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Original Definition
I originally defined social studies as the study of the world, where things are, and what has happened in history to make the world the way it is today. While I still believe this definition is true, it is missing many parts. It should include how countries interact (economics) and how people play a role (civics). -
Kindergarten Lesson
(Civics) We began by reviewing the rules we created for our classroom. As a class, we connected our classroom rules to the outside community, i.e., raising your hand in class is equivalent to being patient and not shouting over others. We also discussed the consequences of not following the rules, i.e. people won't want to talk to you if you're shouting/interrupting all the time. The students needed to draw a picture of their rule in the community and then verbally explain why it is important. -
Kindergarten Reflection
I believe that the students would learn a lot from this lesson. It is a great way to review our classroom rules and also discuss societal rules. However, I should have written out in the lesson plan more examples of how each rule applies to the community and the consequences if it is not followed. -
1st Grade Lesson
(Geography) We began by discussing specific weather terms that we have learned during the week such as rain, snow, sunny, cold, clouds, etc. We will use technology to look up the current temperature and discuss how it is affecting us, i.e. it is cold out so I am wearing a heavy jacket and warm shoes. In pairs, students will be assigned a specific city/country to research and fill out a graphic organizer comparing their temperatures to Hamden temperature during each season. -
1st Grade Reflection
Overall, I believe this is a very effective lesson. It has the students working in partners, using technology, using a graphic organizer, and learning about new areas in the world. However, to improve this lesson, I would add a think aloud at the beginning to really show my thought process. I would also add the use of weather words to my assessment because that is a key part to this lesson. -
2nd Grade Lesson
(History) We began this lesson by taking a virtual tour of Ellis Island and showing pictures of real immigration papers. On this website, you can look at real stories of immigration told by children, which is what we used to compare and contrast immigration today to that of the past. In groups, the students will receive an index card of a past immigrant and compare/contrast his experience to a child's experience today in a Venn diagram. -
2nd Grade Reflection
This lesson gives the students a sense of what people in Ellis Island went through during immigration and how that has drastically changed. A Venn diagram is a great tool for this lesson because it separates all of the information nicely. One thing I would change is I would have the students give more thought into how immigrants must have felt during Ellis Island. It is important for them to know that they did not experience a pleasant immigration and that things had to change (compelling q..). -
3rd Grade Reflection
There was a lot of scaffolding in this lesson which made it really flow. There was also a nice incorporation of literature, which will grab the students' attention. 1 major factor I would change about this lesson is that I would give the students a specific website to look at. They can't use the entire internet to research resources so it should be limited to a few specific sites. Other than that, the students are moving around, using tech, and using whiteboards, so every student is engaged. -
3rd Grade Lesson
(Economics) We'll begin by reading the Three Little Pigs and discussing which objects in the book are physical capital and which are human capital. We will research the importance of this resource on Connecticut's history. The students will then receive the name of a resource and decide whether it is physical or human capital. They will then research the importance of their resource. The students will then separate based on their type of resource and share their findings with the class. -
4th Grade Lesson
(Geography) The students will take a picture of their favorite place in town (i.e. the movie theater) and bring it to class. Using google maps, the students will look up environmental characteristics of their location and compare it to those of an assigned location (i.e. Barcelona, Spain). They will look at specific characteristics such as trees, roads, architecture, street signs etc. They will fill out a graphic organizer to make these comparisons. -
4th Grade Reflection
Overall, I love this lesson because it uses technology that many students are familiar with. Google maps can let you see anywhere in the world, which is similar to a virtual tour. Many kids have explored google maps at some point in their life as well, so it is not a foreign website to them. Bringing in a picture of their favorite location allows them to share a personal piece of info and makes each assignment different. The students will enjoy exploring Earth and sharing their information. -
5th Grade Lesson
(History) We will first review how pilgrims came here & we will watch a video of the 13 colonies. The students will work in pairs to research when their colony was founded & how it affected specific groups of people. They will put all of their findings in a graphic organizer & then transfer the info to the app Pictello, which they will then present to the class. The students will be responsible for knowing the year their colony was established & be able to sequence their group among the others. -
5th Grade Reflection
This lesson was definitely complicated & would take a while to complete, however, I think the students would enjoy it. They get to work in pairs, move around, & use laptops. They would also love the Pictello app, which uses pictures, videos, & voice recordings. An issue is that since this lesson is so detailed & extensive, it may need to be split up into two separate lessons, first beginning with the sequencing of the colonies & a little research, & then moving into how people were affected -
6th Grade Reflection
This lesson is definitely challenging, but I think the students will enjoy splitting the class in half and then teaching a partner from the opposing half all about their country. However, I would add specific examples of cultural and environmental factors that the students should be looking for. This will help minimize the time spent researching and help the students find the right information. This lesson can also be expanded, comparing different countries each day or by using multiple groups. -
6th Grade Lesson
(Geography) We will first take a virtual tour of Ancient Egypt to review what we have been learning about the Middle East in the part before moving on to the present. The class will be divided in half, with one side researching Iran and the other Turkey (using National Geographic). They will find cultural and environmental factors about their country and complete a graphic organizer. They will then pair up with someone in the opposite group and compare their findings in a Venn diagram. -
Overall Reflection
As this course ends, my view of SS has definitely changed. I've always disliked it because it was taught to me only using textbooks, but now I know that there are MANY ways to incorporate SS and make it fun. There are reenactments, songs, virtual tours, and much more that will get the students engaged. However, since I never liked SS, I didn't learn much in the subject. I would've loved to learn more specific content, but this will just be something I need to work on before teaching each lesson. -
Overall Reflection Cont.
I know that I have a lot of individual learning to do, but I am ready to do that now that I know I did not need to solely read a textbook. I can learn in fun ways and then teach the students in those same ways. I noticed that the lessons became harder as the grades got older because I needed to go more in depth. Since I want to teach older kids (5th grade), this class has prepared me for all the research I know I am going to have to do before I teach each lesson.
