FQR and Thanksgiving!

So I really enjoyed the FQR activity in class.  I remember in school when we would have to write things that we were thinking on a separate sheet of paper.  I always hated having to keep up with it when it was all separated.  I liked being able to use Post it notes.  I think I would have enjoyed the activity a lot more if I could have used the Post It notes.  I think it is a great way to make kids think about what they are reading.  This requires some thought while reading which enhances their critical thinking skills!

As Thanksgiving gets closer, I keep getting mad about what I read.  I realize that that is the way it is socially accepted.  But, I don't think it is fair to the kids who are having to learn it.  If they have to come to school, I think it is the least we can do to actually teach them what really happened.  Otherwise, what is truely the point of making them come to learn the "socially accepted" version of what happened.  But anyways, I understand that they have to pass the tests, but I think there has to be a better way of teaching the material that actually occurred and won't be on the tests.  It's only fair that we inform our children properly!

Book Talk It Up!

So I loved the idea of the book talk! I thought it was such a great way to keep language arts in social studies! Having the class to tell us all about the books that were read was fascinating! I have always struggled to read history books, so learning about it through historical fiction makes the material so much more exciting! I feel like I have come away with so many fun and exciting books to incorporate in my classroom.  Not only can these be read to the students to study with a lesson, but having the students to do their own book talk encourages them to read for entertainment!  It would be a great way to have the students read, do Accelerated Reader, learn a history or what ever else subject is in the book, and even get them used to public speaking, since it is the most feared thing.  I am really excited to have each of my students to participate in book talks off and on.  I think it is a great thing to get other children interested in new books as well! Having their classmates state what they liked about the book is so much more exciting then just reading the back of the book for a synopsis!

Mount Everest!!

This place is insane!! I would so do this trek if I had any sort of money, or skills of climbing.  But knowing me, this would be the end of me.

But I really enjoy the studying of this region.  I would love to teach this to younger children, but the death and bodies really wouldnt be a great idea to introduce to them.  But I think older students would really get into this topic.  I loved doing story path with this.  Story path could be my new favorite way of teaching social studies.  The kids really get to be creative and get into the time and place of where they are studying.  Not only this, but it's a great way to incorporate language arts, by doing the language experience journals!!! This would even be appropriate for the struggling students.  I really hope we are not finished doing story path.  I have really gotten excited about coming up with another incident!

$GEOCACHING$ Kaching!!!!!!

Just kidding! Geocaching really isn't a good way of getting money, but it does provide hours of fun! I could really see me getting into this! I have recently tried to find several of these, but I have not actually brought any of them to the finsh.

Anyways, I think this would be an awesome way of getting the students involved in geography.  Just by having a keychain that people take around the world, is just a fantastic way for the students to have an ongoing social studies lessons.  They could learn the different cultures if it happens to go to other countries.  I really hope I can have my students to do something like this.  The possibilities are endless with this simple little scavenger hunt!!

Lilly is the master geographer!

So now, for this weeks post.  I was soo impressed by Lilly.  The way she knew where all the countries were just completely fascinated me.  I have always hated geography and never knew why I needed to know where all those countries were.  This to me seemed like such a waste of time.  But by seeing a 2 year old who knows where all of these countries are just gave me future hope and ideas for my classroom.

I know that the way they were testing Lilly on youtube was just completely against everything we have learned in teacher education.  However, it also showed what high expectations can do for your students.  By turning all of this into a game, the students can really learn how to do all of this and more.  They can really have fun and enjoy what they are learning about.  If you could get the entire school to gradually go over each of the countries and the cultures, the students would really be able to recall where the countries are and see the differences in people all over the world and even in neighboring countries. 

So when I get my classroom I do think i want Lilly to come and show my students all her knowledge so they can gain confidence.  Who else is in on having Lilly just come to our classroom and show us how to learn?!

Students and Social Studies

So this is technically the post for last week, because apparently I got too excited with all the birthday madness! So during this whole block semester, I have been adding more stress to myself by going to other schools around the counties instead of just Happy Valley Elementary.  So every Friday, I drag my butt out of bed and visit a local school instead of getting caught up on all the extra work we have from Monday and Wednesday classes and my Thursday night story telling class that I am taking because I was not able to take it at any other time. 

Anywho, while at this school, it was Washington Elementary in Kingsport city school district, they have an open classroom.  In this classroom, there is a mixture of 2nd and 3rd grade students.  They work together in everything they do.  This classroom believes in the importance of social studies.  This past week, in preparation for voting, they held their own mock election.  They each researched all of the representatives that were running.  This took place for about a month prior to the election.  On the day I was there, they each went into their "private voting booth" and voted for who they felt they believed in the most.  Then afterwards the teacher tallied all the votes and announced the class winner.

The kids loved doing this.  They could not believe how much work it was to vote.  However, they felt so accomplished after it was all done.  Now when I first heard they were doing this, I thought this would be way to young of a class to do a project like this with.  But all the students really took charge and participated fully in it.  I loved this idea and thought it would be a great idea to do with all the classes for every election, not just the presidential ones.  Voting is so important, and by giving them these habits at such a young age it really is giving them a lifetime technique and practice.