Daily Activities – Arthur Blank
The daily activities created for each of the Today in Georgia History segments are designed to meet the Georgia Performance Standards for Reading Across the Curriculum, and Grade Eight: Georgia Studies. For each date, educators can choose from three optional activities differentiated for various levels of student ability. Each activity focuses on engaging the student in context specific vocabulary and improving the student’s ability to communicate about historical topics.
One suggestion is to use the Today in Georgia History video segments and daily activities as a “bell ringer” at the beginning of each class period. Using the same activity daily provides consistency and structure for the students and may help teachers utilize the first 15-20 minutes of class more effectively.
Optional Activities:
Level 1: Provide the students with the vocabulary list and have them use their textbook, a dictionary, or other teacher provided materials to define each term. After watching the video have the students write a complete sentence for each of the vocabulary terms. Student created sentences should reflect the meaning of the word based on the context of the video segment. Have students share a sampling of sentences as a way to check for understanding.
Level 2: Provide the students with the vocabulary list for that day’s segment before watching the video and have them guess the meaning of each word based on their previous knowledge. The teacher may choose to let the students work alone or in groups. After watching the video, have the students revise their definitions to better reflect the meaning of the words based on the context of the video. As a final step, have the students compare and contrast their definitions to their textbook, dictionary or other teacher provided materials definitions.
Level 3: Provide the students with the vocabulary list and have them use their textbook, a dictionary, or other teacher provided materials to define each term. After watching the video, have the students write a five sentence paragraph based on the provided writing prompts.
Vocabulary/Writing Prompts:
Pharmaceutical
CFO
Enterprising
Venture
Conducting
Market Research
Innovative
Franchise
Consecutive
Sought
Writing Prompts
1. Do you think Arthur Blank is a man willing to take risks? In a five-sentence paragraph
discuss why risk is an important part of business and use Arthur Blanks founding of
Home Depot and purchase of the Atlanta Falcons as an example.
2. In a five-sentence paragraph explain what you think the video means when it argues
that innovative customer service and commitment to success worked well at Home
Depot and in the football business.
3. Why are entrepreneurs important to Georgia? In a five-sentence paragraph use the
story of Arthur Blank to explain how entrepreneurs can have a positive impact on
Georgia.
Related Georgia Performance Standards:
Reading Across the Curriculum (Grades 6-12)
SSRC1 Students will enhance reading in all curriculum areas by:
c. Building vocabulary knowledge
• Demonstrate an understanding of contextual vocabulary in various subjects.
• Use content vocabulary in writing and speaking.
• Explore understanding of new words found in subject area texts.
d. Establishing context
• Explore life experiences related to subject area content.
• Discuss in both writing and speaking how certain words are subject area
related.
• Determine strategies for finding content and contextual meaning for unknown
words.
Common Core, College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Writing
Text Types and Purposes
1. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using
valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and
information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and
analysis of content.
3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective
technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies
Theme 1: Culture; Theme 4: Individual Development, and Identity; Theme 7:
Production, Distribution, and Consumption
Grade 8 Georgia Studies
SS8E3 The student will evaluate the influence of Georgia’s economic growth and
development.
a. Define profit and describe how profit is an incentive for entrepreneurs.
b. Explain how entrepreneurs take risks to develop new goods and services to start a
business.
c. Evaluate the importance of entrepreneurs in Georgia who developed such enterprises
as Coca-Cola, Delta Airlines, Georgia-Pacific, and Home Depot.