Summer SAVY, Session 5 Day 4, “The Making of America: Rebellion, Revolt, and Resolution” (3rd-4th)
Hello! Whenever I teach intensive courses, I need to remind myself that I’m teaching a massive amount of content that would ordinarily take a month or more, in 5 days! We’ve made it from Colonial history to the Battle of Yorktown and the Bill of Rights in 4 days AND completed huge group research projects and presentations as well!
Today, the students finished their presentations on the major battles of the American Revolution. The students were divided into the North, Middle, and Southern colonies and had a guide for their research. After ORA, students presented their work, and we used a feedback protocol called “The Ladder of Feedback” to clarify information, share what we liked about the presentations, and give suggestions for improvement. The students’ presentations were phenomenal! They also worked very well in their groups and should be proud of their work.
After lunch, we focused on the Battle of Yorktown. To introduce this topic, students engaged in a “Two Lies and a Truth” activity, where I gave them 3 scenarios for how the war ended, and they needed to choose which one they thought was true. They were so engaged and had fun learning which “truths” shaped this historical event.
After this, we had a full lesson on the Great Seal of the United States, and the students had to come up with their own U.S. Seal. This was a favorite activity among students that got them thinking symbolically. They came up with seals and reasoning for why they chose the particular symbols and mottos for the United States. Please ask your historian what they chose for the new animal, symbols, and motto, and ask them to explain their reasoning.
We had an INTRO to the Bill of Rights. Again, this is some heavy stuff and pretty complex, but the students seemed to understand the basics pretty well. We will do another big follow-up with this tomorrow. Students reflected on what they learned by journaling about the right that was most meaningful to them personally.
I can’t believe tomorrow is the last day of this class. You can look forward to students bringing home their journals and classwork so you can catch a glimpse of the hard work they’ve poured into this course. They will also receive a Pocket Constitution and another book to extend their learning. They should be very proud of their week. I know I am proud of them!