Kevin Arseneaux

EDU 415
Dr. Wargo
October 2023

Resource Collection

Topic 1: The Reformation

Standard: Standard - CC.8.6.6-8.A

Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content. • Introduce claim(s) about a topic or

issue, acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and organize
the reasons and evidence logically.

Trade Books Bibliography:

 Marshall, P. (2009). The Reformation: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford University Press
Marhsall’s book provides a brief overview of the Reformation and focuses on both the
historical context and significance of the period, along with key historical figures of the time.
This book would be great to pull passages out of and generally accessible.

 Metaxas, E. (2017). Martin Luther: The Man Who Rediscovered God and Changed the
World. Viking.

Martin Luther is the key figure of the revolution that middle schools are expected to
recognize when studying the reformation. This biography would help students grasp the personal
and religious reasons of those like Luther who felt like the Catholic church was undermining
their lives during the Reformation.

 MacCulloch, D. (2005). The Reformation: A History. Penguin Books.

This book would serve as a more complex trade book for more advanced readers who show a
clear grasp on how, and trace the changes of, philosophy and religion, and their effects on
society. MacCulloch’s book dives into the Reformation’s effects on the everyday lives of the
people, whereas the previous book mention focuses on the experience of a religious leader.

 Marshall, P. (2017). The Reformation: A Visual History. Thames & Hudson.

This visual approach to the reformation would coincide well with other sources of media to
give the students an experiential taste of the Reformation. It uses historical texts alongside
illustrations. This would be best used as a tool to accompany lessons, activities, and lectures.
  González, J. L. (2013). The Story of Christianity: Volume 2 - The Reformation to the
Present Day. HarperOne

It’s important to recognize the greater impact of vast movements throughout history. This
book not only shows the Reformation in relation to the development of the Christian church, but
also the historical context and how it forever changed Western Society.
Teacher Friendly Website: https://reformation500.csl.edu/, from Concordia Seminary. From a
Christian institution, this seminary provides in depth information on the Reformation that
teachers can use when developing lesson plans and being mindful of the standards.
Student Friendly Website: International Museum of the Reformation, Geneva Switzerland:
https://museeprotestant.org/en/notice/le-musee-international-de-la-reforme-geneve/. This
website has a online-tour that could be used on an activity day when studying the
Reformation.
Alternate Media Sources:
1) PBS Documentary on Martin Luther, found on https://www.pbs.org/empires/martinluther/.
Martin Luther is the most important figure of the Reformation that a student will learn
about. This documentary shows a biography of his life and includes many of his beliefs
that are instrumental in developing general claims about what the Reformation is.
2) Crash Course Video on the Reformation, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1o8oIELbNxE.
Would be used as a simple introduction for the topic at the start of the unit. Crash Course
videos are always effective in this manner because they seek to provide a summary and
highlight major themes.

Topic 2: The American Revolution

Standard - CC.8.6.6-8.B

Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific

procedures/ experiments, or technical processes. • Introduce a topic clearly, previewing what is
to follow; organize ideas, concepts, and information into broader categories as appropriate to
achieving purpose

Trade Books Bibliography:

 McCullough, D. (2005). 1776. Simon & Schuster.

McCullough’s focuses on one of the most important years concerning this topic. It provides
historical context and portrays independence in a way that is helpful for introductory material
concerning the topic, along with critical figures like George Washington and early battles.
  Allison, R. J. (2011). The American Revolution: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford
University Press.

As stated by the title, this book provides a short and concise general overview of the
revolution, touching on important historical themes, context, figures, and long-term significance.
Allison’s book would provide great supplementary reading that’s different from a textbook while
providing similar information.

 Anderson, L. H. (2008). Chains. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

While this book may be best in a English classroom, or best used for small passages, this
historical novel provides great insight into slavery at the time of the revolution by tracing the
story of a young slave named Isabel. Novels are useful because they tend to bring out emotions,
compassion, ethics, and questions of morality that can sometimes be harder to think about when
just reading a textbook or through lecture.

 Forbes, E. (2011). Johnny Tremain. HMH Books for Young Readers

Another historical novel like Chains, Johnny Tremain focus’ on the other side of the social
spectrum following the story of a young silversmith apprentice in Boston. It demonstrates
historical context along with an engaging narrative that would help students develop a greater
understanding of New England society during the American Revolution.

 DK Publishing. (2006). The American Revolution: A Visual History. DK.

This trade book would be great for readers in the class who might be struggling below grade
level and with performing to state standards. It’s concise and provides a broad scope to the
American Revolution along with visual aids. This would be a great tool for those struggling with
general comprehension with textbooks but can continue to learn through pictures.

Teacher Friendly Website: From the United States National Park Service,
https://www.nps.gov/subjects/americanrevolution/index.htm. The National Park Service websites
are professionally written and provide lesson plans for teachers seeking to educate on the topic.
This one focuses on the American Revolution and provides lesson plan and other materials,
likewise.

Student Friendly Website: From the History Channel, https://www.history.com/topics/american-

revolution. History Channel articles are never too long and were written to be viewed by the
general public with a wide range of reading comprehension levels.

Alternate Media Sources:

1) Museum of the American Revolution, Lexington and Concord:

https://www.amrevmuseum.org/read-the-revolution/lexington-and-concord. I went to
this museum in middle school when studying the American Revolution. So not only is
 it great for in-person tours, but their website also includes material great for in class
work, just like the National Park Service website.
2) Historical Artifact, Newspaper Article Documenting the Boston Massacre,
https://www.masshist.org/database/viewer.php?
item_id=316&mode=large&img_step=1&&pid=2. Historical artifacts are primary
sources and are imperative for any study of history. This one about the Boston
Massacre documents one of the most significant events leading up to the American
Revolution.

Topic 3: Westward Expansion

CC.8.5.6-8.C. I
Identify key steps in a text’s description of a process related to history/social studies (e.g
development of a historical phenomenon)
Trade Books Bibliography:

 Sides, H. (2007). Blood and Thunder: The Epic Story of Kit Carson and the Conquest of
the American West. Doubleday.

Blood and Thunder provides a historical account of an individual who was living through the
manifestation of this historical phenomena. It would help students see what the lives of people
were like in amidst specific historical developments, which in this case is Manifest Destiny.

 Redekop, S. (2018). Manifest Destiny: Democracy as Cognitive Dissonance. University

of Nebraska Press.

Redekop’s work raises important ethical and moral questions that students need to think
about when seeking to understand historical processes. There are many implications to Westward
Expansion, and the triumphing philosophy of the time Manifest Destiny. All historical
developments happen according to certain moral and ethical assumptions that students need to
consider.

 Buck, R. (2016). The Oregon Trail: A New American Journey. Simon & Schuster.

The development of the Oregon Trial is a foundational to Westward Expansion and the very
path people walked in reaction to the overwhelming desire to move West in hopes of prosperity.
This book highlights the challenges and experiences of some of those who pioneered on the
Oregon Trail, giving students concrete historical context about the development of Westward
Expansion.

 Brands, H. W. (2003). The Age of Gold: The California Gold Rush and the New
American Dream. Anchor Books.
 The California Goldrush is arguably the quintessential manifestation of the spirit of the age
during America at the time. In seeking to trace and understand historical developments, students
can use this source to understand the culmination of Manifest Destiny during the 19th century.

 BEhle, J. (1989). Trail of Tears: The Rise and Fall of the Cherokee Nation. Anchor
Books.

This book combines narrative history with visual elements to help students who struggle to
analyze historical developments with primary and secondary sources. Furthermore, in any
development in history that includes expansion, there are usually people displaced or
marginalized in the process, so this source will give students a complete picture of Westward
Expansion.
Teacher Friendly Website: Standford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Divine Providence:
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/providence-divine/. Any University published encyclopedia is
too complex and dense for student use but is great for teachers who are seeking to develop
content knowledge about a topic. Divine Providence is a fundamental assumption about reality
that many people either consciously or sub-consciously held at the time so it would be useful
teachers to have background knowledge of this when teaching about Westward Expansion.
Student Friendly Website: Encyclopedia Britannica, Manifest Destiny:
https://www.britannica.com/event/Manifest-Destiny This website is arguably the most effective
student friendly website for social studies and history education purposes. It provides the density
of content in accessible language for student comprehension especially. In explaining a historical
phenomenon as complex as Manifest Destiny, Encyclopedia Britannica is an excellent source.
Alternate Media Source:
1) PBS Documentary, the American Experience: https://www.amazon.com/American-
Experience/dp/B004AUMAAY. American Experience, like the Encyclopedia Britannica
of Documentaries. Excellently well-done, high quality, and thorough, these
documentaries tell the story and development of America, and explores the political,
social, and economic developments that occur within each time.
2) Crash Course Video on War and Expansion:
https://www.masshist.org/database/viewer.php?
item_id=316&mode=large&img_step=1&&pid=2. Just as with the use of the other Crash
Course video, this would be used at the start of the unit as a brief introduction. With a
historical phenomenon as complex and vast as Westward Expansion, a Crash Course
video is very helpful.

Topic 4: Lockean Natural Rights

CC.8.5.6-8.B.
Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate
summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
Trade Books Bibliography:
 Wooster, P. (2018). John Locke: Philosopher of the Enlightenment. Britannica
Educational Publishing.
When discerning ideas from primary and secondary sources it can sometimes be helpful to
have a supplementary source that simplifies and summarizes the main ideas so students have
some background and foundational knowledge going into their readings. This book about John
Locke accomplishes this goal.
 Shelly, (2016). Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus. Penguin Books
While all of Frankenstein often gets covered late in high school, certain passages in this
book demonstrate the development of natural rights as a fundamental assumption of what it
means to be human. So it may be appropriate to use short passages of this texts as a way to show
students how certain philosophies make their way into the mind and art of the time- another
supplement to primary sources.

 Kesler, C. R.. (2019). Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness: Ten Years of the
Claremont Review of Books. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
This source provides various interpretations and understanding to the book of Locke. It
would be used as an example to show students how other people, especially well-educated
people, encounter primary and secondary resources while doing academic work.
 Dorling Kindersley. (2017). The Enlightenment: A Visual History. DK Publishing.
This trade book would serve as a supplement to a textbook and would accompany other
primary and secondary source documents to bring the time of the Enlightenment and John Locke
to life- a means of making the curriculum more engaging to students.
 Hill, J., & Rodriguez, G. (2008). Locke & Key, Volume 1: Welcome to Lovecraft. IDW
Publishing.
This trade book would be used for those who are struggling to meet the standards. While less
complex then traditional historical fiction, graphic novels often can engage themes that primary
and secondary source documents are trying to engage. This wouldn’t replace primary and
secondary sources, but be a complement to them.
Teacher Friendly Website: Standford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Locke on Freedom:
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/locke-freedom/ Similarly to the article on Divine Providence,
Locke’s philosophy is extremely complex. So while a university published encyclopedia would
be inaccessible to a student, it would be great for a teacher to develop more content knowledge in
preparing to teach Natural Rights to Middle Schoolers.
Student Friendly Website: Khan Academy Article, Ideas at the Heart of US Government:
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/us-government-and-civics/us-gov-foundations/us-gov-
ideals-of-democracy/a/the-ideas-at-the-heart-of-us-government. Khan Academy was made to be
accessible to students and provide education for students across the ability spectrum with
different needs. This student friendly article takes Locke’s philosophy and helps students start
thinking about how Natural Rights are interwoven into the Constitution of the United States.
Alternate Sources:
1) Historical Artifact. Primary Source: The Declaration of Independence, The United States
Constitution, https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript. This is
another example of a primary source document that demonstrates the manifestation of
Locke’s philosophy in history, and is relevant to the lives of students growing up in the
United States.
2) Excerpts from Locke’s Second Treatise on Government (1689):
https://housedivided.dickinson.edu/sites/teagle/texts/john-locke-second-treatise-on-
government-1689/. This is the central document that students would examine when
researching this topic to practice the standard. Locke’s Second Treatise on Government is
the primary source document where many of the principles of the American System came
from. It would be very complex for Middle Schoolers so it would be best for me to go
through the document with them to help my students break down the ideas.

Topic 5: The Pilgrims and Puritan New England

Standard - CC.8.6.6-8.F
Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question),
drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for
multiple avenues of exploration.

Trade books Bibliography:

 Vrabel, J. (2004). A People's History of the New Boston. Beacon Press.
Vrabel’s work gives a detailed and accessible account of the lives of Puritan New
Englanders. This is crucial information to have if my students were to use this topic in order to
become proficient in this standard.
 Hall, D. D. (2019). The Puritans: A Transatlantic History. Yale University Press.
How do historical movements begin? This book explores the Puritan movement from
England to New England, giving students the opportunity to explore and research the one of the
first movements of people into the New World. Students could explore the question, “Why did
the Puritans want to move to the New World?”.
  Greaves, R. L. (1999). The World of the Puritans. Routledge.
This book provides a comprehensive overview of Puritan life, including their religious
practices, social structures, and interactions with Native Americans. These are more aspects of
life that students would need to learn about when conducting a short research project on the
topic.
 Speare, E. G. (1958). The Witch of Blackbird Pond. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Having at least one historical fiction novel in a list of trade book resources is a good practice
for teachers because novels can often engage themes that textbooks can unfortunately express
blandly. This is a novel taking place in Puritan New England that would compliment the previous
trade book listed very well.
 Greaves, R. L. (1997). The Puritans: An Illustrated History. Phaidon Press.
A visually oriented historical account of life in early New England, including general
illustrations, maps, and artifacts. Like the other illustration focused books, this would serve
to compliment rather than supplement the main materials. Trade books of this nature often
aid learning and would be useful in conducting research. Art can often capture ideas that
words cannot do as well.

Teacher Friendly Website: Plimoth Pawtuxet Museum, with Primary sources and Lesson Plans:
https://plimoth.org/for-teachers/teacher-tools Growing up in Massachusetts, this was another
museum I had the privilege of going to when learning about the colonial era of our nation. Just
like the other museum websites, Plimoth Pawtuxet Museum provides lesson plan resources for
educators for teaching about the Pilgrim’s.
Student Friendly Website: History Channel, The Puritan:
https://www.history.com/topics/colonial-america/puritanism This History Channel article had an
especially well-done and thorough article on the Puritan’s of New England, their culture, belief’s,
and practices. As with the last History Channel article, the authors are writing for a wide
audience with a range of audiences- both young and old- so student’s will find this article
accessible.
Alternate Media Source:
1) PBS Documentary, the American Experience, The Pilgrims:
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/pilgrims/. Having a great interest
and honor for the Puritan’s of New England I was thrilled to find this documentary
produced by PBS. I would show this at the end of the unit for the joy of the students, and
as a means of wrapping up the content, and reinforcing the most important themes of the
unit. It would bring to life the research they’ve done for the standard!
2) Historical Artifacts, Journal Entries from Pilgrims: http://mayflowerhistory.com/primary-
sources-and-books. At the cost of sounding like a broken record, students need to learn
how to engage with primary sources, especially if the standard pertains to research!!!
Thankfully, primary sources tend to be engaging because they bring to life the history
that we’re studying together!