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 to 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.
Our journey through American history will cover Native American Culture, Viking Exploration, European Exploration, Settlement, and colonization, as well as the Revolutionary War, the early United States, the Civil War and the Expansion Westward. Each day we’ll have readings, watch short videos, engage in question and answer 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! Our in class projects are designed to help us deepen our appreciation and understanding of our country, from writing letters home from the Revolution, to tracing the battle movements in pivotal battles to learning about the everyday life of colonial Americans, students will learn all about the beginnings of our country. This class is designed to cover 5th grade US History Standards.
FALL:
We start our study with the legends and stories of the Native Americans.
WINTER:
Revolution and the Birth of a New Country
SPRING:
Expansion Westward and Conflict at Home