|
|
|
|
**** TEST **** Land and Early People **** TEST ***
We will have our first test this Friday, September 25th, on The Land and Early People. There is no studying to do. There is no reason for the kids to worry. Everything they need, we have gone over a few times, and it is in their notebooks... which they can use for the test.
Trust me, they have nothing to worry about. They will do fine.
Trust me, they have nothing to worry about. They will do fine.
Thursday, September 24th: 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 Mesa Verde options to draw on the front of the postcard, and then they wrote a message to someone explaining what they saw when they were visiting the area.
We will have an assessment tomorrow. 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 also reviewed again today.
If you want, click on the Kahoot! logo to test your kid. You can all log on separately and see how you do against each other!
We will have an assessment tomorrow. 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 also reviewed again today.
If you want, click on the Kahoot! logo to test your kid. You can all log on separately and see how you do against each other!
Wednesday, September 23rd: We began the class by reviewing the 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 on Friday. Every question will come directly from their notebooks. No studying or study guides are needed. 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? Hover over the "Social Studies" tab above and click on the drop down "Books - History".
Would you like to learn more about them? Hover over the "Social Studies" tab above and click on the drop down "Books - History".
Tuesday, 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 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 are known as the "Mother Civilization". The kids liked the Mayans' stone cities, 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!
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 are known as the "Mother Civilization". The kids liked the Mayans' stone cities, 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!
Olmec
|
Maya
|
Mound Builders - Adena
|
Anasazi
|
Friday, September 18th: We finished our notes on Hunters and Gatherers by learning about the technologies of these people, and the one they liked the best was the atlatl (AHT-lah-tuhl) or spear thrower. We also finished our notes on A Time of Change. The kids discovered how the climate changed from warm and humid to cooler and drier and how that affected early people. The most significant effect was that large animals, such as mastodons, mammoths, camels, and horses, all became extinct. This forced early people to fish and hunt smaller animals like deer and rabbits. New technologies like the bow and arrow also made this possible. Farming began about 5,000 years ago, and people led less nomadic lives. They planted crops, settled in one place, and built stronger houses and villages.
Thursday, September 17th: Today, we explored the Ancient Indians and their fascinating relationship with the world around them. We discussed why so many large animals, including mammoths and mastodons, lived during this time. The kids also considered how these animals were hunted and how their various parts were used for survival.
We also explored stone technology, which was a new concept for many of the kids. Some had a hard time believing that a stone could be considered technology. After all, it is not an iPhone! However, like an iPhone, stone tools let people accomplish tasks more effectively. It was a great opportunity to discuss how technology has evolved over time.
Today also marked the kids' first introduction to the Cornell Note-Taking Method. They read the information, identified important details, and worked together to decide what to include in their notes. I recorded the key information on the board, and the kids transferred it into their notebooks.
Since this is a new skill, we will continue working together until everyone becomes more comfortable taking notes independently. I have encouraged the kids not to worry about making mistakes. Learning effective note-taking takes practice, and we will make corrections and improvements as we move forward. The goal is to build confidence and help them become independent learners.
We also explored stone technology, which was a new concept for many of the kids. Some had a hard time believing that a stone could be considered technology. After all, it is not an iPhone! However, like an iPhone, stone tools let people accomplish tasks more effectively. It was a great opportunity to discuss how technology has evolved over time.
Today also marked the kids' first introduction to the Cornell Note-Taking Method. They read the information, identified important details, and worked together to decide what to include in their notes. I recorded the key information on the board, and the kids transferred it into their notebooks.
Since this is a new skill, we will continue working together until everyone becomes more comfortable taking notes independently. I have encouraged the kids not to worry about making mistakes. Learning effective note-taking takes practice, and we will make corrections and improvements as we move forward. The goal is to build confidence and help them become independent learners.
Wednesday, September 16th: I was out for training on the new social studies program, but the kids still worked on a couple of items. They had two writing assignments. One was their primary evidence essay. They could write about anything they were a part of… in person or even something they watched, like the World Cup. The second piece was for their secondary evidence essay. This can be about anything they have heard, read about, or just know about, but were not involved with in any way. After that, they worked on finishing their Our Country's Geography worksheet.
Tuesday, September 15th: We started our look at the Earliest Americans today. Before we could get there, however, we had to go back to the beginning! We revisited the origins of early humans in Africa and discussed how people eventually migrated into Europe and Asia.
That led us to our big question: “How did people get to the Americas?” As a class, the students came up with several possible explanations. Along the way, they also learned what historians and scientists mean when they use the word “theory.”
The kids were initially pretty excited about the Land Bridge Theory—until I started introducing archaeological sites throughout the Americas that are older than the time when the ice sheets melted enough to make that migration possible. They worked through the problem together and came up with another possibility: boats! Maybe some of the earliest people reached the Americas by traveling along the coast by water. We eventually decided that both ideas could have played a role, which led us to what is called the Early Arrival Theory.
Our final theory came from a very different perspective: religion and creation stories. The students considered the idea that people were always here—the Origin or Creation Theory. We read and discussed a Blackfoot origin story and compared it to creation stories from other cultures and religions.
To wrap things up, some classes completed a short worksheet to check their understanding of the different theories. The other classes will complete it on Thursday, since I will be out tomorrow for a district workshop on the new social studies program.
It was a great week of asking questions, challenging ideas, and trying to piece together a very big mystery from a very long time ago!
That led us to our big question: “How did people get to the Americas?” As a class, the students came up with several possible explanations. Along the way, they also learned what historians and scientists mean when they use the word “theory.”
The kids were initially pretty excited about the Land Bridge Theory—until I started introducing archaeological sites throughout the Americas that are older than the time when the ice sheets melted enough to make that migration possible. They worked through the problem together and came up with another possibility: boats! Maybe some of the earliest people reached the Americas by traveling along the coast by water. We eventually decided that both ideas could have played a role, which led us to what is called the Early Arrival Theory.
Our final theory came from a very different perspective: religion and creation stories. The students considered the idea that people were always here—the Origin or Creation Theory. We read and discussed a Blackfoot origin story and compared it to creation stories from other cultures and religions.
To wrap things up, some classes completed a short worksheet to check their understanding of the different theories. The other classes will complete it on Thursday, since I will be out tomorrow for a district workshop on the new social studies program.
It was a great week of asking questions, challenging ideas, and trying to piece together a very big mystery from a very long time ago!
Monday, September 14th: The groups finished their presentations today. After the final group presented, the students worked together to answer questions from each section they had learned about. The students did not know what questions would be on their worksheets ahead of time, but all of the questions were based on the main ideas from the sections. Fortunately, the groups had included most of the important information in their presentations, and the students did a great job listening, discussing, and pulling out the information they needed to answer the questions. We will review all of the answers together as a class to make sure everyone has a solid understanding of the material.
Thursday, September 11th: The class discussed 9/11, which to them 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 finished by looking at what was built at the site and why it is 1,776 feet tall.
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.
Thursday, September 10th: Each group was assigned a lesson from "Our Country's Geography" that they would figure out how to teach to the class. They had the majority of today's class time and additional time scheduled for tomorrow. Then, we begin the presentations. The work is all on the kids. They are deciding on how to divide up the work and how it will be presented. Each group member will need to be part of the presentation. This is not homework. They should have enough time between today and tomorrow. If not enough kids are ready, I will give them a little more time... but don't tell them that.
Wednesday, September 10th: 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 U.S. 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.
Tuesday, September 8th: Today, we started with the importance of asking "why." We began with the question... "Why is it called pickleball?" I want the kids to think about how places or things got their names... "Who were Woodman Field, Fortunato Field, and Clary Anderson Arena named for and why. Now for the coursework... 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. The kids also spent some time creating new passwords for the Chromebooks. They did not receive a Chromebook for the year and will not have one to take home or take between classes. Any Chromebook use will be for actual schoolwork... no games. I will have them use the machines for research and presentations.
Friday, September 4th: We had a jam-packed class today. We got to learn more about each other with silly questions, but the answers weren't what I was after. I wanted 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 came 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 with the Earth revolving around the Sun. Turns out we are moving at about 67,000mph.
We also wondered 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 Mars must have had liquid water and oxygen 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 error, the towers ranged from the mid-20s" to high 30s", and one made it to 45"!!!
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 came 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 with the Earth revolving around the Sun. Turns out we are moving at about 67,000mph.
We also wondered 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 Mars must have had liquid water and oxygen 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 error, the towers ranged from the mid-20s" to high 30s", and one made it to 45"!!!
Thursday, September 3rd: I met all my new 5th-grade students today. Now I might be a bit partial, but they might just be the best group of kids ever! We spent the class sorting out supplies, going over expectations, looking at the topics we will cover, talking about 1,000 different things, and my golden rule... "Don't make me crazy".
