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Novel Activity Project
Gracie Frame
School of Education, Liberty University
EDUC 322: Teaching Elementary and Middle School Social Studies
Professor Triggs
September 18, 2024
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Novel Activity Project
Topic: French and Indian War
Standard of Learning, Novel Information, and Objective
Standard of Learning:
VUS.4 The student will apply social science skills to understand the issues and events leading
to and during the Revolutionary Period by
a) describing the results of the French and Indian War
Novel Information:
The novel I chose is titled1The War That Made America: A Short History of the French
and Indian War, and it was written by Fred Anderson. The publication year was 2006. The grade
level for this book is 7th through 9th grade and contains 293 pages. The book is written from the
point of view of an expert storyteller who takes readers on the intriguing journey of one of the
most important wars in history and how it has shaped America and its citizens. This book may
contain biased information because it tries to add extra emotion to the story. To address this
information, it is essential that the teacher teach about both sides of the war and what truly
happened so students do not get confused by an opinion or biased information.
Objective: Given the book The War That Made America: A Short History of the French and
Indian War, the student will complete a graphic organizer containing the events from the story
with 9/10 correct.
Interdisciplinary Activities
Interdisciplinary Approaches:
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The students will break into groups of five and read the book within their group. For this
assignment, I will select the groups to ensure that the struggling readers are paired with advanced
readers to ensure comprehension. As the students read in their groups, they will record the story's
events and search for the supporting details from the text. Once the students finish reading the
book, they will do a group report of the events. Each student will choose two events from the
story and present information about them. For this activity, English and Science are two subjects
that play a part. An English skill used in this activity is locating supporting ideas and researching
the text to learn about the events of the war. During this time in history, the earth's resources
played a prominent role in the survival of the people, especially the soldiers. Students will be
encouraged to locate the types of resources that were necessary for survival during these years.
The book has essential vocabulary words that the students will need to understand. Words like
retaliation (action taken in return for an injury or offense), encroachment (any entry into an area
not previously occupied), and mercantilism (an economic policy under which nations sought to
increase their power by obtaining large amounts of gold and silver and by selling more goods
than they bought) may be unrecognized by students by they play an essential role in the book.
Resources
Resources for Activity:
At the end of the activity, when the groups prepare their event project, they will be
required to do research. Students will be provided access to different research materials, such as
library books, documentaries, and an online research platform. Each student can use the school
iPad to locate information; the teacher must approve all information before the students can use
it. During the activity, the students will take a trip to Fort LeBoeuf's French and Indian War
Museum in Waterford, PA. Along with these resources, the students will also use their novel,1The
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War That Made America: A Short History of the French and Indian War, to complete the
assignment.
Assessment of Student Learning
Assessment Plan:
The students will close their learning segment by presenting their projects to their
classmates. The project will consist of the students creating a PowerPoint presentation with
details about events of the French and Indian War and the results of the war. Students will use
their library resources, internet information, and research from their field trip to fill in the details
for their presentation. To provide feedback to the students, the teacher will assess them on the
information labeled in their PowerPoint and the presentation they perform in front of their peers.
The project and PowerPoint will help assess the students’ knowledge of what they gained from
the novel.
