These fun political activities for kids can help them get a little more involved in the 2016 election process -- and learn a thing or two.
Back to School ice-breakers and first day or first week activities are an excellent way to set the tone for your history class: on-level history or APUSH, AP Euro or AP World. Get to know your students digitally or in person AND teach historical thinking skills in an accessible, engaging way! Students will reflect on and share change & continuity, comparison, causation & periodization... about their own lives. This no-prep, ready-to-post or print resource will engage your students in historical thinking from Day 1. Teachers can complete the assignment and share with students to model and build trust & relationships. This fully editable Google Slides worksheet can be completed digitally or printed. Also includes a student sample! Instructions & Tips: Students will fill in the graphic organizer with information about themselves. You may want to fill in your own copy as a model and as a way for students to get to know you! This can be done digitally (see below) or printed as a hard copy. I suggest that you do NOT share the information with the class and let students know that all information will just be viewed by you. I have learned a LOT about my students right off the bat with this activity. Please let me know if you have questions. You can email me at [email protected] and I am happy to help. -- Planning for the school year? Looking for an engaging way to introduce the DBQ to your students? Check out the 3-part Intro to the DBQ Workshop. Covid-19 themed to make the DBQ accessible to students. Check out my APUSH Comprehensive Units (independent of any particular textbook) I also have a full year of APUSH PowerPoints (Google Slides) with over 400 slides of engagingly-formatted content review. For DBQ Practice, check out my DBQ Toolkit and Complexity How-To to provide guided practice for your students on each rubric point. Both are fully editable but also ready to print or post online for your students for practice and feedback. AP EUROPEAN HISTORY: Check out all my AP European History resources HERE. WORLD HISTORY: Check out all my World History resources HERE. NOTE: AP® is a trademark owned by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse, this product/site _______________ DID YOU KNOW? _______________ You can follow my store by clicking HERE. Be the first to know when I release new products or hold a sale! You can also earn TPT credit to use on future purchases by reviewing products? Just go to your My Purchases page. Next to each of your purchases, you'll see a Provide Feedback button. Click that link and you will be taken to a page where you can rate the product and leave a review. Each time you give feedback, TPT gives you feedback credits that you can use to lower the cost of your future purchases!
History doesn't have to be boring. Check out some fantastic ways to make history fun for kids, so they'll want to learn!
History STEM activities and challenges for the classroom ensure students have a hands-on way to learn history material of the world.
Knights & Castles are fun to learn about in this Middle Ages for Kids, FREE 5 week unit that includes crafts, hands-on activities, free printables and more!
Medieval period is a fascinating time to study, and these activities will bring it to life for tweens. From authentic recipes to knights and castles, there's something here for everyone.
The Secret Detectives is a gripping, beautifully written historical mystery, from an incredible new voice in children’s fiction. On board the S.S. Marianna Isobel Petty witnesses a shocking act – somebody being thrown overboard in the middle of the night. But the ship’s captain insists nobody is missing. . . Download these activity sheets to […]
If you've been following my blog for a long time you'll know it's no secret that I love history! While I typically provide resources for grades 5+, here are some...
Hi teacher friends, I’ve been busy creating a series of STEM projects for students who are studying Medieval Times & Middle Ages.. Next stop, Late Medieval Europe! Challenge 1: The Ballista Challenge! Medieval times were a violent period in history. New styles of weaponry and warfare were introduced during the Crusades. Siege warfare
Making a connection to the past through hands-on learning helps a child to remember what he has learned and develop critical thinking skills.
History lessons can be dry and boring if you rely completely on a dry and boring textbook. But there is a better way! It’s so easy to make history come...
Middle school kids want to interact with history like with these hands-on projects from ancient & medieval history, colonial & pioneer America, and civil war.
Who run the world? Girls!
Bring history alive with this fun hands-on history idea for World War II! Teach kids about making do with the ingredients you have by making ration cakes.
Hands-on activities for studying world history are the best way for your kids to get a deeper understanding of the country all around us.
Free tutorials and printables resources for fun, hands-on history activities for kids. Includes areas such as ancient history and U.S. history.
10 activities to help middle and high school social studies teachers teach historical perspective plus a free download from History Gal.
Medieval period is a fascinating time to study, and these activities will bring it to life for tweens. From authentic recipes to knights and castles, there's something here for everyone.
This ancient Mesopotamian cuneiform activity is a fun, hands-on history experience. Become ancient scribes writing on clay tablets with reeds.
How can you make history fun for your child? We love making history hands-on with stories, and activities that bring historical time periods to life! This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure statement for more information. We have been receiving the History Unboxed subscriptions for over a year now, and my kids adore it! History quickly became a […]
Integrating art and content in the ELA classroom. Tips and resources.
Ancient Greece Book List Free World History Curriculum Hello ! If you've been following this series, thanks for coming back! I'm so excited to sha ...
If you're studying Ancient history this year, it's crucial to add some hands-on activities into your lesson plans, like these that your teen will want to do.
Medieval Chemistry and Homeschool History. Science wasn't really dead during the Middle Age, it's just people fanaticized about turning items to gold.
Kids are more likely to be engaged and remember what they've learned when you bring history to life. Making your own quill and homemade ink is perfect for a Colonial America unit or Revolutionary War unit.
FREE Historical Movies List with Reviews for Teaching History
Hollywood has pushed out some impressive historical dramas. Here are some great quality historical movies for junior high and high school, under R.
Medieval period is a fascinating time to study, and these activities will bring it to life for tweens. From authentic recipes to knights and castles, there's something here for everyone.
Who run the world? Girls!
Hi teacher friends, Ancient Civilizations has to be my favorite curriculum to teach. I find the ancient world fascinating, with all the different traditions, inventions, rituals, building structures, gods and goddesses. I could probably spend the whole year just focusing on Egypt alone, with its pyramids, their social hierarchy with pharaohs, and interesting
Over 25 history board games to choose from for your homeschool or classroom, or as the perfect gift for the history lover in your life!
Studying Christopher Columbus for kids? Need help with how to explain Columbus Day to kids including the controversy? We have 23 Columbus Day holiday lessons and activities for Christopher Columbus high school studies to elementary school (even Christopher Columbus for kindergarten!).
Free, Printable Montessori-Inspired cards for helping kids learn important historical figures from Ancient Rome.
While studying middle school history, bring Colonial America to life by playing the same simple games kids did while living in the 13 Colonies.
Ancient Egypt is such a fun time period to explore with young kids. There are so many topics you can cover, allowing for lots of fun hands-on activities to be added into your studies. From
Medieval period is a fascinating time to study, and these activities will bring it to life for tweens. From authentic recipes to knights and castles, there's something here for everyone.
Teaching historical thinking skills must be fun, engaging, and meaningful! This is how to do it!
Fun and easy crafts to enhance your medieval European history lessons in elementary schools.
History simulation games for kids to role play historical figures and experience the history first hand. Great hands-on approach for kids to learn history.
As we started studying the Middle Ages, we learned a lot about the beginning of the publishing industry, to which what we owe our modern-day books.
When it comes to history with kids, it can get pretty dry. Use these hands-on activities for studying the 1800s to spruce up your history lesson plans.
Try these printable American Revolutionary War games that are great for homeschooling or classroom use. There is also a timeline!
Some innovative castle designs by my middle school students, Samuel E. Shull Middle School, Perth Amboy NJ 2017 After watching the video of David Macaulay's Castle, my students designed their own fortresses. They tested the defensive walls by building catapults with popsicle sticks, rubber bands and spoons and firing mini marshmallows at their creations to see how many could land inside. Caerphilly Castle was built in the thirteenth century. It is the largest castle in Wales. To learn more about Caerphilly Castle, click here. More views of Caerphilly Castle David Macaulay re-creates the building of a medieval Castle in his book Castle. For more information about this very detailed and informative book, visit the author's website by clicking here. To watch a four part movie based on the book, click on the YouTube videos below. The castle in Macaulay's book is imaginary but it is based on several real Medieval castles. One of them is Caerphilly castle in Wales. Here is a floor plan of Caerphilly Castle: The film starts off with the author, David Macaulay, with his sketchbook, in Conway Castle in Wales. Here are some photographs of Conway Castle: Here is a floor plan of Conway Castle: Below is a floor plan and some photographs of Deal Castle, in Kent, England Below is a floor plan and some photographs of Windsor Castle in England WHY DO ALL THESE MEDIEVAL CASTLES LOOK SO DIFFERENT FROM EACH OTHER? HOW ARE THEY ALL ALIKE? Keep reading to find out. There was no standard shape and structure for a castle. The builders adapted their designs to suit the site, the budget and the military dangers of the day. THE ANATOMY OF A MEDIEVAL CASTLE Print out the picture above and look at all the basic parts that make up the anatomy of a Medieval castle. The castles all look very different from each other, yet they are all made up of the same basic components. See if you can identify the components all of these castles have in common. How would geographic location and the topography of the site influence a castle's design? Some cool Medieval castle activities: Click here to learn how to build your own paper and cardboard Medieval castle Click here to learn how to design a castle floor plan Click here for a step by step Power Point presentation by The Helpful Art Teacher on how to design and build your own paper castle. Printable Worksheets How to build a paper castle You will need heavy paper, like oak tag or card stock, white glue,masking tape,cardboard for the base scissors,markers, paint and whatever else you wish to use to decorate your creation. A small inexpensive low temperature hot glue gun is useful but not necessary. The starting point: A tower You will need to build at least four of these towers and connect them by walls just to start building your castle. These worksheets are just to get you started. Be inventive! Figure out how to include all the parts of the castle from the moat and draw bridge to the gate house and portcullis to the inner ward and keep. Work in progress: These 7th grade students are creating a curtain wall, the wall surrounding their castle complex. A soldier can walk along this wall and shoot arrows at his enemies from behind the embrasures. These students have created a portcullis and draw bridge using yarn, Popsicle sticks and a low temperature hot glue gun. Interior and exterior shots of one 7th grade student's work in progress. She used a sharp scissors to cut the points on the Popsicle sticks that form the portcullis. When each group was done constructing their castles I gave them 12 Popsicle sticks, a rubber band, a plastic spoon and permission to go over to the hot glue gun table. Their mission? To design a working catapult capable of lobbing mini marshmallows into another group's castle. Catapult designed by a 7th grade student Click here to learn how to build a miniature working catapult out of Popsicle sticks (so you can storm your paper castle). This website gives step by step directions but I prefer to have my students come up with their own designs. As you can see, from the video below, my 7th graders' original contraptions worked quite well. catapult design by a 7th grade student from Rachel Wintemberg on Vimeo. STEAM connection: How does building a catapult connect art to science, technology, engineering and math? When you create a catapult you are using a simple macine, the lever. If you pull the spoon back, the taut rubber band has potential energy. When you let go of the spoon the marshmallow is propelled by force and has kinetic energy. When you pull the rubber band back to a 45 degree angle, the marshmallow will travel the farthest distance. When you pull it back farther, the marshmallow will travel higher, but not go as far. We set up our catapults behind a taped barrier and asked the students to see how many mini marshmallows they could get into each castle. In order to make it over the wall, student found that they ideally needed to pull the spoon back farther than 45 degrees to attain more height and less distance. We discussed how the goal of the job affects the method used to launch the catapult; had the goal been to make the marshmallow go the farthest distance, then a 45 degree angle would have been preferable. STEAM Vocabulary/Definitions accuracy : The degree of closeness of a measured or calculated quantity to its actual (true) value. For example, in the associated activity, accuracy is the ability to hit the target with the Ping-Pong ball. catapult: A toy/machine that launches a projectile. geometry: An area of mathematics that studies shape, size, position and properties of space. precision: The degree to which further measurements or calculations show the same or similar results. For example, in the associated activity, precision is the ability to hit the same location multiple times with the Ping-Pong ball. projectile: An object that is launched or thrown, usually in the air, by a force. Source:https://www.teachengineering.org/lessons/view/cub_catapult_lesson01 Other STEAM connections in this lesson: The portcullis and draw bridge on the castles above operate using a pulley, another simple machine. Show students simple machines and have them divide into small groups to brainstorm how they might incorporate simple machines into their castle designs. For instance, a pulley might be used to draw water from a well as well as to control the draw bridge and portcullis. What is a simple machine? A simple machine is a mechanical device that changes the direction or magnitude of a force. In general, they can be defined as the simplest mechanisms that use mechanical advantage (also called leverage) to multiply force. The six simple machines are: Lever Wheel and axle Pulley Inclined plane Wedge Screw This student took the assignment a step farther. After researching medieval weapons he decided to design a crossbow to defend his fortress and siege neighboring castles. He was, of course, very careful to aim his weapon at rival social studies projects and never at people. Learn all the parts of a real medieval castle and what they were used for before you begin. Look at several real castles and their floor plans before you create your own. Remember, fortresses were designed and built for defense so make sure your castle will protect the inhabitants within. The Parts of a Medieval Castle Vocabulary terms you will need to know: You will remember the vocabulary better if, after reading the definition, you click on the word. This will bring you to a picture that illustrates the word. If you are building a castle for a 7th grade social studies class your teacher will probably expect you to use these vocabulary words to label the parts of your castle. You will also be expected to demonstrate the ways in which your fortress uses these elements to protect it's inhabitants. Arrow Loops - These were slots in the walls and structures that were used to shoot arrows through. They came in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Ashlar - Blocks of smooth square stone. They can be of any kind of stone. Bailey: This is a courtyard or open space surrounded by walls.The walls that make up the Bailey are also considered to be part of the Bailey. A castle could have several. Sometimes they were called the upper bailey and lower bailey or the west bailey and east bailey. Barbican: A stone structure that protected the gate of a castle. Think of it as a gatehouse. It usually had a small tower on each side of the gate where guards could stand watch. Barmkin: A yard surrounded by a defensive wall Bartizan: A small turret at the corner of a tower or wall. It is usually at the top but not always. Bastion: A tower or turret projecting from a wall or at the junction of two walls Battlements: These are the structures at the tops of the walls surrounding a castle. Picture what you have seen in the movies where archers are at the top of the wall and firing arrows between open slots down on the attackers. These shapes at the top (Where the archers position themselves for battle) are called battlements. They are also referred to as crenellations. Buttress: A masonry projection used as additional support for walls. Notre Dame Cathedral is a good examlple of the use of Buttresses. Corbel - A stone projection from a wall. It supports the weight of a battlement. Courtyard - The open area with the curtain walls of a castle. Curtain Wall - The stone walls around a castle. Drawbridge - This was a wooden bridge in front of the main gate of the castle. In the early centuries of castles it was moved horizontal to the ground and in the later centuries it was built so it could raise up in a hinged fashion. Dungeon - A deep dark cell typically underground and underneath a castle. This is a derivative of the word Dunjon. Donjon - this is an old word for a great tower or a keep. Embrasure - An opening in a parapet wall. GateHouse - A strongly built and fortified main entrance to a castle. It often has a guard house and or living quarters. Hall or GreatHall - This is the major building inside th walls of a castle. Hoarding: a covered wooden gallery above a tower the floor had slats or slots to allow defenders to drop object on besiegers. They could also drop liquids and projectiles. Keep - This definition changed slightly over the centuries of castle building. In the early years of stone castle building the Keep was a standalone structure that could be defended and often square in shape. Over the centuries these structures were improved upon and built around. Thus a castle was made that was a larger and more complex structure. The main tower that this was built around was still called the Keep and it was usually the tallest and strongest structure in the castle. It was also used as the last line of defense during siege or attack. Machicolations - The openings between the corbels of a parapet. They form areas that stick out along the top of the wall and defenders inside the castle can drop items like boiling water and rocks onto attackers. Merlons - The parts of parapet walls between embrasures Moat: A Body of water surrounding the outer wall of a castle. It was often around 5 to 15 feet deep and it was sometimes within the outer wall -between the outer wall and the inner wall. The primary purpose of the moat wasn't to stop attackers it was to stop tunnelers. Tunneling under a castle was an effective means of collapsing the walls or infiltrating it. A moat would cause any tunnel to collapse. Motte And Bailey: This isn't part of a castle it is the predecessor to the castle. A Motte and Bailey was an early form of castle where a large mound of dirt was built up then a wooden fortification was placed on top. This wooden fortification was in the shape of a timber fence that formed a circle like a crown at the top of the mound. The Mound is the motte, and the timber fence and the space it enclosed is the Bailey. Murder Hole: An opening in the roof of a gateway over an entrance. Used to drop projectiles or other things onto the besiegers. Oubliette: A deep pit reached by a trap door at the top. Prisoners were kept in it. Palisade: A defenisive fence Portcullis - This is a metal or wood grate that was dropped vertically just inside the main gate to the castle. Postern - A small gate at the back of a castle. Often considered to be a "Back Door". Rampart: Picture the battlements in the previous definition. The battlements are the top sections of the outer wall of the castle. Now to access these battlements the archers would stand on a walk way that was a wall in it's own right. This walkway is built right up against the outer wall and is called the Rampart. Ward - The area inside the walls of a castle. Often also called the Courtyard. Yett: Iron gates at the entrance of a castle To learn more about Medieval weapons, click here Click here to learn more about what life was life like in Medieval times If you were a peasant and wanted the protection a castle afforded, you had to pay your taxes If you were a monk you might work in a scriptorium painstakingly copying The Bible in Latin by hand and creating Illuminated manuscripts What is an illuminated manuscript? Before the invention of the printing press books had to be written by hand and very few people knew how to read.Click here to learn more about Medieval illuminated manuscripts If you were a knight, you would have to decorate your outfit with distinctive heraldry to avoid accidentally being killed by your own men Special thanks Richard Burzynski, Alexandre Lopez, Derrick C. Kyriacou and the Social Studies department at William C. McGinnis School. Please note: The pictures of actual medieval castles come from Wikimedia commons and are in the public domain. A few of the black and white images are handouts I have had for many years. If anyone knows who I should attribute them to, please email me. The pictures of step by step directions and photographs of student art work are my own. They may be downloaded and reproduced for educational purposes only (with appropriate credit given) in accordance with fair use law. Please do not republish them without contacting me for permission. Castles and creative writing: Middle school students love learning about castles. They figure heavily in many beloved children's stories, movies and video games. Why not use a castle construction project as a jumping off point for a unit on imaginative story telling? Castles are often a main feature in fantasy and mythological stories. Here is a fantasy art and storytelling assignment that I gave to my students during the 2016-2017 school year: Samuel E. Shull School, 2017 STUDENT ART GALLERY:
Make history come alive with these fun, hands-on history lessons for kids! These kids history lessons include activities, worksheets, & more!
