Mining NJ350 Materials for K–12 Classroom Teaching

New Jersey’s recent 350th Anniversary was commemorated by an effort led by the New Jersey Historical Commission to gather historians who work as scholars, teachers, academics, educators at historical sites and others together on a panel designed to develop teaching materials for educators from K-12 both inside and outside the classroom. Their collaboration led to the development of http://officialnj350.com/ a site designed to provide educators with teaching materials including video clips, lesson plans, activities and connections to many of the historical sites throughout New Jersey.

The collaboration led to the creation of a rich tapestry of materials centered around the many important people and events who have helped shape New Jersey and created such a rich history.

 Utilizing materials from the site, my presentation will highlight how various tools can be taken into the classroom and used to teach a wide range of skills using the content provided on New Jersey’s rich history. It will include extension activities to enable students to engage in larger programs. Visits to historical sights to gain further knowledge in the completion of the larger projects, such as National History Day or various Essay contests such as those sponsored by the Concord Review or other organizations, will also be discussed.  A brief piece will also show how scholarly papers can be brought into the classroom to enrich the studies of the students involved. 

As the environment surrounding the ability to get financial resources, such as grants, has changed historians from all walks must consider how to pool resources and come together to develop sites such as NJ 350 has. I believe this spotlights how successful collaboration can be and help to further grow historical interest among students and the community at large.