Thought bubbles on photos

Glenn Wiebe, graphic organizer, historical thinking, literacy, photos

Several of us were talking a few days ago about different ways to design hook activities that would engage kids while also encourage writing skills.

My favorite is to use thought bubbles on paintings or photos. Thought Bubbles ask kids to imagine what the people in the image are thinking.

Start by finding a photo or painting depicting an event, idea or group of people that helps introduce your content. I used the famous Emmanuel Leutze painting of Washington crossing the Delaware as my starting point.

Continue reading Thought bubbles on photos →

The 150th Anniversary of Gettysburg

As I will not be scheduled to post again prior to the actual anniversary, I felt it appropriate to blog about one of my favorite topics of study.  I still remember my high school history teacher describing the Battle of Gettysburg as the “-est” battle of the American Civil War.

Gettysburg_national_cemetery_img_4164-2

The “biggest,” the “bloodiest,” and had the “greatest impact” upon the history of America.  While this statement is contentious it is significant to remember this event for a variety of reasons that I think is important to make sure our students know about the battle, and the Civil War in general. Continue reading The 150th Anniversary of Gettysburg →

Just because they look the same doesn’t mean they are . . .

Cassie Medley, geography, lesson plans, maps, websites

When I started teaching last year I assumed that students would know how to read a map, use an atlas, and find locations on a globe.  What I soon realized was that most of my students couldn’t even tell the difference between a map of South America and Africa at first glance, because they have almost the same shape.  My goal for this year, spending the first several weeks practicing using all three of these resources until the students know that just because they look the same doesn’t mean that they are. Continue reading Just because they look the same doesn’t mean they are . . . →

A different type of professional development

historical thinking, Megan Klassen, professional development, reading, ,

Ok, we all know that one of the perks of being a teacher is that for about a month and a half we can think of this other than school. But if any of you are like me (which I’m guessing since you’re reading this blog in the summertime – you probably are!) summer isn’t as leisurely as people think. I feel that summer is a perfect time to reflect on my teaching philosophy, think about new things I want to try in my classroom, read blogs, maybe attend a workshop here and there, find ideas on the internet for experience-enhancing activities, and so on. The beauty of being a teacher is that we get to try things over and over again if we messed up the first time! I’m so happy that I get a new set of kiddos in August because I learn so much over the summer. USE YOUR FREE TIME WISELY! There aren’t many other careers where employees are given almost two months to just…reflect. Continue reading A different type of professional development →

Fact Pyramid / Because Box graphic organizer

common core, Glenn Wiebe, graphic organizer, historical thinking, literacy, reading, standards, , , ,

I had the privilege of working with 40 middle school social studies teachers last week. It’s the last few days of a three year Teaching American History grant and, yes . . . some teared up a bit towards the end. It’s been a great ride. We’ve all learned a ton – both content and pedagogy.

Last week, we enjoyed the sweetness of working with three history studs –  Mark Fiege, Elliott West, and Thomas Andrews – while also learning more about the best ways to incorporate their history content into actual lessons.

Master Teacher Nathan McAlister walked us through a variety of learning activities including panning for gold, cutting up buffalo, and arguing pros/cons of fracking during a city council meeting.

One of the smaller activities we did was a bit simpler and much easier for you to drop directly into your instruction. So I figured I would share it with all of you. Continue reading Fact Pyramid / Because Box graphic organizer →