Category Archives: common core

#NCSS13 in St. Louis, Missouri

Brad Burenheide, common core, Glenn Wiebe, Kansas, social media, Uncategorized

Greetings from the “Show Me” State!

I happen to be at the premiere social studies education event in the country.  Approximately 2500 social studies educators, professors, and exhibitors have crowded the St. Louis America Convention Center for the annual conference of the National Council for the Social Studies.  I always look forward to this event and find it to be one of energy and it recharges my batteries after I hit the Fall Doldrums of the School Year.

It is also exciting for me.  My hotel is literally a stone’s throw from the arch and the Edwards Dome where the Rams play.  I walked to the conference last night in the rain, mist, and fog and in looking up, the upper half of the arch was covered.  It was beautiful.  Continue reading #NCSS13 in St. Louis, Missouri →

How I use “Discrepant Event Inquiry” in my classroom

best practice, common core, graphic organizer, historical thinking, history, lesson plans, library, literacy, Megan Klassen, photos, primary sources, strategies, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

A few years ago, I was introduced to “Discrepant Event Inquiry” from Glenn Wiebe. (Here is another post about it from his History Tech blog). The idea is that you take an image and only reveal a little bit at a time. As I reveal a little bit of the picture, the students must guess Who is in the picture, What is happening, When was the photograph taken, and Where is this taking place. This encourages students to think outside the box and it also does WONDERS with questioning and how to ask the right questions. Naturally, I turned this into a competition. Continue reading How I use “Discrepant Event Inquiry” in my classroom →

Graphic notes, primary sources, and literacy skills

common core, Glenn Wiebe, graphic organizer, historical thinking, literacy, photos, primary sources

bloody-sunday-2It seems like every social studies teacher I talk to asks about reading and writing strategies. Everyone is freaking about Common Core ELA literacy skills for history / government. And I suppose that’s a good thing. Good social studies instruction should always include reading and writing activities.

But I believe that we sometimes over-think the whole process. Give kids engaging questions, provide some interesting evidence, and step out of the way. An easy way to focus on document analysis and support writing skills is something I call Graphic Notes. I posted this on History Tech several weeks ago but I like it so much, I decided to post here as well!)

A Graphic Note is a lot like a Thought Bubble but takes it a bit further. So you can use it as a hook activity or even as a type of assessment.

1. Start by  Continue reading Graphic notes, primary sources, and literacy skills →

A Good Case of “Civil Disobedience” & KSDE Update

Brad Burenheide, common core, Don Gifford, history, Kansas, professional development, standards, strategies

We all teach our kids to obey laws and be good citizens whether it be at our home or in our classroom.  Yet, it is important that we also add when it is appropriate to practice civil disobedience.  Most good teachers that I know are quick to teach about MLK, Thoreau, and Gandhi and how their actions spurred the course of civic discourse to address rights (and wrongs) of their fellow citizens and their governments.  Now, we find ourselves amidst a government shut down that seems to be the result of party politics.  I present to you a perfect example of what civil disobedience is.  Of which, you can find the article here.   Continue reading A Good Case of “Civil Disobedience” & KSDE Update →

Literacy strategies and book sites

books, common core, Glenn Wiebe, literacy, reading, strategies, writing, , ,

Feeling a bit uneasy about how to respond to the Common Core Literacy Standards for History / Government? Struggling with what that looks like? Need a few ideas and suggestions for integrating reading and writing into your social studies instruction?

Here ya go! Continue reading Literacy strategies and book sites →