Classroom Toolkit: 1807 Town Meeting
Overview of the lesson, including procedures
Disciplines: Social Studies and Language Arts
Grade Levels: 4-8
Time Frame: One class period
Materials Needed:
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Learning Objectives: The students will:
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Gather information about the Town Meeting of 1807 from meeting notes.
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Identify the responsibilities of the various town officers elected in 1807.
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Calculate the percentage of the total voting population who held public office in 1807.
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Compare and contrast the jobs done by town officials today with those done by town officials in 1807.
NYS Social Studies Standards Correlation:
Standard 1: Key Idea 4
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Consider different interpretations of key events and /or issues in history and understand the differences in these accounts.
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Explore different experiences, beliefs motives, and traditions of people living in their neighborhoods, communities, and State.
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View historic events through the eyes of those who were there, as shown in their art, writings, music and artifacts.
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Intermediate
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Consider the sources of historic documents, narratives, or artifacts and evaluate their reliability.
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Describe historic events through the eyes and experiences of those who were there.
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Standard 5: Key Idea 4
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Explain the role that civility plays in promoting effective citizenship in preserving democracy.
These lessons were originally developed through a grant from the New York State Archives and Records Administration, Local Government Records Management Improvement Fund. They were developed during the fiscal year 2003-2004 by Bryan Thompson, Town of De Kalb's Historian.
In 2009, Bryan Thompson received the Bruce W. Dearstyne Annual Archives Award for Excellence in the Educational Use of Local Government Records. This award is presented to an individual who has demonstrated outstanding initiative, leadership, and creativity in encouraging and promoting the use of local government historical records for elementary and secondary education.
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