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...