Friday, December 2, 2011
Tier One Historical Thinking Methods and Our Writing Project
Before the winter break, we will finish up our thirteen colonies unit in my classroom. As a culminating activity for this unit, my students will be asked to write a "Colonial Narrative" where they write as if they were one of the original members of the Plymouth Colony. Students will be provided with the background information about what this is like by listening to the books Sarah Morton's Day and Samuel Eaton's Day. This project will really allow students to build a "Personal and Intimate Connection to the Past." Students are being asked to write a story from the perspective of a colonial child, so they will have to reflect upon the life of these children and the comparisons and contrasts to their own life will naturally take place. Students will provide a voice to historical events to which they may have been previously disconnected. My hope is that after completing this project my students will have a much greater understanding of the difficulties that the Pilgrims faced in their everyday lives.
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Today I was teaching SOAPSTones, an analysis activity of primary excerpts. The students’ developed a deeper understanding of “Jackson’s Message to Congress on Indian Removal,” yet the assignment wasn’t as fun until I asked a student to act, talk, and express his opinions as if he were Andrew Jackson speaking to Congress (the class).
ReplyDeleteNext, I noticed the audience (Congress) became more attentive and focused. The class listened to the speech, then students started asking if they could ask Andrew Jackson question. I said, “sure!” Student wanted to stand and ask questions like a Senator.
The students’ ability to internalize the historical character only added a more meaningful closure to the students understanding of Andrew Jackson and his thoughts.
In the end, allowing a student to have a voice ultimately show their desire to add life to history.
I think that your strategy is very beneficial for the kids. I too use tools to make the kids become a part of history. For example, I have an activity I call Biographical Interviews where the kids read up on a person from American Revolution time period. They then are either the person in character, or the interviewer, or an artist/illustrator. The kids perform in front of the class as if they were on the Today show or some other type of news show. The interviewer asks the tough questions, and the historical person must answer in character. The illustration is posted so kids can connect the face to the information. Although it appears that one student ends up in the hot-seat for this, all 3 in the team must work together to come up with the appropriate answers ahead of time. So really, it is a choreographed play. The kids love it!
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