Can You Guess My Theme?

Below is my artifact bag that I completed for our Social Studies Methods class.  I felt that this project really helped us explore our unit theme "Goods and Services in Our Community."  I could see our group for fieldwork presenting an artifact bag to our class to help introduce Economics.  I tied my artifact bag into American History with Native Americans.  You can click on the image to be able to see the print.  

What is Up With Unit Plans??

Today in class we discussed Unit Plans.  We also discussed developing are Unit Plans for our upcoming fieldwork sessions.  A Unit Plan is the largest segment of teaching a key idea, a skill, an attitude or a value.  May consist of 4 weeks to a semester.  Evaluation criteria for Unit Plans are: Significance, Coherence and Relevance.  Significance is content that is taught is important to the discipline and to the student's need for powerful social studies.  Coherence is the questioning and investigation nature of social studies cuts across all parts of the unit and across the curriculum. Relevance is the content, activities and the breadth of experiences in the Social Studies unit reflect the student's current life, future goals, and aspirations.

We also learned about different types of Unit Plans.  Descriptive Content-Focused Unit Plans are focused on the student's acquisition of knowledge.  Thinking Skills-Focused Unit Plans focus less on content and more about the process of developing inquiry and thinking skills.  Theme Focused Unit Plans cut across Social Studies topics and integrate other subject areas.  Problem-Solving Unit Plans are an attempt to solve an issue or a problem relevant to an individual, a group or society as a whole. Unit Plans can also be disciplined based, parallel, interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary.
 
We also discussed different methods of planning our Unit Plans.  One of the examples that was shown to us in class was a Planning Wheel.  Out of all the different methods shown to us, I like this one the best and I could myself using this in my own class.

With the Planning Wheel the teacher would start with the Social Studies topics in the outermost ring.  Then add subjects (science, ELA, math, Arts, etc.) that fit in the second, third, etc. all the way to the center of the ring which is student's achievement. 

So far, we have learned SO much on how a well organized lesson plan should be and how to make the Unit Plans engaging for students.  It is definitely a lot to take in but I feel like I am finally understanding the process better!

Using Visual Mapping to Explore Unit Plans

Above is a picture of my visual map that I created to lay out the different parts of unit plans.  I found this activity to be very helpful in remembering all aspects of the unit plan and was fun to do at the same time.  If you do not know what a visual map is, check it out here.  More to come later this week on what I have learned about effective unit plans and how to implement them!

Inspiring Young Historians Through Artifact Bags

For students to be motivated to actively learn about history you must first inspire them to do so.  Being able to touch and see history will help activate their thinking and immerse them into history.  I think artifact bags are just the right way to activate Cambourne's engagement theory as it is stated in the article we read for class.  (If you do not remember what Cambourne's engagement theory is, check it out here.  This concept is critical in creating a successful classroom. For those of you who are not in our Social Studies Methods class with Dr. Smirnova...an artifact bag is when you select a collection of artifacts that relate to a historical topic you may be introducing or it could be used as a get to know you project.  The artifacts are then wrapped up, so that the student may discover each one separately.  This really does add to the experience for the children I believe.  Then, just place them in a little bag and you have got yourself an artifact bag!  A teacher could use this at the beginning of a unit to introduce a new historical period.  Artifact bags could also be used to introduce primary sources.  Students could also use artifact bags in creative writing.  After discovering the items, they would then be responsible for creating the character and writing a story about this new character's journey.  Artifact bags could also be used as a really nice way to get to know your students and to show them your history.  Some tips to remember when creating your collection of artifacts and presenting the lesson are:

• The teacher must first model how to discover an artifact bag.  One must actually walk through the process, "telling" is not sufficient enough.  
• Talk aloud about what you are thinking about as you walk through the process.  
• Ask the students' plenty of quality questions that help guide them in their discoveries.  
• Help them summarize what they have learned and highlight the important facts.  
• Incorporate reading and writing into the lesson.
• Make sure the groups that the students are separated into are diverse.  Each student will have a different strength, it is important to identify these.

Our professor, Dr. Smirnova, had us discover an artifact bag in our class on Wednesday.  Below are the artifacts we found in our bags.  After investigation of the artifacts we discovered the person was her!  It was a very interactive and fun way to get to know our professor!

Yes! There are benefits behind studying history!!

History to some may mean something different.  Some people, for instances historians, believe that when our past is study in a chronological way and it is interpreted, explains events and shows us the truth.  Though the definition of history in school is much more diverse.  The goal of studying history in school is not just to inform our students of the past but it is also to create "responsible citizens."  This is done when a student is aware of their culturally background and others of the world.  The only way to accomplish this is by discovering our past.

There are so many benefits from studying history.  By studying history it helps the students identify who they are and how they "fit" into this world.  Imagine not knowing about your past ancestors and where you came from?  This helps students create an identity and sense of who they are and where they are going.  Secondly, history helps you understand other subjects.  History easily ties into other humanities in school and will help create a well-rounded student.  Third, history helps create a sense of national identity.  We are one nation and we stand together.  This is important for students to grasp.  It creates a sense of community.  Studying history will definitely develop a citizen with good morals and sense of "we are all in this together!"

Chapter 11 also discusses as the Bradley Commission of 1989 refers to "habits of the mind."  These are intellectual skills that are developed due to the study of history.  I thought these were particularly interesting because, honestly, I never considered the many benefits of history.  I have always enjoyed learning about our past but never considered what I was receiving in return for studying it.  The Bradley Commission states what skills are developed when studying history:

• Understanding the past is significant to individuals and society
• Comprehend the diversity of cultures and shared humanity
• Comprehend the interplay of change and continuity
• Accept uncertainties of life - so important!
• Consider conclusions and generalizations as tentative
• Read widely and critically

Students develop all this just from exploring our past!  Amazing!  With these "habits of the mind" being developed, I do not know why history is not influenced more in schools today.  

The bottom line is that studying history is imperative, it is a must.  Without history in our schools students will not understand how far we have come, be able to learn from our mistakes and celebrate our successes.  

Teaching Powerful Social Studies!

Today in class we discussed elements of powerful Social Studies and how teach effectively.  I think making Social Studies meaningful is an idea that is necessary in our society.  To engage students and have them make connections to the world around them is SO important.  I think this is forgotten in classroom sometimes. I know this was forgotten when I was in school a long, long time ago!  Also, to make Social Studies integrative, to include all subjects in their learning is another important aspect we cannot forget about.  Another powerful element of teaching Social Studies effectively is when lessons are value-based.  This is important to develop critical thinking skills in our young students.  We as teachers have to make sure our lessons are challenging enough to students to encourage them to learn.  Goals need to obtainable for students.  Teachers need to know when to lead and when to support the leadership of their students in lessons.  I feel that the most important concept is when they are active.  To keep your students actively engaged in learning is important in all studies.  Teachers must also be active in their learning process, always adapting their lessons to the needs of their students.  This really ties in all aspects of meaningful teaching.  Being able to adjust lessons and make new decisions for your students on what is taught is crucial in successful teaching!  I found what we learned in today's class to be so imperative in our journey to become teachers.  This reading has inspired me.  I want to light a fire in students, to create a desire to learn about the world around them, be self-motivated in the process and become better citizens.  I want this for every student.  If I could accomplish this one goal...I know I would be making an excellent impact on students.

Walking and Talking the Timeline

Another important aspect of Chapter 11 was effectively teaching history and using timelines in the classroom.  I feel that this teacher does an excellent job in utilizing a timeline in her classroom.  Students work could be added to the timeline as the year progresses.  At the end of the year, the students could narrate the timeline as a culminating project.  Love this idea!

Why Study History?

I came across this video after reading a chapter in my Social Studies Methods book.  I thought it pertained to the chapter because it really illustrates WHY it is important to study history.   It is important to study past history so that students understand how they fit into our history.  Also, it is important to understand past history because it makes it easier to understand the present.  Students can also learn from past mistakes and successes.  It is also important to study history because it creates a sense of unity as a nation.  This movie was inspiring and could be used in the classroom.  It would be a good opening video in the beginning of the year with students to help explain to them why they are learning what they are.  The pictures are moving and go well with the music.  The creator does an excellent job explaining why history is important.

A Vision of Students Today Video Reflection

When I saw this video I truly felt bad for students who feel this way.  I am sure there are a lot of students that get lost at larger universities and colleges and it should not be that way.  I am blessed with professors who know my name and know me personally.  We use the books that are required of us to have and students show up to class.  I have never known it to be any other way.  I guess I am a lucky student.

"Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire." - William Butler Yeats 

Learning to Teach

Another semester has started and I am off to a running start.  I already know this semester will be a busy one!  I am looking forward to learning new methods of teaching and learning from all my professors.