Lesson Plan

What’s In The Bag?

Main Subject Area: Social Studies

Additional Subjects: Technology

Duration of Lesson:  45 minutes

Keywords:

• American History
• Artifacts
• Historical Figures

Brief Description:

Students will research a historical figure from the United States and introduce their classmates to items associated with this person. Students will also predict how that historical figure would fit into today’s society.

National Standard(s):

• Culture
• People, Places, and Environment

Additional Subject Area Standard(s):

• Basic operations and concepts
• Technology research tools

Objectives:

Students will research a historical figure from the United States.

Students will discover items associated with the historical figure.

Students will predict how that historical figure would fit into today’s society.

Materials (online):

Access to a computer classroom that has connection to the Internet

United States Mint H.I.P. Pocket Change™ Web site:

Coin of the Month Past Picks- http://www.usmint.gov/kids/coinNews/coinOfTheMonth/pastIssues.cfm

Medal Mania - http://www.usmint.gov/kids/campcoin/medalMania/

Websites about coins

Materials (offline):

A paper lunch bag for each student

Books about coins

Coins Used in Lesson:

U.S. commemorative coins that feature individuals

U.S. medals that feature individuals

U.S. coins with historical figures

Grade Level(s):   3-5     6-8  

Procedures (online):

With guidance, allow your students to research their historical figures online.

Procedures (offline):

1. Brainstorm with your students ways people remember important historical figures in our society. Some people are remembered by having their image placed on a coin or a medal.

2. Ask your students what historical figures they have seen on American coins. Besides the current circulating coins, there are figures represented on commemorative coins and on medals. Take your students to the Medal Mania and Coin of the Month sections on the United States Mint H.I.P. Pocket Change™ Web site to view some of them.

3. Give each student the opportunity to research more about a historical figure depicted on a U.S. coin. They can choose circulating or once circulated coins, commemorative coins, or medals. Students should choose someone they find interesting and want to learn more about.

4. Have each student will create a “personality bag” for their historical person. On the outside of the bag they can draw a picture of the coin or medal. Each bag should have 5 items from this person’s era that would somehow represent them. Students can also include two things from modern times that their person might have if they were alive today. For instance, if the student chose Meriwether Lewis, they might add a GPS (Global Positioning System) or cell phone as something from modern times.

5. Have your students share these personality bags with the rest of the class.

Assessment / Evaluation:

Evaluate your students' presentation of their bags. For each item, they should explain why they included it in the bag.

Differentiated Learning Options:

n/a