Whoever wishes to foresee the future must consult the past; for human events ever resemble those of preceding times. This arises from the fact that they are produced by men who ever have been, and ever shall be, animated by the same passions, and thus they necessarily have the same results.
- Machiavelli
Joann’s explanation of the Russian Revolution tied the events together for me much more clearly than I can remember from history class. This is a problem… I should know a lot more about history! Granted, I was a science major in college, but as we discussed last week, it is very important to create well-rounded students. Why should we teach our students about historical events like the Russian Revolution? I think the answer lies in quotes like the one above from Machiavelli. In order for our students to become productive, inquisitive, and informed members of society, they need to learn and understand major events in history that have shaped different cultures throughout the years. Even if a student decides to major in science or engineering, we want each of them to understand past events so they can use that knowledge to understand similar events in the future.
Joann selected some great resources this week for teaching about this historic revolution in your class. She will be featuring them all week on our Facebook and Twitter pages, so be sure to follow them so you won’t miss a thing. She has chosen activities for different subjects and grade levels, even some art lessons.
As a preview of the kinds of extra activities Joann is featuring, look at the Russian Revolution Simulation, a great resource catalogued on The Gateway. In this lesson, students get to act out the roles of the characters involved in the Russian Revolution. I really like the way it allows them to feel like a part of the history, so they might be able to empathize with individual characters to better understand that person’s feelings and motivations that led them to act a particular way. This empathy is especially important right now, as media coverage in the Middle East is allowing students to experience another revolution taking shape before their eyes.
As protests for democracy sweep across nations in the Middle East, we have the chance to experience history first-hand with our students. I have been talking with different teachers about how they have been discussing the events with their classes, and a surprising amount of them haven’t been able to fit any time into their schedules to cover it much (or at all).
These teachers already have the next few weeks of their lessons planned out; a novelty for me, who is planning to think about stopping my procrastinating tomorrow. In all seriousness, it is wonderful to have a plan, and it is very important to teach all the things we are required to teach during the year. That being said, making our plans flexible enough to expose our students to the authentic learning they can get from experiencing real life events is a worthwhile challenge for every teacher.
In a social studies or history classroom, you could create a wonderful unit exploring a revolution in the past, such as the Russian Revolution. During that study, you could allow your students time to watch media coverage of the current situation in the Middle East, or assign it as homework. In the past, this would entail watching news coverage on tv at school or at home. As media has changed over time, there are plenty more outlets to learn about current events like this. It’s hard to know where to start looking for quality information, so I turned to my PLN on Twitter for help. I decided to send out the following tweet to all our followers on Twitter and to the social studies chat people (#sschat) and the #edchat people. I did this as kind of an experiment to see what kind of support I could find on these social networking sites.
“Anyone have ways to incorporate events in Egypt and Middle East into different subject areas? All ideas are appreciated! #sschat #edchat”
Right away, I received a suggestion of one blog with a collection of many different resources for learning about the protests and revolution in Egypt. If some of these resources become more permanent, we will catalog them on The Gateway so they are easier to find. For now, please look at Larry Ferlazzo’s edublog for some ideas. Another response suggested building Egypt events into other subjects with songs of freedom and protest from United States history. A few of examples were, “People Got To Be Free” by The Rascals, “Revolution” by The Beatles, and “Get Up, Stand Up” by Bob Marley and the Wailers.
Last year, we featured Garbage Dreams, a resource from PBS about people who collect and recycle garbage in Egypt. This video and accompanying lesson explore a very poor sector of Egypt’s population, many of whom might have been involved in the recent protests. In response to the recent events in Egypt, ITVS (part of PBS) has created a collection of resources called Egypt & Democracy including this resource along with other videos and lesson plans relating to the subject. This is another good place to start if you want to include the Egyptian Revolution in your plans this month.
~Peggy's Corner - 2/18/2011~
Showing posts with label current events. Show all posts
Showing posts with label current events. Show all posts
Monday, February 21, 2011
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Map Quest(s)
I need a GPS chip implanted in my head. I really do. I can get lost – easily – in a very short period of time, and in traveling a very short distance. Ironically, ever since childhood, I have loved to pore over maps. Maps help to orient ourselves in the world (except for me, apparently), while also allowing us to dream about faraway places. There are all types of maps: regional, state, and country maps; road maps; topographic maps; climate and economic maps; physical maps; thematic maps; floor plans; store directories, etc.
I’m sure you’re all familiar with MapQuest and Google Maps – great tools that help you learn about an area or region, and help you to get there if need be. While there are lots of these typical kinds of mapping tools online, there are also many neat tools and interactive maps of a more esoteric kind. Users can track ships and aircraft in real time, view which stars and constellations should be visible over your house at any given time, and what types of seasonal fruits and vegetables are at peak season right now in any given US location. Using interactive maps in the classroom provides a great opportunity to expose students to different types of information, and adds an extra punch to lessons where two-dimensional maps are standard fare. This week’s picks focus on three different types of online mapping tools; all are guaranteed to capture students’ (and your) interest.
Live Piracy Maps
http://www.thegateway.org/browse/dcrecord.2010-02-04.6132177736
Subjects: Geography, Current Events
Grade: 6-12
No “ahoy mateys” here. These live interactive maps show all the armed robbery and piracy incidents currently reported to the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre. The maps show positions of both actual and attempted attacks on ships around the world. Users can zoom in on a specific ship to view more information of an individual attack. Maps are available going back to 2005. The IMB Piracy Reporting Centre is part of the International Maritime Bureau based in London, England, and is dedicated to the suppression of piracy and armed robbery against ships.
Test Your Geography Knowledge
http://www.thegateway.org/browse/dcrecord.2010-05-10.7334539518
Subjects: Geography
Grade: 2-12
Online interactive geography quizzes on a host of countries and geographical regions. There are currently 37 quizzes available, ranging from broad topics like continents and oceans, to more granular information such as provinces and territories in Iraq and Australia. Each quiz keeps track of your score, and allows students to see what the maximum possible score is. Users click on interactive maps to answer questions, or can type in the answers if desired. The quizzes are the work of Lyndsey McCollam of Lizard Point Consulting, who has created several browser-based educational activities.
Tunnel to the Other Side of the Earth http://www.thegateway.org/browse/dcrecord.2010-05-10.5508936746
Subjects: Geography
Grade: K-12
Have you every wondered which part of the other side of the earth is directly below you? Use this virtual map tunneling tool to find out. FYI – it’s probably not China. This map is provided by Free Map Tools, a site that offers tons of free tools that allow you to measure, save, and send maps to other people.
~Joann's Picks - 5/29/2010~
I’m sure you’re all familiar with MapQuest and Google Maps – great tools that help you learn about an area or region, and help you to get there if need be. While there are lots of these typical kinds of mapping tools online, there are also many neat tools and interactive maps of a more esoteric kind. Users can track ships and aircraft in real time, view which stars and constellations should be visible over your house at any given time, and what types of seasonal fruits and vegetables are at peak season right now in any given US location. Using interactive maps in the classroom provides a great opportunity to expose students to different types of information, and adds an extra punch to lessons where two-dimensional maps are standard fare. This week’s picks focus on three different types of online mapping tools; all are guaranteed to capture students’ (and your) interest.
Live Piracy Maps
http://www.thegateway.org/browse/dcrecord.2010-02-04.6132177736
Subjects: Geography, Current Events
Grade: 6-12
No “ahoy mateys” here. These live interactive maps show all the armed robbery and piracy incidents currently reported to the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre. The maps show positions of both actual and attempted attacks on ships around the world. Users can zoom in on a specific ship to view more information of an individual attack. Maps are available going back to 2005. The IMB Piracy Reporting Centre is part of the International Maritime Bureau based in London, England, and is dedicated to the suppression of piracy and armed robbery against ships.
Test Your Geography Knowledge
http://www.thegateway.org/browse/dcrecord.2010-05-10.7334539518
Subjects: Geography
Grade: 2-12
Online interactive geography quizzes on a host of countries and geographical regions. There are currently 37 quizzes available, ranging from broad topics like continents and oceans, to more granular information such as provinces and territories in Iraq and Australia. Each quiz keeps track of your score, and allows students to see what the maximum possible score is. Users click on interactive maps to answer questions, or can type in the answers if desired. The quizzes are the work of Lyndsey McCollam of Lizard Point Consulting, who has created several browser-based educational activities.
Tunnel to the Other Side of the Earth http://www.thegateway.org/browse/dcrecord.2010-05-10.5508936746
Subjects: Geography
Grade: K-12
Have you every wondered which part of the other side of the earth is directly below you? Use this virtual map tunneling tool to find out. FYI – it’s probably not China. This map is provided by Free Map Tools, a site that offers tons of free tools that allow you to measure, save, and send maps to other people.
~Joann's Picks - 5/29/2010~
Friday, January 1, 2010
New Beginnings
A new year ushers in a sense of anticipation, with new expectations and new goals to strive for. This week’s picks focus on these elements in one way or another.
The Importance of Setting Goals
http://www.thegateway.org/browse/dcrecord.2008-12-19.6728780760
Subjects: Economics
Grade: 9-12
January usually brings about various resolutions: more exercise, fewer desserts, better money management. And our well-intentioned resolve usually drains away within a few weeks. Sound familiar? Well, this lesson may just help high school students stay on track financially by discussing the importance of goal-setting in money management. Topics covered in the lesson include long-term and short-term goals, savings, and investments.
I like money. I’m sure you like money. In fact, I can’t think of anyone who doesn’t like money. And therein lies the problem. It’s far easier (and more fun) to spend money than to save it. This lesson doesn’t just talk about the basics of saving and investing, but also discusses the concepts of goal-setting in a personal context to students. Students are asked to set personal financial goals for themselves, and then evaluate those goals. I think the self-evaluation component of this lesson is key to really getting kids to understand the feasibility of their planning processes – is this realistic? Am I disciplined enough to follow this savings/investment path? Does a particular savings goal look as good in real life as it does on paper? Time will tell, but lessons such as this make for a good start.
This lesson was produced by ALEX, a project of the Alabama Learning Exchange. ALEX is an award-winning education portal that provides lesson plans, education-related podcasts, best practices, and Alabama professional development activities. Lessons are aligned to Alabama Content Standards.
From ’00 to ’10: Defining the Decade
http://www.thegateway.org/browse/dcrecord.2009-12-29.8665282203
Subjects: Writing, Current events, History
Grade: 6-12
The end of a decade always brings reviews of notable events that have occurred during that time, but the years 2000-2009 are of additional note because they were also the start of a new millennium. In this lesson, students research and review their choices of the most important events and developments of the decade. This lesson was published by The New York Times Learning Network, which offers free lesson plans and other educational materials based on content that appears in the renowned newspaper. The lesson is aligned to McREL standards.
I like this lesson for several reasons. Students are required to research, reflect upon, and select developments and occurrences from the past 10 years that they deem important. Depending on the age of the student, the decade may well represent the bulk of their lives to date. While some events may be ubiquitous (such as 9/11, for example), others may be surprising in that they may have a very specific, personal significance for a student. This type of personal context in view of larger events is always a good reality check for educators, I think, and helps them to keep the pulse of what influences and affects their students. I also like the creative options offered by the lesson, where the kids can create videos or trading cards in which to present their top picks in addition to the more traditional essays and timelines.
Intriguing Beginnings
http://www.thegateway.org/browse/dcrecord.2007-11-24.0437674888
Subjects: Writing
Grade: 3-5
One of my favorite opening lines ever is from Samuel Beckett’s Murphy: “The sun shone, having no alternative, on the nothing new.” It never fails to provoke a snort of laughter, but maybe that’s just me. Anyway, opening lines in novels have the power to instantly captivate readers – remember “Where’s Pa going with that ax?” from Charlotte’s Web? What kid doesn’t want to keep reading to find out – yes – just where is Pa going with an ax? This lesson has students review examples of good writing, and the essence of a beginning that “grabs the reader by the shoulders, shakes them up, and throws them back in the chair.”
Opening lines can make or break a novel. Not literally, of course, but many kids (and adults I know) make book selections on whether the first few lines seem interesting. Opening lines that grip a reader can instantly transport that reader into the author’s world and vision. That’s a true gift. This lesson allows elementary students to see the design and planning in the writing process, and that good writing doesn’t just happen. Published authors have to work at their writing, just as kids do, and I think that’s an important lesson for students to learn. The lesson is sure to keep students engaged: In addition to researching and reviewing memorable opening lines from some of their favorite books, the kids craft their own catchy opening lines, and videotape skits presenting their favorite opening lines. This lesson was published by Beacon Learning Center, an online educational resource and professional development center that offers standards-based resources and professional development activities. “Intriguing Beginnings” is aligned to Florida's Sunshine State Standards.
Martin Luther King, Jr. and Me: Identifying With a Hero
http://www.thegateway.org/browse/dcrecord.2009-12-10.0464877015
Subjects: Language Arts, US History
Grade: K-2
In addition to ushering in the new year, the month of January also brings us Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Talking about Dr. King with young students is a great way to explore the concepts of bravery, equality, and heroism. It can be difficult, however, for kids to identify with someone who lived and died long before they were born. This lesson, published by ReadWriteThink, provides a plethora of activities that are all built around students exploring the connections between themselves and Dr. King.
One of the things that I like about this lesson is that it offers lots of ideas for teachers to fully engage their students in the material. At this young age (kindergarten through second grade), past events are often difficult for kids to identify with. Also, many kids at this age still associate heroes with caped crusaders with superhuman abilities. Here, students compare and contrast their lives with that of Dr. King, thereby helping them to build connections, and view historical figures as real people like themselves. Heroism, then, is something we can all aspire to. Masks and capes are optional.
ReadWriteThink presents free resources in reading and language arts instruction. Each lesson is reviewed prior to publication by at least two teachers, as well as by members of the International Reading Association (IRA) and the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). So yeah, they’re that good. Lessons are aligned to NCTE/IRA Content Standards.
~Joann's Picks 1/1/2010~
The Importance of Setting Goals
http://www.thegateway.org/browse/dcrecord.2008-12-19.6728780760
Subjects: Economics
Grade: 9-12
January usually brings about various resolutions: more exercise, fewer desserts, better money management. And our well-intentioned resolve usually drains away within a few weeks. Sound familiar? Well, this lesson may just help high school students stay on track financially by discussing the importance of goal-setting in money management. Topics covered in the lesson include long-term and short-term goals, savings, and investments.
I like money. I’m sure you like money. In fact, I can’t think of anyone who doesn’t like money. And therein lies the problem. It’s far easier (and more fun) to spend money than to save it. This lesson doesn’t just talk about the basics of saving and investing, but also discusses the concepts of goal-setting in a personal context to students. Students are asked to set personal financial goals for themselves, and then evaluate those goals. I think the self-evaluation component of this lesson is key to really getting kids to understand the feasibility of their planning processes – is this realistic? Am I disciplined enough to follow this savings/investment path? Does a particular savings goal look as good in real life as it does on paper? Time will tell, but lessons such as this make for a good start.
This lesson was produced by ALEX, a project of the Alabama Learning Exchange. ALEX is an award-winning education portal that provides lesson plans, education-related podcasts, best practices, and Alabama professional development activities. Lessons are aligned to Alabama Content Standards.
From ’00 to ’10: Defining the Decade
http://www.thegateway.org/browse/dcrecord.2009-12-29.8665282203
Subjects: Writing, Current events, History
Grade: 6-12
The end of a decade always brings reviews of notable events that have occurred during that time, but the years 2000-2009 are of additional note because they were also the start of a new millennium. In this lesson, students research and review their choices of the most important events and developments of the decade. This lesson was published by The New York Times Learning Network, which offers free lesson plans and other educational materials based on content that appears in the renowned newspaper. The lesson is aligned to McREL standards.
I like this lesson for several reasons. Students are required to research, reflect upon, and select developments and occurrences from the past 10 years that they deem important. Depending on the age of the student, the decade may well represent the bulk of their lives to date. While some events may be ubiquitous (such as 9/11, for example), others may be surprising in that they may have a very specific, personal significance for a student. This type of personal context in view of larger events is always a good reality check for educators, I think, and helps them to keep the pulse of what influences and affects their students. I also like the creative options offered by the lesson, where the kids can create videos or trading cards in which to present their top picks in addition to the more traditional essays and timelines.
Intriguing Beginnings
http://www.thegateway.org/browse/dcrecord.2007-11-24.0437674888
Subjects: Writing
Grade: 3-5
One of my favorite opening lines ever is from Samuel Beckett’s Murphy: “The sun shone, having no alternative, on the nothing new.” It never fails to provoke a snort of laughter, but maybe that’s just me. Anyway, opening lines in novels have the power to instantly captivate readers – remember “Where’s Pa going with that ax?” from Charlotte’s Web? What kid doesn’t want to keep reading to find out – yes – just where is Pa going with an ax? This lesson has students review examples of good writing, and the essence of a beginning that “grabs the reader by the shoulders, shakes them up, and throws them back in the chair.”
Opening lines can make or break a novel. Not literally, of course, but many kids (and adults I know) make book selections on whether the first few lines seem interesting. Opening lines that grip a reader can instantly transport that reader into the author’s world and vision. That’s a true gift. This lesson allows elementary students to see the design and planning in the writing process, and that good writing doesn’t just happen. Published authors have to work at their writing, just as kids do, and I think that’s an important lesson for students to learn. The lesson is sure to keep students engaged: In addition to researching and reviewing memorable opening lines from some of their favorite books, the kids craft their own catchy opening lines, and videotape skits presenting their favorite opening lines. This lesson was published by Beacon Learning Center, an online educational resource and professional development center that offers standards-based resources and professional development activities. “Intriguing Beginnings” is aligned to Florida's Sunshine State Standards.
Martin Luther King, Jr. and Me: Identifying With a Hero
http://www.thegateway.org/browse/dcrecord.2009-12-10.0464877015
Subjects: Language Arts, US History
Grade: K-2
In addition to ushering in the new year, the month of January also brings us Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Talking about Dr. King with young students is a great way to explore the concepts of bravery, equality, and heroism. It can be difficult, however, for kids to identify with someone who lived and died long before they were born. This lesson, published by ReadWriteThink, provides a plethora of activities that are all built around students exploring the connections between themselves and Dr. King.
One of the things that I like about this lesson is that it offers lots of ideas for teachers to fully engage their students in the material. At this young age (kindergarten through second grade), past events are often difficult for kids to identify with. Also, many kids at this age still associate heroes with caped crusaders with superhuman abilities. Here, students compare and contrast their lives with that of Dr. King, thereby helping them to build connections, and view historical figures as real people like themselves. Heroism, then, is something we can all aspire to. Masks and capes are optional.
ReadWriteThink presents free resources in reading and language arts instruction. Each lesson is reviewed prior to publication by at least two teachers, as well as by members of the International Reading Association (IRA) and the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). So yeah, they’re that good. Lessons are aligned to NCTE/IRA Content Standards.
~Joann's Picks 1/1/2010~
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