The Week That Was In 505

This week we moved into the 2nd week of the new unit about Reconstruction. Again, I’m using this unit to explore some of the topics to gain a better understanding of how everything works together. Next year, I’ll have a better understanding of the content and hopefully create an intriguing essential question.

I wanted the main focus of this unit to be on Reconstruction plans, Reconstruction Amendments, people and groups involved, and the Compromise of 1877. This week, we focused on Reconstruction Amendments, people, and the Compromise of 1877.

Aside from the content, I wanted to focus on using EduProtocols as LEARNING ARTIFACTS. I liked this terminology used by Dr. Sonny Magana. It gives the work a purpose. The EduProtocols allow students to develop their own knowledge, have conversations about the content, give each other feedback, and create. Protocols win against crappy question worksheets any day of the week.

Monday – Fast and Curious, Sketch and Tell

Tuesday – I lectured the entire class (Yes, I did that. Sometimes it’s needed) – presentation created by @corywwalker.

Wednesday – Thick Slide with NewsELA reading, Fast and Curious

Thursday – Choice of Fact Mania or Somebody – Wanted paired with a NewsELA article, Fast and Curious

Friday – Final Project of the Year – News Frenzy (EMC2Learning)

Monday

Monday I was absent, but I wanted the focus to be on the Reconstruction Amendments. An easy go to lesson for me when I’m absent is a Sketch and Tell. Students are familiar with it and stay engaged with it. I put together a quick Sketch and Tell that focused on the ratification year of the amendments, definition of the amendments, and effects of the amendments. I paired a 3 minute video with the Sketch and Tell. The video was ideal because it was short, it began with information students previously learned, and it did an excellent job of explaining the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments.

The fast and curious I set up was through Gimkit. The Gimkit included 30 questions about Reconstruction Plans, amendments, and people. I like to mix up the platforms I use for fast and curious. Quizizz is great, and, in my opinion, provides more accurate results. Gimkit is good, and a nice mix up as it provides lots of reps with questions. However, the students get caught up in the game aspect of Gimkit and don’t focus as much on the content. You definitely need to coach them through using Gimkit properly and be able to explain the purpose of Fast and Curious. The fast and Curious scores were as follows: 62%, 52%, 63%, 51%, 56%.

Tuesday

Based on the Gimkit results from Monday, and being absent, I needed to get everyone on the same page. I found 2 great Peardeck presentations from a teacher in Virginia named Cory Walker (@corywwalker). Going into class Tuesday, I had several goals:

1. Get the students on the same page.
2. Reteach the Reconstruction Plans.
3. Go over Amendments.
4. Discuss and analyze the loopholes in the language of the amendments.

I copied the 2 presentations I found from Cory and combined them into 1 peardeck. I rearranged the slides to show how southerners responded to the 13th amendment with Black Codes, 14th Amendment with Jim Crow laws, and the 15th amendment with voter restrictions.

What’s sad to me is the entire time I was teaching about the amendments, I felt like I was breaking some sort of rule or law. This is the sad nature of our country now.

After I combined the 2 presentations, I lectured the entire class. The Peardeck aspect of it made it interactive. It’s unlike me to lecture, so I started off class apologizing. As I lectured, I was inspired by this 15 Minute History podcast on Reconstruction that Dr. Scott Petri shared with me.

After my lecture, did I bore students? Yes. However, many students said they actually liked that I took time to lecture. I shared a Google Form asking students why they liked me taking time to lecture. Here are some responses:

1. “You made some things clearer.”
2. “You’re really good at telling stories.”
3. “You explain history really well.”
4. “I like the stories.”
5. “It reminded me of story time.”
6. “I feel I learn better this way.”
7. “We didn’t have to really do anything.” – 🤦

The only class that had time for the Fast and Curious Gimkit was 5th period. They raised their class average from 63% to 85%.

Wednesday

On Wednesday we got back to creating “learning artifacts” for the Reconstruction unit. I wanted to do a follow up with the lecture from Tuesday with an article I found on NewsELA entitled, What everyone should know about Reconstruction 150 years after the 15th Amendment’s ratification, written by Tiffany Mitchell Patterson, PhD, a professor at West Virginia University. I liked this article because it added new information to my lecture from the previous day, and it covered much of the same content. I paired this article with a Thick Slide.

On the Thick Slide, I had students include a picture with a caption, 5 important things to know, a meaningful quote, and I included a review of southern responses to the amendments. As students were working I was giving feedback on their 5 important things to know. A lot of their information was stuff they already knew. I wanted the students to focus on new information. Some students included information about the 19th amendment ratification in 1920. We discussed the 19th amendment as being important, but it might not be relevant to notes on Reconstruction. Ultimately, I was trying to help them understand how to choose relevant information.

We finished class with a Fast and Curious Gimkit. The scores were as follows: 72%, 71%, 77%, 78%, and 68%.

Thursday

Today was reserved for the Compromise of 1877 and the end of Reconstruction. I gave students a choice for learning about the compromise – a reading I found on NewsELA or an EdPuzzle featuring a segment from the CBS Sunday Morning Show. (I love the segments from the CBS Sunday Morning Show featuring Mo Rocca!!!) Students also had a choice to create their learning artifact – Somebody – Wanted – But – So – Then, or Fact Mania. Most students chose Fact Mania. I had students focus on the who was running for president, what was the compromise, and why did the compromise end Reconstruction? For the Fact Mania, students had to choose 5 important facts to highlight, include pictures, and add a title.

We concluded class with another Fast and Curious Gimkit. The class averages were: 76%, 74%, 79%, 79%, 71%. The questions missed the most were questions from the Reconstruction plans. Upon review, I noticed the 2 classes with the highest averages we focused on the Reconstruction plans the longest. The other 3 classes I rushed through Reconstruction plans. The other aspect to this is the amount of absent students lately. It seems Covid is making a comeback and more students are getting sick.

Friday

Today was used for finishing up the Compromise of 1877 and beginning the final project. I thought about giving students a choice, but I kept it at one thing – The Fake News Frenzy from EMC2Learning. I cannot share this file, so check it out on their site.

I explained to students that they made learning artifacts to go back to and use for their final project. I prefaced everything with this, “If Reconstruction were featured on a news show, which aspect of Reconstruction would be highlighted?” This seemed to help students with the open-endedness of the project.

I love the News Frenzy file because it has students creating headlines, using social media posts, creating interviews with people, and creating tabloid headlines. A lot of creativity and thought must go into their creation.

Student Feedback

I shared my final Friday check-in with the students and I asked this question, “What advice can you give me about how to be a better teacher?” Here were some responses:

1. “I think you’re a pretty good teacher already. The only piece of advice I can give to teachers is to try and understand the kids. Try and understand why they didn’t get their homework done or why they were sleeping in class. Being a student isn’t the easiest thing so having a teacher who understands makes all the difference.”
2. “Not much. In my opinion you are an amazing teacher and there isn’t really a lot to grow off of. As a teacher you are great at most things you do.”
3. “Be patient with us you are already an amazing teacher but we have a lot going on throughout middle school that is stressful and hard to explain but please just be patient.”
4. “I think you could maybe teach a little more to the whole class out loud because when you explain things out loud it becomes clearer than reading a paper sometimes.”
5. “I really cant think of anything you can do better. You are the best teacher i’ve ever had and you are the most understanding and funniest.”
6. “nothing because honestly I need to be a better student and you have been so good to us”
7. “i don’t think i can, you already are by far the best teacher i’ve had”
8. “None, you are one of the best teachers I have had.”
9. “there is no advice i can give when you’re already best teacher at teaching in this school, at least in my opinion”
10. “Create more material so that some activities are repeated as much. Like less number manias and Iron chefs.”
11. “No advice. You are single handedly the best teacher I have ever had throughout my educational journey.”