The following is a list of supplemental materials that I would like to purchase for my social studies classroom. These materials focus on Geography and U.S. History. These materials would be beneficial to my class and me as we move through our social studies units.
The Sellin’ of Jamie Thomas$99.90
From their South Carolina plantation, Jamie and his parents are about to be separated and sold. With the help of friends on the Underground Railroad, the family escapes to Pennsylvania only to be stalked by a bounty hunter.
This video will help teach students about plantation life, slavery and slave auctions, the perils of escape, and the courage needed for day-to-day survival. Hopefully students will gain a new understanding of this part of America’s history.
Americana: Tell Me Why$14.95
Why isn’t America named for Columbus? Why is the Liberty Bell cracked? What are the armed forces? Who built Mount Rushmore? This program answers commonly asked questions about U.S. History with colorful graphics and historical film footage. Questions are followed by an exploration of related topics; for example, an inquiry about the White House leads to discussion about presidential retreats and transportation, along with an explanation of why the White House was renovated in the late 1940s to prevent it from sinking into the ground.
This is a fun video that is educational at the same time. Students will enjoy watching this tape and won’t realize how much information they are learning!
This is America, Charlie Brown Video Series$99.00
Mixing historic photographs and film footage with animated cartoon sequences, Charles Schulz’s ever-popular cartoon characters interact with the real history of America. Lighthearted fun and serious facts are combined in a way that invites young viewers to imagine themselves going back in time and taking part in historical events.
I think students will greatly enjoy this video series because children love Charlie Brown! These videos are informational and fun at the same time, which makes them a great learning tool.
American Heroes and Legends: Building the Nation$29.95
This award-winning series consists of three stories on one videocassette. Each program is richly illustrated with original artwork and features background music by well-known artists. Contents: Johnny Appleseed, Paul Bunyon, and Squanto and the First Thanksgiving.
Students love to hear tall tales and this video shows us the real story behind some of history’s greatest tall tales. This video will be informational as well as entertaining and students will enjoy watching it.
American in the Time of…..Paperback Series$68.00
This richly illustrated series centers on key historical figures to portray life in American through more than four centuries. These books draw in readers with detailed drawings, maps, photographs, and documents. Each book closes with a double-page historical map of America, capsule biographies of famous people who lived at that time, a chronology of events in the U.S. and throughout the world, lists of young-reader novels set in the period, and historic sites to visit. Nine paperbacks in all.
These books are full of factual information that is presented in way that young children can understand and actually enjoy. Key vocabulary is highlighted in each book as well. This is a wonderful series for kids to use to learn about U.S. history on their own. They are much more exciting than the textbook!!
Kids Learn America: Bringing Geography to Life With People, Places and History $9.70
Students discover a wealth of geographical and historical information about the U.S. and specific facts about each state in this activity-packed book organized into seven geographical regions. Clever mnemonics, witty anecdotes, and attention-grabbing graphics enhance the text, which interweaves geography, earth awareness, history, weather, and culture.
This will be a great set of books for the students. They will not only learn lots of new things about the U.S., but they will have fun while they are doing it. As opposed to a boring textbook, this set of books is interesting and fun to read!
Travelrama USA$19.95
This exciting coast-to-coast scavenger hunt helps students learn about U.S. geography. As they scamper around the country searching for “postcards” with pictures and facts identifying American landmarks, monuments, national parks, and places of historical interest, players must carefully budget their miles by finding the shortest routes between destinations. This first student to bring 5 postcards home wins. The game can be played at three different skill levels and by up to as many as 4 players.
Students love to be on computers and this is a great software program that will let them have fun on the computer while they are learning about the U.S. They will also be developing computer skills as well as reasoning skills while they learn to work efficiently and competitively.
American History Inspirer: The Civil War$79.95
Intertwining geography and history, this fast-paced game takes students on a scavenger hunt through time and space to introduce key events and trends in antebellum and Civil War America. Users are randomly placed somewhere in the U.S. between 1820 and 1865, and earn points by traveling to states with specific characteristics that were either contributing factors to the Civil War or measures of the war’s effects. Teachers may add their own data to create custom game categories. Comes with reproducible handouts, lesson plans, and a resource list.
Once again, anything that puts children in front of a computer is going to be fun and exciting for them, and when students are excited about an activity, they learn from that activity. This CD-ROM will teach students many, many things while they explore the Civil War era with enthusiasm.
Escape: A Simulation of the Underground Railroad and Accompanying Unit on Slavery $48.00
Detailed historical information, character sketches, maps, documents – everything is included here for organizing a simulation of the journey from slavery to freedom. Acting out travel along various routes of the Underground Railroad from 1830-1860, students will become familiar with geography and history as they portray runaway slaves, conductors, and stationmasters. Working in small groups, they will use reading and language art skills to decode messages, record events and feelings in a diary, and report actual fates of characters. An accompanying unit covers the history of slavery in the U.S., the events related to slavery in pre-Civil War period, and the historical aftermath.
What a great simulation for students! There is no better way to learn about something than by actually experiencing it. Not only will students learn first hand what it was like to be on the Underground Railroad, but they will also develop their reading and language art skills as well as learn to function as a part of a group or team. Teachers couldn’t ask for a better activity for their students.
Great American History Games$12.95
Complete with reproducible board, activity sheets, map, and a full-color poster, this resource boasts more than 20 games, puzzles, and can’t-miss learning adventures. Activities include two Civil War fact games, a state capital and map search game, fun with Quotations Bingo, a game about presidents, and Passport to America with content on dozens of topics from Colonial times to the present.
This activity is a great buy because it includes so many games all wrapped into one purchase. The kids will love it too because it is in game format. Students will think they are just playing a game and will forget all about the fact that they are learning so much information!
Critical Thinking Internet Activities Series$14.95
Each of these reproducible books offers ten Internet-based activities that ask students to thin critically about important topics in history. This book covers events up to 1900 and asks students to complete tasks such as writing letters back to England from Jamestown, determining the four most important events of the Revolutionary War, interpreting pictures of the Transcontinental Railroad from different ethnic/cultural perspectives, and deciding whether they should venture west into the unknown promises of Gold Rush territory.
There is no better way to get students to think critically than to actually have them place themselves in another place and time and do activities. This series will force students to think about all kinds of things when they take themselves back in time. Not only will they have to comprehend the information but they will have to apply it, which is one of Bloom’s Taxonomy’s higher orders of thinking.
The Time Traveler Series: American History$28.00
Reading, writing, art, science, and history are combined in this series of cross-curricular activities. The games, puzzles, research questions, and project suggestions involve creative problem solving and critical thinking.
This series is full of activities that will make students think critically about all kinds of things. They will have to write resumes for historical figures and stories about different historical figures and events. They will have to place themselves in someone else’s shoes and will learn what it was like to be that person. This is an informational and entertaining series.
The Quilt-Block History of Pioneer Days:
With Projects Kids Can Make $23.90 each
A simple history of American pioneers told through traditional quilt patterns. This attractive book shows how the settlers’ daily lives, the special events they celebrated, and the natural world around them were reflected in the quilts they designed. Each chapter includes east papercraft projects for a quilt pattern bookmark, a weather diary, and more.
This book will provide learning activities for students as well as some nifty craft projects that they can go home and explain to their parents or grandparents. Not only will students get to learn about the pioneer quilts, but they will get to make their own quilt patterns in the art center.
History Mysteries:
Research-Based Mysteries for Super Sleuths to Solve $10.95
Ten clues for each of the 27 mysteries in this activity book guide student research into U.S. history topics, including European explorations, colonial America, westward expansion, immigration, and the civil rights movement. Grouped by events, famous people, presidents, inventions/sports/arts, and miscellaneous subjects, all mysteries can be solved by consulting standard references, then applying such skills as sequencing, reasoning, and mathematical computation.
These reproducible activities will be fun and factual for students. Not only will they be learning about U.S. history, but they will be using other skills from other subjects as well. And what kid doesn’t love a good mystery to solve?
Big Covered Wagon: Bulletin Board Set$7.95
More than four feet long, this highly detailed covered wagon will command attention on your bulletin board. Contains 32 extra pieces for student name tags as well as activity ideas in a teacher’s guide with three reproducible handouts.
Students will love coming up to the bulletin board to investigate this covered wagon. From there, they will have all kinds of questions that will need investigated and answered!