Subjects
Arts & Humanities
--Language Arts
Educational Technology
Social Studies
--Current Events
--History
Grade
3-5
6-8
9-12
Brief Description
Pick a penny from a jar and research important events that took place the year that penny was minted.Objectives
Students will
Keywords
timeline, end of year, penny, Lincoln, new year
Lesson Plan
This lesson can be used in many different ways and at different times of the school year. It is perhaps ideally suited to use in the days leading up to the December holiday break (when students might have some trouble focusing) or to start the new calendar year; in either of those cases, looking back at the year just ending/ended will serve as a motivating hook" for learning about the most important events throughout the years.
You might begin the lesson by exploring some of the big events of the previous year. At the end of each year, many major magazines and TV stations do looking back" issues that highlight some of the most important events of the year. The Resources section below might serve as a source of the big events of the year.
Share with students a bowl of pennies that you have collected. Make sure that each penny in the bowl has a different year marked on it. The bowl should contain at least one penny for each student in the class. Invite each student to reach into the bowl and pull out a penny. The year on the penny is the year the student will be asked to research. Students will explore online resources to identify ten big events that happened that year.
Suggested Activities
This lesson can be taken in many different directions and focus on many different subjects and skills.
Resources
These resources will help guide each student to some of the most important events that happened during the year marked on her/his penny:
Assessment
Assess students based on the quality of their research and the quality of the presentation of information they learned/shared.
Lesson Plan Source
EducationWorld.com
Submitted By
Gary Hopkins
National Standards
LANGUAGE ARTS: English
GRADES K - 12
NL-ENG.K-12.1 Reading for Perspective
NL-ENG.K-12.2 Reading for Understanding
NL-ENG.K-12.6 Applying Knowledge
NL-ENG.K-12.8 Developing Research Skills
NL-ENG.K-12.11 Participating in Society
NL-ENG.K-12.12 Applying Language Skills
SOCIAL SCIENCES: U.S. History
GRADES 5 - 12
NSS-USH.5-12.7 Era 7: The Emergence of Modern America (1890-1930)
NSS-USH.5-12.8 Era 8: The Great Depression and World War II (1929-1945)
NSS-USH.5-12.9 Era 9: Postwar United States (1945 to early 1970s)
NSS-USH.5-12.10 Era 10: Contemporary United States (1968 to the Present)
SOCIAL SCIENCES: World History
GRADES 5 - 12
NSS-WH.5-12.8 The 20th Century
TECHNOLOGY
GRADES K - 12
NT.K-12.1 Basic Operations and Concepts
NT.K-12.4 Technology Communications Tools
NT.K-12.5 Technology Research Tools
Find links to more history lesson ideas in these Education World archives:
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08/21/2010