Category: TWTW

Introduction

As a social studies teacher, I’m always looking for ways to make history relevant and engaging for my 8th-grade students. Recently, I leveraged AI to design a comprehensive lesson about Native Americans in Clermont County, Ohio. While our textbook covers Native Americans in North America broadly, I wanted to create a unit that would help students understand how their local area played a significant role in American history.

I began this process by uploading Ohio state standards and relevant textbook chapters to ChatGPT. After analyzing the standards related to Native Americans (or American Indians, as they’re sometimes referred to), ChatGPT helped determine what 8th-grade students should know about this topic. It then created and aligned questions for a 5 to 6-day unit, including a compelling question and supporting questions. This approach ensured that our lessons would meet state requirements while providing a localized, meaningful context for our students.

To maintain consistency with our existing curriculum, I had ChatGPT analyze the style and tone of the textbook readings. I then sourced local Native American history documents and had ChatGPT align them with the supporting questions, matching the textbook’s style. This step was crucial in creating a seamless integration between our standard materials and the new, localized content. ChatGPT also created a list of unit vocabulary words, ensuring we covered all necessary terminology.

With this solid framework in place, I selected EduProtocols based on data I had collected on my students’ needs and the specific literacy skills we needed to work on as a class. These protocols, developed by educators for educators, provide engaging, repeatable instructional strategies that can be used across various subjects and grade levels.

Finally, I used ChatGPT to create Gimkit multiple-choice questions aligned with the readings and standards. Gimkit, a gamified learning platform, would serve as both a formative assessment tool and an engaging way for students to interact with the material.

Throughout this process, I utilized EduProtocol templates created by Justin Unruh to plug into my unit framework. I tried to use EduProtocols we have been using to build in reps. I also tried to build in literacy skills my class needs to work on – identifying main idea, summarizing, and understanding perspectives.

Tuesday – EduProtocol Rack and Stack (Iron Chef, Frayer, Map and Tell), Gimkit Link

Wednesday – EduProtocols Rack and Stack (Frayer, CyberSandwich)

Thursday and Friday – EduProtocols Rack and Stack (Map and Tell, Iron Chef, Thin Story)

Tuesday

We kicked off the unit with our compelling question: “How did the Miami, Delaware, Mingo, and Shawnee tribes adapt to their environment and respond to the challenges posed by European settlers in Clermont County?” This overarching question would guide our exploration throughout the week. Our supporting question for Tuesday was more specific: “How did the Miami, Delaware, Mingo, and Shawnee tribes use their environment to meet their basic needs?”

I began class with a simple yet revealing question: “Who can name a Native American group that inhabited Clermont County?” Surprisingly, only three students across all my classes could name one – the Miami. This highlighted the importance of our upcoming lessons in building local historical knowledge.

We then moved to Gimkit, using the questions I had prepared. Initial class averages ranged between 59% and 68%, which was lower than I’d hoped. I quickly realized that students were often choosing the longest answers, assuming they were correct. This led me to refine the questions, ensuring all options were of similar length – a valuable lesson in question design!

Transitioning to our main activity, we engaged in a Map and Tell exercise exploring prehistoric migration to the Americas. We examined maps showing ancient land routes from Asia to North America, which sparked lively discussions. Students debated factors like climate change, food availability, and population pressures that might have influenced these epic journeys.

To connect this broader history to our local area, we located Ohio on the continental map and then zoomed in on a detailed, illustrated map of Clermont County. Students played detective, hypothesizing about Native American settlement locations based on geographical features like rivers, forests, and natural resources.

Following this, I implemented the Iron Chef EduProtocol, a strategy designed to help students engage deeply with content while practicing essential skills. Students created individual slides with a title (representing the main idea) and five facts about how specific Native American groups adapted to their environment. They had 15 minutes for this task, encouraging focused work.

Next, students reviewed each other’s slides, listing four key facts for each group in a Frayer model. This peer review process not only reinforced learning but also exposed students to multiple perspectives on the same information.

We concluded with the Emoji Kitchen concept, where students combined emojis to represent how Native Americans adapted to Ohio’s environment. This creative element allowed students to synthesize their learning visually, appealing to different learning styles and encouraging out-of-the-box thinking.

Wednesday

We continued our exploration of Native American tribes in Clermont County, shifting our focus to the supporting question: “How did the culture of the Miami, Delaware, Mingo, and Shawnee tribes shape their daily lives and help them thrive?”

The class began with a rolling recap using a 20-sided die, a strategy that combines retrieval practice with an element of chance. I posed questions about the previous day’s material, and students had to craft responses using the exact number of words as their die roll. This exercise not only reviewed key concepts but also challenged students to be concise and precise in their communication – valuable skills for any subject.

Next, we delved into defining culture using a Frayer model. This visual organizer helped students break down the complex concept of culture into its definition, characteristics, examples, and non-examples. It was particularly effective in helping students understand the multifaceted nature of Native American cultures.

Building on this foundation, we transitioned into a CyberSandwich activity. This structured approach, another EduProtocol strategy, allowed students to engage deeply with the content while developing their writing skills. The activity consisted of three parts:

1. A 10-minute reading and note-taking session, where students gathered information about how the tribes’ culture influenced their daily lives.
2. A 5-minute discussion period, allowing students to share insights and clarify understanding with their peers.
3. A 10-minute writing exercise, where students crafted a paragraph with a clear topic sentence, two supporting details, and a concluding sentence.

This writing sample gave me valuable insight into their comprehension and writing abilities, allowing me to identify areas for further instruction.

To round off the class, we revisited our Gimkit questions. I was pleased to see improvement, with class averages rising to 70-75%. This progress indicated that students were solidifying their understanding of the material and becoming more comfortable with the content.

Thursday

I began Thursday’s lesson by leveraging AI to enhance our writing process. I created a Claude AI artifact designed to provide feedback on students’ CyberSandwich paragraphs from the previous day. The artifact was primed with the article we had read and a custom rubric featuring potential topic sentences, supporting details, and concluding sentence keywords.

While the results were still somewhat variable, it was a noticeable improvement from the previous week’s thick slide link submissions. Students seemed to appreciate the AI-generated feedback and made substantial revisions based on the suggestions. They submitted their revised paragraphs through a Google Form for further assessment.

We then transitioned to our lesson on how European settlers disrupted the culture and way of life of Native American tribes in Ohio. I introduced an Iron Chef activity, challenging students to identify five ways Native Americans were affected by European arrival. To model effective main idea identification, I read an article aloud, deliberately connecting it to our previous lessons on Native American culture.

Students then had 10 minutes to create their Iron Chef slides, which included:

1. A title representing the main idea
2. A relevant picture
3. Five key facts about European impact on Native Americans
4. A “secret ingredient” section with an Emoji Kitchen creation to visually represent a perspective

Next, we engaged in a Map and Tell exercise, comparing two maps: one showing Native American territories throughout Ohio, and another illustrating the effects of the Treaty of Greenville. This visual comparison helped students grasp the dramatic shift in Native American land holdings and the profound impact of settlement.

We concluded the class with another round of Gimkit. I was pleased to see a significant improvement in performance, with class averages rising from 75% to 90%. This progress indicated that students were consolidating their understanding of the complex relationships between Native Americans and European settlers in Ohio.

Friday

On our final day of the unit, we began with an engaging activity called “Doubling Details.” The initial prompt was “How were natives in Ohio affected by Europeans?” Students had to respond in exactly 8 words, encouraging concise, focused thinking. Next, they paired up to combine their ideas into a 16-word response. Finally, groups of four created a 32-word summary. Each round lasted 3 minutes, keeping the energy high and ideas flowing.

To prepare for our deep dive into the Treaty of Greenville, I introduced key vocabulary through a Blooket game. We played two quick rounds with words like “boundary,” “hindrance,” and “cede” to ensure students were prepared for the treaty excerpts.

For the main activity, I employed an EMC2Learning content compactor to explore sections of the Treaty of Greenville. Here’s an example of one excerpt we examined:

“The general boundary line between the lands of the United States and the lands of the said Indian tribes, shall begin at the mouth of Cayahoga river… thence southwesterly in a direct line to the Ohio River….”

I modeled the process of analyzing these excerpts using an “I do, we do, you do” approach. We summarized each excerpt, distilled it to a single word, and then added a picture for dual coding. However, when it came time for independent work, many students struggled. I allowed this struggle to continue until it verged on chaos, as I’m committed to building their confidence and resilience. While progress feels slow, I’m confident we’ll get there.

We concluded the lesson with a Thin Story activity. Students created a single image and word to represent how Native Americans were affected by Europeans, synthesizing all we had learned throughout the week.

Reflection

Throughout the week, these lessons combined various skills including vocabulary building, historical analysis, summarization, and visual representation. By using a variety of EduProtocols and technology-enhanced strategies, we were able to engage students in deep, meaningful learning about a complex historical topic.

The use of AI in lesson planning and feedback proved to be a valuable tool, allowing for more personalized and efficient instruction. However, it’s clear that the human element – the ability to adapt in real-time, to push students just the right amount, and to create a supportive classroom environment – remains crucial.

As we move forward, I’m excited to continue refining these strategies, always with the goal of making history come alive for my students and helping them see their place in the ongoing story of our community and nation.

As educators, we are always seeking new ways to make learning meaningful and engaging for our students. This week, my social studies class embarked on a journey to explore the power of stories hidden within artifacts and primary sources. From deciphering the tales behind everyday objects to connecting local history with broader historical themes, our activities aimed to deepen students’ understanding and appreciation of the past. Through a combination of hands-on lessons, creative exercises, and critical thinking challenges, we explored how seemingly simple items can reveal complex narratives about our lives and the world around us. This blog post chronicles our week of discovery, highlighting the strategies, successes, and lessons learned along the way.

Monday – Sources

Tuesday – Sourcing Thick Slide Lesson

Wednesday – 5 Themes of Geography Thin Slide

Thursday – Resource Rumble

Friday – Thick Slide Assessment

Monday

This week, we continued our lesson from Dan Lewer on making sense of artifacts and primary sources, focusing on the stories these sources might tell us. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to begin class with the Town Dump Lesson. I asked the kids, “Does everything have a story?” Initially, they looked puzzled, unsure how to answer. To help them understand, I shared some examples of random objects that might seem meaningless to them but hold stories for me. For instance, I have a globe in my room. When I ask, “Why do I have this globe?” they typically respond, “Because you teach social studies.” While this is true, I explain that the story they don’t know is that it belonged to a colleague of mine who passed away during the middle of the school year. It reminds me of her, which is why I kept it. I then pointed to the student notes on my wall, explaining, “I have these notes because each one tells a story of an impact or time I had with those students.”

Next, I read the story The Town Dump and highlighted how objects in the dump tell the story of the town and its people, much like the artifacts from Dan Lewer’s primary source lesson tell a story about teenage life in 2024. I asked the students to think of an object or artifact they possess that tells a story about them, something they have held onto because it has meaning. After spending 15–20 minutes on this exercise, we finished the lesson on primary sources. I had the students use their descriptions, inferences, and questions to create two claims about teenage life in 2024. I included a 2xCER template on the paper I gave them because they were familiar with the format from the previous week. This was also an effort to incorporate general writing practice into my class. We concluded the class with a Gimkit about the states, where each question featured a picture of a state, and the students had to choose the correct answer. I noticed that our class average was stagnating at 65–70%, so I knew we needed to try something new.

Tuesday

On Tuesday, we started class with the same Gimkit from the previous day. This time, however, I gave the students a blank map of the United States. If they got a state wrong, I had them pause, locate the state on the map, and label it. I also mentioned that I expected a 90% class average by the end of the week, and I would be taking it for a score. Following the Gimkit, I introduced the concept of sourcing to the students. We began with a Frayer model for the word “sourcing.” I’ve been trying to incorporate the use of context clues to help create definitions for words, but the students are really struggling with this skill. I also included “two questions you would ask when sourcing” and examples of “good sources” and “bad sources.”

I took a screenshot of my Frayer, uploaded it to ChatGPT, and had it create a quick, one-paragraph reading to help the students fill in the Frayer boxes. I linked the reading to the Frayer. Afterward, I created an Annotate and Tell activity with some quick newspaper advertisement snippets and related questions. However, I soon realized that I was overwhelming the students with too much information. I wanted the focus to be on reading a secondary source newspaper article about the history of their community, Batavia, Ohio. So, during the second half of the day, I replaced the Annotate and Tell with an 8pArts sourcing template.

The main part of the lesson involved reading an article about the Batavia Bicentennial and creating a thick slide. I used the 8pArts template to guide students in practicing sourcing and breaking down a document. The template included a three-word title, content, contextualizing, sourcing, and communication (author’s purpose). I provided the Batavia Bicentennial article to the students and asked them to scan the article’s title and headings to predict its content by creating a three-word title. We then sourced the article, discussing who the author was and when it was written. We also contemplated why it was written—to celebrate the bicentennial of Batavia.

Once we completed these steps, it was time to read the article. I asked the students how long they thought it should take to read it. Answers varied from 10 minutes to as little as 2 to 3 minutes. I informed them that it should take about 3 minutes, which surprised some and relieved others. Many students tend to overestimate reading time and shut down before they even start. After reading, the students listed three interesting facts under the content/details section. Finally, we contextualized the information and determined it was about Batavia’s Bicentennial. I explained the term bicentennial, breaking down the word into “bi,” meaning two, and “centennial,” meaning 100, to help them understand.

In the middle of the 8Parts template was a space to summarize, but I instructed them to create a Thick Slide as their summary. On the Thick Slide, students included three interesting facts from the 8pArts template, a picture with a caption, and a title. We also reviewed the concept of continuity, a word we studied last week. I asked them to find and list an example of continuity from Batavia, and some identified that Batavia has been the county seat since 1824—great stuff! I also had them list two events that took place in Batavia in 1828 and 1877 and find two other events that occurred in the United States during the same years. Finally, they wrote a topic sentence that captured the main idea of their slide, reinforcing our focus on understanding the main idea.

Wednesday

On Wednesday, we focused on the Five Themes of Geography using a Thin Slide activity. Instead of reading about the Five Themes, I decided to use a simple Thin Slide format. Initially, I attempted this on Google Slides, but halfway through the day, I switched to Padlet. I originally created a five-slide deck for each student, but I wanted to switch to Padlet so they could see each other’s ideas.

On Padlet, I set up five columns, one for each theme of geography: location, movement, place, region, and human interaction. I had the students relate these themes to Cincinnati. For example, they shared a city or state near Cincinnati and explained its relative location. Another example was how people in Cincinnati have interacted with and adapted to the Ohio River. Students shared one picture and one word or phrase for each theme, with a time limit of three minutes per theme. After completing the Thin Slides, the students created a personalized geography page where they added their favorite climate, a country they always wanted to visit, their favorite geographical feature, and more. We wrapped up the class with another round of Gimkit on the states, and this time, we achieved over 80% in each class, showing marked improvement.

Thursday

We began Thursday’s class with students finishing their personalized geography pages from the previous day, using the first 15 minutes of class to do so. Next, we did a Resource Rumble, where I asked questions related to historical thinking skills (primary and secondary sources, sourcing, continuity, and the Five Themes of Geography). Students went to the envelopes I had taped around the walls, answered the questions, and had me check their answers. After receiving feedback, they could roll dice and collect Jenga blocks. The team with the tallest tower won a prize from the unimpressive prize box. I had the students keep their answer sheets because they would need them for tomorrow’s assessment. This activity was part of my effort to show students that everything we do serves a purpose. I want them to take ownership of their learning and place importance on every activity. We ended the class with another round of Gimkit for practice before our final attempt on Friday.

Friday

On Friday, we started with a final round of the Gimkit about the states. I reviewed the class averages from the beginning of the week—54%, 50%, 50%, and 59%. I set the Gimkit timer for eight minutes and made a deal with them: if everyone answered 32 or more questions and the class average was 90% or higher, everyone would receive a score of 100%. The results were promising—first bell met the challenge with a 92% average, second bell achieved 89%, fifth bell reached 86%, and sixth bell finished strong with 92%. I’ve always struggled to get other classes above 80%, but looking back, giving the students a blank map to label when they missed a state question made a significant difference.

The next part of our assessment was using a Thick Slide to demonstrate their historical thinking skills. On the Thick Slide, students created a title that encapsulated the main idea of the topic, listed two reasons why it’s important to study the history of Batavia, OH, found a historical image of Batavia and used the caption to source it (by asking questions about it), compared primary and secondary sources, and listed an example of continuity. The students could use their Resource Rumble paper from Thursday’s lesson to help them complete the slide. I gave the students 25 minutes to complete this assessment.

During this assessment, I incorporated a new feature I learned from Jake Carr about using Claude to create artifacts, such as multiple-choice quizzes, short answers, or essays, and to provide feedback. Jake showed me how Claude could generate a code to create an artifact that could be shared with others. This led me to wonder, “Can I create an artifact where students can paste a link to their Thick Slide, and Claude analyzes it and gives instant feedback?” I worked on and reworked a prompt to set this up.

Here is the prompt I created:

“Create an artifact that provides consistent, quality feedback for 7th-grade students’ Thick Slide submissions on historical thinking skills. The feedback should focus on the following areas:

1. Reasons for Studying History:
   • Understanding the past to inform the future.
   • Learning from past mistakes and successes.
   • Building cultural awareness and empathy.
   • Developing critical thinking and analytical skills.
   • Preserving collective memory and identity.
2. Sourcing Questions:
   • Who created this source?
   • When was it created?
   • Why was it created?
   • What is the creator’s perspective or bias?
   • Who is the intended audience?
3. Definitions of Primary and Secondary Sources:
   • Analyze how accurately students define and differentiate between primary and secondary sources.

Rubric Development:

• Design a rubric that includes criteria for evaluating each of the three focus areas (reasons for studying history, sourcing questions, and definitions of primary/secondary sources).
• Ensure the rubric provides clear, 7th-grade-level descriptions for each criterion, allowing for objective and consistent grading.

Artifact Creation:

• Use the rubric to generate an artifact (such as a feedback template) where students can copy and paste their Google Slide link.
• The artifact should automatically provide quality, constructive feedback based on the rubric’s criteria.
• Feedback should be designed to guide students in improving their understanding of historical thinking skills while being accessible at a 7th-grade reading level.

Consistency and Quality Control:

• Implement measures within the artifact to ensure that feedback remains consistent across different student submissions.
• Ensure that the artifact is free from errors and provides accurate, relevant feedback tailored to the student’s work.”

After the artifact was created, I shared the link with the students. It was easy to access and use, and while some students found it helpful, others noted that it inaccurately told them they hadn’t completed certain tasks that they actually had. The feedback was varied, and the Claude feedback was inconsistent, but it’s still a work in progress. There’s a lot of potential here for some cool developments.

Introduction

So far this school year is flying by. I’m really enjoying my new schedule. My day begins with teaching two 65-minute social studies periods, followed by a plan period, co-teaching a reading workshop with an ELA teacher, and ending the day with two more 65-minute social studies classes. It makes for a nice day, allowing for in-depth lessons and sufficient time to transition between subjects.

At the beginning of the year, the name of the game is teaching the process and procedures of EduProtocols. I like to begin the year smart by starting with the following EduProtocols: Wicked Hydra, Frayers, 3xCER, 8Parts, Thin Slides, and Sketch and Tell. These are pretty basic, and I use them throughout the entire school year. They provide a solid foundation for critical thinking and engagement. I will introduce more in-depth protocols as the year progresses, such as CyberSandwich and Thick Slides, which build upon these basic skills.

Monday – Resource Rumble

Tuesday – Fast and Curious on Gimkit

Wednesday – Practice, Sketch and Tell-o

Thursday – Why We Study History

Friday – Sources, Gimkit

Monday

We began the day with no Chromebooks, so I needed a new plan. I had to introduce the syllabus. Last year, I used an escape room, but without Chromebooks, I needed something different. Enter the Resource Rumble from EMC2Learning. I used AI to create some puzzles and questions based on my syllabus related to the rules and procedures. I took the questions created by AI and placed them in 8 “treasure chests” around the room. The students had 25 minutes to complete all the treasure chests and have me check their work. This activity not only introduced the syllabus content but also encouraged teamwork and problem-solving.

A true Resource Rumble involves Jenga blocks, but mine were on the Amazon truck. I switched to a new plan and used dice instead. I have several different styles of dice, including one that has numbers one through twelve. After each group brought up their answer, I had them roll the dice to determine how many points the chest was worth. At the end, I had them add up their points. The winning group got to choose from my Unimpressive Prize Box, which contains small, quirky items that surprisingly delight the students.

Following this activity, we did a quick overview of the syllabus, ensuring everyone understood the key points. We then moved on to some Frayer a Friend, to make more connections. By the end of the day, the students finally received their Chromebooks, setting us up for more tech-integrated lessons in the coming days.

Tuesday

Now that we had Chromebooks, it was great to finally introduce the Fast and Curious. I was surprised at the number of students who had never played Gimkit. Since so many students were unfamiliar with it, I found a 4th-grade trivia Gimkit to introduce the game. I set the time limit for 8 minutes to let them explore, but I didn’t tell them anything – I wanted them to figure it out on their own.

Next, I ran another 4th grade trivia Gimkit round with less time, but challenged them to answer more questions and raise the class average. Following this, we did another round where I introduced the states – 50 questions, 50 states. My goal is to have the students know their states with 90% accuracy. It’s a work in progress, but Gimkit’s game-like structure makes this typically dry subject more engaging.

For another round of Gimkit, I had half the class close their Chromebooks and partner up to work together to answer questions. This variation promotes collaboration and peer teaching. If we had any time left, I had students complete another Frayer a Friend continuing to make more connections and learn the process of using a Frayer model.

Wednesday

We began class with a Dominic Helmstetter special – a great Smart Start for the Sketch and Tell-o with gold medals. I had students choose an Olympic event they would gold medal in and one non-Olympic event they would gold medal in. They had to draw a symbol and provide an explanation for why they would win a gold medal. This took about 20-25 minutes and served as a fun warm-up activity that also encouraged creativity and self-reflection. It also agve me a chance to understand the interests of the students.

We followed this up with another Gimkit on states, continuing to build their geography knowledge. I was ready to move into content and the question of “Why do we study history?” However, I realized I had a problem: we hadn’t really practiced much on Chromebooks. We had done Sketch and Tell and Thin Slides on paper, but not much with Chromebooks. This needed to change to ensure students were comfortable with the digital tools we’d be using throughout the year.

I stopped the lesson and created some practice slides using Justin Unruh templates. I put together a Thin Slide utilizing Google Slides, a Thin Slide utilizing Padlet, and two Sketch and Tells. I wanted to show how Padlet could be utilized for the “I can’t draw” feature, as it uses AI to generate images that can be used for Thin Slides. This introduction to various digital tools will prove valuable as we incorporate more tech-based activities.

For the Smart Start question, I asked, “What is a food no one should eat?” I gave students 3 minutes to create their responses. They put their name as the “subject” and wrote their one word or phrase in the body of the post. After 3 minutes, I selected “freeze Padlet” and then hit the play button, which turned it into a slide presentation. By using Padlet, students can’t mess with each other’s slides, ensuring a smooth presentation process.

Following our Thin Slides, we used a regular Sketch and Tell. The prompt was, “What is a food you can eat every day for the rest of your life?” It became apparent that I had to show them where Google Shapes was located on the toolbar and how to change colors and duplicate shapes. We clearly have some Google tech learning that needs to be done! I chose these specific EduProtocols because I would be using them in the near future, and this practice session helped identify areas where students needed more support.

Thursday

I began class with a Literacy Skills Entry exam from our McGraw Hill book. I noticed two exams – Historical Thinking Skills and a Literacy Skills exam. I decided the Literacy Skills entry exam was what I was going to use. I have every student with an IEP this year, and I wanted an idea of our ability to understand main ideas, inferences, context clues, and perspectives. This baseline assessment will help me tailor future lessons to meet the specific needs of this year’s class.

The original exam was 20 questions, which seemed like overkill. I had AI analyze the entire exam and every question for the skills being assessed. From there, I reduced the 20 questions to 8. This exam took 20 minutes. At the end of the day, I had AI create a rubric for the exam, and then I took all the students’ responses and correlated them with the rubric. The data I received provided good baseline information that will inform my teaching strategies moving forward.

For my original lesson on “Why do we study history?” I had a CyberSandwich ready to go. However, after some thought and knowing the students I had in front of me, I realized a new protocol would be too much. Instead, I put together a Thin Slide with the prompt, “What is an event that families would try to record and retell?” I gave them 3 minutes and stuck to my timer. This activity helped students connect historical thinking to their personal experiences.

Next, I included a Frayer with the word “continuity.” Under the “define” heading, I had AI create a sentence that could be used to help students use context clues to create a definition. The sentence was: “The movie series kept the same main character and story from one film to the next, providing continuity that helped viewers follow along easily.” For the other boxes, students had to find examples, non-examples, and a picture. I was hoping the Frayer would take 5 minutes, but it took about 8 to 10 minutes. This extra time was well-spent as students grappled with this important historical concept.

Following the Frayer, I had two Sketch and Tells ready to go. I linked the section from the textbook and asked, “Why do we study history?” The goal was to create a sketch with Google Shapes based on the reading and explain it with 2 to 3 sentences. Students had 10 minutes to complete both Sketch and Tells. That was a bit of a struggle, but I still had them turn it in. I’m learning I have my work cut out for me this year – I’m trying to help the students own their learning through protocols and timers. This process of productive struggle is essential for developing their historical thinking skills.

Friday

On Friday, I continued our historical thinking skills unit. This new book has a lot to it. It’s overwhelming and, like most textbooks, restricting, but I’m trying to analyze the teacher edition and think about which skills they’re trying to get the students to use. This helps direct my use of EduProtocols and ensures that I’m meeting curriculum standards while using engaging teaching methods.

The new topic today was, “How do historians use primary and secondary sources?” I felt like I had overwhelmed the students yesterday with too much, so I decided to simplify it and stick to a Frayer about primary and secondary sources. I provided a sentence created by AI to help them use context clues to create a definition. This approach allowed us to focus deeply on these fundamental concepts in historical research.

We began class with a Gimkit of 10 questions related to why we study history and primary and secondary sources. The class averages were between 72% and 79%, showing a decent grasp of the concepts but room for improvement. We followed this up with a Frayer on primary and secondary sources, reinforcing the ideas through a different learning modality.

Instead of using the textbook section on historians using various sources, I used a Dan Lewer “History for Humans” lesson. It provides a scenario set in the year 3240, where students are historians looking back on the lives of teenagers from 2024. I provided students with a graphic organizer, and they had to select artifacts or sources from their backpacks, write down observations, make inferences, and ask questions. Students used Chromebooks, phones, Stanley water bottles, pencils, and books as their artifacts. They did an excellent job with this activity, really getting into the role of future historians and understanding how everyday objects can become historical sources.

I also reminded them that they had started thinking like historians last week with a Wicked Hydra, asking questions about pictures related to me. They had also begun this process with the 8Parts activity, analyzing a historical photo. We didn’t finish this historical thinking activity and will continue on Monday, allowing for a deeper exploration of these skills.

We finished class with a Gimkit challenge: get above a 90% class average, and everyone receives 3 PBIS points. The class averages ranged from 82% to 92% – every class raised their average. This friendly competition helped reinforce the concepts we’d been learning all week while adding an element of fun to end the week.

Closing

As I reflect on this week, I’m pleased with the progress we’ve made in introducing various EduProtocols and historical thinking skills. The students are gradually adapting to the new technologies and methodologies, even if there’s still a learning curve. It’s clear that flexibility is key – whether it’s dealing with unexpected Chromebook delays or adjusting lesson plans on the fly. I’m particularly encouraged by the students’ engagement with activities like the Resource Rumble, Gimkit challenges, and the futuristic historian exercise. These activities not only make learning more interactive but also help develop critical thinking skills essential for studying history.

Looking ahead, I plan to continue refining my approach, balancing between introducing new concepts and reinforcing the basics. The baseline data from our literacy skills assessment will be invaluable in tailoring future lessons. As we delve deeper into our curriculum, I’m excited to see how the students will grow in their ability to analyze sources, make connections, and think like historians. It’s been a challenging but rewarding start to the year, and I’m looking forward to what the coming weeks will bring. Onward to another week of discovery in 8th grade social studies!

This week marked the start of a new chapter in my teaching career. I’ve transitioned to Batavia Middle School, where I’m now teaching 8th grade social studies in room 234. While the subject remains the same, I’m facing new procedures, new students, and a new textbook.

Thursday and Friday – Frayers, 3xCER

Adapting to Change

At my previous school, we used TCI History Alive, but now I’m working with McGraw Hill’s Voices of the Past. This change has presented some challenges. Previously, I could easily transfer TCI sections to a Google Doc and link it to activities (like EduProtocol), or directly link TCI sections to activities. However, with McGraw Hill, I can’t transfer content to Google Docs or create links in the same way.

This limitation is particularly frustrating because I prefer using Google Docs for its accessibility. It allows students to quickly access sources with a simple click, which streamlines the class and maintains a good tempo. I’m currently brainstorming ways to work around this issue.

Another adjustment I’m facing is the longer class periods. We now have 65-minute classes, compared to the 47-minute periods I was accustomed to. While this extended time offers more opportunities for activities (as they say in Step Brothers, “There’s so much room for activities”), it’s challenging from a timing perspective. On the bright side, I now only have four periods of Social Studies and co-teach one period of reading workshop with an ELA teacher.

Despite these changes, the first two days flew by.

Thursday: Building Connections

Thursday marked the first day back for everyone. As always, I began by emphasizing the core values of our classroom: respect, value, support, connection, challenge, and empowerment for everyone in room 234.

Although the students won’t receive their Chromebooks until next week, it wasn’t a problem. EduProtocols are versatile and can easily transfer to paper. To foster a sense of value, respect, and connection among the students, we started with a “Frayer a Friend” activity. This exercise included various prompts such as:

• Their name and birthday
• Four things they like
• Four things they dislike
• Three items they’d want on a deserted island
• A sketch of their dream vacation

I initially set a six-minute timer for the first round, but many students couldn’t finish in time. That’s perfectly fine – it’s all part of the learning process. On the back of the Frayer, I incorporated an idea from Ariana Hernandez: Sketch, Tell, and Connect. Students sketched something they noticed during their interview, wrote a quick sentence about it, and then explained how it might connect to them personally.

We followed this with another round of Frayer a Friend, this time reducing the time to five minutes. Impressively, 90% of the class finished this round. I used this as an opportunity to reinforce our class goal: improvement with each repetition, doing a bit more each time.

Next, we moved on to a REPP (Random Emoji Power Paragraph) activity with their partners. This is always a hit, bringing great energy and laughter to the classroom. It’s one of my favorite EduProtocols.

To wrap up the day, since we didn’t have Chromebooks, I introduced the Marker Game. Students found a new partner, and each pair received a dry erase marker to stand up between them. I read True/False statements about the syllabus and my class. If they thought the statement was true, they grabbed the marker; if false, they left it alone. This game was a blast and a great way to review important class information.

Overall, it was a successful first day, though I’m eagerly anticipating the arrival of the Chromebooks.

Friday: Deepening Connections and Introducing Myself

On Friday, I wanted to maintain the momentum we’d built. We started with another Frayer a Friend activity, this time partnering students with someone from a different table. I set a four-minute timer, and everyone successfully completed the task.

Next, I introduced the Wicked Hydra activity. I had prepared five images related to me and my life, taping them to poster paper or whiteboards around the room. These images included:

1. A picture of my family
2. Me receiving the OCSS MS Social Studies Teacher of the Year award
3. A photo from my NKU tennis days
4. A Zach Bryan concert where Bruce Springsteen made a surprise appearance
5. A picture of Dominic Helmstetter and me presenting at NCSS (interestingly, two classes thought Dominic was Ronaldo and were impressed that I had “met” him!)

The goal of this activity was to introduce myself through questioning strategies while simultaneously developing students’ historical thinking skills of observation and questioning. I rotated all groups through all pictures in 15 minutes.

Following this, I combined a 3xCER (Claim, Evidence, Reasoning) with the Wicked Hydra activity. I emphasized that everything we do in room 234 serves a purpose. In this case, their observations and questions would help them create claims about me. After explaining claims, evidence, and reasoning, I gave the students 10 minutes to come up with claims about me based on the images they had observed.

We concluded the activity by having students share their claims. I answered their questions and shared more about myself, creating a wonderful opportunity for connection and engagement.

This class period was a resounding success, and I’m definitely planning to use this activity again in the future.

In conclusion, despite the challenges of adapting to a new school environment, these first two days have been incredibly rewarding. I’m excited to continue building connections with my students and helping them develop crucial skills through engaging, purposeful activities.

Monday through Friday:

1. Civil War Veteran EduProtocols
2. Success Criteria

This week, my students embarked on a fascinating research project to uncover the stories of Civil War veterans buried in Watkins Hill Cemetery, located right behind our school. By combining a series of EduProtocols, the students were able to organize their findings and piece together the contributions these brave soldiers made to the Union victory.

To kick off the project, students utilized the Fold3 database, a rich resource for military records, as well as information from the cemetery itself and the American Battlefield Trust website. Armed with these tools, they took on the role of historical detectives, digging deep to unearth details about each veteran’s life and service.

The EduProtocols provided a structured framework for the students to present their discoveries. They began by creating a Frayer model to capture basic information about their chosen veteran, such as their birth and enlistment details, regiment, and company. Next, they constructed a timeline to place the veteran’s service within the broader context of the Civil War, marking key milestones like enlistment, discharge, and the battles they fought in.

One of the most engaging aspects of the project was the “Thick Slide,” where students delved into a specific battle their veteran participated in. They researched the date, location, and significant events of the battle, bringing the veteran’s experience to life. By watching videos about the daily life of Civil War soldiers and the food they ate, the students gained a more intimate understanding of the challenges these men faced.

As a culminating activity, the students wove together all the threads of their research to craft a compelling biography of their veteran. They reflected on how each individual contributed to the Union’s ultimate victory, whether through bravery on the battlefield or vital support roles behind the lines.

I asked students what they learned from this project. Here was an interesting comment from a student on the reflection form…”That even though we mainly focus on the big events in history, all the people involved are very important to the overall event.”

Watching my students engage so deeply with local history was truly rewarding. They not only honed their research and critical thinking skills but also developed a profound appreciation for the sacrifices made by these long-ago soldiers. By connecting with the past on such a personal level, they gained a new perspective on the impact of the Civil War on our community and the nation as a whole.

Projects like this one remind us of the power of place-based learning and the importance of preserving local history. I’m incredibly proud of my students’ dedication and the insights they uncovered, and I look forward to exploring more ways to bring the past to life in our classroom.

As educators, it is our responsibility to make history come alive for our students. By employing a variety of teaching strategies and resources, we can help them develop a deep understanding and appreciation for the past. In this blog post, I will share my experience teaching the Civil War to my students, highlighting the activities and projects that proved most effective in engaging them and fostering their learning.

Monday – Assessment (I can’t share the EMC2Learning templates – sorry)

Tuesday – Start of the Civil War

Monday

To assess my students’ understanding of the Civil War and the events leading up to it, I provided them with three assessment options on Monday: a Story Dice template, a Video Game template, and a Sketch and Tell-o Connect activity. These diverse assessment methods allowed students to demonstrate their knowledge in creative and engaging ways, catering to different learning styles and preferences.

The Story Dice template required students to select nine images that represented or symbolized the events and factors contributing to the growing tensions over slavery. They then wrote a paragraph explaining how these events and factors led to the Civil War, incorporating the selected images.

The Video Game template challenged students to create a game proposal that included at least four of the events or factors studied. They had to explain how each event or factor was represented in the game and discuss the educational value of their proposed game.

Lastly, the Sketch and Tell-o Connect activity asked students to create six sketches representing the events leading up to the Civil War. They then made connections by creating a claim, evidence, and reasoning for the question, “What series of disagreements and deals made between the Northern and Southern states finally caused the Civil War?”

Tuesday

Following the summative assessment, I utilized a combination of resources and activities to introduce the Civil War. On Tuesday, I had my students complete a Frayer Model activity, where they collected information about the Union and Confederate armies, including the states involved, colors worn, and other characteristics. This activity helped them organize their knowledge and understand the opposing forces.

I also had my students watch an EdPuzzle video on the start of the Civil War. The video provided a concise yet informative overview of the key events, battles, and leaders, allowing students to visualize the important aspects of the war. The EdPuzzle platform enabled me to embed questions throughout the video, ensuring active engagement and comprehension.

Thursday

On Thursday, I embarked on an exciting project that connected our classroom learning with local history. Near our school grounds lies the Watkins Hill Cemetery, which houses the graves of several Civil War veterans. I instructed my students to research and document the names of these veterans, along with the companies and regiments in which they served.

To make the most of this opportunity, I took my students on a field trip to the cemetery. They had the chance to explore, locate the graves, and gain firsthand knowledge about the individuals who played a significant role in our nation’s history. This hands-on experience brought history to life and fostered a deep connection with the past.

Building upon this experience, I introduced my students to Fold3, a comprehensive military veteran database. Using a Google Slidedeck containing EduProtocols, students organized their research findings and delved deeper into the stories of the Civil War veterans. They analyzed numerical data points, researched specific battles, and pieced together the historical context in which their chosen veterans lived.

Conclusion

By employing a multifaceted approach to teaching the Civil War, I was able to engage my students and help them develop a profound understanding of this pivotal moment in history. The combination of creative summative assessments, introductory activities, and hands-on exploration of local history created a comprehensive and meaningful learning experience.

I encourage fellow educators to explore opportunities within their communities to connect history with local landmarks. By immersing students in the stories of the past, we can ignite their curiosity, foster a love for learning, and help them appreciate the sacrifices made by those who came before us.

This week was our last testing week, so we had two shortened class periods. I was continuing the causes of the Civil War and my essential question, “Which conflicts over slavery led to the Civil War?”

Last week, our focus was on compromises such as the Missouri Compromise, Compromise of 1850, and the Fugitive Slave Act. This week we focused on finishing up the Kansas Nebraska Act, learning about Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Dred Scott, and the Election of 1860. I have never really focused on the Election of 1860, so I wrapped some EduProtocols around a lesson from the Retro Report.

Monday – Sketch and Tell-o Analogies

Tuesday – Uncle Tom’s Cabin

Wednesday – Dred Scott, Amendments Sketch and Tell

Friday – Election of 1860

Monday

On Monday, I began class with a Sketch and Tell-o that had students thinking about analogies. I wanted them to review what they learned last week (Missouri Compromise, Fugitive Slave Act, Kansas Nebraska Act) by creating similes. For example, they would sketch and object for the simile connection and then write how the Missouri Compromise is like that object. We did this for 25 minutes and then moved onto the start of a new lesson.

To introduce Uncle Tom’s Cabin, I used an Archetype Foursquare. In the middle of the archetype template, I linked an article about the background, plot, and impact of the novel. Students read through the information and decided which archetype they would apply to the novel and use supporting evidence. At the conclusion, I had students discuss why they chose a certain archetype to describe Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

We ended class with a Fast and Curious EduProtocol. I added some questions to the Gimkit about Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The class averages were down a bit because I added three new questions.

Tuesday

On Tuesday, we dove into a lesson on Uncle Tom’s Cabin. I adapted this lesson from from a textbook that my co-author, Dr. Scott Petri, contributed to – a resource written for schools in Texas that incorporates background information and primary sources to help students learn history.

Monday we had explored the background and significance of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Tuesday, we focused on three chapters: Chapter 7 – A Mother’s Struggle, Chapter 30 – A Slave Warehouse, and Chapter 33 – Cassy. Students selected a chapter and designed a slide that featured a quote that would anger abolitionists. We then analyzed the quote together and considered how it reflected the harsh realities of slavery.

I was pleased with how engaged and motivated the students were throughout the lesson. By focusing on storytelling techniques and emotional language, Harriet Beecher Stowe created empathy and awareness about the devastating impact of slavery. I added an Annotate and Tell to the lesson with three excerpts from the ending of the book. On the slide, I had students focus on the arguments Stowe put forth against slavery, the audience she was appealing to, and why she would appeal to mothers.

Wednesday and Thursday

On Wednesday, we began learning about the Dred Scott case. I also use this as an opportunity to tie in some local history about Henry Poindexter who had a similar case in Ohio. As an educator, I always strive to connect historical events to the local context, making them more relatable and meaningful for my students. In this particular lesson, we discovered a remarkable similarity between the Dred Scott case of 1857 and a case involving Henry Poindexter in 1856.

Henry Poindexter signed a promissory note committing to pay $1,000 for his freedom. When his enslaver allowed him to cross the river into Ohio, specifically in New Richmond and Cincinnati, Henry decided not to honor the agreement, arguing that he was now in the free state of Ohio. Subsequently, his enslaver sued him, leading to a legal battle that reached the Ohio Supreme Court. Ultimately, the court ruled in Henry’s favor, declaring him free. This local connection offered a unique opportunity to understand the complexities of the time through a relatable lens.

To deepen our understanding, we engaged in a Cybersandwich activity, comparing the Dred Scott case with Henry Poindexter’s legal battle. Students filled out a Venn diagram, identifying similarities and differences between the two cases. This exercise encouraged critical thinking, analysis, and reflection on the legal implications and consequences of each situation.

Following the Venn diagram, students composed a compare/contrast text structure to summarize their findings. This exercise not only reinforced their understanding of the cases but also developed their writing skills and ability to articulate complex ideas effectively.

To further our exploration, we connected the Dred Scott case to the 13th and 14th Amendments, which had profound implications for civil rights and the overturning of the infamous decision. Employing a Sketch and Tell activity, students utilized Google Shapes to create visual representations of the 13th and 14th Amendments.

Accompanied by their sketches, students “told” the story of the amendments in their own words, explaining how each amendment played a significant role in nullifying the Dred Scott case decision. This exercise fostered creativity, critical thinking, and a deeper comprehension of the amendments’ impact on the course of history.

Thursday’s lesson was a cool exploration of local history intertwined with national events. By connecting the Dred Scott case to the story of Henry Poindexter, we provided students with a personal connection to a pivotal moment in our nation’s past. Moreover, examining the 13th and 14th Amendments enabled students to comprehend how the legal landscape evolved and how these amendments transformed the rights of individuals.

Friday

Friday I wasn’t at school and had a decision to make – do I post a summative assessment for my unit on the causes of the Civil War? Or, do I add one more lesson on the Election of 1860? The Election of 1860 lesson would be easy to put together and cause less problems – I went with this idea.

For this lesson, I adapted it from Retro Report. I started with this question, “How did the results of the 1860 presidential election show that the United States was becoming more and more divided?”

At the end of the lesson, I wanted students to write from the POV of 3 candidates from the Election of 1860. So, I created a 3xPOV template for this lesson. At the beginning of the lesson, I put together a Map and Tell and jhad students analyze a ,ap from the Election of 1860. Next, they watched a video from Retro Report on the election. The they analyzed the platforms of the Northern Democrats, Southern Democrats, and Republicans regarding their stance on slavery. Finally, students ended with the 3xPOV. This was meant to be a one day and they did an awesome job considering I wasn’t present.

This week was another testing week with the Ohio AIR math test. At the end of the week, our assistant principal sent out a weekly updated and asked the question, “What does AIR stand for in Ohio AIR Test?” I responded with, “AIR – Academically Inconvenient Requirement.” I don’t think I won the trivia contest.

This week we continued our unit on the causes of the Civil War. I asked the question, “What conflicts over slavery led to the Civil War?” This week we focused on the Missouri Compromise, Compromise of 1850, and the Kansas and Nebraska Act.

This semester I”ve been trying to build in more opportunities to have students empathize from multiple perspectives. I have been using some 2xPOV, empathy maps, and perspective summary writing at the end of different lessons.

Monday – Missouri Compromise

Tuesday – Compromise 1850/Fugitive Slave Act

Thursday – Kansas and Nebraska Act

Monday

On Monday, we began with the Missouri Compromise. I asked the question, “How did the Missouri Compromise attempt to balance free states and slave states between North and South?” I began the lesson with a Gimkit with 3 or 4 questions about the Missouri Compromise. I ran the Gimkit for 3 minutes, and then ran it again for 2 minutes.

Next in line, we switched Frayer model with the word, Compromise, in the center. Around the word Compromise, I had students create definition, use it in a sentence, share examples, and nonexamples. For the examples of Compromise, I urged everyone to think of examples we have learned about in class. They came up with, “3/5ths Compromise, the Treaty of Ghent, the Treaty of Paris 1783.” I thought these were great connections.

Following the Frayer, we switched to an EMC2learning penny pedagogy called Upside Down Learning. Students read a textbook section about the Missouri Compromise. On the top of the line with Upside Down Learning, students tell the true story of the Missouri Compromise. I had them think about the compromise, and retelling of the compromise in sequential order. Underneath of the true story, the students come up with alternate reality. They keep some of the details, but they twist them a bit.

Next, I had students complete an empathy map with two primary sources. Students read a debate between two congressmen named Arthur Livermore and Philip Barbour over the Tallmadge Amendment and Missouri Compromise. Upon reading, students completed an empathy map. To end class, we ran one more Gimkit for 2 to 3 minutes and increased our class averages to over 90% across all classes.

Tuesday

On Tuesday, we switched over to the Compromise of 1850 and I asked the question, “What was the Compromise of 1850 and why did it make northerners angry?” I asked this question kowing we would focus on the Fugitive Slave Act. Before the lesson began, I wrote on the board, “Fugitive Slave – Freedom Seeker, Slave – Enslaved Person/People, Master – Enslaver.”

This lesson we began with a Number Mania and here were my instructions: “The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was a harsh and ineffective law that deepened the divide between the North and the South, ultimately contributing to the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861.”

• Prove this quote true with 4 numbers and facts from the reading.
• If you use my secret number, I’ve got a Jolly Rancher for you.
• Add icons/images for all facts
• Add a title.
• In the speaker notes, explain why you selected these numbers.

I added the Secret Number to create some intrigue – it’s the end of the year! My secret number ended up being 11 – the Civil War began 11 years after the Compromise of 1850. I had these dates underlined and said to everyone, “I gave you a subtle hint.” Only a handful of student solved the secret number throughout the day.

The reading I paired with the Number Mania had a ton of numbers. I wanted to see if students could pick out the important numbers related to the quote.

Following the Number Mania, students filled out an empathy map from a northerners perspective about the Fugitive Slave Act. I also related the Fugitive Slave Act to our community because Enslaved Person Trackers terrorized the abolitionists of New Richmond due to the Fugitive Slave Act. Students filled out an Empathy Map showing what a northerner might think, say, hear, and do about the Fugitive Slave Act. I encouraged them to use details from the Number Mania, which is essentially details from their reading.

At the end of class, I added a few more questions to the Gimkit about the Compromise of 1850. I ran the Gimkit for 3 to 4 minutes.

Wednesday

Wednesday was a shortened class period (30 minutes) due to math testing. I wanted students to reflect on their Number Mania from Tuesday. I put together a Google Form with success criteria at the top. The success criteria contained the numbers students could have used on their infographics. I asked the students these reflection questions:

1. How many numbers from the provided list did you include in your infographic to support the quote “The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was a harsh and ineffective law that deepened the divide between the North and the South, ultimately contributing to the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861”?
2. How well do you think the numbers you included in your infographic support the given quote?
3. What did you learn about the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 and its impact on the United States while creating your infographic?
4. If you could improve one aspect of your infographic, what would it be and why? 
5. If you graded yourself on the infographic, what score would you give yourself out of 4 points?

This was a day to finish the Number Mania and empathy maps. A pretty easy, light day.

Thursday

On Thursday we switched to the Kansas and Nebraska Act. I asked the question, “What did voting on slavery and the Kansas and nebraska act reveal about Sectionalism in the United States?” I knew the students would have trouble with the parts of this question – Kansas Nebraska Act and Sectionalism. I didn’t want to throw too much at the students, so we focused on sectionalism for the shortened class period.

One thing I’ve been trying to do more often is using a relevant preview Activity before learning something new. I took this idea from Gene Tavernetti’s book, Teach FAST. This book focuses on how to optimize learning through designing lessons around how students learn best.

A preview activity is a quick activity where students reflect, discuss, or write out something they have experienced and eventually relate it the new content they will learn. In this case, I had students reflect, and create a Sketch and Tell, on a conflict they had with someone – a parent, sibling, teacher, or friend. They sketched about the two differing beliefs, or interests. Then they discussed the conflict with a partner. Finally, they wrote about it on the tell side.

Following the preview activity, I had students complete another Sketch and Tell. This one was about sectionalism. I had AI generate a 2 paragraph explanation of sectionalism. In my prompt, I asked AI to include Civil War and slavery context. Students created an image to represent sectionalism, they discussed their creation with a partner, and then they wrote about sectionalism. To end class, we ran another rep of the Gimmit. I added some more questions to the Gimkit about the Kansas Nebraska Act.

Friday

On Friday we addressed the second part to my question – the Kansas and Nebraska Act. I ran a CyberSandwich with this lesson. I had students read for 10 minutes about the Kansas and Nebraska Act. Their goal was to pull out 5 or more important facts that would help them answer the question, “What did voting on slavery and the Kansas and nebraska act reveal about Sectionalism in the United States?”

After 10 minutes, students discussed and compared their notes with a partner. Following this, students fixed a very vague northerner perspective on the Kansas Nebraska act.

I created another Google Form with reflection questions. I added success criteria at the top:

1. Explain what “popular sovereignty” means and how it applied to the Kansas-Nebraska Act.
2. Describe the violence that took place in Kansas between pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers, known as “Bleeding Kansas”.
3. Mention how the Kansas-Nebraska Act angered many in the North because it allowed the potential spread of slavery into new territories.
4. Explain that the Act’s repeal of the Missouri Compromise was seen as wrong by those in the North.
5. Note that the Republican Party was formed in response to the Kansas-Nebraska Act, with the goal of preventing the expansion of slavery.
6. Conclude that the events surrounding Kansas revealed the deep divisions (sectionalism) between the North and South over the issue of slavery.

I also added these reflection questions:

1. How many of the these details do you have?
2. What score would you give yourself?
3. Why would you give yourself that score?

To end class, I ran the Gimkit one more time – every class, except for one, got a 90% or higher class average.

This week we started state testing. We always begin with the ELA test. As a result, our schedule was a bit weird. Also, I don’t really do anything on class on ELA testing days. Staring at screen, reading, and writing for 2 1/2 hours is daunting. I’m not going to have students come into social studies only to do it all again.

This week we focused on social studies for Monday, Tuesday, and Friday. We began the week by finishing our lesson on abolitionists. Students could choose between 3 options to show their learning about abolitionists – Dinner Party (Amanda Sandoval template), Sketch and Tell, or an Instastory (Amanda Sandoval template).

Then we wrapped up our unit on Revolution and Reform with a Summative Assessment of creating a virtual museum exhibit sharing the things they learned. I gave students one class period to complete this museum exhibit.

To end the week, we began a new unit on the Civil War. I began with a Geography Challenge from TCI. WE have spent the last two weeks learning about slavery and abolitionism and this served as a nice transition to the cause of the Civil War – slavery. The geography challenge served as a nice transitioning piece from abolitionism to showing how the Union struggled over the issues of slavery and statehood.

Monday – Abolitionist Lesson, Assessment

Tuesday – Virtual Museum Exhibit

Friday – Geography Challenge, Class Companion

Monday

Last Thursday we began a lesson on abolitionism. I like this lesson because I can incorporate lots of local history with abolitionists like: James G. Birney, John Rankin, and Harriet Beecher Stowe. It helps students see how their community played an important role in the ending of slavery. Here is the layout of the lesson:

1. Students choose an abolitionist and create a Thick Slide about their methods and motivations.
2. Students share their Thick Slide through a Google Form. The Google Form collects the slide links into a Google Sheet. I share the sheet.
3. Students choose 4 other abolitionists, read through the slides, and collect notes about them using a Frayer Model.
4. Students use their information to create something – Dinner Party, Sketch and Tell, or Instastory.

Students like having the choice of to show what they know about abolitionism. I tried to pick choices that varied in complexity. To me the Dinner Party was the most complex because students had to think about where toplace the abolitionists at a dinner party and think about their conversations. It’s very outside of the box thinking.

The sketch and tell is an option that students are familiar with. I selected this because I wanted students to apply a visual to the methods and motivations for abolitionists.

The Instastory template is familiar to students because it looks like an Instagram posting. Even though I haven’t used this template all year, I wanted to throw it out there and see what would happen. Here are some student samples:

Tuesday

On Tuesday, I wanted to wrap up my unit on Revolution and Reform. I wanted students to be able to answer two questions:

1. How was life different in the North from life in the South?
2. What motivated abolitionists to risk their lives to end slavery?

I needed an assessment to tie those things together. Te perfect option was a virtual museum exhibit. A few years ago, I created a template for a virtual museum, but I have never used it……until now.

When I put together the assessment, I wanted students to create an exhibits showing differences between North and South, an exhibit on slavery and resistance, and an exhibit on abolitionism. Because this is a summative assessment, I gave students the entire class period to get it done. It had to be turned in by the end of class. No working on it at home. A one shot deal.

I was pretty impressed with the exhibits:

Friday

On Friday, I introduced a new unit question, “What were the conflicts over slavery that led to the Civil War?” I began with a Geography Challenge from TCI because it was a simple way to begin the lesson. Plus, it wasn’t a daunting task that involved much reading or writing considering students spent the last 2 days doing that with testing.

I introduced the lesson by reminding students we have been learning about slavery and abolitionists. Now it was time to see how al, of these ideas played into arguments over statehood and sectionalism between North and South. We were building on previous knowledge to set up new knowledge.

We began the lesson by reading some background knowledge paired with the maps. Next, I had the students go through the steps to complete the Geography Challenge map.

During this lesson, I tried Class Companion – an self-contained AI tool that offers immediate feedback with student writing responses. Here is a brief summary about it:

Class Companion is an innovative educational app that integrates artificial intelligence to provide personalized feedback on writing assignments for students. In subjects like AP World History, teachers can assign writing prompts for students to practice answering repeatedly until they achieve an acceptable response.

The AI acts as a virtual teacher, offering instant critiques on what students did well and areas for improvement, allowing them to learn from mistakes at their own pace outside the classroom. Teachers can customize assignments, rubrics, and the type of feedback given, making it versatile across subjects requiring written responses like social studies, English, science, and languages.

The app includes anti-cheating features like detecting pasted text, tracking response times, and enabling teachers to override the AI’s grading if disputed. Students appreciate the rigorous practice and autonomy Class Companion provides in mastering structured essay writing for classes like AP History.

In summary, Class Companion harnesses AI to deliver tailored writing guidance, practice opportunities, and engagement for students while giving teachers powerful customization and oversight capabilities. Its unique blend of technology and pedagogy enhances the learning experience.