Strobe Light Today, our class traveled back in time to 1768, Boston. We wanted to experience history, rather than just learn about it! I made the entire moment of time travel into an exciting event for all by asking my students to buckle up and prepare for a wild ride! I turned off the lights and flipped a switch that turned on a strobe light and I sat down and bounced around on a chair! When we arrived at our destination, the lights came back on and I asked my students to look around and explore. They walked around & told me what they saw.
You see, I need to ensure that my students are able to "Summarize and explain the major events that created tension between the colonists and Britain and eventually led to the Declaration of Independence."
You see, I need to ensure that my students are able to "Summarize and explain the major events that created tension between the colonists and Britain and eventually led to the Declaration of Independence."
And I want them to actually understand what happened during those events, rather than just memorize information about them. In my opinion, simulations enable students to learn far greater details about a subject because they pretend they are living these events, rather than just reading about them.
Our first task while in 1768 Boston was to find a job! We arrived there with no money, no place to sleep, and only the clothes on our backs. I asked my students to walk around town looking for a trade to apprentice. (Logistically speaking, I assigned them a letter of the alphabet and had them choose a profession common in this time period. Here are the details.)
Once they found their job and a place to live, they researched their job and created a slide on our shared Google Presentation that explained what their job was. Finally, they created a Voki introducing themselves to all of us and answering a few questions that asked them to predict and set goals.
Our first task while in 1768 Boston was to find a job! We arrived there with no money, no place to sleep, and only the clothes on our backs. I asked my students to walk around town looking for a trade to apprentice. (Logistically speaking, I assigned them a letter of the alphabet and had them choose a profession common in this time period. Here are the details.)
Once they found their job and a place to live, they researched their job and created a slide on our shared Google Presentation that explained what their job was. Finally, they created a Voki introducing themselves to all of us and answering a few questions that asked them to predict and set goals.
In the coming days, we will
Upon finishing these activities, my students should have a very strong understanding of the causes of the Revolutionary War, and should be able to: "Summarize and explain the major events that created tension between the colonists and Britain and eventually led to the Declaration of Independence."
- gather information from our History Alive books (doesn't sound that great, but they really are a great resource).
- perform some Reader's Theaters on the Boston Tea Party and the Boston Massacre,
- watch various episodes of Liberty's Kids (PBS),
- complete an organizer showing how one event (the Revolutionary War) can have many causes (see image on right),
- complete a Collaborative Timeline of the Causes of the Revolutionary War (on Timeline JS), and
- write a collaborative script describing how you feel as a patriot regarding a few of the events (and perform it in front of a green screen).
Upon finishing these activities, my students should have a very strong understanding of the causes of the Revolutionary War, and should be able to: "Summarize and explain the major events that created tension between the colonists and Britain and eventually led to the Declaration of Independence."
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