| The following are creative activities designed for use in the classroom, for the interactive notebook, or, for thought-provoking activities among groups of children. Most are social studies related. Choose a topic below. More subjects and activities will be posted. |
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| 13 Colonies |
| Salem Slogan Parody: This activity requires users to create a highway sign for Salem, Massachusetts in 1693. Students must come up with a funny slogan that commemorates the Witch Trials of 1692. |
| 13 Colonies Geography Map – This activity requires students to identify the each of the colonies on a map of the 13 colonies. It also requires them to identify New England, Middle, and southern colonies. Cut and paste activity. |
| Practicing Cardinal Directions with the 13 Colonies Map – This activity requires students to use their knowledge of cardinal directions to answer questions about the geography of the 13 Colonies. |
| New England Colonies – Informational printable with a map that details the geographic, climatic, economic, and religious conditions. |
| Middle Colonies – Informational printable with a map that details the geographic, climatic, economic, and religious conditions. |
| Southern Colonies – Informational printable with a map that details the geographic, climatic, economic, and religious conditions. |
| Jamestown Reading Comprehension (part 1) – 10 questions and passage |
| Jamestown Reading Comprehension (part 2) – 10 questions and passage |
| Jamestown Reading Comprehension (part 3) – 10 questions and passage |
| Connecticut Colony Reading Comprehension – 10 questions and passage |
| Georgia Colony Reading Comprehension – 10 questions and passage |
| Maryland Colony Reading Comprehension – 10 questions and passage |
| Massachusetts Bay Colony Reading Comprehension – 10 questions and passage |
| New Jersey Colony Reading Comprehension – 10 questions and passage |
| North Carolina Colony Reading Comprehension – 10 questions and passage |
| Pennsylvania Colony Reading Comprehension – 10 questions and passage |
| Plymouth Colony Reading Comprehension – 10 questions and passage |
| Rhode Island Colony Reading Comprehension – 10 questions and passage |
| South Carolina Reading Comprehension – 10 questions and passage |
| American Revolution |
| Battles Geography: This activity requires students to paste the names of notable battles to their correct geographic location in the 13 colonies. |
| NEW – Symbols of the Revolution – Join, or Die and Corporate Logos: This activity requires students to learn about Ben Frankllin’s famous Join or Die political cartoon, and then, to think of the symbolism behind popular corporate logos they know. |
| Fun With Acts and Taxes: This activity requires students to imagine their school institutes unjust acts against them such as the Homework Act and Cafeteria Act and then requires students to fill in the details of such acts before coming up with one of their own. |
| Symbols of Rage: The Anti-Homework Stamp: This activity illustrates the famous Emblem of the Effects of the Stamp and requires students to make their own “dreaded” stamp that could serve as a protest to homework. |
| Revolutionary Figure Flash Cards: This is a simple activity where students can record facts about six famous Americans during the American Revolution. Flash Cards show pictures of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Betsy Ross, John Adams and Benedict Arnold. |
| Revolutionary Era Timeline Decoding: Fun activity where students have to decode a message by determining the dates and times of when important events of the American Revolution occur. |
| Summer Soldier and Sunshine Patriot: Interesting activity where students draw illustrations of the figurative and literal meaning behind Thomas Paine’s characterizations in The Crisis. |
| The Secret Rough Draft of the Declaration of Independence: Most people don’t know that Committee of Five had a very bad "first day" when trying to author the Declaration of Independence. Help them edit this terrible rough draft and put your stamp on the most important document in the nation’s history! |
| NEW What’s were the soldier’s in Washington’s Crossing thinking? – This activity requires students to imagine what the figures in Leutze’s famous depiction of Washington Crossing the Delaware River as they painstakingly row through the icy river. Humor is encouraged. |
| NEW Benedict Arnold – the Ultimate Antagonist: Fun activity that portrays Benedict Arnold as the ultimate antagonist in the American Revolution. Students then must draw and describe their favorite antagonist (or most hated) antagonist in literature. |
| NEW Remaking Benedict Arnold – This activity requires students to try to make an argument for Benedict Arnold’s treason by using hyperbole and embellishment to make the reader sympathetic to his plight. |
| NEW Turning Point – This activity requires students to understand how the Battle of Saratoga was the turning point in the war and to think of explain turning points in their own lives, in sports, or in the lives of literary characters. |
| Make Your Own Revolutionary Flag: This activity tells the history of the famous “Appeal to Heaven” flag and then asks students to draw and design their own. |
| NEW – Revolutionary War Figures and Social Media: This activity requires students to design a social media page (like a page on Facebook) for their favorite Revolutionary War figure. |
| Revolutionary Figures on American Currency: This activity shows students five dollar bills from the present and past and asks students to identify which figure is on each dollar bill. |
| Writing Prompt – Misery at Valley Forge: This writing prompt requires students to use their knowledge of the miserable conditions of Valley Forge to write a letter home. |
| Loyalists and Patriots – The Final Conversation Between Ben and William Franklin: This requires students to use their knowledge of the beliefs of Loyalists and Patriots to make the final dialogue between Ben Franklin (Patriot) and his son (Loyalist). |
| George Washington Paralaugh: Much like a mad lib, this activity requires students to write verbs, nouns, and adjectives to make a hilarious paragraph. |
| Thomas Jefferson has a Bad Day: This writing activity requires students to re-write the most famous passage from the Declaration of Independence with correct spelling and grammar. |
| Writing Prompt – Is Recess an Unalienable Right? This writing prompt requires students to understand the concept of unalienable rights and then to form a persuasive essay on whether recess is a right or privilege that teachers should be able to take away. |
| Writing Prompt – The Founding Father: This writing prompt requires students to form an argument for one founding father. In other words, which of the figures considered among the group known as “the Founding Fathers” would best qualify as the Founding Father? |
| Writing Prompt – Rivalries like France and England: This writing prompt requires students to reflect on the rivalry between France and England and then to write about a rivalry between themselves and someone else or in literature, sports, or other facets of life. |
| Battles of Lexington and Concord Reading Comprehension 10 questions and passage (grade 5) |
| Declaration of Independence Reading Comprehension 10 questions and passage (grade 5) |
| Boston Massacre Reading Comprehension 10 questions and passage (grade 5) |
| Boston Tea Party Reading Comprehension 10 questions and passage (grade 5) |
| Benedict Arnold Reading Comprehension 10 questions and passage (grade 5) |
| Disaster in New York Reading Comprehension 10 questions and passage (grade 5) |
| Fort Ticonderoga Reading Comprehension: 10 questions and passage (grade 5) |
| Washington’s Crossing Reading Comprehension: 10 questions and passage (grade 5) |
| Battle of Saratoga Reading Comprehension: 10 questions and passage (grade 5) |
| The Winter at Valley Forge Reading Comprehension: 10 questions and passage (grade 5) |
| Siege of Yorktown Reading Comprehension: 10 questions and passage (grade 5) |
| John Hancock Reading Comprehension: 10 questions and passage (grade 5) |
| Benjamin Franklin Reading Comprehension : 10 questions and passage (grade 3) |
| James Madison Reading Comprehension: 10 questions and passage (grade 4) |
| Thomas Jefferson Reading Comprehension: 10 questions and passage (grade 5) |
| Thomas Paine Reading Comprehension: 10 questions and passage (grade 5) |
| Articles of Confederation: This informational printable describes the strengths and weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation |
| The Constitution |
| The Great Compromise Writing Prompt: Prompt requires students to analyze the details of the Great Compromise and to write about a compromise they have made in the past. |
| Second Amendment Debate Writing Prompt: Students must list the pros and cons of gun ownership in America before writing a persuasive essay on whether or not Americans should own guns as expressed in the Second Amendment. |
| America’s First Great Commercial – This fun exercise explains to students how the Constitution was “marketed” to the public via the Federalist Papers, before requiring students to analyze modern-day commercials and advertisements. Students then must illustrate their favorite commercial and explain why they think it is effective in convicing people to buy the product or service. |
| Bill of Responsibilities: This exercise requires students to analyze the differences between rights and responsibilities and allows them to create a mini-constitution that outlines four responsibilities they believe people should be required to fulfill as citizens of the United States. |
| Westward Expansion |
| Lewis and Clark Discoveries – This worksheet requires students to visit the mrnussbaum.com Lewis and Clark exhibit and draw and describe three animals that Meriwether Lewis wrote about in his journal. |
| American Bison Printable Reading Comprehension – 10 questions |
| Sacagawea Printable Reading Comprehension – 10 questions |
| Explorers |
| Age of Exploration Printable: Simply an information printable describing the progression of the Age of Exploration in the New World. |
| Age of Exploration Reading Comprehension: 10 questions and passage |
| Samuel de Champlain Printable: An information printable describing the life and explorations of Samuel de Champlain. |
| Jacques Cartier Reading Comprehension 10 Questions and Passage |
| Christopher Columbus Reading Comprehension Grade 3: 10 Questions and Passage |
| Christopher Columbus Reading Comprehension Grade 4: 10 Questions and Passage |
| Christopher Columbus Reading Comprehension Grade 5: 10 Questions and Passage |
| Ponce de Leon Reading Comprehension Grade 4: 10 Questions and Passage |
| Robert Sieur de la Salle Reading Comprehension Grade 4: 10 Questions and Passage |
| John Cabot : An information printable describing the life and explorations of John Cabot. |
| Robert Sieur de la Salle : An information printable describing the life and explorations of Robert Sieur de la Salle |
| Francisco Coronado Printable: This informational printable describes the life and explorations of Francisco Coronado. |
| European Lands in the New World Map: – This map shows the different land claims of European powers in the New World in 1700. |
| Build your own Chart: French Explorers Guide: This chart comes illustrated with the pictures of five famous French Explorers (Cartier, Champlain, Verrazzano, Marquette and Joliet, and Lasalle). Underneath each picture is an area for students to write notes on their explorations. |
| Build your own Chart: Spanish Explorers Guide: This chart comes illustrated with the pictures of six famous Spanish Explorers (Columbus, Magellan, deSoto, Coronado, and Balboa, and de Leon). Underneath each picture is an area for students to write notes on their explorations. |
| Build your own chart: Explorer Motivations, Obstacles and Achievements: This chart will help students organize the many different motivations, obstacles, and achievements in the Age of Exploration |
| Mythical Sea Monsters Coloring Printable: This printable shows illustrations of the two sea monsters that were most feared by sailors in the Age of Exploration. Students then face the challenge of making their own interpretations of these mythical horrors. |
| Exploring a New Planet: Play the role of a world famous explorer making startling discoveries! This is a fun assignment in which students play the role of an explorer on a new planet similar to Earth. Students are given a map and are assigned with the task of naming the continents and oceans, tracing a circumnavigation route, and taking notes on new creatures and landforms they find. |
| Spanish Explorers Geography: Where in the New world did they make their discoveries? This printables requires students to label the discoveries of five Spanish explorers on a map of North America. |
| From the Pen of a Sailor: Editing a letter in bad shape: This printable requires students to edit and correct a letter written by an fictional Age of Exploration sailor to his parents. |
| Christopher Columbus Paralaugh (mad lib): This fun activity requires students to enter nouns, verbs, and adjectives into the blanks to make a hilarious story. |
| Mount Explorer: This activity requires students to re-build Mount Rushmore using the heads of four different explorers. Students can choose from nine different explorers and then must discuss their reasoning. |
| Mythical Places: This activity teaches students about mythical places that explorers believed existed such as the Fountain of Youth, the Seven Cities of Cibola, the Kingdom of Saguenay, and the Kingdom of Prester John. After reading, students are asked to imagine what such places would look like if they did existed and to draw and color their interpretations. |
| Explorer Trading Card: Kids love trading cards and they will love making their own explorer trading card. Simply have them research an explorer of their choice. Then, have them fill out the information on the card and draw their picture of the explorer in the space provided. |
| Civil War |
| Abraham Lincoln Childhood Reading Comprehension Exercise – Passage and 10 questions |
| Battle of Bull Run I Reading Comprehension – Passage and 10 questions |
| Battle of the Ironclads Reading Comprehension – Passage and 10 questions |
| Fort Sumter Reading Comprehension – Passage and 10 questions |
| Battle of Shiloh Reading Comprehension – Passage and 10 questions |
| Civil War Reading Comprehension – Passage and 10 questions |
| Frederick Douglass Life Timeline – This chart requires students to research Frederick Douglass on mrnussbaum.com before filing out a chart that describes the major milestones and accomplishments of his life |
| Nicknames – This handout discusses how Thomas J. (Stonewall) Jackson got his nickname and requires students to think of how characters in literature, sports, or in their own lives got their nicknames. |
| Slavery from Multiple Perspectives – This chart will help students analyze the institution of slavery in its meaning and implications from five different perspectives |
| Confederate, Union, and Border States Map – This map allows students to color in Confederate, Union, and Border States and to make a key indicating the colors of each. |
| Ten Deadliest Battles of the Civil War – This printout features a map showing the locations of the top ten deadliest battles in the American Civil War, followed by a chart detailing those battles |
| U.S. Geography |
