOUT COUNTRY (15) ________________ 

SIGNATURE (5) ________________ 

STAMP (5) ________________ 

TO … (5) ________________ 

STREET (5) ________________ 

CITY (5) ________________ 

STATE (5) ________________ 

ZIP CODE (5) _________________ 

U.S.A. (5) _________________ 

TOTAL ______________________ 

237

PROMOTE YOUR COUNTRY PROJECT 

NAME___________________________________________ 

DATE TURNED IN _________________________________ 

CLASS PERIOD ___________________________________ 

COUNTRY _______________________________________ 

RELATES TO COUNTRY (30) _________________ 

NAME OF COUNTRY ON PROJECT (20) _________________ 

PROJECT (50) _________________ 

TOTAL ____________________________ 

238

TREASURE CHEST GRADE SHEET 

NAME ________________________________________ 

DATE TURNED IN ______________________________ 

CLASS PERIOD ________________________________ 

COUNTRY _____________________________________ 

DECORATION (11) _______________ 

NAME/CLASS PERIOD/COUNTRY (9) _______________ 

DESCRIPTION OF ITEMS (10) _______________ 

ITEMS IN CHEST (70) 

14 EACH IF REAL ITEM 

7 EACH IF A PICTURE _______________ 

TOTAL ____________________________ 

239

WRITTEN REPORT GRADE SHEET 

NAME______________________________________________ 

DATE TURNED IN ____________________________________ 

CLASS PERIOD ______________________________________ 

COUNTRY ___________________________________________ 

TITLE PAGE (5) _____________ 

REPORT (60) 

250 – 300 WORDS 

-3 POINTS FOR EACH 10 WORDS 

OVER 300 OR UNDER 250 _____________ 

DRAWING (25) 

DRAWING - 20 

COLOR - 3 _____________ 

BIBLIOGRAPHY (10) _____________ 

TOTAL _____________ 

240

ORAL PRESENTATION GRADE SHEET 

NAME________________________________________ 

DATE TURNED IN ______________________________ 

CLASS PERIOD ________________________________ 

COUNTRY ____________________________________ 

USE OF NOTE CARDS (25) __________________ 

WITHIN TIME FRAME (25) __________________ 

RELATING TO COUNTRY (25) __________________ 

ENTERTAINING (25) __________________ 

TOTAL _________________________ 

241



• 7.1.tpi.2. host a cultural food fair bringing in recipes and/or food from 

varying cultures 


• 7.2.tpi.4. share written work with others 

• 7.2.tpi.5. use grade level appropriate vocabulary when writing 

• 7.2.tpi.7. produce more than one draft 

• 7.2.tpi.19. produce a final, revised draft suitable for sharing 


Pictures of foods from different countries, recipes of food from the 

different countries, large room where the pictures and the recipes 

can be displayed, tape, welcome sign to room, key rings, hole 

punch, sharpies in different colors, large poster boards on which to 

place the pictures and the recipes, 

Assessment activity: Host a cultural food fair 

1. Each student will choose a country. 

2. Have students research the foods of their country, downloading a picture of 

a prepared food and a recipe of that food. 

3. Tell the faculty of the school of the date and place of the fair. 

4. Reserve a large room in which to have the fair. 

5. Place the pictures and the recipes on the large posters. 

6. Position the posters around the room. 

7. Have students make a welcome sign to place at the front of the room. 

8. At the day and the time of the fair, have the students position themselves 

beside their posters of the foods and the recipes to be able to answer any 

questions anyone might have about their food. 

9. At the completion of the fair, students will give a copy of their food picture 

and recipe to the teacher. 

10. The teacher will punch holes in the pictures and recipes and put them on 

the key ring. 

11. The front and back of the collection of the recipes and pictures will be an 

piece of stiff colored cardboard. 

12. The students will decorate the covers of their recipe books to make it 

personal. 

Assessment tool : Use the attached rubric. 

242

RECIPE BOOK GRADE SHEET 

Name ________________________________________ 

Country_______________________________________ 

Class Period___________________________________ 

Food picture ( 35 ) 

Mounted on colored paper (20) __________ 

Title of country (10) __________ 

Student’s name on back (5) __________ 

Food recipe (65) 

Mounted on colored paper (20) __________ 

Typed correctly (30) __________ 

Title of country (10) __________ 

Student’s name on back (5) __________ 

Total __________/__________ 

243


CONTENT STANDARD 2.O ECONOMICS 



• 7.1.tpi.4. draw a thematic map 

• 7.2.tpi.7. know the major resources, industrial and agricultural products 

from Tennessee 

• 7.3.tpi.3. apply geographic symbols to outline maps 

• 7.3.tpi.5. list physical characteristics that comprise a place 


• 7.1.tpi.1. use learned strategies to decode unfamiliar words and to 

determine meaning from context 

• 7.1.tpi.3. make creative responses to texts 

• 7.1.tpi.8. use content specific vocabulary 


Roll of masking tape, outline map of Tennessee with regions, cities, 

mountains, rivers, nature-made lake, bordering states, resources, (See 

attached list.) 

Assessment activity: Draw a thematic map 

1. Take the topics on the attached sheet and write them on cards 

2. Put the outline of the state of Tennessee on the floor with masking tape, 

making the outline very large. 

3. Determine what is going to be learned – resources, cities, bordering 

states, etc. 

4. Give the students each a card with a topic on it. 

5. The students will go to the point on the map where their city, river, 

bordering state, etc. would be located. 

6. Teacher will guide the students in finding the correct location, using the 

outline map. 

7. After one exercise, have the students trade cards and have them do the 

exercise again, each student going to a different location. 

8. As the students become more familiar with the activity, have a time limit. 

9. This will promote teamwork as well as individual concentration and effort. 

Assessment tool : Use informal assessment as a daily grade for participation 

244

Nashville 

Knoxville 

Chattanooga 

Memphis 

Oak Ridge 

Tennessee River 

Mississippi River 

Cumberland River 

Reelfoot Lake 

Smoky Mountains 

Hometown 

East Tennessee 

West Tennessee 

Middle Tennessee 

Gulf Coastal Plains 

Highland Rim 

Central Basin 

Cumberland Plateau 

East Tennessee Valley 

Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee 

Kentucky 

Virginia 

North Carolina 

Georgia 

Mississippi 

Alabama 

Arkansas 

Missouri 

Coal 

Copper 

Zinc 

Limestone 

Marble 

Phosphate 

Cotton 

Corn 

Rich soil 

Tobacco 

Deer 

Bald Eagle 

LIST OF TENNESSEE 

RESOURCES AND LOCATIONS 

245



• 7.1.tpi.6. design a cartouche ( a signature in ancient Egyptian times) in 

using global images describing the student’s interest. 


• 7.2.tpi.11. write in a variety of forms and genres 


Notebook paper for student groups and notebook paper and white paper 

for each individual student. 

Assessment activity: Design a cartouche 

1. Divide students into groups of 2-3. 

2. Write alphabet on the board. 

3. Give each group of students letters of the alphabet, having them 

design a symbol using global images that relate to their interests. 

4. When all groups are complete, students will write their symbols on the 

board beside the corresponding letters. 

5. Students will write the letters and symbols on paper and design their 

own cartouche using the symbols designed by the class, having put 

their names on the back of the papers. 

6. Teacher will collect papers and redistribute them to students, having 

the students attempt to decipher the cartouche. 

Assessment tool: Informal assessment based on participation in designs, 

making cartouche and deciphering another cartouche. 

249





• 7.1.spi.2. locate cultural information on a map 

• 7.2.spi 4. interpret economic issues as expressed with maps, tables, 

diagrams, and charts 

• 7.3.spi.10. identify the characteristics that define a region geographically 

• 7.3.spi.14. distinguish between types of maps 


• 7.1.tpi.14. relate text to personal experience and general knowledge 

• 7.2.tpi.27. explore the concept of writing to pursuade 


Climate maps, physical maps, political maps, population density maps, 

and natural resource maps 

Assessment activity: Geographic Debate 

1. Tell students that Major League Baseball is looking to expand abroad 

and discuss what that means. 

2. Students examine physical geography, climate, population density, 

and the natural resources of a specified geographic region. 

3. Then ask students to decide what types of things should be 

considered when building a sports stadium. 

4. Next, divide students into teams of four or five and tell them they will 

be selecting the best site for an open-air baseball stadium in the 

specified region. Again, you may have to define “open-air.” 

5. When students begin their work, they will use only the maps (no 

textbooks) provided by the instructor and write their selection and 

reasons down with the assignment. 

6. Toward the end of the class period, students will defend their 

decisions for a stadium site while others critically review it. 

7. The final step is to provide closure with a Q & A review session. This 

lesson can ultimately be adjusted with levels of instruction for 

differentiation and discussion. 

Assessment tool: Ticket out the door and/or student/teacher-made 

literacy rubric. 

EXTENSIONS: For the presentation, students may write an essay about their 

site and why it should be the final selection. 

251



• 8.3.spi.05 understand the impact of immigration and migration on a 

society 

• 8.1.tpi.1 describe how immigrants retained their essential components of 

culture by creating a collage of different societies 

• 8.1.tpi.13 assess by discussion, debate or writing the impact of 

immigration and cultural diffusion on the character of a place. 


• 8.1.tpi.6 participate in creative responses to text 

• 8.1.tpi.8 read fluently basic grade appropriate selections 

• 8.1.tpi.13 make connections among the various literary genres, themes, 

and print and non-print texts with historical and cultural experiences. 


Dreaming of America, An Ellis Island Story by Eve Bunting; Reader’s 

Theatre instructions; rubric for assessment of radio play 

Assessment activity: Reader’s Theatre- Irish Immigrant’s Experience 

On Ellis Island 

1. Read the book Dreaming Of America, An Ellis Island Story to class 

2. Perform the Script for Two Readers on Dreaming of America 

3. Divide the room into cooperative learning groups. 

4. Give out instructions for Preparing Your Own Scripts 

5. As a group project, prepare a Reader’s Theatre script for the 

poem, book, or reading you are given. 

6. Perform the script for the class 

Assessment tool: Use the attached rubric for a Radio Play to assess 

students’ work. 

252

Dreaming of America 

An Ellis Island Story 

By Eve Bunting. BridgeWater Books 2000. Grades 4-12 

Annie Moore and her two brothers stood at the ship’s railing, watching Ireland disappear 

into the mist. Annie is not quite fifteen years old when she and her brothers leave their 

home in Ireland and sail for a new world in 1891. They long to be reunited with their 

parents, who emigrated to New York three years earlier in search of a better life. As the 

SS Nevada carries them across the stormy Atlantic, Annie is fearful. What if she doesn’t 

like America? What if her parents aren’t at the dock when they arrive? How will she 

look after her brothers? It is Annie’s fifteenth birthday when the ship, at last, steams into 

New York harbor. As she steps onto the dock and becomes the first immigrant to enter 

the gleaming new Ellis Island processing center, Annie receives an unforgettable birthday 

surprise. 

SCRIPT FOR TWO READERS 

Narrator: Annie Moore and her two brothers stood at the ship’s railing, 

watching Ireland disappear into the mist. 

Annie: I am not quite fifteen years old when my brothers and I 

Narrator: leave their home in Ireland and sail for a new world in 1891. 

They long to be 

Annie: reunited with our parents, who emigrated to New York three 

years earlier in search of a better life. 

Narrator: As the SS Nevada carries them across the stormy Atlantic, 

Annie: I am fearful. 

Narrator: What if 

Annie: I don’t like America? 

Narrator: What if 

Annie: my parents aren’t at the dock when we arrive? 

Narrator: How will 

Annie: I look after my brothers? 

Narrator: It is Annie’s fifteenth birthday when the ship, 

Annie: at last, steams into the New York Harbor. 

Narrator: As she steps onto the dock, 

Annie: I become the first immigrant to enter the gleaming new Ellis 

Island processing center, 

N&A: and, at last, Annie receives an unforgettable birthday surprise! 

255



• 8.1.spi.7.recognize how immigration and cultural diffusion have influenced 

the character of a place 

• 8.3.spi.05 understand the impact of immigration and migration on a 

society 


• 8.1.tpi.2 express reactions and personal opinions to a selection or relate 

the selection to personal experience 

• 8.2.tpi.5 generate, focus, and organize ideas through brainstorming, 

graphic organizers, literary models and discussions 

• 8.2.tpi10 write to express creativity, to share ideas and opinions, to reflect 

on situations, experiences, and/or to clarify thinking; and to acquire 

knowledge. 


ABC Boxes for graphic organizer; The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus 

Assessment activity: ABC’s of Immigrants’ Reflections 

1. Give students a copy of the graphic organizer ABC Boxes. This 

organizer may be used to access prior knowledge, compare and 

contrast characters, organize a vocabulary study or brainstorm ideas. 

2. Allow students to brainstorm their thoughts, feelings and emotions as 

an immigrant coming to America and seeing Lady Liberty for the first 

time. 

3. Pair/Share ideas and thoughts with a partner. 

4. Read poem, The New Collossus by Emma Lazarus, to the class. 

5. Have students continue to record any thoughts or feelings the 

selection evokes or phrases or words from the poem which speaks to 

the student. 

6. Using the recorded information on the graphic organizer, have 

students produce a written product. The words, phrases or feelings 

may used as a basis for a story, a letter, song lyrics, or a newspaper 

article which focuses upon a new immigrants’ reflections upon seeing 

Lady Liberty for the first time. 

Assessment tool: Use a rubric to assess the written product. 

257

N ww 

"The New Colossu,s" 

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame, 

') 

Emma Lazarus 

With conquering'limbs, astride from land to land; 

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand 

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame 

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name 

Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand 

Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command 

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame. 

259



• 8.1.tpi.8 research how specific technological innovations have impacted 

society 

• 8.1.tpi.9 make a timeline of technological innovations 


• 8.1.tpi.4 organize prior knowledge using a variety of strategies while 

reading 

• 8.1.spi.01 continue to develop oral language and listening skills 

a. continue to model active listening skills in both formal and 

informal settings 


Slips of paper with printed information of dates, inventions, and events 

from the Industrial Revolution; patriotic tea cups 

Assessment activity: Tea Party 

1. Give students a cup with a slip of paper inside which has printed 

dates, inventions, and events from the Industrial Revolution 

2. Explain that the purpose of Tea Party is to gather information, 

access prior knowledge, and actively engage students in 

constructing meaning. 

3. Have participants move from student to student, sharing their 

information with as many classmates as possible. Students can 

only share what is on the slip of paper, nothing else. 

4. Listen to others as they read their information in the informal 

setting. 

5. Return to desks and discuss how these events, dates, and 

inventions might be related. What is the central theme? 

Speculate on what the information on the slips of paper might be 

about. 

6. Encourage discussion and help students to identify possibilities 

for connecting events using prior knowledge. 

7. Lead discussion to the conclusion that these events, inventions, 

and dates all relate to the Industrial Revolution. 

Assessment tool: Make a timeline of technological innovations from the 

Industrial Revolution. Have students write a brief statement about their 

predictions of the significance of these early inventions and how specific 

technological innovations impacted society during this era. 

261

,.... 

1681 

1698 

1701 

1709 

1712 

1730 

1733 

1745 

1752 

1760 

1764 

1769 

1777 

1779 

1784 

1785 

1785 

1786 

1789 

1790 

1793 

1797 

1800 

1803 

1804 

1810 

1815 

1825 

1831 

1832 

1834 

1835 

1836 

1837 

1842 

1845 

1848 

1851 

1856 

1859 

1869 

1871 

1874 

1879 

1885 

INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION 

KEY DATES 

Canal du Midi completed in France 

Thomas Savery's steam pump 

Jethro Tull's seed drill 

Abraham Darby smelts iron with coke 

Thomas Newcomen's steam engine 

Viscount Townshend develops 4-course crop rotation 

John Kay's Flying Shuttle 

Robert Bakewell's improved livestock breeding 

Benjamin Franklin confirms electric charge in lightning 

Enclosures increase in Britain 

James Hargreaves's Spinning Jenny 

James Watt's improved steam engine 

Grand Trunk Canal completed in England 

Samuel Crompton's Mule 

Henry Cart's puddling process for iron-making 

Claude Berthollet's chlorine bleach 

Edmund Cartwright's power loom 

Gas lights in England and France 

First steam-powered cotton mill 

U.S. cotton industry begins in Rhode Island 

Eli Whitney's cotton gin 

Henry Maudslay's screw-cutting lathe 

Alessandro Volta's electric cell 

Robert Fulton's steamboat 

Richard Trevithick's steam locomotive 

Friedrich Krupp opens iron works at Essen 

Humphry Davy's safety lamp 

Erie Canal built. 

Stockton and Darlington Railway opened by George Stephenson 

Michael Faraday discovers electromagnetic induction 

Cholera epidemic in Europe 

Charles Babbage begins building his mechanical computer. 

Great Western Railway begun by engineer LK. BruneI. 

Samuel Colt's revolver 

John Ericsson's screw propeller 

I. K. Brunei's steamship Great Western crosses the Atlantic 

Joseph Lawes' artificial fertilizer. 

Massachusetts Supreme Court establishes legality of labor unions 

Irish Potato Famine 

Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels publish the Communist Manifesto 

Great Exhibition in London. 

Isaac Singer's sewing machine 

Henry Bessemer's steel-making converter 

First U.S. oil well in Pennsylvania 

Union Pacific Railroad completed. 

Suez Canal completed 

Mont Cenis tunnel completed 

Barbed wire invented 

Thomas Edison's electric light 

Karl Benz's internal combustion engine 

262 

236


CONTENT STANDARD 4.0 GOVERNMENT AND CIVICS 



• 8.1.tpi.14. evaluate the perspectives of various cultural groups in U.S. 

history 

• 8.4.spi.8. give examples of rights and privileges of the individual 

• 8.5.tpi.11. report (written or oral) about a problem that led to a reform 

movement in U.S. history 


• 8.1.tpi.10. summarize, paraphrase, and evaluate selected passages 

• 8.1.tpi.24. explore and distinguish between primary and secondary source 

documents 


Discussion web graphic organizer, rubric for scoring written report, 

encyclopedias, copies of Thomas Paine’s Common Sense 

Assessment activity: Report on the Declaration of Independence 

1. Have students write the following sentence in the center of their 

discussion webs: All men are created equal. 

2. Students time to write “yes” and “no” reasons on graphic organizers. 

This helps them grasp ideas behind the Declaration of Independence. 

3. Guide a class discussion where students share their “yes” reasons and 

“no” reasons. During the discussion, help students fully see the “no” by 

pointing out these groups that would not have the right to vote. Divide 

the full class as follows: 

a. Half the class is male and the other is female, and point out that 

“women are not created equal” according to rights and such. 

b. For the remaining males, take out one-fourth of them and point 

out that this portion “is not created equal” because they 

represent racial minorities of the U.S. 

c. Finally, from the portion of students remaining (“white, male”) 

take out another third and tell the class that this final fraction 

represents those people who do not own property. 

4. The task for the next portion is for students to compare Common Sense 

to several articles from an encyclopedia on independence. 

5. Arrange the desks in a large circle. Conduct a Discussion in the Round 

where each student shares factual information from the resources. 

6. The final step is to have students write a report in which they distinguish 

between Common Sense and the articles. 


assess the discussion web. Use a rubric to assess the written report. 

263

THE ISSUE 

YES NO 

_____________________ ______________________ 

_____________________ ______________________ 

_____________________ ______________________ 

_____________________ ______________________ 

_____________________ ______________________ 

_____________________ ______________________ 

_____________________ ______________________ 

Conclusions 

264



• 8.1.tpi.14. evaluate the perspectives of various cultural groups in 

American History. 

• 8.5.tpi.17 interpret a historical event from multiple perspectives 


• 8.1.spi.8. recognize a reasonable prediction of future events of a 

passage. 


the selection to a personal experience. 

• 8.1.tpi.12. make inferences and recognize unstated assumptions 

• 8.1.tpi.21. determine the significance/meaning of a symbol in a print or 

non-print selection. 


Jackdaw Photo Collection—Ellis Island: The Immigrants’ Experience 

Assessment activity: Reading a Picture 

1. Discuss with students the value of using photographs of historical 

events to enhance their understanding of written text. 

2. Show students the first photo (Statue of Liberty). Briefly explain 

living conditions immigrants had experienced as they traveled 

across the Atlantic. Ask students to put themselves in the shoes of 

an immigrant onboard that ship as the Statue of Liberty came into 

view. What would the atmosphere have been like on the ship? 

What might passengers be saying and doing? Write down 

responses. Then share. Discuss what the Statue of Liberty 

symbolized for the immigrants. 

3. Students form groups and teacher passes out the remaining 11 

pictures to groups. Ask students to read the caption and study the 

composition of each of their pictures. They should be careful 

observers of the details within the pictures, discuss with group 

members what they notice, think about how they would feel or 

respond in that situation, etc. 

4. Each group shows their photo and shares a 1—2 minute response 

highlighting what they noticed, discussed, and thought about the 

Assessment tool: Teacher informally assesses students as they 

interact and discuss in groups. 

265

EXTENSIONS: Students could follow this up with research related to 

immigration in the past as well as today. Students could also select one person 

they were drawn to in the photos and compose a piece of creative writing 

(journal, diary, letter, monologue, etc.) that might have been written by that 

person addressing his/her experiences as an immigrant. 

Ordering Information for Photo Collection: 

Jackdaw Publications—800-789-0022 or www.jackdaw.com 

266

CONTENT STANDARD 2.0 Economics 


• 6.2.tpi.5. create a spice chart detailing origination, pricing, and uses of 

spices in present day and historical foods. 

• 


• 6.2.tpi.11Compose note that include important concepts 

• 6.3.tpi.1 Write legibly 

• 6.3.tpi.4 Correct own writing for correct spelling, capitalization, and 

punctuation. 


Computers with internet capability; index cards 

Assessment activity: Spice Rack Bulletin Board 

1. Explain how the early explorers were searching for trade routes for 

various treasures, including spices. 

2. Supply 3 x 5 index cards labeled with a name of a particular spice 

3. Students should research origin of spice, illustrate plant, and list uses 

and cost. 

4. Refer students to following links to accomplish task 

a. www.spiceadvice.com/encyclopedia/index.html 

b. www.mccormick.com/content.cfm?is=8291 

c. www.theepicenter.com/spicesref.html 

5. Using white glue, students will sprinkle spice on glue and allow to dry 

6. Place notes cards alphabetically on a bulletin board. 

Assessment tool: Use N.E.A.T.O. method for assessing research. 

Rubric attached. 

EXTENSIONS: 

Place a world map on wall. Using small sticky notes, label the name of the spice 

and attach to the country of origin. 

267

Name____________________________________period______Date________ 

N ess 

E 

SPICE RACK RUBRIC 

Possible Points/Points Earned 

eatn 

Print and handwriting legible; 

Spice clued neatly to car 

20 pts./_____________ 

ffort 10 pts./______________ 

Shows attention to detail 

A ate 

ccur 10 pts./______________ 

Information is authentic to the 

real world. 

T ugh 

horo 50 pts./_____________ 

All requirements met (origin, illustration, 

cost, uses, spice glued to card) 

O ized 

rgan 

Information is placed in a neat, orderly 

manner 

10 pts/_______________ 

Total 

100 pts./_______________ 

268



• 7.2.tpi.1 cite examples of renewable and nonrenewable resources form 

the community 

• 7.2.tpi.4 simulate the basic concept of economics by classroom activities 


• 7.1.tpi.2 read fluently from a variety of genre 

• 7.1.tpi.7 read using appropriate pronunciation, expression, and rate 

• 7.1.tpi.11 design and deliver an oral presentation incorporating a variety of 

sources or visual aids 


Tom Sawyer book, props for bartering, directions for Preparing Your Own 

Script, research books on products from other countries 

Assessment activity: Reader’s Theatre 

1.The teacher will read the chapter from Tom Sawyer about painting the 

fence. 

2.Give students a web graphic organizer and ask them to list examples of 

bartering in the chapter. 

3.Guide a class discussion where students share their ideas on bartering 

from the graphic organizer. 

4.Ask students to re-write the Tom Sawyer chapter as a Reader’s 

Theatre production. Give out instructions for Preparing Your Own Script. 

5.The assignment for the next session is for students to research and 

bring in examples of products which could be bartered in other countries. 

You may want to schedule a library visit for students to complete 

research. 

6.In small groups, have students to write a Reader’s Theatre production 

that involves bartering products from a foreign country. 

Assessment tool: Use the Performance Rubric for the Reader’s Theatre 

Productions. 

EXTENSIONS: Students may use the poem “Barter” by Sara Tisdale. This 

poem embraces the idea that one may barter for abstract concepts rather than 

material items. Have students write a poem similar to this, using such concepts 

as bartering for peace in a country torn by war or bartering for refuge in Germany 

in World War II. The poem is attached for reference. 

269

Preparing Your Own Scripts 

Costumes and props are not required, but can be used, if students want to 

include them. The students can determine how they want to sit or stand while 

reading. They might decide and practice how they want to enter, to leave, what 

additional sound effects might be added to the script. Reader’s Theatre can 

serve as a mini-play. Students can learn higher order reading comprehension 

skills, characterization and points of view. Grammar usage is incorporated by 

including sentence structure and punctuation. Finally, oral interpretation skills 

are polished as students learn to read fluently with expression, voice, and mood. 

Students in upper elementary, middle, or high school can be taught to turn any 

piece of narrative writing into a readers theatre script. The procedure is as 

follows: 

1. Decide on the passage which will be used from the book or write your 

own passage. It can be short or long, depending on what the students 

want to convey. 

2. Decide on the characters who will speak. 

3. Decide on which characters will need narrators. 

4. Mark narrator parts with N1, N2, etc. 

5. Passages, words that indicate what the character is thinking, feeling, or 

doing can be spoken by that character. Of course, all dialogue will be 

spoken by the character. These parts can be indicated with first letters or 

letters of the characters’ names. 

Example 

As Far As Mill Springs by Patricia Pendergraft. Philomel Books, 1992 

N1-narrator one N2-narrator two 

R-Robert A-Abiah 

N1 

/The orphans who lived at the Hixons’ were not fortunate children. In fact, they 

R N1 

were/ overworked, underfed and severely punished for small offenses./ It was 

just before Christmas and just after another of the cruel punishments that Robert/ 

R N1 

decided to run away./ He was determined to find his real mother and his own 

N2 A 

home./ To Robert’s surprise, his young friend, Abiah, follows him./ “Take me with 

270

N2 A 

you, “/ she pleads!/ “Anything would be better than going back to that place.” 

N1 R&A 

/Robert agrees, then they meet up with Mutt dog and together/ they head for Mill 

Springs, riding the rails and braving cold and hunger. 

Barter 

Sara Tisdale 

Life has loveliness to sell Life has loveliness to sell 

All beautiful and splendid things, Music like a curve of gold 

Blue waves whitened on a cliff, Scent of pine trees in the rain, 

Climbing fire that sways and sings, Eyes that love you, arms that hold 

And children’s faces looking up And for your spirit’s still delight, 

Holding wonder like a cup Holy thoughts that star the night. 

Spend all you have for loveliness, 

Buy it and never count the cost, 

For one white singing hour of peace, 

Count many a year of strife well lost, 

And for a breath of ecstasy, 

Give all you have been or could be. 

271



• 8.2.tpi.17 using research of information about the North and South, make 

a list explaining how factors influenced or discouraged slavery 

• 8.4.tpi.17 research conditions, actions, and motivations that contributed to 

conflict and cooperation between states, regions, and nations 

• 8.5.tpi.27 research the political, social, and economic impacts of the Civil 

War on the West, the South, the North 


• 8.1.tpi.14 demonstrate how time periods and cultures affect 

plots/characters in literature 

• 8.2.tpi.20 react and respond to content area information in creative ways 

(e.g., create graphic representations) 

• 8.1.spi.06 expand reading vocabulary 

Materials needed: Pink and Say by Patricia Polacco, Character Venn Diagram, 

large construction paper, colored paper, regular construction paper, white 

paper, colored markers, scissors, picture for front of portfolio 

Assessment activity: Research/ Note-taking Portfolio on the Civil War 

1. Have students fold the large construction paper into thirds, with the 

opening in the middle of the front. See instructions for shutter fold. 

2. Give students picture for the front of the portfolio to color and glue in 

place. The picture will be split with scissors at the opening. 

3. Read Pink and Say to the class. Guide a class discussion of 

character analysis, comparing and contrasting Pink and Say. 

4. Use the Venn Diagram for character compare and contrast graphic 

organizer. Glue into portfolio on lower left of shutter fold. 

5. Research the political, social, and economic impact of the Civil War. 

6. Make three tab book and label Political, Social, and Economical. 

Allow students to record their research findings under each opening. 

Glue to the top left hand side of the portfolio. See instructions for 

Three-Tab Book. 

7. Make Vocabulary Book; see instructions for foldable. Print 

vocabulary words on the outside of the eight tabs. On the inside tab 

draw a visual representation. As you lift the tab, write definition of 

the word. Glue on the right hand side of the Shutter fold. 

8. Research conditions, actions and motivations that led to the Civil 

War. 

9. Research factors which contributed to slavery or discouraged 

slavery. 

273

(con’t) 

10. Make a step book and label parts as Conditions for War, Actions for 

War, Motivations for War, Factors Influencing Slavery, Factors 

Discouraging Slavery. Use this step book to record notes and 

research. Glue this to the center of the portfolio under the openings. 

Assessment tool: Use a teacher created rubric for assessment of the 

Product. 

EXTENSIONS: Students may work in groups to obtain the information for the 

research assignments. However, each student should do a portfolio. 

274

Shutter Fold 

1. Using 11”x 17” construction paper, begin as if you were going to make a 

hamburger fold, but instead of creasing the paper, pinch it to show the midpoint. 

2. Fold the outer edges of the paper to meet at the pinch, or mid-point, forming a 

shutter. 

Three-Tab Book 

1. Fold a sheet of paper like a hot dog. 

2. With the paper horizontal, and the fold of the hot dog up, fold the right side 

toward the center trying to cover one half of the paper. 

3. Fold the left side over the right side to make a book with three folds. 

4. Open the folded book. Place your hands between the two thicknesses of paper 

and cut up the two creases on one side only. This will form three tabs. 

Vocabulary Book 

1. Fold a sheet of paper in half like a hot dog. 

2. Fold top to bottom and crease the center. 

3. Open hot dog fold and using the crease in the center as a marker, cut eight tabs 

about equal distance apart on the top side of the foldable. 

4. Label the eight tabs with vocabulary words. 

Layered or Step Book 

1. Stack three sheets of 81/2”x 11” paper so that the back sheet is about ¾” higher 

than the front sheet, and the third sheet is also equal distance from sheet two. Use 

different colored paper, if possible. 

2. Bring the bottom of the three sheets upward and align the edges so that all of the 

layers or steps are the same distance apart. If you use different colors, the middle 

tabs will be the same color. 

3. When all tabs are an equal distance apart, fold the papers and crease well. 

4. You may staple across the top, glue them together in the creases, or use other 

creative methods like yarn to hold the step book in place. 

5. You should have a step book with six layers. 

275

250 

276

PiH/l aHa Say 

VtlHH l);alJ,aHt 

VENN DIAGRAM 

277 

251

"GETTYSBeRG: THE SOLDIERS' BATTLE" ACTIVITY: CIVI... http://'W"lNw.nps.govigett"getteducatioI1bcast04/04activities;activity07.htm 

democracy - 1. a fonn ofgovernment where the people rule themselves through elected 

representatives: 2. equality ofrights, opportunity, and treatment 

drill- training by repetition; teaching something by having participants do it over and over again 

enlist - to sign-up or enroll in the army 

t1ank - the end ofa line ofsoldiers 

foraging - roving the countryside in search offood, sometimes taking from farmers 

formation - the basic physical arrangement ofsoldiers in a unit, made up ofranks and files; a rank is 

the single line ofmen from right to left, and a tile is the line ofmen from front to back 

Gettysburg Address - speech delivered by President Abraham Lincoln at the dedication ofthe 

Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg on November 19, 1863. Lincoln stressed the necessity of 

continuing the fight for a government ofthe people. 

hardtack - flour, salt and water biscuit that was very hard and dry 

haversack - small canvas bag used by soldiers to carry food and other belongings 

headquarters - the building or location for the head ofan anny to direct movements and operations 

during a battle and campaign 

housewife - small sewing kit used by soldiers on the march 

infantry - group ofmen who travel and fight on foot 

joumal- a daily written record ofone's experiences, sometimes called a diary 

kepi - cap or hat; part ofthe uniform ofa Civil War soldier 

knapsack - canvas container strapped to a soldier's back, carrying personal belongings 

liberty - a right or a freedom; the idea that every individual has a fair and equal chance for success 

and happiness 

line ofbattle - territory marked by formations ofsoldiers, either in defense ofa position, or in 

preparation to attack a position 

muster - to assemble and be counted for military service 

National Park Service -government agency created to care for and teach about the special land areas 

set aside for their natural or cultural importance to the history ofthe U.S. 

rebel - common term for a Confederate soldier 

reinforcements - additional troops held back from battle until they are needed to support and 

strengthen the units already in the battle 

279 

253



• 6.3.spi.3. identify the locations of early civilizations on a map. 

• 6.3.spi.5. use a variety of maps to understand geographic and historical 

information. 

• 6.3.tpi.7. create maps of early civilizations. Layer the maps to show how 

the civilization responded to the geography. 


• 6.1.tpi.18. build vocabulary by reading a wide variety of teXts and genres. 



Model magic or salt map materials, tempera paint, paint brushes. paper 

towels, % sheet of poster board. cups for water. one copy of Rome map 

per group, and rubric for grading 

Assessment activity: Map Project of Ancient Rome 

1. Divide students into groups of three to five. 

2. Have students write the following statement at the topic of the poster 

board: The Roman Empire Spreads Across Europe. 

3. Give students time to examine the provided map of Rome. 

4. Have map-making materials ready to use for each group. 

5. Instruct students on how to shape model magic. 

6. After they shape the portions of land, they should paint regions to 

correspond with the provided map(s). They may also choose to use 

any other maniputatives you provide (toothpicks, post-it notes, etc) to 

help illustrate their maps. 

7. They should include basic map components (Le. map key, scale, 

compass rose, and latitudellongitude) on their final product. 

8. The final step is to have students write a report in which a position on 

the topic is effectively communicated. 

Assessment tool: Use a rubric to assess the final product. 

EXTENSIONS: For a presentation, students may give reports orally. 

Alternate Map Materials: Salt map recipe - 2 cups flour, 2 cups sart, Y2 

teaspoon cooking oil, and 1 cup water. This may vary. Add water a little at a 

r' time. 

281 

255



• 6.3.tpi.11. examine the role of transportation networks in transferring of 

goods and ideas (e.g., Silk Road, Roman road building) 


• 6.1.tpi.5. demonstrate active listening in both formal and informal settings, 

while modeling accepted conversational conventions. 

• 6.1.tpi.8. make creative responses to texts. 

• 6.1.tpi.11. design and deliver an oral presentation using props or visual 




• 6.2.tpi.19. write a research report using multiple sources and notes taken 

from those sources. 


Maps of Italy and Asia 

Assessment activity: All Roads Lead to Rome 

(except, of course, the Silk Road) 

1. This activity will be most beneficial if used after students have studied 

China and Rome and have a good basic foundation of the historical 

events and significance of each. 

2. Divide the class into two groups and assign one group All Roads Lead 

to Rome and the other group the Silk Road. 

3. Each group should conduct research using their textbooks, other 

library resources, and websites such as those listed below. There are 

several key points for the students to research: 

a. Route of the Silk Road or specifics about the Roman roads 

b. How ideas were transferred along the Silk Road or how 

specific ideas were used in the building of the Roman roads 

c. Which goods were transferred along the Silk Road or the 

Roman roads 

d. What is was like to travel along the route of the Silk Road or 

the Roman roads 

e. Other pertinent information discovered during the research 

282

(con’t) 

4. Each group will present their findings including some map drawing 

activities. Each student should have a map of Asia to draw the 

approximate route of the Silk Road, and each student should have 

a map of Italy to draw some Roman roads. 

5. Students should have a question/answer session after each of the 

two presentations to ensure comprehension of key points. 

http://library.thinkquest.org/13406/sr/ 

http://www.travelchinaguide.com/silkroad/index.htm 

http://depts.washington.edu/silkroad/ 

http://www.unc.edu/courses/rometech/public/content/transport/Adam_Pawlu 

k/Contruction_and_Makeup_of_.htm# 

http://library.thinkquest.org/13406/rr/ 

http://oncampus.richmond.edu/academics/education/projects/webunits/greecero 

me/Romegeog1.html 

Assessment tool: Students should write short essays in which they 

describe key points presented on the other group’s topic. 

EXTENSIONS: Students could also write comparative essays focusing on 

similarities and differences between traveling along the Silk Road and some 

Roman roads. 

283



• 7.3.tp.1. construct a papier of a world globe showing the seven continents 

and four oceans 


• 7.1.tpi.19 use technology as a research and communication tool 


Map of world downloaded from computer, pumpkin, paints or sharpies 

Assessment activity: Construct a World Globe 

1. Have students bring a gourd, pumpkin or ball to class. 

2. Students will use maps downloaded from computer to draw on the globe. 

3. The students will draw the following on the “globe” – 7 continents, 4 

oceans, equator, prime meridian, North Pole, South Pole, compass rose, 

hometown. 

4. The students will color the globe. 

5. The students will label the locations. 

6. The students will be sure to put their name on the globe. 

7. This project will take 2 –3 days of class time if completed in school. 

8. Teachers could show a sample of a completed globe and have the 

students complete their projects at home. 

Assessment tool: Use grade sheet that follows. 

284

GLOBE GRADE SHEET 

Name of student_________________________________________ 

Class period______________ Date turned in __________________ 

Seven continents ( 6 points each) 42 __________ 

Four oceans ( 6 points each ) 24 __________ 

Equator 6 __________ 

Prime meridian 6 __________ 

North Pole 6 __________ 

South Pole 6 __________ 

Compass rose 6 __________ 

Hometown 6 __________ 

No name on project -10 __________ 

No color - 10 __________ 

Total _________/___________ 

285



• 7.3.spi.9. identify the location of Earth’s major landforms and bodies of 

water. 

• 7.3.spi.10. identify the characteristics that define a place geographically. 

• 7.3.tpi.2. color country and regional outline maps. 


• 7.1.spi.24. recognize and identify words within context that reveal 

particular time periods and cultures. 



Model magic or salt map materials, tempera paint, paint brushes, paper 

towels, ½ sheet of poster board, cups for water, one copy of the Middle 

East map per group, and rubric for grading 

Assessment activity: Map Project of the Middle East 



board: The Middle East and its Physical Geography. 

3. Give students time to examine the provided map of the Middle East. 



6. After they shape the portions of land, they should paint regions to 


any other manipulatives you provide (toothpicks, post-it notes, etc) to 


7. They should include basic map components (i.e. map key, scale, 

compass rose, and latitude/longitude) on their final product. 



Assessment tool: Use a rubric to assess the written report. 

EXTENSIONS: For a presentation, students may share their reports orally. 

Alternate Map Materials: Salt map recipe -- 2 cups flour, 2 cups salt, ½ 


time. 

286



• 7.3.tp.2 color country and regional outline maps. 


• 7.1.tpi.4. preview texts and organize prior knowledge 


Outline map of country or region being studied, textbook 

Assessment activity: Color and Label Outline Map 

1. On outline map 9f country or region being studied, number the countries, 

landforms and waterways that you want the students to be able to 

recognize. 

2. Give each student an outline map 

3. Allow students to work on their own or in pairs 

4. On back of map, have the students identify what the numbers label 

(1 =India, 14=Daccan Plateau, 23=Ganges River) 

5. Next day, put numbers on the board and have the students"; one at a 

time, put their answers on the board. 

6. Teacher will check the answers that the students put on the board to be 

sure that the answers are correct. 

7. When test is given, the students will be able to use their maps and 

answer sheets. Questions on the test will be higher order questions. 

(name the river on the eastern border of China, list all countries that 

border China). 

Assessment tool: Teacher-made test. 

287 

260



• 7.3.tp.8. construct a salt map illustrating the six regions of Tennessee 


• 7.1.tpi.8 use content-specific vocabulary 


Recipe for salt map, outline map of Tennessee with 6 regions, 4 major 

cities, 3 major rivers, nature made lake and mountains, grade sheet 

Assessment activity: Construct a salt map 

1. Give students recipe for a salt map – one part flour, one part salt 

and water - add water a bit at a time until the mixture reaches the 

consistency of a thick paste. After the state has been formed and 

shaped and labeled and colored, the map should be dried until 

hardened. 

2. Students will use computer to generate map of Tennessee that 

contains the six regions, four cities, three rivers, nature-made lake 

and mountains. 

3. Teachers and students will compare notes and insure that the maps 

are correct. 

4. Students will make maps at home, copying the outline map from the 

computer. 

5. When the maps are completed, colored and labeled, they will be 

turned in accompanied by the attached grade sheet. 


288

MAP GRADE SHEET 



Title on map ( 4 ) __________ 

6 regions ( 36 ) __________ 

4 major cities ( 24 ) __________ 

3 major rivers ( 18 ) __________ 

nature-made lake ( 6 ) __________ 

mountain range ( 6 ) __________ 

hometown ( 6 ) __________ 

no name ( - 5 ) __________ 

no color ( -5 ) __________ 

Total __________/_________ 

289



• 7.3.tpi.12 research the industrial development of a county giving the 

causes and consequences of urbanization 

• 7.s.spi.4 analyze the causes and effects of change in a place over time 

from a written passage 


• 7.2.tpi.20 write frequently across content areas 


selection to personal experience. 

Materials needed: Discussion questions, giant post-It notes, strips 

of sentence paper, statement from Daniel Boorstin 

\ Assessment activity: The Industrial Revolution 

and the Concept of Time 

1. The Industrial Revolution forever changed humankind’s perception of 

time. Allow students to arrange themselves into cooperative 

discussion groups; give out the discussion questions and allow 

students to discuss what their daily lives really look like. 

2. On giant Post-It’s placed around the room, allow students to do a 

gallery walk and list inventions or elaboration on inventions in their 

lifetime that are supposed to save time. Next allow them to list any 

inventions they can think of in the past that were supposedly designed 

to perform tasks faster and to save time. 

3. After classroom research, create a timeline of time-saving inventions 

and human reactions to increased speed on strips of sentence paper. 

Students can create skits dramatizing milestones along the timeline. 

Examples attached. 

4. Discuss changes which occurred when mankind changed from Sun 

Time to Factory Time. (change from agricultural to industrial time) 

5. Ask students to write an essay reflecting on the statement of 

DanielBoorstin with attention to the concept of time and the 

relationship ofman and machine created by the Industrial Revolution. 

Assessment tool: Choose from list of suggested informal assessments 

to assess the discussion. Use a rubric to assess the written report and 

skits. 

EXTENSIONS: View the Charles Chaplin movie Modern Times. This is a satire 

of the corporate world of the early 20 th century when it first came under the 

influence of Taylor’s ideas of scientific management. 

290

Discussion Questions 

1. When did you get up this morning? 

2. How did you get to school? 

3. When did you have to leave home to get to school on time? 

4. At what time does this class period begin and end? 

5. Is your whole school day divided into periods of this length? 

6. Where will you go when school lets out? Who will be there? What will 

you do? How long will you stay? 

7. When and with whom will you eat dinner? 

8. When will you likely go to bed? 

Examples for Timeline 

• Late 1700’s: Improvements in upholstery technology in France 

allow stagecoaches to pick up speed: an increase in road deaths is 

one immediate result. 

• 1876: Wind-up clocks are introduced by Seth Thomas. Punctuality 

takes a big stride forward now that there is no excuse for being late 

for work. 

• 1883: Life is the U.S. is still slow paced enough that each town sets 

its own time. New Orleans, for example, is 23 minutes behind 

Baton Rouge. Under pressure from the railroads, the federal 

government creates time zones and soon all watches are 

synchronized. 

• 1890’s: The golden age of the bicycle. Some warn that these new 

vehicles which move at a pace four times faster than walking will 

bring about an epidemic of “bicycle face”-that is, permanent 

disfigurement caused by pedaling into the wind at high speeds. 

• 1913: Henry Ford introduces the assembly line, cutting the time it 

takes to produce car from 14 person hours to just 2. 

• 1953: Carl Swanson introduces the first TV dinner 

• 1980’s: The nanosecond, a measure of time lasting one-billionth of 

a second, is invented. 

Daniel Boorstin’s Statement 

According to Daniel Boorstin 

There are few greater revolutions in human experience than the 

movement from seasonal or “temporary” hour to the equal hour. Here was man’s 

declaration of independence from the sun, new proof of his mastery over himself 

and his surroundings. Only later would it be revealed that he had accomplished 

this mastery by putting himself under the dominion of a machine with imperious 

demands of its own. 

291



• 7.3.tpi.18. conduct a classroom geography bee 


• 7.1.tpi.18. continue to build vocabulary through wide reading 

• 7.1.tpi.21. develop and enhance vocabulary by reading from a wide variety 

of texts and literary genre 


Collected questions from previous tests prepared by teacher and texts, 

notebook paper and three pens or pencils. 

Assessment activity: Conduct a classroom geography bee 

1. Teacher should collect questions from former tests generated by the 

teacher and the texts. 

2. Either let the students volunteer to participate or choose the students who 

are to participate. 

3. Line students up and begin asking the students the questions. 

4. When a student misses a question, they are eliminated. 

5. Continue the bee until there are three contestants remaining. 

6. When there are three contestants remaining, ask a question and have all 

three contestants write their answer to the question on a piece of paper 

and show the answer to the judge. 

7. Continue this until there is only one student remaining. 

8. Possibly give the students who participated extra credit on their next test. 

Assessment tool : The winner of the bee will get recognition of 

winning. A possible option is to give participants extra credit on 

the next test. 

292



• 8.3.spi.2. identify and use the key geographic elements on maps. 

• 8.3.spi.5. interpret a geographic map of the early United States. 

• 8.3.tpi.14. draw or construct maps that represent researched historical 

data. 


• 8.1.spi.3. locate information using available text features. 

• 8.1.spi.10. recognize and use grade appropriate and/or content specific 

vocabulary. 


Model magic or salt map materials, tempera paint, paint brushes, paper 

towels, ½ sheet of poster board, cups for water, one copy of the 13 

colonies map per group, and rubric for grading 

Assessment activity: Map Project of the 13 Colonies 



board: England’s 13 Colonies of North America. 

3. Give students time to examine the provided map of the colonies. 



6. After they shape the portions of land, they should paint colonies to 


any other manipulatives you provide (toothpicks, post-it notes, etc) to 


7. They should include basic map components (i.e. map key, scale, 

compass rose, and latitude/longitude) on their final product. 



Assessment tool: Use a rubric to assess the final product. 

EXTENSIONS: For a presentation, students may share their reports orally. 

Alternate Map Materials: Salt map recipe -- 2 cups flour, 2 cups salt, ½ 


time. 

293



• 6.4 tpi.4. write a set of laws for the classroom. Compare these laws to 

various historical codes. (e.g. Hammurabi’s Code, Ten Commandments). 





• 6.2.tpi.18. experience numerous publishing opportunities. 

• 6.2.tpi.21. write to acquire knowledge 

. 


Copies of Hammurabi’s Code and the Ten Commandments, forms for 

completed work, rubric for scoring finished product 

Assessment activity: Rules To Live By 

1. Have students work in cooperative learning groups to write at least 

three basic classroom rules. 

2. Each group should then receive copies of Hammurabi’s Code and 

the Ten Commandments and discuss the differences in language 

and format between the two. 

3. Guide a class discussion on the differences in language and 

format between Hammurabi’s Code and the Ten Commandments. 

Lead them to the conclusion that our language is very different 

from what was used in ancient times. 

4. Share information on the next task which is to take a classroom 

rule and rewrite it in the language of Hammurabi’s Code and also 

in the language of the Ten Commandments. Each group should 

do this for three classroom rules using the attached forms. 

5. Each group should share one classroom rule and the language 

they used as they changed it to the format of Hammurabi’s Code 

and to the format of the Ten Commandments. 

6. Display one form from each group for students to experience the 

idea of having their work published. 

7. Close with a discussion of students’ ideas about the differences in 

format and language and their preferences as to which is most 

effective. 


assess the group’s rewritten classroom rules. 

294

295

Excerpts from Hammurabi’s Code 

6. If any one steal the property of a temple or of the court, he shall be put to death, and 

also the one who receives the stolen thing from him shall be put to death. 

14. If any one steal the minor son of another, he shall be put to death. 

15. If any one take a male or female slave of the court, or a male or female slave of a 

freed man, outside the city gates, he shall be put to death. 

21. If any one break a hole into a house (break in to steal), he shall be put to death before 

that hole and be buried. 

22. If any one is committing a robbery and is caught, then he shall be put to death. 

25. If fire break out in a house, and some one who comes to put it out cast his eye upon 

the property of the owner of the house, and take the property of the master of the house, 

he shall be thrown into that self-same fire. 

142. If a woman quarrel with her husband, and say: "You are not congenial to me," the 

reasons for her prejudice must be presented. If she is guiltless, and there is no fault on her 

part, but he leaves and neglects her, then no guilt attaches to this woman, she shall take 

her dowry and go back to her father's house. 

143. If she is not innocent, but leaves her husband, and ruins her house, neglecting her 

husband, this woman shall be cast into the water. 

168. If a man wish to put his son out of his house, and declare before the judge: "I want 

to put my son out," then the judge shall examine into his reasons. If the son be guilty of 

no great fault, for which he can be rightfully put out, the father shall not put him out. 

195. If a son strike his father, his hands shall be hewn off. 

196. If a man put out the eye of another man, his eye shall be put out [An eye for an eye ] 

197. If he break another man's bone, his bone shall be broken. 

200. If a man knock out the teeth of his equal, his teeth shall be knocked out. [ A tooth 

for a tooth ] 

202. If any one strike the body of a man higher in rank than he, he shall receive sixty 

blows with an ox-whip in public. 

205. If the slave of a freed man strike the body of a freed man, his ear shall be cut off. 

Source: http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/MESO/CODE.HTM 

296

Classroom Rule 

In the style of Hammurabi’s Code 

In the style of the Ten Commandments 

297



• 6.4.tpi 5. discuss reasons why individuals combine to form governments 


• 6.1.tpi.6. use learned strategies to determine the meaning of unfamiliar 

words. 

• 6.1.tpi.23 identify how culture, ethnicity, and historical eras are 

represented in literary texts. 


a class set of the Mayflower Compact (attached), 

the “easy to read” version of the Mayflower Compact (attached), 

document protectors 

Assessment activity: The Mayflower Compact 

1. Distribute copies of the original Mayflower Compact. 

2. Read independently. Discuss document. 

3. Ask what they discovered about the document. Lead the 

class discussion to focus on spelling, meaning, and 

purpose, etc. 

4. List responses. 

5. Instruct students to read the document behind the original 

version of the Mayflower Compact (easy to read version) 

6. Read orally. 

7. Guide discussion to focus on the similarities and differences 

of the document as well as the readability 

8.. Web reasons why the Pilgrims thought this document was 

Assessment tool: Choose from a list of suggested informal assessments 

EXTENSIONS: Re-write the Mayflower Compact using present-day language 

conventions. 

298

THE MAYFLOWER COMPACT 

“In ye name of God Amen. We whose names are underwritten, 

the loyall subjects of our dread soveraigne Lord King James, by ye 

grace of God, of Great Britaine, Franc, & Ireland king, defender of ye 

faith, &c. Haveing undertaken, for ye glorie of God, and advancemente 

of ye Christian faith and honour of our king & countrie, a voyage to 

plant ye first colonie in ye Notherne parts of Virginia, doe by these 

presents solemnly & mutualy in ye presence of God, and one of another, 

covenant, & combine ourselves togeather into a Civill body politick; for 

our better ordering, & preservation & furtherance of ye ends aforesaid; 

and by vertue hereof to enacte, constitute, and frame such just & equall 

Lawes, ordinances, Acts, constitutions, & offices, from time to time, as 

shall be thought most meete & convenient for ye generall good of ye 

colonie: unto which we promise all due submission and obedience. In 

witnes whereof we have hereunder subscribed our names a Cap-Codd 

ye -11-of November, in ye year of ye raigne of our soveraigne Lord King 

James of England, France & Ireland ye eighteenth, and of Scotland ye 

fiftie fourth. Ano Dom. 1620. 

299

THE MAYFLOWER COMPACT 

In The name of God, Amen. We, whose names are underwritten, the 

Loyal Subjects of our dread Sovereign Lord King James, by the Grace of 

God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, &c. 

Having undertaken for the Glory of God, and Advancement of the Christian 

Faith, and the Honour of our King and Country, a Voyage to plant the first 

colony in the northern Parts of Virginia; Do by these presents, solemnly and 

mutually in the Presence of God and one another, covenant and combine 

ourselves together into a civil Body Politick, for our better Ordering and 

Preservation, and Furtherance of the Ends aforesaid; And by Virtue hereof 

do enact, constitute, and frame, such just and equal Laws, Ordinances, Acts, 

Constitutions, and Offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet 

and convenient for the general Good of the Colony; unto which we promise 

all due Submission and Obedience.” In WITNESS whereof we have 

hereunto subscribed our names at Cape Cod the eleventh of November, in 

the Reign of our Sovereign Lord Kind James of England, France, and 

Ireland, the eighteenth and of Scotland, the fifty-fourth. Anno Domini, 

1620. 

300



• 7.4.tpi.6. research contemporary issues from Internet sites pertaining to 

different perspectives. 


• 7.1.tpi.18. continue to build vocabulary through wide reading 

• 7.1.tpi.21. develop and enhance vocabulary by reading from a wide variety 

of texts and literary genre 


Sheets of colored construction paper, folded and cut into 12 equal 

squares, approximately 2 ¾ inches square. Have enough for one 

for each of your students. Different colored sharpies. A bulletin 

board or a big piece of bulletin board paper. Glue, staples or tape. 

Assessment activity: Research contemporary issues 

1. Have the construction paper squares cut, having one for each 

student. 

2. This activity will take place after an in-depth discussion on any topic, 

a country, an event in history, anything. (usually a unit that has 

lasted at least one week.) 

3. Give the students the instruction that they are to process all of the 

information that they have been exposed to during the unit. 

4. The students are to choose one word that will express what they 

have learned, what emotions that they might be feeling as a result 

of the unit in question. 

5. Give each student a square of construction paper and have the 

students write the word that they have chosen on the square. 

6. Each student will staple or glue or tape their square on to the 

bulletin board. 

7. The bulletin board will remain in view of the class for at least a week 

for the students to look at it and think about what they contributed 

and what was done by the other students. 

Assessment tool : Each student will get a daily grade of participation. 

301

CONTENT STANDARD 4.0 GOVERNANCE and CIVICS 


• 8.4.spi.1. identify the rights, responsibilities, and privileges of a member 

for the United States of America 

• 8.4.spi 4. recognize the rights and responsibilities of individuals throughout 

the development of the United States. 


• 8.1.spi.6. determine cause-effect relationships in context. 

• 8.1.spi.19. determine how a story changes if the point of view is changed. 


Copies of the Constitution 

Assessment activity: Simulation on Search and Seizure 

1. After studying the Constitution and the balance between individual 

freedoms and society’s needs, have students imagine that you have 

taken the entire class to the library to do research on the Constitution. 

The girls take their purses with them. At the end of class, one girl 

screams, “Someone took my wallet!” Since no one else was in the 

library, someone in the class must have taken it. 

2. Divide the class into six groups and assign each group to play one of 

the following roles: guilty student, innocent boy, innocent girl, girl with a 

controlled substance on her person, boy with cigarettes, and the girl 

who lost the wallet. 

3. Give groups time to brainstorm, form responses based on their role, 

and come to consensus on the following questions: Should a search of 

everyone occur? Explain. Who should conduct the search, if one does 

take place? Does it make a difference? Decide what you will do if a 

search of all is conducted. Is the Constitution involved here? Explain. 

4. Poll each group on each question. Discuss as varying opinions are 

expressed. 

5. Close by reexamining the Constitution and the 4 th Amendment. Does 

4 th Amendment apply to students? Should search and seizure be 

conducted immediately? Do school officials need a warrant? Are they 

“police”? What would be the most efficient way to solve this? Raise the 

concept of individual freedoms conflicting with society’s needs. 

Assessment tool: Students write a paragraph explaining 4th Amendment rights 

according to the Constitution. 

EXTENSIONS: Invite a school administrator or attorney to class to discuss rights 

vs. freedoms of students. 

302



• 8.4.spi.1. identify the rights, responsibilities, and privileges of a member 

of the United States of America. 

• 8.4.spi.4. recognize the rights and responsibilities of individuals throughout 

the development of the United States. 

• 8.4.spi.8. recognize how a right must be interpreted to balance individual 

rights with the need for order (i.e. freedom of speech, freedom of religion, 

trial by jury). 


• 8.1.spi.1 formulate appropriate questions during the reading of text. 

• 8.1.tpi.10. summarize, paraphrase, and evaluate selected passages. 


Born Yesterday movie clip, “Interesting Amendments Song”, United 

States Constitution amendments, Dodecahedron (Bloom Ball) pattern 

Assessment activity: Amendments to the U. S. Constitution 

1. Show movie clip of “Interesting Amendments Song” (to the tune 

of “The Twelve Days of Christmas”) from Born Yesterday. 

2. Pass out copies of song and have students sing along as clip is 

shown again. Then students form a circle. Teacher divides 

students into 12 groups and assigns a specific amendment line 

from the song to each group. Students sing their parts at 

appropriate times. 

3. Teacher demonstrates use of active reading strategies (asking 

questions, making connections, paraphrasing text, etc) with a 

“Think Aloud” with 5 th Amendment. As teacher models, students 

mark text where teacher stopped to “think aloud.” Students share 

what they heard teacher “think/say” and classify according to the 

kind of active reading behavior it was. 

4. Teacher and students then work together to create a class 

paraphrase of 5 th amendment. 

5. Students form partners and work together to write a paraphrase 

of another amendment assigned by teacher. They should be 

sure to use the kinds of active reading strategies that teacher 

modeled as they work through text to paraphrase it. 

6. The final step is to have each group read their amendment in its 

original language and their paraphrase of it. 

Assessment tool: Teacher assesses students’ use of active 

reading/thinking strategies as they work with partner to paraphrase their 

amendment and then share the paraphrase with class. 

303

EXTENSIONS: To help students remember amendments, they could make a 

Dodecahedron (Bloom Ball). On each of the 12 sides, students should write 

Amendment # and paraphrase of what it says. Teacher could assign specific 

amendments, or students could select amendments they think are most 

important along with a written explanation of why they see these as the most 

important amendments. Below is a website which contains many useful graphic 

organizers as well as the dodecahedron pattern. 

http://www.chass.ncsu.edu/livinginourworld/PDF/Resource%20center%20documents/Gr 

aphic%20Organizers.pdf 

304

INTERESTING AMENDMENTS SONG 

(to the tune of"The Twelve Days ofChristmas") 

The 1st Amendment to the Constitution says 

"Freedom ofreligion, speech, and press" 

The second part ofthe 1st Amendment says 

"Peaceful assembly" and 

"Just say any crazy thing you like!" 

The 2 nd Amendment to the Constitution says 

"Right to bear anns" 

"Peaceful assembly," and 


The 4 th Amendment to the Constitution says 

"No search and Seizure" 

"Here's my gun, FREEZEr" 

"Assemble and be nice" and 



"Don't rat on yourself!" 

"Where's your warrant, please" 

"Here's my gun, FREEZE!" 




"Right to a quick trial" 

"Don't rat on yourselfl" 

"Where's your warrant, please" 





"Slavery is invalid" 


"Don't rat on yourselfl" 

"Where's your warrant, please?" 



"Just say any crazy thing you like r" 

305 

279


"All races get the ballot" 







"Just say any crazy thing you liker" 


"Congress can take taxes" 










"Alcohol will kill your" 

"Congress then will bill you" 




"Don't rat on yourselff" 






"Women vote like men do, 

"Alcohol will kill you!" 

"Congress then will bill you" 









306 

280

Amendment V 

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise 

infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment ofa Grand 

Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the 

Militia, when in actual service in time ofWar or public danger; nor 

shall any person be subject for the same offence t(} be twice put in 

jeopardy oflife or limb, nor shall be compelled in any criminal 

case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived oflife, 

liberty, or property, without due process oflaw; nor shall private 

property be taken for public use without just compensation. 

Amendment XIV 

Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United 

States and subject to the jurisdiction thereot: are citizens ofthe 

United States and ofthe State wherein they reside. No State shall 

make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or 

immunities ofcitizens ofthe United States; nor shall any State 

deprive any person oflife, liberty, or property, without due process 

oflaw; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal 

protection ofthe laws. 

307 

281

- 

Active Readers 

• Ask questions as they read 

• Make connections to things they already 

know 

• Paraphrase difficult parts to improve 

their understanding 

• Make free comments about their 

reactions to the text 

• Make pictures in their minds ofwhat they 

are reading 

• Make logical predictions based on what 

they have learned 

308 

282

Amendments Dodecahedron 

Construction Directions 

1. To construct the dodecahedron, you will need 12 copies of the dodecahedron 

pattern. Cut each pattern out around the solid line (circle). 

2. On each of the 12 patterns, write the amendment number, a brief paraphrase of 

that amendment, and draw a picture to symbolize the amendment. (Use either the 

12 amendments covered in the Amendments Song, or select the 12 amendments 

that you feel are most significant to represent.) 

3. Fold the dotted lines up on each pattern. Assemble the dodecahedron by stapling 

each of 12 patterns together. 

4. Attach a string to the top for hanging. 

The dodecahedron is also known as a Bloom Ball. To use in this way, have students 

write responses that demonstrate application of all 6 levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy 

(knowledge level, comprehension level, application level, analysis level, synthesis level, 

and evaluation level), Students could use two patterns per level. This is an excellent 

assessment tool. 

309

310



• 8.4.spi.2. identify the purposes and structures of various systems of 

governance (i.e. Federalism, Confederation, Republic, Democracy, 

Executive, Legislative, Judicial). 

• 8.4.tpi 1. describe the components of various systems of governance. 

• 8.4.tpi.13. diagram the major structures of the United States government 

as outlined in the U.S. Constitution. 


• 8.2.tpi.5. generate, focus, and organize ideas through brainstorming, 

graphic organizers, literary models, and class discussions. 


Transparency with words related to categories students will review and 

discuss 

Assessment activity: Categorizing Words Related to Our System of 

Government 

1. Prior to class, write words related to the Declaration of Independence and 

the Constitution on a transparency. These should be scattered all over 

the transparency in no particular order. (i.e. judicial, legislative, executive, 

Amendments, Preamble, right to remain silent, declaration of rights, 7 

articles). You could also include important dates and names related to 

these documents. 

2. Tell students to form partners. When you show them the transparency, 

their job is to organize these words into logical categories. On a piece of 

paper they should record the way they organize the words. They should 

also assign a name to each category and categorize the words within 

each category into sub-categories if applicable. 

3. As students work, listen to the conversations they have with each other to 

assess their understanding. 

4. Follow with class discussion and clarification of questions. Students 

should correct any errors they made in forming categories. This is an 

excellent review strategy prior to a test to help students see what they 

know and what they need to study. 

Assessment tool: Teacher will assess students’ knowledge and 

understanding by informally observing how they categorize words, 

identify a topic for each category, and explain why/how each word fits. 

EXTENSIONS: This categorizing strategy can be used for any topic of study as 

a review of content and concepts. It can also be used as a frontloading strategy 

to see what students know prior to beginning a unit. Another option is to make 

small cards of all the words for students to use as manipulatives. 

311




• 8.4.tpi.12. evaluate the role of government in balancing the rights of 

individuals versus the common good 

• 8.4.tpi.20. show how rights can come in conflict 

• 8.5.tpi.11. report about a problem that led to a reform movement in United 

States history 

• 8.5.tpi.17. interpret a historical event from multiple perspectives 


• 8.1.spi.11. determine an author’s purpose for writing or a student’s 

purpose for reading 

• 8.2.tpi.18. support key ideas with explanations, illustrations, anecdotes 

and descriptions, and facts 


Graphic organizer, rubric for scoring essay 

Assessment activity: Debate on Constitutional Compromises 

1. Students examine the Virginia and New Jersey plans for representation 

in Congress. 

2. As they analyze this debate, students organize notes differentiating 

them in a Venn Diagram. The teacher can place them in groups. 

3. After examining what happened with these plans and the compromise 

that was reached, tell students that there were more compromises. 

4. Read the following statements to students: There was a great deal of 

debate about whether or not slaves should be counted as part of the 

population when apportioning representation in the House of 

Representatives. Southern states wanted slaves counted, northern 

states did not. In the end, the framers reached an unusual 

compromise: They decided to count slaves as three-fifths of a person 

when deciding the number of representatives from each state and when 

calculating a state’s tax bill. 

5. Give students time to write an essay to the following questions: What 

do you think of this compromise? If you had been one of the framers, 

what might you have proposed? 

Assessment tool: Use a rubric to assess the essay. 

312

_________________ 

313



• 6.5.tpi.1. create a self-timeline from birth to present to reinforce the 

purposes and use of timelines. 

• 6.5.tpi.4. create a timeline with various images depicting historical events. 


• 6.2.spi.15. select illustrations, descriptions, and/or facts to support key 

ideas. 



Several packets of larger post-it notes 

Assessment activity: Timelines 

1. Without any other discussion, tell students that you are going to 

pass around some post-it notes and for each student to take as 

many as the student thinks will be needed but no more than ten. 

2. After each student has chosen post-it notes, elicit from them the 

earliest birth year of anyone in the room. Put that year on the board 

and every year through the current one in a horizontal format. 

3. Tell students they need to write as many important events from their 

own lives as they have post-it notes, one per note, with the year 

written at the top, 

4. Beginning with the first year on the board, students will come up to 

the front and read what they have written for that year and put the 

post-it under the corresponding year. Continue this until all post-it 

notes have been placed on the board. 

5. Engage students in a discussion about important news events that 

have happened during their lives. Students should have the 

assignment of selecting some type of illustration or description of 

some of these important events, putting these on paper with the 

correct year, and bringing them to class the next day to be added to 

the timeline board that has been started. 

6. When students return with items for the timeline, have them group 

same year items together as they post them on the timeline. 

7. Lead a discussion with students on what makes these events so 

memorable. 

314

(con’t) 

8. Help the class decide on some technological advancements to be 

included in the timeline. 

Assessment Tool: Have students write short autobiographies using 

the events from their lives that are in their timelines, along with the 

important events and technological advancements that were added. 

Extensions: Choose other time periods to use for constructing timelines. These 

will work especially well when showing how events in one part of the world were 

happening at the same time as those in another part of the world. 

. 

315



• 6.5.tpi 1. Create a self timeline from birth to present to reinforce the 

purposes of timelines 


• 6.1.tpi.25. Use media and current technology as a research and 



Computer(s) with internet connectivity; LCD projector; Basic school 

supplies 

Assessment activity: Timelines: It’s All About Me! 

1. Ask students to list the 8 most important events in their lives. 

2. Instruct students to record exact dates. Information may be obtained 

from parents. 

3. Using an LCD project and a computer, go to - 

www.teach-nology.com/web_tools/materials/timelines. 

4. Scroll down to “Identify the type of timeline you would like (i.e., 

horizontal, vertical). Select a type. 

5. Scroll to “Step #1: Title”. Instruct students to enter identifiable title. 

6. Scroll to “Step #2: Dates and Events”. Enter dates and important 

events. 

7. Select “Generate Your Timeline”. 

8. Print and display. 

Assessment tool: Rubric attached. 

EXTENSIONS: Write a one page autobiography. Autobiography may also 

be read aloud. 

316

Name_______________________________________________Date_________ 

Timelines: It’s All About Me! 


Spelling and 

Capitalization 

Spelling and 

capitalization 

were checked 

by another 

student and 

are correct 

throughout. 

Title The timeline 

has a creative 

title that 

accurately 

describes the 

material and is 

easy to locate. 

Dates An accurate, 

complete date 

has been 

included for 

each event. 

Resources The timeline 

contained at 

least 8 events 

related to the 

topic being 

studied. 

Spelling and 


were checked 

by another 

student and 

were mostly 

correct. 

The timeline 

has an 

effective title 

that accurately 

describes the 

material and is 

easy to locate. 

An accurate, 

complete date 

has been 

included for 

almost every 

event. 

The timeline 

contained at 

least 6-7 

events related 

to the topic 

being studied. 

Spelling and 


were mostly 

correct, but 

were not 

checked by 

another 

student. 

The timeline 

has a title that 

is easy to 

locate. 

An accurate 

date has been 

included for 

almost every 

event. 

The timeline 

contained at 

least 5 events 

related to the 

topic being 

studied. 

There were 

many spelling 

and 


errors. 

The title is 

missing or 

difficult to 

locate. 

Dates are 

inaccurate 

and/or missing 

for several 

events. 

The timeline 

contained 

fewer than 5 

events. 

317



• 6.5. tpi.9 create a chart to compare societies (Athens vs. Sparta). 


• 6.1. spi.15. locate and verify information to support opinions, predictions, 

and conclusions. 

• 6.1. tpi.4. summarize orally what has been learned or read. 

• 6.2. spi.1. complete a graphic organizer (i.e., clustering, listing, mapping, 

and webbing) with information from notes for a writing selection. 


Discussion web graphic organizer 

Assessment activity: Athens vs. Sparta 

1. After students have read different texts and completed research on 

education in ancient Athens and Sparta, give each student a 

discussion web graphic organizer. The topic should be worded 

something like this: Athens rules! I want to be a student in Athens. 

Each student should work independently or in small groups to 

complete the organizer with some “yes” reasons and some “no” 

reasons. 

2. Engage students in a class discussion on the topic. 

3. Have students write their conclusion statement based on the 

additional information learned during the class discussion. 

4. This same strategy can be used with different comparative topics 

between Athens and Sparta, such as their treatment of women and 

slaves and also their types of government. 

This link will provide some interesting information for students: 

http://members.aol.com/Donnclass/Greeklife.html#LINKS 

A printable worksheet can be found at this site: 

http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/worksheets/spartans/worksheet1.html 


assess the discussion web. 

EXTENSIONS: 1) Use the “On the Fence” strategy with this discussion. 

Students can be “for” the topic and on one side of the fence, “against” the topic 

and on the other side of the fence, or “neutral” and be on the fence. After the 

discussion back and forth between the two sides, those “on the fence” must join 

one side or the other and tell what made them join that side. This helps students 

practice active listening and practice supporting their opinions. 2) Have students 

write a paragraph using the information from their graphic organizer. 

318

THE ISSUE 

YES NO 

_____________________ ______________________ 

_____________________ ______________________ 

_____________________ ______________________ 

_____________________ ______________________ 

_____________________ ______________________ 

_____________________ ______________________ 

_____________________ ______________________ 

Conclusions 

319



• 8.5.tpi.2. sequence events of the past on a timeline. 

• 8.5.spi.4. recognize causes and consequences of conflict (i.e. French and 

Indian, Revolutionary War, War of 1812). 

• 8.6.spi.1. identify the impact of individual and group decisions on 

historical events. 


• 8.1.spi.6. determine cause-effect relationships in context. 

• 8.2.spi.8. write well-organized and coherently developed paragraphs. 


Internet access, copies of student questions 

Assessment activity: Creating Awards for Meritorious Service Rendered 

1. At completion of study of the American Revolution, have students research 

the history of the Purple Heart, answer related questions, and create a 

timeline reflecting changes in award since its inception (see web site 

information and questions following lesson). 

2. After research, discuss what students learned. Give students an 

opportunity to share personal stories of friends or family members who 

have received one or more Purple Hearts. 

3. Next, tell students to think back over the unit on the American Revolution. 

They are to select someone they studied who made a significant impact on 

our nation during this period of history. They are free to choose anyone 

who made a major contribution, regardless of whether that person actually 

served in a military capacity. After selecting their hero, they are to create a 

detailed design of a medal to honor this person, give the medal an 

appropriate name, establish and write the criteria for receiving the medal, 

and write a paragraph explaining what their recipient did to deserve the 

medal. 

4. Students will then share their award proposals—visual and text—by 

posting on the bulletin board. 

Assessment tool: Points are awarded for completed questions and 

discussion participation. See attached rubric for medal project. 

EXTENSIONS: For the presentation, students may share their reports orally. 

320

Internet Research on the History of the Purple Heart 

Directions: Go to the following web site and follow the directions for accessing the 

information you will need to respond to the questions below. 

• Go to www.purpleheart.org. 

• Open History of the Medal 

• Open Students: Learn More Here to read the text and answer the questions. 

• After you complete the questions, return to History of the Medal. 

• Open Next. Using the information in this section, create a timeline reflecting 

changes in the Purple Heart. On your timeline, record the year of the change, 

who initiated the change, and why the change was made. Use the back of 

this page and turn your paper horizontal to create your timeline. 

1. Who created the Purple Heart award? 

2. What was the original name of the Purple Heart? 

3. Describe the circumstances surrounding the creation of this medal. 

4. What rights and privileges did the award give those who received it? 

5. What is the difference between the original design of the Purple Heart and 

the current award? 

6. What might each of the design elements in the current Purple Heart 

symbolize? 

7. Who is eligible to receive the Purple Heart? 

321

Rubric for Medal Creation 

1. Medal Design, Development, 25 20 15 

and Name 

2. Development of Criteria 

to receive medal 25 20 15 

3. Recipient Justification 25 20 15 

4. Grammar, Mechanics, and 25 20 15 

Punctuation Usage 

Final Grade:____________ 

Teacher Comments: 

322



• 8.5.spi.12. differentiate between primary and secondary source 

documents 

• 8.5.tpi 4. distinguish between primary and secondary source documents 


• 8.1.tpi.24. explore and distinguish between primary and secondary source 

documents 


1 set of source cards per small group of students (see attached cards 

prepared for copying and cutting) 

Assessment activity: Distinguishing Between Primary and Secondary 

Sources 

1. Discuss with students the difference between primary and secondary 

sources. 

2. Give sets of small cards containing various sources to small groups. 

(Note: The National Inquirer source is fictional. Its purpose is to help 

students understand the importance of evaluating validity.) 

3. Tell groups to categorize cards into primary sources and secondary 

sources. They could also rank the secondary sources according to 

validity/credibility. 

4. Facilitate large group discussion about how groups categorized the cards 

and ranked the validity of the sources. 

5. Another option is to make this a large group activity. To do this you 

would need to enlarge the cards. Post Primary Sources and Secondary 

Sources signs on the wall. Give one card per student. Students then 

post their cards according to the kind of document they think it is. They 

could also form a continuum from the most reliable source to the least 

reliable source. This should encourage good discussion about how to 

determine the kind of source as well as its validity. 

Assessment tool: Teacher should informally assess groups as they 

work together to organize the sources. Students could be formally 

assessed with a test which requires them to sort similar kinds of sources. 

EXTENSIONS: Students could follow this activity with some sort of research 

which requires the use of both primary and secondary sources. 

323

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confererate_States_of_America 

http://histpres.mtsu.edu/tncivwar.index/html 

(Tennessee Civil War National Heritage webpage) 

The Emancipation Proclamation 

The Gettysburg Address 

Letter from James Henry Gooding (African Am. 

soldier) to President Lincoln, 1863 

Diary of Mary Chesnut (wife of James Chesnut, a U.S. 

senator from the South who became an aid to President 

Jefferson Davis during the Civil War) 

Civil War letters of Major Thomas J. Halsey 

Photographs of Civil War battles, taken by 

Matthew Brady 

324

8 th Grade U. S. History textbook 

“The Confederacy was Right!” 

(article in the National Inquirer) 

April, 1865 (2003 documentary 

produced by the History Channel) 

Gone with the Wind (1939 drama 

Academy Award winner) 

The Confederate States of America: What 

Might Have Been (Roger Ransom, 2005) 

The Medal of Honor: Profiles of America’s 

Military Heroes from the Civil War to the 

Present (audio book by Mike Wallace, 2002) 

“Civil War” (World Book Encyclopedia entry) 

Stonewall Jackson: The Man, the Soldier, 

the Legend (James Robertson, 1997) 

325



• 8.5.tpi.25. write a short essay describing the effects of political parties on 

early government in the United States 


• 8.1.spi.1. formulate appropriate questions during the reading of text 

• 8.1.spi.7. determine inferences from selected passages 

• 8.1.spi.11. determine an author’s purpose for writing or a student’s 

purpose for reading 


Teacher or teacher-student made rubric for scoring written speech, 

copies of George Washington’s farewell address and of Thomas 

Jefferson’s first inaugural address (Speeches that Changed the World is 

a great book for this). 

Assessment activity: Report on the development of political parties 

1. Examine student textbook on the development of political parties (e.g. 

Hamilton, Jefferson, Federalists, Anti-Federalists, Democratic- 

Republicans, etc). 

2. Using Washington’s farewell address and Jefferson’s inaugural speech, 

class or teacher identifies meaningful passages to be read. 

3. Divide speeches into “4 Voices” as well as select the passages that are 

to be read together as a class. 

4. Parts are assigned or agreed upon. 

5. Have students and class read/perform the parts of these speeches. 

6. The final step is to have students choose either Hamilton or Jefferson 

and write a speech rallying support for that person’s views of the proper 

power of the federal government. 

Assessment tool: Use a rubric to assess the speech. 

EXTENSIONS: For the reading of speeches, students and teacher may elect to 

do a choral reading in which students highlight the most important passages. 

Upon the leader’s reading, students read aloud those portions highlighted. 

326



• 6.6.tpi.2 present information on the significance of individuals from world 

history. (e.g., costuming, written report, oral report, dioramas). 


• 6.1.tpi.11 design and deliver an oral presentation using props or visual 



Access to research materials (library and computer lab); Diorama supplies: 

shoebox, construction paper or tempera paint, markers, scissors, glue, 

miniature toys or models. 

Assessment activity: Exploring the Explorers 

1. Select an early explorer to research. Suggestions might include Marco 

Polo, Columbus, Prince Henry, and Magellan. 

2. Divide class into heterogeneous groups of four. Assign roles as 

follows: 

a. Producer – oral presentation 

b. Fashion designer – costuming 

c. Writer – written report 

d. Set designer – diorama (instructions attached) 

3. Distribute attached “Roles and Responsibility” handout. Discuss. 

4. Schedule research time in the library or computer lab. 

5. Allow 2-3 class periods for completion. 

Assessment tool: Use the attached rubric to assess the group project. 

327

EXPLORING THE EXPLORERS 

Roles and Responsibilities Handout 

________________________________________________________________ 

Producer 

• orally presents writers report 

• Explains historical personality using props 

o Illustrates route using the classroom map 

o Explains dress of Fashion designer 

o Explains diorama 

Time limit: 4-5 minute 

________________________________________________________________ 

Fashion designer 

• research the wardrobe of the historical figure 

• provides notes about costuming to the all groups members 

• models appropriate attire for project presentation 

________________________________________________________________ 

Writer 

• prepares the 2 page written report which includes 

o biographical information 

o major accomplishments 

o expeditions 

o goal of expedition 

• provides information to each group members 

________________________________________________________________ 

Set designer 

• builds a diorama illustrating the explorers life 

• visually appealing 

• shows thought and creativity 

________________________________________________________________ 

328

Supplies needed: 

HOW TO MAKE A DIORAMA 

1. shoebox 

2. construction paper or tempera paint 

3. markers 

4. scissors 

5. glue 

6. miniature toys or models 

Instructions: 

1. Decide on the scene you want to display. 

2. Sketch the scene on paper before you begin. 

3. Glue construction paper or paint the outside of the shoebox. 

4. Cut the construction paper to fit the box to create the scene. You may 

decide to paint the scene using markers or tempera paint. Do not forget 

to include the sky. 

5. Work from the back to the front. 

6. Attach any models (i.e., miniature trees, boats, people, etc.). Secure with 

glue. 

7. Write the name of the explorer and your group members name on an 

index card and attach with glue to the outside of the shoebox. 

8. Display for all to enjoy! 

329

EXPLORING THE EXPLORERS 

Project Rubric 


Time-Limit Presentation is 

4-5 minutes 

long. 

Content Shows a full 

understanding 

of the topic. 

Comprehension Student is able 

to accurately 

answer almost 

all questions 

posed by 

classmates 

about the topic. 

Posture and Eye 

Contact 

Stands up 

straight, looks 

relaxed and 

confident. 

Establishes 

eye contact 

with everyone 

in the room 

during the 

presentation. 

Props Student uses 

several props 

(map, 

costume, 

diorama) that 

show 

considerable 

work/creativity 

and which 

make the 

presentation 

better. 

Presentation is 

3 minutes long. 

Shows a good 

understanding 

of the topic. 

Student is able 

to accurately 

answer most 

questions 

posed by 

classmates 


Stands up 

straight and 

establishes 

eye contact 

with everyone 

in the room 

during the 

presentation. 

Student uses 2 

prop that 

shows 

considerable 


and which 

make the 

presentation 

better. 

Presentation is 

2 minutes long. 

Shows a good 

understanding 

of parts of the 

topic. 

Student is able 

to accurately 

answer a few 

questions 

posed by 

classmates 


Sometimes 

stands up 

straight and 

establishes 

eye contact. 

Student uses 1 

prop which 

makes the 

presentation 

better. 

Presentation 

is less than 1 

minutes OR 

more than 5 

minutes. 

Does not 

seem to 

understand 

the topic very 

well. 

Student is 

unable to 

accurately 

answer 

questions 

posed by 

classmates 

about the 

topic. 

Slouches 

and/or does 

not look at 

people during 

the 

presentation. 

The student 

uses no props 

OR the props 

chosen detract 

from the 

presentation 

330

CONTENT STANDARD 6.0 INDIVIDUALS, GROUPS AND INTERACTIONS 


• 7.6.tpi.1. diagram the home, school, or path to school in order to achieve a 

personal sense of geographic perspective 


• 7.1.tpi.14 relate text to personal experience, general knowledge, and other 

media 

Materials needed: 8 pieces of white paper, computer printout of community, 

state, country, continent and hemisphere 

Assessment activity: Diagram several areas of student involvement 

1. Download copies of community, state, country, continent and 

hemisphere maps. 

2. This activity can be begun at school and completed at home. 

3. Draw a map of the student’s room at home (or the room where the 

student sleeps)- Students will put a big x that covers the entire 

drawing. 

4. Draw a map of the student’s home, putting an x on the student’s 

room. 

5. Draw a map of the student’s street, putting an x on the student’s 

house. 

6. Draw a map of the student’s community, putting an x on the student’s 

house. 

7. Draw a map of the student’s state, putting an x where the student’s 

town is located. 

8. Draw a map of the student’s country, putting an x where the student’s 

town is located. 

9. Draw a map of the student’s continent, putting an x where the student 

would live. 

10. Draw a map of the student’s hemisphere, putting an x where the 

student would live. 

11. Point out to students how they go from total control of the map of their 

room to a very tiny part of the map of the hemisphere. 

12. Attach a title page to packet including name, class period and date 

turned in. 


331

MAP PACKET GRADE SHEET 

Name ____________________________________ 

Class period _________ Date _________________ 

Title page ( 4 ) __________ 

Each map will be graded by the following criteria: 

Drawing ( 4 ) 

Color ( 2 ) 12 points per map 

X ( 4 ) 

Compass rose ( 1 ) 

Title ( 1 ) 

Room __________ 

House __________ 

Street __________ 

Community __________ 

State __________ 

Country __________ 

Continent __________ 

Hemisphere __________ 

Total ______________/_____________ 

332

GLOBE GRADE SHEET 



Seven continents ( 6 points each) 42 __________ 

Four oceans ( 6 points each ) 24 __________ 

Equator 6 __________ 

Prime meridian 6 __________ 

North Pole 6 __________ 

South Pole 6 __________ 

Compass rose 6 __________ 

Hometown 6 __________ 

No name on project -10 __________ 

No color - 10 __________ 

Total _________/___________ 

333

CONTENT STANDARD 6.0 Individuals, Groups, and Interactions 


• 7.6.tpi.8 participate in a simulation in which students assume the roles of 

an international organization in which they attempt to resolve global issues 

• 7.6.tpi.9 compare women’s rights in the United States, Europe, Asia, 

Africa, and the Middle East 

• 7.6.tpi.10 debate how role, status, and social class affect interactions of 

individuals and social groups 


• 7.1.tpi.14 relate text to personal experience, general knowledge, and other 

media 

• 7.2.tpi.15 respond to questions from all content areas 


Symbol/Picture Representation Response Sheet, Cards with Symbols, 

Symbol/Picture Question Sheet 

Assessment activity: Symbol/Picture Representation 

1. Reproduce sets of the Picture/Symbol Cards for students in your 

classroom. Ask students to use them in evaluating some important 

events, activities, tasks, or assignments associated with a unit of 

study you are currently teaching. 

2. Give out a set of cards to each student. Tell them they will be 

required to select the most appropriate card to express their feelings 

or emotions about the questions given. They will incorporate this 

symbol into a written statement about the situation. 

3. Give students the Symbol/Picture Representation Response Sheet to 

record personal responses and ideas. 

4. Read each controversial question on the Symbol/Picture Question 

Sheet. Allow students to have a question sheet as a reference, after 

reading aloud. 

5. Lead the class in a discussion about their personal responses and 

reasons for the picture choice. 


assess class discussion and participation. 

EXTENSIONS: Students may want to use the controversial issue as a 

springboard for a research paper or oral presentation. 

334

Symbol/Picture response sheet 

1. The picture/symbol card I chose is a ____________________________ 

My statement is as follows:______________________________________ 

__________________________________________________________________ 

__________________________________________________________________ 



__________________________________________________________________ 

__________________________________________________________________ 



_________________________________________________________________ 

_________________________________________________________________ 

__ 

Symbol/picture questions 

Directions: Select a picture/symbol card to reflect your 

feelings about the following questions: 

• Should Muslim females be allowed to wear berkas 

(hajib) in schools and workplaces and in obtaining their 

driver’s license? Write out your thoughts in a 

persuasive paragraph using the card as a basis for your 

arguments. 

• Should the United States establish English ONLY as 

the official language for schools, government, and 

businesses? Outline your thoughts for an upcoming 

classroom debate. 

• Is the United Nations a viable international 

organization in today’s world as we deal with global 

issues? Develop your ideas in a short editorial. 

335

336 

309

CONTENT STANDARD 6.0 INDIVIDUALS, GROUPS, and INTERACTIONS 


• 8.6.spi 2. recognize the impact groups have on change at the local, state, 

national, and world levels. 

• 8.6.tpi.3. classify examples of stereotypes, prejudices, conformity, and 

altruism. 

• 8.6.tpi.5. write a report of how groups and institutions worked together to 

meet a common need. 


• 8.1.spi.10. recognize and use grade appropriate and/or content specific 

vocabulary. 

• 8.1.spi.11. determine author’s purpose for writing or a student’s purpose 

for reading. 

• 8.1.tpi.3. express reactions and personal opinions to a selection or relate 

the selection to a personal experience. 


Excerpts from “I Have a Dream” speech (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 

(one copy per student) 

Assessment activity: Oral Presentation of Excerpts from Speech 

1. Place desks in a circle. Ask students to rotate male/female in seats. 

2. Give brief introduction of speech. Tell students that we will only work 

with selected excerpts since the entire speech is quite long. 

3. Give each student a copy of text. Teacher reads #1 section, student to 

left reads #2, and so on around the circle. (See attached excerpt, which 

is numbered so that each student reads a very short portion.) This is a 

cold read just to get comfortable with the text. 

4. Repeat the process again. Students will probably have a different set 

of sentences to read this time, which is good. 

5. Assign each student a specific set of sentences. Students form 

partners and practice their sentences with each other to add all the 

elements of effective oral speaking. (3—5 minutes practice time with 

partner) 

6. Students read once more, using their best oral speaking. 

7. After reading, ask students to identify ways the speech connects to 

other things they’ve studied throughout the year, examples of prejudice 

Dr. King references, and unfamiliar words along with a prediction of 

meaning based on context clues. Close with discussion of Dr. King’s 

purpose for writing this speech and whether he accomplished it, as well 

as the impact he and those who worked with him had on American 

society. 

337

Assessment tool: Students write a report on how society has 

changed as a result of Dr. King’s leadership in the Civil Rights 

movement. 

EXTENSIONS: Show a video of Dr. King’s delivery of the speech after students 

practice and perform the excerpt. After viewing, conduct a class discussion of 

things he emphasized, what students thought was the most effective part of the 

speech, how he used facial expressions and body language, and the crowd’s 

reaction. 

338

Excerpts from “I Have a Dream” 

by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 

(delivered on the steps at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. on August 28, 1963) 

1 Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today signed the 

Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of 

Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. 2 It came as a joyous daybreak to end 

the long night of their captivity. But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. 3 One hundred years 

later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of 

discrimination. 4 One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast 

ocean of material prosperity. 5 One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of 

American society and finds himself in exile in his own land. 

6 It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. Nineteen sixty-three is not an 

end, but a beginning. And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We 

cannot turn back. 7 There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, “When will you be satisfied?” 

We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. 

8 We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the 

motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro’s basic 

mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. 9 We can never be satisfied as long as our children are 

stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating, “For whites only.” We cannot be 

satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for 

which to vote. 10 No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters 

and righteousness like a mighty stream. 

11 I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still 

have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. 12 I have a dream that one day this nation 

will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men 

are created equal.” 

339

13 I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of 

former slave owners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood. 14 I have a dream that one day 

even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of 

oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. 15 I have a dream that my four little 

children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the 

content of their character. I have a dream today. 16 I have a dream that one day down in Alabama little black 

boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. I 

have a dream today. 

17 This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to 

hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. 18 With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling 

discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. 19 With this faith we will be able to work 

together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, 

knowing that we will be free one day. 

20 This will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with new meaning, “My 

country, ‘tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim’s 

pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring.” 21 And if America is to be a great nation this must become 

true. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York! 22 Let freedom ring from the snowcapped 

Rockies of Colorado! Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California! 23 But not only that; let 

freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia! Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee! Let 

freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring. 

24 And when it happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and 

every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s 

children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands 

and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, “Free at last! free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free 

at last!” 

340

GRADES 9-12 

341 

314



• 1.1 spi (WG) understand the complex nature of culture and how cultures 

influence the characteristics of places and regions 


• 1.1F tpi (EOC) extend the prewriting to draft a composition 

• 1.1F tpi (G) extend the prewriting to draft a composition 


Paper, Bloom’s Taxonomy, copies of text 

Assessment activity: Prewriting (Individual) 

1. Introduce Bloom’s Taxonomy as a report format for historical fiction, 

biography, a picture book, or a how-to book. 

2. Questions should be formulated to use Bloom’s Taxonomy and its 

corresponding behavior as a method for organizing ideas. Example: A 

Book Report for historical fiction might include the following questions: 

Knowledge...What is the setting of the story? 

Comprehension...What events in this story document the 

historical period represented in the setting? 

Application...Construct a timeline of important events that 

make up the plot of the story. 

Analysis...Make a list of the characters in the story and 

classify your list in some way. 

Synthesis...If you could spend a day with the main character 

of the story, what would you plan to see and do? 

Evaluation...Develop a set of criteria for judging a good book. 

Then determine the value of this book using your criteria. 

Assessment tool: See rubric section for ideas to construct a rubric. 

EXTENSIONS: Using Bloom’s Taxonomy, write a set of questions for a 

genre other than fiction. 

342



• 1.1 (GOV) understand the influence of natural rights on American culture 

• 1.3 (WG) understand how cultural perspective impacts perceptions of 

places and regions 

• 1.4 (WH) examine how various individuals and groups use methods to 

diminish cultural elements and eradicate entire groups 

• Era 10 1.0 (US) recognize the transition of minorities, women, and culture 

groups through history 

• 


• T.12.F (EOC) write to persuade 

• T-1.3.A (G) persuade others to realize a point 


Graphic organizer, teacher-made position cards, controversial prompt 

Assessment activity: Persuade ‘Em 

1. Post the written prompt. For example: Congress should pass 

legislation specifying English as the official language of the United 

States of America. 

2. Direct students to move to the posted position card that reflects their 

opinions, Agree/Disagree, or for the undecided, On the Fence. 

3. Distribute graphic organizer and direct students to individually list at 

least 3 reasons (for or against, or a combination). Inform students 

that they may switch sides as they examine their reasons. 

4. Direct students on each side to confer and select their best 

arguments, and to prepare to orally present their side. Inform On the 

Fence students that they must listen to the arguments and take a side 

when they are convinced, or at the end of the presentations, 

whichever comes first. 

5. Toss a coin and allow winning side to present their first argument. 

Alternate sides until all reasons have been presented. Allow one 

student to make a summary statement for each side. 

6. Direct any student remaining On the Fence to choose a side. Ask 

On the Fence students to express what arguments convinced them. 

7. Assign students to write a persuasive essay on the prompt. 

Assessment tool: Use The TCAP Writing Assessment rubric to assess 

the written persuasive essay. 

343

PROMPT 

REASONS 

Pro Con 

1. 1. 

2. 2. 

3. 3. 

General Neutral Statement: 

Paragraph One 

Clear Statement of Your Position (combined with you three reasons): 

Clear Expression of Reason 1: 

Explanation of Reason 1: 

Example/Illustration of Reason 1: 

Paragraph Two 

344







Restatement of Your Position: 

Restatement of Your Three Reasons: 

Paragraph Three 

Paragraph Four 

Paragraph Five 

Strong/Compelling Concluding Statement: 

345



• 10.7 TPI (USH) discuss the political impact of generational issues such as 

social security, health care, and the national deficit. 


• 8.2.tpi.2. produce a final revised draft suitable for sharing. 


8.5 x 11 Unlined paper 

Scissors 

Ruler 

Assessment activity: Candidates Issues: Election 2008 

1. Students will select two candidates for one party or the two 

candidates for the Presidential election. 

2. Select ten issues to compare. 

3. Look up information about the candidates’ views on these ten issues. 

4. Resources should include web pages, news magazines, news 

programs. 

5. Using the graphic organizer/manipulative template on the following 

page, students will fill in the information for each candidate. 

6. The final step is to have students will work in pairs to compare 

information about the candidates. 

7. This manipulative serves as a good review tool prior to any 

assessment on the issues in an election. 

Assessment tool: Students can score each other on the information 

presented in their pair/share discussion. Correct information earns one 

point for a total possible of 20 points. 

EXTENSIONS: This manipulative can be used for any topic that involves 

comparing two views on given the same categories: two figures in social studies, 

two characters in literature, two writers, two concepts. 

346

Directions for Manipulative 

1. Fold the paper in half along the center line. 

2. Fold each half toward the center. 

3. Open the paper again and fold on the center line. 

4. Cut halfway across the open side of the paper at 1” intervals. 

5. Open again and fold the cut sections toward the middle. 

6. On the outside of each cut sections, write the category for comparison. 

a. The top sections should be the two people being compared. 

b. The other sections will have the same word(s) on each side. 

c. Lift each section and under the category, write the person’s position on 

that category. 

347



• 1.3 spi (WH) 2.A analyze the effects of changes in social conditions on 

economic, social, political and cultural aspects of society 


• T-4.2.B (EOC) present ideas orally 

• T-4.1.B (G) prepare and give oral presentations to specified audiences 


Magazine articles, guidelines for discussion circles, chart paper 

Assessment activity: Discussion Circles 

1. Divide the class into learning groups with four members per 

group. 

2. Distribute copies of a different article to each group. 

3. Distribute copies of the Discussion Circle Guidelines. Assign the 

roles for each group member based on the guidelines. 

4. Participants should read the article silently. Then participants 

should assume their role in the group as they discuss the article 

based on questions developed by the discussion director and 

connection philosopher. 

5. At the next meeting the illustrator and the summarizer will 

present the article to the entire class based on the group 

discussion. 


EXTENSIONS: Each group may be required to do a power point presentation. 

348

Guidelines for DISCUSSION CIRCLES 

Different Roles of Participants in DISCUSSION Circles: 

1. Discussion Director: This person prepares and asks (open-ended) 

questions related to themes and broad issues and feelings related to 

reading. The questions should begin with "What," "How," or 'Why." This person 

must lead the discussion and ask questions and solicit answers from all group 

members. In addition, the director must indicate (mark) which questions generate 

the most active discussion (A), which questions were not asked (NA), and which 

questions emerged from the group's discussion circle (NO). He or she must have 

his or her own answers written. (25 words) 

2. Connection Philosopher. This person's task is to work with discussion 

director to ensure a lively and productive exchange of ideas within the 

circle. The connector will list three similarities ofsituations or ideas in your life, 

those around you or in the world. List quote and page number for each. Explain 

the connection. Some topics the connecter may want to pursue in the group 

discussion are similarities among the various novel and 

*personal experiences; 

*Iocal, national, or international events; 

*other works: novels and plays: 

*historical people, places, and events; 

*TV shows and movies. (25 + words). 

3. Illustrator: The job of this person is to draw some kind of picture related 

to the group's discussion: a sketch, diagram, cartoon, flow-chart, scene 

with stick figures, etc. It may come directly from the discussion, or it may be a 

picture that conveys any idea or feeling that emerges from the group's 

discussion. 

4. Summarizer: This person's job is to prepare a brief outline or summary 

of the group's discussion. The summarizer will record at least five of the most 

important "'talking points" that emerge during the discussion circle and share 

his/her conclusions after the connector has finished comparing the group's 

various novels. 

349 

321

DISCUSSION DIRECTOR Name _ 

This person prepares and asks three open-ended questions related to themes, 

broad issues, and feelings related to the reading. Have your own answers 

written (25+ words). This is your job during the week of _ 

Ask questions to jump-start discussion or where it fits in talk about the reading. 

Questions and answers for the 1st meeting Date _ 

Question #1 : 

Answer: 

Question #2: 

Answer: 

Question #3: 

Answer: 

Questions and answers for the 2nd meeting Date _ 

Question #1 : 

Answer: 

Question #2: 

Answer: 

Question #3: 

Answer: 

350 

322

",. 

'" 

CONNECTION PHILOSOPHER Name _ 

List three sections where you find similarity of situation or idea to your life, those 

around you, or in the world. List quotation and page number for each. Explain 

each connection (25+ words). This is your job during the week of _ 

Read quotation and share connection to jump-start discussion or where it fits in 

talk about the meeting. 

Quotations and connections for the 1st meeting Date _ 

Quotation #1, page #: 

Connection: 


Connection: 


Connection: 

Quotations and connections for the 2nd meeting Date _ 


Connection: 


Connection: 


Connection: 

351 

323

SUMMARIZER'S TASK SHEET Name _ 

Significant "Talking Points" 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

6. 

7. 

Signature: 

353 

325



• 1.4 spi 1.A. (WH) identify specific examples of genocide such as the 

Holocaust 


• 2.1 E (G) identify how the author reveals character 


Copy of Nancy Patz’s Who Was the Woman Who Wore the Hat? 

ISBN# 0-525-46999-0 

Copy of the graphic organizer 

Assessment activity: Who Was the Woman Who Wore the Hat? 

1. Distribute the graphic organizer, “Who Was the Woman Who Wore 

the hat?” 

2. Explain that students should listen to the story and record the words 

that they hear throughout the story that stick out to them. They should 

use the graphic organizer to do this. 

3. Explain that students should record images that they see in the book 

that stick out to them. They should use the graphic organizer to do 

this. 

4. Explain that they SHOULD NOT write the main idea in the box yet. 

5. Read the book carefully to the students. 

6. Without discussing the book first, ask for students to share their 

images and then the words that stuck out to them. Record these on 

the board. 

7. Ask students to take a moment and review what you have written on 

the board and what they have written on their organizers. 

8. Ask students to write one idea in the “Main idea” box of the graphic 

organizer. 

9. Have students offer what they wrote and discuss this. 

10. Have students discuss how the words and images relate to the main 

idea. Ask how the author used diction (word choice) and symbols to 

create a greater meaning. 


assess the discussion web. Use a rubric to assess the written report. 

EXTENSIONS: Discuss how atrocities such as the Holocaust can be prevented. 

354

Words that stuck out to me in the book 

A MAIN IDEA IN BOOK: 

Images/Symbols that stuck out to me in the book 

355



• 9.4 spi (USH) Recognize the impact of technological and cultural changes 

in American society. 


• 2.1.A tpi (EOC) participate in paired, shared, and choral readings using 

one or more sources 

• 2.1.A tpi (G) participate in paired, shared, and choral readings using one 

or more sources 


Choral reading materials such as Judy Odom’s poem “Keeping the Music 

Free” 

Assessment activity: Choral Reading 

1. Choose four students to participate in a shared choral reading. 

2. Direct students to practice the chosen reading. 

3. Direct students to perform the choral reading for an audience to 

practice oral language. 

4. Instruct students on possible participation strategies, such as having 

members of the group facing backwards and turning to audience 

when it is time to perform or standing back to back and addressing 

audience when it is time to read. 

Assessment tool: See attached sample assessment. 

EXTENSIONS: Instruct students to find a passage of text and to write a poem in 

two to four voices and perform it for the class. 

356

1 First period today 

2 the history teacher, 

3 planning her 

4 Vietnam lectures, 

34 came down to my room 

1234 in search of music. 

1 “Even then,” she said, 

2 “I only listened 

12 to the classics. 

3 I don’t remember any 

4 of those so-called 

1234 freedom songs. 

1 But now 

2 I need some records 

12 to evoke the era 

34 for my students 

1 Protest music. Acid rock 

2 You must have kept it all.” 

3 Her narrow finger 

4 tapped the ancient 

34 Peace ring on my hand. 

1 I answered, 

2 “Back in those days, 

3 Keeping music didn’t seem 

4 that necessary to me. 

34 I just breathed it in, 

34 like air. I didn’t realize 

1234 it would be wanted someday 

1234 for a history lesson.” 

1 Most of what I told her 

2 was true 

1234 as any Dylan song. 

-Judy Odom 

Keeping the Music Free 

357

Oral Presentation Rubric 

Exemplary Proficient Developing Beginning 

(4) (3) (2) (1) Score 

The speaker 

delivers the 

The speaker 

enunciates 

The speaker 

speaks 

The speaker 

does not 

- x5= 

(20 points) 

message in clearly, uses clearly, but enunciate 

a lively, expression, with little and is 

Vocal 

Projection 

enthusiastic 

fashion; 

uses voice 

and is 

clearly heard 

by the 

expression difficult to 

hear 

to add 

emphasis 

and interest 

audience 

The speaker 

reads with 

The 

speaker's 

The 

speaker's 

The rate is 

so fast that 

x5= - 

(20 points) 

good use of pattern of delivery is you cannot 

pause, delivery is either too understand 

giving generally fast or too most afthe 

Pacing sentence successful slow message 

drama but may 

have uneven 

patterns .. 

The speaker 

reads 

The speaker 

reads 

The speaker 

reads with 

The speaker 

is unable to 

x5= - 

(20 points) 

Oral 

fluently 

without 

fluently 

without 

miscues that 

change the 

pronounce 

many of the 

Reading making making meaning of 'words 

Miscues errors errors that the text 

(Errors) 

change the 

meaning of 

the text 

Total (60 points 

possible)= 

Grade Scale 

A= 

8= 

c= 

D= 

358 

330



• 2.1 (WG) understand fundamental economic concepts and their 

application to a variety of economic systems, regionally and globally 

• 2.4 (WH) understand the rapid change of the global economy after the 

Industrial Revolution in the 20 th century. 

• 2.4 (GOV) understand the connection among resources and institutions 

that govern the management and distribution of these resources 


• T-1.2B (G) write a letter to a major national publication in response to its 

position/coverage of a subject 


Set of scale cards, articles/publications, envelopes, addresses of major 

publications 

Assessment activity: Letters of Response 

1. Choose a topic pertinent to unit of study and contemporary life in 

America. For example: Huge corporate businesses are undermining 

local, regional, and national economies and identities. 

2. Have students consider the statement individually for a moment and 

then align themselves under the posted scale cards. 

3. Guide a class discussion of students’ positions on the scale and allow 

students to reposition themselves if swayed by others’ reasons. 

4. Provide relevant magazines or other published articles to students. 

Direct students to read through a variety of the articles. 

5. Each student will select one article to which he will respond. 

Individuals may choose to agree or disagree with the selected article. 

6. Direct students to brainstorm/ create a graphic organizer of ideas for 

the response (address reasons, purpose in writing, tone, best opening 

statement) and then compose their letters. 

7. Direct students to group themselves according to the article selected. 

Groups read aloud the article and their responses and discuss the 

likelihood of each letter being published. 

8. Provide students with envelopes to address and make available the 

list of major publications 


assess the created graphic organizer. Use a rubric to assess the written 

report. 


359

-" 

Addresses of Major Publications 

1. You Said It 

Reader's Digest 

Box 200 

Pleasantville, NY 10572-0200 

2. Fortune 

Time & Life Building 

Rockefeller Center 

New York, NY 10020 

3. Sports Illustrated 

letters@si.timeinc.com 

4. Newsweek 

P. O. Box 2120 

Radio City Station 

New York, NY 10101-2120 

5. TIME Magazine Letters 

Time & Life Building 

Rockefeller Center 

New York, NY 10020 

6. U. S. News & World Report 

1050 Thomas Jefferson Street NW 

Washington, D. C. 20007-3837 

7. Seventeen 

seventeen.com/mail 

8. Glamour 

4 Times Square 

New York, NY 10036-6593 

360 

332

CONTENT STANDARD 2.0 ECOMOMICS 


• 2.1 spi (USG) understand economic systems and political structures. 


• 2.2 E tpi (EOC) develop a variety of strategies for extending vocabulary 

(e.g. context, analogy, derivation, etc.) 

• 2.2 E tpi (G) develop a variety of strategies for extending vocabulary (e.g. 

context, analogy, derivation, etc.) 


Vocabulary squares graphic organizer 

Assessment activity: Vocabulary Squares 

1. Select vocabulary words from current reading selections. 

2. Model examples by completing one or two vocabulary squares with 

class participation. 

3. Have students write the word in the center block, the etymology and 

part of speech in the top left block, the variations, synonyms, and 

antonyms in the top right block, a visual of the word in the bottom left 

block, a definition in the bottom right block, and a sentence in the last 

space. 

Assessment tool: Choose from list of suggested informal assessments. 

EXTENSIONS: Volunteers may draw their symbol/picture on the board and have 

other students guess the word. 

362



• 2.3 (GOV) understands how “tools of foreign policy” promote national 

interests 

• Era 10 2.0 (USH) assess the impact of trade and overseas competition 


• T-1.2.G (EOC) combine sentences to improve the structure within a 

passage on the economy 


Brain Writing Working Paper forms, paper, chart paper, markers, timer 

Assessment activity: Brain Writing 

1. Select topic for the brain writing activity. The topic should encourage 

thinking or evoke an opinion. For example: Free trade agreements. 

2. Organize students into four-member cooperative groups. Give each 

group a Brain Writing form. Instruct students to fill in the selected 

topic on the form at “Write your thoughts on”. 

3. Direct students to write their thoughts and feelings about the topic on 

their forms using two or three complete sentences. Allow students 

three minutes to complete the task. 

4. Call time and direct students to pass papers left within the group. 

5. Instruct students that they are to read and to write a response to or 

comments on the ideas on the paper they received. Remind them 

that they must use complete sentences. Allow four minutes to 

complete the task. 

6. Call time. Have students rotate papers to the left again. Explain that 

the swap will continue until all members have written on all four 

papers within the group. Allow/call time. Swap again. 

7. Ask a student in each group to facilitate a group effort to combine the 

ideas expressed in the writing on the four separate papers into one 

strong paragraph. Encourage revision of good ideas and the use of 

proper punctuation. Ask each group to read the product aloud. 


EXTENSIONS: Students may post group product on chart paper and critique/ 

suggest revisions for other groups’ products 

364

BRAIN WRITING WORKING PAPER 

Write your thoughts on: __________________________________________________ 

 

365



• 2.2.B.(WH) analyze how various technological developments impact 

economic systems. 

• 2.3.B (WH) analyze the change from individual production to mass 

production and examine factors that led to the spread of industrialization 

throughout the world’s economies. 

• 2.5.A(WH) identify several systems of labor and production such as 

slavery, indentured servants, pre-industrial crafts, and mass production. 


• 2.2.A (GW) draw inferences from a selected passage 


Colored paper (6 colors) Bloom handout 

Template for bloom ball Markers 

Assessment activity: Industrial Revolution – Bloom Ball 

1. Assign students to read about several technological developments or 

about individuals who have made a significant technological 

contributed. 

2. Each student will write 2 questions on each level of Bloom’s 

Taxonomy about his or her topic. 

3. Each question level will be written on a selected color and each 

question will be written on one piece of the Bloom ball. 

4. Once the ball is assembled, students will present the findings for their 

topic and will quiz their classmates using the ball. 

Assessment tool: Rubric follows for assessing the questions, the Bloom 

ball, and the presentation. 

EXTENSIONS: For the presentation, students may share their reports orally in 

small groups or to the whole class. 

366

Bloom Ball---Dodecahedron Project 

Topic: Any reading assignment. 

Purpose: To evaluate your ability to analyze written material on a variety of levels. 

Since a dodecahedron is a 12-sided figure, this project will require you to analyze 

reading material using the six levels of Bloom’s taxonomy of thinking. Your Bloom 

Ball must have two sides that reflect each of his six types of thinking (2 x 6=12). 

Bloom believed that thinking could be divided into six general categories: knowing 

(recall), comprehending, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating. 

Basic levels: 

1. Knowing – This type of thinking is needed when you’re asked to 

remember and repeat information already discussed in class or read 

about in a textbook. This level of thinking is most often used when you 

answer multiple-choice, matching, and fill-in-the-blank test questions. 

2. Comprehending – This type of thinking is needed when you’re asked 

to do more than merely recall information in list form. You will be 

asked to show that you comprehend information well enough to record 

what you’ve learned into a paragraph or two. For example, if you’re 

asked to describe, explain, or summarize ideas or events, you will need 

first to understand the information and then to retell what you’ve 

learned in a paragraph. 

Higher levels: 

3. Applying – This type of thinking requires you to use what you’ve 

learned to locate, select, organize or demonstrate. You must be 

able to make connections between past learning and the current 

situation. 

4. Analyzing – This type of thinking requires you to examine or 

analyze information you’ve learned about a topic in order to arrive 

at a general conclusion or a more meaningful understanding. This 

level might ask you to compare, contrast, or give reasons. You 

might also need to classify or categorize information in order to 

complete one of the processes listed above. 

Advanced levels: 

5. Synthesizing – This type of thinking requires you to turn one form 

of material into a new form. Synthesizing requires you to take 

information you already have and reshape it into something new. 

“What if…?” questions that ask you to invent, predict, redesign, 

blend, or hypothesize are asking you to synthesize information. 

6. Evaluating – This type of thinking generally asks you to rate the 

value or decide the worth of information you’ve learned. You’re 

being asked to think like an expert using the most advanced type 

of thinking. 

367

Eli Whitney and the Industrial Revolution 

Blooms Questions 

1. Knowing 

a. What are textiles? 

b. What was Eli Whitney’s first famous invention? 

2. Comprehending 

a. Who is the key figure in developing the basis for mass production? 

b. What was the main reason for the increased demand for cotton after the gin was 

invented? 

3. Applying 

a. What is 1 way life would be different today if the cotton gin had not been invented? 

b. What is 1 way life would be different today if Eli Whitney had not developed 

interchangeable parts for guns? 

4. Analyzing 

a. Explain how Whitney’s 10 year delay in his delivery of 10,000 guns may have helped 

him in his invention process. 

b. How was the machinery Whitney invented to make interchangeable gun parts like the 

cotton gin? 

5. Synthesizing 

a. Select an area of your lifestyle that technology could improve. Tell why it needs 

improvement. 

b. Name a present day figure who is comparable to Whitney in advancing technology. 

Discuss their similarities. 

6. Evaluating 

a. Is constantly changing technology an asset or a liability? Discuss your opinion. 

b. Discuss one technological invention that modern life would be better without having. 

1a. Cloth 

1b. Cotton gin 

2a. Eli Whitney 

2b. it could be cleaned quickly, thus woven into cloth in greater quantities 

3a. student choice 

3b. student choice 

4a. more time to develop ideas/ machinery 

4b. machinery did the work that humans had previously done by hand. 





Blooms site 

http://www.teachers.ash.org.au/researchskills/dalton.htm 

368

Questions to glue to sections of Blooms Ball 

Knowing: 

What are textiles? 

Knowing: 

What was Eli Whitney’s 

first famous invention? 

Comprehending: 

Who is the key figure 

in developing the basis 

for mass production? 

Comprehending: 

What was the main reason 

for the increased demand for cotton 

after the gin was invented? 

Applying: 

What is one way 

life would be different today 

if the cotton gin had not been invented? 

Applying: 

What is one way 

life would be different today 

if Eli Whitney had not developed 

interchangeable parts for guns? 

369

Analyzing: 

Explain how Whitney’s 10 year delay 

in his delivery of 10,000 guns 

may have helped him in his development 

of interchangeable parts. 

Analyzing: 

How was the machinery Whitney invented 

to make interchangeable gun parts 

like the cotton gin? 

Synthesizing: 

Select an area of your lifestyle 

that technology could improve. 

Tell why it needs improvement. 

Synthesizing: 

Name a present day figure 

who is comparable to Whitney 

in advancing technology. 

Discuss their similarities. 

370

Evaluating: 

Is constantly changing technology 

an asset or a liability? 

Discuss your opinion. 

Evaluating: 

Discuss one technological invention 

that modern life would be 

better without having. 

371

Low Order 

Questions (4) 

Higher Order 

Questions (4) 

Rubric for Bloom Ball 

Score 3 2 1 

Advanced Order 

Questions (4) 

All 4 questions fit 

lower level Blooms 

& correctly answer 

information about 

the topic. 


higher level 

Blooms & 

correctly answer 


the topic. 


advanced level 

Blooms & 



the topic. 

Oral Presentation Topic covered 

completely 

including who, 

what, when, and 

why relating to the 

Product 

Presentation 

era being studied. 

Ball contains 12 

sides, w/2 questions 

for each level of 

Blooms. 

Construction is 

presented neatly. 

Two questions fit 


& correctly answer 


the topic. 


higher level 

Blooms & 



the topic. 



Blooms & 



the topic. 

Topic covered 

includes 3 of the 

following: who, 





sides, w/12 

questions. At least 

4 levels of Blooms 

are represented. 



One question fits 


& all answers 

touch on some 


the topic. 


higher level 

Blooms & answers 

touch on some 


the topic. 



Blooms & answers 

touch on some 


the topic. 

Topic covered 

includes 2 of the 

following: who, 





sides, w/12 

questions for each 

level of Blooms. 



372

Rubric for Bloom Ball 

Score 3 2 1 

Low Order All 4 questions tit Two questions fit One question tits 

Questions (4) lower level Blooms lower level Blooms lower level Blooms 

& correctly answer & correctly answer & all answers 

information about information about touch on some 

the topic. the topic. information about 

the topic. 

Higher Order All 4 questions tit Two questions fit One question fits 

Questions (4) higher level higher level higher level 

Blooms & Blooms & Blooms & answers 

correctly answer correctly answer touch on some 

information about information about information about 

the topic. the topic. the topic. 

Advanced Order All 4 questions fit Two questions fit One question fits 

Questions (4) advanced level advanced level advanced level 

Blooms & Blooms & Blooms & answers 

correctly answer correctly answer touch on some 

information about information about information about 

the topic. the topic. the topic. 

Oral Presentation Topic covered Topic covered Topic covered 

completely includes 3 ofthe includes 2 ofthe 

including who, following: who, following: who, 

what, when, and what, when, and what, when, and 

why relating to the why relating to the why relating to the 

era beine studied. era being studied. era bein2 studied. 

Product Ball contains 12 Ball contains 12 BaD contains 12 

Presentation sides, w/2 questions sides, w/12 sides, w/12 

for each level of questions. At least questions for each 

Blooms. 4 levels ofBlooms level ofBlooms. 

Construction is are represented. Construction is 

presented neatly. Construction is presented neatly. 


374 

345



• 2.3 (WG) understand the changes that occur in nature, use, distribution, 

and importance of resources 

• 3.1 (GOV) understand and analyze how the forces of nature influence the 

division and control of the earth’s surface 

• 3.1 (WH) understand the importance of physical geographic features on 

world historic events 

• 3.2 (GOV) understand and analyze the impact of physical and human 

geography on given political systems. 


• T-1.3B (EOC) research controversial issue and present a report in which a 

position is effectively communicated. 

• T-1.3B (G) research controversial issue and present a report in which a 

position is effectively communicated. 


Discussion web graphic organizer, list of controversial issues pertinent to 

content area or unit of study 

Assessment activity: Report on Controversial Issue 

1. Select a topic from the list and write a controversial sentence for 

students to write in the issue block of the organizer. For example: 

Governments of Amazon Basin countries should severely restrict all 

activities leading to deforestation within their national boundaries. 

2. Give students time to write “yes” and “no” reasons on their organizers. 

3. Guide a class discussion where students share their “yes” reasons 

and “no” reasons. 

4. The assignment for the next session is for students to research and 

bring in a source that supports the position on the issue. You may 

want to schedule a library visit for students to complete research. 

5. Arrange the desks in a large circle. Conduct a Discussion in the 

Round in which each student shares factual information from the 

sources gathered in their research. During the discussion students 

take notes to support their positions. 


the topic is effectively communicated and supported by research. 

Assessment tool: Use any informal assessment to assess the discussion 

web. Modify the “Persuasive Letter Scoring” rubric to assess the report. 

375

YES 

Conclusions 

Iiscossllilell 

THE ISSUE 

NO 

376 

347

Controversial Topics 

Affirmative Action 

Attack on America 

AIDS 

Alcohol & Drinking Age 

Animal Rights 

Capital Punishment 

Censorship 

Child Labor 

Children1s Rights 

Civil Rights 

Death Penalty 

Dress Code 

Drugs and Drug Abuse 

Drunk Driving 

Environmental Protection 

Euthanasia & Assisted 

Suicide 

Famine 

Flag Burning 

Gangs 

Gender Issues 

Genetic Engineering 

Global Warming 

Government vs. Religion 

Gun Control 

Health Care Reform 

Homelessness 

Human Rights 

Identity Theft 

Immigration 

Organ & Body Donation 

Pledge of Allegiance 

Poverty 

Prayer in Schools 

Racial Profiling 

School Vouchers 

SmokinglTobacco 

Space Shuttle Disasters 

Sweatshops 

Terrorism 

Tobacco 

Violence 

Violence in Schools 

Welfare 

World Population 

377 

348



• 3.1.spi.A (WG) describe the basic elements of maps and mapping 

• 3.1.spi.B (WG) compare and contrast various types of maps, including 

thematic and topographic maps 

• 3.1.spi.E (WG) analyze the advantages and disadvantages of using maps 

from different sources and different points of view 


• 1.1.tpi.A (GW) describe appropriate details of his/her surroundings 

• 2.2.tpi.D (GW) analyze and create visual and verbal symbols using 

multiple texts 


Satellite maps; directions 

Assessment activity: Satellite Spy 

1. Assign students to groups of 4-5. 

2. Set up activity by discussing various uses of satellite maps including 

spy missions. 

3. Give each group a map and directions for their spy mission. 

4. Students will complete their assigned mission. 

5. Each group will write a short brief for the mission commander 

(teacher) on how well their action plan worked and what they actually 

found. 

6. Exchange satellite maps and begin a second mission. 

7. Complete as many missions as possible by the end of the class 

period. 

8. Students with internet access may go to Google maps and locate their 

homes or the school. 

9. Write a short reflection on the differences in satellite maps and 

traditional street maps. 

Assessment tool: Groups will present their findings to the class and will 

discuss challenges of the assignment. Review all written reflections. 

378



• 3.1 spi (USG) Understand and analyze how the forces of cooperation and 

conflict among people influence the division and control of the earth’s 

surface. 


• 1.3.D tpi (G) use various genre to draft a literary critique for the publishing 

stage. 


copy of poem, paper, pen, TP-CASTT form 

Assessment activity: TP-CASTT Critique of a Poem 

1. Read to students the poem “Dulce and Decorum Est” by Wilfred 

Owen (or another selected by the teacher). 

2. Ask students to read the poem silently. 

3. Have students participate in choral or another form of oral reading of 

the poem. 

4. Instruct students to complete the TP-CASTT form. Discuss each 

section. 

Assessment tool: TP-CASTT form (used in various AP workshops). 

Students complete the form individually, then use it for group discussion. 

EXTENSIONS: Use TPCASTT method for analyzing other poems related 

thematically to units being studied. 

379

Dulce et Decorum Est 

Bent double, like old beggars under sacks, 

Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge, 

Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs 

And towards our distant rest began to trudge. 

Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots 

But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind; 

Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots 

Of tired, outstripped Five-Nines that dropped behind. 

Gas! Gas! Quick, boys! – An ecstasy of fumbling, 

Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time; 

But someone still was yelling out and stumbling, 

And flound’ring like a man in fire or lime ... 

Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light, 

As under a green sea, I saw him drowning. 

In all my dreams, before my helpless sight, 

He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning. 

If in some smothering dreams you too could pace 

Behind the wagon that we flung him in, 

And watch the white eyes writhing in his face, 

His hanging face, like a devil’s sick of sin; 

If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood 

Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs, 

Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud 

Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues, 

My friend, you would not tell with such high zest 

To children ardent for some desperate glory, 

The old Lie; Dulce et Decorum est 

Pro patria mori. 

Wilfred Owen 

380

TP-CASTT format for understanding poetry 

Title Jot down what you think the poem will be about based on the title. 

Paraphrase Write in your own words exactly what happens in the poem. Your 

paraphrase should have the same number of sentences as the poem has. 

Connotation Identify some of the poetic devices which contribute to the effect or 

meaning of the poem. 

Attitude: examine the use of diction, images and details that suggest the 

speaker’s attitude. 

Shifts Look for changes in the poem which reflect shifts in understanding of the 

experience. 

Title Look again at the title for possible new insights in understanding the poem. 

Theme What subjects does the poem address? What ideas does the poet 

convey concerning these subjects? State the theme in a complete sentence. 

Title 

Paraphrase 

Connotation 

Attitude 

Shifts 

Title 

Theme 

381



• 3.1B spi (USG) distinguish between geographic causes and economic, 

social and political causes of conflict and cooperation. 


• 2.2 H tpi (EOC) differentiate between internal and external conflict in a 

given passage 


T-chart 

Assessment activity: Internal and External Conflict 

1. Have students use the t-chart graphic organizer to take notes. 

2. On the left side of the chart, students will identify internal conflict. 

3. On the right side of the chart, students will identify external conflict. 

4. Instruct students to list examples of conflict on the appropriate side of 

the t-chart. 

Assessment tool: An informal assessment is contained at the bottom of 

the graphic organizer. 

EXTENSIONS: The t-chart graphic organizer may be used for cause-effect and 

other types of conflict. 

382



• 3.5.spi.2.B. (WG) compare and contrast how cultures influence the 

characteristics of regions and how human characteristics make specific 

regions of the world distinctive. 

• 3.5.spi.3.D. (WG) evaluate factors that contribute to the dynamic nature of 

regions. 


• T-2.1.D (EOC) retell the events of a story 


Construction paper 

8.5 x 11 plain paper 

Pictures (original drawings, magazine cut outs, computer graphics, maps 

Scissors and glue 

Pens / Markers 

Assessment activity: Pop up Book 

1. Assign individual students to be responsible for identifying the 

distinctive characteristics of the region(s) studied. 

2. Direct students to write/type a summary of the characteristics and 

examples of each characteristic. 

3. Assist students in identifying an illustration that best represents a 

main characteristic from their summaries. Illustrations may be original 

color drawings, appropriate magazine cut outs, or computer graphics. 

4. Model directions for creating a pop-up book (attached). 

5. Assign students to make a pop-up book for their region. 

Assessment tool: See attached sample assessment. 


Students may use this format to present numerous types of identifying standards. 

In English classes, students divide the reading into sections based on elements 

of literature or chunks of the text. Each page of the pop up book highlights the 

focus information of the text. 

384

Pop up Book Directions 

Materials: 

•8.5 x 11 plain paper – one per page of book 

•9 x 12 construction paper – one per page of book 

•Cover -9 x 12 construction paper – one per book 

•scissors 

•glue 

Step 1: Select picture and text for each page to make sure both will fit. Each 

act/chapter gets its own page. 

Step 2: Using the diagram below as a guide, fold the plain paper in half on the 

dotted lines ( A ). 

Step 3: Unfold and cut along the solid lines ( B ). 

Step 4: Fold the center dotted line (C ) in the opposite direction from the first fold (A) to 

make a step that “pops” up. 

Step 5: Glue the selected design to the popped up step. 

Step 6: Write or glue the accompanying text in the remaining spaces on the page. 

Step 7: Glue the plain paper to a piece of construction paper. 

Step 8: Glue the construction paper sections to each other in the correct order of the play. 

Step 9: Illustrate, title, and put the student name(s) on the cover. Glue the cover to 

the outside of the book. 

Affix 

illustration 

here 

Fold A 

Cut B 

Fold C 

Fold D 

1. Fold on A 

2. Cut on B 

3. Fold on C – 

the opposite 

direction from 

fold on A; and 

fold on D the 

same direction 

as the fold on 

A 

385

Performance Assessment 

3.5.spi.2.B. (WG) 

3.5.spi.3.D. (WG) 

Pop-up Book Rubric 

Pop-up Book 3-Excellent 2-Acceptable 1-Needs work 

Ideas ▪Each element of ▪ Each element of ▪50% of the 

culture identified culture identified elements of 

correctly 

correctly 

culture are 

▪Main ideas ▪At least 50% of present 

present for each ideas present ▪Fewer than 50% 

element of culture match the element of ideas present 

▪Data included is of culture shown match the element 

correct & up-to- ▪At least 50% of of culture shown 

date 

the data shown is ▪Fewer than 50% 

correct & up-to- of the data shown 

date 

is correct & up-todate 

Visual Appeal ▪ Varied 

▪ Two background ▪ One background 

backgrounds colors 

colors 

▪Clear images ▪Images not ▪Poor quality 

▪Clean lines clearly reproduced images 

▪Well-organized ▪Lines are not ▪Jagged or torn 

information clean/artistic lines/edges 

▪Text included is ▪Text alignment ▪Text overlaps 

part of the design included as part of images 

▪Cover includes the design on at ▪Cover includes 3 

color illustration, least 50% of of the following: 

title, student pages 

color illustration, 

name(s) 

▪Cover includes title, student 

color illustration, 

title, student 

name(s) 

name(s) 

Artwork ▪Colorful 

▪Some color ▪Primitive (such as 

▪Neatly assembled ▪ One illustration use of stick 

▪Interesting, per page 

figures) 

creative (may ▪Similar design on ▪Lacks color 

combine original & 

graphicallyreproduced 

or 

magazine pictures 

every page ▪Lacks creativity 

386

Sherrie Warren, Student 

Delores Mack, Teacher 

Wilson High School 

To Whom It May Concern: 

March 22. 2004 

I am a 17-year-old high school student who has been driving for over a year now. 

It has come to my attention that the state legislature is considering raising the legal 

driving age from 16 to 18. If that is the case, and I certainly hope that it is, I want to be 

the first to pledge my full support of this piece of legislation. 

I believe that this change would be beneficial not only to the individual driver but 

to the community as well. For example, with this change in effect. it would allow 

younger drivers two more full years to practice their driving skills and refine their driving 

ability. This would. in turn, produce more experienced and mature drivers, making our 

highways and communities a lot safer. 

With the law, I also believe that there would be a noticeable reduction in auto 

accidents as well as in fatalities among young people.. The added experience would be 

invaluable. especially during hazardous driving conditions such as rain. snow, ice, and 

even darkness. 

As a high school student, I have already been in my first wreck. It was a late 

December night, and I was traveling home from my girlfriend's house. As I gunned the 

engine to pass the car in front of me, I fishtailed and slammed into the guardrail. I didn't 

consider that fact that it had rained earlier that night. and the dropping temperature had 

caused the rain to freeze turning sections of the road into solid sheets of ice. I believe 

that had I received the additional two years of experience, this accident, like many 

others, could have been prevented. 

The increased training would also allow for a greater understanding and 

knowledge of our traffic laws and the mechanics of the road. I know that I don't always 

take precautions when driving, and sometimes. when I'm in a hurry, I don't even notice 

the speed limit or the various other warning signs on the road. Being 17, I realize that 

the new law would have affected me, and I would not be allowed to drive yet. However, 

the experience gained would be invaluable in creating safe and responsible drivers, and 

that's what I want to be. 

I do hope that you will consider these thoughts very seriously. 

Sincerely, 

390 

361

Problem 

Discussion 

I ! 

Excellent Acceptable Not Yet 

i Opens with a hook Creates a favorable Does not grab the 

to introduce the impression, but not reader's attention 

problem; grabs as dynamic as a 

reader's attention hook 

The sel/- Convincing Discussion is not 

convinces the evidence from your convincing to make 

audience with research, but a change. Needs 

concrete, specific lacking in specifics references to your 

evidence of your and details; research; 

research; weI/- information is clear, supporting details 

organized accurate, and lack accuracy 

presentation that is concise 

factual and 

informative 

Motivational - The solution is No clear solution is 

Compels the reader feasible and there evident and no 

Solution/Request 

to action; promotes 

good will 

is a request for 

action, though not 

clear request for 

action 

for Action 

compelling 

Conventions 

I I Correct letter Correct letter parts; Incorrect letter 

Iformat, spelling, Error-free, parts and not error- 

I punctuation; acceptable free; messy 

j professional appearance appearance 

I appearance 

j 

I 

391 

362

I 

I Meaning 

Score I (focus, thesis, 

support) 

I 

I The persuasive 

Structure 

(organization, 

flow) 

The ideas are 

Language 

(correct 

sentences, word 

choice) 

The language is 

Audience/Style 

At least one 

paper has a clear clearly organized vivid with correct paragraph that 

thesis that grows with the ideas sentences and refutes the 

out of sufficient flowing from the colorful word choice opposing; strong 

background and is thesis in a logical confident voice 

5 supported with progression using 

convincing either inductive or 

evidence deductive 

reasoning; strong 

introduction, body 

and conclusion 

The persuasive Ideas are there, but The language is Needs to attend to 

paper has an are not fully clear with minimal reader's need for 

adequate thesis, developed or do not sentence and word information; needs 

but is lacking in further the thesis. errors to address the 

4 

textual evident and 

convincing support 

Good transitions 

and connectors to 

opposition; writer 

needs to show 

for the position show line of 

reasoning; 

conclusion needs 

creativity 

more conviction 

The persuasive The ideas are not There are Needs to address 

paper has an clear, need more appropriate word reader's concerns 

ambiguous thesis elaboration and choices and mostly and take a more 

and contains the support for ideas, correct sentences assertive position 

. main supporting and/or the 

3 evidence, but, there organization needs 

is either an unclear work. Work on 

focus or insufficient better transitions; 

supporting details conclusion is 

and textual 

evidence 

stereotypical 

i The persuasive Not enough Word choices are Position confusing 

2 

paper has some 

ideas, but no clear 

Ifocus and lacks 

details of the main 

Iev.ents 

significant ideas 

from the novel; 

lacking direction 

and logical 

progression; no 

appeal in the 

conclusion 

limited; there are 

errors in sentence 

structure 

to reader; writer 

shows a weak 

voice 

I 

I 

392 

363

1 

IThe writing lacks 

I clear focus and 

I support 

I 

Jumps around; Word choices are 

does not move from inappropriate. 

one point to There are many 

another logically incorrect sentences 

Weak claims and 

no writer's voice 

393 

364



• 4.1 (WG) understand the nature, complexity and influence of systems of 

governance 

• 4.2 (GOV) understand the role of the constitution in preventing abuses of 

government power 


• T-1.3.A (EOC) differentiate between editing and revision 

• T-1.2.G (G) differentiate between editing and revision 


Selected clauses from the constitution (scrambled), computer, diskettes 

Assessment activity: Group Revision (Paragraph Puzzle) 

1. Type sentences from the teacher-selected constitutional clauses out 

of their established order. Include a few irrelevant or redundant 

sentences in the scrambled text. 

2. Save these scrambled clauses onto seven diskettes. 

3. Divide students into groups of three or four. 

4. Distribute diskettes to groups and send groups to computers to cut 

and paste the clauses into coherent, unified paragraphs. 

5. Once the group is satisfied with its editing and revisions, each group 

should print its results. 

6. Direct each group to read aloud the results for each clause. 

7. Lead a discussion regarding the similarity/dissimilarity of the results. 

Is meaning/clarity changed by order? 

8. Direct student volunteers to read aloud the actual constitutional text. 

Assessment tool: Use following group work rubric 

EXTENSIONS: One clause may be scrambled/expanded using sentence strips 

that the class may rearrange as a large group preparatory to the smaller group 

computer activity. 

394

Group Work Rubric 

Group Members: __________________________________ 

__________________________________ 

__________________________________ 

__________________________________ 

All members on task 10 15 20 25 

All members part of class presentation/discussion 10 15 20 25 

Work completed in a timely manner 5 10 15 

Work prepared according to instructions 5 10 15 

Teacher comments: 

Irrelevant/redundant ideas edited 5 10 

Logical ordering of remaining sentences 5 10 

_________________ 

TOTAL: 

395



• 4.1 spi 2.A. (WH) analyze the origins and evolution of these major 

systems of world governance including an understanding of the 

philosophical tenets which influence political thought such as ancient 

Greece, Early Rome, Enlightenment, and the 19 th and 20 th century political 

philosophers. 

• 4.2 spi 1.A. (WH) recognize the role of individuals in governance. 


• 2.1.A(G) discern an implied main idea from a passage. 

• 4.3.A (G) evaluate delivery techniques appropriate to a specified audience 

(emphasis, diction, body language, voice) 


Vladimir Lenin's speech, uThe Call to Power"; pens or highlighters 

Assessment activity: Choral Reading 

1. Each student receives Lenin's speech, I'A Call to Power." 

2. Explain the brief background to this piece, that Lenin was a 

revolutionary in Russia who was trying to activate a change in 

government in Russia. Lenin wanted a communist government and 

wrote this speech to persuade others to overthrow the king (or czar) 

and create a communist government in Russia. 

3. Explain the choral reading process. Each student will receive a 

number. Then, each student should read his/her "chunk" of the 

speech when it is his/her turn. 

4. Number students 1-6. 

5. Each student reads aloud the "chunk" of the speech that corresponds 

to his/her number. (You may want to review some tough vocabulary 

before they start; words such as bourgeoisie, Soviet, Bolsheviks) 

6. After the reading, have a discussion with "the class and outline (using 

board) Lenin's main points advocating for a revolution. 

7. Ask students to choose words (diction) that link to each of these main 

points. Create semantic bubbles on the board related to each main 

point, linking key words to these ideas. 


to assess participation in the choral reading. 

EXTENSIONS: For homework, have the students create a word collage of key 

r words in this speech. 

396 

367



• 4.2 spi (WH) understand how individuals are affected differently by varied 

forms of governance 


• 2.1B tpi (EOC) read silently and orally from a variety of sources 

• 2.1B tpi (G) read silently from a variety of sources 


Anticipation guide, essay on kamikaze pilots 

Assessment activity: Anticipation Guide 

1. Introduce Dorcy Hammond’s Anticipation Guides as a means of 

motivating readers and increasing reader comprehension. 

2. Distribute the Anticipation Guide for Kamikaze Pilots and allow 

students time to complete the agree/disagree statements. 

3. Discuss student responses and their reasons, but do not give 

“correct” answers at this point. 

4. Distribute the Kamikaze essay. Direct students to read the essay 

silently. 

5. Discuss the anticipation guide responses and changes students wish 

to make in their responses based on information in the essay. 


EXTENSIONS: Anticipation Guides may be developed as a motivation and 

reading comprehension tool for other non-fiction pieces. 

398

Kamikaze Pilots 

The word kamikaze means divine wind. During the final months of World War II, the 

Japanese military developed a force of suicide planes in a last hope of victory. These 

planes and their pilots were called kamikaze. The kamikaze pilots were trained to fly 

planes loaded with explosives into targets, usually warships. Many of the kamikaze pilots 

based their beliefs on the samurai code of honor called bushido which said dying for 

one’s country was both the glory and duty of everyone. The kamikaze did manage to 

damage and sink many allied ships, particularly in the Battle of Okinawa, but never had 

true success in stopping the allied forces. 

In the spring of 1945, the Commander of Japan’s Fifth Air Fleet was the experienced pilot 

Admiral Matome Ugaki. His mission was to protect Japan using a suicide air force of 

kamikaze pilots. The first mission was basically a failure. Many of the pilots claimed 

“engine failure” and returned to base rather than face death. The peak of the kamikaze 

raids came between April and June of 1945 in the Battle of Okinawa. More than 1000 

kamikaze took part. Many allied warships were damaged and sunk by kamikaze raids; 

however the kamikaze did not succeed in sinking any aircraft carriers. 

By the summer of 1945, Japan had lost almost 3 million people in the war, and many 

others were facing starvation. After the Soviet Union entered the war, Hirohito, the 

Emperor of Japan, agreed to surrender. His radio speech was the first time the Japanese 

people had heard his voice. Many officers, including the inventor of the kamikaze, felt so 

shamed by the surrender that they committed suicide by splitting their bellies in the 

method called hara-kiri. However, after hearing the surrender speech, Admiral Ugaki 

decided to lead 22 young pilots in 11 planes on one final kamikaze mission to destroy 

American ships near Okinawa. As the planes approached the island, they were spotted 

and shot down by American anti-aircraft guns. The next day Admiral Ugaki’s burning 

plane was found on the beach. The three dead occupants, the two pilots and their “guest” 

Ugaki, were buried on the beach. 

399

STRATEGIC READING ACROSS THE CURRICULUM 

The accessing of prior knowledge coupled with predicting on unknown information are two most 

important factors in facilitating the comprehension of expository text. Predictions by students 

serve to increase motivation and to develop a purpose for reading. Below is an effective 

comprehension strategy that can be used across the curriculum. A text about Kamikaze Pilots will 

be used to illustrate the strategy. 

CONTENT-DIRECTED READING/THINKING ACTIVITY 

Ask students to write/contribute what they know about Kamikaze Pilots. Encourage students to 

take risks and to speculate. The teacher’s role is to guide, probe, and raise additional questions to 

focus the discussion. Accept all responses. Students then read to find answers to their questions. 

ANTICIPATION GUIDE 

Present students with 8-10 statements about Kamikaze Pilots. Have the students indicate whether 

they agree or disagree with each statement. Encourage discussion. Accept all answers. 

____1. The commander of Japanese kamikaze pilots at the end of World War II was Admiral 

Matome Ugaki. 

____2. Kamikaze pilots sometimes claimed engine failure to avoid committing suicide. 

____3. Most of the kamikaze attacks took place during the early years of World War II. 

____4. The samurai code of honor was called bushido. 

____5. The Japanese Emperor during World War II was Yamamoto. 

____6. The last kamikaze raid of World War II took place just before the Emperor’s surrender 

speech. 

____7. After the surrender many Japanese officers committed suicide. 

____8. Kamikaze planes usually carried two men. 

____9. The final kamikaze raid of World War II ended in failure. 

____10. The word kamikaze means divine wind. 

400



• 4.3 spi 1.A (GOV). identify major forms of government 

• 4.3 spi 2.A (GOV) compare the basic features of governments in the 

world. 


• 2.2.D (G) Pinpoint a cause-effect relationship using a graphic-organizer 


Government models handout, glue, construction or chart paper, scissors, 

and markers 

Assessment activity: Government Models/ Manipulatives 

1. Divide students into groups. 

2. Each group should receive 3 copies of the government models 

handout, glue, 3 pieces of butcher paper/construction paper, 

scissors, and markers. 

3. Their task is to create a flow-chart of power for each of the 

government configurations: one for the confederation structure; 

one for the federal; one for the unitary. They are to use the 

puzzle pieces on the handout to arrange their flowcharts, one 

flowchart per structure. The flowcharts should show the 

relationship in each structure (federal, unitary, confederation) 

among the central/national government and the local 

governments. 


assess the models. 

EXTENSIONS: Have the students create 3-D models at home! You could hang 

these around your room. 

401

402



• 3.5.spi.10.B. (WH) identify methods of historical research and 

dissemination. Minimal understanding should include archaeology, 

anthropology, and oral histories, primary and secondary sources. 


• T-2.2.F (EOC) identify, interpret, and analyze literary elements. 


Manila file folders Scissors and glue 

Index cards Pens / Markers 

Tape 

Alternate material: Construction paper (instead of manila file folders and 

index cards) 

Assessment activity: Flip Chart 

1. Instruct students on the methods of historical research and 

dissemination. 

2. Discuss and show examples of each method. 

3. Review with students some resources for locating other examples of 

each method (such as internet sites). 

4. Model directions for creating a flip chart (attached). 

5. Assign students to make a flip chart showing each method of 

research and dissemination and examples of each. 


EXTENSIONS: Flip Charts are excellent tools for organizing and illustrating 

information. They are appropriate for any area of social studies involving 

categories. Works cited information could be included for any sources used to 

locate information. 

403

Flip Chart Directions 

How to make a manila folder flip chart: 

1. Cut a manila / file folder in half. 

2. Decorate outside of folder. 

3. Inside folder, lay index cards down so that the bottom edge of each extends 

about ½ “ to ¾ “ below the card on top of it. 

4. Tape each card to the file folder, starting with the bottom card. 

5. Make sure the tape does not extend past the outer edge of the card (the cards 

won’t “flip up” if the tape goes past the outer edge). 

6. Label the topic for each card on the ½” to ¾" edge. 

7. Fill in the information about that topic on the rest of the card. 

8. Decorate/illustrate as appropriate. 

How to make a construction paper flip chart: 

1. Select three pieces of construction paper (3 different colors creates a good, 

visual separation of topics) 

2. Place the three pages on the table so that about ¾" or 1” edge is at the bottom 

of each page. 

3. Carefully lift the upper edges of the stack and fold down toward the bottom. 

Make sure to create a ¾" or 1” edge between the 3 top layers and the bottom 

layers. 

4. Crease the fold and staple across the top edge. 

5. The top sheet is the Title page. 

6. Each of the following 5 sheets has an edge on which the topic for that page 

can be written. 

7. Fill in the information about that topic on the rest of the card. 

8. Decorate/illustrate as appropriate. 

404



• 5.1. F. (WH) Understand the chronological flow of historical eras and 

events in World History; Age of Revolution (1750-1914) 


4.1.A (G) Determine the appropriate preparation (e.g., length and timing, 

rate of speech, visual aids, diction) for an oral presentation to a specified 

audience or special interest group. 

• 4.3.A (G) Evaluate delivery techniques appropriate to a specified 

audience (emphasis, diction, body language, tone of voice). 

• 4.2.A (G) Determine methods of engaging an audience during an oral 

presentation. 


The French Revolution Play, Group Assignment Page, Assessment 

Rubric, Oscar Ballots 

Assessment activity: Scenes from the French Revolution 

1. Divide the students into 5 groups. Each student should take on a 

character in the scene. Depending on the class size, some groups may 

have more students in them than roles, so some students (who may not 

want to be on stage in front of the class when the scene is performed) 

may be cast as directors, costumers, and stage designers, etc. 

2. Give each group a scene from the play to produce. 

3. Tell each group they must completely design their scene for production 

the next day. 

4. They must choose and put together costumes that fit their characters, 

making character choices, and perhaps even backdrops. 

5. The next day, have students present the play by moving scene by 

scene through the story of the French Revolution’s start. 

6. As the students watch the play put on by their peers, they should keep 

a list of the causes of the French Revolution (such as class conflict, 

economic inequality, political corruption, etc.) 

7. Have the students vote on the Oscar Ballots (handout provided). 

Assessment tool: Use the rubric included in this lesson to assess each 

group. 

EXTENSIONS: Have the class perform the play sequentially for an audience, 

perhaps another class. 

405

Rubric for the French Revolution Scenes: 

Student Names: ________________________________________ 

CATEGORY 4 Superior 3 Good 2 Fair 1 Poor 

Role Point-of-view, 

arguments, and 

solutions 

proposed were 

consistently in 

character. 

Props/Costume Student group 

uses several props 

(could include 

costume) that 

accurately fit the 

period, show 

considerable 


and make the 

presentation 

better. 

Theatrical 

Strength 

Student group 

portrayed its 

assigned scene 

with a creative 

eye; the scene 

was colorful and 

powerful. while 

staying 

historically 

accurate. 

Teacher Notes to Group: 

Point-of-view, 


solutions 

proposed were 

often in 

character. 

Student group 

uses 1-2 props 

that accurately 

fit the period, 

and make the 

presentation 

better. 

Student group 

produced a scene 

that was good in 

that it followed 

the script, but it 

was not as 

colorful and 

powerful in its 

effect. 



solutions 

proposed were 

sometimes in 

character. 

Student group 

uses 1-2 props 

which make the 

presentation 

better. 

Scene was bland 

and did not flow. 

The scene could 

have been 

thought through 

more carefully. 



solutions 

proposed were 

rarely in 

character. 

The student 

group uses no 

props OR the 

props chosen 

detract from the 

presentation. 

The scene did 

not follow the 

play's script and 

did not show 

evidence of 

enough 

preparation. 

406

Student Handout: Scenes from the French Revolution 

Oscar Awards Ballot 

Best Male Actor Overall:__________________________________ 

Best Female Actor Overall:________________________________ 

Best Costumes (write group):___________________________________ 

Best Set-Design (write group):___________________________________ 

Most Comedic Acting (write actor’s name):__________________________ 

Most Dramatic Acting (write actor’s name):______________________________ 

407



• 5.2 (GOV) understand the specific historical documents and institutions 

which shaped the principles of the United States Constitution 


• T-1.2.I (EOC) write an effective thesis statement 


Sample persuasive essay relevant to unit of study, 3 colors of hi-liter 

markers per student or student group. 

Assessment activity: Thesis statement 

1. Direct students to read sample essay. 

2. Direct students to hi-lite the main idea in the first essay body 

paragraph in color 1, the main idea in the second essay body 

paragraph in color 2, and the main idea in the third essay body 

paragraph in color 3. 

3. Direct students to locate in the essay introductory paragraph the 

statement that contains all three ideas and underline it. 

4. Direct students to use hi-liters to mark the main ideas in the 

underlined statement using the appropriate colors. 

5. Direct students to locate in the essay conclusion paragraph the 

statement that contains all three ideas and underline it. 

6. Direct students to use hi-liters to mark the main ideas in the 

underlined statement using the appropriate colors. 

Assessment tool: Collect marked papers. Award up to 20 points for each 

correctly executed task (#2-6 above). 

EXTENSIONS: Students may compose their own persuasive essays on a topic 

of general interest, swap papers and mark them with hi-liters to show whether or 

not the student’s thesis statement was effective. 

408



• 5.7 spi (WH) understand the impact of various global conflicts throughout 

history 


• 3.2A tpi (EOC) use media to view, to read, to write, to communicate, and 

to create 

• 3.2A tpi (G) use media to view, to read, to write, to communicate, and to 

create 


The video Tora, Tora, Tora, Vocabulary List of Film Shots and 

Techniques,T chart graphic organizer 

Assessment activity: Teaching Cause-Effect Through Film 

1. Divide students into five or six groups. 

2. Distribute film terms vocabulary list and T-charts. 

3. Discuss film terms and assign each group one area to watch for 

during the film clip. 

4. Discuss cause and effect as it relates to this statement by a Japanese 

Commander during World War II, “The success of this mission 

depends on surprise.” 

5. Direct students to use the Cause/Effect T-chart to note reasons 

(causes) why the attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise and the 

specific effect each incident had. 

6. Show the clip from the video. 

7. Discuss film techniques each group observed in the clip. 

8. Discuss cause/effect situations portrayed in the video. 


EXTENSIONS: Use clips from other videos to show cause/effect relationship. 

409

T-CHART 

412

Name Date 

GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS AIID GEIIERIC PATTERNS 

T-Chart 

Graphic Orgfllli::crs lind Generic Pattcms 

413



• 5.10 (WH) understand how historical information is collected, recorded, 

interpreted, transmitted, and disseminated across various historical eras 


• T-2.1C (EOC) identify appropriate resource material for further study of a 

topic in nonfiction excerpt (e.g. encyclopedia, almanac, dictionary, 

thesaurus) 

• T-2.1C (G) identify appropriate resource material for further study of a 

topic in nonfiction excerpt (e.g. encyclopedia, almanac, dictionary, 

thesaurus) 


Source type cards, Source use cards, Source example cards, Topic 

cards pertinent to content area 

Assessment activity: Information Search 

1. Divide students into three groups. 

2. Give each group member in group 1 a source type card, give each 

student in group 2 a source use card, and give each student in group 

3 a source example card. 

3. Allow students to organize themselves into source information groups, 

grouping source type/source use/source example cards appropriately. 

4. Discuss with students the nature of sources and relative validity. 

5. Ask students to help incorrectly matched students help in finding the 

appropriate group(s). 

6. Post source type cards around the room. 

7. Distribute possible research topic cards to students. 

8. Ask students to write the given topic and three possible source types 

to use in conducting research on it. Students should also be directed 

to include a brief rationale for each selection. 

Assessment tool: Collect papers. Award 15 points for each logical 

choice and each logical rationale. Award 10 points for correct 

format/procedure. 

EXTENSION: Use http://tilt.lib.utsystem.edu/nf/module/sources.htm Module 1 

as a resource tutorial. Use tutorial quiz score as assessment. 

414

MAGAZINES 

SOURCE TYPE CARDS 

Source use cards 

Source example cards 

To find information or opinions about popular culture 

To find up-to-date information about current events 

To find general articles for people who are not necessarily specialists on the topic 

U.S. News and World Report 

Ebony 

The New Yorker 

JOURNALS 

To use when doing scholarly research 

To find out what has been studied on the topic 

To find bibliographies that point to other relevant research 

Journal of Communication 

The Historian 

Journal of the American Medical Association 

GENERAL ENCYCLOPEDIA 

Give a brief overview of a subject 

Convenient, but limited 

Collier’s Encyclopedia 

The New Encyclopedia Britannica 

Encyclopedia International 

THESAURUS 

Provides a list of words with closely related meanings 

New Roget’s Thesaurus of the English Language in Dictionary Form 

Webster’s New Dictionary of Synonyms 

415

SPECIAL ENCYCLOPEDIA 

Cover an entire field or subject 

Give more detailed and more technical information 

Provide direction toward particular books and articles on subject 

The Harvard Dictionary of Music 

The Encyclopedia of World Events 

Guide to Historical Literature 

ATLASES 

Bound collection of maps showing political and geographical divisions of the world 

Provide information on climate, resources, ethnic distribution, languages, industry 

Cosmopolitan World Atlas 

National Geographic Atlas of the World 

New York Times Atlas of the World 

ALMANACS/YEARBOOKS 

Contain statistical and factual information that changes constantly 

World Almanac and Book of Facts 

Americana Annual 

Facts on File Yearbook 

PERIODICAL INDEX 

Points to citations of articles in magazines, journals, and newspapers 

Contains abstracts or brief summaries of articles 

May contain full text of article 

Reader’s Guide to Periodical Literature 

The New York Times Index 

Poole’s Index to Periodical Literature 

UNABRIDGED DICTIONARIES 

More comprehensive than abridged or college dictionaries 

Emphasize the history of words and the variety of uses 

Appropriate for in-depth word study, study of literature of a previous century 

The Oxford English Dictionary 

The Random House Dictionary of the English Language 

Webster’s Third New International Dictionary of the English Language 

416

ABRIDGED DICTIONARIES 

Contain common words and their meanings 

The American Heritage Dictionary 

Oxford American Dictionary 

Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary 

SPECIAL DICTIONARIES 

Limited to a single class of word, single kind of information, or specific subject 

A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English 

Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology 

Modern Language Usage 

BIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCE BOOKS 

Provide information on the lives of people past and present 

Current Biography 

The Dictionary of American Biography 

American Authors 1600-1900 

417




• 9.11 (US History) read and interpret Cold War documents 

• 1.3 spi 1A (WG) explain how information and experiences may be 

interpreted differently from people of diverse cultural perspectives and 

frames of reference 


• 2.2 A (G) draw inferences from a selected passage 

• 3.3 A (G) evaluate the validity of a variety of media sources 


The Spy’s Dilemma packet for each group and the teacher instructions 

(downloaded from the website). 

Assessment activity: The Spy’s Dilemma 

1. Divide the class into groups of equal size (or as equal as 

possible). 

2. Give each group a packet of the Spy’s Dilemma Documents. (You 

find this information and download it from the following website: 

www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/teacher_lessons/secondary_les 

sons.htm). If that link is malfunctioning, go to the Truman Library’s 

home page and search under the Education tab for the Middle and 

High School (Secondary) Lesson Plans and find “Spy’s Dilemma.” 

3. Read the opening statement to the students, explaining to them 

that they are each a group of USSR spies in 1945 during the Cold 

War. They must select ONLY 5 documents from this group of US 

President Truman’s secret files to send secretly back to the USSR. 

Their lives depend on the strength of the documents they send 

back! 

4. Tell each group they must choose their documents in 45 minutes 

and be prepared to justify their choices at the start of class 

tomorrow. They should record their choices on the handout, 

“Documents to Send to Stalin.” At the start of your next class 

meeting, have each group explain which documents they chose. 

Keep a chart on the board. 

5. Then, reveal the points per document to the groups (using the 

teacher chart off of the website) and decide the fate of each group! 

This is the fun part! 

Assessment tool: Use the rubric included in this lesson to assess each 

group. It awards students more or less points depending on the 

EXTENSIONS: Have the students write a letter for homework explaining to Joseph 

Stalin their choices. 

418

A Spy’s Dilemma Student Handout 

Documents to Send to Stalin 

After close scrutiny, we loyal servants to the brave, mighty, brilliant and 

innovative, Premiere Stalin have decided to send the following five 

documents to you for the benefit of Soviet intelligence. We risked our lives 

to steal these documents from President Truman’s top-secret files! 

1) 

2) 

3) 

4) 

5) 

419

CONTENT STANDARD 6.0: INDIVIDUALS, GROUPS, AND INTERACTIONS 


• 3.6.pi.6.H. (AAH) recognizes the impact of Black political organizations: 

Black Conservative (e.g., J.C. Watts, Allen Keyes, Condoleeza Rice, 

Clarence Thomas, Thomas Sowell, Walter Williams, Ken Hamblin, 

Armstrong Williams). 


• T-2.2.F (EOC) identify, interpret, and analyze literary elements. 


Manila file folders Scissors and glue 

Index cards Pens / Markers 

Tape 

Alternate material: Construction paper (instead of manila file folders and 

index cards) 

Assessment activity: Flip Chart 

1. Instruct students on Black political organizations, specifically 

Black Conservatives. 

2. List figures who fit in this category (J.C. Watts, Allen Keyes, 

Condoleezza Rice, Clarence Thomas, Thomas Sowell, Walter 

Williams, Ken Hamblin, Armstrong Williams). 

3. Review with students some resources for locating information 

about each of these figures (such as internet sites and news 

magazines). 

4. Model directions for creating a flip chart (attached). 

5. Assign students to select one of these figures and make a flip 

chart showing categories of that person’s political activities. 


EXTENSIONS: Flip Charts are excellent tools for organizing and illustrating 

information. They are appropriate for any area of social studies involving 

categories. Works cited information could be included for any sources used to 

locate information. 

420



• 6.1 (WG) understand the impact of individual and group decisions on 

citizens and communities 

• 6.1 (WH) understand the impact of one’s culture on identity, lifestyle, and 

socioeconomic status 

• 6.5 (GOV) understand the impact and influence of participatory citizenship 

on government at all levels 


• T-3.2.E (EOC) analyze the validity and effectiveness of resources (e.g. 

magazine article, newspaper, web page, etc.) 

• T-3.2.E (G) analyze the validity and effectiveness of resources 

• T-3.3.A (EOC) determine the most valid and effective resource, given 

multiple resources 

• T3.3.A (G) appraise the validity and effectiveness of multiple resources 


Set of cards labeled with various resources 

Assessment activity: Should English be the official language? 

1. Distribute cards to individual students. Ask the students to form a 

general assessment of the validity of the source on their individual 

cards. 

2. Direct card-holding students to line themselves up as in a continuum 

from most to least valid sources (left to right) at the front of the room. 

3. Allow non-card holding students to judge/discuss the continuum, and 

to direct changes in the lineup as necessary. 

4. Lead a group discussion noting the possibility of different 

arrangements according the writer’s intent/purpose. 


EXTENSIONS: Students may propose writers’ purposes that might rearrange the 

continuum. 

421

The New York Times 

“Senate Votes to Set English as 

National Language” 

422

USA Today 

“Push for ‘Official’ English 

Heats Up” 

423

The National Enquirer 

“Experts Project the 

Disappearance of English by 

2025” 

424

Arts & Entertainment 

Lance Ito: Success in America 

Depends on Language Skill 

425

PBS 

Don’t Make English Official- 

Ban It Instead 

426

KTRK-TV ABC13 

Heated Debate Over Making 

English Official Language of 

Friendswood 

427

People Magazine 

“Toni Sung: Youth Organizing 

to Protest ESL Requirements” 

428

Vista Magazine 

“The Future of Spanish in 

America” 

429

Time Magazine 

“In Plain English, Let’s Make It 

Official” 

430

Book 

The Politics of Language: 

Conflict, Identity, and Cultural 

Pluralism in Comparative 

Perspective 

431

from The Diary of X 

Language Requirements: 

Lifelong Oppression by 

Intellectual and Political Fascists 

432

Book 

The English-Only Question: 

An Official Language for 

Americans? 

433

Website 

ProEnglish: The English 

Language Advocates 

434

Blog 

English-only? English-plus? 

Let Majority Language Rule! 

435



• 6.3 spi (WH) understand the extent to which individuals, groups and 

institutions interact to produce continuity and change throughout world 

history 


• 1.2E tpi (EOC) draft essays using the writing process 

• 1.2F tpi (G) write to persuade 


Writing prompt, Tennessee Writing Assessment 

Assessment activity: Writing to Persuade 

1. Students will write for a timed period on a writing prompt. 

2. Before writing, students should review the categories in the 

Tennessee Writing Assessment to understand the scoring guidelines 

for a timed writing. 

3. Distribute prompts and allow students time to write their essays. 

4. After timed writing is complete, volunteers may share their writings. 

5. Discuss difficulties students may have encountered writing on an 

assigned topic in a limited time period. 

Assessment tool: Tennessee Writing Assessment guide 

EXTENSIONS: Students may compare their writing to previously scored essays 

(range finders). 

436

TEACHER 

RESOURCES 

438 

409

440 

411

441 

412

A List of Strategies in the Three-Part Framework 

Strategies to Use Before learning 

These activate prior knowledge and 

experiences. 

• Think Aloud 

• Browse Through Texts 

• Brainstorm/Categorize 

• Use Graphic Organizers 

• Pose Questions 

• Pre-teach Vocabulary, 

Concepts 

• Preview and Analyze 

• K-W-L: What Do I Know? 

What Do I Want to Know? 

How Willi Find Out? 

Strategies to Use During Learning 

These enable students to learn 

information, self-monitor 

understanding. recall information, 

and start to Jearn new vocabulary. 

• Visualize 


• Take Notes 



• Use Context Clues 

• Identify Confusing Parts 

• Summarize 

• Retell 

• Reread 

• Infer 

• Make Personal Connections 

Strategies to Use After Learning 

These foster connections to other 

texts and issues and deepen 

students' comprehension ofnew 

material and experiences. 

• Skim 

• Reread 



• Connections: Other Texts, 

Self, Community and World 

Issues 

• Visualize and Other Sensory 

Responses 

• Refla.ct Through Talking, 

Writing. Drawing. Music. and 

Movement 

• Drama 

• Note Taking 


• Infer: Compare/Contrast, 

Cause/Effect, Main Idea 

• Summarize 

• Retell 

• Synthesize 

• Self-evaluate 

443 

414

READI.NG TERl\IS TO Kl'iOW 

1. Authentic assessment uses actual literacy tasks for the purpose ofdetermining student 

performance, as opposed to relying solely on traditional forms oftesting. 

2. Balanced reading is a reading program which includes phonemic awareness, decoding, fluency, 

caHing on prior knowledge, vocabulary-building, comprehension, and motivation. 

3. Clustering is grouping infonnation to help children remember it better; a form ofbrainstorming. 

4. Critical listening is listening for a specific purpose (e.g., evaluation, information, entertainment). 

5. Critical reading is reading "text in such a way as to question assumptions, explore perspectives, 

and critique underlying social and political values or stances." (IRA and NCTE, 1996, p. 71) 

6. Experience stories are teacher-directed stories written by the teacher and the students to reflect a 

group experience. 

7. Expository writing refers to a precise, factual, informational writing style. 

8. Implied meaning is meaning which cannot be cited from the text but which may be drawn from 

the reading; reading "between the lines." 

9. Letter-sound correspondence means recognizing the-corresponding sound ofa specific letter 

when that letter is seen or heard. 

10. Metacognition is the awareness and knowledge ofone's mental processes such that one can 

- monitor, regulate, and direct them to a desired end; self-mediation; thoughts about thinking 

(cognition); for example, thinking about how to understand a reading selection. 

11. Non-print text means visual media other than printed material (e.g., photographs, movies, 

symbols). 

t2. Paired reading means partners reading aloud to each other for the purpose of practicing, sharing, 

developing fluency, communicating information, or modeling oral reading technique. 

13. Paired writing refers to two students collaborating to create one piece. 

14. Phoneme is the smallest unit ofsound; for example, the word "cat" has three phonemes. 

15. Phoneme awareness is an understanding that speech consists ofa series ofsmall sound parts. 

]6. Phonics is the association ofspeech sounds with printed symbols. 

17. Print text is a written, typed, or printed version ofa piece of prose or poetry. 

18. Reading is a complex developmental challenge that we know to be intertwined with many other 

developmental accomplishments: attention, memory. language, and motivation, for example. 

Reading is not only a cognitive psycholinguistic activity but also a social activity. 

444 

415

B-D-A Lesson Format 

Traditional Format 

Read 

Assigllment 

Discussion to 

see if students 

I 

learned main I 

concepts, \ 

I 

what they \ 

"should have" 

, learned \\ 

I \ 

ftjfter Reading \ 

Active Engagement Format 

Activate &: build prior 

knowledge 

Make predictions 

Raise questions 

Set purpose 

Guide ACTIVE 

silel1t reading 

Clarify, 

reinforce, and 

extend 

knowledge 

447 

418

Reading Strategies 

Instructional Teacher Strategies 

Strategies for Explicit InstnJction 

> K-W-L Plus 

> Chunking 

> DR-TA 

> SQ3R 

> QAR 

> Graphic/Visual Organizers 

> Writing to Learn 

> Vocabulary Development 

Supporting Strategies for Teacher Use 

> Anticipation Guide 

> Reciprocal Teaching 

> Guided Reading Procedure 

> Interactive Reading Guides 

> Jigsalv 

> Visual· to .. Print 

448 

419

Have Students Generate Their O,vn Descriptions, Explanations, or Examples 

Once a description, explanation, or exmnple has been provided to students they should be 

asked to restate that infonnation in their own \\·ords. It is important that students do not 

copy exactly what the teacher has offered. Student descriptions, explanations, and 

examples should be their own constructions using their own background knowledge and 

experiences to forge linkages between the new tenn or phrase and what they already 

know. 

Have Students Represent Each Term or Phrase Using a Graphic Representation, 

Picture, or Pictograph 

Once students have generated their own description, explanation, or example they should 

be asked to represent the term or phrase in some graphic, picture, or pictographic form. 

This allows them to process the infolTIlation in a different modality-an imagery form as 

opposed to a linguistic fonn. It also provides a second processing ofthe information 

which should help deepen students' understanding ofthe new term or phrase. 

453 

424

Final Comments 

The tenus and phrases listed in this tuanual are offered to Tennessee districts and schools 

as a foundation from which to design and iluplement a cotnprehensive program to 

enhance the acadelllic background knowledge ofstudents. Districts and schools are 

encouraged to use this resource in ways that best suit their needs and dispositions. 

456 

427

Appendix A - Language Arts I Word List 

Third Grade 

abbreviation 

adverb 

antonyms 

apostrophe 

chronological order 

complete sentence 

context clues 

contraction 

declarative 

exclamatory 

fact 

interrogative 

multi-meaning words 

opinion 

organization 

plural 

possessive 

predicate 

prefixes 

punctuation (commas) 

root word 

run-on sentence 

(introduction) 

singular 

story elements (character, 

setting, plot) 

subject 

suffixes 

summarize 

supporting details 

synonyms 

verb (types and functions) 

Fourth Grade 

analogy 

audience (as listeners and 

readers) 

author's purpose 

cause/effect 

compare!contrast 

double negatives 

drawing conclusions 

encyclopedia 

fable 

genre (introduction) 

index 

making inferences 

myth 

outline 

possessive nouns 

proofread 

punctuation (quotation 

marks) 

sentence fragment 

simple predicate 

simple subject 

thesaurus 

title page (parts of) 

verb tense 

Fifth Grade 

alliteration 

caption (identify) 

comparative " 

coordinating conjunctions 

hyperbole 

idiom (introduction) 

interjections 

introductory paragraph 

main idea/stated and implied 

metaphor 

narrative 

onomatopoeia 

parts ofspeech 

personification 

plot 

point ofview/perspective 

prompt 

punctuation marks (colon, 

semi-colon) 

reference source 

root words (as aids in 

determining meaning) 

run-on sentence (correcting) 

simile 

sumlnary 

superlative 

text 

theme 

transitional words 

*These terms are words included in the state frameworks that have been deemed essential knowledge 

for end of course tests. 429 

458

Appendix A - Language Arts IWord List 

Sixth Grade 

affix 

ahnanac 

analogy (pa11 to 

\vhole:function) 

appositive 

caption (deterrnine function) 

chronology 

clause 

(dependentlindependent) 

conml0n feature 

criticisnl 

dialect (introduction) 

edit 

literal vs. tigurative 

log 

mythology 

oral tradition 

paraphrase 

phrases (adj .. allv.. prep., inf., 

etc.) 

plagiarism 

poetic element (e.g., rhyme, 

rhytlun, and figurative 

language) 

point ofview (1 st, 3rd 

limited, and 3rd 

omniscient) 

propaganda devices 

proverb 

relevant/irrelevant 

rephrasing 

stress 

tabloid 

textual features 

Seventh Grade 

analogy (verb fonlls, rhymes) 

anecdote 

assumption /asSU111e 

clarify 

clause (adverb, introductory, 

etc) 

compile 

contract 

convention 

culture , 

documentary 

exposition (literary) 

expository writing 

expression (emphasis, stress, 

etc. in oral language) 

fluency 

generalization 

ilnagery 

inconsistency 

infinitive 

interpretation 

literary elements (irony, 

mood, foreshadowing, 

flashback, tone, 

symbolism) 

parallel structure 

projection 

prose 

revision 

sentence structure 

stereotype 

strategy 

types ofpoetry 

viewpoint 

Eighth Grade 

allusion (define concept with 

sinlple illustrations) 

antecedent* 

(pronoun/antecedent 

agreement) 

bias 

clincher sentence 

coherent order 

composition structure 

(structural patterns in 

composition) 

cross-reference 

debate 

derivation 

dramatization 

elaboration (supportive 

details) 

facilitator (role 

identificatiolv'groups) 

gerund and gerund phrase 

infer from unstated 

assumptions 

jargon 

logic (inductive/deductive 

reasoning) 

mnemonic device 

oral language techniques 

(inflection, enunciation, 

rate, and pitch) 

participial phrase and 

participles 

persuasive writing techniques 

preface 

reliability 

sensory detail 

shades ofmeaning 

synthesize/analyze 

tension 

thesis statement 

writing process 

*Thcse terms are words included in the state frameworks that have been deemed essential knowledge 

for cnd ofcourse tests. 

459 

430

Appendix D - Social Studies I Word List 

Kindergarten 

automobile 

celebration 

family 

holiday 

honesty 

hUlllan 

job 

leaders (i.e., Abraham Lincoln, 

George \Vashington, & 

rv"lartin Luther King, Ir.) 

month 

neighborhood 

privacy 

rules 

seasons 

today 

tomorrow 

transportation 

United States 

vote 

week 

year 

yesterday 

First Grade 

America 

citizen 

city 

conununity 

continent 

country 

elections 

equality 

flag 

globe 

governor 

independence 

law(s) 

map 

mayor 

needs 

ocean 

past 

president 

respect 

responsibility 

rights 

state 

truth 

veteran(s) 

Second Grade 

area 

authority 

barrier 

chronological 

climate 

custom 

distance 

duty 

goods 

govenunent 

heritage 

justice 

landmark 

privilege 

qualifications 

rural 

services 

settlement 

symbol 

tradition 

urban 

vegetation 

volunteer 

461 

432


Third Grade 

agriculture 

barter 

borders 

cardinal directions 

citizenship 

conflict 

consumer 

culture 

distribution 

economy 

equator 

exports 

geographic features 

geography 

global 

hemisphere 

imports 

industry/manufacturing 

latitude 

longitude 

map key (legend) 

natural resources 

physical map 

population 

producer 

product 

suburban 

timeline 

wants and needs 

Fourth Grade 

American Revolution 

ancient civilizations 

Articles ofConfederation 

Bill ofRights 

colonial 

Constitution 

democracy 

executive branch 

explorers 

judicial branch 

legislative branch 

Louisiana Purchase 

Nlaytlower Compact 

mission 

Native American groups 

(e.g., Cherokee, Creek, 

Chickasaw) 

preamble 

Puritan 

Quaker 

religion 

slavery 

Supply and demand 

taxes (Revolutionary War) 

Tennessee political leaders 

(e.g., Daniel Boone, John 

Sevier) 

Trail ofTears 

Westward expansion 

Fifth Grade 

abolitionist 

Amendments 

American Federation of 

Labor-AFL(Samuel 

Gompers) 

Austin Peay 

border states 

boundaries (physical & 

political) 

Civil War (e.g., Frederick 

Douglas, Clara Barton, 

Robert E. Lee, Ulysses 

Grant, Justice Roger 

Taney, Abraham Lincoln) 

Confederate States of 

America (Jefferson Davis) 

debt/credit 

Great Depression 

historical documents 

(Constitution, Bill of 

Rights, Declaration of 

Independence) 

Hull House (Jane Addams) 

industrialization 

Labor Laws 

levels ofgovenlment 

Martin Luther King (Civil 

Rights) 

primary/secondary sources 

urbanization 

462 

433

Appendix D - Social Studies IWord List 

Sixth Grade 

anthropologists 

archaeologists 

artifacts 

barter economy 

Buddhism 

caste system 

census 

Christianity 

city states 

civilization 

colonization 

domestication 

epics 

feudal system 

geologists 

Hinduism 

historians 

impact 

irrigation 

Isla111 

Judaism 

merchant / trader 

migration 

monarchy 

nomadic 

oligarchy 

philosophy 

prehistory 

republics 

rornancelanguage 

theocracy 

trend 

Seventh Grade 

autocracy 

conservation 

contemporary 

deforestation 

demographics 

depression 

dictatorship 

drought 

economic system 

estuary 

exploration 

famine 

fjord 

global wanning 

gro\\lth rate 

immigration 

infant mortality 

inflation 

international 

lagoon 

NAFTA 

non-renewable 

occupation 

oppression 

phenomena 

political system 

recession 

renewable 

resource al location 

scarcity 

thematic 

topography 

Eighth Grade 

altruism 

antebellum 

Articles ofConfederation 

Bill ofRights 

Columbian Exchange 

COlnmerce 

common sense 

confederation 

Constitution ofthe United 

States 

credit and debt 

Declaration ofIndependence 

diplomacy 

doctrine 

Emancipation Proclamation 

federalism 

Gettysburg Address 

infrastructure 

institution 

insurrection 

interdependence 

movement 

nationalism 

Puritanism 

Reconstruction 

republicanism 

segregation 

social norms 

suffrage 

supply and demand 

463 

434


U. S. History 

anti-Semitisn1 

amlS race 

assimilation 

baby boom 

blockade 

boss system 

civil rights movement (sit-ins, 

segregation, desegregation) 

civil service exam 

Cold War 

communism 

containment 

counter culture 

Credit Mobilier 

dust bowl 

entrepreneurs (i.e., Sam Walton, 

Michael D,?ll, Ray Kroc, Lee 

Iacocca, Donald Trump, Bill 

Gates, Steve Jobs, Jeff 

Bezos) 

fascism 

feminism 

Granger Laws 

" Grant's Black Friday 

Harlem Renaissance 

imperialism 

isolationism 

labor union 

Manifest Destiny 

mass media 

McCarthyism 

nationalism 

nativism 

New Deal 

populism 

populist 

progressive 

prohibition 

propaganda 

Social Darwinism 

space race 

Tammany Hall 

tenement 

totalitarianism 

United Nations 

Vietnam War 

\Vatergate 

\Vhiskey Ring 

\\lomen's suffrage 

World History 

apartheid 

appeasement 

aristocracy 

armistice 

atheism 

commercial revolution 

coup d'etat 

ethnic cleansing 

European Union 

feudalism 

genocide 

gueri Iia warfare 

heliocentric 

Holocaust 

humanism 

imperialism 

inuustrial revolution 

labor organizations 

liberal. moderate, 

conservative 

manorial 

mercantilism 

middle passage, triangular 

trade 

NATO 

oligarchy 

OPEC 

Proletariat 

renaissance 

reparations 

romanticism 

scientific revolution 

theocracy 

totalitarian 

tribal systems 

United Nations 

465 

436

SOME HELPFUL RESOURCES FOR THE SOCIAL STUDIES CLASSROOM 

Assembled by the National Council for the Social Studies (www.ncss.org) 

The Object of History: Behind the Scenes with the Curators of the National Museum of 

American History 

The Center for History and New Media at George Mason University and the Smithsonian 

Institution’s National Museum of American History are pleased to announce the launch of The 

Object of History http://objectofhistory.org. The website features six artifacts from the Museum’s 

collections, related high school curriculum materials, and opportunities for students to participate 

in live online forums with Smithsonian curators. 

Additional Materials for Teachers http://objectofhistory.org/teachers/: 

• introductory material on how to use this site in the classroom 

• three activities designed to teach about the featured objects 

• notes on where the curriculum materials fit into the standards of learning 

• links to related web resources 

Four Live Audiocasts with each object http://objectofhistory.org/forum/: 

CONFLICT IN IRAQ 

New Resources from the Choices Program 

The war in Iraq is sparking much debate today. One thing most can agree on: there are no easy 

answers. What the United States does in Iraq will affect Iraq, the Middle East, and the United 

States for years to come. 

Teaching about Iraq requires special sensitivity from teachers. It is likely there are students with 

family members or friends serving in the military. In addition, sharp political points of view about 

Iraq could short-circuit thoughtful consideration of the issues. Sorting through all of these issues 

is a classroom challenge for teachers. Yet teachers who address these challenges do their 

students a great service. 

Conflict in Iraq: Searching for Solutions is a new curriculum unit developed by the Choices 

Program at Brown University to help students consider the history of Iraq and the present 

conflict, and to participate in informed discussion about policy alternatives concerning the U.S. 

role in Iraq today. 

Conflict in Iraq: Confronting Policy Alternatives is an online lesson plan focused on the policy 

options at the center of Conflict in Iraq: Searching for Solutions. The material is available from 

“Teaching with the News” on the Choices web site http://www.choices.edu. 

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Free CD-Rom of Teaching Materials Related to the Lewis and Clark Expedition 

The Minot State University History Department announces the availability of a CD-Rom of 

teacher-produced resources and lesson plans created by participants in its 2005 NEHsponsored 

summer institute for teachers on the Contexts and Legacies of the Lewis and Clark 

Expedition. 

These materials have been produced for use with students from grades 4-12. Formats include 

lesson plans, WebQuests, and DBQs. Themes include: Exploration and Environment, Jefferson 

and Nation-Building, American West, and Native Cultures and Legacies. 

To view the materials on-line or to request a free CD-Rom of the materials, go to the 

department’s website: http://history.misu.nodak.edu 

Are We Winning the Global War on Terror? 

In October 2003, seven months after the United States invaded Iraq, Donald Rumsfeld, the 

Secretary of Defense, wrote a memo to four of his subordinates. In his memo he asked his 

colleagues to consider a number of questions he had about the “Global War on Terror.” 

In this online lesson students will: 

Read and evaluate a policy memo on the “Global War on Terror” from Donald Rumsfeld. 

Consider whether and how the United States can determine the success or failure of the 

struggle against terrorism. 

Find this free resource in the TEACHING WITH THE NEWS section of the Choices, 

http://www.choices.edu. 

Terrorism: How should we respond? 

“Terrorism: How should we respond?” is a free online teaching resource from the CHOICES 

Program (http://www.choices.edu) at Brown University’s Watson Institute for International 

Studies. Find the resource in the TEACHING WITH THE NEWS section of the Choices Program 

web site. 

The 5th anniversary of the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center and the 

Pentagon is upon us. As our country continues to deliberate on how to best confront the 

challenges and dangers of terrorism, the Choices Program has made available free resources to 

address the topic. “Terrorism: How Should We Respond?” invites students to explore four 

divergent policy options on the question of how the United States should respond to terrorism, 

each driven by different underlying values, each with merits and tradeoffs. A new ballot activity 

allows students to voice their own perspectives. The policy options presented in this online 

lesson plan are excerpted from Responding to Terrorism: Challenges to Democracy 

http://www.choices.edu/curriculum_unit.cfm?id=26, published by the Choices Program at Brown 

University. 

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American Indians in Children's Literature 

“American Indians in Children’s Literature” is a blog resource developed and maintained by 

Debbie Reese, an Assistant Professor in American Indian Studies at the University of Illinois at 

Urbana-Champaign. She is using blogging technology to reach parents, teachers, and librarians 

who may not have access to print publications where articles on this topic are published. 

Reese’s blog/resource includes links to recommended books about American Indians, on-line 

articles on this topic, websites and blogs maintained by Native authors in addition to Reese’s 

blog posts on topics such as the origin of “Happy Hunting Ground” or discussion of the term 

“papoose.” http://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com 

Using the News to Teach Religion 

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/teach/ 

This video and Web site resource created by the PBS series Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly for 

high school and college teachers of social studies, history, religion, etc. demonstrates an 

approach to teaching religion that incorporates reading and discussing the daily news. Shot at 

Colgate University in 2003-2004, the video features classroom footage illustrating how two 

teachers conduct a course on religion using the news, specifically THE NEW YORK TIMES, as 

a text. The video also includes interviews with the teachers themselves, augmented by the 

course description, syllabus, and exam questions. A free DVD is available! 

International school partnerships for the 2006-07 academic year 

Project Harmony (www.projectharmony.org) provides opportunities for educators and students 

to participate in cross cultural dialogue and cultivate international relationships by connecting 

with their peers in the nation of Armenia. 

The Armenia School Connectivity Program (ASCP) is a program sponsored by the U.S. 

Department of State and is implemented by Project Harmony. The program provides 

opportunities for students, educators, and community members to access and share 

information, to engage in online collaborative projects ranging in subject from the environment 

and cultural traditions, to democracy, civil society and the arts. ASCP increases schoolcommunity 

interaction, U.S.-Armenian partnerships at the school and community levels, and 

civic engagement on the local, national, and international levels. 

For more information, please visit www.projectharmony.org 

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America's Heritage: An Adventure in Liberty - Free Lesson Plan Resource 

America’s Heritage is a free lesson plan resource on America’s factual, philosophical heritage 

for K-12 teachers of social studies, US government, US history, economics, geography, music, 

& related subjects. 

Developed by and for teachers through collaboration of education/service organizations, it is 

free to use for educational purposes, paid for by grants. 

Lessons correlate with NCSS standards and are grouped into elementary, middle, and high 

school. An elementary edition in Spanish/ESL is available. 

The resource can be downloaded online or ordered in CD/binder formats. 

Request your free resource at ahef@americanheritage.org! (Indicate name, school, address, 

phone, email, grade(s), #, format (CD/binder). 

For more information visit www.americanheritage.org 

Crossword Puzzles on American History Topics 

Crossword puzzles suitable for students in grades 5 and above. Topics included are the 

explorers, the colonies, westward expansion, the Civil War, industrialism, World War I, World 

War II, US Presidents, US Government, Inventors and Inventions. Each puzzle comes with an 

answer key and permission to copy enough for your students. For a free sample and information 

on how to purchase the entire set, please visit http://home.comcast.net/~donnajmelton/. 

U.S. Immigration Policy: What should we do? [Teaching with the News] 

"U.S. Immigration Policy: What should we do?" is a free online teaching resource from the 

CHOICES Program (http://www.choices.edu) at Brown University's Watson Institute for 

International Studies. Find the resource in the TEACHING WITH THE NEWS section of the 

Choices Program web site. 

While leaders in Washington are debating changes in current immigration law, demonstrations 

for and against the proposed legislation are taking place around the country. Proposed 

legislation focuses primarily on issues related to border control, law enforcement, and policy 

toward undocumented workers. This has raised additional questions about human rights, the 

economy, the environment, and security. "U.S. Immigration Policy: What should we do?" 

enables students to consider these issues within the context of long-term goals for immigration 

policy. The material is drawn from "U.S. Immigration Policy in an Unsettled World" published by 

the Choices Program at Brown University. 

472

The Challenge of Nuclear Weapons 

New from the Choices Program http://www.choices.edu "The Challenge of Nuclear 

Weapons" is a new supplemental curriculum unit from the Choices for the 21st Century 

Education Program at Brown University. This unit gives students the tools they need to wrestle 

with the questions that surround the future of nuclear weapons. 

http://www.choices.edu/curriculum_unit.cfm?id=49 

Part I introduces students to the history of nuclear weapons and the concept of deterrence. 

Part II examines some of the arguments for and against nuclear weapons and then looks at 

three challenges: (1) the leftover arsenals of the Cold War, (2) proliferation, and (3) the threat of 

nuclear terrorism. 

At the core of the unit is a framework of choices for U.S. foreign policy concerning 

nuclear weapons. Links to additional online resources are available from the Choices web site. 

An online lesson focused on the Options at the center of this unit is available from the Choices 

Program's "Teaching with the News" web site. http://www.choices.edu/curriculum_twtn.cfm 

U.S. Immigration Policy: What should we do? [Teaching with the News] 

"U.S. Immigration Policy: What should we do?" is a free online teaching resource from 

the CHOICES Program (http://www.choices.edu) at Brown University's Watson Institute for 

International Studies. Find the resource in the TEACHING WITH THE NEWS section of the 

Choices Program web site. 

While leaders in Washington are debating changes in current immigration law, 

demonstrations for and against the proposed legislation are taking place around the country. 

Proposed legislation focuses primarily on issues related to border control, law enforcement, and 

policy toward undocumented workers. This has raised additional questions about human rights, 

the economy, the environment, and security. "U.S. Immigration Policy: What should we do?" 

enables students to consider these issues within the context of long-term goals for immigration 

policy. The material is drawn from "U.S. Immigration Policy in an Unsettled World" published by 

the Choices Program at Brown University. 

Track Current Events 

TRACKER enables teachers and students to organize current online resources, such as online 

newspaper articles. The Internet is a great resource for displaying multiple articles on a current 

event, but is often overwhelming due to the huge amount of sites available today on the Internet. 

TRACKER organizes your selected articles by utilizing an interface that allows users to navigate 

from article to article with the click of a button. 

The TRACKER interface also includes an online newspaper that aids summarization and 

discussion of a current event. As the editor of your TRACKER, you create a summary of a 

current event that will be displayed on the "Front Page" of your TRACKER newspaper. The 

users may write a response to the current event by participating in a discussion board and 

"writing a letter to the editor". Both the discussion board and "letter to the editor" are features 

that are available only to those taking that specific TRACKER. 

473

You can create a TRACKER without knowing how to create a web site. All you need to do is find online 

articles for a current event, write down the address, and fill out a form. It's as simple as that! 

trackcurrentevents.org 

Teaching Ethics 

The basic postings on www.ethicsineducation.com are two ETHICS WORKBOOKS for students 

in grades 7 through 12. These workbooks present ways to embed ethics education into standard 

world and American history programs. The workbooks, and the accompanying teacher’s guides, 

may be printed and duplicated by individual teachers for use with their classes. Supplementary 

active student involvement strategies developed by teachers to implement ideas in the Ethics 

Workbooks are also posted and are free to schools. 

The Ethics Workbook I: World History was written for younger students in typical secondary 

world history classes in grades 7 – 10 as a first introduction to ethical issues. It treats a wide 

array of topics and simplifies the thinking of the most common ethicists and philosophers across 

the span of civilization. The Ethics Workbook II: American History was written for older students 

in typical secondary American history classes in grades 11 – 12. It examines the major conflicts 

and turning points in American History. 

Visit www.knowchildlabor.org 

The International Center on Child Labor and Education (ICCLE) has launched a new web-site 

www.knowchildlabor.org 

The purpose of this web site is to promote the sharing of resources and interaction among youth 

and teachers working on global child labor issues across the country and the world. 

The site features: Inter-linkages between child labor, education and poverty, Child labor myths, 

Child Labor Resource List, including curriculum and lessons plans, True Stories of child laborers 

turned advocates, Poetry and Art by US youth, Youth Action Plans to build community 

knowledge of child labor issues, Directory of youth clubs - big and small, established and new - 

working on global child labor issues across the country, Youth Action Toolkit on how to start a 

club, including a Club Registration Form and Activities Log, Quiz, interactive Youth Forum, and 

more... 

Initiate any discussion about child labor in the Youth Forum. Tell us about what you are doing by 

using the Activities Log. Test your knowledge of global child labor issues by taking the quiz. 

Women's Biography Sites 

http://home.earthlink.net/~sharynh/WBS.htm 

Within these pages, the reader can find information about women (and men) who have been or are 

presently mathematicians, computer scientists, artists, authors, inventors, and historical figures by 

connecting to the Internet address cited. The reader can choose from nine categories: Arts & 

474

Entertainment; Diversity, General; HerStory; International; Of Interest; Politics; Science, Math, & 

Technology; and Sports. There are thousands of biographies available on the more than 290 web sites 

listed. 

Black History & Classical Music 

Black composers and musicians have enriched classical music for centuries. AfriClassical 

profiles over 50 Black composers and performers from Africa, Europe and the Americas. A 

Black History Quiz, audio samples and CD covers can also be found at www.AfriClassical.com 

Young Politicians of America 

This website is amazing! It offers students a wonderful forum to discuss the issues; it fosters a 

sense of civic duty and gives schools across the country an opportunity to establish chapters of 

the YPA (Young Politicians of America). Their web address is www.ypa.org. 

Ecological Footprints: Thinking Critically about History 

Under a grant from the EPA, Redefining Progress has designed training programs for social 

studies and history teachers to incorporate the scientific and social aspects of humanity's use of 

renewable resources into classroom teaching, using the Ecological Footprint (EF). The EF is a 

scientifically reviewed framework for problem solving and critical thinking that challenges 

teachers to analyze history from a new perspective and helps students understand cumulative 

environmental impacts. The EF quiz can be found at www.myfootprint.org. The workshop 

materials can be found at www.rprogress.org/education. 

North Korea and Nuclear Weapons: Teaching with the News 

"North Korea and Nuclear Weapons" is a free online teaching resources from the CHOICES 

Program (http://www.choices.edu) at Brown University's Watson Institute for International 

Studies. Find the resource in the TEACHING WITH THE NEWS section of the Choices Program 

web site. Online resources include teaching materials, lesson plans, and vetted links to news 

sources. Resources are updated regularly. All resources--printed and online--are designed to 

engage secondary level students in deliberation on contested international issues. 

The Genocide Education Project 

The Genocide Education Project proudly announces its formal establishment as a non-profit 

educational organization. The mission of The Genocide Education Project is to assist educators 

in teaching about human rights and genocide, particularly the Armenian Genocide, by 

developing and distributing instructional materials, providing access to teaching resources and 

organizing educational workshops. In addition to reaching out to public school districts about the 

importance of genocide and human rights education, organizing workshops for teachers, 

distributing resources and lesson plans to be used in the classroom, The Genocide Education 

Project maintains a website at http://www.TeachGenocide.org. Also, for more information about 

475

the efforts of The Genocide Education Project please visit their website at 

http://www.GenocideEducation.org. 

Educators for Social Responsibility's Online Teacher Center 

Educators for Social Responsibility announces its new Online Teacher Center at 

http://www.esrnational.org/otc/. Quickly find lessons and resources for K-12 on international 

security, conflict resolution, peacemaking, violence prevention, and social responsibility -- all 

free of charge and ready to be downloaded after simple registration. The OTC features a link 

library as well. ESR welcomes your ideas and comments. 

CitizenJoe.org: a clear window on government 

http://CitizenJoe.org is a nonprofit site - created by a team of liberals, moderates, and 

conservatives - that offers a clear, unbiased window onto the policies and votes being debated 

in DC. With fact-based issue guides and up-to-date information on major bills being voted on in 

Congress, CitizenJoe aims to encourage open policy dialogue and greater civic engagement. 

While CitizenJoe's first aim is to make it easy for busy Americans to get the information they 

need to take a stand on the issues, it's also an excellent resource for young people learning 

about the connection between policy and government and for the teachers working with those 

students. 

In brief, CitizenJoe.org offers: weekly updates on the major bills being voted on in Congress, 

guides to key policy issues with facts and a balanced pro & con, and facts on over fifty policy 

areas with recommended links for readers who want to find out more. 

Although the organizers of the site acknowledge that it's not possible to be 100% unbiased and 

balanced, they shoot to get as close as we can by creating and keeping a team that balances 

liberals with conservatives so they can be their own checks and balances. 

Center on Congress Web Site 

The Center on Congress at Indiana University Web site provides students, teachers, and 

citizens with a wealth of resources for learning about the U.S. Congress including interactive 

activities, videos, articles and commentary, Q&A, and links to other great resources for learning 

about Congress. 

The site includes rich resources of several types: interactive e-learning modules; Lee Hamilton's 

"Comments on Congress"; audio files from the "Congressional Moment" radio series; short 

humorous "Facts of Congress" videos highlighting key historical facts about Congress; 

downloadable TIME for Kids mini magazines; streaming video of the "Close Up" television 

programs; background papers and reference materials, lesson plans for grades 4-12; and much 

more! 

The Web site focuses on several major themes related to Congress and representative 

democracy: the role of Congress, how Congress works, the legislative process, the impact of 

Congress, members of Congress and what they do, public criticisms of Congress, the 

importance of citizen participation, and how to learn about and contact Congress. Please visit 

the Web site at http://congress.indiana.edu 

476

Many Peoples, Many Histories: Exploring Native American Cultures of the United States 

This is an interdisciplinary project designed for middle-school students. It is driven by the 

national standards of several disciplines, including social studies, geography, and English 

language arts. The project provides students with the opportunity to master historical content, to 

learn how to conduct research, and to build upon their language and critical thinking skills as 

they assist a historical society in planning, organizing, advertising, and presenting an exhibit. 

Students become "authorities" on Native American history and culture as they engage in the 

activities throughout the project. The project is free to educators. Visit 

http://techknowassociates.com/projects/native.htm for more information. Or visit 

http://techknowassociates.com/projects/index.htm for a complete list of free projects that 

integrate technology into the curriculum 

Teaching U.S. History with Traditional Folk Music 

Visit http://www.balladofamerica.com for songs, lyrics and background information that will 

enhance American History lessons from elementary school through college 

The 18-track CD "Ballad of America Volume 1" is available at the site. It tells the story of the 

United States of America through a wealth of traditional folk songs. The journey begins in the 

latter part of the eighteenth century when the United States of America became an independent 

nation. It follows the paths of the pioneers, sailors, lumberjacks, immigrants, '49ers, farmers, 

slaves, soldiers, cowboys, and railroaders who moved the country across the continent and into 

the twentieth century. 

Teaching with the News 

TEACHING WITH THE NEWS (http://www.choices.edu/curriculum_twtn.cfm) is a free online 

teaching resource from the CHOICES Program (http://www.choices.edu) at Brown University's 

Watson Institute for International Studies. Teaching with the News provides up-to-date 

resources on international topics such as Iraq after war, North Korea and nuclear weapons, 

responding to terrorism, global environment, defining genocide, Tsunami relief in the context of 

foreign aid, and America's role in the world. Online resources include teaching materials, lesson 

plans, and vetted links to news sources. Resources are updated regularly. All resources are 

designed to engage secondary level students in deliberation on contested international issues. 

Learning About the Silk Road 

The Grist Mill Gazette (http://www.gristmillgazette.com) from Reach And Teach.com is an online 

newspaper written by your class, based on a particular date, era or social issue. The Nueva 

School in Burlingame, CA was looking for an innovative way for kids to learn about the Silk 

Road and demonstrate their knowledge through research, creative writing, and art. Using the 

Grist Mill Gazette product, the students named their newspaper The Spitting Camel and got 

right to work on articles, editorials, political cartoons, drawings, crossword puzzles, and other 

creative ideas for communicating what they had learned about the Silk Road's rich and 

fascinating history. See what they created. 

477

Mightier than the Sword: Calligraphy of the 16th Century Imperial Courts 

This is a web-based curriculum unit designed to provide a creative and interactive approach to 

studying many of the major empires that dominated the world stage in the 15th and 16th 

centuries. Using Islamic calligraphy as an entry point, students learn about seven empires: the 

Songhay, Saadian, Mughal, Safavid, Ottoman, Ming, Tokugawa Shogunate, and the Hapsburg, 

from historical, literary and artistic angles. 

This free on-line tool is designed for high school students of World History, Literature, Art and 

Mathematics. It addresses national standards for 9th and 10th grade subject areas. It is a 

means of studying Arab and Islamic contributions to the arts and cultures of the world through a 

neutral lens that encourages research, dialogue and creative presentation. It also includes an 

extensive listing of resources for teachers and students to help in their exploration of Arab and 

Islamic culture. 

To access this exciting online resource, please visit 

http://www.thejerusalemfund.org/gallery/callig. 

Winston Churchill Biography 

The Churchill Centre offers a free biography of Winston Churchill. Teachers, request the 160page, 

lavishly-illustrated, hardcover book for your library at http://www.winstonchurchill.org. See 

"Teachers Only" at lower left. Use code: SW1 (offered while supplies last). 

Written by his granddaughter, Celia Sandys, the book was published only in England to 

accompany the 3-hour PBS program aired there (and in the U.S. in October 2003). The book 

provides an excellent introduction and overview to Churchill's life and times. The book has been 

adopted as the official publication of the new Churchill Museum in London. 

Andy's American History Worksheets 

At http://andya.org teachers can find middle school worksheets on topics in American History. 

They have rhyming couplets on the front (good mnemonic device) and questions on the back. 

Covers just about everything in U.S. history up to the Civil War. 

Free Lewis and Clark Curriculum 

The Official Lewis and Clark Curriculum is an integrated curriculum that links to NCSS 

Standards. It can be used within your existing curriculum to address such areas as Time, 

Continuity & Change . . . People, Places and Environments . . . Global Connections . . . and 

Civic Ideals and Practices. This must-bookmark Web site is available on-line. Go to 

http://www.lewisandclark200.org/curriculum and click "View Site!" 

All Country Info 

http://www.allcountryinfo.org All Country Info offers free detailed information on 200+ countries 

and territories spanning the entire world. Reference information includes national geography, 

economic data, demographic statistics, country maps and flags, descriptions of national military 

forces, overviews of each country's governmental structure, data on transportation and 

telecommunications, and more. 

478

1000s of Web-Quests for Social Studies and Language Arts Classrooms 

This web-site contains 1000s of AMAZING web-quests for all subjects, including Social Studies 

and Language Arts! Since 1996, San Diego State University has maintained a database of 

example Web-Quests. This database is kept up to date and weeded out when a link goes bad 

(as volunteer time permits). As of this writing, the database contains over 2500 Web-Quests, 

sorted by subject, age-level, or type. Visit http://www.webquest.org/ 

479

Annotated Websites for Teachers 

http://www.aaronshep.com/ 

Here are loads of free treats and 

resources for teachers-all from 

award-winning author Aaron 

Shepard. 

www.act.org 

The ACT site contains infonnation 

about the optional essay portion of 

the ACT including the scoring 

rubric. 

http://www.animatedatlas.com/movie.html Explore the animated timeline that 

traces the growth of the United 

States. Grades 3+ 

www.archives.gov/digital.classroomlteaching_with_ National Archives & Records 

documents.html Administration 

www.awesomelibrary.org Contains a tremendously large 

number of links dealing with all 

elements of language arts classes! 

teaching 

www.bettergrammar/orgltov.html Contains rules and practice 

questions for the eight parts of 

speech and a variety of other 

grammatical situations. 

http://cagle.msnbc.comlteacher/ Teachers' guide to using the 

Professional Cartoonists index, 

including lesson plans for using the 

editorial cartoons as a teaching 

tool in social sciences, art, 

journalism, and English 

www.cherokee.orghome.aspx?section=culture&culture= This site details the Trail of Tears. 

history&cat=R 

htlps:/Iwww.cia.gov/cialpublications/fadbooklindex.html The CIA's world fact book has the 

most updated data on the web for 

every recognized country in the 

world. 

http://clerkkids.house.gov/ An interactive center created to 

help kids learn bout the U.S. 

House of Representatives and its 

role in lawmaking. Grades 2-5 

http://www.cleveleys.co.uklwonders/sevenwonderssofthe Take a virtual tour of the seven 

world.htm wonders of the world 

www.collegeboard.com The College Board site contains 

infonnation about the essay portion 

of the SAT including sample 

prompts and scored essays. 

www.colonialhall.com/biography.php This site offers a biography of each 

of the Founding Fathers. 

www.ccc.commnen.edu/grammar Contains over 170 interactive 

quizzes relating to a variety of 

grammatical problems. Also 

includes crosswords and activities 

to enrich vocabulary 

http://www.consumerkids.govt.nzlenglishlindex.html Economics for the 8-10 year old. 

480 

451

I 

www.digitalhistory.uh.edulindex.cfm 

http://www.dmarie.com/timecap 


Gilder Lehnnan Institute of 

American History. Ask a 

professional historian questions, 

play games, or watch a flash 

movie. Grades 3-12 

Time Capsule. Type in specific 

date and see the highlights 

including music, politics, tv, 

movies, prices of goods, etc. 

Grades 3-8 

http://www.dinah.com/ 

Dinah Zike's website for foldables 

and other manipulatives 

http://www.edhelpemet.com/cgi-binlednet.cgi?site=ttgu A teacher site for resources on 

lesson plans, thematic units, book 

activities, crafts, educational 

www.edsitement.com 

worksheets, and more. 

Contains links that focus on 

humanities 

http://www.eduplace.com/araohicoraanizer/ Graphic organizers for writing 

http://www.eprentice.sdsu.edu/J0302ljamiesonJ Webquest on seven ancient 

webquest.htm wonders 

www.firstwoMdwar.com This site has a wealth of primary 

documents, audio clips, videos, 

music clips, posters, and articlesall 

freel 

www.graphic.org Contains a variety of graphic 

organizers that are easily 

downloaded and printed for 

classroom use 

www.historv.org Colonial Williamsburg 

http://histpress.mtsu.edulthen The Heritage Education Network 

http://www.iknowthat.com/comlL3?Area=L2 SocialStudies I Know that Social Studies games 

www.ira.org (Homepage of International 

Reading Association) Contains 

many links to areas including 

adolescent literacy and No Child 

Left Behind 

http://www.kent.k12.wa.us/staff/LindaJancolaJ6Traitlwhat. See site for six traits of writing and 

htm lesson plans 

www.loc.gov National Library of Congress More 

than 10 million primary sources 

online for teachers 

www.mcrel.org Contains links to lesson plans and 

activities as well as professional 

articles about current issues in 

education 

www.memory.Ioc.gov/cgi- This site shows the actual journal 

bin/Query/r?ammenlmtj:@field(DOCID+@litCieOOO62) entries of Lewis and Clark. 

http://memory.loc.gov/ammemledhtmVedmvhm.html Edison Motion Pictures. A 

,. . 

colledion of 342 Edison films. For 

best results, right-click and save 

file to computer. Grades 2-12 

481 

452


http://www.nationalgeographic.comlwortdJindex,html Articles, online games, I 

brainteasers, plus lots of other 

surprises. Grades 3+ 

http://nieonline.comJaaeclcftc.cfm Editorial cartoon classroom 

lessons 

www.cr.nps.govJnrltwhp National Register of Historic 

Places: Teaching with Historic 

Places 

http:/twww3.newberTY.org/k12maps Historic maps in K-12 classrooms 

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/index.html Contains powerpoint presentations 

on writing and grammar 

www.ncss.org National Council for the Social 

Studies 

www.ncte.com National Council for Teachers of 

English contains sample lesson 

plans and interactive lessons for 

students. It also offers an 

opportunity to join the organization 

http://www.pekin.netlpekin108Iwash/webquestf Who killed King Tut? 

http://www.pbs.orgllewisandclarkl PBX's teacher resources for the 

Lewis and Clark expedition 

www.refdesk.com Contains word quizzes, word 

searches analogies, translation 

dictionaries, and preparation for 

standardized tests 

http://rubistar.4teachers.org Contains all types of rubrics and 

guides user to creating original 

rubrics 

www.scholastic.com Contains lesson plans, activities, 

strategies, tools and items for sale 

www.schooldiscovery.comlschrockguide Contains lesson plans, puzzle 

makers, brain boosters, and other 

curriculum enhancing materials 

Http://www.scriptsforschools.com/ Scripts for Schools is an online 

source of high quality Readers 

Theater Scripts for the elementary, 

middle, and high school levels. 

www.sdcoe.k12.ca.uslscore/actbank.ltorganiz.htm Contains a large activity bank with 

graphic organizers, types of 

journals, ideas for responding to 

literature, and rubrics for 

evaluation 

www.sitesforteachers.com Contains a database of web sites 

available to teachers 

www.smic.be/smic50221 Contains printable handouts and 

I 

activities with new lessons added 

each week 

482 

453

I http://teachers.teach-nology.comlindex.html 


http://teacher.scholastic.comJscholasticnewsl 

http://tennessee.govJeducation 

http://www.theteachersguide.com 

A web portal for educators. Many 

top websites are listed here with 

descriptions of the material found 

in them. 

Scholastics News presents current 

events that are most relevant to 

students in a fOfTTlat that is fun and 

appealing. Grades 3-8 

Tennessee Department of 

Education website 

A teacher-created guide to 

.resources for lesson plans, 

thematic units, book activities, 

teacher freebies, children's songs, 

and more. 

www.tnhistoryforkids.org Tennessee History for Kids. Site 

claims that in only a year, this has 

become the most popular resource 

for Tennessee history, civics, and 

geography in public and private 

schools. 

http://www.tusin.k12.ca/uslcyberseminar/paragraph.htm Site for writing sentences and 

paragraphs. Useful for writing 

across the content areas. 

www.virtualjamestown.org This site ·shows the actual map that 

John Smith drew of Virginia. I 

http://volunteervoices.org Volunteer Voices is an ambitious 

initiative of the TENN-SHARE's 

Tennessee Electronic Library to 

provide online access to 

Tennessee's rich culture and 

history. 

http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/ Contains easy-to-use tutorial on 

grammar and compositions with 

both printable and interactive 

auizzes 

www.xrolls.virginia.edu/o'{'7E1930slFILMllorentzlplow.html Film that uses verse and music to 

dramatize the causes that led to 

the Dust Bowl 

483 

454

) Podcast Sites to Use in the Social Studies Classroom 

1. http://www.Apple.com/iTunes 

2. http://www.podcastbunker.com 

3. http://www.podcastcentral.com/ 

4. http://www.thepodcastnetwork.com 

5. http://epnweb.org 

6. http://www.audible.com 

7. http://www.learnoutloud.com 

8. http://www.history.org/Media/podcasts.cfmhttp:/Iwww.ipodder.org 

9. http://www.podcast.netl 

10. http://www.podcastalley.com 

11. http:/www.podcasting-tools.com/submit-podcasts.htm 

12. http://www.npr.org/rss/podcastlpodcast_directory.php 

13. http://www.cnn.com/services/podcasting/ 

14. http://podcasts.engadget.com 

15. http://www.podcastpickle.com 

16. http://www.podshow.com 

17. http://www.nytimes.com/ref/multimedia/podcasts.html 

18. http://www.podcast.noaa.gov 

19. http://podcasts.zdnet.com 

20. http://podcasts.com 

21. http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/podcasting 

22. http://www.pentagonchannel.mil/podcast.asp 

23: http://www.publicradiofan.com/podcasts.html 

24. http://www.historychannel.com 

484 

455

Practical Assessments (for Literature-Based Classrooms) Adele Fiderer 

Put to the Test (Tools and Techniques for Classroom Assessment) Threse M. 

Kuhs, Robert L. Johnson, Susan A. Agrusa, and Diane M. Monrad 

Reading and Learning Strategies for Middle and High School Students Lenski, 

Wham,and Johns 

Reading in the Content Areas Social Studies Jamestown Education 

Reading in the Dark John Golden NCTE 

Reading Reminders: Tools, Tips, and Techniques Jim Burke 

Reading Strategies for Social Studies Stephanie Macceca (2007 Shell 

Educational PUblishing) 

Standards-Based Activities with Scoring Rubrics Middle and High School 

Performance-Based Vol..1(Portfolios) and Vol. 2 (Projects) 

Ed. Jacqueline Glasgow Eye on Education 

Texts for Fluency Practice Timothy Rasinski and Lorraine Griffith (2007 Shell 

Educational Publishing) 

Tools for Thought Jim Burke 

Tools, Treasures, and Measures Forte and Schurr Incentive Publications 

Tried and True Lessons, Strategies, and Activities for Teaching Secondary 

English Joe Antinarella and Ken Salbu 

Voice Lesson: Classroom Activities to Teach Diction, Detail, Imagery, Syntax, 

and Tone Nancy Dean 

Web-Sawy Student Betsy Hedberg Center for Media Literacy 

Western Railroad Songs Keith and Rusty McNeil 

What a Novel Idea: Projects and Activities for Young Adult Literature 

Katherine Wiesolek Kuta Teacher Idea Press 

When Kids Can't Read Kylene Beers 

Working and Union Songs Keith and Rusty McNeil 

Writing at the Threshold Larry Weinstein NCTE 

486 

457

Writing Reminders: Too/s, Tips, and Techniques Jim Burke 

Writing Strategies for Social Studies Teachers Sarah Kartchner Clark (2007 

Shell Educational Publishing) 

487 

458

Children’s Books for Social Studies 

1. The Journey of the One and Only Declaration of Independence 

by Judith St. George 

2. We the Kids The Preamble to the Constitution to the United States 

by David Catrow 

3. Seaman’s Journey, On the Trail with Lewis and Clark 

by Patricia Reeder Eubank 

4. Bewildered for Three Days, As to Why Daniel Boone Never Worn His 

Coonskin Cap by Andrew Glass 

5. The Salem Witch Trials, An Unsolved Mystery from History by Jane Yolen 

and Heidi Elisabet Yolen Stemple 

6. So You Want to Be President? by Judith St. George 

7. Take the Lead, George Washington by Judith St. George 

8. D is for Democracy a Citizen’s Alphabet by Elissa Gordon 

9. P is for Pilgrim A Thanksgiving Alphabet by Carol Crane 

10. Sequoyah, The Cherokee Man Who Gave His People Writing by James 

Rumford 

11. The Star-Spangled Banner by Amy Winstead 

12. Liberty’s Journey by Kelly DiPucchio 

13. Can’t You Make Them Behave, King George Jean Fitzpatrick 

14. The Cats in Krasinki Square by Karen Hesse 

15. The Greatest Skating Race, A WWII Story from the Netherlands by 

Louise Borden 

16. Mr. Lincoln’s Whiskers by Karen Winnick 

488

targeting cross-curricular learning - Jefferson County Schools

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