Social Studies
Explore distribution of wealth
Use this Minute to introduce the concept of distribution of wealth. There are many simulations and games you can find on the internet and adapt for the age group you are teaching. The objective of the game is for students to collect resources from a finite pool with some fixed rules in place (some start with some resources, some have limited access like having to wait before they collect, etc.). You can make the choice to place some resources where they will only be available to taller students, or limit some students as to where they can collect resources based on some assigned attribute. When all resources are distributed, group children by amount of resources collected and then guide a discussion about whether they felt the game was “fair” and how the game could be changed to make it more fair.
Explore political parties
Use this Minute to take a look at the rise, fall, and name changes of political parties in US history. The Populist or People’s Party later fused with the Democratic party which marked the end of Mary Lease’s support. Have students create a visual timeline of political parties in US history, including characteristics like ideology, position (left to right), parties it was preceded by and parties it morphed into. Encourage students to reach consensus about each party’s information and then draw conclusions from the visual representation they create.
Explore Homestead Act and Westward expansion
Author Harness infers that Mary Lease was in Kansas as a result of the Homestead Act passed by President Lincoln in 1862. Have your students take a close look at the pros and cons of the Homestead Act. What was the intent of the Act? Did the results measure up?
STEM
Explore agriculture - pest and water control
Author Harness mentions the “hungry grasshoppers” who “gobbled” up crops along with the droughts that dried crops in the Midwest, taking the possibility for income with them. Take a look with your students at the challenges presented to agricultural endeavors by pests and weather. Now for some problem solving. What kinds of measures can be taken to protect crops from insects? Provide a steady source of water? Look at the potential for chemical, mechanical solutions and natural solutions and investigate the pros and cons of each in both the short and long term. Can you students come up with some new ideas for these age old problems?
Research Skills
Explore Google’s Knowledge Graph boxes
In 2012, Google introduced their Knowledge Graph, a new way of collecting and displaying information from an algorithm that, based on the data gathered from billions of searches, anticipates what the user wants and provides a box of organized textual and visual information in the upper right corner of the screen. Challenge students to do a number of searches and start collecting characteristics of the Knowledge Graph. Is the information cited always from the same source? Are visuals always included? Does the way you word your search change the information you receive? Take a closer look.
Explore distribution of wealth
Use this Minute to introduce the concept of distribution of wealth. There are many simulations and games you can find on the internet and adapt for the age group you are teaching. The objective of the game is for students to collect resources from a finite pool with some fixed rules in place (some start with some resources, some have limited access like having to wait before they collect, etc.). You can make the choice to place some resources where they will only be available to taller students, or limit some students as to where they can collect resources based on some assigned attribute. When all resources are distributed, group children by amount of resources collected and then guide a discussion about whether they felt the game was “fair” and how the game could be changed to make it more fair.
Explore political parties
Use this Minute to take a look at the rise, fall, and name changes of political parties in US history. The Populist or People’s Party later fused with the Democratic party which marked the end of Mary Lease’s support. Have students create a visual timeline of political parties in US history, including characteristics like ideology, position (left to right), parties it was preceded by and parties it morphed into. Encourage students to reach consensus about each party’s information and then draw conclusions from the visual representation they create.
Explore Homestead Act and Westward expansion
Author Harness infers that Mary Lease was in Kansas as a result of the Homestead Act passed by President Lincoln in 1862. Have your students take a close look at the pros and cons of the Homestead Act. What was the intent of the Act? Did the results measure up?
STEM
Explore agriculture - pest and water control
Author Harness mentions the “hungry grasshoppers” who “gobbled” up crops along with the droughts that dried crops in the Midwest, taking the possibility for income with them. Take a look with your students at the challenges presented to agricultural endeavors by pests and weather. Now for some problem solving. What kinds of measures can be taken to protect crops from insects? Provide a steady source of water? Look at the potential for chemical, mechanical solutions and natural solutions and investigate the pros and cons of each in both the short and long term. Can you students come up with some new ideas for these age old problems?
Research Skills
Explore Google’s Knowledge Graph boxes
In 2012, Google introduced their Knowledge Graph, a new way of collecting and displaying information from an algorithm that, based on the data gathered from billions of searches, anticipates what the user wants and provides a box of organized textual and visual information in the upper right corner of the screen. Challenge students to do a number of searches and start collecting characteristics of the Knowledge Graph. Is the information cited always from the same source? Are visuals always included? Does the way you word your search change the information you receive? Take a closer look.
© Karen Sterling, 2018 - May be used for educational purposes without written permission