Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Gazette -- December 2011

DECEMBER 1, 2011 VOLUME 10, ISSUE 4 "Famous Missourians: Daniel Boone (1734–1820)" Daniel Boone is one of the most famous frontiersmen in U.S. history. He was a skilled hunter, trapper, and trailblazer. During the early days of westward expansion, Boone's explorations helped open the frontier to new settlements. In 1799, he led his family and other settlers across the Mississippi River into land populated by Native Americans but claimed by Spain. Boone spent the last twenty years of his life in what is now Missouri. This student-friendly illustrated biography of Daniel Boone from the State Historical Society of Missouri details the life and adventures of this American explorer and includes links to outside resources. Primary Source of the Month Surveyor's Compass, c. 1805 Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Daniel Boone would have carried a surveyor's compass much like this one on his surveying journeys. Surveyors measure out parcels of land for the owners of the land. Boone surveyed mostly areas of Virginia and Kentucky that had not yet been settled by Euro-Americans. The Next Electronic Field Trip is Westward! December 15, 2011 Find sources of federal funding for EFTs in this PDF. Downloadable American History Lesson Plans from ABC-CLIO and Colonial Williamsburg Teaching News "All About Explorers" Site Teaches Important Internet Skills On first look, "All About Explorers" seems like a great site for students to obtain information about famous explorers like Henry Hudson and Lewis and Clark. But mixed in with factual biographical information on the explorers are misleading and downright false statements: Henry Hudson took photos of his journey, for example. This site was developed by teachers as a teaching tool for showing students the unreliability of websites and the importance of checking their facts. Included are lesson plans for teachers and search engine scavenger hunts for students. December Podcasts 12/05: A Good Book Vodcast: Making Apple Cones 12/12: Westward 12/19: Crystal Carols 12/26: Great Hair The Idea of America A digital American history program that inspires and prepares high school students for active citizenship, developed by Colonial Williamsburg and distributed by Pearson Education. Funding available for Electronic Field Trips 2011–2012 Electronic Field Trip Scholarships   Contents "Famous Missourians: Daniel Boone (1734–1820)" Primary Source of the Month Teaching Strategy Colonial Williamsburg Teaching Resources Teaching News Quotation of the Month Teaching Strategy: Daniel Boone Picture Book Daniel Boone was a frontiersman, explorer, surveyor, and hunter, who blazed a trail through the Cumberland Gap that enabled Euro-Americans to settle in lands belonging to Native American tribes. He and his family's lives were fraught with hardship and danger, but Boone continued to push westward until he finally settled in Missouri. In this lesson, students read passages of a biography of Daniel Boone, summarize these passages, and create a picture book about the life of Daniel Boone. Colonial Williamsburg Teaching Resources for Your Classroom Colonial Williamsburg offers a variety of quality instructional materials about 18th-century life, including: Mapping Colonial America CD-ROM Duel in the Wilderness Paperback American Indian Bandolier Bag Hands-on History Kit 21st Century Award for Best Practices in Distance Learning, preK–12 United States Distance Learning Association, 2010 Distinguished Achievement Award Finalist 2011 Association of Educational Publishers Quotation of the Month "I can't say as ever I was lost, but I was bewildered once for three days." —Daniel Boone, as quoted in Daniel Boone: The Life and Legend of an American Pioneer (1993) by John Mack Faragher, p. 65.   Colonial Williamsburg for Teachers Next month's e-newsletter will launch on Monday, January 9. We wish you a joyful holiday season and a happy New Year! The Colonial Williamsburg Electronic Field Trip Series is supported in part by the William and Gretchen Kimball Young Patriots Fund. If you would like to subscribe to the Teacher Gazette, please send an e-mail to teachergazette@cwf.org with the subject heading "subscribe." If you would like to be removed from future Teacher Gazette mailings, please send an e-mail to teachergazette@cwf.org with the subject heading "unsubscribe."