Wednesday, February 7th: The kids read about the Southern economy using several sources. We briefly used the textbook, but most of the time was spent on a few books that live on this website under the Social Studies tab.
Tuesday, February 6th: We had a little less class time due to the Larry Doby assembly. Larry Doby was the first African American in the American League and the first to win a World Series. The students finished learning the who, how, why, and when of the founding of the Southern Colonies… from Catholics in Maryland to debtor prisoners in Georgia. Along the way, the kids also learned a bit about the monarchs of England and how they affected the colonies. We will next look at their economies and compare and contrast the Middle Atlantic, Southern, and New England Colonies.
Monday, February 9th: Maryland and Carolina were on tap today. Maryland was formed for Catholics who were considered the wrong religion in England. Who was the founder? George Calvert, the First Lord Baltimore... yes, that is where the city gets its name. Yes, Carolina was too big. King Charles II granted land from the bottom of Virginia to the top of Spanish Florida to the Lords Proprietors. That's a pretty cool name. They backed Charles II to get the throne since his dad lost his head and Oliver Cromwell became the Lord Protector of England. Yes, Cromwell was the Puritan who wasn't much fun. In the end, Carolina needed to be broken up. The top 1/3 became North Carolina (mostly smaller farms) and South Carolina (where you will find the big plantations). The bottom will become Georgia, but that is for tomorrow.
Friday, February 6th: The kids had their quiz on the Middle Atlantic Colonies, which went fine. I know there was a lot of concern, but I don't see why it was necessary. I told them this was to help them understand where they stand with the information. We also review the highlights before class each day. Anyway, they graded their own work and it is done. They did great. Time to move on... We headed south to the Southern Colonies.
Wednesday, February 4th: The class read about The Great Wagon Road today. We also reviewed for the quiz on Friday. Don't worry... it is a check to see what they understand. The quiz will be used to study for the test after we finish the Southern Colonies. That is the one they should study for, and it will be the end of next week or the beginning of the following week. There will be a review and a study guide
Tuesday, February 3rd: Today's class was split between finishing up Philly and Ben Franklin. The last group presented Franklin to the class. He is such a fascinating character, and I hope the kids will walk away feeling the same way. After the presentation, we looked at some more of his inventions together. Then, the kids looked for a quote of his that they liked. That wasn't too hard because he has so many quotes, and they are all great. Some of the kids' favorites were...
"There never was a good war or a bad peace."
"Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn."
"He that would live in peace & at ease, Must not speak all he knows or judge all he sees."
"Well done is better than well said."
"Lost Time is never found again."
"There never was a good war or a bad peace."
"Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn."
"He that would live in peace & at ease, Must not speak all he knows or judge all he sees."
"Well done is better than well said."
"Lost Time is never found again."
Penn's layout for Philly
Monday, February 2nd: What do pie and Pennsylvania have in common? William Penn wanted the townships to be 5,000 acres and divided among 10 families. The land should be divided into a circular shape. Each family gets a "slice" of the pie, and all the homes built at the tips. We also learned about Penn's idea for laying out Philadelphia (grid and parks). There is no more language in elementary school, but we learned a little Greek... Philadelphia means "city of brotherly love". We also discussed how William Penn's ideas of freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, and trial by a jury of peers will shape the United States.
Friday, January 30th: Today's class was split. We finished our presentations and held a restorative justice circle on racism, led by our school counselor, Ms. Hall.
Thursday, January 29th: Presentation day... "WOW" is the word I would use to describe the students' presentation skills. They were comfortable facing the class, using notecards, and projecting their voices. Their research has improved significantly, and so has their time management. They felt they needed more time from the start, but having less time forced them to focus on what was required to finish the presentation. We will finish up the presentations tomorrow.
Wednesday, January 28th: The Breadbasket Colonies. Sounds delicious! We started our study of the Middle Atlantic Colonies by turning the teaching over to the kids. Each group is responsible for one colony... Delaware, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. The last group is researching Benjamin Franklin. The kids researched and built a Google Slides presentation. Tomorrow, they will get up and present to the class. Same rules as always... pictures on the slides are great. Words on the slides are not great. They know they are the experts and must present the information to the class using notecards. Hopefully, they have notes, not sentences, on the cards. Come back tomorrow to see how they did
Tuesday, January 27th: We had shorter classes today because of the delayed opening. Thanks again, snowstorm! We began our studies of the Middle Atlantic Colonies. These include New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. Before we can look at those colonies, the kids had to learn about New Netherlands and New Sweden, becuase they were there first... actually... the native people were there first.
The kids heard about four prominent figures. Peter Minuit is credited with buying the island of Manhattan and governing New Netherlands. He is replaced by a more efficient leader, Peter Stuyvestant. His nickname was Silver Nails, because he hammered nails into his wooden leg before fighting. Yes, that is the Stuyvesant you have heard of in NYC. He got the colony working better, but he was rough, and people did not like him. Johan Printz was the leader of New Sweden. His nickname was Big Tub. I doubt people called him that to his face... he was supposedly seven feet tall and weighed 500 pounds!!! The last character was James, the Duke of York. He will take the New Netherlands for his brother, King Charles II.
The kids heard about four prominent figures. Peter Minuit is credited with buying the island of Manhattan and governing New Netherlands. He is replaced by a more efficient leader, Peter Stuyvestant. His nickname was Silver Nails, because he hammered nails into his wooden leg before fighting. Yes, that is the Stuyvesant you have heard of in NYC. He got the colony working better, but he was rough, and people did not like him. Johan Printz was the leader of New Sweden. His nickname was Big Tub. I doubt people called him that to his face... he was supposedly seven feet tall and weighed 500 pounds!!! The last character was James, the Duke of York. He will take the New Netherlands for his brother, King Charles II.
Peter Stuyvesant
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Johan Printz
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James, Duke of York, who will eventually become King James II
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Monday, January 26th:
Friday, January 24th: We finished our exploration of the New England Colonies by looking at the economy. We learned how they made a living through fishing, whaling, shipbuilding, and trading. Then, we moved on to our quiz on the New England Colonies. I told the kids not to worry… it is only a quiz. Once they were done, they graded their own work. They did an excellent job, giving the kids another opportunity to show me what they know... and maybe something we need to look at again.
Thursday, January 22nd: The students have mostly completed our study of the New England Colonies. We still have shipbuilding to cover, but they should be able to tell you most of the info below...
* The four New England colonies - Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire
* Important people for each colony John Endecott & John Winthrop (MA), Anne Hutchinson & Roger Williams (RI), David Thomson (NH), and Thomas Hooker (CT)
* The differences between the colonies - geography, religion (tolerance), government, and climate... to name a few
* The Pequot War which did not go well for King Philip and the native people.
* The four New England colonies - Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire
* Important people for each colony John Endecott & John Winthrop (MA), Anne Hutchinson & Roger Williams (RI), David Thomson (NH), and Thomas Hooker (CT)
* The differences between the colonies - geography, religion (tolerance), government, and climate... to name a few
* The Pequot War which did not go well for King Philip and the native people.
Wednesday, January 21st: What happens if you question the Puritan faith? Ask Roger Williams or Anne Hutchinson… spoiler alert… it is not good. Roger Williams had to make a quick getaway after his trial (he talked about freedom of religion and separation of church and state) and headed south from the Massachusetts Bay Colony. With a lot of help from the native people, he was able to survive and start a settlement… Providence. It will become the colony of Rhode Island. Anne Hutchinson also caused the Puritans concern when she questioned the ministers and their teachings. She also held services in her house! This is kind of thinking is not good for the ministers control/livelihood. She was put on trial (sedition), and surprisingly, she was found guilty by the judges, who were Puritan ministers. She, too, flees south and starts a settlement that will become part of Rhode Island.
Fun side note... she will eventually head west with six of her kids (the others are grown up) and settles near the Hudson River in the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam. Turns out that she picked the wrong place at the wrong time. The Lenape are at war with the Dutch and her farm is raided and Anne, five of her children, and servants are killed. One of her older sons negotiates a ransom and three years later gets his sister back.
Additional fun side note... her grandson, Thomas Hutchinson, will be the last royal governor of Massachusetts. He was a loyalist (not on our side).
Fun side note... she will eventually head west with six of her kids (the others are grown up) and settles near the Hudson River in the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam. Turns out that she picked the wrong place at the wrong time. The Lenape are at war with the Dutch and her farm is raided and Anne, five of her children, and servants are killed. One of her older sons negotiates a ransom and three years later gets his sister back.
Additional fun side note... her grandson, Thomas Hutchinson, will be the last royal governor of Massachusetts. He was a loyalist (not on our side).
Tuesday, January 20th: We learned about Puritans today. About 20,000 Puritans arrived after the Massachusetts Bay Colony was founded in 1628 by John Endecott. It turns out they are not a fun bunch. We had time to read books under the Social Studies tab... You Wouldn't Want to Sail on the Mayflower, You Wouldn't Want to be an American Colonist, and The Dreadful, Smelly Colonies. Unlike the Puritans, these are fun! We also saw a few more Johns today... the kids thought it was funny that we have come across so many already.
- John Smith
- Explored and named the area of the colony years earlier
- One of the founders of Jamestown
- Chief Powhatan captured him and was going to cut off his head until Pocahontas had her father spare Smith’s life. Pocahontas goes on to marry…
- John Rolfe
- Brought tobacco to Jamestown. That made people rich!
- John Endecott
- 1628 - brought the first Puritans to Massachusetts Bay Colony
- John Winthrop
- 1630 - brought the second larger group of Puritans
- Governor of the colony and president of the confederation of New England people
Friday, December 20th: Let the races begin! The kids had time to make final adjustments to their racecars before the timed runs began. We started by timing each car to figure out how to set up the brackets. Maybe it is because today is the last day of school before winter break, or they just loved the races, but either way... they went wild!!! The winners from each class meet at the end of the day to find out who will be the 2025 Bradford International Drag Strip Champion.
2025 Bradford Racecar Champions
5C
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5B
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5L
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Monday, December 22nd: How about an engineering project? The kids were tasked with building a racecar while staying within a budget. The class was a lot of design, build, test, and repeat... they kept going back to the drawing board multiple times to make the necessary adjustments after running on the track. Tomorrow, they will have time to finish "tuning" the cars, and then we race! The winner from each class will face off at the end of the day to find the 2024 Bradford Race Champion.
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Friday, December 19th: Today was about ThinkCERCA. We had to take a day from our regular program to complete our first writing benchmark. The kids had used ThinkCERCA last year, so they were somewhat familiar. I gave them a refresher on the tools, and off they went. The kids had to read two articles, answer eight multiple-choice questions, and write an essay. They were given 90 minutes to complete the assignment. They had the same feeling you just had... that is not enough time. The kids surprised themselves. Almost all of them were able to turn in a five paragraph essay and from what I saw... they were pretty good. A third party will grade their work.
Wednesday, December 17th & Thursday, December 18th: We turned the clock back to a time when games were played on paper with dice. In our case, it was Settling the New World. The kids got to plan (as best they could) for a settlement. What to take? Who to take? Supplies? They found out that they could only control so much. The rest was left to fate. What did the kids think of this? They were wild! They hooted and hollered in excitement when something good happened, or got angry when bad things like half of the settlers dying from cholera happened because they didn't bring a doctor. After the game, we talked about the results. Did they match what we learned about the beginning of Roanoke, Jamestown, and Plymouth? My favorite question of the day... "Did you trick us into learning with the game?" Yes, I did!
Tuesday, December 16th: Test day with a side of Rube Goldberg. The kids learned about Rube Goldberg machines, which are overly complicated, and created one after they finished the test. I will post examples tomorrow. A Rube Goldberg Machine is a comically involved invention designed to perform a simple task. Check out the illustration to get rid of a mouse or wipe your mouth...
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Monday, December 15th: The kids wrapped up their essays in class today. They will have a few more minutes after their test tomorrow... if needed for any last minute changes.
Friday, December 12th: We reviewed for our unit test next Tuesday. The kids had the opportunity to answer questions and write down anything they were unsure about. We did discuss each question pretty thoroughly. The test will be multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blanks, and maybe a short essay. Everything will come from the information they have in their notebooks. Here is a link to the Kahoot! if they want to play at home...
Time of Encounters/Age of Exploration Kahoot!
Time of Encounters/Age of Exploration Kahoot!
Thursday, December 11th: Let the writing begin... kind of. We started by going over the similarities and differences the kids came up with yesterday and discussed the different ways the essay could be laid out. It took a little time, but the kids got to a place where they were comfortable and produced a decent amount of writing. We will have more time to finish and edit.
Wednesday, December 10th: The kids were a little confused about today's class because they were told they would write a compare-and-contrast essay. The kids were given two organizers to lay out their information. Everything they need comes from their notebooks or textbooks. No research needed. That said, we did spend time discussing how the essay should be formatted, what a thesis statement should look like, and what is expected of their work. This will take them a few days to complete.
Monday, December 8th and Tuesday, December 9th: And that's a wrap on the Time of Exploration! Today, we finished our lesson on Plymouth Colony. The kids got to see another English colony that followed the Jamestown model... make mistakes, show up unprepared, and half the settlers die. If not for the help of Samoset and Squanto, the other half would have probably died or ended up like the people of Roanoke.
We have some more work to do this week, but it will be based on what the kids have already learned. We will be having our test on Tuesday, December 16th. We will review on Friday.
We have some more work to do this week, but it will be based on what the kids have already learned. We will be having our test on Tuesday, December 16th. We will review on Friday.
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Friday, December 5th: We had our first glimpse of a successful English colony... Jamestown. Successful is a word I use lightly because more than half the people die in what is known as the starving time. In 1619, they created a legislature called the House of Burgesses, and that year, the Black Mayflower arrived, bringing the first enslaved Africans. A war with the Powhatan in 1622 resulted in the loss of 1/3 of the colonists, but the native people were defeated and their land taken. Jamestown's fortunes changed once they had more land to grow tobacco. Things went so well that King James decided to take back the colony. Thanks for all the hard work, Virginia Company, but the king is the king.
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Thursday, December 4th: Queen Elizabeth was ready to build her empire, so she allowed captains to rob Spanish treasure ships. They just have to share some of the treasure with her. The Sea Dog did well and the queen was ready to colonize North America. So far, they have primarily focused on fishing. I know, that seems weird, but Europe had fished its waters for so long the fish population numbers were low. In North America, you can walk across the fish... at least that is what they said. Hence Cape Cod. We looked at the first attempts by Sir Walter Raleigh that did not work out well. The first one gave up and got a ride back to England with Sir Francis Drake. The second one ??? That is the lost colony of Roanoke. The kids used all the skills we have been working on this year. One section was notes, another summarizing, and the last was answering questions.
Wednesday, December 3rd: Same procedure as yesterday... The kids had a little more time to finish editing their summaries, and then we reviewed them together. We read the summary first and then the reading to see if the summary gave a brief account of the main points. A few secondary details still needed to be removed, and a central point here and there needed to be added, but overall, the summaries were well done.
Was New France a success? They had 55,000 people living in the colony vs 1,200,000 living in the English colonies. New France couldn't get people to settle on their claim.
Was New France a success? They had 55,000 people living in the colony vs 1,200,000 living in the English colonies. New France couldn't get people to settle on their claim.
Tuesday, December 2nd: As a class, we reviewed each group's summaries. We started by reading the summary and then the pages together. We went back and forth to determine whether anything important was missing or whether anything included was not a big idea. By the time we were done, we had summaries that I thought were great. I will combine all the summaries for each class and print them out tonight. The kids will get a copy to add to their notebooks.
New Spain is up and running, so we moved on to New France. The kids tried again to read and summarize. They worked more quickly today, and most understood how to get this work done faster and better.
The kids' favorite new word is "coquina". It is a type of stone made from broken seashells. The Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine is made from this type of stone.
New Spain is up and running, so we moved on to New France. The kids tried again to read and summarize. They worked more quickly today, and most understood how to get this work done faster and better.
The kids' favorite new word is "coquina". It is a type of stone made from broken seashells. The Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine is made from this type of stone.
Castillo de San Marcos
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This is coquina stone
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Friday, November 26th: New Spain was on tap for today. The kids broke up into groups, each with a different section. Each kid had to find the main idea and supporting details. From that, they created a summary. This was done together on Google Docs. Too many details were included at first, but they got the hang of it. The work will be printed out and taped into the kids' notebooks.
Tuesday, November 25th: We finished up our explorer presentations today. I saw significant improvement in their Google Slides and presentation skills. We have work still to do, but I am happy with the progress. We ended class talking about New Spain, which is coming up tomorrow.
Monday, November 24th: The kids created their Turtle Islands. The project is based on this creation story...
“A long, long time ago, before there was land, the world was covered in water. One day, Sky Woman fell from the sky world above. The animals wanted to help her. Geese caught her in their wings, and the turtle offered her a place to rest on its back. But there was no land yet. The animals dove deep into the water to bring up mud. Beaver tried, loon tried, but it was the small muskrat who succeeded — though it cost him his life. Sky Woman placed the mud on the turtle’s back, and the land began to grow.
This is very similar to the one we read earlier in the year, which the Blackfeet told.
“A long, long time ago, before there was land, the world was covered in water. One day, Sky Woman fell from the sky world above. The animals wanted to help her. Geese caught her in their wings, and the turtle offered her a place to rest on its back. But there was no land yet. The animals dove deep into the water to bring up mud. Beaver tried, loon tried, but it was the small muskrat who succeeded — though it cost him his life. Sky Woman placed the mud on the turtle’s back, and the land began to grow.
This is very similar to the one we read earlier in the year, which the Blackfeet told.
Thursday, November 20th and Friday, November 21st: Now, it is time for the kids to teach. We started with Lief Erikson's quick visit in 1000CE, then moved on to Columbus thinking he reached India, and John Cabot thinking he reached China. Vespucci will prove them wrong with his maps and Balboa will cross the Isthmus of Panama to be the first to see the Pacific Ocean. Balboa establishes beyond a doubt that these are two previously unknown continents to Europeans. We learned about Cortés conquering the Aztecs, Magallán circumnavigating the Earth (kind of... he was killed in the Philippines), Verrazzano sailing around the northeast and getting a bridge named after him, and Pizzaro conquering the Incas. How about de Soto wandering the southeast for four years and covering 4,000 miles, and Coronado checking out the Grand Canyon? We have been busy! More to follow next week.
The kids are creating a Turtle Island in class next week as part of our work for Native American Heritage Month. Their homework is to collect natural items they find outside and put them in their brown bag.
The kids are creating a Turtle Island in class next week as part of our work for Native American Heritage Month. Their homework is to collect natural items they find outside and put them in their brown bag.
Wednesday, November 19th: The kids worked on completing their presentations. Tomorrow is their time to shine!
Tuesday, November 18th: The kids were randomly given the name of an explorer to research. They got right to work on their presentation and let me tell you... I was impressed by what they have gotten done so far. With almost no fooling around, they started researching, writing notes on index cards, and finding pictures to put on their slides. They remembered that the notes should not be on their Slides. They will have tomorrow to work on this, and the presentations will be on Thursday and Friday.
Monday, November 17th: Bartolomeu Dias made it around the tip of Africa! Now, the Portuguese are ready to make the trip all the way to India. Vasco da Gama left in July of 1497 and returned from India two years and two months later. What a success. Sure, only 55 of the original 170 sailors returned, but who is worried about ordinary people? The Portuguese now control the trade route, which makes them wealthy and powerful.
Friday, November 14th: We learned about Portugal's Prince Henry. His dad, King John I, wanted him to find a sea route to Asia. He brings together shipbuilders, sailors, and cartographers. They will improve the compass and astrolabe. They will also develop a better ship... the caravel. It will take decades and 50 voyages, but Portugal will be the first around Africa and make it to India. Wealth and power come from these future trips.
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Thursday, November 13th: The Silk Road and major trading centers were explored. All is good until 1453, when Constantinople falls to the Turks and the trade routes are closed. The Europeans can't live without their imported goods, so it is time to figure out another way to get them... over water. First up is Prince Henry's Navigation School. The kids got to enjoy the timeless classic "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" by They Might Be Giants, and, believe it or not, a few kids knew the song. Nice work parents!
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Wednesday, November 12th: We now have a good idea of where the world is in the 1400s. China has seen the world and decided they didn't need it and closed up shop. Others in Asia were on board with trading, including India, Japan, and Korea. African empires have been trading with Europe and Asia. Europeans have gotten a taste (literally - spices) of the rest of the world and want more. All is going well until... that is for later.
Tuesday, November 11th: The Age of Exploration is our topic for the next few weeks. Why did the European explorers explore? Before we get there, we need to understand what was happening around the world in the 1400s. Today, we examined what was happening in the Americas. We got to see the Incas' quipus (a form of writing), their amazing stonework, road networks, Machu Picchu, and their 3,000-mile-long empire of 12 million people. We closed the class by looking at the most advanced civilization in the Americas —the Aztec Empire. It encompassed 200,000 square miles (NJ is 6,000), had a population of 5,000,000 people, and had calendars, a writing system, stone buildings and temples, and a government. We also had a student who was just in Teotihaucan and brought back pictures and stories.
Machu Picchu (Inca Empire)
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El Castillo, Chichen Itza (Aztec)
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Tuesday, September 30th: The Land and Early People unit is now in our rear-view mirror. The kids did not seem too worried or panicked. I will grade all the tests and return them to the kids tomorrow, Wednesday. When we return tomorrow, we will change gears and begin our unit on matter in science.
Monday, September 29th: We began class with a review for the test scheduled for tomorrow. The kids played a Kahoot! and together we discussed each question. After the review, the kids wrote a summary of the Early Indians. Writing a summary is somewhat new to them, but it is something we will work on throughout the year. The kids should do great on the test tomorrow because every question comes directly from their notebooks, and they can use those for reference during the test. Even without a notebook, they should be able to do fine.
If you want to play the Kahoot! at home... click here.
If you want to play the Kahoot! at home... click here.
Friday, September 26th: The kids received their last project for this unit... to create a postcard. Step one... explain what a postcard is to the kids. They had several options from Mesa Verde to draw on the front of the postcard, and then they wrote a message to someone explaining what the picture was all about. Not all the kids got to this today. Some were still working on their Native American tribe project, while others lost class time due to dancing... One class had kids from Montclair State come and teach them a dance lesson. Perhaps not history, but they love art and being creative.
We will have an assessment next Tuesday. The kids are well aware (I bring it up every day), and there is no studying to do. All the questions come directly from their notebooks, and they will use them for the assessment. Kids who miss a day are given copies of notes or worksheets. We also review each day. What I am getting at is... they don't need to sweat this. I want them to understand why having good notes and keeping papers organized is essential. We will also review on Monday.
We will have an assessment next Tuesday. The kids are well aware (I bring it up every day), and there is no studying to do. All the questions come directly from their notebooks, and they will use them for the assessment. Kids who miss a day are given copies of notes or worksheets. We also review each day. What I am getting at is... they don't need to sweat this. I want them to understand why having good notes and keeping papers organized is essential. We will also review on Monday.
Thursday, September 25th: We began the class by reviewing the four civilizations we learned about yesterday. The kids used their notes to answer a bunch of questions. I told the kids that this is practice for our assessment next week. Every question will come directly from their notebooks. We spent the majority of the class learning more about the Anasazi. Those were the people who lived in the Four Corners region of what is now the USA. They were long gone before Europeans came to the Americas, but they left clues to who they were, how they lived, and why they left.
Would you like to learn more about them? Click on the book cover to read what your kid read today.
Some kids were able to begin working on the Tribe Project. More on that tomorrow.
Would you like to learn more about them? Click on the book cover to read what your kid read today.
Some kids were able to begin working on the Tribe Project. More on that tomorrow.
Wednesday, September 24th: We concluded our lesson on Ancient People by exploring early civilizations. We started with the Olmecs, who developed a form of writing, a number system, and a calendar. That is pretty impressive, and if you don't think so, ask your kids why they think so. They are known as the "Mother Civilization". The kids liked the Mayans' cities of stone, the Moundbuilders' Serpent Mound, and the Anasazi's "apartment buildings" built into the side of a cliff wall. Tomorrow, we will spend more time focusing on the Anasazi... stay tuned!
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Monday, September 22nd: We started class learning about the autumnal equinox and what it means for the kids... days are getting shorter amounts of sunlight... winter is coming. We finished our notes on to A Time of Change. The kids learned how the climate changing from warm and humid to cooler and drier affected the early people. The most significant effect was that large animals, such as mastodons, mammoths, camels, and horses, all became extinct. This forced the early people to begin to fish and hunt smaller animals like deer and rabbits. This was also possible with new technologies like the bow and arrow. Farming came about 5,000 years ago, and people are leading less of a nomadic life. They are planting crops, settling in one place, building stronger houses, and villages.
Friday, September 19th: We finished our notes on Hunters and Gatherers and began to look at A Time of Change.
The kids learned about the technologies of these people, and the one they liked the best was the atlatl (AHT-lah-tuhl) or spear thrower.
The kids learned about the technologies of these people, and the one they liked the best was the atlatl (AHT-lah-tuhl) or spear thrower.
Thursday, September 18th: Ancient Indians were our topic today. Why were there so many very large animals? How did the people hunt mammoths and mastodons? How did they use them? Stone technology was explored, and the kids had a hard time believing that a stone could be tech. True, it is not an iPhone, but like an iPhone, it allowed them to do something better. This is the kids' first introduction to taking notes using the Cornell Method. The kids read and picked out the important details. I wrote them on the board, and the kids put them in their notebooks. We will continue to work together until the kids become comfortable with taking notes on their own. Since this is a new skill, I have advised them not to worry about making mistakes and to just make corrections going forward.
Wednesday, September 17th: We started looking at the Earliest Americans. Before we could get into that, we went back to our beginnings in Africa and how those people got to Europe and Asia. The question to the kids was, "How did they get to the Americas?". As a class, we worked on coming up with theories. They developed the Land Bridge Theory... the people walked over from Asia.
The kids liked the land bridge theory until I started throwing in sites across the Americas that were older than the ice sheet melting. They worked through this as a class and came up with boats. That must have been how the earliest people got here. They decided that they should also include the idea of the land bridge. Together, this is called the early arrival theory. The last theory we came up with... religion... the people were always here - the origin or creation theory. We read and discussed the origin story of the Blackfoot and its similarities to other religions. We closed out the class with a check for understanding with a worksheet.
The kids liked the land bridge theory until I started throwing in sites across the Americas that were older than the ice sheet melting. They worked through this as a class and came up with boats. That must have been how the earliest people got here. They decided that they should also include the idea of the land bridge. Together, this is called the early arrival theory. The last theory we came up with... religion... the people were always here - the origin or creation theory. We read and discussed the origin story of the Blackfoot and its similarities to other religions. We closed out the class with a check for understanding with a worksheet.
Tuesday, September 16th: The groups finished their presentations today. The groups worked together to answer questions from each section presented. The groups didn't know what the questions would be on their worksheets, but they were based on the main ideas. The groups pretty much had that information in their presentations, and the kids did a great job pulling it out.
Monday, September 15th: We started class by discussing Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15th - October 15th) and why it is important to all of us, but we had limited time due to the extra gym class. We will continue to explore the topic for the next few weeks... and throughout the year.
We set up our notebooks, and one or two groups were able to present their lesson today. The kids who went did some things well and some not so well. That is ok. I asked the whole class what could be done differently, and I think that they got a better idea of what a good presentation should have... we will find out in the future if that is true.
We set up our notebooks, and one or two groups were able to present their lesson today. The kids who went did some things well and some not so well. That is ok. I asked the whole class what could be done differently, and I think that they got a better idea of what a good presentation should have... we will find out in the future if that is true.
Friday, September 12th: We had to change gears and put off the presentations today. The kids needed to complete the IXL ELA and Math benchmarks, and our class time was needed. If the kids finished both, they could work on their presentations or read. Monday, we will begin presenting.
Thursday, September 11th: We started class with a discussion of 9/11. 9/11 is like Pearl Harbor to most of us. We understand the event's importance, but are not emotionally attached since we were removed from the terrible act. We looked at what was built at the site and why it is 1,776 feet tall. We looked at even taller buildings worldwide and what will be the tallest... Jeddah Tower at 3,281 ft. Construction on this building was halted years ago, but it is now back on track and is scheduled for completion in 2028. It is expected to be completed in 2028 or 2029.
The kids had some extra time to finish their presentations, and we were able to squeeze in a couple. So far, so good.
The kids had some extra time to finish their presentations, and we were able to squeeze in a couple. So far, so good.
Wednesday, September 10th: Each group was assigned a lesson from "Our Country's Geography" that they will figure out how to teach to the class. They had the majority of today's class time and an additional 30 minutes scheduled for tomorrow. Then, we begin the presentations. The work is all the kids. They are deciding on how to divide up the work and how it will be presented. Each member of the group will need to be part of the presentation. This is not homework, but I cannot stop kids from working at home. Between today and tomorrow, they should have enough time. If not enough kids are ready, I will give them a little more time.
Tuesday, September 9th: The kids use the words "history" and "social studies" interchangeably. Today we learned that they are not the same, and what social studies is... civics and government, history, economics, geography, culture, and society. We then had some excellent discussions about why history is essential to study. The kids took an assessment to see what they know about US History. They will retake this at the end of the year to see how much they learned. We spent most of the class time on a presentation project. Each group received one lesson from our chapter on "Our Country's Geography". They will become the experts on their material and teach it to the class.
Monday, September 8th: The kids learned a whole lot about maps today. Ask them why every map they have ever seen stinks. Hopefully, they will tell you that we are trying to peel a sphere and lay it flat. It just doesn't work. We laid out the whole year in more detail and discussed the expectations for their notebooks. We spent half the class time in extra gym. The kids also received their Chromebooks today. They are responsible for taking them home and back, as well as from class to class.
Friday, September 5th: We had a jam-packed class today. We got the chance to learn more about each other silly questions, but the answer wasn't what I was after. I was looking for the kids to explain their answers. Ok, what does that mean? Some questions were "Would you rather be a wizard or a hero?", "Would you rather live with no internet or no heat/AC?", or "Would you rather be attacked by 100 duck-sized horses or one horse-sized duck?" The kids did a great job sharing their reasoning.
I had them think about something that has been happening to them their whole lives and never thought about... how fast they are going. Without telling them, they were able to come up with the idea that the Earth's rotation must be fast. In fact, it is 1,000 miles per hour at the equator and about 800mph where we are located. I asked why they don't feel it, and they gave the example of being in a car or plane. I told them we are going even faster. They came up the Earth revolving around the Sun. Turns out we are moving at about 67,000mph.
I also asked the kids why Mars is red. We looked at pictures, and with some guidance, they came up with rust. We discussed what rust was and how it forms. If there is rust on Mars, what does that mean? They came up with the idea that there must have been water and oxygen on Mars at some point.
"Why" or "Ask questions" was my point. I encourage the kids to wonder about the world around them and beyond. We will have a year full of "off-topic" questions, but I am good at steering them back into our lessons.
If that wasn't enough, the kids had to build the tallest tower possible using only 40 index cards. After much trial and changes, the towers ranged from the mid-20" to high 30", and one made it to 42"!
I had them think about something that has been happening to them their whole lives and never thought about... how fast they are going. Without telling them, they were able to come up with the idea that the Earth's rotation must be fast. In fact, it is 1,000 miles per hour at the equator and about 800mph where we are located. I asked why they don't feel it, and they gave the example of being in a car or plane. I told them we are going even faster. They came up the Earth revolving around the Sun. Turns out we are moving at about 67,000mph.
I also asked the kids why Mars is red. We looked at pictures, and with some guidance, they came up with rust. We discussed what rust was and how it forms. If there is rust on Mars, what does that mean? They came up with the idea that there must have been water and oxygen on Mars at some point.
"Why" or "Ask questions" was my point. I encourage the kids to wonder about the world around them and beyond. We will have a year full of "off-topic" questions, but I am good at steering them back into our lessons.
If that wasn't enough, the kids had to build the tallest tower possible using only 40 index cards. After much trial and changes, the towers ranged from the mid-20" to high 30", and one made it to 42"!
Thursday, September 4th: I had the opportunity to meet all my new 5th-grade students today. Now I might be a bit partial, but they are the best group of kids! We spent the class sorting out supplies, going over expectations, looking at the topics we will be covering, talking about 1,000 different things, and my golden rule... "Don't make me crazy".
