Out with the old...WAIT.

So, as many of you know, I moved this year from being a 5th grade English and History (humanities) teacher to be being an 8th grade English and History teacher. I was excited because I LOVE teaching American history, and both 5th and 8th study it! As I was forming lesson plans early on, I was very much afraid that the activities I did with 5th graders would be too juvenile for 8th grade. 

Boy, was I WRONG. 

If my 5th graders loved it, my 8th graders love it. 
annnnnnd the exciting part is the level of depth my middl schoolers are then able to take the information. 
Here are a couple cross over activities that I have previously posted about. 

Colony Resource Maps: We studied the different regions, identifying their different governments, environments, religions, economies, and reasons for founding. 

After completing our "moving textbook" notes, where students filled in their tree notes while reading printouts around the classroom, students worked with a partner to create a resource map and key for a specific region. 

 Playing with Gummy Bears: Food is always a crowd pleaser no matter the age. After studying the Revolution, during our Government unit, I busted out my gummy bear types of government lesson. A classic.