Making History Come to Life

As teachers of Social Studies we are constantly seeking ways to answer the following questions...

• How can I help students understand the past and get inside others' experiences?
• How can I pique the student's interest in the study of history?
• How can I help students understand that history is an interpretive construction based on evidence

One way to attempt to address these questions is through the use of primary sources

This is a poster obtained from www.docsteach.org; a want ad for soldiers during the civil war.  The government used this to recruit "able bodied men" to volunteer for active duty in the infantry.

What does this document tell us

• The value of money during this time period
• The need to recruit soldiers
• The need for men to fight--not women
• The value of the "musician" during war time

Primary sources such as the one above provide opportunity for students to engage in exploration about the past unique ways!

Using many different resources can create interest, stimulate learning and truly bring history to life for students!!

Benefits of using Primary Sources

• A sense of life during a particular time period
• Encourage students to research and look critically at the material
• Allows students to use a variety of learning skills
• Teach students to be historians and delve into the past
• Create interactive learning experiences
• Engage learners in creative ways

Other resources that can be used to create exciting experiences for students

• People who can relay first hand experiences
• Artifacts
• Museums
• The local community
• Diaries
• Letters
• Pictures

     Help students to think critically to search for information, interpret what they see and find meaning...help them to ask the following questions: (adapted from Sunal, C.S., & Haas, M.E. (2011). Social Studies for the elementary and middle grades. 4th ed. Pearson Education Inc., Boston MA.)

• What does the document say?
• What values are expressed in the document?
• Does the document include any words indicating bias or prejudice?
• Does the document order action? By whom? To whom?
• Is the document legally binding?

Help students to learn skills to assess evidence and develop meaning in the field of history and social studies..because it is all an interpretation, a memory--let it be authentic and accurate!

Finding Artifacts in the Classroom

Using Artifact Bags

Before continuing on the post...take a look at the collage and think about  the questions below

What do you think is the purpose of the artifact bag?

What skills are the students using?

What makes this strategy so effective?

The information in this post is based on the following article:

Fahler, C.J., Farris, P.J., & Nelson, P.A. (2006).  Building literacy skills across curriculum: Forging connections with the past through artifacts. The Reading Teacher, 59(7), 646-659.

The article describes presenting decorative bags with artifacts inside to the class in order to utilize student's natural wonder and curiosity, so that students will read, write and seek information about the artifact.

Artifacts are simple objects which represent a time in history or culture.  Primary documents, i.e.  first hand materials are also included under this heading.

The use of artifact bags is based in the constructivist theory which encourages students to create meaning based upon prior knowledge along with authentic experiences and exploratory activities, thus developing an enhanced meaning of the material and greater understanding.

Tips for using Artifact Bags

1. Use bags to "surprise" students with what is inside.  Support inquiry based learning through discovery.
2. Use related books to allow students to seek clues about the artifacts.
3. Encourage students to speculate and share thoughts, scaffold discovery learning.
4. Use small groups or pairs to encourage learning through interaction.
5. Can use journals for inquiry learning or reflection.
6. Help students to make connections with the artifacts to self, text and the world.
7. Use expository texts to deepen understanding and enhance skills necessary for reading informational books.
8. This activity could be used to begin a social studies unit.
9. This activity could also be used to develop a research project or a culminating presentation.

This is an excellent strategy because...

• Uses constructivist and engagement theories of learning.
• Encourages the use of research based teaching methodologies.
• Integrates reading, writing and Social Studies
• Supports the use of technology in the classroom

Encourage children to be curious, to look for answers and come to conclusions...

"Curiosity is the wick in the candle of learning"

                                      -William Arthur Ward

Can Twitter Work in the Classroom?????

Do you view Twitter as a teaching tool???

Check out the link to learn 60 ways that teachers are using Twitter in the  classroom right now!! 

http://www.teachthought.com/social-media/60-ways-to-use-twitter-in-the-classroom-by-category/

Until recently when I imagined myself in my own classroom teaching, I did not envision Twitter having a place in it at all.  In the review of a number of resources including the blog above, I have re-examined those beliefs.  I do not know that I would use all 60 ways described... but it does have purpose!

I think all the suggestions and ideas have tremendous potential and use, but I think a classroom's use of Twitter will be very dependent on the school's resources, the environment and the age of the students.

As a future teacher I particularly favor the following suggestions:

• Parent Communication: this could be an efficient way to provide information to parents--parents could then discuss with their children what they did in school that day, rather than hearing students say, "nothing" to the age-old question.
• Bulletin Board: using twitter to post assignments, provide reminders and make announcements could be extremely useful.
• Resource for Teachers:in the quest for information and material..yet another tool to explore!
• Communication with Experts: while seeking expert information both students and teachers can use twitter to make direct contact with specialists and professionals.

Some things to think about when using Twitter:

• There should be effort to ensure that the use of Twitter in school is indeed school related.
• Make sure activities are appropriate to the age of the students.
• Ensure that all students have access to the technology, not just a few.
• Develop ways to hold students accountable.
• As a teacher, create ways to use Twitter so that you are not inundated with information and still respond and follow-up as appropriate.

So...Make it meaningful.....

"Constantly talking isn't necessarily communicating."                                                                  -Charlie Kaufman       

Social Media..for the classroom?!?

This is an excellent video of students sharing how they were able to use social media to enhance learning in a classroom.  Take a look...what do you think?

What do I think?
It was really interesting to hear students not only effectively using technology, but using sites that have typically been perceived as sites for social connections and entertainment. It was amazing to hear students using the technology to create authentic, productive and creative projects where true learning and discovery can occur. There was enthusiasm displayed by students who experienced a change in perspective and beliefs. One student discovered the purpose for the technology, that she believed was useless, after posting a Science video she created and benefiting from the feedback and comments of viewers. This student created more videos and demonstrated an increased interest in the area of Science. All the student projects were centered around academic content areas resulting in an increase of interest, motivation and excitement for the subject matter. I personally have never though Twitter had any other purpose than following your favorite celebrities and I have never used it. I now have some investigation to do, as the student who used Twitter to gather information has persuaded me to embrace some new ways of doing things! I have never heard of Diigo but was able to get a sense of what you the student was able to do with it; again, I need to engage in some discovery for myself!

What about Social Studies....

These technologies can be used to teach Social Studies by

• Connecting with individuals in geographic regions the students are learning about in order to gain a deeper comprehension of different areas of our nation and the world.
• Learning first hand about other communities and how they compare to the school's community on variables such as environment, jobs, living conditions, and economics.
• Connecting with professionals to gain information and develop an enhanced understanding of material being learned in the classroom.
• Providing resources for students to work together on group projects or assignments.
• Creating a forum for the sharing of information and a "showcase" for student work.
• .......... (options endless!!!)

The availability of resources and information is almost overwhelming, but how exciting it is to have the opportunity to increase student's motivation for learning in ways that have never been seen before!

"Never be afraid to try something new.  Remember amateurs built the ark, but professionals built the Titanic."

                                                                     -unknown

The Box Office is Open!

Hudson Hype Productions Team

  Using the materials and guidelines provided by BizMovie, the two teams of the class began to develop some ideas with the goal of producing a movie as well as the development of a commercial to promote it.

Our group was Hudson Hype Productions and we decided to develop a book trailer to promote the book "The Road to the Revolution" which describes events leading up to the American Revolution.

After assigning company positions, the group looked at how              much money we would need to produce and market our movie.  Some of the cost included:

• Production Design Packages



The two companies for Biz Movie

• Air Time for the Commercial
• Marketing and Design
• Ticket supplies
• Salaries

We began with the development of a "pitch" to a Venture Capitalist who would then buy shares of our company so that we would have the cash to purchase the necessary materials and supplies.

A story board was created for the book trailer, and a commercial concept was developed--and the group went to work!

Take a Look...our commercial and the movie...

 

Looking Back...and Ahead....

The connections that can be made through the BizWorld programs are endless.  As a future teacher I can definitely see the immense value for students to increase learning and provide concrete understanding of abstract concepts.  

As a student in the class working on the BizMovie project, I can honestly say I developed an increased understanding of economic concepts, business and the world of finance!  My understanding was further enhanced through a lecture by Professor Louis Fortunato, MBA and Dr. Rezaul Hossain.  I considered it a privilege and was very thankful to them for taking the time to share some of their vast knowledge on the subject!  

THANK YOU TO OUR GUEST SPEAKERS!!!!

Lauren F., Dr. Hossain, Dr. Smirnova, Barbara B. (me) and Prof. Fortunato

At the end of the experience, both companies tallied their results in order to determine if the company had been profitable.  Hudson Hype Production's "The Road to the Revolution" resulted in a profit of 16 bizbucks...(at least it did not end in the RED!!)  In light of what I have learned, I would choose now to sell less stocks to our venture capitalist in order to decrease our cash on hand and increase the company's share of the profit.  I would also choose to sell the tickets for less money in order to increase ticket sales.

Overall it was a very worthwhile and interesting experience!

"The only source of knowledge is experience"

-Albert Einstein

Biz What???...Biz Movie!!!

The class was introduced to the company Biz World, a not-for-profit organization located in San Francisco.  This company offers programs to develop critical thinking, leadership and team work skills in young people through the teaching of business, entrepreneurship and finance.

BizWorld provides programs that can be brought into classrooms to provide authentic learning experiences of economic concepts and business development.  As future teachers, we are going to be working through all project areas to have a better understanding of how it can be used in classrooms.

Our Teaching Social Studies methods class chose to use BizWorld to create a movie company. Our class first had the opportunity to Skype with a representative of BizWorld which was a good way to begin the project!  This also reminded me how far we have come in terms of technology-I am constantly AMAZED!!!  Students will move through all the steps; from business formation, hiring, fundraising, production, marketing and sales.

I think we are all feeling a little confused and out of our element, but we managed to form two companies that will each work together to learn about business development and management.

What do we do now??

Our assignment was to look over the job positions and complete the application related to the position we would like to have.  

I think this could be a great activity for students in the classroom.  Students have the opportunity to review job specifications and then reflect on what skills they have relevant to the desired position.  Students then complete open-ended questions on the application such as, why do you think you would be a good candidate for the job?  This is also an excellent English Language Arts activity.  This could tied to a unit persuasive writing for younger students or even job search skills for older students.

What do I think??

When I think back to my own learning of Economics in High School---I don't think I can!!!!  Not that I wasn't there or I am so old I do not remember.  I do remember being in the class, I remember the teacher but I do not remember what we did nor do I have any recollection of what I had learned.

I know there was a lot of lecture, with a half a year devoted to Economics and the other half to government...I think...yeah it was that interesting!!!  There are classes from High School I can remember quite well and even sparked my interest for future educational pursuits...this was not one of them!!!

In light of my own experiences, I can only say that using a program like this can only increase student learning and attention.  Concepts traditionally taught from a text book are brought to life through authentic learning experiences and exploration.  This program also encourages students to solve problems, think critically and work cooperatively.  I can truly say this program seems to encompass the meaning of the Chinese proverb:

"Tell me and I'll forget, show me and I may remember--involve me and I'll understand"

LET'S BE INVOLVED!!! 

Who are You?

How do we get to know each other?

This is a question teachers ask themselves at the start of each year.  We may have some information on our students, but how do we get to know their background, thoughts, accomplishments, talents, fears, and ambitions?  How do we make it fun, creative and interesting for everyone?

The t-shirt template

Make a T-Shirt??????

At the beginning of our teaching Social Studies method class, I did not know what to think when Dr. Smirnova said we would make a T-shirt to share with the class...do I have to design an actual t-shirt?  Do I take my fabric markers and start going nuts?!?!  In actuality, this was a digital t-shirt.  We were supplied with a template and asked to answer the following questions...using pictures only!!!

1.  What are the countries of your heritage

2.  What Social Studies teaching or similar experiences have you had?

3.  What has made you proud?

4. What make you anxious about teaching students?

The t-shirts were then presented to the class and we used an inquiry based format to elicit thoughts and ideas from others about the things we tried to represent on our shirts.  It was really interesting to see and hear everyone's responses.  I guess that is what I enjoyed most;  that it was not just words, it was not just pictures but an exciting way to use both to gain insight and understanding of each other!

My Future Class

I think this would be a tremendous activity to do in a classroom.  Of course questions would be designed that would be appropriate to the grade level.  It really forces some creativity and gets students thinking about who they are and learning about the other students in the class.

I believe this could be adapted for any grade level.

Suggestions of adaptations:

• Use cutouts from magazines or even clip art pictures to have students glue onto a paper t-shirt to share with the class.
• Use 3 focused questions that focus on the student's family, background, favorite things,  friends or pets (for younger students).
• Older students could include future plans, career thoughts or job activities.
• Students could create digital t-shirts in conjunction with a computer lab activity in order to teach technology as well.  Print outs could then be shared with the class.
• Instead of t-shirt, students could create a collage out of pictures in response to specific questions about them.
• The options are only limited by your imagination......

BE CREATIVE, BE ENTHUSIASTIC..IT IS CONTAGIOUS

Welcome to Social Studies Methods for Childhood Education

On the first day of Research Methods in Teaching Social Studies for Childhood Education, it quickly became evident that we would be learning a lot more than how to teach Social Studies!!  To say that technology is a big component of the course is almost an understatement!  As an adult learner pursuing my Master's Degree in Education, I have developed some pretty good computer skills, but honestly the first day filled me with some fear!

Right behind the fear was also excitement, as I thought about my recent realization that I did need to improve my skill and knowledge with technology.  I will be teaching students, who unlike myself, have always had technology in their lives. When I was an undergraduate most student did not even have

computers--the Brother word processor did everything you needed!  Wow, things sure have changed!

Fear is Just Excitement in need of an Attitude Adjustment!

I recently saw this statement on a sign and I think that is what I do when I am exploring new skill in technology.  I change fear into excitement, and instead of running from it, I embrace technology, I am amazed by it, I will learn it, use it, and find ways to use technology to make the classroom a place for authentic, quality learning and discovery. 

Technology and our world---Make it work for you!!!

LET THE ADVENTURE BEGIN....