Mock Town Meeting... Then Authentic Town Meeting

One of the best ways to bridge the gap between history and modern civics has been to do a mock town meeting with students.  You can do a mock town meeting on an historical issue, and then at some point, or in another class period you can transition to a more current issue.  For example, you could start off with a mock town meeting about something like raising taxes for a new bridge or school and then transition to a modern day issue such as requiring bike helmets for people in town.

Credit to Pixabay.com

I made a lesson on this topic in which I made up all of the roles for students to use during the mock portion of the town meeting.  I had some help from a Harvard Board of Selectmen member Stu Sklar both as an advisor and as a helper for the day.

Feel free to adapt the plan as you see fit, or comment on any ways to make it more effective.

Google Doc Lesson Plan for Mock Town Meeting

Explorer Interview Tea Party

One unit that I have had a bit of trouble finding an authentic assessment for learning is the Exploration unit.  It is so far back, and contains such a variety of cultures, countries and important events that have seemed difficult to find a way to connect to students own lives and experiences.

A teacher that I had spoken to about a different topic was to have an actual tea party in class in which students take turns win a partner being a modern day interviewer and also playing the role of an historical figure in the European Exploration of the Americas time period.  Students will be moving around trying to interview as many Explorers as possible.

In preparation of the interview, each student should be prepared for whatever the interviewer may wish to ask out of the following categories:

Why did you leave your home country? What is your home country?

What is your biggest motivation to explore the Americas?

Can you describe any interactions with native people?

Do you think that you will be staying in your new location?

Does your religion have any influence on your reasons to explore?

What do you think of the land / waterways that you have had contact with in the Americas?

What do you miss most about your home country?

Have you found any gold, silver, or other valuable items in your new location?

Are you having any issues with your crew?

Hopefully this will go alright in September.  If anyone has any dead to improve or spice it up a bit, please let me know or comment on the post.

On a side note, I found some good ideas on his site created by another teacher.  http://jfmueller.faculty.noctrl.edu/toolbox/examples/examples_tasks_socialscience.htm

Blog Roll

These are four blogs that I am reading:

Teaching Now - http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/teaching_now/
US History Teachers Blog - http://ushistoryeducatorblog.blogspot.com/
History Tech - https://historytech.wordpress.com/
Blogging About the Web 2.0 Connected Classroom - http://blog.web20classroom.org/

Visit Lowell National Historical Park!

If you are learning about the rise of industry and factories in America, there are few places that will give you more of a complete first person introduction than Lowell.  As a city bought and formed by ambitious textile manufacturers from the Boston area, much of the Lowell mills remain preserved and even operational.  From the impressive turbine and canal system visible from the Suffolk Mills to the functioning looms and educational activities at the Boott Cotton Mills, this site is a must-see.  Here is a link to the Lowell National Historical Park website: http://www.nps.gov/lowe/index.htm

Another resource that you may find useful, especially if you are hunting for primary sources on the topic would be the University of Massachusetts Lowell Center for Lowell History: http://libweb.uml.edu/clh/mo.htm

And even more resources, check out the lessons and teaching ideas through the Tsongas Industrial History Center.  The ideas for activities are incredible: http://www.uml.edu/tsongas/

And now, take a look at some pictures and video taken from my recent trip to the mills.

Note the Pawtucket Canal on the right of the picture.  This was used to power the mills. Hoot taken at the Suffolk Mills.

Bird's eye view of the turbine system at Suffolk Mills.

An attempt at weaving using loom replicas at  the Boott Cotton Mills.  This is just one of the many authentic experiences students can take part in.

Tribute to Sarah Bagley, Lucy Larcom and all of the women who helped to demand better working conditions and pay, including a ten-hour workday (instead of up to fourteen hours).

Welcome!

This blog is set up to be a place to share authentic history experiences.  These experiences could range from a visit to a historic location to a hands-on activity that makes learning about U.S. History an exciting and interactive experience.  The site is designed by Mr. Wright, 8th grade teacher at the Bromfield School in Harvard, Massachusetts.  Comments, suggestions and new ideas welcome!