Talk Drawings and Peer Review

One of the talking drawings. 

On Friday students created a talking drawing about Charlemagne.  If you are not up on your World History, Charlemagne was a Frankish King who became the Holy Roman Emperor in 800.  He was big into converting pagans into Roman Catholics and uniting Europe as it was under the Roman Empire.  So the students had to sum up two assignments about him.

I created the "drawing" as I figured it would cut down on the time students spent  on the assignment. They were supposed to write the following items: What Charlemagne was thinking about, what he was actually seeing, what he was feeling, what a strength he would possess, what would his feet be moving towards, and then his Achilles' heel or his weakness.  Most groups did a great job.

Today in study hall, or Connections, I had three students peer review the fifteen total drawings and condensed them down to eight.  Then the students put the eight best on a large poster and then hung it on the wall for me.  At first, I was utilizing the students to choose the best but then I, as I was listening to their conversations, they were really critiquing their work.  I heard things like, "this makes no sense", or "their grammar is all wrong", or "what are they trying to say...I don't get it!"  I was really impressed that they took the task so seriously!

Three of my students peer reviewing.

After the students picked their  top eight, they arranged them on butcher paper and hung it up in the classroom.  One of them added a 3-D crown to represent Charlemagne's reign.

The finished product!

I really liked the talking drawing because it allowed the students to write their thoughts in an unconventional way and made the student critically think about what they have learned about Charlemagne.  Additionally, I enjoyed stumbling upon the peer review.  I wonder what else I could use it for!? 

Happy Teaching!

C 

It's the end of the world: a project

The first semester had two projects.  Both of them were thesis papers based on specific SOLs.  I am not sure the students enjoyed it but I think most honed their research and writing skills.  

Second semester will offer a new project.  I got the idea from another teacher, who I found online, that gave a similar assignment.  

So here it is: I will give the students a scenario that the world's population has dropped by 98% as a result of an influenza outbreak.   That means there are a little over 100 million people in the world and only 6.5 million people in the United States.  Currently, Virginia has a bit over 8 million people.  In the scenario, the influenza outbreak has been stabilized but the government, economy, and society have failed and need to be restructured.  The new government has put a search committee together to locate students of World History to help advise the new government on how to proceed.  What worked well in the past and what should our new government, economy, and society.  

I would like to offer a few options for the product the student is producing.  Obviously, they could  do a written report: like on you would turn into a boss for a proposal (not a research paper).  I am also thinking power point.  I would like to come up with a few more products.  I guess I'll keep my thinking cap on.

Happy Teaching!

C 

How to craft a writing prompt

Mrs. Fairchild’s Prompt:       

How did the Industrial Revolution impact the lives of women, children, and the family?

This correlates to WHII.9c. 

The first thing I am going to do is go to that specific SOL.  There are a few bullet points that will point me in the right direction:

·    Family-based cottage industries displaced by the factory system

·    Harsh working conditions with men competing with women and children for wages

·    Child labor that kept costs of production low and profits high

·    Owners of mines and factories who exercised considerable control over the lives of their laborers

·    Women and children entering the workplace as cheap labor

·    Introduction of reforms to end child labor

·    Expansion of education

·    Women’s increased demands for suffrage

This particular SOL has a fair amount of points.  I would want to narrow my focus.  Since I am a teacher, I am going to focus my research on child labor, reforms of child labor and education.  One suggestion I would make is that your prompt should also have a location and a specific time.  There was an Industrial Revolution in both England and the United States.  I am going to pick the United States.  If you look closely at the SOL it states that the time period is the 19^th Century. 

My reworded prompt is going to be:

How did the American Industrial Revolution impact the lives of children during 19^th Century America? 

My prompt has now narrowed my research focus.  I am only interested in the American Industrial Revolution, during the 19^th century and I am only interested in how it affected children. 

Once you have your prompt written your research scope should be narrowed to a manageable point. 

Beginning of the Year

This year is a short summer for us and summer is going by quicker than usual.  I  have less than a month before school starts.  Needless to say, I have already planned out the first few weeks.  I really enjoy the first few days of school because that is when you get to set your routine and get to know your students.  

Last year I tried something new and I will be doing it again this year.  I wrote a letter to my students and in return they wrote back to me.  It was great for a few reasons.  They got to know about me (I'm an actual person!) and I, in turn, got to know about them.  Additionally, I got a writing sample from them.  While I am not a writing teacher, I do expect my students to write in my class.  The last bonus, it was a grade in the gradebook.  

This is the sample that I am writing this year.  I x'ed out the locations here on the blog.  In the classroom I will have the actual place names there.  I may take out the "Favorite World History Teacher" part out.  I like to joke about things like that but usually wait to see which classes I can do that with and which ones I cannot.  

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Dear 8^th Grader:

Hello and welcome to World History I!  I want to take a few minutes and tell you about myself and ask something in return. 

As you know, my name is Mrs. Fxxxxx.  This is my 5^th year here at FMS.  I taught some of you last year in 7^th grade.  I look forward to getting to know you over the school year. 

I live in Mxxxxx, which is near Sxxxx Mxxxxx Lake.  My husband and I will be married for 14 years this year.  My husband works in Rxxxx.  We have two boys: a 6^th grader here at FMS and a 4^th grader at Mxxxxx Elementary School.  We have three pets: a dog named Charlie Brown and two frogs. 

In my spare time I enjoy spending time at Smith Mountain Lake on our boat or dock, reading (I read # books this summer), visiting with my family and playing cards with friends. 

This summer we went on a Western Caribbean cruise and I was able to visit places I have never been before: Haiti, Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Mexico.  Mexico was my favorite as I got to visit the ancient Mayan ruins of Tulum, which we will talk about later this school year.  I also spent time on the lake, visited with family in Georgia and took a few day trips around Virginia. 

Okay, now it’s your turn.  I want you to get out a sheet of paper and write me a letter.  You need to introduce yourself (your first and last name) and your age.  Tell me where you live (the area is fine: Fxxxx, Gxxxx, Bxxxxx, Lxxxxx) and who lives in your house (people and animals).  Also, tell me about your summer.  Telling me it was awesome or boring will not suffice.  You need to give me descriptions.  Then tell me about your favorite class or subject and one goal you have for this school year. 

This assignment is your first grade for the new school year.  Do you best and I look forward to reading your letter.

Your favorite World History Teacher (because I'm your only World History Teacher!),

Mrs. Fxxxxxxx

Happy Teachings!

C