Personal

Reflective
Journal
Methods, Strategies, and
Readings

Social Studies Allison Curran

Methods---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
• Hook/Bell Ringer pg. 3 2
• Continuum Line pg. 4
• Round Table pg. 5
• Online Timer pg. 6
Strategies-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
• KWL Chart pg. 8 7
• Inquiry pg. 9
• Ice Breakers pg. 10
• Sponge Strategy pg. 11
• Turn and Talk pg. 12
• Entrance/Exit Slips pg. 13
• Think/Pair/Share pg. 14
• Value Line pg. 15
• Quotable Quote pg. 16
• Uncommon Commonalities pg. 17
Journal Readings and Reflections ------------------------------------------------------------ 18
• Building a Sense of Family in the Classroom pg. 19
• Planning for Social Studies Learning pg. 21
• Google Earth pg. 23
• Modern Myths pg. 25
• Learning Centers for Everyone pg. 27
• The First Earth Day, 1970 pg. 29
• Aloha, Hoosier! A Pen-Pal Activity in the Third Grade pg. 31

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 Lorem Ipsum Dolor [Issue] :: [Date]

Methods
Hook/Bell Ringer – September 5th, 2017
Continuum Line – September 5th, 2017
Round Table – September 5th, 2017
Online Timer – September 19th, 2017

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Hook/Bell Ringer - September 5th, 2017
Lorem Ipsum Dolor Issue [#] :: [Date]

Online Resources Purpose: The purpose of the ‘Hook’ is to grasp student

attention and to intrigue the students. A hook does not
1 http://teaching.monste require content for students to write down. A hook
r.com/benefits/articles works as an introduction activity for the students to get
/9283-7-ways-to-start- a sense of what is to come, to introduce a new topic or
a-great-lesson to start a class.

https://www.edutopia Materials: For a hook, no material is necessary.

2
.org/blog/first-five- However, you do need a fun activity to grasp a
minutes-richard- student’s attention and to bring interest.
curwin
Time Required: A hook can vary in its time frame. A
3 http://archive.brookes good hook does not have to take a long time, although
publishing.com/article a five second hook may not be ideal. An average hook
s/ed-article-0212.htm to start a lesson may vary in between 5-10 minutes.

Steps: A hook can have different steps, depending on

activity. It can be a single step or it could be several. A
simple question to the class could be a hook, which
would be a one-step hook. Usually a hook would vary in
between one or two activities at most, therefore making
it a one or two-step activity. Ex: You would do a
Smartboard activity for the students to be intrigued on
the subject to come. The first step would be to create
the activity and the next step would be to do the
activity with the class.

End Results: Students are intrigued on the subject that

is to come and you, as a teacher, have their attention.

3
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 Lorem Ipsum DolorLine - September 5 , 2017
Continuum th
[Issue] :: [Date]

Online Resources Purpose: The purpose of a continuum line is to give the

students an opportunity to get up and move around by
1 https://www.facinghis arranging themselves based on a variety of abilities and
tory.org/resource- experiences. This allows students to visualize the
library/teaching- different experiences of their peers based on a certain
strategies/barometer- subject. It also allows for bonding within the
taking-stand- classroom, as students must communicate to line
controversial-issues themselves up.

Materials: The space required for all of the students to

2 https://teaching- be lined up beside each other.
strategies.wikispaces.c
om/Continuum Time Required: - 5-10 minutes.

Steps: There are many different ways to use this

method in a classroom, but one very popular way is for
the teacher to ask the students to line up based on
something personal, for example: their birthdays from
January to December or their last names from A to Z.
“A” would start at one side of the room and the
students would line up in order of the alphabet. The
teacher can than group the students off, based on
where they are located in the line.

End Results- Gives the students time to be independent

and a way for teachers to equally separate them into
groups or prepare them to line up and leave the
classroom.

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Round Table
Lorem Ipsum Dolor – September 5 , 2017
th
Issue [#] :: [Date]

Online Resources Purpose: The purpose of a round table is to have a

structured and organized system for discussion. This
1 https://educators.brai method ensures all students have an equal opportunity
npop.com/teaching- to contribute their thoughts and opinions in a small
tip/roundtable- group and encourages a positive and collaborative
learning-strategy/ classroom environment. It is a way to bring forward
different perspectives or opposing opinions on a topic
2 http://www.learnnc.or while allowing others to ask questions, debate and
come to a conclusion as a whole.
g/lp/pages/4777
Materials: The most essential material for this method
http://busyteacher.or is sufficient space and seating for each member of the
3 small group. All members should bring talking points
g/24153-roundtable-
and material to take notes while also sitting in a circle
discussion-esl.html
to motivate equal participation.

Time Required: Depends on topic or subject being

discussed, but probably 10-20 minutes.

Steps: Break class up into groups, and have them sit

around a table with a piece of paper. Each person must
contribute to the activity by writing his or her thoughts
about the chosen topic on the paper. After everyone is
done, a discussion can be had on what was written.
This could also be done with one person selected to be
the writer as everyone takes a turn to communicate his
or her ideas.

End Results: Students should feel that they had an

equal opportunity to express themselves at the end of
this activity. Everyone should also feel a sense of
community and unity as a group.

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 Online Timer
Lorem Ipsum Dolor – September 19 , 2017
th
[Issue] :: [Date]

Online Resources Purpose: The purpose of an online timer is to have a

visual for students to be aware of the time they have to
1 https://www.classdojo complete the given task.
.com/
Materials: An online timer can be found on various
2 http://timer.onlineclo websites. You need a computer and a projecting device
ck.net/ so the students can see the timer.

Time Required: Depends on the activity. It is best to

3 http://www.online- set the online timer up prior to the class.
stopwatch.com/classr
oom-timers/ Steps: Find an online timer and use when needed.

4 https://teachbytes.co End Results: This is a great online tool to help your

m/2012/07/05/5- students with time management.
fantastic-online-
timers/

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Lorem Ipsum Dolor Issue [#] :: [Date]

Strategies
KWL Chart – September 5th, 2017
Inquiry – September 5th, 2017
Ice Breakers- September 5th, 2017
Sponge Activity- September 5th, 2017
Turn and Talk – September 12th, 2017
Entrance/Exit Slips – September 12th, 2017
Think/Pair/Share- September 19th, 2017
Value Line – September 19th, 2017
Quotable Quote
Uncommon Commonalities

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 KWL Chart-
Lorem Ipsum DolorSeptember 5 , 2017
th
[Issue] :: [Date]

Online Resources Purpose: The purpose of a “KWL Chart” is to organize

information. The KWL chart allows for organizing
1 https://www.facinghist information during three critical points of a lesson: before
ory.org/resource- the lesson, during the lesson, and the end of a lesson. The
library/teaching- “K” represents the reader’s prior knowledge regarding the
strategies/k-w-l-charts activity/concept. The “W” represents what the reader
wants to know/or wonders from the activity/concept. The
“L” represents what the reader learned.
2 http://www.theteacher
toolkit.com/index.php Materials: All that is needed for the KWL Chart strategy is
/tool/kwl the KWL Chart itself. The chart should consist of three
columns: what you know, what you wonder, and what you
learned. The chart can be made through technology, can
3 https://www.teachervi be borrowed from the Internet, or could be made just with
sion.com/using-kwl- a writing utensil and paper.
classroom
Time Required: A KWL Chart can vary in time, depending
on how much times is allotted to complete each column.
Considering that the KWL Chart is completed at different
times during the lesson, it is reasonable to provide five
minutes per column, which equals out to 15 minutes total.

Steps: A KWL Chart can be completed in as little as three

steps. The first step is to complete column one, which is
“K” and the prompt is what do you know? In the column
the students would write any prior knowledge about the
item that the teacher is discussing. For this part of the
KWL Chart it is important to emphasize on fact that the
only things that should be written here is information that
is known, and no assumptions. The second step is to
complete column two, which is “W” and the prompt is
what do you wonder? In this column the students would
write anything that they wonder or what they would like to
know about the item. The third and final step is to
complete the third column, which is “L”, and the prompt is
what you learned. This column would only be filled out
after the lesson is completed. The students would write in
this column any information or knowledge that they have
gained from the lesson.

End Results: The KWL Chart is beneficial for the students

and the teachers. In the end the students will have a
completed chart in which they can reflect on for the
information. The teachers will be able to be aware of their
students’ knowledge, what they were curious about, as well
as what they learned from that lesson.
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Inquiry-
Lorem Ipsum September
Dolor 5th, 2017 Issue [#] :: [Date]

Online Resources Purpose: The purpose of an inquiry strategy is to teach

students how to learn and ask thoughtful questions to
1 https://www.edutopia. help them improve their research skills. Inquiry strategies
org/blog/what-heck- are used to spark curiosity in students, and they allow
inquiry-based-learning- them to take some control over their education, which
heather-wolpert- helps to engage students as well.
gawron
Materials: There is a large variety of inquiry strategies, so
2 http://www.readingroc there are many materials that can be used. One inquiry
kets.org/strategies/inq strategy that can be used is 20 Questions, for which no
uiry_chart materials are required except for a prompt provided by the
teacher, which can be a word, event, concept, etc. that
needs to be defined.

Time Required: The required time for an inquiry strategy

will vary depending upon the strategy used and the
purpose for which the strategy is being used. For instance,
a game of 20 Questions, which can be used as a hook in
one’s classroom, will only take about five to ten minutes as
it is simply used to teach students to ask thoughtful
questions and to spark interest in the upcoming lesson. If
the teacher chooses to use a strategy like an Inquiry Chart,
which is used to build upon prior knowledge and to
improve critical thinking skills, the activity would probably
take about 20-30 minutes.

Steps: The steps in an inquiry strategy will vary depending

upon the strategy used.
- An Example of an Inquiry Strategy: 20 Questions:
o The teacher provides students with a prompt,
and the students are required to ask yes-or-no
questions in order to determine the definition
of the teacher’s prompt.

End Results: There are many end results to an inquiry

strategy. For instance, after a game of 20 Questions,
students’ curiosity in the upcoming lesson will have been
sparked, and they will be engaged in the new topic with
which they have been presented.

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 Ice Breakers-
Lorem Ipsum Dolor September 5 , 2017
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[Issue] :: [Date]

Online Resources Purpose: The purpose of an Ice Breaker is to build

relationships among the classroom. This is an excellent
1 https://www.icebreake tool to use for the first two weeks of a new class, as it
rs.ws/get-to-know- removes the tension/ nerves that come with the first day
you/candy- jitters.
introductions.html
Materials: The materials vary for this activity. Some Ice
Breakers require more preparation than others, so it is
2 https://www.cultofped important to look at the Ice Breaker before you start a
agogy.com/classroom- class. Ensure you have all the materials if needed.
icebreakers/
Time Required: 10 to 15 minutes is an appropriate
amount of time to give to an Ice Breaker Activity. This can
3 https://www.mindtool also vary depending on the activity.
s.com/pages/article/n
ewLDR_76.htm Steps: The steps can vary with different activities and skill
levels required. Below are a few Ice Breaker Games
- Candy Introductions
- Interview Questions
- 2 Truths, 1 Lie
- Human Scavenger Hunt

End Results: After the activity, the students start to feel a

bit more comfortable with their classmates. It creates a
sense of togetherness and hopefully will create a positive
learning environment. It is a fun and as well as, sometimes,
silly way for the students to bond with one another.
Hopefully the students can make new friends, which
creates connections in the classroom.

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Sponge
Lorem IpsumStrategy-
Dolor September 5th, 2017 Issue [#] :: [Date]

Online Resources Purpose: Sponge activities are used to soak up time that
would otherwise be considered wasted, such as during the
1 https://www.teachercr beginning of class when the teacher is taking attendance
eated.com/blog/2009/ or collecting homework or during periods of transition
03/sponge-activities/ when students are waiting for the last of their classmates
to finish their work. Sponge activities can be used to
review knowledge that has already been taught, or they
2 https://www.whatihav can be used as a conclusion to future lessons. It is also
elearnedteaching.com/ suggested that sponge activities be posted somewhere in
80-sponge-activities/ the classroom that is easily accessible to students for
when they are ready to participate in the activity.
Essentially, the goal of a sponge activity is to prevent the
class from getting out of control during time periods that
would otherwise be unsupervised by the teacher.

Materials: The materials for sponge activities vary as there

is a wide variety of them, but some materials may include
writing utensils and paper, an iPad, flashcards, books, etc.
Generally, sponge activities also involve discussion
between the students.

Time Required: The time required for these activities

depends upon how much time the teacher or students may
need to complete their work.

Steps: The steps involved in these activities also vary, as

there is a wide variety of them.
- An Example of a Sponge Activity: 5 x 5
o Students are given a grid of 25 squares.
Written in the top five squares are five
categories, and in the remaining squares are
letters. The students then write down words
that relate to each category and start with
those letters. Teachers can use a theme for
these categories, and it can be used to help
students review said theme.

End Results: Ideally, once the students have completed

their sponge activity, the whole class will have finished
their work or the teacher will have finished doing what
he/she needs to do without the classroom become chaotic.

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 Turn andDolor
Lorem Ipsum Talk- September 12th, 2017 [Issue] :: [Date]

Online Resources Purpose: Turn and Talk is an oral strategy that it allows
for all students to be able to participate in a discussion,
1 http://www.theteacher rather than just a few students talking in a whole class
toolkit.com/index.php discussion. Turn and Talk allows for students to turn and
/tool/turn-and-talk talk to other classmates and discuss important concepts
taught in class. The Turn and Talk strategy allows for
students to share their academic/personal thought in a
https://www.youtube.c setting that is low risk, and may be less intimating for
2 some students in comparison to a whole classroom. Turn
om/watch?v=2zSUCh1
0vHY and Talks can also be used for many things in a class,
including: a warm up activity, to process what they have
learned, a discussion, or as a closing activity.
3 http://old.newteacherc
Materials: The Turn and Talk strategy can be completed
enter.org/sites/default
with little materials. The main things that are needed are: a
/files/global/documen
question/concept that is prompting and able to easily be
ts/participation_struct
discussed and a classmate.
ures/turn_talk_overvie
w.pdf
Time Required: The time that is required for the Turn and
Talk strategy really depends on what the strategy is being
used for, such as warm up activity or discussion and the
question/concept that is being discussed. Generally, a time
that I believe that would be suitable for a Turn and Talk
would be around 10-15 minutes, as it allows the students
to really get into a meaningful discussion.

Steps: Decide what this strategy will be used for, out of

warm up activity, after learning, class discussion, or a
closing activity. The first step is to ask a prompting
question for the class to discuss and then tell them the
amount of time that is allotted. The second step is to pair
the students with a partner and then tell them to get with
their partner. The third and final step is to allow the
students to discuss and talk about the assigned question.

End Results: The end result of the Turn and Talk strategy
is that is allows students to feel comfortable exploring and
discussing topics in small groups, rather than having to
discuss the concept in a large group setting. The Turn and
Talk strategy lets the students discuss their findings which
the class, which also allows for groups to be able to hear
some things that they have no discussed.

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Entrance/Exit
Lorem Ipsum Dolor Slips - September 12th, 2017 Issue [#] :: [Date]

Online Resources Purpose: Using an exit/entrance slip allows the students to

provide the teacher with information on how they
1 http://www.readingroc understand and feel about the lesson they have learned in
kets.org/strategies/exi the class. It helps develop a respectful relationship
t_slips between the student and teacher because it shows the
student that the teacher respects their opinions. It also
provides the teacher with feedback from the students. An
exit/entrance slip can be used to assess the students’
2 http://www.adlit.org/s
understanding of the material. It is for the teacher to
trategies/19805/
understand how the children understood the lesson, how
the lesson can be improved, and who might be struggling
with the material. An entrance/exit slip can also be used
for situations other than academic. They can be used as a
way for students to communicate with their teacher.

Materials: The students will need a sheet of paper and a

writing utensil.

Time Required: This is completely dependent on the

teacher and the length of the response they are looking for
from the students.

Steps: The teacher will explain to the students what the

purpose of the exit/entrance slip in the particular
circumstance. It will depend on what the teacher is trying
to accomplish with this method. Normally, the
entrance/exit slip is a response to what is being learned in
the class; however, as mentioned above, it does not have
be used for academic reasons, or be marked. The
entrance/exit slip method is versatile and can provide
many outlets for discussion or response. Once the
students fill out their designated entrance/exit slip, the
teacher will collect them, read them, and/or mark them.

End Results: A quick and easy assessment of their learning

or opinion on a lesson is received, or a message is
delivered to the teacher. It can give the students the
feeling of inclusion within the classroom as well. Some
students might need to tell the teacher something that
they want to be privately shared between them and the
teacher. This method provides an outlet for the child to
accomplish this. There are a variety of end results that can
be accomplished because of the versatility of the
entrance/exit slip.

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 Think/Pair/Share
Lorem Ipsum Dolor - September 19th, 2017 [Issue] :: [Date]

Online Resources Purpose: It is a collaborative learning strategy where

students have to work together to either solve a problem
1 http://www.readingroc or answer a question. It then requires students to think
kets.org/strategies/thi and share with classmates.
nk-pair-share

Materials: No materials are required for this strategy. You

2 https://www.teachervi
do need to have a question or something to question the
sion.com/think-pair- students on. It could be a book they read, or a simple
share-cooperative- question.
learning-strategy
Time Required: Generally, the “Think/Pair/Share” does
3 http://www.eworksho not take too long. You might give the students one minute
p.on.ca/edu/pdf/Mod0 to think for themselves and then about another two-five
8_think_pair_share.pdf minutes depending on the class or groups that you have. It
is important to let the kids communicate with one another,
as it lets them work on their vocabulary and speaking
ability.

Steps: Give the students a book they have to read and

discuss, or simply ask them a question they have to
answer. Then you let them think for themselves and
discuss in small groups.
After they have discussed in small groups, and you see
that most groups are done you can open up the classroom
to sharing with the whole class.

End Results: As a class, everyone will have had an equal

chance to exchange and share their thoughts. Everyone will
have a better idea of the concept that was brought to
attention. The class as a whole will have come up with an
answer collectively, resulting in collaboration and
teamwork. Also, when the students have the time to think
critically, their answers may be more developed, and hence
students may be more apt to share with the class.

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Value Line
Lorem Ipsum - September 19th, 2017
Dolor Issue [#] :: [Date]

Online Resources Purpose: The purpose of the ‘Value Line’ is to arrange or

group students based on their opinions, commonalities,
1 https://strateaching10 values, emphasis they place on specific topics or previous
1.weebly.com/value- knowledge.
line.html
Materials: – For a value line, a ‘value’ or ‘topic’ to base the
organization of the line on is needed.
2 http://teaching.utoron
Ex: An assignment where students had to rank
to.ca/teaching- theories in order of personal significance or arrange
support/active- themselves by the number of courses taken in a particular
learning-adapting- subject.
techniques/value-line/
Time Required: Generally, students could be organized
3 https://books.google.c and grouped off within five-15 minutes. However, if the
a/books?id=eZGJnF9H teacher wants to continually reorder the students based on
SusC&pg=PA26&lpg=P other criteria, the method can range upwards in length.
A26&dq=value+line+te
aching&source=bl&ots Steps: Have students rank or ponder the criteria the line
=jNmx3eA_R2&sig=Qm will be based on. The teacher will then instruct the class on
1YKOgj6NMIZAcofkCh how to arrange themselves, ranging on the scale of
hnVPjJM&hl=en&sa=X& value/knowledge/etc. (one-five, Highest-Lowest, etc.) From
ved=0ahUKEwjmlKKhv this organization, the teacher can group the students
vPWAhVr4oMKHSP_Af based on common values or mix groups based on the
QQ6AEINjAD#v=onepa results.
ge&q=value%20line%20 Ex: The teacher can group students who additionally
teaching&f=false placed the same amount of value on the same topic or they
could group students that have taken a high number of a
certain course with a low number.

End Results: The class will be group based on common

values/knowledge/etc. or will be diversely grouped to
allow for a range of opinions, information, views, etc. to be
discussed.

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 Quotable Quote
Lorem Ipsum Dolor [Issue] :: [Date]

Online Resources Purpose: This strategy can be used at all levels of

education and adjusted to fit the needs of the students
1 https://books.google.c and the teacher. It assesses the students’ understanding of
a/books?id=NSl8VNgK something they read for homework or have recently
MZIC&pg=PA184&dq= learned in class. Depending on the class, the teacher could
%22quotable+quote%2 provide a quote that the students are not familiar with and
2+learning+strategy&h assess their ability to understand, infer and think critically.
l=en&sa=X&ved=0ahU The questions should be limited, potentially having the
KEwjJ4Zuy9evWAhVK9 students focus on one question that influences critical
4MKHSjzAXYQ6AEILT thinking, such as “what does this quote mean?” “why
AB#v=onepage&q=%22 would the speaker say this?”. Using questions that
quotable%20quote%22 promote critical thinking are the most effective. This
%20learning%20strateg method can be used both as a grade activity or simply a
y&f=false way to inform the teacher on their progress.

Materials: The teacher can put the quote on the board for
the students to look at or provide them with a sheet of
paper with the quote written on it with the appropriate
questions to engage them in thinking.

Time Required: The time depends on the grade of the

students and the level of depth the teacher wants the
students to reach with their response.

Steps: The teacher must explain what the quotable quote

strategy is before providing the students with the quote.
This explanation might need to be reiterated the first few
times so that the class understands what the task is and
the reason for it. Once the students understand, they can
work on the quotable quote for the allotted amount of
time that the teacher has provided. If applicable, the
students can share their quotable quote worksheet to the
entire class.

End Results: Students have learned how to be insightful

and think critically instead of literally. They are able to
examine the ‘why’ and the ‘how’.

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Uncommon
Lorem Ipsum DolorCommonalties Issue [#] :: [Date]

Online Resources Purpose: The purpose of the ‘Uncommon Commonalities’

is to discover a set number of common
1 http://www.gdrc.org/k likes/dislikes/knowledge/etc. out of listed ‘uncommon’
mgmt/c- likes/dislikes/knowledge/etc. about a subject among a
learn/methods.html group of students.

2 https://www.originson Materials: For the ‘Uncommon Commonalities’ method, a

line.org/educator- sheet of paper, a clipboard, a writing utensil and a group
help/common-ground- of students is required.
uncommon-
commonalities Time Required: Generally, an ‘Uncommon Commonalities’
activity can be completed in approximately 10 minutes.
However, this depends on the amount of time allotted for
https://books.google.c the method by the teacher. There might be a certain time
3 a/books?id=5NhDBAA
set to find the commonalities or the activity may last as
AQBAJ&pg=PA24&lpg= long as it takes to find a set number of commonalities.
PA24&dq=uncommon+
commonalities+teachin Steps: Give students a subject in which they have to list
g&source=bl&ots=qPls uncommon opinions/likes/dislikes/facts that they know or
N83Lyo&sig=8h- have about the topic. Have students, one at a time, pass
OOTKPUcxlkGQYOiRm around a clipboard, taking turns writing their uncommon
XA38dPA&hl=en&sa=X commonality down. When everyone in the group has
&ved=0ahUKEwjJ96Xrv checked off on an uncommon commonality in agreement,
vPWAhVM8IMKHUO- the uncommon commonality is solidified as one of the set
Cy8Q6AEITTAG#v=one number. The passing of the clipboard, addition of other
page&q=uncommon%2 uncommon commonalities and the checking of these
0commonalities%20tea uncommon commonalities continue until the set number is
ching&f=false reached or time runs out.

End Results: The groups will have learned something new

about a subject, built off of prior knowledge or reviewed
previous understanding. This strategy can be used in a
number of subjects or in regards to numerous topics that
do not necessarily need to relate to a subject.
Ex: It can be used to get classmates to learn more about
each other and discover that although they may different,
there are always things in common. Or it can be used to
introduce a topic, such as ‘Landforms,’ having students
write down things that they know in relation to landforms
that they think may be a rare fact – which will be a great
introduction, review and self-taught exercise.

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 Lorem Ipsum Dolor [Issue] :: [Date]

Readings
A Sense of Family in the Classroom – September 12th, 2017
Planning for Social Studies Learning Throughout the Day,
Month, and Year – September 26th, 2017
Google Earth: A Virtual Globe for Elementary Geography –
October 17th, 2017
Modern Myths about Poverty and Education- October 17th,
2017
Learning Centers for Everyone- January 9th, 2018
The First Earth Day, 1970- January 23rd, 2018
Aloha, Hoosier! A Pen-Pal Activity in the Third Grade –
January 30th, 2018

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Building a Sense of Family in the Classroom
Lorem Ipsum Dolor Page 1
Issue [#] :: [Date]

Building a Sense of Family in the Classroom Reflection

I have selected the article Building a Sense of Family in the Classroom because I

believe that this is one of the most important aspects to bring into my class, when I have

a classroom of my own. Many of the idea and pedagogies that were mentioned

throughout the article I had no idea about, and that is mainly due to the fact that I have

never experienced them. The article really allowed me to think critically in regards to how

a sense of family can be incorporated into a classroom. I believe that incorporating the

sense of family is important in a classroom because children spend almost two thirds of a

year in school or completing some aspect of school, whether that be homework or extra

curricular. Also in many classes there may be a number of children who come from

difficult families and in which they do not get the “sense of family” in their own home.

Hence why I believe creating a sense of family in the classroom is a critical thing,

throughout all grades. Before reading the article I always know that I wanted to connect

with my students in some regard, however after reading this article I realized how truly

important it is to connect everyone together and try to develop a sense of family in the

classroom.

Building a Sense of Family in the Classroom really opened my eyes to the number of

ways that a teacher could incorporate things into the classroom that allows for a “family

sense”. These incorporations can be individual, in small groups, in large groups, or in the

classroom environment itself. Two ideas from the article that I would consider putting

into practice in my classroom would be: journals about feelings and having a student

decorated classroom. I believe that journals about feelings would be advantageous to

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have in a classroom because teachers do not know what is happening at a student’s home

and how that may affect their work ethic. Therefore, like the article mentions, having the

students keep a journal is an excellent way to keep the teacher informed about their

feelings. No matter what we do as teachers we will not be able to change the students’

lives outside of school, but we can do whatever is in our means to make sure that their

time spent at school matters. The second thing that I would incorporate into my class

would be a student-decorated classroom. The idea of a student-decorated classroom is

very appealing to me as it provides the students with a major role in the classroom, as

well as a sense of ownership of the classroom/its belongings. By having the students

decorate the classroom they can come into the classroom each day pleased, knowing that

they all worked together in the decorating of the classroom.

Greer, J., Greer, B., & Hawkins, J. M. (2003). Building a Sense of Family in the Classroom.

Social Studies and the Young Leaner, 16(2), 23-26.

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Planning For Social Studies Learning
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Planning for Social Studies Learning Throughout the Day, Month, and Year Reflection

I have selected this article due to that fact that through the Bachelor of Education

program and through observing in elementary schools I am realizing that Social Studies

and it’s teachings have taken a back burner, in comparison to some other subjects.

Therefore, as a future teacher, I find it important to educate myself on ways that I can

incorporate Social Studies into my class, while at the same time doing so in a way that

excites the students. Planning for Social Studies Learning Throughout the Day, Week, and

Year provides many beneficial approaches that teachers can use to incorporate more

Social Studies learning, such as merging parts of the Social Studies curriculum into other

classes and using transition times like lining up/walking to class, to your advantage. The

article has really made me realize that there are many approaches that you can take to

allow that students learn everything that they should about the Social Studies curriculum.

Considering that the Social Studies subject, in general, has taken a back burner in

comparison to other classes, it is important as teachers to utilize teaching time, so that

the subject of Social Studies does not keep falling last to other subjects.

There were multiple ideas from the article that were very informative, however I

thought that the two that I would use in my future classroom would be: incorporating

social studies ideas into other curriculums and using transition times in the classroom to

an advantage. As mentioned in the article, incorporating a Social Studies curriculum into

other classes is easier than expected. For example, in a Language Arts class while the

students are asked to write about something in a composition book, a teacher could give

them options related to Social Studies, such as something in history that they think is

interested.
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As a teacher, I could also ask students to discuss, if wanted, their daily life observations

and belief. While reading for Language Arts, I could also provide the students with books

that are related to Social Studies. The second idea from the article that I would consider

putting into my practice of teaching would be to take advantage of the transition times of

a class, and incidentally teach them. Instead of wasting these moments, I could ask the

students to talk about something that they had learned during Social Studies class, or

play game/activity and relate it back to Social Studies content.

O'Mahony, C. (2005). Planning for Social Studies Learning Throughout the Day, Week and

Year. Social Studies and the Young Learner , 18(1), 29-32.

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Google Earth
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Google Earth: A Virtual Globe for Elementary Geography

I have selected this article because Google Earth has always been something that

I have been interested about, and I assume that it is the same for many children.

Getting to look at places all over world and do an in-depth exploration is very

appealing to many people. Using Google Earth to teach a lesson in Geography would be

advantageous in the classroom as it is allowing the students to experience the world,

easily through technology. This article caused me to think differently as I had never

thought about incorporating Google Earth into a subject, let alone really using it to

learn.

If I were to incorporate Google Earth into a science or geography subject I would

use some of the items that the article included, such as: providing a street map and

using directions to get to a certain place, and to test students on their knowledge of

important landforms. Google Earth would be really advantageous to use, especially

when teaching students about maps and directions. As a teacher, I could give students

a certain place in the world, directions, or coordinates and let them try to get around.

Even as an adult and future teacher right now, I think an activity where you were given

a certain list of directions and have to find the place, would be really fun, interactive,

and interesting. Through an activity like the one mentioned, students would learn the

aspects of a map, while still learning how to use and read directions. As the article

mentioned another way that Google Earth could be used is to become knowledgeable

about major landmarks. There are major landmarks all over the world that most

students do not know about. Therefore, like the article mentions, a teacher could use

Google Earth and assessments to get students to explore major landmarks.

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Britt, J., & LaFontaine, G. (2009). Google Earth: A Virtual Globe for Elementary Geography.

Social Studies and the Young Learner, 21(4), 20-23.

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Modern Myths
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Modern Myths about Poverty and Education

I have selected this article because I think it is important to address myths, such

as the one mentioned in the article, which connects poverty and education. For as long

as I can remember there has been a connection between poverty and education, and

along with that comes the myths that are not necessarily true. As a future teacher, I

realize that this is going to be something that I see in my future classroom, hence why

I believe it is an important issue to address it. Especially in society today, myths have a

great power over lives, due to their presumed truth and can affect the lives of young

ones negatively. After reading this article, I was not surprised at some of the myths

that are associated with poverty and education. However, it was very informative to

read, especially as a future teacher.

Two myths that need to be addressed from the article are that “the poor are

lazy” and that “racial segregation in schools is a things of the past”. Both myths also

need to be addressed in classrooms, so that those myths can be debunked. The first

myth is that the poor are lazy; indicting that there is a difference in the work ethic of

those that are well off and those who are not well off. In the classroom it is evident

that there are multiple students that are well off, average, and some that are not well

off at all. Going into a classroom of my own, it is important that I think and treat of all

students the same, regardless of their family income and social economic status. The

second myth that is that racial segregation in school is a thing of the past. However,

that is not the case at all, as multiple studies have found that there is still segregation

a thing in many classes. In the classroom, there will be students of all different races

and backgrounds, so segregation is something to really reflect and think on when

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having a classroom. It is extremely important not to leave anyone out, due to things that

are beyond their control, nor is it fair to them.

Manning, J. P., & Gaudelli, W. (2003). Modern Myths about Poverty and Education. Social

Studies and the Young Learner, 16(2), 27-29.

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Learning Centers for Everyone
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Learning Centers for Everyone

I have selected the article Learning Centers for Everyone because I believe that

learning centers are an important aspect to include in a classroom, for any grades, but

particularly Kindergarten to the fifth grade. I have selected this article because I

would like to be more educated on the topic of learning centers and explore everything

that they have to offer. I have been an advocate for learning centers for a number of

years, because during my younger years I was a “hands on learner” and learning

centers really helped me excel. I can vividly remember doing “clusters” in

Kindergarten, which were work stations/learning centers that we got to do once a

week, and each “cluster” consisted of a different activity.

Learning centers would be advantageous to have in classroom and therefore are

a practice that I would like to incorporate into a classroom of my own. Learning

centers allow for students to explore and review particular skills and concepts that

have been taught. Although coming up with a number of activities and for all students,

may be stressful for the teacher, when the learning centers are taking place, they allow

for the teachers to take a step back and the students to taking upon leadership roles.

The article provides many different ideas in terms of ideas for learning centers, which

is very helpful.

One of the ideas that I would like to incorporate into my classroom is in terms

of learning centers and the subject of Art. An art class could easily be turned into a

learning center, as you could let the students explore with different tools, like paint

and paintbrushes, different colours of clay, scissors and tape, etc. Through this

exploration students’ fine and gross motor skills are being developed as well. The

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learning centers can encourage the students to experiment, explore, and create pieces of

art, based on their imagination. The article offers important tips, which would be

important to incorporate into a classroom such as making sure the learning center is by a

water source (for clean up purposes) and using garbage bags and old shower curtains to

tape over desks.

The second idea that I think would be interesting to incorporate into my classroom

in terms of learning centers would be dramatic play. Having learning centers that focus

on dramatic play and being a grown up, allows for the students to explore social roles and

interactions, as well as explore emotions and solve problems. Dramatic play learning

centers would be fairly easy to incorporate into a classroom, as the materials needed are

pretty basic (clothing, cleaning supplies, household items). Teachers could also link

dramatic play to literacy, where students could play out parts of a book that they are

reading.

Learning Centers for Everyone. (2010). Texas Child Care. 24-31

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The First Earth Day, 1970
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The First Earth Day, 1970

I have selected this article because I believe that using physical evidence from

different points of history to teach is very beneficial. I also think teaching students

about civic engagement at a young age may/will help them throughout life. Students’

having the knowledge that they can be apart of a change in their community is a

lesson that can be taught that they will never forget. The article allowed me to think

differently as I had little knowledge pertaining to how students could be involved in

civic engagement. Civic engagement is something that should, and easily could, be

involved in schools today, as there are many matters that students could address, as

well as be as part of something big: a solution.

In a classroom, students could be engaged in a number of different civic issues,

The article offers many different ideas and examples as to how students could be

involved with making a change, in their school, in their community, in their county,

and even in their world. For example, even though the article revolves around the

addressing of environmental issues in the United States had faced in the 1950s; a

number of these issues are still present and could be addressed at this point in time.

One idea, from the article, that I would like to incorporate into a classroom of

my own would be building background knowledge on an issue. The article offers

numerous ways that this could be done from reading books to looking at historical

documents to having students speculating and having discussions. Whether the issue

is past or present or local or global, the teacher could ask questions like: what is the

issue? Is the issue small or big? What could we do as an individual to address the

issue? What could we do as a class to address this issue?

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Another idea, from the article that I would like to incorporate into a classroom of

my own would be “taking action”. The students could pick an issue that is taking place in

the classroom, and each write a letter where they come up with a way to take action. In

the letter the student could include the background information that they have learned

and then a solution to the issue. The students could then proceed to do the same activity

for an issue that is happening in their community or in the world.

Hughes, R.E., & Thomson, S. L. (2016). The First Earth Day, 1970: Examining Documents to

Teach About Civic Engagement. Social Studies and the Young Learners, 28(3), 11-14.

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Aloha, Hoosier! A Pen-Pal Activity
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Aloha, Hoosier! A Pen-Pal Activity in the Third Grade

I have selected the article Aloha, Hoosier! A Pen-Pal Activity in the Third Grade

because I think that pen pals are an excellent way to learn new content, meet new

people, and experience other parts of the world without even leaving a classroom!

When I was in elementary school, our class was pen pals with another class, at a

different school in our community. We wrote letters back and forth for the entire

school year, and towards the end of the year, we actually got the chance to go to their

school to visit. I also got to experience the excitement of pen pals when I was in my

practicum. My teacher mentor had signed the class up to do a pen-pal project that

happened throughout Canada. The project consisted of around 40 elementary social

studies classes, and they all exchanged postcards, with details about their class,

school, and town. The excitement that the students showed upon receiving the

postcards was incredible, and they were so happy that they got to learn about so many

different places. From these experiences, I have known that I wanted to incorporate

pen pals into my classroom somehow, however the article offered many different ideas

that I can now use to do so.

The first idea that the article mentioned that I would like to use, to incorporate

pen pals for learning, is the culture boxes. A culture box would be something that

would be so interesting to not only send, but also more so receive. A culture box really

allows for the student to think about what best represents them, their family, their

school, and their town. For example, if I were to do one in my hometown of St.

Stephen, NB, and the students could put in an American flag, as we are on the border

of the United States, or a Ganong chocolate bar/candy, as the factory is located right

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in the middle of our town. We could also include brochures of all the things that we do

during International Festival as well as Chocolate Fest. Culture boxes would also be a

good learning opportunity in terms of exploring other cultures. Upon receiving the box,

the students can get a sense of what is important to other cultures, which they may not

get to experience if just learning through research and textbooks.

The second idea that the article mentioned that I would like to use, to incorporate

pen pals for learning, in a classroom of my own is letters where the students can ask

more questions. From the articles, I enjoyed the idea of connection with the written

letters and the culture boxes that the students receive. I also enjoyed the idea of each

student taking one artefact from the culture box, and only writing about that one item, as

well as asking important questions. This would also be a good learning experience, as the

students get to ask other students their age questions or concerns.

Callahan, R., & Chi Chan, K. (2007). Aloha, Hoosier! A Pen-Pal Activity in the Third Grade.

Social Studies and the Young Learners, 19(3), 12-14.

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