Great Teaching Ideas

showcase lessons & units

 June/July 2008

 For June and July we will feature lessons and activities focused on U.S. History in honor of Flag Day and 4th of July.

See the Showcase Archives

• Our American Flag

  Students will write and illustrate a story about the creation of the American Flag for a second grade class. -- writing, Betsy Ross

• Immigration and Miss Liberty

  Students will learn about immigration to the United States and symbolism of the Statue of Liberty. -- mural

• 1787 - Writing The Constitution

  This is Lesson 5 of an eight-lesson unit. This lesson shows students the difficulties faced by the delegates of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787 - George Washington, Benjamin Franklin

• Declaration of Independence

  Students use power writing to create a short essay on citizen responsibility and freedom based upon this historical document.

• Like Jefferson and Hamilton

  While studying the writing of the Declaration of Independence, students will write with quill pens as scribes did in 1776--performance event

• Boston Massacre

  Students will be able to analyze primary source accounts to objectively determine the reasons the Boston Massacre occurred and its effect on the relationship between Great Britain and the 13 colonies -- Revolution

• Constitutional Quilt Squares

  Students create paper quilt squares to illustrate the constitution''s meaning--writing, U.S. Constitution

• Meet the Presidents

  This project is a lesson designed to gain information about the important men who have served our country as president.

• Bill of Rights Project

  An activity which helps students to understand the most important source of their individual liberties. -- rights, Constitution, government

• Living Leadership - The Modern American Presidents

  Modern American President WebQuest to use at the end of the school year. -- artifact, cooperative group, peer evaluation