Author Archives: Michael K. Milton

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About Michael K. Milton

I teach Social Studies in Massachusetts. When I began teaching, I assumed the job would involve a steady supply of apples. I was mistaken. Teaching, however, is fascinating (though less Apple-y) - I get to work with great students and colleagues, and I get to try things out. This blog, which I started in my early years of teaching and have recently returned to, is a place where I share projects I’ve worked on and think out loud about my practice. I also like puns probably too much.

Teaching the Constitution: Bill of Rights Marketing Campaign (an improv-inspired activity)

Posted on November 15, 2013 by Michael K. Milton

What happens when you mix an improv game with history? Answer – a magical long period! This activity is based on an improv game called Ad Game. In Ad Game players invent something to market, a slogan for the item/service, a … Continue reading →

Posted in History | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

Teaching the Constitution: Superheroes and the Branches of Government

Posted on November 10, 2013 by Michael K. Milton

As a new teacher to both the US History I curriculum and to teaching 9th graders, I was struggling teaching students about the difference in the branches of governments. I tried a variety of ways to do this: I gave … Continue reading →

Posted in History | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

The Enlightenment Meets Social Media: Want to Help?

Posted on September 17, 2013 by Michael K. Milton

(Update Below) This week, my students have become consultants to Enlightenment thinkers and are attempting to reintroduce themselves to the modern world using Twitter and Blogger. Tomorrow they will begin to broadcast the beliefs of the Baron de Montesquieu, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

It is no secret that I enjoy two things, debating and snapping**. Prior to an observation last year, I decided to merge there two loves together (after being inspired by this video about Stanford’s Reading Like a Historian). Oh, please take … Continue reading →

Posted on August 28, 2013 by Michael K. Milton | 1 Comment

History Lab Reports: A Template

Posted on August 15, 2013 by Michael K. Milton

Have you ever watched TV? Particularly a television program set in a high school (or with high school-aged people)? At the beginning of scenes that take place inside a classroom, there is brief shot to establish the type of classroom … Continue reading →

Posted in Common Core, History, Reflection | Tagged , , , , | 11 Comments

The Be More Interesting Pledge

Posted on January 12, 2013 by Michael K. Milton

In a slight departure from my typical posts about education and social studies, I wanted to present this pledge to you! I will soon get back to blogging about the activities in my classroom but I felt the need to … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflection | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Social Media Meets the Enlightenment: Year 2

Posted on October 10, 2012 by Michael K. Milton

Originally posted on Michael K. Milton: Musings on History & Education (mostly):
What better way to make the Enlightenment come alive than to have my World History students create Blogger sites and set up a conversation on Twitter! In our…

Posted in History | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Absolute Monarchy’s Ultimate Class Playlist: Pairing Music with History

Posted on September 26, 2012 by Michael K. Milton

When I began school this year, I decided to create a class playlist – finding music that encapsulated what we did for each day in class and posting it in the room for all to see. Not only will this … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Reflection | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Common Core State Standard Rubric for History/Social Studies 11-12

Posted on August 31, 2012 by Michael K. Milton

For the past few weeks, my colleague Todd Whitten and I have been sharing some work that we have done with the Common Core State Standards for History/Social Studies. During this process, we created rubrics based upon the 9-10th Grade … Continue reading →

Posted in Common Core, History | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Primary Documents, Social Studies, and the Common Core: The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen

Posted on August 22, 2012 by Michael K. Milton

Last week, Todd Whitten and I shared ways to hit the different Common Core Standards for Social Studies/History using technology. This week, we are launching our work on Primary Documents and the Common Core (check out Todd’s post on using … Continue reading →

Posted in Common Core, History | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments