I shared some ideas from Social Studies Source at the National Educational Computer Conference last week. I met some neat social studies teachers that I am sure have great ideas to share. I am planning to keep the blog going into the fall to give my students a place to share lesson ideas to integrate social studies with technology.
More later...J
Monday, July 6, 2009
Monday, April 6, 2009
Book: P is for Palmetto: A South Carolina Alphabet Book by Brittany Farr
Author: Carol Crane
“Road Trip” (Map Skills)
Before Activity:
Students will be asked to tell about any trips that they have taken or would like to take. We will see how far people in our class have traveled. We will brainstorm as a class what all is needed to find our location and to drive to the location. I will write out on the board the items that students name, such as a map, car and gas.
During Activity:
Students will be given a “Road Map” of South Carolina that shows cities, highways and interstates. They will be expected to plot a trip to a destination of their choice (choosing from Charleston, Myrtle Beach or Hilton Head Island). Students will work in groups of three to create their road trip. They will need to not only identify the routes they plan to take, but also mention where they plan on taking breaks to get food, use the restroom or fill up on gas. They will mark their destination on the map using a marker, with an X where they plan to make stops, an S at the starting location and an E and the ending location. They will create a picture of them at their ending location in which they include some of the physical features key to that area.
After Activity:
Students will compare their routes with those given on MapQuest, to see what similarities in routes were taken and then decide which route they would use when taking their trip. The map and student drawings will be posted for everyone to see the various trips taken.
Book: By the Shores of Silver Lake
Author: Laura Ingalls Wilder
“Free Land” (Internet Research)
Before the Activity:
I will introduce the idea of the Homestead Act, explaining the background information on the Act. I will talk about how the Homestead Act allowed Pa to afford land of his own, if they settled the land, made improvements and met some other criteria. I will explain that this is really helpful to a lot of families, because at one point there were requirements about how much land had to be bought and at a certain price per acre. We will talk about how 1880 was a peak year for homesteading with more than 47,000 claims, most of which where in Dakota Territory.
During the Activity:
We will visit the National Archives website to take a look at the case file for Laura’s dad, Charles Ingalls. I will pull it up on the Smart Board, so that students can try to read and examine the various aspects of the document, such as the list of improvements the Ingalls made. Students will then be instructed to use the National Archives website and various other websites to learn more about the Homestead Act of 1862. Students will research to find out what opportunities the Act provided, the idea of a squatter, problems with claim jumping, and the reason for building shanties instead of a traditional house. Students will include the advantages, disadvantages and dangers of homesteading. Students will create a 2 page report on homesteading, including information on the Act of 1862.
After the Activity:
As a class we will talk about the research findings and the reason behind the Homestead Act of 1862 and relate it to other events going on such as the Civil War.
“Road Trip” (Map Skills)
Before Activity:
Students will be asked to tell about any trips that they have taken or would like to take. We will see how far people in our class have traveled. We will brainstorm as a class what all is needed to find our location and to drive to the location. I will write out on the board the items that students name, such as a map, car and gas.
During Activity:
Students will be given a “Road Map” of South Carolina that shows cities, highways and interstates. They will be expected to plot a trip to a destination of their choice (choosing from Charleston, Myrtle Beach or Hilton Head Island). Students will work in groups of three to create their road trip. They will need to not only identify the routes they plan to take, but also mention where they plan on taking breaks to get food, use the restroom or fill up on gas. They will mark their destination on the map using a marker, with an X where they plan to make stops, an S at the starting location and an E and the ending location. They will create a picture of them at their ending location in which they include some of the physical features key to that area.
After Activity:
Students will compare their routes with those given on MapQuest, to see what similarities in routes were taken and then decide which route they would use when taking their trip. The map and student drawings will be posted for everyone to see the various trips taken.
Book: By the Shores of Silver Lake
Author: Laura Ingalls Wilder
“Free Land” (Internet Research)
Before the Activity:
I will introduce the idea of the Homestead Act, explaining the background information on the Act. I will talk about how the Homestead Act allowed Pa to afford land of his own, if they settled the land, made improvements and met some other criteria. I will explain that this is really helpful to a lot of families, because at one point there were requirements about how much land had to be bought and at a certain price per acre. We will talk about how 1880 was a peak year for homesteading with more than 47,000 claims, most of which where in Dakota Territory.
During the Activity:
We will visit the National Archives website to take a look at the case file for Laura’s dad, Charles Ingalls. I will pull it up on the Smart Board, so that students can try to read and examine the various aspects of the document, such as the list of improvements the Ingalls made. Students will then be instructed to use the National Archives website and various other websites to learn more about the Homestead Act of 1862. Students will research to find out what opportunities the Act provided, the idea of a squatter, problems with claim jumping, and the reason for building shanties instead of a traditional house. Students will include the advantages, disadvantages and dangers of homesteading. Students will create a 2 page report on homesteading, including information on the Act of 1862.
After the Activity:
As a class we will talk about the research findings and the reason behind the Homestead Act of 1862 and relate it to other events going on such as the Civil War.
European Exploration of the New World by Crystal Lake
Before reading Encounter, students will be broken into groups and given a task. Each group will complete a power point presentation that researches an explorer of the new world. The power point will include history of the explorer, major contributions, area settled and for what country, and what purpose the explorer had. The students will use two internet websites: Who Goes There: European Exploration of the New World http://library.thinkquest.org/J002678F/welcome.htmand Voyage of Exploration: Discovering New Horizons (http://library.thinkquest.org/C001692/english/index.php3?subject=home) to find their information. After the power point is completed, students will present to their classmates.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Famous Men of the Renaissance & Reformation By Jasmyne Spain
Renaissance Vocabulary
The students are going to explore one of the important figures of the Renaissance time frame: Leonardo da Vinci. Have the students go to the website http://www.mos.org/sln/Leonardo/LeoHomePage.html. The students will type a paragraph about Leonard da Vinci based on their research on the website. This will be turned in and used as an assessment piece to ensure understanding.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Geography: Map Comprehension Skills by Bob Felker
I am teaching a geography unit for fifth graders. Part of the unit is meant to address students’ lack of map skills. I have chosen to begin by having the students design their own country/nation, complete with borders, cities, towns, capitals, and various types of landforms. Rather than doing a simple pencil sketch, which usually yields a quick and sloppy rendering, the students will create their maps using the Microsoft Paint program. With this program they can refine details, correct mistakes without unsightly erasure marks, and render the map in color, which should result in a map that closely resembles maps they routinely encounter in their text books. Once a satisfactory design has been completed, it will be saved on the school’s hard drive. The file can then be imported into Microsoft Word as a Printed Watermark (from the Background section in the Format drop-down menu). Once the map is present as the background, the students can type the names of their cities, towns, countries, etc., simply by placing their cursor over the appropriate spot and typing it in. They may also use the Table menu to draw a map key, and perhaps even a grid, upon which they can place coordinates or measures of latitudes and longitudes. The original file can be kept and modified to produce other types of maps that they need knowledge of, including product, road, elevation, political, and historical.
Having created their own maps, and using the some of the same techniques used in modern cartography, it is hoped that students will have an expanded understanding of how to read and decipher maps they will be exposed to later in both school and in the real world.
Having created their own maps, and using the some of the same techniques used in modern cartography, it is hoped that students will have an expanded understanding of how to read and decipher maps they will be exposed to later in both school and in the real world.
Thomas Rivers Citizenship Unit Ben’s Guide to Government
http://bensguide.gpo.gov/3-5/index.html
Third grade is a transitional year for most elementary school students. The third grade social studies curriculum is designed to expand the students' concept of "leaders" in relationship to their communities. In order for students to become productive citizens, it is very important that students develop and understand their duty and responsibility as a citizen. As a citizen in the United States of America (USA), students must begin to understand that that they have rights that are governed by laws that may differ from state to state. It is important for students to understand that citizens have many rights, however, with those rights come many responsibilities. To incorporate technology in my unit I am going to use an interactive website, Ben’s Guide to US Government, to help my students’ research what makes a good citizen and what rights and responsibilities
Task: You have been living in the
The Invention and History of the Telephone by Courtney Lamade
Unit Title: Changes in Technology
Currently, I teach third grade. As part of the curriculum, I have developed a unit on technology. Throughout the unit, students will learn how technology is used at home, school, and in the community. Furthermore, students will learn how this technology has changed over time and improved the community and quality of life. This particular activity is meant as an introductory activity in which the students will use the Internet to research famous inventors and their inventions that have become a large part of our everyday life.
Students should be paired up with a peer and each child or group should have access to a computer. This activity should take approximately three to four class periods to complete, including a time for sharing.
First, students will pull up the PowerPoint template. This template will consist of four slides. Each slide will have the name of a famous inventor on it (Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, and the Wright Brothers). The students will use the Internet website http://www.factmonster.com/people.html to find out when the inventor lived, what he invented, and why it is an important invention. Once the students have found this information, they will include it on their PowerPoint slides. The students must also insert a picture representing the invention.
As students finish, they may go to http://pbskids.org/wayback/tech1900/index.html to find fun facts about early cars and telephones. Within this website the students will find information on how fast the first cars went and the requirements and working conditions of telephone operators. The students will include any information found on an additional “fun facts” slide in their PowerPoint. When the students have completed the PowerPoint, they will print it out in a handout form. As the teacher, I can collect and check over the PowerPoint handouts to ensure that the students found the correct information. Then, the students can use the handout as notes for future lessons and assessments. Once all projects are completed, allow students to share their slides, specifically the “fun facts’ slide.
Currently, I teach third grade. As part of the curriculum, I have developed a unit on technology. Throughout the unit, students will learn how technology is used at home, school, and in the community. Furthermore, students will learn how this technology has changed over time and improved the community and quality of life. This particular activity is meant as an introductory activity in which the students will use the Internet to research famous inventors and their inventions that have become a large part of our everyday life.
Students should be paired up with a peer and each child or group should have access to a computer. This activity should take approximately three to four class periods to complete, including a time for sharing.
First, students will pull up the PowerPoint template. This template will consist of four slides. Each slide will have the name of a famous inventor on it (Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, and the Wright Brothers). The students will use the Internet website http://www.factmonster.com/people.html to find out when the inventor lived, what he invented, and why it is an important invention. Once the students have found this information, they will include it on their PowerPoint slides. The students must also insert a picture representing the invention.
As students finish, they may go to http://pbskids.org/wayback/tech1900/index.html to find fun facts about early cars and telephones. Within this website the students will find information on how fast the first cars went and the requirements and working conditions of telephone operators. The students will include any information found on an additional “fun facts” slide in their PowerPoint. When the students have completed the PowerPoint, they will print it out in a handout form. As the teacher, I can collect and check over the PowerPoint handouts to ensure that the students found the correct information. Then, the students can use the handout as notes for future lessons and assessments. Once all projects are completed, allow students to share their slides, specifically the “fun facts’ slide.
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