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As my curriculum and instructional challenges increase, I am constantly seeking ways to integrate my curriculum and standards. This product was created to make the integration of social studies, science, and even a little research a bit easier for teachers. These STEM or STEAM activities are centered around major events in United States history. Hopefully, these lessons will not only engage students and encourage critical thinking, but will also allow students to  understand and appreciate these historical events on a deeper level.

What’s Included
Each activity comes with detailed teacher notes, an explanation of how the activity relates to the historical event, a suggested materials list, a suggested list of websites for further exploration, and example photos. There is also a two page printable for students. I have used the same format for each of the printables, so that students will quickly become adjusted to your expectations and procedures. The printable will take students through the complete design process. The first page of the printable is used to get students started with the activity. It explains the directions and gives students the parameters in which they will be working, as well as guide students through research questions. You may use the second page of the activity if you plan to have students test and revise their design, which is part of the STEM/STEAM process.

European Explorers Create a Navigational Tool
Pgs. 9-12 Native Americans Create a Native American Home
Pgs. 13-20 Jamestown Purify Water
Pgs. 21-24 Plymouth Build a Ship
Pgs. 25-28 New England Colonies Create a Waterwheel
Pgs. 29-32 Middles Colonies Harness Wind Power
Pgs. 33-36 Southern Colonies Build a Bridge
Pgs. 37-40 French & Indian War Create Powder Horn
Pgs. 41-44 Boston Tea Party Build a Tea Container
Pgs. 45-48 American Revolution Build a Cannon
Pgs. 49-52 Lewis & Clark Design an Insulated Blanket
Pgs. 53-56 Westward Expansion Create a Covered Wagon
Pgs. 57-60 Cotton Gin Create a Working Cotton Gin
Pgs. 61-64 Gold Rush Panning for Gold Challenge
Pgs. 65-68 Underground Railroad Create a Map
Pgs. 69-72 Civil War Build a Cannon Ball Launcher
Pgs. 73-76 Transcontinental Railroad Create a Marble Run
Pgs. 77-80 Chicago Fire Design Water Pipelines
Pgs. 81-84 Telephone Design a Telephone
Pgs. 85-88 Immigration Build the Statue of Liberty
Pgs. 89-92 Wright Brothers Design a Plane
Pgs. 93-96 Industrial Revolution Assembly Line
Pgs. 97-100 San Francisco Earthquake Design an Earthquake Proof Structure
Pgs. 101-104 Automobile Build a Balloon Car
Pgs. 105-108 World War I Design a Periscope
Pgs. 109-112 Great Depression Build a Dam
Pgs. 113-116 World War II Black Outs
Pgs. 117-120 Vietnam Build a Helicopter
Pgs. 121-124 Civil Rights Build a Monument
Pgs. 125-128 Space Exploration Design a Bottle Rocket
Pg. 129 Rubric

Total Pages: 131
File Size: 114 MB

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The post United States History STEM and STEAM Activities | US History appeared first on Ashleigh's Education Journey.

Escape rooms and breakout classrooms have found their way into today’s elementary classroom! They are such a great way to increase student engagement and to promote collaborative learning. This holiday escape activity is a perfect way to celebrate with FUN end of the year activities.

Here’s what’s included:

• Teacher Directions: including a link to a detailed blog post with example set-up pictures.
• Student Directions: easy to understand and student friendly.
• Clue 1: To prove that you belong on the nice list, you’ll need to sing a few Christmas carols. Decipher the picture clues to determine which 12 carols to sing. Write the title of the song that each card represents on your recording sheet.
• Clue 2: Santa accidentally jumbled up his Christmas list. Help him by finding the hidden words on the list. The letters that are NOT used will give you the next clue
• Clue 3: Help Santa find what number goes at the top of his tree. You should add side-by-side numbers and write the sum of those numbers on the hexagon above that number. The number at the top is your code!
• Clue 4: To help Santa organize his supplies, you need to match the Christmas items on the Christmas puzzle. To complete the 3-by-3 puzzle, you should reconstruct the squares so that all of the images match on every interior side. Remember, you are making a square. Once you complete the puzzle, use the top three images and the decoder wheel to crack the code!
• These puzzles are not specific to any standard or grade level. Instead, this version is centered around critical thinking skills.

This can be used with Breakout Edu boxes or with your own boxes and locks. If you do not have boxes and locks, you may use the digital version, where students submit their answers on Google Forms.

Total Pages: 18
File Size: 22 MB

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The post Christmas Escape Room (Escape Santa’s Naughty List) Print & Digital appeared first on Ashleigh's Education Journey.

In this end of year escape room, students must escape the school in order to go on summer vacation. Escape rooms increase student engagement and to promote collaborative learning. This is a perfect way to culminate your year with FUN end of the year activities.

Here’s what’s included:

• Teacher Directions-including a link to a detailed blog post with example set-up pictures.
• Student Directions-easy to understand and student friendly.
• Clue 1-It’s time to help the art teacher clean up her materials. She displayed word puzzles (rebus puzzles) on the wall, and before she can remove the puzzles from the wall, you must solve for the hidden meaning inside each puzzle. Write the phrase that each picture represents on the recording sheet.
• Clue 2-Help your P.E. coach fill out the certificates for Field Day. You will need to complete the field day logic puzzle to open the next lock.
• Clue 3-You will use some of your favorite books to complete the next challenge. You will receive library cards for overdue books. To return the correct books, you must determine which section of the library the book belongs.
• Clue 4-Clean out your desk/locker/cubby…whatever it is you keep your things in while at school. To clean out your supplies, you need to match the supplies with the supply puzzle. To complete the puzzle, you should reconstruct the squares so that all of the images match on every interior side. Once you complete the puzzle, use the top three images and the decoder wheel to crack the code!
• Bonus Activity-Match memorable quotes to the titles of popular children’s chapter books. Pick and choose the ones you want to use!

These puzzles are not specific to any standard or grade level. Instead, this version is centered around critical thinking skills.

This can be used with Breakout Edu boxes or with your own boxes and locks. If you do not have boxes and locks, you may use the digital version, where students submit their answers on Google Forms.

Total Pages: 27
File Size: 13 MB

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The post End of the Year Escape or Breakout | Editable | Print & Digital appeared first on Ashleigh's Education Journey.

In this product, there are five nonfiction reading passages based on a variety of topics related to economics. Since we all have students reading on many different reading levels, I’ve written each passage on three different reading levels to make differentiation a little easier for you. I’ve leveled each passage with its Lexile reading level and have included a reading level correlation chart that compares Fountas and Pinnell, DRA, and lexile levels.

There are also three sets of questions for each set of passages. The first set of questions requires students to cite evidence in the text, and the second set of questions require students to analyze the text structure and word choice of the passage. The third set of questions have students respond to a question that promotes high order thinking.

Concepts Included:

• Productive Resources: natural resources, human resources, capital resources, and entrepreneurship
• Supply and Demand
• Goods and Services: consumer, producer, import, and export
• Economic Decisions: opportunity cost, needs, wants, and scarcity
• Personal Finance: budget, debt, savings, checking

Check out these other close reading products!

• Holidays Around the World
• Winter Olympics

Total Pages: 47
File Size: 8 MB

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The post Economics Reading Passages and Questions | Print and Digital appeared first on Ashleigh's Education Journey.