- Dig into the archives by listening to Ms. Burt explain her work in this short video.
2. Now that you know what an archivist is, and what an archivist does, let’s do some history-themed reading.
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- PreK-2: Start on our PXES Library Guide home page, linked here: PXES Library Guide Home Page Choose PebbleGo. Log in with Username: sas1912 Password: eagles#1. Then, choose PebbleGo Social Studies. Choose “Long Ago and Today.” There are seven segments to explore: Clothing, Communication, Farming, Food, Games & Fun, Homes, School, and Transportation. All of this content is U.S. specific.
If that does not fit your family, use BrainPop Jr. instead. BrainPop Jr. has segments on Ancient China, Ancient Egypt, and Ancient Rome which you may find more interesting.
SORA has some fabulous titles to complement this week’s history theme. Log on to SORA using your student or parent ID and look for these titles:
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- Mr. Ferris and His Wheel by Kathryn Gribbs Davis (history of the Ferris wheel!)
- Tillie the Terrible Swede by Sue Stauffacher and Sarah McMenemy (sports history!)
- Balto and the Great Race by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel (Alaskan history)
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Note, when reading from the SORA library, only one user at a time can access the material. After you read the book, please return it early so that others can have a look at the same title. Thanks!
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- Grades 2-5: Begin with Tumblebooks. Start on our PXES Library Guide home page, linked here: PXES Library Guide Home Page Choose Tumblebooks. Log in with Username: sas1912 Password: eagles. Search for these titles:
- Geronimo Stilton, Volume 5: The Great Ice Age by Geronimo Stilton (pseudonym)
- Pippo the Fool by Tracey E. Fern (Story of the construction of the Florence, Italy, Cathedral Dome, an engineering masterpiece.)
- War Dogs by Kathryn Selbert (Age-appropriate story of Winston Churchill’s leadership during World War II.)
- Grades 2-5: Begin with Tumblebooks. Start on our PXES Library Guide home page, linked here: PXES Library Guide Home Page Choose Tumblebooks. Log in with Username: sas1912 Password: eagles. Search for these titles:
Continue your reading with one of our history-themes titles in SORA. You can search using the keyword “history.” However, these titles may be of interest:
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- Candy Bomber by Michael O. Tunnell
- Shackleton and the Lost Antarctic Expedition by Blake A Hoena
- The Titanic Sinks! by Thomas Conklin
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3. Project Idea: Create a Timeline: Time is sometimes a difficult concept for young children to understand. Timelines are graphic representation of events in the order that they happened. Often, time is shown on a line with the oldest events on the left and more recent events on the right. Here is a sample from our World Book Timelines module from the History of Photography:
PreK – K: Create a simple timeline of the last week. What happened on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, etc.? This should give children a concept of the passage of time and how that can look when put on paper. Or, you could create a 3-D timeline using a piece of string and one simple object for something that happened each day.
Grades 1-3: Create a timeline of the last school year. Mark the first and last days of school, your children’s birthdays, and special holidays. Mark the day when distance learning started and when campus reopened. Try to reconstruct the year so that your children can see at a glance what happened and the order of significant events.
Grades 4+: Take a look at the World Book Timelines Module. Students may need a bit of help to access this tool, but the content is rich and worthwhile.
- Start on our PXES Library Guide home page, linked here: PXES Library Guide Home Page
- Choose World Book
- Choose World Book Timelines (If you are automatically sent to World Book Kids, click on the tiny word “Products” in the bottom left corner. From there, click “Timelines.”)
- Select any category and it will open up into a number of different timelines that you can view. The interface is not easy to use. You’ll have to play with it a bit. Look carefully for the navigation buttons. Once you find significant events, click on them for more information.
4. Take a History Walk: If you can, take a history walk in your own neighborhood. Where can you find evidence of people and events from before you were born? Are there any historical markers? Old structures like canals or bridges? Older or historic homes? What can you learn from your history walk? Here is an historical marker in my neighborhood which tells about the Shaker people who lived in my area about 200 years ago!
5. Project Idea: Create an Archive: Claralyn Burt is back to show you how to make your very own Childhood Memories archive. Listen to Ms. Burt in Part 1, then gather and organize your archive’s objects.
Childhood Memory Archive, Part 1, Claralyn Burt
6. Write About It: Now that your objects have been assessed, collected, and partially organized, finish the job by writing about your archive. Listen to Ms. Burt in Part 2 then fill-out the worksheet. Finally, preserve your archive by placing it in a box, and share it when you are ready. If you follow the steps Ms. Burt has presented, you are an archivist!!
Childhood Memory Archive Worksheet, Claralyn Burt
Childhood Memory Archive, Part 2, Claralyn Burt
7. Beyond the Books: Virtual Field Trips: Take a virtual field trip and learn more about history from one of these specialized visits:
Grades PreK-3:
- Look at the parts of a Viking ship, here: DK Find Out History, Vikings
If you enjoy learning about Viking ships, explore more history topics with DK Find Out: DK Find Out, History (All Topics Listed) Take a look at the seven wonders of the ancient world!!
Grades 4+ :
- Take a virtual tour of Ellis Island here: Interactive Tour of Ellis Island from Scholastic
- Learn about Australian history here: History of Australia Facts for Kids
Please Remember: Always adapt these activities to your own resources, languages, and children’s interests. I hope that you have enjoyed our fifth week’s history theme. Special thanks to Claralyn Burt, Archivist, for sharing her expertise with us! Look for another collection of reading and activity suggestions next week.
Your Friend in the Library, Miss Betty