Teaching with TrueFlix
It's a banner election year and, regardless of the political party or candidate you support, there's no question that this election has sparked conversation among citizens of all ages, including our students. And while every election has its share of mudslinging, it's also a time of visionary promises and inspiration, not unlike what the colonists experienced as they established a new government in the wake of our nation's infancy. The TrueFlix unit on The Delaware Colony and each of the other units in the Thirteen Colonies category provide students with a look at the history of each state's founding, from establishment as a colony to the revolution from Great Britain. And though we now think of ourselves as one nation, the stories of how each colony came to be are at times quite unique to one another. Even so, images such as the painting of George Washington crossing the Delaware River have become national symbols of the hardships endured in forming our nation and the individuals who helped to make revolution possible. So while our nation wrestles with who might be the next leader of the United States of America, let's turn our attention briefly to a time when America was both leaderless and nationless.
A Multitude of Media
It was a tumultuous time for our young nation, declaring independence from England and developing a set of guidelines for how the country should be governed. To provide your students with a sense of this weight of responsibility, print copies of the Our Founding Fathers play and read aloud the text together. Discuss the difficult decisions made during those long months in Philadelphia, including how many representatives each state could have and how much power should be given to the government or to the people. Assign roles in the play and invite students to bring to life the voices of these key historical figures. The Washington's Crossing play allows for another opportunity to reenact a historical event where difficult decisions were made that led to key turning points in our nation's history.
Project Idea
It can be difficult to grasp just what went into establishing each of the Thirteen Colonies and, later, securing their independence from Britain. In order to provide students with a sense of the discussions, debates, and compromises faced by the members of the Continental Congress, propose the following simulation to your class:

Our principal, in interest of exploring new ways to support learning, is giving our class one year to break off from our school and create a school of our own. Our only requirements are that (a) learning has to happen and (b) we must communicate the procedures for how the school is run so that our experiment can be replicated. What rules, if any, should the school have for its students and staff? And who decides on these rules? How are the decision makers selected? And what actions will you take if things start to go wrong? While you will no doubt have many ideas, the class must come to an agreement on all counts before the principal will give permission to start the new school.

By exploring a scenario such as this, the students encounter open-ended questions that must be discussed and, in some cases, debated in order to come to a class agreement. One question can lead to another as specifics are determined and students work to decide what qualities of the current school model need to stay and what needs to be changed.
We'd Love to Hear From You!
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Matthew's Tip of the Month
November isn't just for elections. Here are a few celebrations that occur throughout the month that you might want to explore with your students:

Native American Heritage Month
Explore the history and culture of our nation's first people using the American Indians resources, which include information on the Apache, the Comanche, the Inuit, the Iroquois, the Pueblo, and the Sioux.

National Aviation History Month
Take flight with the biography of Amelia Earhart and discover the incredible life that led her to attempting the first solo flight around the world. Be sure to check out the eBook to see other female pilots of Earhart's time and their groundbreaking accomplishments.

National Model Railroad Month
Encourage visits to the local train museum after exploring the history of the Transcontinental Railroad.

Be sure to explore the additional resources TrueFlix has to offer on each topic, including videos, project ideas, and links to additional online resources.
- Matthew Winner -
Library Media Specialist & TrueFlix Ambassador
UPCOMING WEBINAR DATES
Learn more about getting the most out of TrueFlix by attending one of our monthly online training sessions.
Thursday, November 10, 2016
2:00 to 3:00 pm EST
Tuesday, January 10, 2017
3:00 to 4:00 pm EST
Thursday, March 9, 2017
5:00 to 6:00 pm EST
Related Resources
A fun new series that combines fiction and nonfiction at the center of real historical events!
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