Start your school year addressing the question that they have in the back of their minds, "why do we need this anyway?" Students will start with a "what if" activity where they will be asked to act as anthropologist learning about a new culture. Students are then given a link to multiple videos to chose from, all about different amazing things about history and learning about history. Students take notes on a Circle Thinking Map and write a collaborative summary. The lesson provides a chart for students to take notes while they share their information and gives you debriefing ideas. If you enjoy my lesson please follow my store, to receive updates when I post new products. And if you would be so kind, please leave me a comment. Please check me out at: Thank you, Ms. Furnas

Act out the social class inequities of Pre-French Revolution in your classroom. Help students feel the injustice of the situation through a simulation that takes one class period. Your students will each be assigned a class and will be given unique card with details to help them make decisions for the simulation. They will be told the goal is to gain in status and money. There are three situation cards and after each one they have to pay the tax man. The debriefing questions have been included for you. Also included: *Two days of detailed lesson plans. *2 Researched readings *3 visual maps that show the flow of events and their impact *Simulation game with all the role cards, rules, situation cards and taxes to pay. If you enjoy my lesson please follow my store, to receive updates when I post new products. And if you would be so kind, please leave me a comment. Thank you, Ms. Furnas

It is almost test time...are you ready? This will take a little prep time, but if you use sturdy card stock, and a teachers' best friend (lamination machine) and this will be a great investment. This is a tried and true fun looping game to formatively assess your students' knowledge of the people involved with abolition and Civil War. The people being looped are listed above. If you enjoy my lesson please follow my store, to receive updates when I post new products. And if you would be so kind, please leave me a comment. Thank you, Ms. Furnas

Is wanting more a good thing? Help your students understand that the constant need for growth has economic, social and political implications with this fun and informative two day lesson. Included: *Day by day guide with instructions, guiding questions, set up suggestions and a list of "to do's." *Warm ups for each day (One is a mapping activity that ask them to make a mnemonic device, the other has them analyze a painting.) *Background readings about the time period and the trails westward. *Flow Map that simplifies the reading, and it can be used to help students categorize economic, political and social reasons for westward expansion. Also included: *6 stations of maps with different data from the Pre-Civil War time period for students to make observations and generalizations. *Also included is a chart or data collection *Debriefing questions that wrap up the entire unit. If you enjoy my lesson please follow my store, to receive updates and new of when I post new products. And if you would be so kind, please leave me a comment. Thank you, Ms. Furnas

Give your students the keys to the car...well kind of. This is the framework for a year long multiple year project. Students excitedly get a state standard and then have the grading period to create their contribution for the classroom textbook. (I had 90 kids create a single textbook.) Included: *Day by day instructions and a timeline framework for the rest of the project. *Entry event directions *Brainstorming tool to give students tons of ideas to start *Entry document with student directions for the entire project *Rubric to use for year one, and then following years *Critical Friends framework *Links to websites for web 2.0 resources and how to videos. *Two research tools. One that specifically focuses on event research and another that can be use to baby step them through any kind of research. If you enjoy my lesson please follow my store, to receive updates when I post new products. And if you would be so kind, please leave me a comment. Thank you, Ms. Furnas

The greatest invention ignites innovation and new industry. However, each invention has its own unintended consequences. Hook students by looking at the differences between invention vs. innovation. In teams students will be given personality cards of innovators inspired by big inventions of their day. The teams will create a new invention. The catch is...just like real life situations change and they will have to adapt those innovations as you proceed through the unit. This unit includes: 1. Researched readings about inventors, and those they inspired. Along with checks for understanding and cut outs for students to reflect with interactive spirals. 2. Multiple comparison tools (for varied levels) that they can go back to throughout the unit. (Life pre-industrial revolution to post, and agrarian to the industrial revolution.) 3. 10 unique profile sheets (one for each team.) Each sheet tells the story of their person, who inspired them, and what their task is. Also included is a matrix of all the inventors, for your use and to monitor the team progress. 4. There are two ways that students can utilize charts and graphs through the unit, along with debriefing questions. 5. Integrate science skills with a history lab where students can measure and calculate the amount of cotton used and then reflect on the impact of their measurements. 6. Optional tools you can also you include: Vocabulary log, and annotation guide. 7. Researched readings on: Agrarian Industry, Steel industry, and Triangle Factory Fire. Each with processing task and questions. 8. Each day includes a unique closing task- Tweeting, Click bait titles, draw the meaning, or guided directions for creating a ThingLink. 9. And two super fun summative task that have students interact and apply their knowledge in their community. If you enjoy my lesson please follow my store, to receive updates when I post new products. And if you would be so kind, please leave me a comment. Please check me out at: Thank-you, Ms. Furnas