Teaching+Strategies+and+Activities

Source (including handouts for the following activities): Social Studies Framework Site ([]) **Mary McLeod Bethune** Review why Mary McLeod Bethune’s work to protect human rights is important. As a follow-up to the Vocabulary Matrix activity, apply how those words related to Mary McLeod Bethune’s life from information gained from a trade book read or from the internet. Use the Character Traits handout to complete the activity. Standards: SS3H2 a,b; SS3G2 a,b,c,d,e; SS3CG2; ELA3R2 a,f; ELA3R3 a,b,c,f,g,h,i Type of Assessment: Observation Constructed Response; Discussion Modifications: Complete the Character Traits handout on overhead for students to copy from Have students complete a concept map on the importance of protecting human rights and/or the First Amendment (see link) []

Once students have read about and learned Mary McLeod Bethune, allow partners to create questions that they would use to interview Mary McLeod Bethune. One student will write the questions, while the other student answers the questions in regard to how they would feel if he or she experienced the same sort of circumstances as Mary McLeod Bethune might have. Standards: SS3H2 a,b; SS3CG2; ELA3R3 a,c Type of Assessment: Constructed Response Modifications: Brainstorm a list of questions as a whole group and display them on the board. These questions can be used in addition to others that partners come up with. Assign partner groups strategically. The teacher can work with a small group to come up with appropriate answers to interview questions.

**Mary McLeod Bethune - Mapping Her Life** As students learn more about the important events (where she was born and grew up, as well as events that related to helping others impacting their lives) in her life, create a Geography Scrapbook of maps showing the locations of important places in the life of Mary McLeod Bethune. **This can actually be replicated for any of the historical figures studied throughout the units.** List the roles she played in each that had an impact on others, and write a short explanation of how her being in each location impacted the lives of others. Students are encouraged to either draw pictures of the states, research and print from the internet, or cut out of magazines. Scrapbook pages should include not only illustrations, but labels, and written descriptions. **Encourage students to include the latitude and longitude as part of their labels.**To assemble scrapbook, simply layer 2-4 pages of construction paper, fold in half like a card, and staple a binding on the left side. Standards: SS3H2 a,b; SS3G2 e; ELA3W1 b,c,d,e,i,j Type of Assessment: Selected Response Modifications: Provide an organizer for students to enter information about the locations and what she did in each location (see links). [] [|http://www.eduplace.com/graphicorganizer/pdf/4column.pdf] Assign peer partners.

**Mary McLeod Bethune - Postage Stamp** Use what you have learned to design a postage stamp honoring Mary McLeod Bethune. A helpful tool to show examples of postage stamps as well as what to incorporate on one is: [] Standards: SS3H2 a,b; SS3CG2; ELA3R3 f,g Type of Assessment: Selected Response Modifications: Show examples of other postage stamps honoring great people (see link). [] Allow students to use Internet images to design their stamps (see link). []

Read the free Weekly Reader article “Celebrate Volunteers” and read with a partner. Together make connections between the accomplishments of the present-day volunteers and their work to make life better and compare those actions with historical figures. It would be best if each group did not make connections to the same historical figure. Connections can be made using a Two-column chart or chart paper. Have groups share and discuss any commonalities or differences. Standards**:** SS3H2 a; SS3G2 b,d,e; SS3CG2; ELA3R3 a,f,i,q; Type of Assessment: Selected Response; Discussion and Dialogue; Observation Modifications: As an alternative to partner work, the teacher might lead a small group of struggling learners by reading the article aloud and helping students make connections between present day volunteers and the historical figures listed.

“Simon Says ‘Who Are You?’” at []

For an art activity, “Quilting Our Diverse Classroom” ([]) allows each student to make a piece of a quilt that will be put together as a class. The student can decorate the quilt according to personal style and preference. In the directions, it also says that quilting was important to African-Americans who were slaves, and this ties in with the unit because Mary McLeod Bethune’s parents and some of her siblings were slaves.

For music, [] has links to several songs on Black American History, and [] has instructions for making an African instrument. These could be introduced, and then the students could bring in their own examples of music they like from their own cultures.

“Stars for Diversity” from [] is a good way for the students to see the outcomes of social prejudices without singling out anyone in the class. I would probably make this more of a drama activity than a game, allowing the students to act out situations presented in the activity.