We working on comparing and contrasting today. The end goal was getting a chance to compare different information on explorers, and see similarities and differences. Why is that important? Well because it gets us thinking about patterns in the information we see. Additionally, it gets us taking a closer look at that information. Ultimately that is the goal, as we are moving towards looking at what impact did explorers have on history (positive and negative)?
The best part of this was modeling Venn diagrams with the kids. Part of the I do/We do/You do cycle involved me setting up a Venn diagram on fruits, and then starting to add to it. They got talking about what bananas and oranges had in common, and what was different. For example, one student said "they both need to be peeled." Well... really? Thankfully another student said "no, it doesn't need to be peeled. You can {squish} [hand smash on the table] it." That wasn't where it ended because I said "but you brought up a big point, maybe it doesn't need to be peeled, but think about that word peel..." The student replied "they both have peels or skin on the outside." Yes!
Once I cut them loose for independent practice, they did a great job. Included in that was one of my students restating the objective, and what he'd be able to learn from his Venn diagram. If there is one thing I have figured out, state your learning target often... and have it posted. Kids (and others) want to know what it is that you are doing, and WHY!
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