Our school year began on day one with the focus being on "The United States Constitution!" We had an essential question, " Why do we have rules?" "What rules will work for us?" From that point until September 17th, "Constitution Day," we unpacked these important life long concepts and moved into "What is the Constitution? This has taken more than three lessons and it is well worth it in the long run! We created our own classroom constitution and had "all the framers" sign this important classroom primary document. We enjoy pretending as though we were going back in time, using an imaginary time machine. We wonder what it would have been like to live in the 1700's. Each child made their own primary document of the classroom constitution and took it home, to share with their families.  Frequently, we will go onto School House Rock and select The Preamble Song! This animation connects with my second graders. We are enjoying and singing the PREAMBLE and each time getting more of it memorized!

The Constitution Treasure Box  in Second Grade
The Treasure Box is a great way to get our imagination going.
My second graders were so excited to see a decorated, patriotic TREASURE BOX! They were filled with wonder and curiosity as it was unpacked. The children are responding and asking great questions as well remembering our history! Items that were introduced to us during the summer session were included as well as other items.

Supplies are as follows:

Books: Now and Ben by Gene Barretta

A Is for America  An American Alphabet by Devin Scillian

Where Was George Washington? By Carla Heymsfeld

Who Was Thomas Jefferson? By Dennis Fradin

Who Was Ben Franklin by Dennis Fradin

Meet George Washington by Joan Heilbroner

Benjamin Franklin A Man with Many Jobs by Carol Greene

Ring for Liberty A Story about the Liberty Bell By Virginia Parsons

The Story of The Liberty Bell by Natalie Miller (3 copies)

George Washington’s Teeth by Deborah Chandra & Madeleine Comora

I Love America A Treasury of Popular Stories, History, Poems and Songs  A GOLDEN BOOK Shelagh Canning Contributing Editor

A Picture Book of George Washington by David A. Adler

What’s the Big Idea,Ben Franklin by Jean Fritz

Thomas Jefferson Author, Inventor, President by Carol Greene

Young Ben Franklin by Laurence   Santrey

The Pledge of Allegiance by Scholastic

America A Patriotic Primer by Lynne Cheney

We the Kids The Preamble to the Constitution of the United States

American Revolution 1700-1800 by Joy Masoff

Encyclopedia of Presidents  Thomas Jefferson by Jim Hargrove

Objects:

Scrolled paper of the PREAMBLE

Quills and ink wells

Lantern

Candle
A replica of the Liberty Bell

Copy of the Declaration of Independence

Flag and a poster of our flag's history is in the classroom

Pictures of George Washington, Ben Franklin and Thomas Jefferson

Minute Men

Samples of Primary documents: 

A map of Philadelphia in the 1700's 

A map of Paul Revere’s ride 

A view of the State House in Philadelphia

General George Washington’s signature

Photo of the State House

The United States Constitution seen  online

After we had a general overview of the items in our TREASURE BOX, our classroom turned into a mini museum. The children browsed around the room and examined items more closely.  This box will not be put away, rather it will be and has begun to be used at center time for quiet reading, partner reading, writing with a quill as did the framers, writing stories about the objects being examined. Eventually, reports will be made from some of the books the children are reading.  This is actually preparing us for biographies that we will do later on in the school year!  The conversation, visuals, tactile experience the children are using are encouraging right and left brain learning!

George Robert Twelves Hewes

The Shoemaker and The Tea Party by Alfred F. Young

      George Robert Twelves Hewes had a very challenging life. Born in 1742, he became an orphan at an early age. Consequently, this small, framed man began an apprenticeship as a shoemaker. In Boston, Massachusetts, there were approximately sixty to seventy shoemakers, so it was a very poorly paying occupation. He did marry at age twenty-six and was happily married for seventy years. (p.26) Boston was a community of approximately sixteen thousand people and four thousand British soldiers arrived in the area. How frightening this must have been. One soldier did not pay Hewes for the work he had done, so he reported it to the British. The soldier was severely punished. Had he known the consequence for the soldier's action, Hewes would have not reported the crime. Later, he tells of the death of an eleven-year-old boy, Christopher Seider and ten days later, the Boston Massacre occurred. (p. 37) There was great unrest in the colony. After that, 

The Boston Tea Party occurred and the Whigs recruited ordinary folks to be involved seizing and overthrowing the tea. Hewes and others were dressed as Native Americans. The Whigs did not want to be recognized or associated with this event.

      Hewes' life reflected an ordinary man who experienced important revolutionary war events and became he political. His recollection of these events at age nineties is hopefully accurate. 

Hewes life story is an example that encourages me to strive for these character qualities. This man's life reveals to me that mankind is not perfect. However frail we are or feel, difficult and challenging situations occur. They are aggravating, however, loyalty, community, and commitment rise to the top for the good of the people. Perhaps that's why our constitution begins with "We the people.” This man's life also encourages me to pay attention to history in the making of our country now. Upholding the constitution is still important and I need to support these words today, "We the people"!

Biographies and Autobiographies

I have learned that people always have a story to tell their family/friends. It is each person's individual history. As a parent, relative and teacher and a student of this class, I am reminded how important journals, diaries, letters, birth, death, baptism, wedding certificate are as primary sources. Newspapers articles or cartoons are also helpful as possible primary sources. Interviews need to be carefully documented. Alfred Young compared information gathered by James Hawkes and Benjamin Bussey Thatcher. Hawkes embellished Hewes story by writing conversation. If it has not been accurately documented, this taints history.  Thatcher questioned the memory of Hewes at the age of nineties, as he told his life story and the events of the Boston Massacre, Boston Tea Party, tarring and feathering of John Malcolm. 

     The life of George Robert Twelves Hewes as reported by Alfred Young showed me how valuable it is to speak to people about their experiences in life. It has reminded me how important it is for my biological children to know the history of our family members. As a teacher, I want to encourage my second graders to talk to their parents and other family members about their lives and family history. Certainly, each one of us recalls important events throughout life, however, sometimes we take life for granted and do not interview people. As Young investigated James Hawkes and Benjamin Bussey Thatcher's recordings of this shoemaker in his nineties, who lived in Boston during the Massacre, The Tea Party, and the tarring and feathering of John Malcolm, (p. 33), it shows me how important it is to have accurate documentation.

     Having a journal or diary helps keep history more accurate. Biographies/autobiographies are written with the writer's interpretation and perspective. As one wise friend told me, perspective does not mean it is true. Primary sources are vital to complete the person's history and keep it accurate. Our own personal history can reveal what daily life is like during national and international events that are taking place in the world.

Wood's The American Revolution: A Short History

     As I read Wood's writing, The Revolution, he briefly mentions Paul Revere's courageous ride to alert the Minute Men! Wood's comments are minimal, compared to Hakim's chapter 14, One If by Land, Two If by Sea. Wood's writing is matter of fact and moves on to other details for the Revolution. Hakim reminded me Paul Revere was a silversmith. She also informed me and named Billy Dawes and Dr. Samuel Prescott as important individuals of this critical, historic event. She took the time to explain each man's character and role as they warned the communities. This was informative to me. As a second grade social studies teacher, I will be using the information in Hakim's chapter. This material will quickly engaged my students with Paul Revere. Hakim uses multiple ways to engage the left brain and right brain student by capturing the attention of the reader to enter the past with courage and enthusiasm. She uses pictures, captions, a map with three trails, a story line, song and poetry, two newspapers: the Salem Gazette and London Gazette, 1775. I appreciate the primary sources added in her writings. The personal story of Mrs. Davis giving her account of her husband last day alive, puts liberty and freedom for Americans into a sober appreciation.
     The children in my classroom will anticipate, predict, pretend and try to go back in time to feel and sense the urgency of this historic night. The map showing Paul Revere's path, Dawes and Prescott's paths will also create discussion. Reflecting on my previous second grade class, 2011-2012,  I can already imagine, see and hear my children enjoying this material. They would have loved it! As I am writing this blog, I am anticipating reading Longfellow's poem to my incoming class with the rhythm of a horse's gallop! We will become soldiers of the past, The Red Coats singing Yankee Doodle and then we will be the Patriots/Minute Men, the colonists who won and we are still singing the song today! There will discussion regarding the character qualities Paul Revere had to have to accomplish his important task of warning the farmers and people living in the countryside. We will go to the library and use the our technology skills to research Paul Revere. This information will be additional reading material during our classroom READ ALOUD time, READ TO SELF AND READ TO SOMEONE. We will also do some writing composition on this brave American hero! As the year progress, it may be possible for one of my students to want to become Paul Revere for our WAX MUSEUM. This is usually a March activity for our social studies class. Integrated instruction will be purposefully set for meeting essential questions in the curriculum, using Hakim's chapter fourteen. For Second Grade, this history has drama, excitement and fortitude. Personally, my second graders will enjoy the history and  biography of Paul Revere,  as we go back in time to appreciate the efforts of our forefathers commitment to liberty and justice for all!

Teaching for Historical Literacy

Over the years as a primary elementary teacher, I have felt the very same way Goudvis and Harvey observed elementary educators teaching social studies. Reading, math, and writing composition classes have been the primary focus. Allowing time to teach social studies has been placed on the back burner. As time has gone by, my colleagues and I have collaborated and shared responsibilities as we teach our students. Our load has become a bit lighter and our focus broadened. Specific scheduled time has been set aside and we began to integrate our reading/guided reading, writing composition and social studies to the educational setting. We purposefully provided time for children to read and research informational social studies assignments. At times, we use the KWL graphic organizer to allow children to tell what they know, what do they want to know and what have we learned. One of our graphic organizers is the THREE, TWO , ONE. The children record three new bits of information learned, two bits of information that surprised them and one thing they still are wondering. Reading to self, reading and retelling to a partner,  brainstorming, using graphic organizers and stories, drawing, singing and acting out are a number of ways we have been using right brain/left brain based learning. Using these tools has taken away the memorization stigma of" know all the facts." Rather, it has caused the children to imagine, pretend, go back in a time machine and try to use all five senses, if possible, feel, smell, taste, hear, and see what it may have been like to be in a different place during a different time period. Empathy, sympathy and appreciation has been expressed in oral reports and writing compositions. Having primary sources of information has certainly been a challenge. Whenever we get a direct quote, letter, words of a document, we are thrilled. There have been many more secondary sources and stories that are historical fiction.  This takes many hours of pre-planning, rearranging and evaluating our pedagogy. It is a work in progress and continues to grow and change. After reading about Matthew Reif's fifth grade class, we are still under construction.  We have not arrived, but we are enjoying learning together and we are in the process of discovering new information in Social Studies in Second Grade!

A History for US: From Colonies to Country 1735-1791 by Joy Hakim

     As I have been skimming and selecting passages of Hakim's A History of US From Colonies to Country, 1735-1791,  I am in deep awe of the sacrifice our forefathers made on behalf of our freedom, liberty and the benefits it has brought to our lives today.  Surely, these colonists did not think about people in 2012, but when I think about it, because they were committed to independence, I am reaping the blessing to be an American today. On page 86-87, we are told  by a primary source quote from John Adams, and speaking of General George Washington,  " His skills as an officer...great talents and universal character would command the respect of America and unite the colonies better than any other person alive." Hakim says, "Washington was elected but with one condition. He would take no salary."2)  Hakim also states on page 86-87, the conditions of the American army, "raggedy bunch of men-farmer, shoemakers, carpenters, blacksmiths-who had few guns, no cannons, and no military training. George Washington knew that he had an almost impossible job." 3) Page 130-131, Hakim describes the treacherous conditions men faced in the winter of 1777. To read and imagine the agony these men experienced, is heart searching for myself! What commitment, despite their lack of comfort. This information inspires me to create an atmosphere where children can learn to  empathize with people of the past. This is strategic. This will cause our American history to come alive and is going to help students appreciate our American heritage.
      I have been pondering this book with all of its wealth of information. How can I make it applicable to Social Studies for my second graders? In the process of this reflection, we do celebrate President's Day and of course, George Washington is at the forefront. Time lines, history, patriotism and biographies are a part of our essential questions and curriculum. In order to bring the past to the present for our second grade children, we do a fair amount of elementary research and collaboration. The children need to read, retell, write and report on a biography.This turns into a presentation for each child. With the assistance of our technology instructor, each child did a power point presentation. A classroom WAX MUSEUM was set up and every student had to dress in that time period. Some children wanted to do art projects to express more information about a historical character. Patriotic songs have been sung. Using these varied ways, the elementary setting is tapping into the left brain/right brain avenues of learning as sited in The Left Brain Dominant Child and Right Brain Dominant Learners.  While the left brain (logical/sequential) learner has opportunities to learn one way, the right brain (creative) student has avenues to imagine the history by pretending or going back in time.  As the children can begin to recognize and appreciate elementary concepts of loyalty, patriotism, character qualities of leadership, it becomes an inspiration and challenges children to become the best he/she can be. My goal is to make American history come alive and be relevant to my students for a lifetime!