Heidi's BLOG

WHAT? In this lesson, Ms. Debora and I taught a social studies lesson about culture and how people’s lives are influenced by their environment and traditions. We used a primary source image and read Keepunumuk: Weeâchumun’s Thanksgiving Story, which helped students learn about the Wampanoag people and their experiences. Students then completed several activities, including a sensory chart, a Venn diagram, and a picture sort, to help them compare cultures and think about how life changes over time. We also introduced a vocabulary memory game to reinforce important terms like culture, tradition, and community. Students were able to interact with the words in a more hands-on way, which helped keep them engaged. Throughout the lesson, students worked in partners and small groups, especially during the sorting and Venn diagram activities. We also built in turn-and-talks and whole-class discussions so students could share their thinking. During the lesson, we emphasized respect for different...

WHAT? In this lesson, my partner and I taught a social studies lesson about how geography and resources affect how people live. We focused on factories in the past and present, along with goods and services and how people make economic decisions. To begin, students analyzed a historical photo of Slater Mill using the “I See, I Think, I Wonder” strategy. Then, they worked in pairs to compare past and present factories using a Venn diagram and created cause-and-effect relationships. At the end of the lesson, students wrote an opinion paragraph using the OREO format. Throughout the lesson, we incorporated collaboration by having students work in pairs and small groups, especially during the Venn diagram and picture sort activities. Communication was evident when students shared their ideas during discussions and explained their thinking using sentence frames. We also brought in social awareness by connecting the lesson to real-life communities and jobs. In terms of professionalism, we cam...

  WHAT? In this lesson, Ms. Sandoval and I taught students about civics, focusing on government, citizenship, and how individuals can make a difference in their communities. We started by having students analyze the  Bill of Rights  as a primary source using the “I See, I Think, I Wonder” strategy. Students shared their observations, what they believed the document meant, and questions they had. After that, students learned about the three branches of government, executive, legislative, and judicial, through a read aloud, visuals, and class discussion. They then worked in groups on a sorting activity where they matched each branch to its role. Students also completed a rights versus responsibilities chart to better understand the difference between what people are allowed to do and what they are expected to do as citizens. To build on their understanding, students compared government in the past to government today using a Venn diagram. One of the most engaging parts of t...

  WHAT? In this lesson, we taught students about Rhode Island’s history, focusing on  Slater Mill  and how life has changed over time. We used primary sources, such as old and current photos, and had students compare and discuss them. We incorporated collaboration through vocabulary card games and partner discussions, where students practiced and used terms like  industry  and  cause and effect . Communication was strong during whole-class discussions and activities like the Venn diagram. One of the most engaging parts was the “hide and seek” activity, where students picked a spot in the old photo and explained their thinking. We also adapted in the moment by providing sentence starters and asking guiding questions when students struggled to explain their ideas, which helped them participate more confidently. Overall, the lesson went well, as students were highly engaged, especially during the interactive activities, and demonstrated strong observation skil...

  WHAT? For my first lesson, I taught a geography lesson focused on Rhode Island to a fourth-grade class. The goal of the lesson was to introduce students to basic map related vocabulary and help them understand how maps can change over time. The vocabulary words included terms such as  geography, legend, globe,  and other map-related terms. To support different learning styles, we used both physical maps and digital maps of Rhode Island. During the lesson, students worked collaboratively to compare and contrast two maps of Rhode Island, an older map and a more recent one. This allowed students to practice observation skills while discussing differences they noticed with their classmates. We also incorporated an  interactive memory game  to help students practice and memorize the vocabulary words. Before the game, students worked together to quiz each other on the terms, which encouraged communication and collaboration within the classroom. Social awareness and ...

     In this week’s lesson, Ms. Sandoval and I helped our third graders build their vocabulary and make cultural connections through the bilingual text  ¡Vamos! Let’s Go Eat!  by Raúl the Third. Our goal was for students to learn and use ten new words, like  vendor, delivery, parade, lobo,  and  machete  — through reading, writing, drawing, and speaking. We kicked things off with a fun Play-Doh activity where students created their favorite meals, which helped them activate background knowledge and get excited about the story. Then, we introduced the vocabulary words using visuals, gestures, and bilingual word cards. During the read-aloud, students followed along with their “Taco Trackers,” coloring in a taco each time they heard one of the target words. After reading, they completed Frayer Models, designed creative food trucks, and wrote sentences using their new vocabulary. By the end, they showed great understanding through their writing, ...