Music, Roaring Twenties, Roaring Twenties and Depression, Videos

Great Duke Ellington Jazz Video to Use When Teaching the Harlem Renaissance

If you want to show your students an awesome jazz performance when discussing the Harlem Renaissance, this video is great (see below)! It features famous African-American bandleader Duke Ellington (at the piano) and Ella Fitzgerald. While this particular performance took place long after the Harlem Renaissance when these two greats are in latter part of their careers, it is an excellent example of one of the most well-known jazz songs to come out of the Harlem Renaissance (it was written by Ellington). (Side note: While Ellington was an important figure during the Harlem Renaissance, Fitzgerald started making a name for herself at the very end of the Harlem Renaissance.) You can also use this video to explain to students what scatting is starting at around 1:24. After watching this clip, it’s easy to see why Fitzgerald is called the First Lady of Song!

American Revolution, Videos

Benjamin Franklin’s Role in the American Revolution

Most historians agree that the colonies probably would not have defeated the British during the American Revolution were it not for the support of France. While Washington was fighting in the colonies, Franklin was schmoozing aristocracy in France trying to get support for the Patriot’s cause. Imagine trying to convince a monarch to support the overthrow of another monarch. That’s just what Ben Franklin did. The video below does a great job of explaining Ben Franklin’s work in France during the American Revolution.

 

Presidents, Primary Source, Progressive Era, Teaching Tips

Inspiration and Encouragement from Teddy Roosevelt

Do you need a little inspiration to keep going? Do your students? I LOVE “The Man in the Arena” speech by Teddy Roosevelt (who is definitely my favorite president). This is my favorite excerpt…

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

At least you are in the arena. You are showing up. That’s what matters.

Here’s a video of my favorite part of his speech. It can also be used in your classroom. Use it when you are studying Teddy Roosevelt or any day you want to inspire your students.

Students in high school may feel like they are under a microscope, especially considering there is a very real chance that some jerk classmate might end up posting some kind of criticism or negative post about them on social media. Many students have become afraid to take risks and try something new because they are afraid of failure. But failure is a part of learning. One of the best books I have ever read is Failing Forward by John Maxwell. As Maxwell says, “The more you do, the more you fail. The more you fail, the more you learn. The more you learn, the better you get.” Roosevelt’s speech is definitely in line with this philosophy. Remind your students when they are struggling, when they risk, when they fail, that they should pay no mind to the critics and haters. At least THEY are in the arena…and so are you.

Videos, World War I

Best World War I Videos to Show in the Classroom

Here’s my roundup of the best, short World War I videos to reinforce concepts in your classroom. Most are around 4 minutes long. These should not all be shown in one day, but throughout the unit. Be sure to ask questions after each video and discuss with your students what they learned or thought was interesting.

How a Wrong Turn Started World War I – a great explanation of Franz Ferdinand’s assassination

 

WWI The First Modern War: The Germans Engage In Unrestricted Submarine Warfare – a good introduction to unrestricted submarine warfare

 

Why the Germans Torpedoed the Lusitania – a little more about the Lusitania

 

Life in a Trench World War I – a short summary, good contrast between German and Allied trenches, as well as dramatic description of how soldiers felt about trenches (it’s listed as age-restricted because it shows dead bodies)

 

Life in the Trenches WWI – Trench Warfare Explained – a longer description of trench warfare (about 8 minutes), less dramatic, more factual approach (may want to use for students who want to dive deeper)

 

Tech Developments of World War I – a great summary of the change from the beginning to the end of the war (show after trench warfare video)

 

Who Was the Red Baron?

 

Dog Fights: WWI Uncut – a 7 minute video, use for students who want to know more (side note: turn closed captions off – the word fokker is translated as the f word)

 

The Treaty of Versailles: What Did the Big Three Want 1/2 – a great summary of the feelings leading to the Treaty, show Part 2/2 below to get the full picture

 

The Treaty of Versailles: Terms of Treaty 2/2

 

Bet You Didn’t Know – a good summary of the entire war, might be good to show the day before a test or at the end of the year for End of Course test-prep

Assignment Ideas, National Expansion & Reform, Western Settlement

US Expansion Map and Quick Manifest Destiny Assignment

When covering the idea of manifest destiny and how it contributed to the Mexican-American War, a map is always helpful. Maps like the one linked below summarize lots of historical information in a friendly, visual format that makes it far easier for students to understand and remember. Use the blank expansion map found here (page 3) to help your students understand the idea of manifest destiny and its effect on expansion.

How?

After discussing manifest destiny, give your students a blank copy of the expansion map. Have them label the official United States up to 1844 (before Texas was added). Tell them to illustrate what manifest destiny would look like on that map. Tell them they need to include arrows to show which way the US is expanding and to add any other words, pictures, or symbols needed to accurately convey the concept. (My students drew things like wagons trains, telegraph lines, steam trains, and stick people heading west.) Be sure to have them write the term manifest destiny at the top.

Then have students label the territory owned by Mexico before the Mexican-American War (it’s labeled as the Mexican cession on page 2) and that of Texas.

After the students have labeled their maps, ask the following questions: What country or territories are in the way of the US fulfilling its manifest destiny at this time in history? What could the US do to gain these territories?

This discussion should help students understand why President Polk felt it was necessary to provoke a war with Mexico in order to gain territory.

You can also use this document to

  • Teach students about each of the major US territorial gains and how we acquired them
  • Review US territorial gains before an end of course test
Image: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported
New Nation, Podcast, Teaching Tips, Uncategorized

How to Find Interesting Facts for Your Lessons

Guess what I came across today…a photograph of Dolley Madison! Yep, an actual photograph (see above)! It was taken in 1848 by Matthew Brady (of course) when she was 80 years old! How cool! How have I not seen this before?! There’s something so raw about historical photos that can’t be conveyed by paintings.

So, how did I come across this photo? I was researching James Madison for a lesson about the Constitutional Convention. I’ve taught this subject plenty of times, but I was making a new set of notes, and I wanted to double-check my facts and see if I could find out anything new. While I was reading about James Madison, I fell down a rabbit hole reading about his relationship with Dolley.

I found out so many cool things! For example:

  • Dolley Madison’s first husband and one of her children died during a yellow fever epidemic. She was widowed at 25.
  • Aaron Burr, the man who eventually killed Alexander Hamilton in their famous duel, introduced James Madison and Dolley. He knew Madison from college and was staying in Dolley’s mother’s boarding house.
  • Dolley served as hostess for widower Thomas Jefferson when he was President. James Madison was Jefferson’s Secretary of State at the time. Dolley selected furnishings for the White House, organized parties, and entertained ladies that visited.
  • Dolley was 17 years younger than Madison, but they were known to be very much in love and were married for 42 years.

I also found out things that had nothing to do with Dolley Madison but were well worth remembering. For example:

  • George Washington only had one real tooth left at the time of his inauguration.
  • Teddy Roosevelt was known as the smiling president. He was the first president who was documented as smiling for photographs. He was so well-known for his smile that a Teddy’s teeth whistle was created for his 1904 presidential campaign. One is on display at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.

Almost every one of these facts would pique students’ interest or at least break the monotony of class. How did I find out these facts? By reading up on what I was teaching. Now, I know you won’t always have time to read up on everything, especially if it’s something you have taught before and feel like you already know. Sometimes we are lucky that we even made it to school with a shower and clean clothes; forget having time to read about George Washington’s teeth (or tooth).

BUT, there are those days where you spend too much time on Facebook, right? Or watch one-too-many TikToks? Or read another click-bait article? Instead of using ALL of that time for mindless entertainment, why not take a minute to Google the person you are teaching about tomorrow?

And while we are on the subject of Googling, let me mention a VERY important point. Don’t believe everything you read on the internet. Ok, I know you don’t believe everything you read on the internet, BUT do you take time to fact check the bits of trivia you come across? A quick search of the Dolley Madison photo may reveal that actual photo taken of her, but you will also come across various fake photos of her and James Madison. It didn’t take me long to research and find out that John Quincy Adams was the first president ever photographed, and that was after James Madison was already dead.

If it’s not a well-known fact, verify it using several well-known sources. It typically takes less than a minute to verify something. All of the facts that I shared above were verified by either government-run websites or those run by historical societies that are reputable. And no, a person’s blog is not considered a reputable source (unless it’s mine, of course). 😉 Also, if you come across a quote from someone or about someone that seems very controversial or “off,” make sure you look at the context of the quote. People can twist quotes to suit their own political biases. We expect our students to use reputable sources for schoolwork so we should do the same.

So, next time you dread teaching the SAME lesson about the SAME person again this semester, try doing a little bit of reading. You never know when you’ll come across the one interesting fact that can grab that one student you’ve been trying to reach!

 

 

Miscellaneous, Podcast, Teaching Tips, Uncategorized

How to Have Happier Students and a Happier You

Are you grateful? Are your students? Did you know that studies show that people who are grateful sleep better, have higher energy levels, have higher self-esteem, and are happier? When is the last time you asked your students what they are grateful for? And while this may be too personal question to have students answer out loud, I’m sure you could encourage your students to write down one thing they are grateful for once a week or even every day! Looking for things to be grateful for helps retrain neural pathways to see the good in life rather than the bad. Don’t students need this ability? Don’t you and I?

If you don’t want to implement a gratitude exercise in class every day, that’s understandable. But how about once in a while when you finish class a few minutes early but don’t have quite enough time to start a new activity?

Give your students this sheet to put in their notebooks and have them fill it in occasionally.

I came across this article that is an interesting read about gratitude of historical figures in their own words. My absolute favorite quote is from Frederick Douglass:

“From Mas’r Daniel I got protection from the bigger boys, and from Miss Lucretia I got bread by singing when I was hungry, and sympathy when I was abused by the termagant in the kitchen. For such friendship I was deeply grateful, and bitter as are my recollections of slavery, it is true pleasure to recall any instances of kindness, any sunbeams of humane treatment, which found way to my soul, through the iron grating of my house of bondage. Such beams seem all the brighter from the general darkness into which they penetrate, and the impression they make there is vividly distinct.”  Frederick Douglass, 1882

Frederick Douglass was in SLA-VER-Y. He found something to be thankful for in his life of slavery. What a great attitude! He chose to find some good in the injustice of his early life. He was not a victim. He was a victor, an overcomer. And look at what he accomplished!

I am a very big advocate of not making people into victims. Students who feel empowered and grateful will accomplish far more than those who feel the world is out to get them. Be grateful! Write down what you are grateful for. Look for that silver lining! You’ll be better for it and so will your students.

Miscellaneous

Something Silly to Brighten Your Day

This video popped up on my Facebook feed. It’s history-related. It’s satire. It’s silly. It just made me laugh. It’s called “If Beauty Influencers Existed in the 1700s.” Yes, it’s stupid, but also fun. There’s probably some inaccuracies in it, but I’m not fact-checking all of that. It’s a just clever, history-related video that put a smile on my face. I don’t think that I’d use it in the classroom unless I fact-checked all of it.

Do you know of any awesome videos like this that you can use you the classroom? Send them to me! I’d love see them!

Colonial America

13 Colonies Interactive Online Map and Blank Printable Map

What should your students know about the 13 original colonies? Ideally, they should be able to name them, locate them on a map, explain who settled there and why, and list the economic activities of each region. Here is an online interactive map that helps students locate and learn the 13 colonies. Do it together as a class or assign it for homework. Heck, do it every day at the end of class until the test. (There is a video ad that pops up in the lower right corner. If it bugs you, hover over it after it loads and an X will appear that you can click on to get rid of it.)

It’s also important to have your students label and color a map of the colonies. Here is a quality printable map of the 13 colonies.

Why?

A: It’s fun, and it’s a change from taking notes.

B. It is active learning. Students are doing something, not just watching you talk.

C. It engages both hemispheres of your students’ brains.

D. It engages kinesthetic and visual learners.

So the real question is: Why are you not using coloring in your classroom more! Just because your students did a lot of it in elementary school does not mean it’s not still a useful teaching tool.

Colonial America, Colonization & Settlement, Podcast

How to Teach About Christopher Columbus and the Columbian Exchange

Watch or listen to the video below to see how I use a class quiz, videos, sorting activity, and “Fakebook” assignment to teach my students about Columbus and the Columbian exchange. Download all of the freebies HERE and see links for other things below.

Mega-Download of Columbian Exchange and Columbus Freebies

Whiteboard Clipboards 6 pack on Amazon

Whiteboard Clipboards 30 pack on Amazon (I haven’t tried this brand, so I can’t vouch for quality.)

 

Colonial America, Videos

Great Bacon’s Rebellion Video

Here’s a great video that covers the basics of Bacon’s Rebellion. I have found that Bacon’s Rebellion is one of those historical events that typically gets sacrificed because of lack of time. It is important to know that the rebellion led to a larger dependence on slave labor in the colonies (rather than indentured servants).

This video also has review questions in the video description if you need them.

Also, here’s an interesting tidbit…it was recorded that Bacon died of the “Bloodie Flux” (dysentery) and “Lousey Disease” (body lice). His death inspired a little saying:

“Bacon is Dead I am sorry at my hart That lice and flux should take the hangman’s part.”

 

American Revolution, Test Prep, World War II

Great Declaration of Independence Meme to Use in the Classroom

I didn’t post on July 4th because I was enjoying my holiday. USA! USA! USA! BUT, I did come across several memes, and this one in particular made me laugh. I thought I’d share it.

Can you use this in the classroom? Totally!

  • You could put this on your board the day after you talk about the Declaration of Independence and see if your students get it…and if not, it’s a good way to remind them of THE most important date in American history (as well as who wrote most of the Declaration of Independence).
  • You could also use this as a bonus question for a test. “Explain what this meme means and why it is funny.”
  • You could round up a bunch of historical memes and use them as fun test prep reviews!

I think memes are actually a great way to help students practice analysis and critical thinking. Memes force students to recall information they know and then apply that knowledge to the meme to figure out what the meme is implying and why it the meme is funny.

While I’m on the subject of memes, did you know that the Keep Calm and Carry On memes were based on a British World War II motivational poster? It’s a good reminder to your students that history is everywhere!!!

 

Podcast, Teaching Tips

What the Titan Sub Tragedy Can Remind Us About Teaching

It’s so very sad to hear about the tragedy of the Titan submersible. By now, unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve heard about this story. Five people were killed when a submersible that was taking them to see the Titanic wreckage suffered a catastrophic failure. I am of the opinion that we can always learn from tragic circumstances, and that the more we can learn from them, the more the blow of the loss is softened. There are many, many lessons to be learned from the tragedy of the Titan, and I’m sure we’ll hear about those for weeks to come (well, as long as this story still interests news readers).

But what does this have to do with the classroom? It’s summer break. You don’t need to use this as a current event discussion in your classroom. But perhaps the lesson is not for your students, it is for you. What were these men willing to risk their lives and pay a ridiculous amount of money to see? The Titanic. Yes, the famed Titanic that I can bet is never mentioned in ANY state history standards. The Titanic, which has great maritime and cultural significance. The Titanic is not the worst maritime disaster, but I argue that it is the most well-known in the US. A seemingly “unsinkable” ship sinking on its maiden voyage and taking with it almost 1,500 innocent people? It’s something students should know about…and once again, it’s not something in most (if any) state standards.

I think it’s a good reminder of why we don’t need to teach to the test…why state standards aren’t the end-all, be-all of teaching. Why? Because history is more than just a list of terms. It’s a story. It’s a set of experiences that makes a group of people who they are. Very often we teach the facts of history, however the true lessons and wisdom that we can gain are pushed aside for what the “state” says is enough.

What events of historical significance are you skipping over so that your students can do well on a standardized test? What wisdom are you rushing past because someone tells you that you are only a good teacher if your students score well on a test created by people who don’t know you or your students’ abilities or struggles?

“In history, a great volume is unrolled for our instruction, drawing the materials of future wisdom from the past errors and infirmities of mankind.”
Edmund Burke

Miscellaneous, Test Prep, World War I, World War II

Three Free Online Quizzes – US Presidents, World War I and II

I stumbled across this quiz today on the US Presidents. It’s only 10 questions, but it would be a good, quick little time-filler at the beginning or end of class. It doesn’t have a lot of ads on the page either, unlike most online quizzes, which is a plus! I decided to look through all of their quizzes on the page and find any that were relevant to US History. See below for links!

You could use them as an introduction to a topic or to quickly gauge the overall knowledge of the class. These would also be an easy, fun way to do a little end of the year test prep/review. You can project the quiz on the board and complete it orally together or have students silently write their answers before you reveal the correct answer. I find that these quizzes are a fun way to fill a few minutes as a class when your students’ brains are fried and their attention-span is gone. In my opinion, an informal approach works best with these.

World War I Online Quiz

World War II Online Quiz

US Presidents Online Quiz

Podcast, Teaching Tips

What to Do During the Summer

Of course you want a break. But there are a few simple things you can do during the summer break to help you enjoy your break more and be better prepared for next year. One thing you need to do before you get too far into your break is to reflect on the previous year. Don’t worry, you don’t need to schedule a whole day to be alone and reflect (seriously, 20 minutes will do). Use my free End of the Year Reflection worksheet to help you pinpoint things that you need to change. Watch the video below for more tips.

 

Uncategorized

Update in Progress – Fixing Links, Etc.

The file service that I was using to host all of my resources files has stopped working! I didn’t realize this had happened until recently. I am going through the site link by link and fixing everything. If you click on a link to download a resource and something doesn’t work, email me and let me know and I’ll make sure to get it to you. Thanks for your patience!