Today, I ran a new Rack and Stack using some familiar EduProtocols but with a fresh flow. The whole lesson was built around this opening statement: “The Lowell Mill Girls had an extraordinary opportunity.” That one sentence carried us through the entire class. I wanted students to come back to it over and over again, thinking critically about whether or not it was actually true.
Here is the flow:
Fast and Curious
EdPuzzle with Thin Slide
Number Mania
Nacho Paragraph with Short Answer
Starting with Vocabulary: Fast and Curious
We began with a Gimkit Fast and Curious. I pulled vocab straight from the lesson—boardinghouse, wage, petition, strike, shift. It’s honestly surprising how many words kids just don’t know anymore. I can’t assume anything. The most missed were boardinghouse, petition, and shift. After two rounds with some feedback in between, their accuracy shot up. We had a solid foundation for the rest of class.
EdPuzzle with a Thin Slide Twist
Next up was a 4-minute EdPuzzle about the Lowell Mill Girls. I embedded a Thin Slide with the same opening statement—did this video support it or not? Some kids thought it did, to a point. The video showed that the girls got paid and had housing, but others quickly pointed out the poor conditions and low wages. The Thin Slide was great for capturing those first reactions and making them back it up.
Number Mania with a Purpose
Then we hit the main chunk of the lesson—Number Mania. I had originally planned 6 stations, each with primary and secondary sources about different aspects of mill life. But after a dry run and thinking about cognitive load (shoutout to Blake Harvard’s book), I trimmed it to 4 stations. That made a huge difference.
The task was to find numerical evidence to refute the original statement. Of course, we had to go over the word “refute” first. That word shows up on the Ohio state test, and about 90% of my students didn’t know what it meant. Each station had a brief source. After reading, students picked a number that could be used to argue against the idea that the Lowell Mill Girls had some amazing opportunity. I rolled dice to determine how many words their explanation had to be. That added a fun twist and helped prevent kids from copying straight from the text. They had to think.
Short Answer + Nacho Paragraph
The finale was awesome. I pulled up Short Answer and ran it Battle Royale style using the Nacho Paragraph protocol. Each student copied and pasted the original statement and rewrote it, fixing it using the numerical evidence from the Number Mania. Their job was to refute the original sentence with facts. It brought everything together perfectly.
Short Answer gave them a sense of audience, let them see others’ responses, and motivated them to write better. They knew their classmates would see it, and that made all the difference.
Why This Worked
This lesson flowed. It began and ended with the same prompt, but by the time we got to the end, students had real evidence and a better understanding of both the content and how to structure their thinking. It wasn’t just about mill life—it was about challenging assumptions, reading multiple types of sources, interpreting data, using key vocab, and writing for a real purpose.
I also liked that I was able to scale the cognitive load. The vocab and EdPuzzle built some schema. The stations weren’t too long, and the dice kept the kids engaged. The writing had structure. Every part had purpose.
It’s not always about doing something big and flashy. Sometimes it’s about connecting pieces in a way that feels meaningful and builds momentum. Today, it worked.
I’ve been reading Do I Have Your Attention? by Blake Harvard. It blends cognitive science with practical classroom ideas—nothing too wild, just enough to make you stop and rethink some things. One part that really stuck with me was on cognitive load theory, especially the idea of intrinsic and extraneous load. It got me thinking about how I’ve been planning, what I prioritize, and how I sometimes try to do too much when maybe I just need to step back.
So Much Goes Into Planning
When I plan, it’s not just about covering content. It’s about thinking through what I want my students to know and be able to do, what skills I want them to build, what vocabulary they need, how to keep them engaged, and how I’m going to support the students who need more help—all while keeping things moving for the kids who are ready to fly.
And now, I’ve started asking myself: what kind of cognitive load are my students carrying into this lesson? Is this content already hard and layered (intrinsic load)? If so, I probably don’t need to add too much else (extraneous load). But if the content is simpler or more familiar, maybe I can push a bit further creatively.
Easy and Hard Topics in Social Studies
I’ve realized that not all content is created equal when it comes to complexity. Some social studies topics are naturally easier for kids to access, while others require more mental lifting.
Examples of Easier (Lower Intrinsic Load) Topics:
Reasons for European exploration
Life in the 13 colonies
Westward expansion and Manifest Destiny
Types of colonial economies (New England, Middle, Southern)
Comparing daily life in the North and South
These topics are usually centered around people, places, or causes. They’re concrete, familiar, and easier to visualize or connect to.
Examples of Harder (Higher Intrinsic Load) Topics:
The Constitution and its principles (separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism)
The Bill of Rights and application of amendments
Judicial review and landmark Supreme Court cases
Economic systems like mercantilism or capitalism
The causes of the Civil War (beyond just slavery)
These are abstract, layered topics that require deeper processing and strong academic vocabulary. When I’m teaching these, I simplify everything else so students can focus on the core idea.
When the Content Is Hard, Keep It Clean
In those higher-load lessons, I’ve learned that I don’t need to pile on the extras. A Frayer Model to build background, an Annotate and Tell to help break the reading down, and a Thick Slide to wrap it up. That’s enough. I’ve made the mistake of overdoing it before, and kids just got lost in the fluff. The content already asks a lot of them.
When the Content Is Familiar, You Can Stretch
But when the topic is easier to grasp, that’s when I can have some fun and go big with design. That’s where protocols like these come in:
Sketch and Tell: Have kids visualize big ideas and translate them into drawings.
Map and Tell: Great for tracking movement or showing change over time.
3xPOV: When multiple perspectives matter (like Manifest Destiny or American Revolution).
3xGenre: Having kids write in narrative, informative, and argument formats helps them go deep.
These aren’t just fun—these are meaningful ways to deepen thinking when the topic allows for it.
Final Thoughts
I’ve definitely fallen into the trap of thinking more stuff equals better. But lately, I’m realizing the real challenge is in matching the lesson design to the complexity of the content. I can’t always make everything exciting. And not every topic calls for elaborate activities.
Know the content. Know your students. Know the load they’re carrying.
Still figuring it out, but this helps me take a breath and rethink what good lesson design actually looks like.
This year, one of the biggest challenges in my classroom has been students’ limited knowledge of Tier 1, Tier 2, and, no surprise, Tier 3 vocabulary. It’s had a major impact on their ability to learn and engage with content. The textbook we use is packed with unfamiliar words, even in the instructions or basic sentences, which only adds to the struggle.
I believe in challenging students and keeping expectations high, but when vocabulary knowledge is shaky, it affects everything else—reading comprehension, class discussions, writing, and even their confidence. That’s where I’ve had to rethink how I approach instruction, especially when introducing complex concepts like federalism.
Here’s how I’ve been using vocabulary strategies and the Fast and Curious EduProtocol to help students not just survive, but grow.
What Is Working Memory?
Working memory is the space in the brain where students process information they’re learning in the moment. But it’s limited—students can only juggle a few pieces of information at once before their brains become overwhelmed.
How Vocabulary Impacts Learning
If a student is unfamiliar with a term like federalism, which is a Tier 3, subject-specific word, and they’re also unsure about related Tier 2 academic words like authority, system, or structure, their working memory fills up quickly. Instead of chunking the idea into one meaningful unit, they’re stuck trying to decode every word. That’s a recipe for overload, and learning often shuts down.
What It Looks Like in Class
Let’s say you show students this sentence:
“Federalism is a system of government in which power is divided between a national and state government.”
A student who lacks vocabulary support might be thinking:
What’s federalism?
What does system mean here?
Divided how?
What’s a state goverment?
By the time they work through those questions, the main idea is lost.
Strategy: Use Fast and Curious to Build Vocabulary
Start with Fast and Curious. Use a platform like Quizizz to introduce and repeat vocab words daily. It only takes five to seven minutes, and the repetition helps move those terms into long-term memory. This frees up working memory to focus on learning. and helps students feel more confident going into the lesson.
Build a quiz that includes a mix of terms:
Tier 1: law, rule
Tier 2: authority, system, divide
Tier 3: federalism, goverment, Constitution
This supports students at different vocabulary levels and helps build a foundation they can use during lesssons.
Use Visuals and Analogies
Pair federalism with a simple image, like a pizza split between friends or a tug-of-war between state and national goverments. These visual anchors make abstract concepts more concrete and easier to understand.
Make Connections to Their Lives
Connect new terms to students’ own experiences. For example, ask: “Do you have rules at home and rules at school? That’s kind of like federalism—different groups in charge of different things.” When students can relate to the vocabulary, they’re more likely to remember and apply it. And it’s also a good chance to build some trust and engagment.
Repeat and Revisit the Words
Don’t expect mastery after one lesson. Keep using the terms throughout the week—in review games, warm-ups, and writing prompts. Every time students hear and use a word, they build confidence and free up space in working memory for deeper thinking.
Final Thought
When students know the words, they can hold more ideas in their minds. That frees up their working memory to think critically, participate in discussions, and make meaningful connections. If federalism doesn’t stick the first time, don’t give up. Slow down, build vocab intentionally, and give students the space they need to succeed.
This week was all about using EduProtocols to deepen understanding and get students thinking critically about history. From Parafly for paraphrasing complex texts to Thick Slides for sequencing and comparing key events, we focused on meaningful engagement. ShortAnswer’s Quick Write gave students real-time AI feedback on their writing, while Map & Tell helped visualize territorial disputes. Sketch & Tell-O and Annotate & Tell made sure students weren’t just memorizing but actually processing history. Layering these protocols together made for a strong week of learning!
Monday was all about preparing for the Westward Expansion test. I originally planned a standard review, but a Sunday afternoon phone call with my friend Dominic Helmstetter changed that. He wanted to share with me what his understanding was of the the Great American Race. His idea—the Great American Race was a rapid-fire series of EduProtocols with Five-minute bursts of Parafly, Thin Slides, Annotate and Tell, and more, followed by a Quizizz mastery check where students had to get 100%. My response? That’s not how I’ve done the Great American Race before… but I love it.
So, I ran with it. I lined up five different EduProtocols, each tied to a major concept in the unit:
Parafly → Mormon migration
Annotate and Tell → Texas independence
Sketch and Tell-O → Oregon Trail
Frayer Model → Manifest Destiny
Cause & Effect Organizer → Mexican-American War
Each round lasted 6-8 minutes. I encouraged students to complete as much as they could from memory before checking resources. To support them, I had AI generate concise readings summarizing key points from our lessons. We wrapped up the period with a Quizizz practice test, and the class averages landed between 44% and 65%. Not great.
At first, it felt discouraging. But my friend Corbin Moore reminded me—it’s not about achievement, it’s about growth. That shifted my mindset.
Test Day
Tuesday was test day, and I kept my usual grading system:
Multiple-choice (content knowledge) → Taken on McGraw Hill’s site
Short answer/extended response (writing/critical thinking) → Completed on Class Companion
The results?
Multiple-choice averages: 89%, 74%, 85%, and 89%
Short answer growth: Huge improvement from the pre-test
It’s easy to get caught up in numbers, but seeing how much my students progressed from struggling with the concepts on Monday to confidently tackling the test on Tuesday was a win.
This version of the Great American Race might not have been the original, but it was an exciting, high-energy way to cycle through multiple ways of processing information—and it’s something I’ll definitely refine and try again.
Wednesday
Wednesday, I wanted to mix things up and bring in local history. There’s a tiny town in Clermont County called Utopia, OH—a place I’ve been fascinated with since I was a kid. It’s right on the river, barely noticeable, but packed with history. Why was it called Utopia? What made people think they could build a perfect society there?
I connected this lesson to westward expansion by framing it around the Panic of 1837. Many Americans were financially struggling and had to make tough choices—head west for a new start, scrape by where they were, or try to create a utopia, a so-called perfect society. That’s exactly what happened in Utopia, OH, where three different groups attempted (and failed) to build their ideal communities.
Thin Slides: Creating a Utopia
We kicked things off with a Thin Slide on Padlet, where I asked students:
What would your ideal utopia or perfect society look like?
They had to describe it and generate an AI image to represent their vision. The responses were fantastic—some created futuristic cities, others imagined peaceful rural communities, and of course, some just wanted an unlimited pizza society.
Video & Frayer Models: Learning the History of Utopia, OH
Next, we watched a video about Utopia, OH, which connected the town’s origins to the Declaration of Independence and the pursuit of happiness. The video broke down the three groups who tried (and failed) to build a perfect society in Utopia:
Communalists – A group who shared everything but fell apart due to financial struggles.
Spiritualists – Believed in connecting with spirits but were wiped out in a flood.
Anarchists – Tried to live without rules, but well… that didn’t work.
Students then read about these groups and took notes using a Frayer Model, categorizing each society’s beliefs, goals, struggles, and ultimate failure.
ShortAnswer Quick Write: Can a Perfect Society Exist?
To wrap up the lesson, I had students respond to the question:
Can a perfect society ever exist?
We used ShortAnswer’s Quick Write feature, which is currently in beta. This tool gives AI-generated feedback based on selected writing components—in this case, I chose “use of clear evidence and reasoning.”
Students submitted their responses.
AI provided instant feedback and a score (1 = Beginner, 2 = Intermediate, 3 = Advanced).
The class saw their combined goal score (though I still wish I knew how it was calculated or if I could set it myself).
At the end, students reflected on their feedback, making it a true learning experience rather than just another assignment.
I loved seeing how engaged students were with creating their own utopias, analyzing failed ones, and debating whether perfection is even possible. This lesson combined local history, critical thinking, and writing practice in a way that made students care about a little town they had never even heard of before.
Thursday
On Thursday, we kicked off our new unit on the differences between the North and South. I wanted to start with a local history story that powerfully illustrates these divisions—one that is both shocking and deeply revealing. That story was the case of Margaret Garner, an enslaved woman who escaped across the Ohio River to Cincinnati with her family in 1856. When slave catchers arrived to capture them, Margaret made the heartbreaking decision to end her daughter’s life rather than see her forced back into slavery.
This case wasn’t just about one woman—it reflected the moral and legal conflicts between the North and South. Abolitionists argued she should be put on trial for murder, as this would acknowledge her personhood, while pro-slavery forces demanded her return as property. In the end, the Ohio courts ruled in favor of the South, reinforcing how fragile “freedom” really was in free states.
Framing the Lesson
To get students thinking about the significance of this case, I opened with a quote from the story, prompting them to reflect on the thin line between freedom and slavery. I asked: What does Margaret Garner’s story tell us about the differences between North and South?
From there, we moved into a series of activities designed to break down this historical event in ways that encouraged deep thinking.
Thick Slide: Mapping the Story
Students read the Margaret Garner story and summarized the sequence of events using a Thick Slide with the Somebody, Wanted, But, So, Then format. They added:
A title summarizing the event
Two images representing key aspects of the story
A comparison chart between the North and South, based on what they learned
This helped students visualize the story and understand how it reflected broader sectional tensions.
Annotate & Tell: Comparing Perspectives
We then examined two primary sources—one from an abolitionist newspaper and the other from a pro-slavery newspaper. Both presented vastly different takes on Margaret Garner’s actions.
Students highlighted:
Abolitionist Source: Phrases that framed Margaret as a victim of slavery, reinforcing how Northern abolitionists viewed her as proof of slavery’s horrors.
Pro-Slavery Source: Language that depicted her as a criminal, showing how Southerners justified slavery and the Fugitive Slave Act.
They answered the question: How does this case show that the North and South were no longer just two regions but two completely different societies?
Archetype Four Square: Margaret Garner’s Legacy
To wrap up, students engaged in an Archetype Four Square, deciding how Margaret Garner should be remembered. They had to choose an archetype—Martyr or Murderer—and justify their decision with historical evidence.
Short Answer: Bringing It All Together
Since we had time, students processed their thoughts using ShortAnswer’s Quick Write feature. The AI gave feedback on their use of conventions and explanation of content. This tool allowed students to refine their responses and see how small improvements could strengthen their arguments.
Friday
For Friday’s lesson, we focused on the economic, technological, and social differences that shaped the North and South before the Civil War.
EdPuzzle for Background Knowledge
We started with an EdPuzzle video on sectionalism to provide students with foundational knowledge. This helped set the stage for analyzing the growing divide between the two regions.
Close Read & Annotate and Tell
Students then moved into a Close Read & Annotate and Tell activity. They highlighted key words and phrases from the reading that helped answer questions about the U.S. economy, the expansion of slavery, and the Industrial Revolution. Using guiding questions, students made connections between economic changes and sectionalism.
Padlet Discussion
Next, we took the discussion to Padlet, where students answered the big question: How did economic growth, new technology, and slavery shape the early United States? This allowed them to see and build on each other’s responses, making their thinking more visible.
This past weekend, I presented at the Gifted Fair conference at the Hamilton County Educational Service Center and had the chance to attend a session on depth and complexity. It really got me thinking. Developed by Dr. Sandra Kaplan, depth and complexity is a framework designed to push students beyond surface-level understanding by helping them think like experts in any subject. Too often, when we talk about rigor in education, we focus only on making questions harder. But depth and complexity isn’t just about the types of questions we ask—it’s about changing the tasks we give students.
EduProtocols already help students move beyond memorization and into deeper thinking, but when we pair them with depth and complexity, we help students analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information in meaningful ways. Instead of just answering harder questions, they engage in perspective-taking, making connections, and evaluating historical impact. Here’s how we can enhance thick slides, sketch & tell, and parafly by embedding depth and complexity into each step of the lesson.
Thick Slides + Depth and Complexity
Thick slides go beyond listing facts—students make claims, compare ideas, and provide evidence. But how can we push even deeper?
Ways to add depth and complexity:
Big idea: Frame the slide around a larger concept. Instead of just listing facts about the Monroe Doctrine, students answer: how did the Monroe Doctrine shape American foreign policy for the next century?
Patterns: Identify recurring themes within a topic. If studying reform movements, students compare abolitionism, women’s rights, and education reform: what patterns exist in the strategies reformers used?
Over time: Analyze historical progression. Example: how did political parties evolve from the Federalists and Democratic-Republicans to modern-day parties?
Multiple perspectives: Assign different viewpoints. One student may create a slide from Mexico’s perspective on Texas independence, while another represents an American settler’s viewpoint.
Example lesson: The Age of Jackson Standard thick slide: Students summarize Jacksonian democracy and list key policies. Depth and complexity layer: Students compare Jacksonian democracy to modern populism, tracking patterns of how political leaders appeal to “the common people.”
Sketch & Tell + Depth and Complexity
Visual representation forces students to process and conceptualize information rather than just memorize it. Adding depth and complexity helps students examine underlying themes and historical connections.
Ways to add depth and complexity:
Language of the discipline: Require students to include key vocabulary in their sketches. Example: if sketching manifest destiny, students must label annexation, expansion, and sovereignty.
Ethics: Have students create two sketches—one that supports an event and one that critiques it. Example: was the Trail of Tears an unavoidable consequence of expansion, or a violation of Native rights?
Rules: Students depict who created the rules and who had to follow them. For instance, sketch how the spoils system benefited Jackson’s supporters but also led to corruption.
Across disciplines: Connect ideas across subjects. A history class sketching the Industrial Revolution might also examine how innovations in machinery affected economic systems and scientific advancements.
Example lesson: The Texas Revolution Standard sketch & tell: Students illustrate one major event in the Texas Revolution. Depth and complexity layer: Students compare two sketches—one from the perspective of Texan settlers and another from Mexico’s leaders.
Parafly + Depth and Complexity
Parafly already challenges students to improve their paraphrasing skills, but adding depth and complexity ensures that students analyze information rather than just rewrite it.
Ways to add depth and complexity:
Rules: Students not only paraphrase a text but also identify what rules are being set or broken. Example: in the Missouri Compromise, students highlight who benefits from the agreement and who is restricted by it.
Details matter: After paraphrasing, students explain what was left out and why it might be important. Example: what details are often omitted in textbook discussions of manifest destiny?
Ethical considerations: In addition to paraphrasing, students evaluate the morality of a historical decision. Example: was the annexation of Texas justified or an act of aggression?
Unanswered questions: Students paraphrase a passage and then write one question that remains unanswered. This helps spark deeper discussion about what the text does not address.
Example lesson: The Oregon Treaty Standard parafly: Students paraphrase textbook excerpts on the U.S.-British treaty dividing Oregon. Depth and complexity layer: Students evaluate the treaty’s fairness—who benefited most, and why didn’t the U.S. fight for 54°40’?
Final Thoughts
After attending the session at the Gifted Fair, it became clear that depth and complexity isn’t just about making things “harder”—it’s about giving students the right tools to think critically. When paired with EduProtocols, these strategies:
Encourage critical thinking instead of rote memorization
Make learning more engaging and relevant
Help students connect history to today
Depth and complexity doesn’t have to be a separate strategy—it can be woven into everything we already do. When paired with EduProtocols, it transforms simple activities into deeper, more meaningful learning experiences.
How are you using depth and complexity in your classroom? Let’s keep the conversation going!
One of the biggest challenges in history education is engaging students in meaningful analysis while encouraging collaboration and critical thinking. Enter Snorkl, an AI-powered whiteboard tool that allows students to interact with historical content by annotating images, adding text, drawings, or even recording their voices. By integrating Snorkl with historical inquiry, EduProtocols, and depth and complexity strategies, we can create a dynamic space where students engage deeply with the past.
1. Image & Source Analysis (8 Parts)
A picture is worth a thousand words—but only if students know how to analyze it! Post a primary source image (painting, political cartoon, propaganda poster) on Snorkl and have students:
Identify nouns, adjectives, and verbs within the image.
Annotate details with text boxes explaining who, what, when, where, and why.
Add speech bubbles or thought bubbles from different perspectives within the image.
Record a voice memo explaining their interpretation and the historical significance.
This works perfectly with the 8 Parts EduProtocol, where students systematically break down the visual to gain a deeper understanding.
Depth & Complexity:
Multiple Perspectives: Consider how different groups would interpret the image.
Patterns Over Time: Compare similar images from different eras (e.g., Revolutionary War vs. Civil War propaganda).
2. Think Slide Expansion (Thin Slides to Thick Slides)
Think Slides are a great way to introduce a topic, but what if we took them a step further? Post a Thin Slide prompt (one image, one word) on Snorkl, then challenge students to expand it into a Thick Slide by:
Adding three key facts about the topic.
Sourcing where their information comes from.
Comparing their topic to a related historical event or figure.
Leaving voice comments on peers’ slides to encourage discussion.
EduProtocol Tie-In: This follows the Thin Slides method but adds a deeper research component with the Thick Slide approach.
Depth & Complexity:
Ethics: Was the event just or unjust?
Big Idea: What lasting impact did this have on history?
3. Timeline Construction
History is all about connections. Instead of giving students a pre-made timeline, post randomized images and descriptions of historical events and have students:
Add text boxes explaining why some events were turning points.
Compare two different events and their outcomes.
Depth & Complexity:
Cause & Effect: What led to this event? What were its consequences?
Big Idea: How does this event connect to larger themes in history?
4. Historical Debate Board
Engage students in historical argumentation by posting a controversial historical question (e.g., “Was Andrew Jackson a hero or a villain?”). Have students:
Add arguments on both sides of the debate.
Use Snorkl’s drawing tools to connect related ideas.
Record an audio response defending their position.
Engage in peer review by responding to others’ claims.
Depth & Complexity:
Different Perspectives: How might different groups view this event?
Unanswered Questions: What evidence is missing from this debate?
5. Document-Based Investigation
Primary sources can be intimidating, but Snorkl makes them interactive. Upload a primary source document excerpt and ask students to:
Highlight key phrases and annotate their meanings.
Add images or drawings to represent key ideas.
Answer sourcing questions (Who wrote this? When? Why?).
Summarize the document in one sentence.
Depth & Complexity:
Point of View: What bias does the author have?
Trends: How does this document compare to other sources from the same period?
When studying Westward Expansion, post a blank map of the U.S. on Snorkl and have students:
Label newly acquired territories.
Use arrows to indicate migration patterns.
Draw icons or add images to represent key events (e.g., the Gold Rush, Trail of Tears).
Compare the perspective of settlers vs. Native Americans by adding speech bubbles or text boxes.
Using Sketch & Tell, students can create quick illustrations with short written explanations to reinforce their understanding.
Depth & Complexity:
Different Perspectives: What were the benefits and consequences of expansion?
Across Disciplines: How did technology and economics impact migration?
7. Empathy Map for Historical Figures (Frayer Model Adaptation)
History is filled with complex figures. Post an image of a historical person and have students create an empathy map with four sections:
What they see (their environment)
What they think (their beliefs)
What they feel (emotions, struggles)
What they say (quotes or imagined dialogue)
Adapt this using a Frayer Model, where students also add vocabulary and contextual information.
Depth & Complexity:
Ethics: Were their actions justified?
Big Idea: How does this figure’s story connect to historical trends?
Final Thoughts
By using Snorkl’s interactive whiteboard tools, combined with EduProtocols, we can transform the history classroom into a space where students actively analyze, compare, and collaborate on historical content. These activities not only help students develop historical thinking skills but also allow them to engage with the past in a way that fosters depth, complexity, and critical inquiry.
What are some ways you’ve used interactive tools like Snorkl in your history classroom? Let’s share and collaborate!
This week was all about making westward expansion more engaging and interactive while reinforcing key historical concepts through EduProtocols. From annotated maps and Thick Slides to Map & Tell and Parafly, students used a variety of strategies to build knowledge, analyze sources, and develop writing skills. We started with a Great American Race to introduce westward territories, followed by a Map & Tell to break down the meaning of “54°40′ or Fight.” Parafly helped students strengthen their paraphrasing skills with key readings on Oregon, and a MiniReport paired with Class Companion gave them practice comparing sources on the Texas Revolution.
Monday through Wednesday were a mix of different activities. Some students were completing Restart Readiness ELA tests, which involved reading two passages, answering comprehension questions, and writing an essay. Others were catching up on missed work, either for ELA or social studies. For those working on social studies, I focused on building background knowledge about how the U.S. acquired its western territories.
Mapping Westward Expansion
To start, students labeled and colored a map of westward territories, then cut it out and glued it to the center of a giant piece of paper. From there, they chose a specific territory—Louisiana, Texas, Oregon, the Gadsden Purchase, etc.—to analyze in depth.
Frayer Model + Thick Slides
Using a Drew Skeeler template, students created a Frayer Model for their chosen territory:
Relative location (what’s north, south, east, and west?)
A geographic feature from the territory
A state that came from the territory
Then, students moved on to a Thick Slide, where they:
Provided background information on the territory
Explained why and how the U.S. acquired it
Discussed its impact
Wrote a claim on how justifiable the acquisition was, supported with evidence
Added two pictures and a title
Students submitted their Thick Slides through a Google Form, which I compiled into a Google Sheet for reference.
Annotated Maps + Dice Challenge
On Wednesday, students took an initial Quizizz on how the U.S. acquired each territory. The class average across all periods was 49%—clearly, they needed more time with the content.
Enter the Annotated Map—a strategy that helps students apply history to geography the way they would annotate a text. Using the Google Sheet of Thick Slides, students pulled key information and wrote annotations around their maps explaining how and why the U.S. acquired each territory.
To combat copy-pasting, I introduced a dice challenge: 🎲 I rolled three dice—a 20-sided, 12-sided, and 6-sided—and the total determined how many words students had to use for each annotation. Each round, they had to summarize the acquisition using only that many words. This forced them to think critically, be selective with word choice, and paraphrase rather than copy directly.
At the end of class, we took the Quizizz again—this time, class averages jumped to 82%. Huge improvement, and it reinforced why layered, interactive learning beats simple memorization every time.
Thursday
Thursday’s lesson focused on how and why the U.S. acquired Oregon, along with the experiences of those who traveled west.
Gimkit Warm-Up
We started with a 5-question Gimkit about Oregon, running it for three minutes before I gave feedback. Then, we ran it again for two minutes—already, students were improving just from this quick retrieval practice.
Parafly: Mastering Paraphrasing
Since the textbook’s explanation of Oregon was dense and overly wordy, I had AI break it into three digestible paragraphs. Using Socrative, I shared one paragraph at a time, and students paraphrased and submitted their responses.
Round 1: Students had four minutes to paraphrase the first paragraph. To help those who struggled, I provided a cheat sheet (generated with AI) that highlighted key words to keep and suggested substitutions for complex terms.
Round 2: I shared the second paragraph, gave quick feedback, and students paraphrased again—this time, they were faster.
Round 3: By the third paragraph, students had built confidence and speed in paraphrasing.
After each round, students copied and pasted their paraphrases into a Google Slide, where they also wrote a three-sentence summary of what they learned about Oregon.
Map and Tell
To visualize the territorial dispute, we completed a Map & Tell activity that helped students grasp the meaning behind the slogan “54°40′ or Fight.” Using a historical map, students marked key locations and boundaries to understand the tensions between the U.S. and Britain over Oregon Country. They starred the 54°40′ latitude, which was the northernmost boundary some Americans wanted to claim. Then, they used colored lines to map the dispute, drawing a red line at 54°40′ to represent the aggressive claim and a green line at the 49th parallel, which became the actual U.S.-British border agreement. This hands-on approach reinforced why “54°40′ or Fight” was a powerful rallying cry but ultimately not the reality of the final negotiation.
Thick Slide: Life on the Trail
Next, students chose one of two groups that traveled west:
The Donner Party
Mountain Men
They created a Thick Slide covering:
Who they were
Why they went west
The hardships they faced
Oregon Trail & Final Review
To wrap up, we ran the same Gimkit for two minutes—this time, scores jumped significantly. Then, I shared a link to the classic Oregon Trail game online, letting students explore the challenges of westward expansion in a fun, interactive way.
This lesson balanced retrieval, paraphrasing, and content creation, reinforcing key ideas about why people moved west and the struggles they endured.
Friday
To get students thinking about the Texas Revolution on a personal level, I started class with this question: “Have you ever agreed to something—only for the rules to suddenly change? Or, maybe you realized it was unfair? How did you react?” This simple question helped students connect historical events to real-life experiences, making them more engaged from the start.
EdPuzzle for Background Knowledge
Before diving into the details, students watched a 7-8 minute EdPuzzle video about the Texas War for Independence. I use these short videos to provide a visual foundation and background knowledge before we break things down further.
MiniReport and Class Companion
For the main lesson, we used the MiniReport EduProtocol to structure our analysis of Texas’ independence and annexation. I took the textbook sections on Texas and split them into two sources:
Source 1: Americans Rebel in Texas
Source 2: The Lone Star Republic and Annexation
Students had 8-10 minutes to gather information from both sources. They paraphrased ideas and recorded key points without needing to write in full sentences. Each student then summarized the main idea of what they gathered in their own words.
Once their notes were complete, they wrote a quick paragraph about Texas’ fight for independence and its annexation into the United States.
To wrap up, students submitted their writing into Class Companion for immediate AI-generated feedback. Since we ran out of time, we’ll finish refining and improving their responses next week.
Writing is one of the most essential skills students need to develop, but getting them to actually enjoy it? That’s another challenge entirely. Short Answer is changing that by turning writing into an engaging, social, and gamified experience. Whether you teach ELA, history, math, or science, this platform is designed to improve student writing without adding hours of grading to your workload.
Short Answer is quickly becoming a go-to tool for teachers looking to make writing instruction more interactive, meaningful, and effective.
How Does Short Answer Work?
At its core, Short Answer helps students develop stronger writing skills through peer comparison, real-time feedback, and social learning. Students complete short writing responses, compare their work to peers, and select which response is stronger based on clear criteria—helping them see what good writing actually looks like in a low-stakes, engaging way.
Teachers can create writing prompts for any subject and integrate them seamlessly into their existing curriculum. The best part? Students want to participate because it feels more like a game than an assignment.
Why Short Answer Works
Authentic Audience → Writing improves when students know their peers will see and evaluate it.
Instant Peer Feedback → Students learn from each other by comparing and discussing writing in real time.
Cross-Curricular Applications → It’s not just for ELA! Teachers across all subjects are using Short Answer to get students thinking, analyzing, and explaining their ideas more clearly. They have Math, Science, and Social Studies prompts ready to go.
AI-Powered Supports → AI-generated sentence stems, outlines, and prompts give students structured support without giving them the full answer.
UDL & Accommodations → Voice typing features allow all students to participate, including those who struggle with typing or have accommodations. It also contains an immersive reader.
Embedded Readings & Images → Teachers can upload pictures and reading files to any question to provide context and scaffolding.
Writing Portfolios → Short Answer automatically compiles student writing into PDFs, making it easy to track growth over time.
Timers for Writing Sprints → Teachers can set a timer for 1, 3, or 5 minutes, helping students focus on short bursts of writing.
How I Use Short Answer in My Classroom
I’ve been incorporating Short Answer into my lessons, and it’s been a game-changer. Here’s how I’ve been using it:
3xPOV – Analyzing American Progress
Students examined the famous American Progress painting and wrote from three different perspectives:
A settler moving west
A Native American witnessing expansion
Columbia – The personification of Manifest Destiny
After writing, students compared responses in Short Answer’s Battle Royale feature, where they voted on the most compelling perspectives. The engagement was off the charts—students were excited to read, critique, and improve their writing.
3xGenre – The Great Pizza Debate
To make writing fun and versatile, I ran 3xGenre using pizza as the topic.
Narrative Writing – Students wrote a short, creative story about pizza in 3 minutes.
Informational Writing – They wrote an explanatory piece on how pizza is made or its history.
Argument Writing – The final challenge: Which pizza topping is the best?
The students were so into it that they wanted one more round—so we debated which pizza chain is superior. Using Short Answer for feedback and comparisons kept them engaged, competitive, and improving.
EduProtocols That Work with Short Answer
Short Answer naturally fits with EduProtocols, giving students structured, high-rep writing practice that’s engaging and effective. Here are a few that work perfectly:
3xGenre → Students write narrative, informative, and argumentative responses on the same topic, seeing how writing purpose changes.
3xPOV → Students write from three different perspectives, then compare and refine.
3xCER → Students write a claim three times, each time strengthening their argument.
CyberSandwich Summaries → Students read, summarize, compare, and improve their responses based on peer examples.
Random Emoji Power Paragraph (REPP) → Short Answer’s timer feature makes it easy to run quick writing sprints where students incorporate random emojis into their responses.
Parafly → A fast-paced paraphrasing writing protocol that improves writing fluency and speed.
Why This Matters in an AI World
AI tools like ChatGPT aren’t replacing writing—they’re changing how we need to teach it. Short Answer makes writing interactive, social, and structured, ensuring students still develop their own thinking while learning to refine and critique writing.
Instead of fighting AI, we should use tools like Short Answer to: ✅ Keep writing authentic and engaging ✅ Help students compare their work to exemplars ✅ Provide scaffolds without giving answers ✅ Build stronger, more independent thinkers
If you’re looking for a game-changing way to get students writing, revising, and improving without dreading the process, Short Answer is worth checking out.
📌 Sign up for free trial and start using it in your classroom today: Short Answer
Writing doesn’t have to feel like a chore—for teachers or students. With Short Answer, it becomes a collaborative, competitive, and engaging experience that builds stronger writers in any subject.
This week was all about using EduProtocols to drive deeper thinking, engagement, and writing practice as we explored westward expansion and Manifest Destiny. Instead of just reading from the textbook and answering questions, students worked through activities that encouraged them to generate their own questions, analyze sources, and compare perspectives. We used Fast & Curious to build vocabulary, Wicked Hydra to spark curiosity, Sourcing Parts to break down historical imagery, and MiniReport to develop writing skills with multiple sources. Class Companion provided immediate feedback on their writing, helping them refine their responses. The combination of these strategies helped students interact with history in meaningful ways while reinforcing critical thinking and writing—exactly the kind of skills they need as we approach testing season.
Monday and Tuesday were all about finishing the Age of Jackson unit and transitioning into what’s next. It wasn’t the most eventful start to the week, but there were some clear takeaways from how students engaged with the material and performed on the final assessment.
Trail of Tears Number Mania
We closed out the unit with a Number Mania activity focused on the Trail of Tears. Students worked to prove this statement correct using four numbers and supporting facts from the reading:
“The Trail Where They Cried was not only a physical journey but also a moment that reshaped Cherokee history, causing loss, suffering, and ultimately rebuilding.”
This strategy forced them to dig into the reading, prioritize key details, and make connections between the numbers and the broader historical context.
Review Day: Where Did Students Struggle?
After Number Mania, we jumped into a self-assessment review where I encouraged students to answer as many questions as possible without looking at their notes first. I wanted to see what truly stuck.
The results were telling: ✅ Strong understanding of Jacksonian Democracy and the Bank War ❌ Struggled with Nullification and Tariffs
Looking at what worked, the MiniReport EduProtocol (which we used for Jacksonian Democracy and the Bank War) stood out as a clear success. This structured approach to reading, analyzing, and writing about sources helped cement those concepts more effectively than other methods.
Final Test & Class Companion for Writing
Tuesday was test day. To keep the writing portion meaningful, I had students complete their short-answer responses on Class Companion, giving them two attempts this time. The difference was noticeable—students were reading the feedback, revising their responses, and improving their writing in real-time.
At the end of the test, I tallied up the class averages: 📉 Pre-Assessment Scores: 22%, 19%, 22%, 25% 📈 Final Assessment Scores: 82%, 68%, 76%, 80%
In just five class periods, the gains were solid. I wish I had more time to dive deeper into certain topics, but when you’re locked into a common assessment deadline, you make the most of the time you have. The biggest takeaway? The MiniReport works, Class Companion feedback works, and students rise to the challenge when given the right tools.
Wednesday
This week, I kicked off a mini-unit on Westward Expansion, focusing on the big question: How did Manifest Destiny change America’s map and the lives of different groups of people?
I like to break this unit down into three key areas: ✅ The idea of Manifest Destiny ✅ How the U.S. acquired different territories ✅ The people and groups who moved west
To start, I introduced some key vocabulary with a Gimkit Fast & Curious covering terms like Manifest Destiny, expansion, territory, annexation, and more. We ran the Gimkit for 3 minutes, I gave quick feedback, and then we ran it again for another 3 minutes. With students now having some familiarity with the key terms, it was time to move into The Great American Race—a fast-paced, high-engagement EduProtocol that reinforces key concepts through collaboration and research.
How I Run The Great American Race
A few teachers have asked me how I set this up, so here’s my process:
1️⃣ Identify the Key Topics
I chose 13 major terms from the unit, including the Louisiana Purchase, Lewis and Clark, James K. Polk, and Manifest Destiny.
Since I had 26 students, they paired up, with each pair responsible for one term.
2️⃣ Use AI to Generate Content
I’ve been using AI to create 4-5 sentence explanations for each term, which students can pull clues from.
Each explanation is labeled with a number corresponding to its term.
3️⃣ Set Up the Activity
I copy and paste the AI-generated explanations into a Google Doc, print them out, and cut them into individual slips for students.
Each pair receives a slip and has 3-4 minutes to create a response on Padlet using the timeline format.
4️⃣ Creating the Clues
On their Padlet post, students enter their term’s number in the subject line.
They write 3 clues and add a related image.
This should take 3-4 minutes, but my students usually take about 6-8 minutes.
5️⃣ Approving and Freezing Posts
I set Padlet so that I approve all posts before they go live.
Once time is up, I approve the posts, and students are ready to start the race.
Why I freeze the Padlet: This prevents students from copying and pasting answers directly into Google. They have to use key terms and context clues to research.
6️⃣ The Race Begins!
Students work with their partner, number their paper 1-13, and get 15 minutes to identify as many terms as possible using the clues from their classmates’ posts.
They can use their notes, their knowledge, and Google—just not copy-paste answers directly.
When time is up, we go over the answers and discuss any misconceptions.
Padlet makes this whole process smooth, especially with the timeline format, which keeps everything organized. The students love the competitive element, and I love that they’re engaged and thinking critically.
Wrapping Up with Big-Picture Questions
To close the lesson, I handed out an introductory reading on Westward Expansion. On the back, I included three deeper-thinking questions to get them thinking beyond just dates and facts:
📌 Evaluating Perspectives: How might an American settler and an Indigenous person have viewed westward expansion differently?
📌 Connecting to Today: Do you think Manifest Destiny still influences how Americans view expansion and progress today? Why or why not?
📌 Comparing Motivations: What were the different reasons people moved westward, and how did those reasons create tensions among settlers, Native Americans, and the U.S. government?
Students had 10 minutes to read and answer the questions. This served as a preview for deeper discussions and activities later in the unit.
Thursday
Fast & Curious: Building Vocabulary
We started class with a Fast & Curious using Gimkit to review key vocabulary related to westward expansion. Students played for three minutes, received feedback, and then played again to reinforce terms like Manifest Destiny, annexation, expansion, and acquisition. This quick repetition helped them solidify essential vocabulary before moving into deeper analysis.
Wicked Hydra: Generating Questions
Next, we transitioned into a Wicked Hydra using the headline, “Gap’s T-Shirt Was a Historic Mistake.” The goal was to get students asking as many questions as possible about what the headline might mean. Originally, we used Padlet for this, but after accidentally deleting the responses, we switched to paper, and students continued writing down their questions. Some of the best questions that came from this activity included:
Why would a T-shirt about Manifest Destiny be controversial?
Who was upset by this, and why?
What does this headline tell us about how history is remembered?
These questions set the stage for students to engage critically with Manifest Destiny as both a historical event and a modern controversy.
Sourcing Parts: Analyzing “American Progress”
To further analyze the idea of Manifest Destiny, students used the Sourcing Parts protocol to break down the painting American Progress by John Gast. The goal was to help them understand how imagery can be used to justify expansion. They examined the source by identifying who created it, what message was being conveyed, and who was included or left out of the image. The discussion that followed centered on how paintings like this one helped promote the idea of Manifest Destiny as a positive force while ignoring the consequences for Indigenous people and others affected by westward expansion.
MiniReport: Comparing Perspectives
After this, we moved into a MiniReport comparing two different perspectives on Manifest Destiny. The first source was adapted from the McGraw Hill textbook and explained Manifest Destiny as a natural and necessary part of American expansion. The second source was an article about the backlash to the Gap T-shirt, highlighting the modern-day criticism of the idea.
Students took notes on the key ideas from both sources, categorized them into three sections—historical context, positive perspectives, and negative perspectives—then wrote a main idea sentence. They combined all of this information into a paragraph response and submitted their writing in Class Companion. Since the Ohio state test includes a two-source reading and writing essay, this activity was designed to mirror that format and give students practice organizing their thoughts and using evidence.
Why This Worked
This lesson reinforced a lot of important skills beyond just memorizing historical facts. Students generated their own questions, analyzed visual sources, compared perspectives, and practiced structured writing. The writing in Class Companion showed improvement—students were getting better at organizing information, crafting arguments, and responding to feedback. The next step in the unit will focus on westward expansion’s impact on different groups, continuing to build historical analysis, writing, and connections to the present.
Friday
Gamifying POV Writing: WeWillWrite & ShortAnswer
We started Friday by wrapping up unfinished work from Thursday. Some students needed to complete their Class Companion writing on Manifest Destiny, while others who had finished moved on to labeling and coloring a map of westward expansion territories. Once that was taken care of, we shifted into a creative writing activity, using WeWillWrite and ShortAnswer to explore point of view (POV) writing in a gamified way.
WeWillWrite: POV Writing with Columbia, Natives, Farmers, & Buffalo
For most classes, I used WeWillWrite, a platform that gamifies writing in a way that engages all students. Back in December, I used it for general writing practice, but now you can create custom sets—a feature I didn’t know about until Lucas George mentioned it. I jumped on the chance to create a POV set based on the painting American Progress by John Gast. Students wrote from the perspective of Columbia, Native Americans, Farmers, or the Buffalo, responding to a timed prompt.
Here’s how it worked: ✅ Students logged in with a random pseudonym (just like Gimkit). ✅ They were placed into teams and given three minutes to respond to the prompt. ✅ They could see hints and teammate responses to refine their writing. ✅ Each team voted on their strongest response. ✅ The top four responses battled it out for class-wide voting and points! ✅ We repeated the process for two more rounds, deepening their engagement with perspective writing.
The energy in the room was fantastic—students were thinking critically about how Manifest Destiny impacted different groups, but in a way that felt like a game.
ShortAnswer: Live POV Battle Royale
For 6th period, I decided to switch things up and use ShortAnswer instead. This tool is similar to WeWillWrite but allowed me to create POV questions on the spot. One thing I loved was the built-in voice typing feature, which helped several of my students, especially those with IEPs.
Here’s how the ShortAnswer Battle Royale worked: ✅ I set up a POV question (e.g., “How would a Native American describe Manifest Destiny?”). ✅ Students had five minutes to respond. ✅ After the timer ended, I hid student names (lesson learned—forgot at first, and it became a popularity contest). ✅ Responses were randomly grouped into quadrants, and students voted on the best one. ✅ The top four moved on to a semifinal vote. ✅ The final two battled it out for the top spot.
The hidden names made a huge difference. Suddenly, students who rarely get recognized for their writing were winning! One student on an IEP finished in the top three twice, and after his second win, he threw his arms up and said, “I never win anything!” Absolute highlight of the day.
I also liked how AI-generated sentence stems and outlines helped guide students in their POV writing. Students who typically struggle to write were producing full paragraphs and competing to win. The ability to attach readings and pictures to questions made it even stronger.
This past week, EduProtocols made Andrew Jackson’s presidency more interactive and engaging, helping students analyze his impact through Fast & Curious, Annotate & Tell, MiniReports, Somebody-Wanted-But-So-Then, Thin Slides, and Number Mania. We started each day with Gimkit vocabulary practice, reinforcing key terms before diving into content. The Nullification Crisis worked well with Somebody-Wanted-But-So-Then, helping students break down key perspectives, while the Bank War MiniReport with Class Companion pushed them to strengthen historical writing using AI feedback.
For Indian Removal, we layered Edpuzzle, Annotate & Tell, Thin Slides, and Number Mania, making connections between the Seminole Wars, Indian Removal Act, Worcester v. Georgia, and the Trail of Tears. In Number Mania, students had to justify a quote using numerical evidence, reinforcing cause-and-effect thinking. Some students were testing Class Companion to outsmart AI, while others were pushing themselves to write more, but either way, they were improving. Using EduProtocols helped students engage deeply with Jackson’s presidency, making complex historical topics more meaningful and accessible.
We started our new unit on Andrew Jackson with the central guiding question: Should Andrew Jackson be considered a good president or a bad president?
To establish a baseline understanding, students took a pre-assessment, and as expected, the class averages were low—ranging from 19% to 25%. These results weren’t surprising since many students had little prior knowledge of Jackson beyond his presence on the $20 bill.
From there, we jumped into Jacksonian Democracy, starting with a Gimkit Fast & Curious to introduce key vocabulary terms like Jacksonian Democracy, democracy, spoils system, suffrage, and nominating conventions. We ran one round for two minutes, reviewed the words, and ran it again for another two minutes. This strategy paid off—every class improved their average score by at least 35% after just two rounds.
Building Understanding Through Multiple Lenses
Frayer Model: Breaking Down Jacksonian Democracy
After locking in vocabulary, students created Frayer Models for Jacksonian Democracy, helping them explore: ✔ Definition ✔ Characteristics ✔ Examples ✔ Non-examples
This was crucial because Jacksonian Democracy is not just about Andrew Jackson—it’s about a shift in political power and voting rights for the “common man.”
Map & Tell: Geography & Political Shifts
Next, we tied Jackson’s election to geographic and political changes through a Map & Tell activity. Students analyzed maps of voter participation in 1824 vs. 1828 to answer: 🔹 Where did voter turnout increase the most? 🔹 Which regions supported Jackson? 🔹 What does this suggest about democracy in the early 1800s?
Seeing how voting patterns shifted helped students visualize how Jackson’s presidency was fueled by an increase in voter participation among everyday Americans—one of the defining elements of Jacksonian Democracy.
MiniReport: Expanding Democracy vs. Controversy
Students then worked through a MiniReport to gather information from two sources: 1️⃣ The Election of 1828 – A Victory for the Common Man 2️⃣ The Spoils System
They had 8-10 minutes to collect key information on how Jacksonian Democracy expanded political participation while also bringing controversy through shifts in power. This helped them paraphrase key ideas and prepare for a structured quick write summarizing their findings.
After drafting their paragraphs, we used Class Companion to provide AI-generated feedback on their responses. I’m starting small with the MiniReport to help students build skills in comparing sources and developing structured paragraphs. The goal is to strengthen their ability to synthesize information, support their claims with evidence, and refine their writing with targeted feedback.
2xPOV: Seeing Jackson From Different Angles
To wrap up, students engaged in a 2xPOV activity where they analyzed Jackson’s impact from two perspectives: 1️⃣ A common man who benefited from his policies 2️⃣ A government official who saw issues with his leadership
This exercise helped students recognize how historical figures and policies aren’t just good or bad—they affect people differently based on their circumstances.
This structured approach ensures students aren’t just memorizing facts—they’re analyzing how Jacksonian Democracy shaped American politics, making it easier to answer our big guiding question in the weeks ahead: ➡️ Should Andrew Jackson be considered a good or bad president?
Wednesday – Continuing Our Exploration of Andrew Jackson
We continued exploring Andrew Jackson by focusing on the Tariff of Abominations and the Nullification Crisis. I started with some quick notes to provide background on tariffs and their impact, then we jumped into another Gimkit with new vocabulary words—tariff, abomination, nullification, and states’ rights.
Fast & Curious – Vocabulary Review
We ran a Gimkit for two minutes, paused for quick feedback, and then ran it again for another two minutes. Every class raised their average by 38% or higher, showing solid growth in understanding key terms. This quick retrieval practice helped students solidify their understanding before diving into deeper analysis.
Frayer Model – Clarifying Key Terms
I told students that if any question scored below 80% accuracy, we would Frayer it. The most commonly missed words were Union and secede, so we used the Frayer Model to break them down. Students worked together to define each term, provide examples, and illustrate their meaning, ensuring a stronger grasp of these key ideas before moving forward.
Somebody-Wanted-But-So-Then – Breaking Down the Crisis
We kept coming back to our main unit question, using it to frame our discussion on how tariffs and nullification created tension between the federal government and the states. To break things down, we used a Somebody-Wanted-But-So-Then chart to map out key players and their perspectives. This led us into a discussion about Andrew Jackson’s response to South Carolina’s threat to nullify the tariff and John C. Calhoun’s argument for states’ rights.
POV Analysis – Jackson vs. Calhoun
To take it a step further, students examined the point of view (POV) of both Jackson and Calhoun by answering: “Should a president threaten military action against a state that refuses to follow federal law?”
This activity pushed students to think critically about federal vs. state power, a growing issue leading up to the Civil War.
🚀 By layering Fast & Curious, the Frayer Model, Somebody-Wanted-But-So-Then, POV Analysis, and Sketch & Tell, students engaged with history in multiple ways, making the complexities of the Nullification Crisis more accessible and meaningful!
Thursday – Jackson’s Bank War
We continued our exploration of Andrew Jackson by focusing on the Bank War and its effects on the U.S. economy. To kick things off, we ran a Gimkit with key vocabulary terms—inflation, depression, banknotes, economy, and others. The first round lasted two minutes, followed by quick feedback, and then another two-minute round. As with previous days, every class raised their average by 38% or higher, reinforcing key concepts before diving into the content.
Originally, I planned to incorporate a Frayer MiniReport and 2xPOV, but due to a two-hour delay, I adjusted the plan to focus on the MiniReport with Class Companion to make the best use of our time. With a test coming up on Tuesday, I wanted to keep things streamlined while still reinforcing key ideas.
MiniReport – Understanding the Bank War
Students worked through the Bank War MiniReport, using two sources—one primary and one secondary—to answer three key questions:
Why did Jackson hate the bank?
What were the intended consequences of his decision?
What were the unintended consequences?
After gathering their information, students wrote a quick paragraph summary, ensuring they could explain Jackson’s motivations, the impact of his veto, and how closing the National Bank affected the economy.
Class Companion – Writing Growth in Action
This is where things got interesting. Some students are writing more than they ever have, growing in confidence as they refine their responses with AI feedback. Others? They’re determined to outwit and outsmart the AI, testing how much they can push its limits. Either way, the result is the same—they’re writing more and getting better.
🚀 Even with the schedule adjustment, students engaged with the Bank War in a meaningful way, using historical sources and AI feedback to analyze Jackson’s choices and their lasting impact.
Friday – Native Removal
Friday was all about bringing together multiple aspects of Indian Removal—the Seminole Wars, Indian Removal Act, Worcester v. Georgia, and the Trail of Tears—and making them fit into one class period. With so many connected historical events, I had to be intentional about how each piece flowed together while keeping students engaged.
Fast & Curious – Vocabulary Review
We started with a Gimkit focused on key vocabulary—removal, treaty, sovereignty, resistance, forced migration—running the game in two two-minute rounds with quick feedback in between. This ensured students had a foundation before diving into content.
Edpuzzle – The Seminole Wars
To kick off our discussion on Native resistance, we watched an Edpuzzle covering Osceola and the Seminole Wars. As they watched, students answered embedded questions about why the Seminole resisted removal, how they fought back, and how their response was different from other tribes. This set up an early comparison between military resistance (Seminole) and legal resistance (Cherokee in Worcester v. Georgia).
Annotate & Tell – Indian Removal Act & Worcester v. Georgia
Next, we used Annotate & Tell to break down two key readings:
The Indian Removal Act – Students highlighted government actions in yellow and Native American responses in green, analyzing how Jackson justified removal and how different tribes reacted.
Worcester v. Georgia – Students did the same with this case, focusing on how the Cherokee used legal resistance and how Jackson refused to enforce the Supreme Court ruling.
After annotating, students paired up to explain one key takeaway before we discussed as a class.
Number Mania – Justifying a Quote with Data
For the activity, I gave students a quote:
“The Trail Where They Cried was not only a physical journey but also a moment that reshaped Cherokee history, causing loss, suffering, and ultimately resilience.”
Their task was to justify this quote using numerical evidence from the reading. They worked in pairs to pull at least four key numbers that supported the quote. Some of the most commonly cited numbers included:
1,200 miles – Representing the physical journey of forced removal.
¼ (25%) – The portion of the Cherokee population that died, proving suffering and loss.
2,000 died in camps – Highlighting the harsh conditions even before the journey began.
1839 – The Cherokee wrote a new constitution – Demonstrating their resilience and ability to rebuild.
Once they collected their numbers, students added them to a Number Mania poster, writing a brief explanation of how each number connected to the quote. A few students even challenged themselves by finding additional numbers beyond the reading to reinforce their argument.
Thin Slide
To bring everything together, students created a Thin Slide on the Trail of Tears, following the one word, one image format. They had three minutes to choose an image that captured the impact of the Trail of Tears and one word that summed up its historical significance (e.g., suffering, survival, injustice, displacement, resilience).
After creating their slides, students did a rapid-fire share, explaining why they chose their word and image in one sentence.
Quizizz Assessment
I ended class with a Quizizz assessment over everything we learned this week about Andrew Jackson. The class averages were as follows: 70%, 55%, 76%, and 55%.(87%). The last class of the day, I stopped part way through after looking at some of the scores and we had a heart to heart, life lesson talk and we tried again. I knew they could do better because they were rocking it this week – so they finished at an 87% class average. These scores were good considering we began with 19% to 25% pre-assessment averages.
Moler's Musings 