Colonial Town Meeting

On Oct. 27 and 28th we held a Colonial Town Meeting in order to better understand the debate over colonial independence in early 1776. Students were each assigned a specific historical figure. They were given a description of that person's view on independence and were told whether they were a Patriot, a Loyalist, or if they were Neutral at that time. Each student had to create a poster they would use to present their "Key Ideas" at the Town Meeting

The Patriots and Loyalists switched off presenting their ideas to the Neutralists. After each presentation, Neutralists were given the opportunity to question the presenter, and the opposing side was given an opportunity for rebuttal.

The students really liked this activity and all of them did a good job of representing their side. Many students got into their character, which sometimes led to a heated, but good spirited, debate.

At the end of the meeting, the Neutralists had to declare whether they would side with the Patriots or Loyalists.

Patrick Henry's Famous Speech

Extra Credit: The Boston Massacre

Below are two very different depictions of what took place at the scene of the Boston Massacre. they are written from two very different points of view. One of them is from a Patriot's point of view, the other is more likely from a British, or neutral, point of view. Using what we have learned in class (section 5.5 in your textbook and the video we watched), try and determine which is which. For extra credit, write up a brief statement (2 paragraphs) that explains which picture was drawn from which point of view. Your explanation must be supported with details from what we have read/discussed in class.

You must then add a paragraph in which you explain whether or not it is important to know the truth about what happened in history or not.

This statement must be either typed or neatly written on lined notebook paper, with correct spelling, grammar and punctuation. It must be turned in to me by Thursday, Oct. 9th to get the extra credit. Keep in mind; the more detailed your explanation is, the more points you will receive.

Illustration 1:

Illustration 2:

Taxation Without Representation

Today students participated in a history simulation in which most of them played the role of colonists being taxed by the "King" and "Parliament". The "Colonists" were taxed on things such as hair color, clothing, and accesories. The "Colonists" had no say in the taxes and, though they were not happy about it, the "King" and "Parliament" kept demanding more money.

King George, Parliament, and the Tax Collectors:





Taxes being collected from the colonists:

Colonial Sales Presentations

On september 25th groups gave sales presentations for their colony. Each group had created a brochure that highlighted features of their colony such as; reasons for settlement, religion, government, economy and occupations, and geography and climate. All of the presentations highlighted the features mentioned in their brochure. Many of the groups did a great job of presenting their colony in a manner that was not only educational, but interesting and entertaining as well. We had skits, puppet shows, raps, and more.

After the presentations we talked about features that were common among the colonies, such as the fact that most colonists were farmers, most colonies were self-governed and somewhat democratic, and most colonies welcomed people of various faiths.

Colonial Life

We are about to begin our study of the English Colonies in America. To give you a little bit of a preview of what colonial life was like I found this video of Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia:



Here is a video about the Salem Witch Trials that took place in Massachusetts in 1692

Extra Credit

Since I've been putting a lot of time into this blog lately I have decided to give extra credit points for students who comment on the posts. However, in order to earn points students must post truly reflective comments. That means that you must explain how you feel about the topic, activity, or video that has been posted. It is not enough to simply post; "that was cool", you must explain what you specifically liked or disliked.

Surviving Jamestown

To learn more about what it took for the Jamestown settlers to survive, students had to pose as inatimate objects such as a ship, barrels, axes and trees. They were then asked questions about how they helped the settlers to survive and the challenges settlers would have to face.

Jamestown Scene Recreation

Here are some scenes from the experiences of Jamestown settlers that I have recreated for you.

John Smith (far left) helps Jamestown's settlers survive by telling them that if they don't work, they won't eat:


Captain John Smith is about to be clubbed to death by the Powhatan Indians:


But he is saved by the chief's daughter Pocahontas:


The Jamestown settlers are saved from their "Starving Time" by ships carrying supplies and new colonists from England:


Peace between the Jamestown settlers and the Indians is strengthened when John Rolfe marries Pocahontas with the approval of her father Chief Powhatan:

Jamestown

One of the things we will be learning about in chapter 2 is Jamestown. Jamestown was the first permanent successful English colony in the America continents. Essentially, it was the start of America. The English had failed at two previous attempts to set up colonies in the "New World", and they almost failed at this one as well if it wasn't for the ingenuity of Captain John Smith. After a rough start in 1607, Jamestown eventually grew to become the basis of what would be the colony of Virginia. You can find out more by visiting this website.

My wife and I visited the site of Jamestown, where the fort and buildings have been recreated, on our honeymoon in the summer of 2003. Here are some pictures:

Act-It-Out: Christopher Columbus

We are currently learning about how European countries claimed and settled lands in the "New World." 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.

Christopher Columbus

As I mentioned in class, Europeans were well aware that the Earth was round (spherical actually) at the time of Columbus. Columbus' desire to sail westward to the Indies was actually based on two false beliefs: 1. that the Earth was actually smaller (about 2/3) than it actually is and 2.) that Asia was much larger than it is. Therefore, by his calculations he could reach Asia in just a few months by crossing the Atlantic Ocean. He, and everyone else, were also unaware that there were two continents in the way.

Here is a recreation of the map by Toscanelli that Columbus used as a reference for his voyages (the outline of North and South America was not on the original map of course).



Here is a fun, but not completely accurate, video about Columbus:



Magellan was the first explorer to lead a voyage that circumnavigated (sail completely around) the Earth. Magellan was killed about 2/3 of the way through the voyage, and only one of the five ships that originally sailed made it back to Europe.

Here's a fun video about Magellan:

Blind Passage

As our Preview for Chapter 2: European Exploration and Settlement, students participated in an activity called Blind Passage. In this activity, students were challenged 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, the risks, and the rewards,

Here are some pictures:

The First Americans

In our first week of school we discussed how scientists believe that human beings first migrated to North America across a land bridge that once existed between Asia and present-day Alaska. We also discussed how Native Americans survived by adapting to their environment.

First Day of School in History

Why Study History?

The answer lies in the question: "why".

As young people, you are always asking why things are the way they are. History answers those questions and provides us with the knowledge we need to move forward. In order to know where you are going, you must first know who you are. In order to know who you are, you must first know where you came from.

This applies to us as individuals, as well as a community, a nation, and a world. In order to make decisions about the future, we must first understand the past.

More important to me then learning the specific details of historical events, is that you gain a sense of history, an understanding of the importance of the past in preparing for the future.

Welcome Back!

Welcome to the 2008 - 2009 school year! I'm looking forward to a great year. Please look through previous posts on this blog to see what type of activiies we'll be doing and the topics we'll be covering. E-mail me if you have any questions.

The Civil War in 4 Minutes

The Dred Scot Case

The Lincoln-Douglas Debates