Teachers Pay Teachers Sale Coming Soon!
There will be a Teachers Pay Teachers appreciation sale on May 9th and 10th. Products in my store will be 20% off during the sale! Use the code THANKYOU23 to get an additional 5% off.
Charlie Chaplin Video/Example of Silent Film
When covering life in the 1920s, it’s always good to mention mass media and various important figures. Charlie Chaplin is one of several 1920s figures I usually cover. I found a great clip today of Charlie Chaplain in The Kid. It’s a great example of a good silent film, as well as the work of Charlie Chaplin. It also shows our students that humor is often timeless and that the latest technology is not always needed to entertain or make a statement.
This clip is a great filler to show at the end of class or to grab students’ attention at the beginning of class!
World War 1 Causes Word Scramble
Check out this word scramble to help students remember the causes of World War I. Directions are at the top of the page, and students can click on the question marks for hints.
Free Civil War PowerPoint
Here is a free and pretty comprehensive slideshow about the Civil War. The slideshow contains 75 slides with graphs, charts, pictures, and more. You can’t download it, but you can display it on your projector/board. At some point, a pop-up window might appear asking you to sign up. Close the pop-up by clicking outside it, so you can still view the entire presentation. Be sure to enlarge the slideshow when you display it so that your students can easily see it. It’s a great
freebie with tons of information!
Free Columbus Interactive Crossword Puzzle
I’m trying out a new puzzle maker! I updated the puzzles I already have on the site because I like this software better than what I was using. My latest puzzle is one reviewing the basics of Christopher Columbus. Check it out here. Do you want me to create a puzzle reviewing a certain topic? Use the contact form to let me know, and I’ll see what I can do!
My First Video Post! Free Digital Pamphlet Template and Two Free Assignments
I’ve decided to start doing some video posts! Watch the video below or read the summary after the video for the basics.
Download your free template and assignments here!
An easy and creative way to let students showcase a large amount of knowledge on a subject is to have them create pamphlets. The most popular design for a pamphlet is the trifold layout.
A tri-fold pamphlet can be tricky for students to design, especially when creating it digitally. It’s hard to visualize which part will be the front. So, I created this free digital template to help your students create a trifold pamphlet! It works as a PowerPoint file, or you can upload it to Google slides and share it with your students. If your students create a hard copy at their desks, display the PowerPoint on your board to help them get started.
Tips
- Make sure you give your students a subject for which lots of information is available. The students have six panels to fill, and you want to make sure they have plenty of information to fill those panels. So, rather than assigning a pamphlet on a single event, like the Boston Massacre, you might assign students a pamphlet on the Continental Army or one on major battles in the American Revolution.
- When you give the assignment, be specific about the details you want students to include. Do you want pictures? How many pictures should students include? Should they be in color? How many facts do you want? Are there certain people, places, or things you want students to mention? Should the pamphlet be typed or hand-written?
- Does your school have a career center? Stop by and see if they have an example of a pamphlet that you can show your students. (Next time you are traveling to a different state, stop by the rest area to get pamphlets to show your students. Bonus: Look for pamphlets about historical sites and experiences if you have time.)
To give you an idea of what this might look like, I’ve included two sample assignments to use with the template. One covers the Continental Army, and the other covers Jamestown.
Download your free template and assignments here!
Have You Touched the Berlin Wall?
Did you know that there are many segments of the Berlin Wall on display in the United States? You can see if there is one close to you by checking here. A couple of years ago, I found out that there was a segment less than 45 minutes from me! I had no clue. It is in front of a German-run business located near the interstate. One day when my family and I were down that way, we stopped by and looked at it. It’s insane to think that we were touching something that was such a huge symbol of such a unique time. It also made me reflect on how blessed I am to be free, and it reminded me of the people who were living under such oppression that they were willing to risk their lives just to get over the very wall we were able to walk up and touch.
Encourage your students to go out and touch a piece of history! It may make a greater impact on them than any worksheet ever could.
Free Columbus and New World Doodle Notes
I thought I’d give you something that might help you along your way as you start the new semester. I hope to eventually have instructional videos that go along with these notes, but you can still use these in the meantime. These are doodle notes that cover the basics of the New World, Christopher Columbus, and the Columbian Exchange. I’ve also included an optional assignment idea on the last page of the notes.
If you don’t know what doodle notes are, they are awesome! While you cover the material, students call fill in and decorate the notes. This visual note-taking activates both hemispheres of the brain at the same time. Research shows that connecting images with information enables many students to remember more of the material covered than by using traditional notes. I’ve included tips and links to a couple of helpful resources in the files, so you’ll have all the info you need to implement them.
Would you like more doodle notes on other subjects? What subjects do you struggle with the most and need more resources for? Use the contact form to let me know! I plan on creating more doodle notes this year, as well as other resources. I hope to give away lots of freebies this year (along with posting resources from other sites), so be sure to check back often to see what I’ve posted.
Click here to download my Columbus Doodle Notes!
Also, FYI, I have LOTS of doodle notes available for Economics in my TPT store.
Valley Forge Video
This a great video explaining the importance of Valley Forge! It not only talks about the hardships and disease, but it also the strategic reorganizing and training of the army during this time. It also gives a great summary of the events leading up to the winter at Valley Forge, so the students have some context as to what has been happening in the war. My one criticism is that the guy at the beginning says the war has been “waging” rather than “raging.” While you can “wage war,” I’m pretty sure that is not correct in this context. I’m sure it was probably just a slip of the tongue. You may or may not want to mention that to your students. Still it does not diminish the value of the information in the video. It’s really interesting and only about four minutes long.
Civil Rights Voting Act Video
This video summarizes how the March on Washington led to the Civil Rights Voting Act of 1964. It’s a great video that shows cause and effect. This would be good to show before or after covering the Civil Rights Voting Act of 1964.
After the video, ask:
- How did the March on Washington lead to the Civil Rights Voting Act of 1964?
- How did the Civil Rights Voting Act of 1964 lead to more equality and more voting access for people who had been discriminated against?
Image Source: Civil rights march on Washington, Library of Congress, Public Domain
Free Christmas Assignments to Use with Almost Any Topic
Those last few days before the holidays can be a tricky time. Students have checked out mentally, or it’s too late to start a new topic before the break. What can you do (other than showing a movie) that is creative, fun, and also history related? Click here to download the following options for free:
1- Have the students create a commemorative Christmas ornament. This is a great idea if you want to focus on one specific person or topic with just a few facts. For example, create a commemorative ornament about Benjamin Franklin.
2- Have students design a themed Christmas tree about a historical topic. If a Christmas tree were about World War I, what might it have on it? What type of ornaments would it have? What might replace the star or the garland? This is a good assignment to choose if you are covering a topic with lots of information available.
The great thing about these assignments is that they are not content-specific and can therefore be used with various topics and time periods. This is helpful because many teachers are covering different topics before the Christmas break.
Download these assignments with in-depth instructions and examples here.
As always, each students is different and you want to make sure you have an option for those who don’t celebrate Christmas. If students don’t feel comfortable doing one of these assignments, have them design a T-shirt instead with similar criteria.
Great Christopher Columbus Video
I came across this video on Christopher Columbus that I think is very balanced. It acknowledges the fact that he treated the native people brutally but also acknowledges that, for better or worse, his actions still changed the world. It would be great to use as a summary after you have covered notes on Columbus or as a review at the beginning of class the day after you have covered Columbus.
By the way, I’ve got a Christmas freebie coming soon! Check the blog later this week or first part of next week!
Image: Wikipedia Commons, Public Domain
Veteran’s Day Quiz
Here’s a quick Veteran’s Day quiz. Project it on your board and go through it as a class. (Let the students silently answer the question, and then take an informal vote as to which answer you should choose.) When checking the answers, make sure you read the information that explains the correct answer before moving on. Use this quiz to activate prior knowledge or as a filler at the end of class. If you do my Quick Veteran’s Day lesson, I’d do it after the reflection, at the end of class, or the next day as a quick review.
A Quick Veteran’s Day Lesson
Most of you don’t have time to devote a whole day to covering Veteran’s Day. It’s unfortunate, but it’s the truth. There is so much material to cover in US History that Veteran’s Day typically gets a very small piece of the pie, if any. How can you cover Veteran’s Day well, but also do it quickly?
First of all, make sure your students know what a veteran is. They probably do, but it’s always good to cover the basics. Then, show the first video below. It explains what Veteran’s Day actually is and how it came about.
After the video, ask the following questions:
- Veteran’s Day originated because of what war?
- What was Veteran’s Day originally called?
Then show the video below. It’s about five minutes long, but it’s really well done. It shows a lot of clips from various wars. It evokes an emotional response and presents veterans as real people. It really helps students see the “people” behind the word veteran.
Then, have your students write an informal reflection or freewrite answering some of the following questions:
- What kind of sacrifices do veterans make when they are in the military?
- Would you be willing to make those same sacrifices?
- What would happen to the US if it did not have any armed forces?
- How does our military make your life better?
- How can you thank a veteran when you see him/her?
Download a free copy of these questions to display on the board here.
Video and Assignment Ideas for Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle
This video is a short and sweet summary of how Upton Sinclair’s book The Jungle led to changes in the meat-packing industry. It’s a great way to reinforce a discussion of the Pure Food and Drug Act, and it also shows some really interesting shots of the meat-packing industry back in the day.
You can use this in conjunction with my other free resources to teach The Jungle found in this blog post.
While you’re at it, check out my QR Code Scavenger Hunt on the Progressive Era in my TPT store. It’s a fun and engaging way to get students out of their seats while reviewing important aspects of the Progressive Era! Students LOVE my QR code scavenger hunts!
Sitting Bull and Little Bighorn Videos and Free Acrostic Poem Assignment
Here is a great video about Sitting Bull and his role in Native American resistance, particularly in the Battle of Little Bighorn. It’s not on Youtube, but you can watch it here. There’s even a link to download the video! This is a great option if you need to post it somewhere for distance learning or if you want to have a copy on your hard drive in case your internet goes down the day you want to show the video.
Here’s another video showing the reaction to the Battle of Little Bighorn.
This is a longer video that gives a play by play of the Battle of Little Bighorn. It might be too long for the classroom if you have a lot of material to cover, but it would be a great suggestion for students who want to learn more about the battle itself.
Easy assignments to implement after watching these videos include a word web about Sitting Bull or my free acrostic poem assignment.
*Image of Sitting Bull is in the public domain.
Erie Canal Video, Worksheet, and Assignments
Check out the video tour of the Erie Canal Museum below. It gives you the basic information about the Erie Canal and it’s impact. While the narration could be more energetic, the video comes with review questions that students can answer while watching it to help reinforce the information they hear and see. The museum has also provided a document with over 20 different assignment ideas on the Erie Canal. I would allow students to pick one assignment and complete it. Some additional research may be required for some of the assignments, but a good variety of choices are given (blueprint, timeline, limerick, speech, poster, etc.).
Ultimately, whether you have a lot of time or just a few minutes, make sure your students can answer the following questions about the Erie Canal:
- Where is the Erie Canal located?
- Why was the Erie Canal built?
- How did the Erie Canal affect shipping, transportation, and growth in the United States?
Image: Public Domain
TPT Sale and Free Gift Card Drawing
It’s time for another TPT sale, and I’ve got a $10 TPT promotional gift card to give away to someone on one of my email lists! Sign up for my email list either here and I’ll enter you (along with my other email list subscribers) in a drawing to win that gift card. I’ll draw late Monday night and will email you if you are the lucky winner!
Even if you don’t win, you can still save big during the sale. The sale runs February 9-10. Use the discount code FEBSALE21 to save 25% on everything in my store!
Jamestown QR Code Scavenger Hunt Review
My latest product is a Jamestown QR Code Scavenger Hunt. I’ve created a bunch of these for economics and people love them. Your students will LOVE this activity because they get to move around and use technology! Check it out! If you don’t know how a QR code scavenger hunt works, check out my preview video on my product listing to find out.
Here are some other Jamestown resources you may find helpful:
Jamestown Bell Ringers & Exit Ticket
10 Jamestown Assignments and Activities – My TPT Product
Jamestown Founded in 1607 – History Channel Video (5 min.)
America, The Story of Us:  Life in Jamestown – History Channel Video on YouTube (3 min.) – See below.