The Worlds of North and South Pre-Civil War Bundle Review (Under $20 Unit Plan!)

Saving money is nearly more complicated than finding the right lesson plan to settle history squarely in your students' minds. This fantastic unit plan bundle on the pre-civil war society that sparked our country's darkest hour will save you some green and engage your middle graders. This review goes into the details of some of our favorite products within the bundle and offers some other teachers input on it.

Worlds of North and South Activity Bundle Pre-Civil War Lessons 

BY

(More on Mr. and Mrs. P below)

This bundle is brimming with unique primary resources and activities that are student centered and interactive. Games and primary source readings collide with various common core literacy and writing activities, making this bundle the perfect balance of fun and smart. It's a complete unit plan for 6th grade, 7th grade, and 8th grade history lessons on the complicated events of the Westward Expansion and the key figures that lead the political angles of it. In addition, several of the primary resources offer up challenging, thought-provoking activities that will have your middle grade students pondering things long after they leave the classroom. 

This in-depth writing activity is perfect for every classroom. Primary and secondary sources offer students the opportunity to explore the gap between slavery and industrialism via a response guide, analysis of the sources, and providing commentary. Answer keys make grading easy as well.

Another great lesson plan that will have students deep in thought and writing is this common core literacy activity that compares and contrasts the northern factory worker with the slaves. It will give some visual stimulation to engage students, and offer stark realities about the early US history of this time period.

If you're social studies unit is in need of a student centered, atmosphere boost, this activity is a perfect option. Ten (10) graphs and charts give history teachers flexibility to do stations or a "graph walk" around the classroom. This can help get the wiggles out of middle grade students, and get them thinking critically as they fill out their graphic organizers about the differences of north and south in relation to the following pre-civil war big ideas:

 Populations of North and South

Labor Systems

Transportation Systems

Rural/Urban Land

Patents

Immigration

City Growth and Agricultural Growth

Industry

Exports

This writing activity also takes advantage of graphs to make students analyse and critically think like the Graph Walk Investigation above. However, it also adds in the advantage of emgaging students with pre-civil war advertisements for various relavant topics such as steam power boats, locamotives, cotton gin, sewing machine, textile mills, and more. These primary resources will bring US history alive for your students!

This bundle also includes other engaging activities and games, plus some assessment options for a complete unit plan (individually costing $70!). Other items included are:

• Sectionalism Reading and Worksheet with Common Core Writing Extension
• omen's Rights Reformers Gallery Walk, Graphic Organizer and Common Core Writing Activity
• North and South Interdependence Mini-project Investigation Activity 
• Coming of the Railroad Common Core Reading and Graphic Organzier
• Uncle Tom's Cabin Primary Source Reading and Writing Activity
• Immigration in the Early 1800s Internet Investigation Activity. This is an outstanding webquest on a great, visual Library of Congress site.
• Venn Diagram Comparing the North and South
• Common Core Reading and Worksheet: Virginia's Apology for Slavery
• The Declaration of Sentiments Primary Source Reading and Writing Activity
• Plantation Owner and Factory Owner Engaging Pinterest Pinboard Activity
• Two Part North and South DBQ (Document Based Questions) Assessment with 6 Primary Source Documents and Common Core Writing
• A Fantastic Key Concept Match Activity, with graphic organizers, a matching assignment and writing guides with 3 options.
• Password Game Review

Here is what teachers are saying about the Worlds of North and South Pre-Civil War Bundle: 

Want to see a complete activities list for this 30 page social studies bundle, as well as more about the creators Mr. and Mrs. P? Click the link below for all the details on their 26 years combined teaching experience and how they were literally student nominated as superheroes!

INSTRUCTOMANIA, INC.

Importance of Primary Sources in Teaching Curriculum & Activities We Use

In recent years, there’s been a push for the use of primary sources in teacher circles. Many factors contribute to this increased interest. With the Internet’s overabundance of information and clunky textbooks making students eyes glaze over, sometimes it’s hard for students to connect with what they are learning or even feel like they are getting accurate information on the subject. Primary sources not only provide a deeper, more personal look into our world's past, but they also give realistic qualities to abstract curriculum.

When children read primary sources such as ship logs, historic figures’ diaries, and government documents, it encourages them to seek more information. It also fosters active reading and response to what they are learning. (Read: a helpmate to common core.) Primary sources seem to help students become better learners.

Since primary sources are often bias or incomplete, students have to build on their previous knowledge and pair the primary sources to discover patterns. They also must struggle with conflicting information and face the complexity of history head on. In small ways, this might also help them develop compassion, and form a sharper sense of their individual morals.

Document Based Questions (often referred to as DBQ) are also a handy tool to pair with primary sources to exercise students’ critical thinking skills. They’re increased importance are being called the future of state assessments, and teachers are feeling the pressure equal to that applied when common core began taking hold.

Still further, primary sources and their applications are expanding into advanced exams in schools. A shiny example is New York’s Regent Exams. These intense, subject-based tests are giving teachers a realistic assessment of their student’s knowledge and focus on subject matter.  The regents lay classroom expectations that put New York’s students way above the common core curve. A lot of that expectation can be met with primary sources and accompanying activities offered by teachers. Many states are expected to chart the same course as New York.

As you can see, primary sources are vital to every aspect of student’s learning. With this in mind, we’ve created and utilized middle grade curriculum and activities dedicated to taking advantage of their unique glimpse into the past. Below are a few links, but feel free to check out our Teachers Pay Teachers store for additional options.

• Analyzing pictures/artwork for primary sources (ancient pictographs, renaissance artwork, medieval artwork). See ideas under Egypt pictographs, renaissance, and Aztecs in TPT store.

• Who said it perspective quotes. Students go to sides of the room, or hold up fingers, or compete with flyswatters hitting pictures on the board in paired competition. So many options! Example would be explorers versus Native Americans.

• Bumper sticker main idea summaries for paragraphs in a primary source. Fun. Modern connection. http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Spanish-Inquisition-and-Spain-Bumper-Sticker-REVISED-212717

•  Interview a historical figure on FaceTime. I love this one. Common Core, interactive, ownership, students draw themselves.http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/FaceTime-Interview-World-History-Activity-Bundle-1259884

• Found poem with primary sources. Portions of sentences, sometimes just words on each line. Cool and easy for students.http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Civil-War-Quote-Activity-Bundle-Working-with-Primary-Sources-120920

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