Acorn Circle              Virtual Educational Programs & Student Reader Booklets

 

 

               Thank you for visiting the Acorn Circle website. Over 25 years ago, the organization was formed to offer in-classroom educational programs to elementary and middle schools. The presentations primary focus had been on geography and the history of New York State. The approach of each program is for students to understand to know about the experiences and accomplishments of the past and the importance of history. After the Covid outbreak in 2020, the in-classroom presentations were given virtually to classes.  

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           As an independent historian, I am currently writing and offering my self-published booklets and articles for adults interested in local and NYS history. The focus is mainly on the Hudson Valley and Capital Region. However, I'm interested in the geography and history of the other areas of New York. It extends to the growth and development of the great Empire State and its role in the history of the United States.  

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History of Acorn Circle Co.

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            Acorn Circle Co. was initially formed in 1997 to assist educators in addressing the NYS Social Studies Learning Standards. The goal is to be a bridge between historical scholarship on New York State to students in elementary and middle schools. About 20 different in-classroom programs have been developed over the years using primary and secondary sources. A few of them are on United States and European history.  All of the programs can be done as virtual presentations. The sources for the programs are from historians, archaeologists, anthropologists and geographers. These scholars and scientists provide various perspectives to enhance student understanding of topics in social studies. These different approaches have been integrated in both the in-classroom and, now, virtual programs.

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          Many of educational presentations integrate geography, math, science and technology with social studies. The objective in each program is help the students to think about the importance of history in their lives. Over 20,000 students have seen the various in-classroom programs over the years in numerous school districts in New York.

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        Over the last several years, Acorn Circle Co. has expanded to offer student reader booklets on New York State history. There are questions throughout each reader to help students with reading comprehension. The goal is to offer the same quality social studies information to students as the in-classroom and virtual programs. The student reader booklets address the same NYS Learning Standards and Themes as all the presentations.

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Please feel free to contact me by email , if you are interested in any of the history articles, booklets, student reader booklets or virtual educational programs.

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Jeff Bennett

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