Ms. Kathy Wheat, an eighth grade teacher at Philip W. Sugg Middle School in Lisbon, recently taught her students a unit covering the period in history on “No taxation without representation.” Ms. Wheat wanted to have her students understand what this meant to the people during this era. In an effort to bring history to life in her classroom, Ms. Wheat dressed up like a queen. When her students wanted something, they had to pay her a “tax” in order to have permission granted. Students got taxed on things like going to get a drink during class. After a while, students objected to the “tax” and were getting very angry at their “queen” for taxing them without representation. Some students rebelled against the taxes, but were made to pay if they wanted something from the “queen.” The students’ reaction to the unfair “tax” was exactly what Ms. Wheat had hoped would be the reaction in her classroom. Students were quick to “learn” the lesson and could relate to how the colonist reacted when they were taxed unfairly. Ms. Wheat provided a “living history” to her students and made the learning experience one students could remember and have some fun too.

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