Category: Uncategorized
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Flipgrid & a Martin Luther King, Jr. Lesson
A few weeks ago, thanks to the Twitter universe, I stumbled upon an educational tool called “Flipgrid” (@flipgrid – sidenote, their team looks like a hoot based upon their Twitter cover photo.) Flipgrid’s website touts their product as: “Flipgrid is where your students go to share ideas and learn together. It’s where students amplify and…
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Lesson Plan: Gender Fluidity in Colonial History
In keeping with my philosophy to make sure all students feel included in American history class, I tweeted Katherine Ott (@amhistcurator)for inspiration. I wanted to know how to include my students who are part of the LGBTQA+ spectrum in the story, and since #LGBThistory as part of the story in the Colonial Era isn’t…
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My Philosophy of Teaching
History in the classroom is not just sitting down and taking in information; it isn’t just dead guys and dates. In my classroom, we “do” history. We dance, we sing, we create, we discuss and debate, but we are never static. Students learn that history is about our ever-changing world and the interconnectedness of everyone…
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Monticello: A Class Trip Review
One of my favorite places on Earth to visit is Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. The sheer beauty of the property is enough to make your heart skip a beat. Imagine how thrilled I was to be able to plan a class trip to Monticello for 88 of my eighth grade students and 12 faculty members. Each…
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Teacher Favorites
Below are some of my favorite sites that I use for lesson planning, student engagement, trip planning, finding professional development, or research. I’ve broken them up by category for you so that you can easily find what you’re looking for. Research Colonial Williamsburg: http://www.history.orgColonial Williamsburg’s website has excellent resources for students and teachers who are…
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Eulogies to the Articles of Confederation
The setup for our funeral. We realize that the American flag shouldn’t be that one, but the kids know why it is there. Also, one student suggested flowers. All I had was a sparkly Christmas tree- so we made do. Why give a test when you can assess your students in a much more creative…
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Washington’s Headquarters, Morristown, NJ
A full-size army cot. Yesterday I had the pleasure of visiting Washington’s Headquarters in Morristown, New Jersey. It includes a museum built in the 1930s as well as the Ford Mansion, which is where Washington stayed from 1779-1780. I would like to compliment the National Park Service, as our guide was very knowledgeable and gave…
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Is summative assessment really summative? Is it the end of a student’s learning journey? No. Or at least I don’t think so. Learning never ends, so I really think that all assessments are formative. We may be ending a unit on Jefferson or the Civil War, but the skills we’re teaching are the same throughout.
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Turnitin.com
I have been wrestling with the idea of using Turnitin.com with my students. Turn It In is a tool that allows students to electronically hand in their writing pieces. The feature that is most commonly known about this website is the one that recognizes plagiarism within a student’s paper. Do I want to use Turn…
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The gatekeeper
I am struggling with time and material. As a student of history and a self-proclaimed scholar of the Constitution it is incredibly difficult for me to be able to pare down the information that I cover with my students. There are so many wonderful things to explore in American history, and as gatekeeper of students’…