Independence Day, commonly referred to as the Fourth of July, is a time to remember and appreciate our heritage of a democratic form of government and to reflect on our country's fundamental principles. The following lesson for high school students and youth groups is designed to respond to Jefferson's call to "educate...the whole mass of the people" and Mason's call to refer to fundamental principles. It concludes with an opportunity to add one's signature to those of the Founders of this nation who signed the original documents. We hope you have a pleasant Fourth of July and find this lesson plan useful with your students.

Using archival material, students will associate Francis Scott Key's Star Spangled Banner with historic events and recognize the sentiments those words inspired. Students will explore the symbolic nature of the American flag.

Join us as we kick off a new season of UEN's PDTV! Host Katie Blunt travels to Midvale to meet Maxwell Eddington, an 8th-grade math teacher and Canyons School District's Teacher of the Year. Explore effective classroom management through Mr. Eddington's approach, centered on creating a supportive classroom culture for student success.

In this episode of UEN's PDTV, host Katie Blunt travels to Provo, Utah, to meet 5th-grade teacher Mary Wade at Provost Elementary. Mary is a dedicated educator who has spent years researching best educational practices and has developed a flexible learning model in her classroom that focuses on building classroom culture and using personalized learning strategies.

Travel to Cedar City with Katie Blunt to see Utah’s EdTech competencies in action at Southern Utah University! Learn how a professor, an instructional designer, and a graphic designer created a high-quality and engaging online learning experience for their students studying  Family Life and Human Development.

In this episode of PDTV, host Katie Blunt visits Grant Elementary in the Murray School District. First, meet with 5th-grade teacher Kayti Graham, who shows us how she integrates technology software into her classroom to enhance student learning. Then, see how the elementary school director and director of technology for the district, Missy Hamilton, manages the technology evaluation process for her district.

In this special two-part episode of UEN’s PDTV, host Katie Blunt is visiting the Jean Massieu School of the Deaf in Salt Lake City to see Utah’s EdTech Competencies in action.

This episode will follow Katie as she meets with middle school math teacher Coleen Jennings who is showing us how she integrates UDL (Universal Design for Learning) in her lessons to ensure they are engaging and accessible for all her students.

The Path to Independence: Use this lesson after students have read the Stamp Act Resistance Narrative, The Boston Massacre Narrative, and The Boston Tea Party Narrative. This lesson should be followed by the Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence Narrative and the Thomas Paine, Common Sense, 1776 Primary Source analysis.

The history of State of Deseret boundaries, 1849 is summarized in this media item extracted from the 20-part video series A PEOPLES' HISTORY OF UTAH, written and hosted by Dean L. May, PhD (University of Utah). The series provides a sweeping view of Utah's past, from its earliest known desert beginning--from its prehistory, to the pioneer era, to the transformation from territory to state, to its critical role in the world war years and beyond.

The history of Pioneer Memorial Museum is summarized in this media item extracted from the 20-part video series A PEOPLES' HISTORY OF UTAH, written and hosted by Dean L. May, PhD (University of Utah). The series provides a sweeping view of Utah's past, from its earliest known desert beginning--from its prehistory, to the pioneer era, to the transformation from territory to state, to its critical role in the world war years and beyond.

Join us on this episode of UEN’s PDTV as we visit Viewmont High School in Bountiful to spotlight Carly Maloney - Utah's 2024 Teacher of the Year. In this episode, discover Carly's approach to balancing her teaching responsibilities in English and Social Studies, while also serving as a teacher leader in her school. Learn about her journey to becoming a teacher leader and hear first-hand how she uses technology to coach teachers, lead school initiatives and create an engaging learning environment for her students.

In this K-2 social studies activity, students will practice recognizing US symbols using Nearpod's interactive quiz game, Time to Climb.

The Declaration of Independence, based in part on the philosophy of John Locke, was an “expression of the American mind”. Going back to Magna Carta, British nobles had petitioned the monarch demanding limits to his power. But Locke argues and the Declaration of Independence asserts that legitimate government is based on the consent of the governed. Locke’s ideas were too democratic, too revolutionary for his time in England, but a century later they had a firm hold in the American colonies, and in 1776 they were the basis of the original and most fundamental American statement of rights, the Declaration of Independence.

UEN's Homeroom welcomes Sam Mitchell, an school technology specialist from the Granite School District to discuss the impact that podcasts are having on learning. We share our favorite podcasts, provide tips for finding great podcasts, and explore ideas for learning with podcasts.

Kathleen Riebe, School Technology Specialist in Granite School District and State Senator from Cottonwood Heights, joins the Homeroom on location from the State Senate floor to discuss her journey from the classroom to the Senate. We also talk about the current legislation that involves education and share ideas for getting teachers involved in the political process.

In this vodcast, we take a look at the men who signed the Declaration of Independence.

These activities will teach and instill a respect for the American flag, the pledge of allegiance, liberty bell, statue of liberty, the bald eagle, and other patriotic symbols.

Even during summer break, UEN Homeroom is working hard to bring another interview to our listeners. This week Tod Cracroft, the principal of Oakwood Elementary in Granite School District, discusses how school culture is built. We talk about the importance of building relationships, how music can help students connect to school, and how culture is at the heart of a successful school.

This week we attended the annual UCET conference. This conference allows educators from across Utah to learn and share their examples of technology integration in the classroom. Jared was the "man on the street" as he was able to talk with conference goers, both new and experienced, to find out what they learned at this year's UCET.