TREASURE BOX ASSIGNMENT

When I first started thinking about my treasure box, I was overwhelmed and unsure.  However, once I started working on it, I realized it was very similar to the learning centers I already use.  The only difference; tracking down my primary sources....which didn't prove to be an easy task!

To create my treasure box, I first set up a goal.  I wanted my first graders to be able to relate to the children who lived during the time of Benjamin Franklin.  Not just know what they looked like, but to actually be able to put themselves in their shoes, and feel what those boys and girls felt in the 1700's.  To reach this goal, I set up 3 separate activities:

Activity 1:  GAMES NOW AND THEN

I had several different games and pictures of games set up in a tote to sort through.  Some were modern day games, and others were games children would have played long ago.  Once the students sorted them, they then had to compare and contrast the two.  The last task was to figure out how the games of old were used.  They got to share ideas to the class before we revealed the "real" usage!

Activity 2:  CHORES

This activity started with a puzzle.  The puzzle showed how laundry was done in the 1700's.  As the puzzle was being assembled they had to try and figure out what it was a picture of.  The children wrote down their guesses.  Once the puzzle was assembled they made a final guess as to what the picture showed.  I also included house hold items, pictures of tools, and pictures of children, men, and women working.  My students had to observe the items and come up with a purpose for each. 

Activity 3:  CLOTHING

At this center, I placed pictures of clothing that are worn today and in the 1700's.  The students had to dress a cutout boy/girl.  When they finished,  they were to look at the books and photographs placed in the box and observe the way the children were dressed.  After looking at the books, they were then able to go back and make any changes to their cutouts. 

I have to say, this treasure box took A LOT of planning, but the kids LOVED it!  They really enjoyed the exploration aspect of it.  The activities seemed to appeal to my entire class.  Each activity was like a mini mystery they had to solve.  It was neat seeing it all come together for them.  When they first arrived at the activity, they were confused.  As they started sorting through the materials and expressing their ideas and questions, the pieces started to slowly come together.  Very enjoyable, and they certainly took a lot of new information away with them!

Military aspects

After reading these three books, I learned that the militaries of the American Revolution were not very effective.  I always had the impression that the famous General Washington and other cammonders were strategic and coy in their schemeing.  The armies were so run down and in such poor health it is amazing that they could partake in the battles let alone survive them.

I still find it astonishing that after all of our militaries hardships and loses we some how managed to prevail!

How do Historians work?!?!?

After reading the various books and listening to several historians during our workshop, I have a different perspectives on historians.  Until taking this class I thought historians memorized every date, general, and outcome of important historic events.  Now, I almost feel like the terms historian and lawyer are interchangeable.  They both try to state their case by finding facts that support their theories.  It is amazing how two different historians can present the very same event in such totally different lights. 

This assignment required me to read a chapter in Wood, The American Revolution picture book, and refer to the handbook.  Wood and the picture book presented their facts in such different ways.  The handbook then simply presented you with the facts in an unbias manner.  It is almost as you can interpret the data in the handbook how ever you see fit. 

It is pretty interesting to me how historians work.  I have a new found respect for the profession, and I find it pretty intriguing how they go about gathering the information they are searching for!

The shot heard round the world

"The shot heard round the world". This phrase is in reference to the beginning of the Revolutionary War....More specifically the first shots fired in Lexington. After reading about this event in both texts, I am much more knowledgeable then I was prior to this assignment. That being said, the Wood book was such a bore to read in comparison to Hakim. Hakim had maps of Paul Revere's trails and paintings of the event. Wood's book just had words, and LOTS of them. Wood definitely provided me with more information, but I would read Hakim's book over his any day of the week!

May Reading

I found this to be such an exciting book to read.  I loved all of the entertainment on each page.  The maps, pictures, poems, songs, etc, really livened up the read.  It breaks up the monotony that you see in a typical text book...aka: read 8 pages and answer questions.

On the other hand, if I was doing a report or research on this specific topic, I would certainly need to look elsewhere for the information.  It is not as content rich as other informational texts, but without a doubt I do think it is more kid-friendly!

Jealous

I found the second article, Teaching for Historical Literacy, pretty interesting.  The atmosphere Reif has going in his classroom sounds intriguing.  After hearing some of the activities he does along with the rate of success he has, it gave me a desire to create an atmosphere like this for my own students.  He is clearly going above and beyond the typical textbook and chapter tests.  There is no doubt that these kids are developing a deep understanding of our nations past, and I think all of that is OUTSTANDING!

That said, I could not stop myself from thinking..."where is this teacher finding the time and resources to put it all together."  I envy a teacher that has that type of intensity in their classroom.  I value the content, and want my students to be interested and involved in the learning of our history.  However, with the lack of planning time, cut in resources, and all of the other subjects I need to cover, I feel as though  I BARELY skim the surface sometimes.