History is a very large topic that can be a lot for students to absorb. They are being asked to learn new historical figures, understand different cultural norms, and possibly even learn new names for places they are already familiar with.
Learning history requires learning a new vocabulary – and that’s before students even get into the who, what, and where of the lesson. For teachers, this means being vigilant that students are comprehending not only the vocabulary, but the wider concepts of the historical material.
This is where modified history lessons can be very helpful in the classroom. Developed specifically with lower reading and writing expectations, modified history lessons can help teachers and students work through tough concepts and material.
Differentiated Learning in the Classroom
Teachers know that not all students learn in the same way.
Some prefer written materials, while others work better with visuals, and still others excel when they are hands-on. These are just a few ways educators can try to differentiate learning in the classroom. But it can also be a challenge (and time-consuming) to develop specific and different material for the majority of the material being taught.
This is where modified history lessons, like those in the Grade 7 History Modified Bundle and Grade 8 History Modified Bundle, can be a great tool to add to the classroom. These lessons have each been developed specifically for those working below grade level, including students with an IEP and ELL students.
These modified history lessons bring difficult concepts back to basics, with simpler language and reading expectations. They also generally have more visuals to help with comprehension. They are a fantastic tool for students who need simplified material to better grasp the material.
These lessons are designed with student success in mind. Activities to reinforce learning are geared to those working below grade level, allowing the concepts to be solidified, while providing students with a sense of success as they engage with the material.
Lessons That Benefit Everyone
While modified history lessons are a fantastic tool for students working below grade level, they can also be a great tool for any student in the classroom.
Especially with a subject as complicated as history, students who normally work at grade level may struggle with a specific topic or lesson. Teachers can select to use a modified lesson or two with a particular student if they notice they are struggling with the material. This can help clarify the concept for the student and lay the groundwork for further learning about the topic.
By having modified history lessons that are pre-made, like those in this Grade 8 History Modified Bundle, teachers have a go-to resource they can use as they need it to meet the needs of each individual student. This is a time-saver for teachers, who can pick and choose from a wide selection of resources to help their students.
By using modified history lessons as needed in the classroom, students can also recognize the value of all learning materials. This can help reduce any stigma about using a modified lesson and reinforce the message that everyone needs different tools to learn, and that is perfectly fine.
Split Grade Classrooms
Modified history lessons are also a fantastic resource for split-grade classrooms. Since modified lessons are tailored to students working below grade level, there may be an opportunity for overlap between the split grades. This can help teachers manage the additional workload that can come from managing two grades, with different levels of learners in each grade.
For more information and tips for teaching split-grade classes, check out these posts: 7 Sanity-Saving Strategies for Teaching Split Grades and Best Strategies for Teaching Split Grade Classes.
Building a Cohesive Classroom
Teachers want to build a classroom where everyone feels like they belong and where their voice is valued. One way to do that is to get students working together whenever possible, no matter the level of material each student needs.
All 2 Peas and a Dog modified history lessons, like this Grade 7 History Modified Bundle, are based on the regular grade lessons, making them perfect for pairing in the classroom. The goal is to have students working on material that is as similar as possible.
This accomplishes a few things:
- It allows students to feel included since everyone will be working on similar material and the same topics.
- It helps teachers to manage the needs of multiple levels of learners, since lessons are as aligned as they can be.
- Aligning the lessons allows teachers to find ways to overlap material when possible, including through group discussions, activities, demonstrations, and interactive activities.
- Having students work together when possible helps enhance classroom cohesion.
I am a firm believer in the benefits of having all students work together when possible. I believe it benefits both students and teachers by promoting a unified classroom.
Try Digital Escape Rooms
One of the activities I love to use to encourage all students to work together is my no-prep digital escape rooms. These fun and educational challenges require teamwork, as students must answer a series of puzzles to free themselves from their digital space.
The information required to solve the puzzles will mean that many students need to share, contribute, and rely on the team to succeed. This is a great way to promote the message that everyone’s voice and contribution are valued.
Your students are sure to love this Canada Digital Escape Room, the Prime Ministers of Canada Digital Escape Room, and this Fake News Digital Escape Room.
Modified History Lessons Units for the Classroom
Grade 7 Modified History Lessons Bundle
This Grade 7 Modified History Lessons Bundle provides all the lessons you will need for a full year of instruction in your classroom. It pairs well with the regular unit, Grade 7 Canadian History Bundle, 1713-1850.
In this Modified Canadian history bundle, teachers will get 43 engaging lessons for their Grade 7 history students. Each lesson aligns with a critical concept in the Ontario Grade 7 History Curriculum, but has been produced with significantly reduced reading and writing expectations.
This resource was created to meet the needs of students on a modified IEP and/or ELL students, and an MP3 audio file of each student reading has been provided.
This Grade 7 Modified History Lessons Bundle includes:
- 43 Engaging Lessons: Immerse your students in captivating learning experiences that ignite their curiosity throughout both the Strand A and Strand B units, fostering a profound understanding and personal connection to the material.
- MP3 Audio Files: Elevate student learning and accessibility with audio recordings of the student readings, providing valuable support for diverse learning styles and ensuring active participation for all students.
- Easy-to-Use Lesson Plans: Simplify your teaching experience with easy-to-follow daily lesson plans, saving you precious time on preparation and enabling a seamless and enriching educational journey.
- Self-Marking Google Forms: Benefit from self-marking Google Forms, which streamlines the assessment process, providing automated grading and quick insights into your students’ progress.
- Graphic Organizers: Empower your students with graphic organizers that facilitate information organization, making complex concepts more accessible and memorable.
- Answer Keys: Streamline your grading process with readily available answer keys for assessments and activities, allowing you to focus more on teaching and providing timely feedback to your students.
- Print and Digital Formats: Embrace the convenience of accessing materials in both print and digital formats, effortlessly adapting to diverse teaching environments and catering to individual preferences.
Curriculum Alignment
- Ontario History Curriculum 2023 Grade 7 Strand A and B
Grade 7 Modified History Lessons Bundle: Lesson Overview & Modifications
Strand A
Intro – Why Study History? (Reading, Cut & Match)
1. Important Events Sorting Activity (Reading, Cut & Match)
2. Historica Minutes (Video, Fill in the Blanks)
3A. Canadian Settlement Objects Activity (Matching)
3B. Haudenosaunee, Inuit and Métis (Reading, True/False)
4. The Map of New France 1700 (Compare and Contrast)
5A. The Creation of New France (Reading, Fill in the Blanks)
5B. Medical Care in the 1700s (Reading, Cut & Match)
6. New France Vocabulary (QR Code Scavenger Hunt)
7. Historical Figures Assignment (Poster or Slideshow Creation)
8. Fur Trade Inquiry Assignment (Multimedia, True/False)
9. Mid-Unit Quiz (Multiple Choice, Short Answer)
10A. The Treaty of Utrecht 1713 (Fill in the Blanks)
10B. The Treaties (Reading, Cut and Paste)
11. Image Analysis & The Acadians (True/False)
12. Seven Years War (Readings, Newspaper Article)
13. The Establishment of British Rule (Reading, Folding Notes)
14. The American Revolution (Videos, Cut and Paste)
15. Black Loyalists Inquiry (Videos, Cut and Paste)
16. The Impact of the Loyalists’ Migration on the Mississaugas of the Credit Nation (Reading, Note-Taking Graphic Organizer)
17. The Constitution Act of 1791 (Reading, Cut and Match)
Strand B
1. Important Events (Reading/Cut & Match)
2. Métis & Settler Relations (Reading/True/False)
3. War of 1812 (Videos/Fill in the Blanks)
4. War of 1812 Overview (Reading/Interactive Notes)
5. Battle of Queenston Image Analysis (Image Analysis)
6. War of 1812 Inquiry (Structured Inquiry)
7. War of 1812 Newspaper Article (Fill in the Blanks)
8. Results of the War of 1812 (Reading/Cut & Match)
9. Mackinac and Drummond Islands (Reading/Cut & Match)
10. Mid-Unit Quiz (Quiz)
11. A Question of Identity: War of 1812 (Movie)
12. Life in Lower Canada (Reading/Cut & Match)
13. Lower Canada Government Structure (Reading/Cut & Match)
14. Château Clique (Reading/Fill in the Blanks)
15. The Rebellions in Lower Canada (Reading/Interactive Notes)
16. Life in Upper Canada (Reading/Colour Coding)
17. Rebellion in Upper Canada (Reading/Interactive Notes)
18. Rebellions Quiz (Quiz)
19. Legal Issues (Reading, True or False, Timeline, Opinion Writing)
20. Politics in British North America (Reading/Interactive Notes)
21. British – Indigenous Treaties (Reading, Fill in the Blanks, True False)
22. Summative Task (Poster)
Grade 8 Modified History Lessons Bundle
My Grade 8 Modified History Lessons Bundle includes everything you will need for a full year of history lessons for students working below grade level in your classroom. For students working at grade level, try my Grade 8 History Bundle: Confederation, Western Settlement and Changing Society.
In this Grade 8 Modified History Lessons Bundle, teachers will get 34 engaging lessons for their students. Each lesson is aligned with a critical concept in the Ontario Grade 8 History Curriculum, but has been designed with significantly reduced reading and writing expectations.
This resource was created to meet the needs of students on a modified IEP and/or ELL students. An MP3 audio file of each student reading has been provided.
Grade 8 Modified Canadian History Bundle Overview
- 34 Engaging Lessons: Immerse your students in captivating learning experiences that ignite their curiosity, spanning both the Strand A and Strand B units, fostering a profound understanding and personal connection to the material.
- MP3 Audio Files: Elevate student learning and accessibility through audio recordings of the student readings, providing valuable support for diverse learning styles and ensuring active participation for all students.
- Easy-to-Use Lesson Plans: Streamline your teaching experience with user-friendly daily lesson plans, saving precious time on preparation and enabling a seamless and enriching educational journey.
- Self-Marking Google Forms: Benefit from the efficiency of self-marking Google Forms, streamlining the assessment process and gaining quick insights into your students’ progress.
- Graphic Organizers: Equip your students with graphic organizers that facilitate information organization, making complex concepts more accessible and memorable.
- Answer Keys: Optimize your grading process with readily available answer keys for assessments and activities, allowing you to focus more on teaching and providing timely feedback to your students.
- Print and Digital Formats: Embrace the convenience of accessing materials in both print and digital formats, effortlessly adapting to diverse teaching environments and catering to individual preferences, ensuring a seamless and flexible learning experience.
Curriculum Alignment
- Ontario History Curriculum 2023 Grade 8 Strand A and B
Grade 8 Modified History Lessons Overview & Modifications
Strand A
Confederation Lessons
1. Why Study History? (Cut & Match)
2. Important Events Sorting Activity (Cut & Match)
3. The Changing Map of Canada (Analysis)
4. Expansion of the Dominion (Cut & Match)
5. Historical Figures Assignment (Poster Creation)
6. Politics in the Province of Canada (Interactive Notes)
7. Advantages and Disadvantages of Confederation (Cut & Match)
8. Advertising Confederation Assignment (Slideshow Creation)
9. Confederation (Fill in the Blanks)
10. Primary Source – Image Analysis
11. The British North America Act of 1867 (Cut & Match)
12. Unit Quiz
Western Canada Lessons
1. Historica Minutes (Videos)
2. Primary Source – Image Analysis
3. Legal Documents (Interactive Notes)
4. The Settlement of Western Canada: Soddie (Note-Taking)
5. The Manitoba Act of 1870 (Fill in the Blanks)
6. The Indian Act of 1876 (Interactive Notes)
7. Song Lyric Analysis (Primary Source Analysis)
8. Building The CPR (Newspaper Assignment)
9. The Chinese Immigration Act of 1885 (True/False)
10. Arctic Interests and Indigenous Case Law (Cut & Match)
11. Numbered Treaties (Interactive Notes)
12. Residential Schools (Graphic Organizer)
Strand B
1. Changing Society (Reading/Cut & Match)
2. Changing Society Videos (Videos)
3. Changing Map of Canada (Analysis)
4A. Historical Figures Assignment (Reading/Poster Creation)
4B. Important Canadians: QR Code Scavenger Hunt (Scavenger Hunt/Cut & Match)
5. Technology Inquiry (Inquiry)
6. Primary Source Analysis (Photo Analysis)
7. Legal Issues in Canada (Reading/Cut & Match)
8. The Telegraph Age (Reading/Fill in the Blanks/Morse Code)
9. A Changing Society Unit Quiz (Unit Quiz)
Students Working At Grade Level
And if you have students working at grade level, check out this Grade 7 History Bundle: New France, British North America, and Conflict 1713-1850 and Grade 8 History Bundle: Confederation, Western Settlement and Changing Society.
Free Long Range Plans
I’ve also created these easy-to-use, free long-range plans to help develop your plans for the school year.
Sub Plans
Looking to make those days away a little easier? Why not keep students on track and engaged with my ready-to-go sub plans? Your students will enjoy learning about Parliament Hill, Significant Moments in Canadian History, and the Avro Arrow.
Or try my Canadian History Sub Plans Bundle, which includes six different sub plan topics and activities. These activities are ideal for Grades 5 – 8 and focus on key topics in the Canadian Social Studies curriculum. They help students explore Canada’s past through inquiry-based tasks, writing prompts, and engaging visuals.
This resource includes:
- Significant Moments in Canadian History
- The Avro Arrow
- Parliament Hill Cat Colony
- Parliament Hill
- All About Canada – Canadian Alphabet Activity
- Prime Ministers of Canada Research Assignment
Report Card Comments
Save some stress and time during busy report card times by using my pre-made report card comment banks. I’ve created these easy-to-use report card comment resources that are Ontario Curriculum Aligned, 100% editable, and come in Google Docs™ Format.
Additional Resources
- 4 Helpful Ways to Teach Informational Text
- 13 Ways To Make History Class Engaging For Students
- 21 Ways to Make Social Studies Class Exciting
- 10 Fantastic Student Engagement Strategies To Keep Students Focused
Related Posts
