Using picture books to teach history

This week in class, we were introduced to using picture books to teach history. You may think that using picture books with students in older grades such as 5th and 6th grade might not grasp their attention, but even I, being in college, was engaged in these books. There were many things that I read in the picture book that I didn't read in the textbook. Two books that I know interested me are: Roanoke, The Lost Colony, An Unsolved Mystery From History, by Jane Yolen and Heidi Elishabet Yolen Stemple and Lincoln and Douglas: An American Friendship by Nikki Giovanni. The authors of both these books share a lot about history that can't be found in a textbook. As a teacher, finding ways to teach history in a fun and an engaging way is critical.

Book List for a unit on the Thirteen Colonies

 
The following books can be used in helping students learn and become familiar with the original Thirteen Colonies.

1.     Hakim, Joy. (2007). Making thirteen colonies: 1600-1740 a history of US. Oxford University Press, USA

This book is geared toward students who are 9-12 years old. It is part of a nonfiction historical series where the author makes reading about U.S. history fun and exciting. This book has many chapters that explains different things about the Colonists and their journey from Europe.

2.     Sakurai, G. (1997). The jamestown colony (cornerstones of freedom). Children's Press. CT.

This book is also geared towards 9-12 years old. It is a smaller book about the colony of Jamestown. I liked that it has a glossary at the beginning with new vocabulary for students.

3.     Dubois, M. (2006). The delaware colony (fact finders: the american colonies).Capstone Press.

This book is part of a series, all which are about the thirteen colonies. Each book starts out explaining about the Indians in that area. The books also provide information about the government, economy, resources, the people, etc. The books include maps, timelines, and charts. These books are for grades 2-4.

4.     January, B. (2001). The thirteen colonies. Children’s Press. CT.

This book introduces students to the first communities and colonies. It also includes a glossary at the end of the book. This book is also for students 9-12 years old.

5.     Rosen, D. (2006). New beginnings: jamestown and the virginia colony 1607-1699. National Geographic for Children.

This book is for grades 5-7. It explains the formation of the first colonies, all the way to formation of Williamsburg. It includes many pictures, maps, and graphs for the students to see.

6.     Dean, R. and Thomson, M. (1999) Life in the american colonies. Lucent Books. San Diego California

This series of books gives children an insight to different ways of life in different cultures. The first chapters explains why the colonists came to America. The following chapters explain life in the city and then life in the country. The last chapters explain different skills, crafts, and professions of the colonists. This book would be good for grades 4-6.

7.     Huey, Louis. (2010). American acrcheology uncovers the earliest english colonies. Marshall Cavendish. Tarrytown, New York.

This is a very neat and interesting book about archeological findings of the early colonies. The first colony that the book looks at is the lost colony of Roanoke. It then goes through Jamestown. At the end of the book it provides a timeline and glossary as resources for children. This book would be used for grades 4-7.

8.     Fradin, Dennis. (2007). Jamestown, virginia. Marshall Cavendish Benchwork. Tarrytown, New York.

This is a book about Jamestown, Virginia. It gives children an introduction to the early exploration of America. It then explores the founding of Jamestown. It also provides students with a glossary and timeline at the end of the book. This book is geared towards students grades 4-6.

9.     www.socialstudiesforkids.com

This website is filled with all sorts of Social Studies for kids. It has current events, history, Economics, and geography. This website would be suitable for grades 3-6. I think it would be easier for older students to navigate through the website, but fun for all grades mentioned. It also has games for students to play and even includes teacher resources.

10.   http://www.kathimitchell.com/colonial.htm

This website has many resources for both students and teachers in all subjects besides Social Studies. Regarding our Unit, it has resource websites for each colony.

My Family

Hey everyone!

This first blog is going to be about a few family artifacts that I have added to my blog. As most of you already know, Breast Cancer is very big in my family. My mom, my grandma, and my aunt are all survivors of this horrible disease. Then in high school one of my really close friends lost her battle with cancer when we were freshmen. My dad, along with almost everyone on his side of the family, suffers from Diabetes. I have had my fair share of different types of cancers and I support Breast Cancer to the fullest. I have added a "I support Breast Cancer Awareness" picture at the bottom of my blog. Recently my 30 year old, non-smoking cousin has been diagnosed with Stage 4 Lung Cancer. I added a picture and tried to add the link to their page on Facebook. I ask for your guys support to like their page on facebook and help my family beat this as well.  
While these aren't "true" artifacts, just pictures, they still explain who I am and what is important to me. When we did this activity I could really see what was important to everyone else in the class. For young students, this could be an activity to help learn the backgrounds of their peers and to also help them understand that every one has special things or "artifacts" that are important to them as well.