Exploring America and Children's Literature

Recommended Children's and Pedagogy Literature: Exploring America/Westward Expansion

I recommend the following books for use when teaching the era of the westward migration to students in intermediate-level grades: Discovery Kids Magazine: Lewis and Clark Discovery Kids Magazine: Pioneers ...If You Traveled West in a Covered Wagon by Levine Ellen ...If You Were a Pioneer on the Prairie by Kamma, Anne America in the Time of Lewis and Clark, the Story of Our Nation from Coast to Coast, from 1801-1850 by Isaacs, Sally Senzel Little House Book Collection by Wilder, Laura In...

Primary Sources: Lewis and Clark Expedition

The Library of Congress, American Memory Collection, offers a a resource titled "Evolution of the Conservation Movement," a collection of published works, manuscripts, images, and motion picture footage. The goal of the collection is to teach about the formation of the movement to conserve and protect America's natural heritage.

Sample Book Report Flyer

Though the book has nothing to do with U.S. history, I thought the attached tri-fold brochure sample report on the book Hatchet may motivate teachers to have students create similar technology-based literature-focused products. Students can easily create tri-fold brochures using Project Gallery templates within Microsoft Word, and they can use historical children's literature as the basis for the content.

Lecture: Michael Green — Exploration (11/5/2008)

Lecture: Michael Green - Exploration

Lecture: DeAnna Beachley - Exploration II (11/5/2008)

Lecture: DeAnna Beachley - Exploration II

Lecture: DeAnna Beachley - Exploration I (10/22/2008)

Lecture: DeAnna Beachley - Exploration I

Lecture: DeAnna Beachley, Ph.D. — "Women in Nevada and California Mining Camps"

"Women in Nevada and California Mining Camps"—A lecture by DeAnna Beachley, Ph.D.

Food Activities

For those teachers who enjoy using food to teach history while simultaneously teaching math, science, and literacy, you may find the following books useful. Nineteenth-Century Lumber Camp Cooking (Exploring History Through Simple Recipes) by Maureen M. Fischer—This book includes many primary sources including textual reprints of loggers' journals and pictures of the camps. The main purpose of the book is to provide non-fiction textual information about the camps; the recipes (though plentifu...

Lewis and Clark Timeline Lesson Plan

Herb Thompson of the Geographic Alliance in Nevada developed a lesson strategy in which students place a series of items in order (e.g., mountain ranges by height, continents in order of size or population). Using this same strategy, he developed a lesson in which students place the events of the Lewis and Clark Expedition in order and match the dates with the events. The lesson strategy and "Order the Continents" lesson is available here. The template and answer sheet for the "Lewis and Cl...

Picture North America: On the Trail with Lewis and Clark Lesson Plan

Note: The lesson "Picture North America" was originally developed by John Pauli, a teacher consultant with the Geographic Alliance in Nevada. Dr. Keeler modified the lesson plan (see the modified lesson plan here) and then changed the lesson to focus more on the Lewis and Clark Expedition. This lesson is available at: http://tah-exploration.blogspot.com/2008/06/picture-north-america-on-trail-with.html Grade Level: 5-10 [When using only the pictures and placards, this lesson may be used i...

Teaching Research-Based Writing through History

Delise Sanders of Sumner Schools presented at the 2008 National Council of History Education Annual Conference on the topic of integrating writing into history instruction. In addition to her focus on use of primary sources, she introduced methods for teaching intermediate-level students to research-based writing projects. Many of her ideas were shared during the session II slideshow. In addition, Sanders provided permission to share her project notes here. Called "The Big Fifth Grade Researc...

Teaching Literacy through History

One of the resources I found particularly helpful in informing my knowledge of literacy integration into history instruction was Teaching Literacy through History (Elementary/Middle School Materials), a part of the "Educating America's Citizens" collection of the Teaching Resources from Colonial Williamsburg. Note that many of the ideas presented in the session II slideshow originated in the Williamsburg packet.

Teaching Literacy through Historical Children's Books (Video Slide Presentation)

Session II Class Slides

These slides are from the PowerPoint presentation delivered on April 9, 2007. The topic for the slides was "Teaching Literacy through Historical Children’s Books ."

Seesion I Class Slides

These slides are from the PowerPoint presentation delivered on October 22, 2008. The topic for the slides was "Teaching Reading through Historical Children’s Books."

Nevada Humanities

"Nevada Humanities is a nonprofit organization that creates and supports projects throughout the state of Nevada that broaden perspectives and encourage intellectual curiosity." One of the benefits the organization provides for history educators is their "Humanities on the Road Speaker's Bureau." This Bureau provides notification of available Chautauqua speakers within Nevada and support funds to bring presenters to schools. Click here for a current list of available Chautauqua presenters.

Alternative Assessment

Suggestions for alternative assessment methods are available in Sandra Schurr's text titled The ABCs of Evaluation. Though this book is no longer in print, you may access an electronic copy here.

Little House... Continued

Laura Ingalls Wilder's works are continued past the Little House series in a book called A Little House Traveler. In the book, she relates stories including the following: "On the Way Home: The Diary of a Trip from South Dakota to Mansfield, Missouri, in 1894" "West from Home: Letters of Laura Ingalls Wilder (San Francisco, 1915)" "The Road Back: Laura Ingalls Wilder's Record of the Journey Back to De Smet, South Dakota, 1931" As with the Little House series, these writings provide a view...

Children's Literature Book Blogs

The below blogs will be developed during the Teaching American History grant module on Exploring the Americas and Children's Literature. The end result will be teacher's guides for teaching with these books. Teacher's Guide for Patty Reed's Doll: The Story of the Donner Party by Rachel Laurgaard Teacher's Guide for Sallie Fox: The Story of a Pioneer Girl by Dorothy Kupcha Leland Teacher's Guide for Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder Teacher's Guides for various picture books on Ameri...

Teacher's Guide Assignment

Click here to access the expectations and grading rubric for the Teacher's Guide assignment. In response to a module participant's request for a justification for this assignment, I prepared this email.

Book Review Template

You will complete a book review based on your reading of the Joy and Riley content texts. Use this template for completing your book review. Note: Use tabs to move through fields. If you need assistance with forms, review "Using and Creating Forms in Microsoft Word" in "Keeler's Training Videos" (available in iTunes). Book Review Assignment Expectations Book Review Template Suggested uses for templates:* Questionnaires Self-made MadLibs for parts of speech and instruction activities Qu...

Book Review Requirements

Click here for the book review requirements.

Exploration Syllabus

Click here for the module syllabus.