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Pets and presidents - Cheryl Harness hits on a winning combination for readers. |
English/Language Arts
Explore names
What’s in a name? People like to name their pets with clever titles that allude to things in real life. Your students will not understand the origin of the name Eli Yale without a little guidance, so have them do a little digging so they can understand the allusion. Find other names in literature or real life that have dual meaning
Explore writing with a focus
Author Harness mentions nine presidents and a host of presidential pets in this Minute. WIth so many facts and details, sometimes students find it difficult to figure out the main idea, or focus of a piece. Use this Minute as a mentor text for close reading for main idea. Have students discuss and support their answers as you work toward class consensus. Using a “think-aloud” approach will increase student’s ability to think through problems on their own.
Social Studies
Explore US Presidents
Nine presidents. Nine. Out of how many? Have your students draw a chronological timeline of presidents from George Washington to the present. Create a parallel line with important historical events and match them to the president or presidents who were in office during each event to create a visual timeline for framing US history.
Explore War of 1812
While school curriculum tends to spend a lot of time on the American Revolution and the Civil War, the War of 1812 gets far less play. Use this Minute to introduce or reinforce the history of the War, including the burning of Washington (and Toronto), the Canadian role, and the unfortunate legacy for Native Americans.
Explore William McKinley Assassination
Students may be very familiar with the assassinations of John F Kennedy and Abraham Lincoln, but who is this President McKinley? And were there more? (Yes - one more). Have students explore the attempts and actual assassinations of US Presidents. Chart the reasons and look for patterns. Take a more global view and do the same search for world leaders. What inferences can be drawn?
STEM
Explore Biology - Birds
Why do birds make good pets? What can we learn from birds? How can they talk? Take a closer look at the organization of bird species - genus - classification. Do talking birds fall into the biological organizational norms?
Research Skills
Explore first lady fashion
This Minute references Dolley Madison’s fashionable garb. Let students explore US First Ladies at the Smithsonian American History Museum. What kinds of historical data and inferences can be made from a study of fashion? Have them check out the historian’s take on Dolley’s red velvet dress!
Explore names
What’s in a name? People like to name their pets with clever titles that allude to things in real life. Your students will not understand the origin of the name Eli Yale without a little guidance, so have them do a little digging so they can understand the allusion. Find other names in literature or real life that have dual meaning
Explore writing with a focus
Author Harness mentions nine presidents and a host of presidential pets in this Minute. WIth so many facts and details, sometimes students find it difficult to figure out the main idea, or focus of a piece. Use this Minute as a mentor text for close reading for main idea. Have students discuss and support their answers as you work toward class consensus. Using a “think-aloud” approach will increase student’s ability to think through problems on their own.
Social Studies
Explore US Presidents
Nine presidents. Nine. Out of how many? Have your students draw a chronological timeline of presidents from George Washington to the present. Create a parallel line with important historical events and match them to the president or presidents who were in office during each event to create a visual timeline for framing US history.
Explore War of 1812
While school curriculum tends to spend a lot of time on the American Revolution and the Civil War, the War of 1812 gets far less play. Use this Minute to introduce or reinforce the history of the War, including the burning of Washington (and Toronto), the Canadian role, and the unfortunate legacy for Native Americans.
Explore William McKinley Assassination
Students may be very familiar with the assassinations of John F Kennedy and Abraham Lincoln, but who is this President McKinley? And were there more? (Yes - one more). Have students explore the attempts and actual assassinations of US Presidents. Chart the reasons and look for patterns. Take a more global view and do the same search for world leaders. What inferences can be drawn?
STEM
Explore Biology - Birds
Why do birds make good pets? What can we learn from birds? How can they talk? Take a closer look at the organization of bird species - genus - classification. Do talking birds fall into the biological organizational norms?
Research Skills
Explore first lady fashion
This Minute references Dolley Madison’s fashionable garb. Let students explore US First Ladies at the Smithsonian American History Museum. What kinds of historical data and inferences can be made from a study of fashion? Have them check out the historian’s take on Dolley’s red velvet dress!
© Karen Sterling, 2018 - May be used for educational purposes without written permission
