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Mrs. Sims (formerly Ms. Hardison)



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History seems to us an arena of instincts and fashions, of appetite, avarice, and craving for power, of blood lust, violence, destruction, and wars, of ambitious ministers, venal generals, bombarded cities, and we too easily forget that this is only one of its many aspects. Above all we forget that we ourselves are a part of history, that we are the product of growth and are condemned to perish if we lose the capacity for further growth and change. We are ourselves history and share the responsibility for world history and our position in it. –Herman Hesse

Quote retrieved from Bartleby.com

Adopted Textbooks

Social Studies Textbook: Ancient World or A Message of Ancient Days

World History Textbook: Across the Centuries

U.S. History Textbook: American Nation

 

Supplemental Resources for Your Students

 

Lewis Library Catalog

Look up books, videos, and professional resources available in the Lewis Library 

  • Fiction and Non-fiction titles from Lewis Library shelves: Unlimited for teacher check-out.
  • Book sets in the backroom-- including informational non-fiction titles and historical fiction such as The Witch of Blackbird Pond, Johnnie Tremain, The Cay, The Diary of Anne Frank, and more (needs to be updated)
  • Video Lists (needs to be updated) --in backroom of library
  • Additional Resources: TCI, Egyptian Kit, Depression Era, EL resources for U.S. History, & new 7th grade Simulation Guides

 

IMC Online Catalog

SDCS Instructional Media Center IMC Information Page

Order online, phone or fax (click here to print out the IMC Online Ordering sheet)

---Warning Do Not Use E-mail Ordering Option--not working!!! FAX in order, FAX is available in library.

Lewis Site Number = 311

Delivery Day = Wednesday

Look for these levels: Intermediate (I), Junior (J), Senior (S)

NOTE: Write down the collection code when filling out your order.

  • Books (can be delivered to Lewis and returned to IMC on Wednesday delivery truck)
  • Multimedia Collection K-12 (truck-delivery available)
  • CD-ROM curriculum software: simulations and reference (truck-delivery available)
  • Videos (truck-delivery available)
  • Art Prints (pick up at IMC) --indexed by time period
  • Hand-carry Kits & (pick up at IMC): Ancient Civilizations kits are great
  • Realia, Sculptures & Models (pick up at IMC)
  •  

Literature Suggestions for the History Classroom

>Historical Fiction Database: Pages of the Past K-6 (Awesome! Indexed by standard and grade level)

>Historical Fiction Database: Tales of Time 6-8 (Awesome! Indexed by standards and grade level for Middle School)

>Recommended Book Archives for History and Social Studies. Unique title lists recommended by PBS

 

If we don’t have it then check your local library…

San Diego Public Library Catalog

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Lewis Online Subscription Databases

(NEW Subscription Database-passwords available at Lewis Library)

Encyclopedia Articles, Primary Resource, and Video Clips

--Cut-down on irrelevant searches, incorrect content, and low-quality, ad-heavy web pages. Want to be able to keyword search Cobblestone and Kids Discover? Narrow reading so students can save time and build background knowledge using your hand-picked, professionally reviewed, high quality text. Online reading list can focus on specific subjects, interests, publications, reading levels and standards. A variety of resources at a variety of levels support differentiated learning.

 

GALE --Subscription Database--password available from Lewis Library

Products: KidsInfobits, Jr. Reference, Health, What do I Read Next, and World and U.S. History

Unique Feature: Can copy URL of your saved list to your webpage

Try this very basic beginning search strategy: Subject Search

1) Click [GALE]

2) Click on [Jr. Edition]

3) Click Subject Search

4) Check All Sources

5) Type "Medieval" in search box

6) Click on relevant sub-topics

PROQUEST --Subscription Database--password available from Lewis Library

Products: eLibrary & eLibrary Elementary

Unique Features: Video and Radio Transcripts & Reading level sort. Coming soon…bookcarts.

Try this very basic beginning search strategy: Subject Search

1) Click [PROQUEST]

2) Click on [e-Library]

3) Click [Advanced Search]

4) Search by topic or CA Standards

5) Narrow topic by clicking on relevant sub-topics

Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia: multimedia, articles, Spanish version, and so much more. Great brand-new student-friendly interface.

(NEW Subscription Database-password available at Lewis Library)

 

San Diego Public Library Online Subscription Databases

History, Geography & Map Databases

American History Online (Facts on File) Authoritative reference to the most important individuals, events, and topics in United States history, covering more than 500 years of political, military, social, and cultural history, with archive of over 1,350 primary source documents from U.S. history. Includes biographies, timelines (1492-present), maps and charts, and over 600 images.

ATLA Religion Database (EBSCOhost) ATLA Religion and ATLASerials, over 1,500 theology and religion journals and content from books, from 1949-present, from American Theological Society

Curriculum Resource Center (Facts on File) For middle school, high school, and junior college teachers and students. Homework support handouts for history, civics, geography, sports, science, and more.

Curriculum Resource Center: Junior Edition (Facts on File) For elementary teachers and students. Homework support handouts for history, civics, geography, sports, science, and more.

Forms on File (Facts on File) 14,500 personal, business, and government forms, printable and reproducible.

Gazetteer of the World (Columbia University Press) A directory of places, landmarks, natural features, and more

History Online (ProQuest) Access to a range of online history collections

MAS Ultra: School Edition (EBSCOhost) Primarily for high schools, this database provides full text nearly 600 popular general interest and current events publications. Pamphlets, books, biographies, primary source documents, and over 107,000 images. Updated daily.

Military & Government Collection (EBSCOhost) Current news pertaining to all branches of the military and government, full text for nearly 400 journals and periodicals and indexing and abstracts for more than 500 titles.

New York Times Archive (ProQuest) Complete run of the New York Times, from Sep 18, 1851 to Dec 31, 2001 (SOOOOO COOL! PDFS Northern perspective)

Note: You’ll need the number on the front of your blue public library card and the PIN number will be the last four digits of your home phone to access databases.

 

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Suggested Internet Resources

>Yahooligans: Social Studies/History Directory

Kid-friendly subject directory of links

Indexed by category.

Some ads but content is child centered and reviewed

Check out the "Big Picture" feature, great for current events such as events in Iraq

 

>Library of Congress American Memories: Historical Collections for the National Digital Library

Indexed by broad topic, format, time, place, library and collaborative unit

Map Pages

 

>PBS.org

Social Studies page: Indexed by era or event and approximate grade-level

 

>BBC.org (British view on history. Prehistory-Sept. 11/Iraq)

BBC History Topics Overview Kids' links to Egyptian, Greek, and Roman history or check out the pages on archaeology for 6th. Church and Reformation or interactive Kings and Queens timeline for 7th. Trade and the Empire for 8th)

History Trails How to research and write local history. Learn about the career of a historian.

History Games (mummy, Battle of Waterloo, victorian woman's rights, pyramids, gladiator, church tour, weapons through time)

May need Flash (assign to play at home)

History primary resources = Audio/Video

Multimedia from the BBC. Readings the word Ancient Egyptians. Play the video on the Black Death for your seventh graders.

 

>Eyewitness to History

Eyewitness accounts from events in Ancient Civilizations to current events.

 

>SCORE: California Department of Education

Indexed by CA standard, activity & resources

>Best of History Websites

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Suggested Technology Resources

>Ed-Tech--Digital Images links: Clipart, Photos, Audio, Video

>Ed-Tech--Royalty Free Graphics

>www.Inspiration.com: Mind-mapping and Outlining Tool

 (30 day trial. Inspiration is on the student applications at Lewis and also for teachers under applications)

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Lewis Teacher Web Pages

>Old Lewis Webquests from Lewis teachers (not updated since 2003)

>6th Ancient Civilization

Ms. Keim (Art History: Ancient Civilzations)

Ms. Moxley

>7th World History

Mr. Jordan

Mr. Kaplan

>8th U.S. History

Mr. Jordan

Mr. Nelson

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 Subject Links

Ancient Civilization

>(Kids Discover magazine in GALE database)

>Ancient Civilization Links from Ms. Sims

 >Hear the readings of the words of Ancient Egyptians

 

Middle-Ages/Medieval

>(subject term: "medieval" Calliope magazine in GALE databases, also try Kids Discover December 2003)

>Everything Medieval: an Internet link hotlist

>World History: Hyper History

>Video on the Black Death

 

American/U.S. History (General)

>Youth Leadership Initiative site

from University of Virginia's Center for Politics (create user log-in to access lesson database indexed by standards)

>Cobblestone Magazine in GALE database

(Look up Cobblestone magazine in GALE database or articles from Time for Kids in eLibrary from PROQUEST)

>Library of Congress American Memories: Historical Collections for the National Digital Library (also listed above)

Indexed by broad topic, format, time, place, library and collaborative unit

>Map Pages

 

>American Military History (printable version—no Flash needed)

>Well-organized timeline of wars American History including Middle-School Lessons

Use to tie together big picture: CONFLICT, WAR

 

American Revolution

>Spy letters (may be unavailable…was working on 10/16 but not on 10/17)

>Article: Was the American Revolution Inevitable? (British Point of View)

>Paul Revere: Virtual History

>American Civil War Pathfinder

>Civil War pathfinder created for Lewis Middle School by Sims & Nelson

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Professional LMT Services Available to History Department

  • Collaboration: Pre-planning, teaching, and assessment. I feel my expertise is on using backwards design to create alternative assessment tools based on solving real-world problems, assignments should be built to avoid plagiarism, projects focused on synthesis and evaluation of ideas, structured debates, and Hilda Taba's Inductive Reasoning. Our projects should also incorporate EL strategies, higher order thinking, and should support the Gardner's idea of multiple intelligence whenever possible.
  • Reading: We work together to create focused, high-quality, reading pathfinders, lists, or packets to meet the needs and interests of a variety of students at different reading levels. Pathfinders can also include focused Internet readings or tutorials to help your students navigate the endless World Wide Web to find and gather exactly what they need, when they need it.
  • Technology: I can help you integrate technology and information literacy to enhance your students understanding of content. We can teach students research using the Big-6 or other research models. Students can learn to create and share projects in a unique and powerful way that cannot be met by simply using paper and pencil. You can integrate e-pal penpals, set up spreadsheets and databases to manipulate data, include subscription database articles to build background knowledge, use Inspiration Mind-mapping tools to teach outlining, teach students to create a PowerPoint (coming soon) or Hyperstudio presentation, or even open their eyes to the power of film by creating an i-Movie.
  • Service Learning: Examples of Lewis service learning projects:
    • Burn the Stereotypes: Local history project. 8th grade students created a Web-page dedicated to thanking our Lewis partners, the San Diego Firefighters Association. Collaborated with Kate Dominique, 8th grade seminar.
    • Monarch School Donation Program (link is dead-sorry) Began by researching/reading about the victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami, moved to discussing issue of homelessness using AP photos in a Socratic Seminar, researched/read about local homeless issues and finally culminated in planning a toiletries drive for the local Monarch School of San Diego. Collaborated with Jamie Walsh, 6th grade seminar.

Please notify me of any dead links or links that you would like added to this page.

I look forward to planning exciting projects with you and your students. --Mrs. Sims, jsims@sandi.net

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Last Modified: Monday, September 14, 2009
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