Three New Lesson Plans:
1. Who Was Milton Hershey
Elementary & Middle School
2. Engaging Students With Primary Resources
Elementary & Middle School
3. What Is Material Culture?
Intermediate, Middle & High School
Using our resources, students can engage in inquiry-driven lessons designed to encourage critical thinking skills.
The three lesson plans below include images of artifacts and primary sources from the museum collection to help develop students’ interpretation skills and to foster curiosity. Aligned with the National Council for the Social Studies Curriculum Standards, as well as the Pennsylvania Department of Education Social Studies Standards, the lesson plans are designed to be easily adapted across all grade levels.
Who Was Milton Hershey?
Elementary & Middle School
National Social Studies Themes:
People, Places, Environments; Individual Development and Identity
Pennsylvania Standards:
PA Academic Standards for History: 8.2 A, B, C
Big Idea:
Primary source documents help us learn about people, places and events from the past.
Essential Questions:
How do historians learn about the past? How can primary sources help us to understand the past?
Objectives:
Students will examine primary source documents in search of clues to gain an understanding about the life of Milton S. Hershey.
Students will use evidence to make predictions.
Time Frame:
1-2 class periods. This has been designed so that you can choose to do the complete lesson plan or select parts with your students based on your schedule and objectives.
Materials Needed:
- Who Was Milton Hershey PowerPoint
- Milton Hershey Photo Worksheets – one/student or one/group (links below)
- Exit ticket – one/student
- Pencils
- Optional – Magnifying glasses, one/student or group, for close observation of the photos on the worksheet
Lesson: Who Was Milton Hershey?
Worksheet 1
Worksheet 2
Worksheet 3
Worksheet 4
Worksheet 5
Worksheet 6
Engaging Students With Primary Sources
Elementary & Middle School
National Social Studies Themes:
Culture, Time, Continuity and Change
Pennsylvania Standards:
PA Academic Standards for History: 8.1, 8.2,8.3, 8.4
PA Academic Standards for ELA: 1.5
Big Idea:
A source provides information about a topic of study or interest. Sources are categorized into two groups, primary and secondary.
Essential Question:
What can we learn about history by using primary sources?
Objectives:
- Students will be able to explain the difference between a primary or secondary source, by giving examples of each.
- Students will analyze a primary source, using an analysis tool.
Time Frame:
1-2 class periods, based on individual school schedules and learning objectives.
Materials Needed:
-
- Examples of primary and secondary sources PowerPoint
- Pencils
- Analysis worksheet – one/student or one/group (link below)
- Magnifying glasses – optional – one/student or one/group
- Copies of primary source photographs – one/student or one/group (links below)
Lesson: Engaging Students With Primary Resources
What is Material Culture?
For Grade Levels Elementary, Middle & High School
National Social Studies Themes:
Culture; Time, Continuity and Change
Pennsylvania Standards:
PA Academic Standards for History: 8.1, 8.2, 8.4
PA Academic Standards for ELA: 1.5 Speaking and Listening
Big Idea:
Material Culture is the study of objects or belongings of human beings.
Essential Question:
How does the study of artifacts help historians learn about the past?
Objectives:
- Students will understand that artifacts provide information about people, places and events in time.
- Students will make predictions based on observations of artifacts.
Time Frame:
1-2 class periods, based on individual school schedules and learning objectives.
Materials Needed:
- Material Culture PowerPoint
- Artifact Analysis worksheet
- Pencils
- Magnifying glasses – optional, one/student or one/group
- Photos of The Hershey Story Museum artifacts – enough for students to work in groups of 3-4 and for each group to have a different artifact. It would also be possible to have multiple groups looking at the same artifact, to generate discussion about different interpretations of each object. Use the photos in the PowerPoint. Note: If using copies of the slides, be sure not to print the notes at the bottom of each slide.
