New Teacher Edition now available for the web
New history game and new field trips.

August 2016

In This Issue
August in Georgia History
Georgia Studies Game
Redesigned Virtual Field Trips
Standards Spotlight
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August In Georgia History
Above: The famous signed copy of the Declaration 
Signing the Declaration (SS8H3a/b) 
Contrary to popular belief, most of the signers of the Declaration of Independence did not have the honor until after July 4, 1776. 

Historians disagree on the exact timeline of events, but it is widely believed that most of the delegates, including Lyman Hall, Button Gwinnett, and George Walton from Georgia, signed almost a month later on August 2. A copy of the document reached Savannah less than a week later. Today in Georgia History offers a brief overview.  

Edsitement! provides two lessons to help students interpret the Declaration. Stanford University's Education School suggests ways of teaching the Declaration without overwhelming students. The Library of Congress supports an advanced lesson for analyzing the document.  For more tips on using primary sources in the classroom check out our recent  Education Matters blog post .
GPB Announces Georgia Studies Game
New Resource for Teaching Georgia History Is Coming Soon!
Above: sneak peek of a game screen mock-up

When an eccentric and reclusive millionaire passes away, she leaves a strange but exciting legacy: she will donate her fortune to various historical societies in Georgia, but only if people engage in a state-wide treasure hunt for artifacts hidden all over the state.

GPB is excited to announce a dynamic new tool for teaching Georgia studies that is anticipated to launch in late fall! In this game, players follow clues to locations across Georgia in search of hidden historical artifacts. In each location, they will use their knowledge of Georgia history (from the state's founding through the present day) to uncover the artifact and place it correctly in the timeline.

Game features include: five activities within six different historical time periods, following geographic clues to various locations on the state map, interviewing mysterious historical figures to determine their identity, distinguishing fact versus opinion statements about historical topics, sorting a series of events into their correct order of cause and effect, matching facts about a common topic, person, or object, and reading more about an artifact to place it in its historical context. Players must collect all five different historical artifacts in each period to win the game. Play will be available on both desktop and mobile devices. Stay tuned for more information! To help us test the game, students are invited to play through an introductory section and offer us feedback.
New Virtual Field Trips
Above: The New Andersonville Experience
GPB Redesigns Experiences 
Our virtual field trips have been completely  redesigned and now require no login information to access!

Ocmulgee, Kolomoki, and Etowah Indian mounds, Franklin Delano Roosevelt's Little White House and Warm Springs, and our long-awaited Andersonville virtual field trip have all undergone a complete facelift. They are all now more intuitive and visually appealing. Students can also explore the history and campus of the University of Georgia without leaving the classroom. 

Each experience is supported by a Teacher Guide that explains the connection to our Georgia Studies digital library and Georgia standards, details the features within, and offers discussion questions and potential ideas for extending the lesson. Field trips include 360 degree visual experiences, video interviews, and historic photos.
Spotlight On The Standards
Independence in Georgia (SS8H3b)
Georgia's independence is covered in unit 4, chapter 8 of the Georgia Studies textbook. 
Civil strife between Loyalists and Patriots was vey pronounced in Georgia. A recruitment poster from governor James Wright is available, along with a graphic of Button Gwinnett and a discussion of the signing of the Declaration of Independence (180-182).  

The Revolutionary War in Georgia discusses Elijah Clarke, the Battle of Kettle Creek, and the Siege of Savannah (187). An episode of "Today in Georgia History" covers the capture of Augusta (188). A special section focusing on secondary sources covers Nancy Hart and Austin Dabney, along with an episode of "Georgia Stories" (190-193).

We want to hear from you! 

Send us feedback or suggestions for the digital textbook or request an 
on-site demonstration by emailing one of our Education Outreach Specialists:

Michael Kuenlen, South Region
mkuenlen@gpb.org

Tracey Wiley, North Region
twiley@gpb.org