Linking Early US History to World Geography Sarah Witham Bednarz Texas A&M University

The Context for this Project… The Project Grade 8 Objectives and World Geography Recommendations A Sample Draft Activity –Site and Situation, Washington DC

Context… –Grade 10 TAKS Objectives –Teaching the World Geography TEKS –Student Performanc e… One/third of the Grade 10 TAKS objectives is early US History?

The Project… –Curriculum modules & strategies to teach geography & history –Drafts improved through Review & Critique Process –Refined, classroom tested, and disseminated –Workshop/conference: January 22, 2005 –Posted on website:

8.1 explain the significance of 1776, 1787, & Geographic Strategy –Create story “sketch” maps that narrate the spatial history of the American Revolution and the Civil War

8.4 Explain the roles played by

Geographic Strategy –Put the lives of Washington & Jefferson in geographic context… Design and draw appropriate maps, diagrams, tables, graphs Create a historical atlas illustrating significant events in their lives OR create a large scale time and place(maps) line bulletin board to compare and contrast…

8.4 Explain Am Rev issues Independence, the Articles of Confederation Geographic Strategy –Give students list of significant events, –Date and locate each event –Sort the events in three categories Events that led up to the Revolution (Causes) The Revolution Events that resulted from the Revolution (Effects) –To conclude, have students make generalizations about the location of significant events

8.16 Identify colonial grievances Declaration of Independence and connection to US Constitution & Bill of Rights Geographic Strategy –Distribute Declaration of Independence –Explain the long train of abuses and usurpations in own words –Discuss geographic implications Related to colonial/imperial economic relationship? Any still a problem today? Why or why not?

8.3 Explain the Reasons for the Growth of Representative Gov’t Colonial Period Geographic Strategy –Ask students to describe the human and physical characteristics of one place in the colonies at different periods of time –How did changes in population, economics, politics, society affect the place? –Relate to history and changing spatial relations in the colonies,

8.16 & 8.20 Historic Documents Magna Carta, English Bill of Rights, Declaration of Independence, Federalist Papers Components of US Constitution Unalienable Rights Importance of Free Speech in a Democratic Society

Historic Documents Geographic Strategy –Relate cultural worldview to political, economic and social values reflected in key gov’t documents. –Distribute summaries of main ideas from key documents –Review ideas –Ask students to write a summary of American worldview in own words as it reflects and represents these documents

th, 14th, 15th Amendments, States’ Rights, Nullification Causes & Effects of the Civil War Geographic Strategy – Divide class into work groups and assign each a task E.g.,Task 1: Define states’ rights as it is framed in the Constitution E.g. Task 2: Make a map showing slave and free states, 1800, 1820 etc.

Pull class together for story telling –You tell the story; at key points students share evidence produced by their tasks to illustrate Conclude: ask students to create concept maps linking key ideas/concepts into a coherent diagram: –States’ Rights, Nullification Crisis, Dred Scott Decision, 3/5 Compromise, 13, 14, 15 Amendments, Westward Expansion of Settlement, Civil War th, 14th, 15th Amendments etc.

Recommendations? –Teach with maps 12/50 questions included maps –Teach conceptually, not regionally

Draft: Site and Situation, Washington DC Procedure: –Examine Map 1& Reading 1: Pick site for new capital. –Read #2. Examine Map 2.: Evaluate your selection. –Read #3 & examine Map 3: Pick site. –Read #4 & refine site selection.