One of the things I struggle with is making American History applicable in 2011. Some students just can't identify with history. It ends up being boring, and lacking in some of the advantages of artifacts and things in present-day. To me, that is what draws me to things like WCYDWT and Dan Meyer's other math problem solving ideas. Using multimedia that is visually interesting, and inspires questions that you want to solve gets kids really involved in learning.
On a daily basis I teach reading through social studies (and with some novel study). Specifically, I teach American History pre-1800. My teaching includes the Stamp Act. It includes the redcoats. It includes US government in basic structure. In what ways can I integrate present-day multimedia beyond simply drawing analogies? That is the challenge I am going to wrestle with heading into the close of the year. I've got some ideas for the CBA (classroom based assessment) that I'll share tomorrow (hopefully).
Showing posts with label american revolution. Show all posts
Showing posts with label american revolution. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Persuade Me
I am in the midst of finishing my pre-American Revolution unit. Kids get a feel for the colonies, what types of jobs are available, and how they were different. Then they get a feel for why the colonists want to split from Great Britain- things like the Stamp Act, the Boston Massacre, and the Boston Tea Party. The last section, before diving into the American Revolution, are some speeches for and against independence.
The oddity of this unit is that the kids know the ending: the colonies split (hooray) and win independence (double hooray). The nitty gritty they don't know, nor do they necessarily need to know in 5th grade (bits for sure). But the broader aspects are where they often hold complete fallacies. For example, most of my kids thought that everyone thought slavery was bad (not true- although I am glad they hold that sentiment now, good starting point). Most thought that a majority of people were patriots wanting independence ("Come'n, who wants to pay taxes on paper items?!").
One of the pieces we are doing is a dual reading/writing one. I had kids pick 1's and 2's, then had one student pick a piece of paper out of a bucket. There were two papers in the bucket, and the one she drew was the side (and other's with her number) needed to represent in a bit of speech writing. Why assigned a side? Well we know how it ends, right? Wouldn't you want to be on the winning side too? The excitement in the room when people were drafted into the loyalist and patriot camp was fantastic. It really set the tone for their research since all of them want to have really persuasive speeches. Hopefully that will carry into this week, and some great work and speeches.
The oddity of this unit is that the kids know the ending: the colonies split (hooray) and win independence (double hooray). The nitty gritty they don't know, nor do they necessarily need to know in 5th grade (bits for sure). But the broader aspects are where they often hold complete fallacies. For example, most of my kids thought that everyone thought slavery was bad (not true- although I am glad they hold that sentiment now, good starting point). Most thought that a majority of people were patriots wanting independence ("Come'n, who wants to pay taxes on paper items?!").
One of the pieces we are doing is a dual reading/writing one. I had kids pick 1's and 2's, then had one student pick a piece of paper out of a bucket. There were two papers in the bucket, and the one she drew was the side (and other's with her number) needed to represent in a bit of speech writing. Why assigned a side? Well we know how it ends, right? Wouldn't you want to be on the winning side too? The excitement in the room when people were drafted into the loyalist and patriot camp was fantastic. It really set the tone for their research since all of them want to have really persuasive speeches. Hopefully that will carry into this week, and some great work and speeches.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson
I have not been nearly as prolific in my reading since school started. Getting through kids books is going to be more difficult, if for no other reason than the amount of time that needs to be invested (intermediate chapter books compared to primary are two different stories). But this morning I happened to finish Laurie Halse Anderson's Chains.
Chains was a book of historical fiction about a slave seeking her freedom. It is set in New England, beginning with a scene where the main character Isabel finds out that her previous owner did not complete the documents to set her (and her sister) free. What makes this story more dynamic is that it is set at the start of the American Revolution. Being sold to a loyalist family sets the tone for what is to come.
This book weaves through the time period, keeping one eye on the greater story and another on the interpersonal relationships of Isabel and her owners (the Locktons). Anderson's ability to weave in the stories of patriots and loyalists was wonderful, creating a feeling of being in New York as the war was raging. I certainly enjoyed it, and am excited to read the second book "Forge." I'm considering reading it as a read aloud to each of my rotations when we move into the American Revolution, but I am also considering Fever 1793 (also by Anderson). We'll see. While I enjoyed it, the 300 page story might be difficult to get through with my groups (length has to be a consideration!). Again, we'll see.
Chains was a book of historical fiction about a slave seeking her freedom. It is set in New England, beginning with a scene where the main character Isabel finds out that her previous owner did not complete the documents to set her (and her sister) free. What makes this story more dynamic is that it is set at the start of the American Revolution. Being sold to a loyalist family sets the tone for what is to come.
This book weaves through the time period, keeping one eye on the greater story and another on the interpersonal relationships of Isabel and her owners (the Locktons). Anderson's ability to weave in the stories of patriots and loyalists was wonderful, creating a feeling of being in New York as the war was raging. I certainly enjoyed it, and am excited to read the second book "Forge." I'm considering reading it as a read aloud to each of my rotations when we move into the American Revolution, but I am also considering Fever 1793 (also by Anderson). We'll see. While I enjoyed it, the 300 page story might be difficult to get through with my groups (length has to be a consideration!). Again, we'll see.
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