Old School JEOPARDY!

The end of the year is in sight and I am still faced with that conundrum of what to do.  We had a outdoor plans today and yesterday but as a result of three inches of rain we had to postpone until next week.  YIKES! I had to scramble yesterday to find something to keep my students occupied but relative to class.  

I thought about Jeopardy! but I didn't want to come up with all of the clues.  Nor did I want to put it into the power point that may or may not work.  Nor did I want to control the class as they did not pay attention to clues they had no investment in.  So- why don't the kids create the clues?  

Yesterday's task was to pick a topic from a list of broad topics: Renaissance, Japan, Middle Ages, Africa, Trade, Golden Ages, Rome, Greece, Mesoamerica, Stone Age, etc.  Students had to come up with six Jeopardy! type clues.  In addition to the clues they had to provide an answer key.  This took most of the period.  

Today I had to do some prep work.  First, I picked the clues I was going to use. Then, I made the dollar indicators, taped the clue to the board and then used magnets to cover the clues.  Each class had a tally helper.  

These were my rules:

Teams called their name, once when they new the answer.

Teams could only call their name when I had finished the clue.

There were two daily doubles.

There was a Final Jeopardy! clue.  

Overall, it went well today.  I think the students enjoyed seeing their classmate's clues.  

Happy Teaching!

C

End of the Year Timeline

It's getting to be close to the end of the year.  By this point my students have taken their end of course SOL tests.  And now for the eternal end of the year teacher question: What on Earth do I do with these kids?  

WHI is a high-school credit course and the county where I teach allows for students who pass their SOL test to be exempt from their exam.  I have about 8 students that need to take an exam.  So, these activities need to be helpful for those students who are taking the exam but not bore the students to tears.  

One activity that I chose to do was a timeline that started with our very first lesson in August.  I then used our textbook to pick out approximately 55 other events.  These events had no dates on them.  I initially made a master list (that included the textbook page).  I then transferred those events, less the page numbers, to another Word Doc.  Once the pages were printed I shuffled them and rearranged them into six file folders.  Students then divided themselves into six groups and were responsible for putting the events in chronological order.  After the group had their events in order they started putting all of the other groups' events in chronological order.  The activity took most of the period: this was a win-win!  The timeline actually went out my classroom door into the hallway.  

After the whole timeline was finished students went through the timeline and were told to look for two things that surprised them.  To "surprise" them would mean that they didn't realize that an event happened before or after another event OR events were happening about the same time in other civilizations.  This was turned in for a classroom check grade.  

Happy Teaching!

C 

HUGE thinking maps

To review for their Africa unit I had the students create a thinking map.  The thinking map was filled in by a reading selection I gave to the students.  When the student think they had correct answers they wrote the answer on a sticky note.  One person in their group was responsible for writing the correct thinking map on paper to share with the group.

The one issue I had is that I had three different ones and it took longer than I thought.  Perhaps I should have had fewer and with less information.  However, I had hoped it would go quicker as this was a review activity.

Happy Teaching!
C

Memory

                                                                                                                                            Who remembers Memory? I do!  So, why can't Memory work in the classroom, too?   I had stations one day and one station was Memory review.  I chose the religions we have studied this year, the architecture of different regions and then people and places in Middle Ages.  The architectural Memory had a twist: each "match" had three index cards.  One was the name of the building, one was a picture and the last was its purpose or where it was.  

To keep the index cards separated I used blue ink for one of the matches and then the other match was in a different ink color: pink, green and black.


Happy Teaching!
C

                                                                                          

ReadWorks

Surprise!  Another snow day!!  I think we are up to nine for the year thus far.  I REALLY hope this is our last one.  Okay- I'm done complaining.

I wanted to share this great resource with you.  It is called ReadWorks.   It has wonderful resources, for World and U.S. History, to use in the classroom.


Over the past few years I have noticed that our SOL has become an reading SOL.  Students must read through information to find the question and information to use to answer the question.

Also, I found it half way through the year so I think this would be a great resource to use for SOL review as well.  It may remind them of information from early in the school year.  

On another note, I planned to start my last unit today: I wrapped Japan, MesoAmerica and Africa together.  I am excited to show the students pictures of my travels to Tulum.

Happy Teaching!
C

Renaissance Review

In preparation of our upcoming Renaissance test I put a Venn Diagram review together. In a Word document I made a table and filled the spaces with important Renaissance concepts, people, books or works for art. I put "Northern Renaissance", "Italian Renaissance" and "Both" on three sticky notes. Students then placed the slips of paper under the post-it that it corresponded with. When students were finished I went around and verified accuracy.  After each groups was checked we discussed items that stuck out in the Venn Diagram: Italian words look "Italian", the items in the middle were more economic concepts or schools of thought while the "Renaissance" columns were people or works of art.

Beginnings in Florence	Venice
Genoa	Da Vinci
Medici Family	Michelangelo
Catholic Church	Flanders
Humanism	Rebirth
Erasmus	Van Eyck
Van der Wyden	Petrarch
Trade	Higher Living Standards
Praise of Folly	Utopia
Machiavelli	The Prince
“David”	“Arnolfini Portrait”
“Portrait of a Lady”	Sistine Chapel ceiling
“The Last Supper”	“Mona Lisa”
Gutenberg	Printing Press
Growing Wealth	Trading centers
Letters of Credit	Increasing secular education
Rules against usury	Adoption of Arabic Numbers
Sir Thomas More

Tip: to keep the slips in the correct envelope, I had the students number each slip with the same number that correlated to the number on the envelope I gave them. That way, when the inevitable slip falls out I know that the slip goes with that same numbered envelope.  

Here are some pictures of students hard at work!

 

CPS Clickers

I love my CPS clickers and I want to tell you why.  

First, each student has one and they stay in my room.  Each student has a clicker that corresponds to their number in the gradebook.

My class set of CPS Clickers.

Second, I love the data and information CPS gives me.

Third, I use them most test reviews.  I read questions and if students answer with 100% accuracy they get a piece of candy.

"What do you know?"

Fourth, I use them for quizzes.  My county changed their grading policy.  Grades fall into two categories: summative and formative.  Summative means the students demonstrate what they know.  The clickers come in super handy here.  The CPS program allows me to type questions for the students and I give them the summative assignment (and it's paperless!).  After the questions the students put their clickers back and then we go over the answers.  I run a quick report and then the kids have a summative grade.  I call these "What do you know?".

I ordered a large calculator caddy and the clickers fit perfectly in there!

Here is the link for them: http://www.einstruction.com/insight-360-clickers

Did I mention I love my clickers?

Happy Teaching!
C

Ancient China Review

Today was a jumble of emotions.  First, I have to give props to my homebase for being very observant.  My grandmother is on her final journey to her heavenly home.  I went to be with her last night and got home at mid-night (well past my bedtime) and my emotions are a mess.  Before instruction began one of my homebase students noticed that I was off and asked.  I shared my story (without crying).  They were so sweet and understanding.  

According to my lesson, I was going to review using the CPS clickers and award candy for those questions that had 100% correct answers.  However, I was still crying when I got to school this morning.  I knew that my plans had to change.

Here is most of fourth period.  Notice the Fu Manchu moustache.  They were reviewing Taoism.

 I went to my teacher across the hall for a suggestion.  She suggested that I break the chapter into topics and then have them break into that many groups.  Within the group they could create one of many review activities: a skit, riddles, jokes, advertisement, or an interview.  I gave them about 20 minutes and butcher paper, markers, scissors, and tape.  I was so impressed with their output!  I had songs about China's geography, a wrap about Taoism, an interview about Taoism and Confucianism, riddles about the Silk Road and China's geography, maps, advertisements for the Great Wall and a few others.  I was so proud of them!

Here is another group.  Notice the Great Wall behind them?  The Mongols breached the wall and destroyed it.  

This is the Silk Road group decorating their "silk".

I hung the output in the hallway.  

Here are some output from first and second.  By the end of the day I had fourteen or fifteen posters hanging in the hall.

Happy Teaching!

C