Collaborative Activities Completed In Class 2019-2020

Collaborative Activities Completed in Honors American History: The Founding Principles - Civics and Economics Class

Fall 2019-2020

(Note: We try to do at least two collaborative class activities per week all semester)

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8/2/19. Students create Personality Collages. Students partner with one other to share. Then, each student introduces his/her partner to the class using the Personality Collage as a guide. Activity from UNC-CH K-12 Resources.

8/6/19. When students enter the room, they find a group of photos, drawings, posters, letters, journal entries, and replicas of historical documents on a table in the middle of the room. Students are to select a photo as they enter. Students are to analyze their photo and tell the class how the photo relates to early American History. Activity from Carolina K-12. (I have a very large collection of such primary source documents, many of which are replicas of the originals). Some of the documents/photos at this link.

8/7/19. Students work in small groups and develop a bill-board that advertises "The American Identity." Students must read handouts from historical figures who represent various ethnic, racial, and cultural groups. Students draw the bill-board using the perspective of the person whose reading they did. Students struggle with the question: What is an American? Activity from UNC-CH K-12 Resources.

8/12/19. Students write and share personal narratives and/or "I Am" poems, placing themselves back in time. Students are instructed to go back to the American Revolution, look around, and write about what they see. Students share with the class and post to Google Groups so that other classes can read. Activity from UNC-CH K-12 Resources.

8/14/19. Students are asked to post to Google Groups a creative response to the Constitutional Convention. Students share such response with the class. Activity from UNC-CH K-12 Resources.

8/20/19. Students work in small groups to answer the question: "How does the U.S. Constitution guard against tyranny?" Each student is given a document (A, B, C, D). Four to a group. Each student must teach the others in his/her group how his/her document guards against tyranny. Group records the results on a poster after coming to a consensus on meaning of each document. Students are also required to post response to Google Groups for other classes to read and comment on. Activity from Mini-DBQs sent over by Department Chair at district level.

8/23/19. Students read the prologue and chapter one of Destiny of the Republic. They are then required to post about the book at this link.

8/26/19. Federalism and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Class discussion on the meaning of Mary Shelley’s book Frankenstein. What are key issues/themes in the book? What is the book’s historical background? Students get in groups and help Dr. Frankenstein develop a monster. Students must fill in three columns - powers given only to the monster, powers kept by the creator, and powers that are shared between monster and creator. Students then connect this activity to the topic of Federalism and the Constitutional Convention of 1787, making reference to key issues/themes discussed earlier. Activity provided by our Text book Publisher.

8/27/19. Students work in pairs and draw political district maps based on specific scenarios that are provided. Students learn how district maps may be drawn to give an advantage to one party over another. Students must follow rules established by the U.S. Supreme court and U.S. Congress with regard to the drawing of political districts. Students learn important Supreme Court cases and U.S. Congressional laws involving districts. Activity from UNC-CH K-12 Resources.

8/29/19. Nine students each receive a placard that indicates a step in bill-to-law process. Students line up in front of classroom in the correct order that a Bill becomes a Law. Students who are seated help students in front of the classroom to get in the correct order. Activity from UNC-CH K-12 Resources.

9/9/20. FDR and LBJ. Students are asked to read the question at this link and discuss its meaning with a partner. Students are then required to create a response to the question.

9/11/19. The job of U.S. President. Students are placed into committees and must advise President Harry Truman on the dropping of the atomic bomb on Japan near the end of WWII. Each committee has a chairperson. Each committee is given a reading that identifies a specific stance on the dropping of the bomb. Activity from UNC-CH K-12 Resources.

9/21/19. Students break into groups and research three or four U.S. Supreme Court cases from chapters 19, 20. Students present to the class how each case protects the rights of the accused. Students must also indicate how that case relates to the title of the chapter and the title of the sub section that the Supreme Court case appears in.

10/1/19. Podcast Three Miles. Students analyze the 55-minute primary source podcast called Three Miles. Students are asked to post on this subject at this link:

10/7/19. Students read the following account of the Triangle Fire in NYC 1911 at this link. Students answer the following question: What is the author trying to communicate? How does the author make use of language to communicate?

10/12/19. Field trip to historic sites. Students travel to Bennett Place, Duke Homestead, and Stageville Plantation, all in one day. Students learn about the history of tobacco, the Civil War, and slavery in Durham, NC.

10/29/19. Steps to Civil War. When students enter the room, they find a group of photos, drawings, posters, letters, journal entries, and replicas of historical documents on a table in the middle of the room. Students are to select a photo as they enter. Students are to analyze their photo and tell the class how the photo relates to Steps to the Civil War. Activity from Carolina K-12. (I have a very large collection of such primary source documents, many of which are replicas of the originals). Some of the documents/photos are at this link.

11/15/19. While in groups, students design an infographic that demonstrates the three types of business organizations: structure, advantages, and disadvantages of each. Posters are placed around room. While walking around the room, students review the work of other groups after all are complete. History of infographics is discussed prior to this activity.

11/20/20. Students conduct rotating table interviews with city and county officials. See link here.

1/8/20. Students are asked to get in groups and form a government, using the criteria at this link. This activity is a lead into discussion of forms of government and theory of government.

1/10/20. Students are asked to answer the question at this link regarding Locke and Jefferson. Students must respond to a post of at least one of their peers.

1/17/20. Students are taught to do sketch notes. Students create sketch notes for a grade on the topic of four major debates at the Constitutional Convention of 1787, and on the topic of the six principles placed into the United States Constitution.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ItcHag3agE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOHcWhdguIY

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=sketch+notes

2/4/20. Students do Role Play of the first ten amendments (Bill of Rights). Using a box of props brought in by Mr. Parrish, students must act out a scenario that demonstrates one of the ten Bill of Rights. Other students then guess which Bill of Right was being acted out by the group. Activity from UNC-CH K-12 Resources.

2/10/20. Students watch Air Force One National Geographic Documentary (Introduction to section on Executive). Students answer the following question: How does the President use Air Force One as a legislative and political tool.

2/17/20. Students watch a two-day drama called Gideon’s Trumpet. This is a true story that documents the significance of the U.S. Supreme Court case of Gideon vs Wainwright 1963, a case that changed American legal history. Students are asked to fill out a worksheet while watching the video. The video also demonstrates state court procedure and U.S. Supreme Court procedure.

2/21/20. Students watch the video A Class Divided by Jane Elliott as an introduction to the topic of Civil Rights and race issues. Students then have an amazing discussion about discrimination.

2/24/20. Students are asked to write about, and discuss, the following topic:

Throughout its history, American democracy has upheld and strengthened citizens’ individual rights. Take a position that argues for or against the above statement. Provide at least two specific historic examples that support your position. (Examples: legislation, Supreme Court cases, executive orders, or other actions by the federal government)

2/27/20 Mock City Council. Kelo vs. City of New London. Students work in groups to prepare a case for or against the taking of Suzzete Kelo’s property by Eminent Domain procedure. Students present their arguments in formal Mock City Council.

2/28/20. Students work in pairs to design an updated NRA (National Recovery Act) Blue Eagle logo. Logo must be relevant to a modern audience. Students are encouraged to use computer graphics programs to create this new logo. Old log at this link.

4/20. Students work in pairs and draw a Supply and Demand curve using a market Supply and Demand schedule. Students are to then answer, with a partner, questions regarding the Supply and Demand chart. Students are provided different scenarios that will make the Supply and Demand chart move up or down. Students are asked to provide outcomes.

4/20. Students work in pairs to create a household budget. Students must understand the concept of discretionary and disposable money.

4/20. Students work in pairs to create snapshots once every two weeks. Students are allowed to present to the class any topic of interest from the material. This is called a snapshot.

4/20. Students create PSAs (Public Service Announcements) on the dangers of credit card abuse. Students post their finished PSAs to the forum at this link. Another link on PSAs.

4/20. Student watch video clips on the creation of Grameen Bank and the life of Muhammad Yunus, an economist who won the Noble Peace price in 2006 for his Micro-lending program.

4/20. Students are asked to post on the following Economics topic. Click here.

4/20. See this link for ways in which to teach Economics. Mr. Parrish has used those highlighted in yellow.

5/20. Students link semester video projects to Google Group forum. Students get in groups and create historical and/or contemporary film documentaries no longer than seven minutes. Some samples are at this link. I have many more samples.

There are many more activities that Mr. Parrish does during the school year. There are too many to list here.

Many More to Follow . . .