HuckleBerry
Center for Creative Learning
Donna Connolly
Donna Connolly taught for several years with LAUSD teaching ESL and with Burbank Unified School District as a substitute school teacher. As a substitute, she had the opportunity to teach many subjects and grade levels. After the birth of her first son, Donna left the workforce to become a full time mom. As a stay-at-home mom, she spent little time at home. For three years, Donna sat on the Scholarship Board at Mission College and worked briefly as the Executive Director and fundraiser. She has volunteered in the field of education and with community organizations, writing posts for education blogs and Letters to the Editor. Donna decided to pull her oldest child out of public school and homeschool. It's been an exciting and wonderful new adventure. As a homeschooler, Donna has taken her love of learning, teaching experience and passion for history and developed a course for HuckleBerry! She is a UCLA graduate with a degree in Philosophy, and believes the number one goal of any instructor is to instill a love of learning in the students he or she is honored to teach.
The American Story
PreReqs: Ability to write a simple paragraph: 2-3 sentences
This class is designed to give students a foundational understanding of the country we live in, the origins of our governments system and an appreciation for the many cultures, peoples, and events that shape our country today. We will start by exploring American pre-history with the legends of various Native American tribes. Students will recreate different types of homes and shelters used by Native people from across the country. Then we will examine the relationship between Native American tribes and early settlers - their relationships of cooperation and conflict. Next we will follow the birth of our nation from the conflict with England to the development of the Constitution of the United States. We will study the founding fathers and the ideas that inspired them to build this new nation.
Each day we’ll have a brief lesson using a slideshow presentation and short videos. At this time, we will engage in a question and answer session to deepen our understanding of how events are connected. We’ll create a timeline in class that can be expanded at home for history enthusiasts! Key ideas are emphasized by our hands-on projects that are designed to help students deepen their appreciation and understanding of our country.
This class is designed to cover 5th grade US History Standards.
During the FALL SEMESTER, our lessons will be focussed on the Age of Exploration, Colonization and Independence. The students will learn about the North American tribes, their relationship to the early settlers and how this alliance influenced the Revolutionary War of Independence from the British Crown. We will pay special attention to the development of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, and focus on the contributions of the Founding Fathers and the first US Presidents who set the course for the fledgling nation.
In the WINTER SEMESTER, we will examine the causes and consequences of the Civil War, and its aftermath. We will get to know the Presidents of the mid to late 19th Century and how they influenced the growing nation from the beginning of the Civil War through the reconstruction era.
In the SPRING SEMESTER, we venture west and learn about Westward Expansion, the Homestead Act, the Intercontinental Railroad and the impact of the industrial revolution on rural America.