Inquiring Minds Want to Know
11/16/2019
Our social studies standards are ambitious; built around the National Council for the Social Studies C3 Frameworks, they include standards for content and skills, but also standards for developing questions, planning inquiry, evaluating sources, using evidence, communicating conclusions, and taking informed action. The C3 framework states that there are four major disciplines in social studies—civics, economics, geography, and history—and that links to all four disciplines should be found in all social studies courses. There are six guiding principles of the C3 framework:
Inquiry is indeed at the heart of social studies instruction - of all instruction. When the goal is to develop students who are independent thinkers and exceptional learners, the best place to begin is with their natural curiosity and sense of wonder. When inquiry is at the heart of instruction, we support students in: -living a life full of curiosity -exploring ideas and issues that connect with the own interests and the wider world -tackling big ideas, essential questions, and deep understandings as they read, write, and research -reading and responding flexibly and with a critical stance -thinking creatively and sharing new learning in creative ways -engaging in collaborative learning and action. Our class is knee deep in our American Revolution inquiry this month. Students are challenged to become experts on this topic in reading workshop, so they can share their knowledge with others during writing workshop. Students are developing questions, reading fiction and non-fiction texts of all kinds, and discussing their reading understanding and connections to events and ideas that formed the core of our nation’s beginning. They are connecting their growing knowledge of US geography with the historical events of this exciting time in US history. Atlases, videos, primary sources, historical novels - all these are rich content pushing the inquiry forward. Students are asking important questions and viewing the events from multiple perspectives. History, geography, economics, and civics all take center stage as students learn about boycotts, legislative bodies, taxes, and key historical events. Each question leads to another as they wrestle with the thorny, multi-faceted, messy realities of history. Why was it called the “Boston Massacre?” Was it a massacre? Why did Parliament impose the Intolerable Acts? In 1776, what was it like to be a Loyalist? A Patriot? A slave? A woman? A Native American? A merchant? A soldier? How did thirteen very different and independent colonies come together as one united entity? How does one define “liberty,” and for whom?" Inquiring minds want to know. Resources: Our 5th grade social studies standards: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BdXbNBidIF6bQOydKwZCl3oQTDrUW2wk65U67AghoLs/edit?usp=sharing Study Stars
11/3/2019
After two weeks of unusual school scheduling, it was important for us to settle back into familiar instructional routines, especially as we approached the excitement of Halloween! Our class readily embraced the work of digging into studies of colonial America, reading a slightly spooky tale about “zombies,” and continuing our study of character and theme in “The Tiger Rising.” We practiced keyboarding and cursive, studied US geography and map skills, and worked on grammar and punctuation. We also had some fun with a little Halloween inspired art project, creating crazy “cursive critters.”
How do we work through these various activities when students work at different paces and have different strengths and needs? An instructional routine/structure that builds independence and responsibility while differentiating for students’ needs that I’ve used in my classroom for many years is Study Stars. My goal is to build independence and a solid work ethic while allowing students to work at a pace that works for each individual. Here’s how it works: Study Stars is basically a listing of assignments, activities, and possibilities for student work. Some items are required, some items are optional. Each day the items are placed in order based on due date, instructional need, student interest, and variation of learning experience. Some items in the list must be completed in a particular order; others can be completed in any order. The goal is to help students prioritize their work schedule for the time they have available, to support them in meeting due dates, to allow students to work at the pace that’s appropriate for them, and to allow voice and choice in learning. While students work independently or even in partners, I am able to confer with individuals or small groups. In any school setting, each day's schedule varies greatly. So on some days we have a long Study Stars time; on other days, we have little or no Study Stars time. But the structure is always there, predictable, adaptable, and flexible, providing the opportunity for each student to shine. |
Elizabeth FerryMs. Ferry's experiences include teaching with the Peace Corps in Tanzania, teaching high school English in Maine, and this is her second year at PNA. She loves moose, outdoor activities, and being with her students. Archives
April 2021
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