Please forgive this late posting but I've been dealing with the loss of both my assistants, one at the Middle School and one at the Intermediate School. No, they were not cut but one retired and the other left for a position that pays 4 times what she was making here. Good for her. Then I've been sick for the last two and a half weeks but didn't feel comfortable enough with my one new assistant and the substitutes they have had in for the other in order to be able to take some sick days to recover. This hurricane has been a blessing for me, time to recover (no school) and put my thoughts in to words.
Being a librarian / media specialist, I had a hard time creating just one Treasure box. I wanted to concentrate on the constitution and I came up with multiple sources. But, in doing so, I kept finding enough other sources that I could use to create a second Treasure box on the Declaration of Independence. I plan to use one or both at the conclusion of our 6th grade library unit in April as extended research.
Books
1. The Constitution by Alan Pierce ** I found this to be one of my best book sources. It is detailed, yet simple enough for 6th graders to understand the process of writing the constitution. It includes a web link to the publisher to find even more up to date sites.
2. The Constitution by Hal Marcovitz **Another easy to understand book on the constitution. Includes a nice timeline which includes amendments up to the present day. Also includes website links.
3. The Articles of Confederation by Barbara Feinberg
4. The U.S. Constitution by Donald Ritchie **These last two are for the more advanced reader.
5. Creating the Constitution 1787 by Christopher Collier and James Collier **This would probably be my third choice of the five books for interest level, use of color photos etc.
I have other books in my two libraries that could also be included in my Treasure box but I chose to limit the books to these five.
From the National Archives digital vaults I found and printed many links with photos of original documents. Some of the ones I plan on using are
1. Stanton and Anthony write to Congress.
2. Regardless of Race, Color, or Previous Condition of Servitude
3. Convited for Voting
4. Article of Confederation
5. A Founding Father in Uniform
6. The Bill of Rights
7. The Constitution of the United States
8. Covering Expenses
9. Extending the Right to Vote
I want to use these and other links to provide a treasure hunt from the Treasure Box. Student working in small groups can use one or more of these links to gather information on that portion of the Constitution.
From the Franklin Institute website, there is a great article with links to further research on Ben Franklin as being the only person to have signed and helped write major documents that contributed to the Declaration of Independence and Constitution.
From the Library of Congress website, the sources that can be included are extensive. In addition there are educational lesson plans available to boost your efforts.
The sources here are even more varied
1. Washington's letter presenting the constitution (1787).
2. Jefferson's notes on the constitution (1788).
3. A word find on words used in the constitution.
Any or all of these and more will be used in the Treasure Box. I view this as an evolving project. Items will be added to the box as needed and some will be discarded. I also would like to work on a Treasure Box for local Mifflinburg history. All of our students make the trip to the Buggy Museum when they are in the Elementary school and a historical walk when in the Intermediate school. I think a Treasure Box in the Middle school would continue the local history interest and education.
