Bio Poem and Four Square Poster Board: In a joint project with the Gan, the fifth graders researched the life of a famous Jewish American and wrote about this person. Working together with their ganster “buddy,” they wrote a “bio-poem” – a poem about the life of this person. Together they also decorated a poster, including the name of the individual, an artistic rendition of some aspect of the person’s life, and a map of the person’s world.

Hebrew map of the United States during the Civil War

Civil War Diaries: The students imagined themselves in the shoes of a person living during the Civil War – for example, a soldier, a slave, a child living in the North, a teenager living in the South – and then wrote Civil War diaries through the eyes of the character they had chosen. Students used facts about the Civil War that they had learned in class and through independent reading of history and historical fiction.

Literature Logs: In class, students read Behind Rebel Lines: The Incredible Story of Emma Edmonds, Civil War Spy, by Seymour Reit. They made predictions about events likely to happen in the book, and discussed questions of character development, motivation, and historical background. They wrote about their predictions and their answers to questions in their literature logs.

Civil War Display Boards: Each student prepared a display board about some aspect of the Civil War or life in the United States in the 1860’s. For example, one student created a display about board games played in the United States during the Civil War period; another about medicine available to physicians; a third about musical instruments used by soldiers.

Corresponding Standards in the HDS Fifth Grade Curriculum:

History:

• Summarize major events in American history from the Revolutionary War through Reconstruction
• Research reasons for conflicting accounts in historical records and understand differing perspectives

Geography:

• Create maps and describe major regions of the world and their cultural, physical and environmental characteristics
• Explain how various people and cultures adapted to and modified their environment

Economics:

• Understand role of industry in the development of the nation

Writing:

• Use research strategies effectively, including the internet, brainstorm lists, an outline and the “5 W’s of website evaluation” (who wrote it and are they an expert; what is the purpose of the site; when was the site created; where does the information come from; why is this information useful for my purpose and why is it more useful than any other).
• Write, revise and edit several essays on the computer
• Keep literature log
• Share writing and respond to written work of others. Ask questions relating to others’ work and give suggestions, consider advice as to own work.
• Proofread own and other’s work, and check for historical accuracy
• Incorporate style ideas from other authors and sources
• Use literary devices with guidance (dialogue; metaphors and similes; exaggeration)