For the past few days I have had the students engaged in small group projects to create a humanitarian newspaper. The time period had to take place between the years 1800-1860 in the U.S. Each group was responsible for creating a front page of a newspaper that included 3 articles written in the voice of three of the following humanitarians: Lyman Beecher, Horace Mann, Dorthea Dix, Thomas Gallaudet, Samuel Gridley Howe, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Margaret Fuller, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Henry David Thoreau. Within the articles, students must use 6 of the 11 terms in the corresponding section in the textbook.
In addition to the articles, students had to create an appropriate name for the newspaper, create a political cartoon, and 2 advertisements for inventions created during the time period. This lesson was adapted from a textbook lesson plan I had come across and from another project that was demonstrated in a methods class. I felt that the section of our class textbook did not tell much about the humanitarians mentioned and their contributions are very significant to U.S. history.
This lesson achieved the learning goals I was striving for and I know projects such as these help students to retain what they have learned. This was a good project and I would recommend it to other teachers. -Jason
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Cool project! Nothing like getting them to apply their knowledge!
ReplyDeleteThis does sound like a cool project, Jason. I may try something similar sometime later this semester. One question: Do the students have any additional materials besides the textbook, since you said it didn't go too in-depth in relation to its coverage of these people?
ReplyDeleteI remember we talked about this in Literacy class this morning and now reading it again I realize that I could do a newspaper project in my classes as well. I'd probably make it simpler, but it could work well for the more advanced learner.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Dakota. I think the students would enjoy making a newspaper, but it would have to more basic. I think the cartoon would be a fun part for the students.
ReplyDeleteI like this Newspaper idea. I think it is an excellent one to use for social studies. There is so much variety that can be added..the adverstisements and cartoons are good additions. I wonder if the cartoons were hard for high school students because they tend to represent more abstract thinking. I am thinking of using this for middle school, but I wonder how they would do with the cartoons.
ReplyDeleteKatie Cook
The 7th/8th grade science class I'm in finished an ecology unit a couple of weeks ago. Your newspaper idea would have been a great one to implement by having the students write articles about species interactions. We could have had them write about mutualistic, commensalistic, and parasitic relationships. I also like the added elements of cartoon, advertisements, and name of newspaper. What an excellent cross-curricular exercise.
ReplyDeleteTalk about a strategy that would work fantastically for cross-curricular!! Social studies, art history, english, science, P.E. health, even math (yuck, sorry Tyler and Dirk) And the art department automatically gets involved in ads and cartoons. Our high school has not had a newspaper for years, probably because of lack of things to write about. But a curricular newspaper could kick up some interest and the students could have some fun doing it, and get class credit for the project! Publish once a month or so, on a shared topic. Let your imagination run wild. (As long as it is school appropriate, of course.)
ReplyDeleteHere is a wonderful web 2.0 tool that your students can use to publish their newspapers:
ReplyDeletehttp://interactives.mped.org/view_interactive.aspx?id=110&title=