I was
intrigued by this lesson because I really enjoy American History. I also
thought the debate that the teacher came up with is something that I would want
to do in my class. I love interactive activities where students are in groups;
I think collaborative learning is extremely effective. The teacher has them do
something meaningful with what they are learning instead of just lecturing
about the Boston Massacre. I think the
teacher should have used more of the CCCS for NJ because they are content
specific. They used NCCSS and cover Time, Continuity, Change and Power,
Authority, Governance. The Boston Massacre happened at a time of change in
government when the colonists were trying to free themselves from British
control. This lesson plan has to do with the new government and the founding of
the American Government (change and power). The teacher does a great job of
that by having the students view a video of the time period and then
researching the history of this Massacre. I think the teacher integrated as much
technology in the lesson as she could. I think that in Social Studies
Classrooms the internet is one of the greatest tools. Students can research any
part of history and learn a lot about it. The teacher’s goal is from them to
research the different perspectives of the event; the students do that by using
the websites she gives. I think the video helps keep students’ engaged as well
as give them the background information they need to understand the task at
hand.
Spreadsheet url:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0ArdmhY2-JnRedDd3dkFlbjNQLVJ3d05CYnRKc1ZvdlE&usp=sharing
Carly,
ReplyDeleteI agree that collaborative work can be very effective in the classroom. Though group projects are not always the easiest in the sense that it may be difficult to coordinate schedules and meetings, they are a great way to share ideas and information. I find that group work allows students to explore new and creative ideas and exchange ideas as well. Also as you mentioned, lectures can often leave students feeling bored or disengaged. One of my favorite classes is currently my senior seminar course because we are given the chance to discuss our own thoughts/ideas/opinions in a respectful manner. As a history major, I definitely agree that the internet is one of the greatest tools I have! There are so many resources online that can aid in research.