Google Tour Builder: Civil War Timeline

Earlier this year my students did a Google Tour Builder with the Donner Party--they mapped out the Donner Party's route west via Google's new Tour Builder.

This project was a huge success--for both the students and me!  The Google program was easy to use, and even in the beta version it had minor bumps and hiccups when the students used it.

I've been wanting to do a timeline-type activity for the Civil War, but wasn't impressed with any timeline software out there.  We've used Timeglider in the past, which is pretty good (and free!), but I didn't really like the appearance of it.  I then thought, "Wait, why couldn't we use Google Tour Builder to make a timeline?!"  It would be perfect: each battle/event would be a new "location", and with Tour Builder you can input start dates, end dates, information, location, pictures, and oodles of details.  This would be perfect!  Plus, the students already know how to use it since we used it earlier this year.  So I decided we'd go this route with our timeline.

Students were given several specific events/battles that they'd need on their timeline, along with what information each of their "locations" would need.

The students set out to create a timeline using Google Tour Builder.  The results were awesome--and definitely a much better looking (and interactive and very visual, with the map serving as the background) timeline than anything else I think I could have had them done.

Check out a few of the students' timelines below.  Once again, I'm super impressed with what they created and came up with!

Civil War Timeline 1

Civil War Timeline 2

Civil War Timeline 3

Civil War Timeline 4

Clementine Hunter Paintings, Take 2

Two years ago I posted about our Clementine Hunter art integration project we did with our fabulous art teacher, Mrs. Schepker.  Clementine Hunter was the daughter of former slaves, and was a self-taught artist.  The subject of her paintings were the slave memories and stories that she heard from her parents and (former-slave) grandparents.

Clementine's style was very primitive and childlike.

I loved the way this project turned out so much two years ago I decided we needed to do it again.  It combined art with primary sources: the perfect integration piece for our Civil War unit.

The students were first asked to analyze 8 different primary source slave quotes in detail.  We spent some time in class analyzing these and discussing these.  Students then were introduced to Clementine's work and her style and technique were discussed and critiqued with Mrs. Schepker.  Students then selected one of the 8 quotes they analyzed that they connected with to then paint--in Clementine's style--on a canvas.  They sketched their painting first, then got out the acrylic paint and started replicating her style.

Once students finished their painting, they were given these directions to reflect on their own painting, the quote they selected to illustrate, and Clementine's style.  Students used the screencasting feature built in on QuickTime on their laptops to do this video reflection.  They then uploaded their reflections to the class YouTube channel--that was how they "turned in" their painting and reflection.

Check out some of their final Clementine Hunter paintings and reflection videos below...you can click here for the entire playlist.  I am so proud of these kiddos and how their art integration project turned out!

African American Life in the 1800s Video Challenge

It is no surprise that I love a good video challenge.  We actually have done a video challenge this year already (Lewis & Clark), so the students knew the routine with this challenge: they would take the information that we had been talking about, reading, and studying all week and synthesize it into a movie (using iMovie) in one class period.  I sure do love a good challenge--especially a video one.

After learning about how African Americans lived in the 1800s in the US (both as free and slaves), students had to create a video in just one class period (they actually got until 8pm that night to get it uploaded to the class YouTube channel) that included all of the following information:

African American Life in the 1800s

Video Challenge Directions

---

past video examples

Your Video MUST Include:

• use information/pictures from Lesson 19 and the Zinn Reading
• at least 6 pictures
• sound (either spoken text or background music)
• at least 3 important details about African American life in the 1800s
• details about how free blacks in the south lived
• details about how free blacks in the north lived
• details about how slaves lived
• creative, engaging, and informative
• uploaded to the class YouTube channel by 8pm TODAY! (in iMovie, go to “share” then select “YouTube”--make sure you title your movie with YOUR NAME--then type in the YouTube account info below!)
• username: XXXXXXXXX
• password: XXXXXX

Once again, I am blown away at what these students can create when given a challenge and a limited time to do it! Check out a few of their videos below or click HERE to go to the entire playlist from 2012 and 2014. Bravo 8th graders!!

Bellefontaine Cemetery: A Mobile Device Civil War Expedition

Yesterday was our Bellefontaine Expedition that I had recently posted about.  After worrying about it for a while--worrying about if the iBooks would work, if the kids would be able to find the graves, if the iBooks were written easily and had appropriate cemetery tasks and easy to follow--the expedition was definitely a success!

First off, we had a gorgeous morning--it wasn't too hot or raining.  We separated the 8th graders into two groups to tackle the two clusters (hence the need for 2 iBooks) they took off in pairs to complete this mobile device scavenger hunt expedition.  This was my first expedition I've planned using solely mobile devices (iPods, iPhones, or other smartphones) as our only "journal"-type documentation (usually we give the kids a journal book and pen and paper...not this time!).  The students could use their own iPod touch, iPhone, or smartphone as long as it could do the following:

1. Take pictures and videos
2. Be able to open and read PDFs
3. Be able to get the pictures and videos off of your mobile device once we get back to school (meaning, if you're planning on using your smartphone, make sure you bring in your connector cable so you can upload your pics and videos to your computer)

We also had our 20 school iPod touches to use too for the kids that didn't have their own device.  Once we got to the cemetery the kids set off, using their iBook and mobile device, to locate as many of the 26 Civil War figures they could.

At each located gravestone the students had to perform a task based upon who was buried there and that person's legacy.  Sometimes it was taking a picture, other times it was reenacting a battle scene that person fought in.

After several hours at the cemetery, we headed back to school to complete the second half of this mobile device expedition.  All of the pictures and videos the students took would be used to create a movie detailing how Bellefontaine Cemetery is important to the legacy of the Civil War and the people buried there.  Students were given a set of instructions and set off the rest of the afternoon to create their video.  

In just two short hours, the students blew me away again!  They created some amazing informational videos detailing about Bellefontaine Cemetery and its connection with the Civil War.  Below are some of the videos the students created.

This really turned out to be a great expedition and really fun to both plan, prepare for, and for the kids to participate in.  I know they learned a lot about not only this cemetery but the people buried there...and I think these videos below showcase that very well.  Enjoy!

Bellefontaine Cemetery Expedition: iBook Challenge

In a week we are going on our final 8th grade expedition to Bellefontaine Cemetery in north St. Louis.  This cemetery has oodles of history buried within (literally!).

However, this is not going to be a typical expedition--instead, we are taking this expedition 2.0, or going digital.  Students are going to be in groups of 3 or 4, and each be assigned an iPod touch.  On the iPods are two iBooks I created that are scavenger hunt type books for each of the historical Civil War people buried at the cemetery.  Students will have to first read about the person, then follow certain directions that include locating the person's grave, and performing certain tasks at each grave using the iPod touch.

After we spend the morning at Bellefontaine on our Civil War grave scavenger hunt via iBooks and using the iPod touches, students will then have to compile all of their digital evidence from their scavenger hunt from their group's iPod into an iMovie in the afternoon when we return back to school.

I'm so excited about this expedition and really hope that the students will be too.  It's right up their "digital" alleys, and I hope it works out just as planned.  I'll post a follow-up blog after the expedition next week with some reflections, photos, and hopefully the iMovies each group makes from the expedition.

Until then, here are the PDF versions of the iBooks I created...if you're heading to Bellefontaine Cemetery soon, feel free to use them for a Civil War scavenger hunt challenge.  There are 2 books for the 2 different clusters of the Civil War people buried there.  Enjoy!

Bellefontaine Cemetery Civil War iBook 1

Bellefontaine Cemetery Civil War iBook 2

Causes of the Civil War Websites

Recently social studies students were given the task to create a website that documented the top 4 causes they believed were the most important and influential in contributing to the onset of the Civil War.

Students were first shared a Google Doc with the directions for their site challenge on it.  Students had to research (or go back and "re-research" since we had already covered these topics) the various topics and come up with the 4 they felt were the most important causes of the Civil War.

Once they had come up with their 4 and completed a pre-website planning sheet, they then used the the site template (which had directions for each of the subsequent pages) to make a copy of and start building their own site.

I guess I can't say it enough, but once again I was super impressed with what the students came up with both in their website creation and analysis of why they chose those 4 causes as the most important.  Below are several of the student's websites...check them out!  I'm sure you'll be as impressed as I was!  (FYI, the "discussion questions" section for each won't load for you...since these were internally created websites only people at MRH can see that part...sorry!)

Causes Website 1

Causes Website 2

Causes Website 3

Causes Website 4

Dred Scott Newspapers

Recently we've been looking at all of the events that led up to the Civil War.  One of the ones we spent a little more time on was the Dred Scott decision.  Way back in December we took a trip to the Old Courthouse as part of our "Government in Action" expedition.  While we were there, we got to reenact the Dred Scott trial that took place in the very same room at the Old Courthouse in downtown St. Louis.  Although Dred Scott was found to be a freeman during this trial, inevitably this trial wouldn't matter because the ruling was overturned by the Supreme Court almost ten years later deeming Dred Scott once and always property and a slave.

For this assignment, we looked back at all of the court cases involving Dred Scott, and focused a lot on the Supreme Court's ruling.  The students then chose out of a hat whether they were a Northerner or a Southerner.  Now that they had a role, they then were going to create a newspaper and write an article from that perspective about the Dred Scott case and outcome.  For some, it was quite challenging jumping into the shoes of a Southerner--someone who was happy with the ruling and was pro-slavery.  For others, they were relieved that they got to write a newspaper from the perspective of a Northerner because they could write about their anger over the case and how they advocated for the abolition of slavery.

Below are some of the newspapers the students created.  Once again, I was quite impressed with what these students created!  All of their newspapers were created in Pages using the "Newsletter" template.  These kids are rockstars!

The Civil War Twitter Challenge

After a student pitched this amazingly awesome twitter idea to me, I decided we needed to roll with it and try it out for an assignment.  I have absolutely NO idea how this is going to turn out: it could be a total dud, or something really cool...only time will tell!

Until then, here's the task one of my classes has been given: (or check out the Google Doc HERE)

Your Goal: create and maintain a historically accurate twitter feed for the Civil War figure you’ve been assigned.

Your Task:

• start here...find your person: http://www.pbs.org/civilwar/war/biographies/barton.html
• immerse yourself in the historical figure you’ve been assigned: everything you “tweet” should be from their perspective
• make sure your tweets are appropriate to the time (Civil War era) and person; unless they would have said it, don’t tweet it!
• your tweets can be about anything as long as they are “from” that person...ideas to tweet about:
• their life
• their role in the Civil War
• things they like, hobbies
• their friends and family
• their job
• follow the other Civil War twitter accounts...reply and comment back on things they say...remember, YOU ARE YOUR PERSON!! DON’T COME OUT OF YOUR CHARACTER!
• send AT LEAST ONE tweet a day from your person--remember, you are pretending you are this person, so what you tweet should be from their perspective (like you are really them!)

Like I said, this could be a total wash, or a really cool assignment...so we'll see how it goes! Hopefully the students will learn about their Civil War figure and really take into account their perspective and how that person saw the world--creating almost a synthesis between modern "twitter" technology and what their person was like during the Civil War.

Curious as to what these historical figures (or students!) are going to actually "say"? Check out each of their historical figures' twitter links below to see what they're talking about, or check out the twitter hashtag for this assignment. Enjoy!

#civilwarMRH

Mary Chestnut

Walt Whitman

Mary Ann Bickerdyke

Mathew Brady

Clara Barton

Wendell Phillips

John Brown

George T. Strong

Clementine Hunter Paintings

This past week we spent time integrating our current Civil War social studies unit with art, specifically the artistic style of Clementine Hunter.  Haven't heard of her?  Check out some info about her here.  She really is a fantastic artist, with a very childlike style.

The students, after reading and analyzing eight primary source documents written by slaves, selected one document that spoke to them.  They then used that document, as well as Clementine Hunter's style to create slave paintings.  Once again, I was so impressed with what these students came up with!  Not only did they do a phenomenal job of recreating Clementine' style, but they did a great job of making the primary source documents come alive in their artwork.