TITLE: The Original Thirteen Colonies
AUTHOR: Larry Nickell, Karval, CO
GRADE LEVEL/SUBJECT: 7-8; civics, geography
OVERVIEW: Many students dislike learning rote material, but
some basic information is necessary in any discipline upon
which later structured lessons can be developed. Further,
most students are helped in learning if memory tricks are
utilized.
PURPOSE: The purpose of this activity is to reinforce the
importance of the ratification process which was required to
make the Constitution viable. The activity familiarizes
students with the states involved and gives them a tool for
expanding their memory in use for other subjects.
OBJECTIVES: As a result of this activity, the students will
know and be able to list the thirteen original states and
the order in which they entered the Union. The students
will enjoy learning these 13 states. This is best used when
discussing the Constitution and its ratification. After
learning such a list the activity should speed up discussion
on the large and small state compromise and should help
identify which states are southern, middle, or northern as
they gain name familiarity.
ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES: At the beginning of the class
period announce that the class is going to play a game.
1. Starting with a person in any row, ask that person to
repeat and imagine the structure you are going to
build. Challenge the rest of the class to see if they
can visualize these things as each student repeats
them.
2. Tell the first students to visualize (and repeat) a
Corningware dish.
3. Move the second student and have him imagine many
chopped-up pencils in the Corningware dish. Tell him
to repeat the information.
4. Have the third student visualize a new-born Jersey calf
standing on the pencils. The student should recite
that there are a Corningware dish, chopped-up pencils,
and a new-born Jersey calf standing on the pencils.
5. Everyone knows a "George." Have the next person
imagine a friend named George riding the new-born
Jersey calf. The student should then recite the whole
list starting from the first (the Corningware dish,
chopped-up pencils in the dish, a new-born Jersey calf
standing on them and George riding the calf).
6. The next student is told to imagine that George is
holding onto a disconnected radio (the teacher or the
students may embellish this or any other part of the
exercise, just as long as they remember the essential
part of each step). This student should be able to
remember all that has been accumulated, namely, the
Corningware dish filled with chopped-up pencils, the
Jersey calf standing on the pencils, and George riding
on the calf and holding a disconnected radio.
7. The sixth student is told to imagine that on the
disconnected radio is a mass of tangle wires. Have him
repeat from the beginning that there is a Corningware
dish holding chopped-up pencils supporting a new-born
Jersey calf being ridden by George who is holding a
disconnected radio with a tangled mass of wires on top.
8. The seventh students is told to think of someone they
know named Mary. The student must imagine this person
with her feet all tangled up in the mass of wire and
that she is looking all around trying to find a place
to land in case George drops her. The student must
again repeat what has accumulated.
9. The eighth item requires the students to imagine a
friend named Carol. Carol is sitting on Mary's
shoulder and wearing a bikini. Again, have the student
recite the list.
10. The ninth student must imagine that Carol is not too
clean in her hygiene as she is holding in her hand a
new, bloody ham that is very slick. Have the student
recite the list.
11. The tenth student must envisage that on the slick ham
is standing a girl named Ginger (or Virginia) who is
trying to maintain her balance. Have the student
recite the whole list.
12. The eleventh student must imagine that Ginger (and
Carol and George) is tough enough to carry the Empire
State Building. The student then recites the list.
13. The twelfth student must imagine that Carol is a
magician and that this time is sitting on top of the
Empire State Building. However, because she is so
high, this time she is wearing a fur coat. Once more,
the student must reiterate the list.
14. The thirteenth and last student must imagine that, at
the very top of this structure, a big Rhode Island Red
rooster is sitting on Carol's head. The student must
repeat the entire list. If any other students would
like to repeat the list, allow him or her to do so.
After the game is over, ask if anyone in the class would
be interested in learning the 13 original states and the
order in which they entered the union. Most will not,
saying it is too hard. Then tell them that they already
have learned it. See if any student can figure out the
code. If none are able, then give them the translation
below:
1. Corningware dish - Delaware
2. chopped-up pencils - Pennsylvania
3. new-born Jersey calf
4. George - Georgia
5. disconnected radio - Connecticut
6. mass of wire - Massachusetts
7. tangled Mary - Maryland
8. Carol in a bikini - South Carolina (south is hotter)
9. new bloody ham - New Hampshire
10. Ginger (or Virginia) - Virginia
11. Empire State Building - New York
12. Carol in a fur coat - North Carolina (north is colder)
13. Rhode Island red rooster - Rhode Island
TYING IT ALL TOGETHER: After becoming familiar with the
states involved, one might ask why Delaware was first (a
small state), while New York (a large state) was nearly
last, and then the smallest state Rhode Island was last.
Students could start to visualize sectional differences and
the importance of local concerns. After discussion, ask
each person to see if they can recite the list again.
Challenge the students to ask their parents if they can name
the original 13 states. This is intended to be a fun
exercise, and as such, students readily learn something that
might otherwise be generally distasteful.
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John Kurilecjmk@ofcn.org