Skip to main content

Week Two: Friday, September 8, 2023

Welcome: 

Week two is in the books! The one thing I love about starting before Labor Day is that the students have truly come to appreciate the holiday weekend. I hope you all had a great weekend and a good second week back. This week we watched a video that was created by Jay Shetty all about the real meaning of success in life. I try my best to remember this as a teacher throughout the year. 


This Past Week: 

  1. Tuesday: We'll be having quite a few discussions/debates in class this year and today the students experienced something called a Carousel Debate. This activity forces students to think of things from multiple perspectives to develop an argument. We discussed whether or not students should spend time studying history
  2. Wednesday: We continued learning about ways to develop an argument today when we investigated the Claim-Evidence-Reasoning method of argumentative writing. The students investigated whether or not they consider a hot dog to be a sandwich, compiled research onto a class document, and then started writing a response using evidence and reasoning to support their claims. 
  3. Thursday: The students did a team-building game today since many of the classes got new seats. Once we were finished with the game the students had the rest of the period to finish their C-E-R writing piece about hotdogs. 
  4. Friday: We started our discussion of early American history today by introducing the content by playing a Blooket to see what the students already know. The students were then given time to complete any of the work they were supposed to have done this week or to get a jump on the first graded assignment of the year, #008-American Revolution Timeline. 

Next Week: 

  • #008-American Revolution Timeline: The students will be completing their first graded assignment of the year throughout the week. This assignment is meant to help the students gain an understanding of how the history of colonial America progressed and to help them practice the skill of using Google to locate information. 
  • Content Bursts: We'll take anywhere from 5-15 minutes at the start of most classes this week do short "content bursts." These mini-lessons are meant to introduce the students to the key content they will discuss in class. Feel free to check out the Daily Presentation links on the Google Classroom to see what we discussed. 
  • Boston Massacre (Accelerated): The students in periods 3 and 8 will dive into primary sources to study history this week as they investigate what really happened on the night of March 5, 1770, in Boston. The students will be analyzing the primary sources this week so that next week they can have a discussion and do their first piece of formal writing in class. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Week Nine: Friday, October 28, 2022

Welcome:  Nine weeks down! I can't believe that we are already at the end of the first quarter and that the students will be taking their Civics Exam on Friday! This past week we were able to watch a great video from Goalcast that talks about the wisdom of a third grade drop out and asks the students "how ya living?" The video is a longer one (almost 10 minutes) but is well-worth the time to watch and I pick up new things each time I watch it. I hope you enjoy!  Social Studies (Periods 1, 4 & 5)  This Past Week: Tuesday:  The students did an activity called Iron Chef today. They worked in groups of 4 to create a presentation about 4 amendments in the Bill of Rights and then presented before leaving class. Check out some of the slides they were able to create here.  Wednesday:  We started to look at some of the responsibilities American citizens have today by discussing the process by which we elect our presidents. After playing a bit of a review game fo...
Post a Comment
Read more

Week Three: Friday, September 13, 2034

Welcome:  This week, we had the privilege of watching a video titled "Dear High School Self," created by a former student. This heartfelt message serves as a poignant reminder for our students to cherish their time in school, as it passes quickly. Many students found it relatable and impactful, highlighting the importance of reflection during their formative years.   This Past Week: Monday: I was out today for a few doctor's appointments and the students worked on a Wizer activity meant to help them differentiate between primary and secondary sources and recognize bias. The guest teacher had nothing but great things to say about the students!  Tuesday:  Today was the final day for the students to work on their Unit One Timelines (#10 on the Google Classroom). It was great to hear the students discussing the different ways to go about finding the information for the timeline. One student said, "ohhh, it's like a game and you have to put together the clues."  ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Week Eight: October 14-18, 2024

Welcome:  Just like that, we are into the middle of October and more than halfway done the first quarter! The students started the annual fundraiser this past week and went wild over rubber ducks and possible trips to Citizens Bank Park. Next week marks the beginning of the Make a Difference Day collection--the students will be collecting canned goods, paper products, and personal hygiene products to donate to the Coventry Food Pantry to support local families.  I've been listening to a lot of Ryan Holiday and his Daily Stoic podcast lately and he has been on a moment mori kick. Momento mori  is the idea that everything must die, it although it sounds morbid, is a great reminder for us to live our lives to the fullest. This reminded me of one of my favorite clips from the movie Dead Poets Society-- we didn't have time to watch it on Friday so we'll start the week with it on Monday.  This Past Week:  Three Branches Mastery Grid: The students spent most of the wee...
Post a Comment
Read more