Month: February 2019

1. The lesson plan
2. The field trip

 

I had a lot of trouble with making an “i can” statement on the lesson plan. I was having a lot of trouble coming up with words that would be kid friendly but still got to the point of my lesson. I did my lesson plan based of a fourth grade class so I tried to make it less childish but it was tougher than other subjects I have done. Along with that I struggled with the objectives for the day. It might have been because I did an introduction to Jamestown. Lastly, how do we find all the vocab we need for each lesson? is there I can make sure i’m putting all the vocab words on my lesson plan?

 

I thought the field was lovely. I really did like the distant learning program. I wondered how effective it and do kids usually stay on task for something like that and for that period of time. My only concern was knowing the right time in a lesson to include it. Would it be in the beginning, the middle or the end? Also how far long in the unit would you use it? Can something like this be used to show primary sources? these were all questions I had while we were using the program.

This weeks topics that caught my attention:

1. Performance based assessments.
2.  Thinking as a Historians.

We spent majority of the class discussing performance based assessments. When I was in school all we had was tests, quiz, and every now and then we had a huge project to do. I think that performance based assessments puts a spin on assessment and allows children to think outside the box. But I will say it scares me to have to think about all the extra work it requires to come up with these type of assessments in lesson plans. When we were talking about the rubrics I was thinking about how much more I would have to include in my lesson plans. Don’t get me wrong I want to do anything to make sure my children are learning in a way that is fun for me but I do not want to over work myself focusing so much on making rubrics and how I would grade these type of assessments.

Toward the end of class we looked at the first Thanksgiving again. In the question it used the word “historians” this word has been brought to my attention several times in this class but I still don’t feel like I am thinking like a historian. Reflecting off the question, I feel like that we were supposed to put ourselves in a historian shoes. I had a lot of trouble doing that. I think for children who have trouble doing this there can be different ways of thinking like this. Im going to work on mine in the mean time.

 

 

Ideas that had my attention to the most:

1. Front-loading/Building Background Knowledge
2. The Lesson Plan watched in class

After last class, I realized how similar front loading and building background knowledge are. They are very informational and get the brains going. These topics are sometimes new to the children so I think it is nice to begin with an activity of some sort. In class we did the “tea party” method. While doing this activity I was surprised to find out information on Harriet Tubman that hadn’t once known. Along with that the facts that stuck with me I later saw later in class during the short reading. The more you keep seeing the facts the better you get a memorizing it. This was very useful.

The lesson plan we watched in class was interesting. It had a lot to do with what we were talking about in class. But what drew my attention to most was how calm and comfortable the teacher was with the subject she was teaching. There was diversity within the classroom. But I tried to put myself in those children’s shoes and I think I would have been uncomfortable to talk. Of course I see that now and I know the only reason I can say this now is because I feel strongly about the way children are taught slavery and civil rights. Growing up I was taught it was another revolution that “changed” the world, but in reality it really wasn’t just a thing that happen. It shaped todays society and created the very separatism we have in our classrooms. It is hard for me to reflect on this because in my mind I felt like I was the only in the class that looked at the video like this.

 

 

Haley Berkeley

I think that social studies is a topic that children don’t necessarily understand as a whole class. Thinking historically is very difficult to me I can only imagine what it is like for children. Looking at the chart today in class I was surprised to see the level of understanding of children. In most subjects, I find a clear understanding of how to teach it. I still haven’t found it for social studies. Im curious to see what its going to take.

 

 

Haley Berkeley