1st Semester FLEW by!

As the first semester ends with an incredible snow storm, I find myself reflecting on the learning that went on since August!

Throughout the year, the students were challenged to read and take notes over the text, discover the main idea and key phrases central to the topic. Vocabulary quizzes were systematically given to ensure mastery and understanding of the terms, and retention quizzes were periodically given to ensure the understanding was long term. Throughout the reading assignments and the vocabulary quizzes, the students were also immersed in Project Based Lessons ranging from the 2012 Election to the Fiscal Cliff and how a bill becomes a law. It was my hope that the students would begin to apply the low level vocabulary terms and be able to draw their own conclusions about real life situations regarding our government.

The seniors have covered over half of the ICC standards and benchmarks and demonstrated their understandings of each during finals week. They were challenged to convey what they know to be true about the standards and then to reference their text or other supporting expository readings to provide evidence for their conclusions. The students used Google Drive and then shared their document with me so I can not only assess their understanding, but will be able to keep for documentation of students having learned the core curriculum.

Juniors in American History are also winding down their 1st semester by discussing their standards from the Iowa Core. Throughout the year, the students were asked to learn low level facts and terms, just as the seniors, and were challenged to apply these understandings using higher order thinking skills. Our most recent Driving Question was, "How Do We Perfect Our Union?" From this topic, the juniors created their own essential questions, spent a considerable amount of time researching and compiling pictures to illustrate the answer to their question. We then created a large map of the US and cut sections of the states out in which the students affixed their collages of pictures. A picture of the completed project will soon be posted as that will much more clearly explain the project! The juniors were awesome and the project (hopefully) brought topics from the Civil War to life!

I am excited to continue pressing forward in the Iowa Core and creating (with the assistance of the students) Project Based Lessons for semester 2!

Hey JUNIORS!! #1 Letter to Editor

Okay, Junior American History, Here is your Question for the Week.... "In YOUR life, what would cause you to rise up and actually form an organization with the full-fledged goal of breaking away from the authority?"  Can't wait to see your BLOG response!!!  Have fun with it and remember NOT to publish/post until you believe it to be the best work -- no one should post before Thursday! (unless lots of work outside of class was done!)

2012-13 STARTING NOW!

As this school starts, I am so excited with new ideas and methods to experiment and tweak throughout the year! Asking the students to hang in there with me and have a great time exploring all there is to offer in the Social Studies world! So much to be gained other than the content! Driving questions that are challenging me this year include:

1. If something is "Googleable" why would we spend precious class time teaching it?
2. When we ask students to summarize, do we actually want to know what's important to them?
3. What do you suppose students think they are supposed to be doing when we ask them to analyze?
4. Do you ever ask your students questions you don't know the answer to? Why not?
5. Think about all those things we teach kids claiming "you'll need to know this someday." With the exception of teaching it, when's the last time you needed to know any of that stuff?
6. Do your students need more information, or skills in how to critically evaluate the information that surrounds them?
7. How much of what's really important in life, is taught in a classroom?
8. Why do we usually teach all the boring facts first and save the interesting stuff for later?
9. When we cover material, what is it that we think we have accomplished?
10. Is being told something the same as learning it?
11. What would content area teaching look like if it were taught the way an art teacher teaches art?
12. If state testing went away tomorrow, would we actually teach differently?

Mrs. Nelson and I are now professionally trained in Project Based Learning; we are super excited to start building projects together for our Juniors. Putting together a well thought out project that is authentic, academically rigorous, includes applied learning, encourages students to be active explorers,  build adult relationships, and have a worthy assessment is quite a challenge. We are ready to put our best foot forward in engaging the students in an awesome learning experience!!  

Thumbs up if you are a successful blogger!

Surprise! I'm Done Blogging! Time to Study Supreme Court!

Jacob and Kyle FOCUSED!

Seniors busy blogging about recent activity regarding 14th Amendment

Seniors and Juniors

The Seniors have been CrAzY busy as researchers; first challenged with the assignment of creating their own essential question regarding a president. Next, they researched and developed their own conclusions to write their OWN research!  There are so many questions in which I cannot wait to see the answers!

The WWII museum is nearly completed!!  The projects will hopefully be done this week and the museum will come together this week or early next week JUST in time for the Fish Fry!  They have also created an essential question based on a WWII topic of their choice, next they explored various Web 2.0 activities, and finally used their imagination to CREATE! I cannot wait to see this unfold!

Upcoming....

Seniors - Remember your information needs to be ready  to build in an outline by Monday!

Juniors - Have your information ready to start creating your projects by Monday!

New Post with information from State of Union:  Include summary of the information you gained from studying the document/and incorporating the roles of the president; be sure to include your opinion!

Ideas for Spirit Squad...

Post some ideas for spirit squad --- What can we do to vamp up school pride and have fun while learning, of course!! Go Stars! :)  ...just comment on this post to share an idea!

Off to the SECOND SEMESTER!!!

The school year is half over! Whew! Government is gearing up for the executive branch as well as the judicial branch and all those Supreme Court cases! History is going to get depressing with the Great Depression! World Geography is starting anew with a bunch of fresh faces!!  Here we go!