Teaching American History for Elementary Teachers

Course Description/Overview

The elementary strand of TAH embeds history content in age-appropriate literature tailored to your teaching assignment. This course offers strategies for teachers who may be struggling to include history content in their curriculum while meeting the demands of new federal and state mandates and scheduling.

You will choose a book from a list of history rich children's literature around which you will develop a balanced unit at your grade level. Grant money will be given to you to purchase multiple copies of your choice. You will also receive reference books for your classroom.

The unit will consist of 16 read-to-go activities that incorporate a variety of learning opportunities. These opportunities may be found in plays, art, songs, dance, poetry, choral reading, and field trips. These diverse projects will enhance your basic reading, writing, and math activities that you also create. The unit will be based on the literature book you choose, and also the resource books you encounter in your study.

You will meet twice after school for 3 hours in the fall, and also twice in the spring. Meetings will also be with a history professor or other suitable instructor who will act as a mentor and resource. The time will be spent sharing activities with peers and gaining expertise and guidance from the professor of history and developing a portfolio which will ultimately consist  pf 16 read-to-go activities. Plan your unit to be taught in the latter part of the school year with a TAH presentation in late April.

Goal: to package a diverse historical unit on immigration and/or industrialization in the 1850s to early 20th centuries.