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Thomas Eddlem's Shop

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My slogan is "primary sources, primary sources, primary sources!" But I also produce original student-centered learning activities, such as mock trials and mock congresses. I have been a classroom social studies teacher since 2007 and am a former newspaper editor and magazine researcher.

My slogan is "primary sources, primary sources, primary sources!" But I also produce original student-centered learning activities, such as mock trials and mock congresses. I have been a classroom social studies teacher since 2007 and am a former newspaper editor and magazine researcher.
Issues of the Trump Presidency -- Primary Source Readings
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Issues of the Trump Presidency -- Primary Source Readings

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This grouping of 11 primary source U.S. history readings relate to issues President Trump raised during the beginning years of his presidency. Three use President Trump’s remarks directly; the WTO, Sanctuary Cities and the Immigration Ban use President Trump’s remarks. But most are historical background on the issues he’s raised: international trade, multilateral trade agreements, sanctuary cities, infrastructure spending, immigration, and warrantless surveillance. Immigration and Sanctuary Cities Alien Acts of 1798: Rep. Samuel Sewall, Rep. Albert Gallatin, Madison’s Report of 1800, Maine Gov. John Baldacci’s “sanctuary” declaration in 2005 Know-Nothing era immigration issues: Samuel Morse, Congressman John Smith Chipman 3. Immigration in the 1920s: Congressmen Percy Quin and William “Bourke” Cockran, Summary of Johnson-Reed Act Sanctuary Cities in the Trump Era: Rep. Bob Goodlatte, Rep. John Conyers, Rep. Steve Chabot, Pres. Donald Trump, Rep. Justin Amash, National Fraternal Order of Police The Trump Travel Ban of 2017-18: Executive Order 13769, Pres. Donald Trump, Rep. Justin Amash, U.S. Supreme Court (U.S. v. Hawaii) Government spending 6. Infrastructure spending and the economy: John Maynard Keynes’ “General Theory,” Frederick Bastiat’s “What is Seen and What Is Unseen” International Trade 7. International Trade: David Ricardo’s Theory of Comparative Advantage from "On the Principles of Political Economy and Taxation" 8. The Smoot-Hawley Bill and the Protective Tariff: Sen. Reed Smoot, Sen. John William “Elmer” Thomas 9. NAFTA Agreement: H. Ross Perot, Vice President Al Gore, President George H.W. Bush, Rep. David Dreier, Rep. Richard Gephardt, Rep. Helen Bentley 10. World Trade Agreement: Pres. Donald Trump, the World Trade Organization. Rep. Ron Paul, Rep. Peter DeFazio Surveillance 11. Intelligence and Privacy after 9/11: Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, President Barack Obama, Rep. Justin Amash, Sen. Tom Cotton, Sen. Dianne Feinstein These readings are a great way to teach U.S. history and link it to current events or teach current events in a deeper and more historical way! They can be used as homework assignments, emergency sub-plans or classroom work. Each reading has 8-18 document-based questions at the end, which are combination of reading comprehension and DBQ-style questions that help with an AP class (though I give them to my standard level students as well). 74 pages total.
Mock Trial: The Tornado (A murder trial based upon Reuben "The Hurricane" Carter)
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Mock Trial: The Tornado (A murder trial based upon Reuben "The Hurricane" Carter)

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Mock trial for class of 12-31 students This mock trial is loosely based upon the facts of the case of Rubin “the Hurricane” Carter, and some of the actual grand jury testimony (modified slightly) in that case is used in this mock trial. I've used this mock trial for standard-level as well as honors-level high school students. Interestingly enough, the standard-level students get into the trial more fervently than the honors kids. Contains: 12 Witness profile sheets and instructions Attorney packets Judge profile sheet Jury worksheet Rubrics Map to Mass. State Social Studies Standards and Common Core Standards This mock trial is an accordion trial: You can do it with as few as a dozen students, and I've done it with as many as 31 students. For trials with small classes, I have drawn my juries from study hall volunteers, a larger “outside audience” which adds an incentive for students in my classes to take the trial seriously. Alternatively, you could just have a bench trial where the judge decides the case. There are certain witnesses that can be eliminated or consolidated for smaller classes, and they are marked as such, and you can adjust the number of attorneys on each side from 1-3 based upon the class size. - Thomas R Eddlem Note: This mock trial is part of my book "Primary Source American History," as are two of my other mock trials. If you like this (or the free readings on my store), consider getting the complete set by ordering the electronic book as well.
Mock Trial: The Case of the After-Prom Party
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Mock Trial: The Case of the After-Prom Party

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Mock trial for class of 15-40 students The scenario is this: Six students engage in an after-prom party where there is some drinking of alcohol and widespread marijuana smoking, and two of the students are involved in a fatal car crash driving home from the party at approximately 3:30 a.m. the following morning. The goals of this mock trial are: 1. to teach students how civil trials work, what joint and several liability is, and what compensatory and punitive damages are. 2. to provide an opportunity to engage the students in a serious and science-based, student-led discussion about impaired driving, specifically driving after consuming marijuana and/or alcohol. Contains: 13 Witness/attorney profile sheets and instructions Common Courtroom Objections reference sheet Jury worksheet Rubrics Map to Mass. State Social Studies Standards and Common Core Standards This mock trial is an accordion trial: You can do it with as few as 15 students, or as many as 40 students. For trials with small classes, I have drawn my juries from study hall volunteers, a larger “outside audience” which adds an incentive for students in my classes to take the trial seriously. Alternatively, you could just have a bench trial where the judge decides the case. Also, you can adjust the number of attorneys on each side from 1-3 based upon the class size. - Thomas R Eddlem
Oval Office Simulation / Role-play: North Koreans Cross the DMZ
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Oval Office Simulation / Role-play: North Koreans Cross the DMZ

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Students take staff roles in the White House to consider two pieces of legislation sent up from Congress (repeal of Obamacare and recognition of a Kurdish government) when they hear news that the North Koreans have crossed the 38th parallel in a military incursion. How will the President react? How does the Constitution limit his reaction? What do the South Koreans want? The idea of this role play simulation is to give students an idea of how the executive branch of the federal government operates in crisis, and it’s a great follow-up to a lesson on establishment of the National Security Council in 1947. It’s set in the current day federal government, where Republicans control the legislative and executive branches of government. And it’s designed to show the importance of staff (because, everyone will want to be the president) in forming executive policy. It’s designed for a class of 10-23 students (optional roles are listed in the instructions). This simulation contains: Detailed teacher instructions 23 profile sheets for students 9 “news” updates to give to selected students during the simulation 2 rubrics for grading writing and participation If you’re lucky, your students won’t start world war three (my kids don’t). But expect at least one of the military officials to propose something like my Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff did recently, calling his proposal the “Walmart Parking Lot Act.” This simulation is designed for students who are relatively mature and have a general idea of the situation on the Korean peninsula, so I only do it with 11th grade and higher. But if you have advanced honors-level sophomores, it might work for them as well. The simulation takes about two class hours. 79 pages total.
The World Speaks: World History Since 1750
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The World Speaks: World History Since 1750

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The World Speaks: World History Since 1750 Using Primary Source Documents. Primary Source Modern World History a workbook in the form of a toolbox of teacher assignments. The main idea behind it is to create a large number of primary source readings – 40 in total – that can be assigned to Modern World History (1750-present) students in high school or as part of a university core survey course on U.S. History. But this workbook contains a variety of teacher resources, including: • 41 primary source reading assignments, • Six research and documentation projects (Three papers, two PowerPoint presentation and a simulation), • 10 unit vocabulary lists • 10 review worksheets • 352 pages total All of the assignments are in print-ready format. Because it is a digital text in MS Word DOC format, they are adaptable to your classroom preferences. Moreover, it’s easy for the teacher purchasing this to post the document on a school password-protected school intranet to use as a textbook supplement. (You may want to withhold the World War One Simulation for the appropriate time.) I typically post the readings one at a time on my GoogleClassroom. All of the primary source readings have a series of questions at the end, which are generally a mix of reading comprehension, student opinion, Document-Based Questions, and – whenever possible – links to current events. The primary source documents are essential for honors-level students tracked to take the College Board’s AP World History exam. As such, it gives them the document-based questions (DBQs) at the end of the texts (marked with a “►”) as preparation for the kind of questions they’ll likely encounter in the AP exam. – Thomas R. Eddlem
Separation of Powers Role-play Packet
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Separation of Powers Role-play Packet

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Teach civics and the separation of powers by role-playing! This packet includes a criminal mock trial, civil mock trial, mock congress and an Oval Office simulation – simulations on all three branches of government! Contains: Mock Congress: Cell Phone Surveillance Reform Time required: 4 class hours Grade level: 10 and up Class size: 18 or more Pages: 51 Contains: 18 individualized profile sheets, Background information on NSA surveillance, Graphic organizer for assigned roles, Graphic organizer with word-for-word format on how to run committee meetings and floor debate, Sample rubrics for 3-minute speeches and participation, Socratic seminar questions for students observing speeches/committee hearings, Maps to various educational standards, Sample follow-up quiz on the legislative process, Teacher instructions and preparation period suggestions. Mock Trial Criminal: The Tornado (A trial based upon Reuben “The Hurricane” Carter) Time required: 4 class hours Grade level: 10 and up Class size: 9-31 Pages: 43 Contains:12 Witness profile sheets and instructions, Attorney packets, Judge profile sheet, Common courtroom objections reference sheet, Jury worksheet, Rubrics, Map to Mass. State Social Studies Standards and Common Core Standards Mock Trial: The Case of the After-Prom Party Time required: 4 class hours Grade level: 10 and up Class size: 15-40 Pages: 33 Contains:13 Witness/attorney profile sheets and instructions, Common Courtroom Objections reference sheet, Jury worksheet, Rubrics, Map to Mass. State Social Studies Standards and Common Core Standards Oval Office Simulation: North Koreans Cross the DMZ Time required: 2 class hours Grade level: 11 and up Class size: 10-23 Pages: 79 Contains:Detailed teacher instructions, 23 profile sheets for students, 9 “news” updates to give to selected students during the simulation, 2 rubrics for grading writing and participation Zip file with four DOC files. 206 pages total.