Friday, October 17, 2008

Social Studies "Think Critically to be Creative"

Building a sod house? It's not as easy as it seems! In this interactive activity, taken from the OurStory series produced by the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, students will attempt to build a sod house by making choices regarding the construction of their house. Too many wrong answers and the house will collapse! This engaging and lighthearted activity will help students understand the challenges settlers faced while trying to survive on the open prairie. OurStory is a series of modules designed to help children and adults enjoy exploring history together through the use of objects from the Museum's vast collections, quality children's literature, and engaging hands-on activities. Ideal for afterschool use, OurStory resources will allow students to think critically, to be creative, and to achieve academic standards both in and out of the classroom.
Here is the interactive web site:http://americanhistory.si.edu/ourstoryinhistory/tryonline/buildsodhouse.html

2 comments:

Kim Flack said...

I love this Kingston! It reminds me of Oregon Trail many times improved and integrated into the curriculum!

What grades would you used this with? When are you teaching these social studies standards?

Kingston1 said...

I would use the "Sod House" with any grade from K - 12.

Kingston