October 7th Highlights of Lesson Planning

Our group today had an exciting discussion about tying history into the language arts curriculum.  We discussed the possibilities of incorporating  historical fiction into our writing themes of persuasive, response to literature, and even narrative writing.  For example, students can read literature on a historical hero and persuade the reader how that person is in fact a hero or not.  A character trait or theme can be pulled and supported by details in a response to literature essay.  We chose to use Benjamin Franklin's biography from the American Heroes  book and have students create a persuasive piece to support why he is a hero.  I think this is a great way to bring more history to students across the curriculum.

Reflections

I really enjoyed the summer institute through the AHF grant.  Anthony Fitzpatrick reviewed some activities such as "white out," "clues," and "spec."  I really enjoyed the primary sources on slavery and how it could be incorporated into a class learning experience.

 

Dennis Denenberg was amazingly entertaining and knowledgeable on the topic of incorporating heroes into history lessons.  From puppets to bookmarks, I found his ideas for projects incredible.  Inspired by his speaking, I have already made historical hero puppets to tie in with the curriculum. 

Fran Macko's reminded me that using picture books as a means of teaching children about history is very appropriate and enjoyable.  All too often, I think teachers feel tied to textbook learning. I also like how she incorporated artistic perspective into the lessons.