Surviving Jamestown

To learn more about what it took for the Jamestown settlers to survive, students had to pose as inatimate objects. They were then asked questions about how they helped the settlers to survive.

Axes:






Hammers:




Ships:






Barrels:






Canoes:



And Trees:






Find out more about Jamestown by visiting my American Adventure blog!

Extra Credit: Bring in Props

As you can see in some the pictures, we often use props in class to help make historical figures "come alive". We do activites like the act-it-outs through out the year, so I am always in need of new props. If anyone has any old toys or knick-knacks around the house that are no longer used, but would make good props or costumes, please consider donating them to my prop collection. I will give extra credit for every usable prop donated. Feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions.

Act-It-Out: New France

In the New France "act-it-out", students were chosen to portray French fur trappers settling in what's now Canada, Huron Indians (allies of the French), or Iriquois Indians (enemies of the French and Huron).

Act-It-Out: Christopher Columbus Claiming San Salvador

We are currently learning about how European countries claimed and settled lands in the "New World." We have been creating "act-it-outs" to help us better understand what the settlers and Native Americans went through.

In this "act-it-out" students had to answer questions in the roles of Christopher Columbus and his crew, as well as the natives they encountered.

Blind Passage

As our Preview for Chapter 2: European Exploration and Settlement, students participated in an activity called Blind Passage. In this activity, students would have to walk through a field of obstacles, blindfolded, in order to earn extra credit for their team.


After the activity, we compared what the students experienced with what early European explorers went through while searching for new trade routes and new land. We discussed their goals, challenges, risks vs. rewards, and the role that competition played.

Here are some pictures:

Why Study History?

Kermit the Frog Interviews Christopher Columbus

We are going to begin our study of the European explorers this week starting with Christopher Columbus. Here is a fun, but not factual, video about Columbus

First Day of School in History

The Bering Land Bridge

The video below shows how scientists believe the water elevation level changed over thousands of years, creating the Bering Strait and completely covering the land bridge that they believe the first "Americans" used to travel from Asia to North America.

Welcome Back!

Well, the 2007-2008 school year is off and running. It feels like a good year for Social Studies, I’m excited. Before we begin working together we must first get to know each other. One of our first activities was an ice-breaker in which students introduced themselves to each other and shared interesting facts about themselves.