Interactive Historian: Thanksgiving

I came across a website my friend posted on facebook. I'm definitely going to use it on Wednesday before the big T-day during our social studies time. It is an interactive website that tells both sides of the Thanksgiving Day story. It's got great teacher ideas and interactive templates for students to write about what they learned from the site.

Great resource! Check it out.
http://www.plimoth.org/media/olc/intro.html

Books, Journals, Happy Kids

Social Studies, 3rd Grade, Michigan. I am having my students make books about Michigan's First People, the Native Americans. They will make a page of important details about each tribe we read about. They will use the information in their books to do a group presentation for the chapter summative assessment. I told my students that the pictures they draw have to be accurate of the people they are writing about. So far, so good from the looks of things.

 

I also started Math Journals this week. This allows students to write about math. They have to write 3 sentences or questions about what we did in math that day. Above is a copy of my student's work from working with tally marks. I was very surprised by the clarity of his thinking about math. I can tell from this journal that he really understood the lesson. These help me hear my student's thinking about math and I use them to decide if I need to reteach any topic the following day before moving on to a new lesson.

 

My buddy, J, hasn't been doing too well in school. Teachers seem to isolate him as the trouble maker in the class. So far I've only been able to talk with his parents when he has been acting out. This week though I've noticed that he is showing improved behavior. I wrote this note in the morning. I told him that I wanted to give it to him at the end of the day. Throughout the day I would walk by his desk and tell him I really wanted to give him the note. I noticed he would finish his work and wait quietly or follow directions immediately. It was awesome when I gave it to him at the end of the day. He smiled really big and gave me a hug. You know, as a teacher, I have the ability to shape someone's future in a sense. If I can get J to begin to like school and like his teachers and be interested in his learning, I can change this boy's life. He is not hopeless. He has potential. It's my personal goal to get him to realize his potential by the end of this school year. I'm excited to see the progress he'll make.

Hand-made Resources

3rd grade social studies focuses on Michigan. I spent the day searching the web for age-appropriate resources to teach what Michigan's natural resources are and how they've been used in Michigan. I didn't find anything that I thought my 3rd graders would be able to really digest.

So, here goes, I made me own (weebly) website.

It's not the best, but it's not supposed to be exhaustive. I hope it does an adequate job though. Any comments?

Michigan's Natural Resources

Learning should be an Adventure

That's what I learned today. I've been planning and teaching social studies all week. I don't know if it's the language barrier or if my kids just take longer to learn things than other children. But, I spent 2 days teaching Michigan's lower and upper peninsulas, and the concept of cities, states, countries, and continents. And even still today I had kids tell me that Detroit was a continent. Oh boy...

Yesterday I was a little frustrated with all of the talking all day long and I portrayed that in the way that I taught. I felt as if I went into the lesson on the defensive. "Jose, turn around. Yahir, stop talking. Amarangie, what is in your hand? Put it down! Bryan, stop making noises." That's basically how I talked to the kids for an entire lesson. And it wore me out. I didn't want to do that again today.

Today, we became expert map readers! It went a little something like this:

Boys and girls, you didn't know it, but all week long I've been training you to be expert map readers. You know all about Michigan and now it's time to go even bigger. Today, boys and girls, we are going to become such expert map readers that we will be able to look at any map and know exactly what it means...

And that's how it went. I feel that it was much more affirmational of the skills that my students already possessed. And not only did my students feel affirmed, they felt invited on an adventure with me.

You see, when it comes to 2 o'clock in the afternoon, kids are tired of learning. And social studies was always the subject I appointed to take naps during. (Maybe that's why I'm having such a hard time teaching it!) But as soon as I approached the classroom with a fresh, positive attitude and a hint of mystery, it seemed that they responded very well to it.

The only drawback though is that I still have to hold their hands while going through lessons. I have to not only model, but model step by step. There has got to be a way to wean students off of needed so much help. They are only 8, but next year is 4th grade, and they don't get their hand held through the lessons in 4th grade. I want to teach them to think critically, but at this point they just don't seem ready for it yet.

I hope it comes soon.