Grade 7: Discovering the 13 Colonies
This month, under the guidance of history teacher Jeff Wolkoff, Grade 7 students have been learning about the 13 colonies, including how they were formed and why, the ways in which they’re different, and how each one shaped the foundation of the United States.
As a hands-on element to this lesson, the seventh-grade students were split into groups and were each assigned a colony to research and present on. Upon gathering information on the history, economy, politics, geography, and society & culture of their designated colony, each group created a tri-fold poster to present to the class. During the project, each group also researched their colony’s original flag, which will come in handy when they create their own flags in the Gates Lab at the end of the month.
According to Mr. Wolkoff, “I enjoy this activity because it gives the students a chance to collaborate on a project from start to finish. The flag project that is coming up will build on the poster activity by having the students use their research to form their own opinion on what the first flag of the new nation should have been.”
When asked how projects such as these contribute to Mr. Wolkoff’s love of educating, he shared, “I love teaching history to Middle School students because they still wonder about the world and enquire about how things were created. I love teaching life skills, like public speaking, collaboration, and teamwork within the curriculum as well.”
As a new educator at Graland, Mr. Wolkoff is looking forward to collaborating with other teachers and disciplines and adding his own touch to the Grade 7 history curriculum this year. Great work, Grade 7 history!
Graland Country Day School
Graland Country Day School is a private school in Denver, Colorado, serving students in preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and middle school. Founded in Denver in 1927, Graland incorporates a rich, experiential learning approach in a traditional classroom setting, emphasizing the development of globally and socially conscious leaders who excel academically.
