LITERATURE AND THE SOCIAL STUDIES

ANCIENT EGYPT:

The Egyptian Cinderella by Shirley Climo (Harper '89)
The Awesome Egyptians by Terry Deary (Scholastic '97)
Debate: Should Rhodopes accept the pharaoh's offer of marriage?
Read: A Place in the Sun by J. Rubacaba (Clarion '97)
Introduce Aida retold by Leontyne Price.
Perform opera Karaoke at http://www.opera.it/English/Opere/Aida/Curiosit.html2

THE MIDDLE AGES

THE MIDWIFE'S APPRENTICE by Karen Cushman. Clarion, 1995
In this tale if the Middle Ages, Brat is found on a dung heap and becomes an apprentice to Jane, who is a jealous and demanding midwife. Visit this web site and see how well you do as a Middle Ages
physician.
http://www.learner.org/exhibits/middleages/medical/2.html

U.S. GEOGRAPHY

America the Beautiful by Kathrine Bates. Atheneum, 1993
Share also: I Hear America Singing by Walt Whitman. Add verses depicting todays' workers.
Report on a state using "Coming Round the Mountain" or "This Land Is Your Land."
C. The Research Riddle:
Let's go to (long ago) or (far away) places and see the Earth's changing faces.
We will see (list 6-8 sights)
But that's not all ( list 6-8 more sights)
Where am I?

4. INTERPRET HISTORY THROUGH POETRY

See Paul Revere's Ride illustrated by Ted Rand ; The Boy Drummer of Vincennes by Carl Carmer; Hand in Hand by Lee Bennett Hopkins.( S&S '94)
Create acrostic reports on the Presidents.

5.The Revolutionary War Years

A. Katie's Trunk by Ann Turner. Macmillan, 1992.
Katie's family is loyal to King George and when the rebels storm their farm Katie hides in a trunk. It's not
fair she thinks as a rebel lifts the lid of the trunk

B. How many different sentences can you write using this pattern?
1. Tea is just tea until it _____ and then it becomes ___.
2. A ship is just a ship until it ___ and then it becomes ___.
3. A trunk is just a trunk until it ___ and then it becomes ___
C. Related Reading: George Washington's Mother by Jean Fritz. Putnam, 1993.
George's mother did not know what to do with her son who was always ready for a fight! Also by Jean Fritz: Will You Sign Here, John Hancock.

D. Choose an early American hero or heroine and write a "Fortunately/Unfortunately" story. All facts must be well researched with a bibliography to show the source of each.
Example: John Hancock FORTUNATELY John Hancock was rich UNFORTUNATELY he could not buy friends

6. THE ALAMO
Share: Voices of the Alamo by Sherry Garland. Scholastic, 2000
Examine different points of view. Guess the answers:
How many men defended the Alamo?
How old was Col. Travis?
How many yards. wide was the gap between the south wall & the chapel?
How many volunteers did Crockett bring?
How old was Crockett when he died?
How many men in Santa Anna's army?
Read to support or deny guesses.
Report on the Alamo using the "Only One " model or "If I were in Charge Of" model.

7. SLAVERY
The Wagon by Tony Johnston. Putnam, 1999.
A child resents his life as a slave.
The People Could Fly by Virginia Hamilton. Knopf, 1985
Choose one and complete the sentence below: s
pinning wheel, rusty spigot, empty bow, locked safe, tornado, door hinge.
Injustice is like a ____ because...

8. GOING WEST
Wagon Train 911 by Janie Gilson. Lothrop, 1996
Who would you choose to make the trip?

Orphan Runaways by Kristiana Gregory. Scholastic, 1998
Compare the costs of food in the East and West in 1850.(Determine texts' main ideas and details)

9. THE TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD
From idea to reality told in poetry. A good history reporting model.
Share: Iron Horses by Verla Kay. Putnam, 1999 (Produce research reports in effective formats)

10. WORLD WAR TWO
Share: Pearl Harbor Is Burning by Kathleen Kudlinski. Viking, 1998.
Support or deny common rumors about Pearl Harbor at this web site:
http://metalab.unc/pha/myths/myths.html.

Lily's Crossing by Patricia Reilly Giff. Viking, 1997
Here is a tale of the homefront in World War II and of the friendship between Lily and a young refugee. For an introduction to World War II terms see:
http://www.stg.brown.edu/projects/WWII_Women/GlossaryCS.html
Use the terms in analogies.

11. TO A NEW WORLD
A. Beyond the Western Sea by Avi. Orchard '96.
Many Irish are fleeing the famine by journeying to USA. What should Patrick, Maura & their mother do? Vocabulary: Use as many new words from the novel as you can in one sentence to describe an illustration. (Form definitions of words in context)

B. Read aloud pp 25-26. Debate: What should Maura do? (Present dramatic interpretation)

D. Choose a project:
1. Describe a story setting in a Five Senses Poem.
2. Create a riddle report about a geographic region in the story. (Generate & organize ideas, revise & edit)

12. A COMPREHENSIVE ANTHOLOGY
Share selections from: From Sea to Shining Sea by Amy Cohn. Scholastic, 1998.
Poems, songs, non fiction pieces covering the Pilgrims to the space age. Give out every other paragraph from stories. Read together.

13. INCLUDE JOKE AND RIDDLE BOOKS
A. Share: Star Spangled Banana by Charles Keller.
B. Westward Ho, Ho, Ho by Victoria Hartman, Lothrop, 1998
C. Riddle City U.S.A. by G. Maestro. Harper, 1998 "What state has the smallest soft drinks? Minnesota. Create riddles!

GOOD SITES

Elementary: www.ajkids.com
Middle school/jr. high www.studyweb.com