Primary+Sources+General+Lesson+Ideas

General
(allows you to put in grade and Georgia Social Studies standards)
 * http://www.loc.gov/teachers/**

ideas for every social studies topic
 * http://www.socialstudiescentral.com**

video resources by subject area
 * http://www.teachersdomain.org/collection/k12**

ideas for social studies topics
 * http://www.brainybetty.com/**

ideas for social studies topics
 * http://www.theteacherscorner.net**

teacher ideas by social studies subject (this is Canadian, so you won't find much American history, but there are many resources for world history)
 * http://www.cln.org/subject_index.html**

social studies projects and ideas by kids for kids, all service learning and authentic
 * http://thinkquest.org/**

type in "social studies" and your topic, and see what ideas appear
 * http://exchange.smarttech.com/#tab=0**

(or go through ReadWriteThink.org and search for "printing press) students can create a brochure, newspaper, journal, or story
 * http://interactives.mped.org/ppress110.aspx**

make an accordian book, fold-over book, etc.
 * http://www.makingbooks.com/freeprojects.shtml**


 * 1. Create a People Poem. ** Think about a word poem using the letters in the person's name. Or, create a shape poem using words and ideas about the person to form a shape that reflects the person's life. Think about other types of poems you've written. Choose a format that fits the personality of your person.

2. Nominate person for an award, write a speech to present the award

3. Make a brochure: http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/lessons/german/brochure.html example of brochure

· (Prints and Photographs) Pictorial Americana. (Select a historical period or a subject for topical images.) [] · Primary Source Set: Found Poetry (Poetry and Literature Community Center) [] · Found Poetry With Walt Whitman’s Words (Song of America Institute) [] · Select an image depicting one or more people. Have students study the image and write dialogue or “thought bubbles” to accompany the image. · Create a script or documentary based on an event shown in a primary source. Sample images: · (What might these passengers be saying to each other?) New York - Welcome to the land of freedom (1881 illustration) [] · (What might each of these family members be thinking?) Orson Cooley in northeast Custer County on the county line near Coolyton Post Office in Loup County (1887 photograph by Solomon Butcher) [] · (What are women passing out the handbills saying?) Distributing hand bills advertising Inaugural Suffrage Parade and inviting everyone to participate (1913 photograph) [] · (What are Lincoln and McLelland discussing?) Antietam, Md. President Lincoln and Gen. George B. McClellan in the general's tent (October, 3, 1862 photograph) [] o Writing Headlines and Captions · Select a variety of images relating to a curricular topic or theme. Have students write an attention-getting phrase (headline or caption) to accompany each image. Sample images: · First flight, 120 feet in 12 seconds, 10:35 a.m.; Kitty Hawk, North Carolina (1903 photograph) [] · People, many under umbrellas, walking in a line during a blizzard (1903 photograph) [] · Woman and a man standing amid the ruins of a house damaged during a tornado (1929 photograph) [] · Roosevelt's funeral procession with horse-drawn casket, Pennsylvania Ave. (1945 photograph) [] o Writing a News Article · Select a photograph or drawing that depicts a historical event or time period being studied. Have students become reporters, research the image and write a news article based on their findings. Suggested resources: · (Lesson Plan) Mathew Brady Bunch [] See How to Write a News Article [] · (Lesson Plan) Murder and Mayhem – The Great Gatsby: Facts Behind the Fiction [] See Newspaper Directions [] · Today in History (Search the full text of the archive by date or topic for ideas.) [] o Writing Narrative Reports for Edison Movies · Browse the American Memory collections for early motion pictures. [] Select a motion picture that ties in your subject. Have students assume the role of a TV news anchor, and research, write, and narrate a report to accompany footage. Sample movies: · Automobile parade (1900 film) [] · Emigrants landing at Ellis Island (1903 film) [] · President McKinley taking the oath (1901film) [] · San Francisco earthquake and fire (April 18, 1906 film) [] o Rewriting Song Lyrics · Select a song popular during a particular historical era or associated with a curricular theme. Have students consider why the song was written and what it tells about life during that era. Have them rewrite the song for our times, reflecting the events, places, people, feelings and perspectives of today. Suggested resources: · (Activity) Songs for Our Times [] and Resource Page [] · Lyrical Legacy: 400 Years of American Song and Poetry [|http://www.loc.gov/teachers/lyrical/]
 * 4.Other Ideas for Developing Engaging Primary Source Lessons  **
 * Explore Library of Congress resources for ideas.
 * Literature and Poetry lessons []
 * Primary Source Investigation (PSI) activity (Song of America Institute) []
 * Response journal/word wall/alphabet book
 * Marco Paul’s Travels on the Erie Canal (lesson) []
 * Artifact analysis
 * Artifact Road Show: Constructing the Context (activity ideas) []
 * Compare and contrast images of the same event by different artists.
 * Compare fiction and non-fiction books written about the same event.
 * Writing activities
 * Photographs as Story Starters - Select an interesting photograph to use as a writing prompt. It might include people, a scene, an interesting object or a humorous situation. Have students use the photograph as a jumping off point for writing a paragraph, letter or short story. Begin by writing an engaging opening sentence. Sample images and image lists:
 * Diver, James Cahey, and an unknown man standing on a floating dock on the Chicago River (1903 photograph) []
 * August Rosengard, one-legged burglar (1903 photograph) []
 * Whale skeleton (undated photograph) []
 * Station master with gag lion / photo by Harry M. Rhoads (early 1900s photograph) []
 * (Prints and Photographs) Lists of Images on Popular Topics. []
 * Create found poetry
 * Dialogue Writing