David Cooper
108 Followers
East Petersburg, Pennsylvania, United States
About the store
Thank you for visiting me at Teachers Pay Teachers! My resources draw upon thirty years of teaching middle school Social Studies and a long-time love for writing. I work hard to provide practical, creative, and thoughtful resources for history, civics, geography, writing across the content areas, social-emotional learning, and so much more. I earned a Masters of Teaching and Curriculum from Penn State and a BA of Secondary Education Social Studies from York College of PA. In addition to teaching Social Studies for 30 years, I served as a martial arts instructor for 29 and have written compulsively since my second-grade teacher read my Star Trek story to the class.
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Gold Rush Fortunes and Heartbreak: Texts, Activities, Role-Plays, and Assessment
Gold Rush Fortunes and Heartbreaks provides 6th through 8th graders with the thought-provoking content and activities necessary to experience the thrills, risks, and dreams of the California Gold Rush. These materials can be used as stand-alone lessons complementing your existing curriculum or as a complete seven-day mini-unit. Gold Rush Fortunes and Heartbreaks consists of the following resources and learning experiences: a primary-source activity involving the discovery of gold at Sutter’s Mi
6th - 8th
Economics , Informational Text, U.S. History
CCSS
RH.6-8.2
, RH.6-8.4
, RH.6-8.10
+1
Adventure On The Nile Word Problems
How long will it take your students to canoe over 4000 miles of one of the world's most dangerous rivers? Will they be able to carry enough supplies in their canoes? This lesson integrating reading, geography, and word problems by David Cooper will help your students become legendary adventurers!
Adventure On The Nile addresses the following Mathematics and Literacy In History/Social Studies Common Core Standards: 6.EE.2, 6.EE.6, 6.EE.7, 6-8.RH.2, 6-8RH.4, and 6-8RH.10.
This activity is suit
6th - 8th
Geography, Other (Math), Reading
CCSS
6.EE.A.2a
, 6.EE.B.6
, 6.EE.B.7
+3
The United States Federal Government's Three Branches
Tackle the "Three Branches" concept with these easy-to-prepare information-rich social and tactile learning activities!
This ebook’s 575-word informational text, reading strategy, tactile "puzzle flowchart" activity, primary-source enrichment activity, and writing-based assessment use the traditional tree-branches analogy to convey the U.S. Federal Government’s structure to students in grades 4 through 6.
The reading strategy engages prior knowledge as part of a pre-read, helps students collec
4th - 6th
Government, Informational Text, U.S. History
CCSS
RI.4.1
, RI.4.10
, RI.5.10
+15
Federalism And The U.S. Government Reading And Reading Strategy
The United States’ founding fathers embraced federalism as a guiding principle. They knew sharing power between state-level and centralized governments would result in a system able to address region-specific and collective needs without consolidating too much power into one governing body.
This activity focusing upon federalism and fundamentals of the United States Government includes a two-page informational text and an activity based upon the traditional “before, during, and after” three-par
7th - 9th
Government, Informational Text, Reading Strategies
CCSS
RH.6-8.2
, RH.6-8.3
, RH.6-8.10
Two Reading Strategies To Engage Students In Current Events Problem Solving
Ten minutes reading the morning paper or your favorite news.com, one of these strategies, and five minutes at the copier yields a relevant high-order thinking activity.
News bombards students constantly. They need ways to engage current events and to consider how events can impact their lives. These B-D-A and PACE activities join traditional reading strategy formats with problem solving to foster nonfiction text reading skills and high-order thinking. You will find in this product detailed t
7th - 10th
For All Subjects, Informational Text, Reading Strategies
CCSS
RH.6-8.1
, RH.6-8.2
, RH.6-8.4
+4
A Profile of The Nile River: An Informational Text & Comprehension Questions
The Nile River is an intriguing feature rich in history, geography, and history. Use this brief geographic overview and reading strategy as a Geography warm-up activity, an introduction to Egypt (past or present), or an introduction to the region of North Africa. The reading and connected activity address Common Core Standard RH6-8.10. A Profile of The Nile River is an excerpt from a larger word-problem-based activity entitled Adventure On The Nile, which is also available from Teachers Pay Tea
6th - 8th
Geography, Informational Text, World History
CCSS
RH.6-8.10
Teaching Writing With Portfolios Across The Subject Areas
Creating and maintaining classroom portfolios encourages intrinsic motivation, personal investment in work, and provides long-term opportunities for reflection. This teaching resource by David Cooper provides the handouts and instructions necessary to create and manage student portfolios and to use these portfolios as ongoing teaching tools through the school year in multiple subject areas. The resources in Teaching Writing With Portfolios are most appropriate for use with students in grades s
7th - 12th
English Language Arts, For All Subjects, Writing
CCSS
WHST.6-8.10
Civil War Photography and Camp Life
Civil War Photography and Camp Life explores the use of photography during The Civil War and provides students in grades six through eight with first-person perspectives into the lives of the era’s soldiers. What do students see, hear, smell, taste and touch in their encampment? What do students think and feel when their sergeant tells them they will march to a major battle after having wintered three long months? Students compose a purpose statement setting a course for their learning, engage a
6th - 8th
U.S. History
CCSS
RH.6-8.2
, RH.6-8.10
, WHST.6-8.4
The Civil War Begins: Resources for Lincoln's Election Through Fort Sumter
The Civil War Begins immerses seventh through ninth grade students in the anxious months and fractured loyalties leading to the dramatic 34-hour bombardment of Fort Sumter in South Carolina’s Charleston Harbor, the opening battle of our country’s bloodiest war. This ready-to-implement resource includes extensive teacher directions, four readings with complementary activities, a project-based assessment, a quiz, teacher answer keys, scoring rubrics, and accommodated materials for exceptional stud
7th - 9th
Social Studies, U.S. History
CCSS
RH.6-8.2
, RH.6-8.4
, RH.6-8.7
+5
Previewing Textbooks: Three Ways To Introduce Students To Their Books
Every textbook has a distinctive structure, and each of these fifteen to twenty-minute ready-to-use activities can help students learn how their textbook’s author(s) organize information and present it in meaningful ways:
1) a chart to identify important textbook features and determine how these features will be helpful when using the book;
2) an information-hierarchy triangle helping students analyze a portion of their textbooks to learn how the author categorizes and relates facts and concep
7th - 10th
For All Subjects
Supplying Washington's Army Role Play: Revolution & Articles Of Confederation
The first United States Federal Government struggled to support its army during a revolution against Great Britain because it feared to possess the resource it needed most-- power. A brainstorming activity, reading, reading strategy, and whole-class role-play illustrate the Articles of Confederation government’s limitations and explain why soldiers suffered through much of the U.S. Revolution. These activities address Common Core Standards RH6-8.2, RH6-8.4, RH6-8.7, and RH6-8.10. PDF and modif
7th - 9th
Government, Informational Text, U.S. History
CCSS
RH.6-8.2
, RH.6-8.4
, RH.6-8.7
+1
The Five Themes of Geography Resource Sheet
The 5 Themes of Geography are useful tools for analyzing locations and human interaction with geographic features. Provide this handout to students for use as a reference when engaging activities involving the themes. The handout’s “clue words” are in-text signals some students may find helpful when connecting content to themes. These words can also serve as the basis for a micro-lesson on using context clues when analyzing geographic information.
This handout is part of a larger work entitl
6th - 8th
Geography
The Declaration of Independence: The Making of Liberty Info. Text and Activity
The Declaration of Independence is an inspiring document built upon the trials, hopes, and fears of Americans in the late 18th century. Much can be learned about how the United States came to be and what drives its government by studying the Declaration of Independence. This stand-alone two-page informational text and activity are parts of a larger work entitled Analyzing The U.S. Declaration of Independence also available from Teachers Pay Teachers. http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/A
7th - 10th
Government, Informational Text, U.S. History
CCSS
RH.6-8.2
, RH.6-8.10
, WHST.6-8.1b
Showing 1-13 of 13 results
About the store
Experience
Thank you for visiting me at Teachers Pay Teachers! My resources draw upon thirty years of teaching middle school Social Studies and a long-time love for writing. I work hard to provide practical, creative, and thoughtful resources for history, civics, geography, writing across the content areas, social-emotional learning, and so much more. I earned a Masters of Teaching and Curriculum from Penn State and a BA of Secondary Education Social Studies from York College of PA. In addition to teaching Social Studies for 30 years, I served as a martial arts instructor for 29 and have written compulsively since my second-grade teacher read my Star Trek story to the class.
Teaching style
Challenging students with new ways to examine history, to express ideas and discoveries through multiple media, and to value learning beyond letter grades is an approach to teaching I have clung to and continue to develop with the help of colleagues, and, most importantly, my students.
Awards & shining teacher moments
Dave received the first place award for Literary Short Fiction at the 2012 Philadelphia Writers' Conference. He received the Outstanding Graduate Student In Teaching and Curriculum Award from the School of Behavioral Sciences and Education, Penn State Harrisburg in 2001. He also received Departmental Recognition For Contributions To The Field Of Education from York College of Pennsylvania in 1995.
My own education history
Dave graduated from York College Of Pennsylvania in 1995 with a degree in Secondary Education-- Social Studies. He completed his Master's Degree in Teaching and Curriculum through Penn State University in 2001.
Additional biographical information
Visit Dave’s website and blog at davidcooperwriting.com for more teaching resources and information about his writing projects.
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