Jamestown Had a Sister?!?!?
When I teach the English colonies I tend to follow the same format teachers do all across the United States. Before discussing the original 13 colonies we hit on major…
The Pilgrims and Christmas
Not a Christmas carol, a Christmas tree, or a Christmas meal. Nothing. Not even Santa. The Grinch would have loved New Plymouth. The Pilgrims were a very no nonsense, no…
Nathanael Greene: Adopted Southern Son
Nathanael Greene: Adopted Southern Son Earlier this week I showed students a map of the 13 original colonies. The map showed southern Revolutionary War battle sites with names but no…
Get Off the Beaten Path: MLK's India Connection
Get Off the Beaten Path: MLK’s India Connection I’ve written before that students often arrive in my room having seen the same MLK videos, having completed the same MLK worksheets,…
A Presidential Doughface
A Presidential Doughface As a writing exercise I often place pictures of important or famous people up on the screen in my room and ask students to provide a caption…
Implications From Dorr's Rebellion
Implications From Dorr’s Rebellion By simply relying on the textbook my students learn that between 1840 and 1860 the number of immigrants arriving in the United States rose sharply. However,…
What a Week!
What a Week! It’s been one of those weeks. Students have been very, shall we say, energetic to say the least. I don’t normally have to call administration to help…
Different Strokes for Different Folks
Here’s a scenario that happens everyday…a group of teachers sit down to plan a unit of study. The topic is Native Americans regions. They begin to brainstorm. The following plan…
May You Have a Shay Day Each and Every Day
May You Have a Shay Day Each and Every Day What would you do?….you make the choice. Don’t look for a punch line, there isn’t one. Read it anyway. My…
Great Britain's Write-Up Slip: The Declaration of Independence.
.One of the important lessons I teach each year is the Declaration of Independence. Over the years I’d bring up our nation’s important documents in adult conversations when people would…