7.2(C)  identify the contributions of significant individuals including Moses Austin, Stephen F. Austin, and Juan Seguín during the colonization of Texas;

7.3 (A)  explain the roles played by significant individuals during the Texas Revolution, including George Childress, Lorenzo de Zavala, James Fannin, Sam Houston, Antonio López de Santa Anna, and William B. Travis

7.22(D)  create written, oral, and visual presentations of social studies information.

8.4(B) explain the roles played by significant individuals during the American Revolution, including Samuel Adams, Benjamin Franklin, King George III, Thomas Jefferson, the Marquis de Lafayette, Thomas Paine, and George Washington;

8.20(D) identify examples of responsible citizenship, including obeying rules and laws, voting, and serving on juries;

8.21(A) explain the role of significant individuals such as William Penn in the development of self-government in colonial America

8.31(D) create written, oral, and visual presentations of social studies information

7.1 The student will demonstrate an understanding of issues and events in Texas History

8.1 The student will demonstrate an understanding of issues and events in U.S. History

This will be an extra credit assignment that serves a couple of purposes beyond allowing the student to earn extra credit and while in the process use technology.

From the following list of history makers listed in K-2 TEKS, 7th and 8th grade social studies students will do internet-based research to come up with examples of positve and/or negative character traits (trust, responsibility, caring, citizenship, respect, fairness) exhibited by the history maker of the student's choice:

Stephen F. Austin,  Clara Barton,  Alexander Graham Bell,  Thomas Edison,  Christopher Columbus,  Robert Fulton,  Nathan Hale,  Sam Houston,  Abraham Lincoln,  Paul Revere,  Sojourner Truth (Isabella Baumfree)

The student will develop a report using their choice of technology.  Their target audience will be kindergarden through first graders.  Depending on the quality of the report and choice of technology application, students will receive extra credit points.  That is, using MS Word could potentially raise their average by 1 point.  Using Audacity voice recording software could potentially raise their average by 2 points.  Using PowerPoint could potentially raise their average by 3 points.  Using PowerPoint and MS  Producer together could potentially raise their average 4 points.  Creating a video could potentially raise their average as much as 5 points.

The report will be saved to my FMS teacher website as well as forwarded to our Elementary campus and our Primary Campus for use in teaching social studies to the kindergarden through first graders.

Wouldn't it be neat to do something that will help the little kids down at the Early Childhood and Primary campuses learn about people in Texas and U.S. History?  You can.  And better yet, you can earn extra credit for your efforts.

Students will create a report reinforcing and enhancing what they've learned about important people in history.  The report will be sent to down to our Early Childhood and Primary campuses for use in teaching social studies.

After doing internet-based research, students will CREATE a report (synthesis) that will be used by teachers down at the early childhood and elementary campuses to help teach about important people in both Texas and U.S. History that emphasizes the person's positive and/or negative character pillars.

Since this is an optional assignment of the students own choosing, no modifications will be made in regards to the quality of what is expected.  Grade determination will be based on the grading rubric.  However, students with IEPs calling for extra time will have until the day before grades have to be verified to submit their work to receive extra credit.  Regular ed and academically advanced students will need to turn in their completed work at least 3 days before grades are due to receive extra credit for that grading period.

After doing internet-based research, students are encouraged to create a typed-written report using MS Word, an oral repot using Audacity, a slide presentation using MS PowerPoint or MS PowerPoint with MS Producer (if they want to include an oral presenation along with the PowerPoint slides), or a video using a video camera and Windows Movie Maker.  Students may use some other software application and/or technology on a case-by-case basis as long as they discuss their plans and get approval from their teacher.

Students may, in addtion to, conducting internet-based research ask their teacher for assistance, obtain information from their text books, refer to a library book.