6 Red Social Studies
@SKTeaches
Welcome! This newsletter will be your window into what's happening in our Social Studies classroom! I hope it will give you a starting point for conversation at home about what your student is learning. Questions? Email me anytime at sguillen@dps109.org
Follow us on Twitter @SKTeaches for 'in the moment' classroom highlights!
Close Read: Uncle Tom's Cabin excerpt
Students used the app/extension Kami to annotate an excerpt of Harriet Beecher Stowe's acclaimed novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin. After weeks of building background knowledge about antebellum America and slave life, students thought critically about slavery in America and how one book could change the perspective of millions of people at the time.
Analyzing a Primary Source
In this Discovery Education investigation, students observed and thoughtfully analyzed an engraving depicting the slave trade in America.
Analyzing a Secondary Source
Students split screens to use secondary source information to respond to an essential question. In this activity, we break the reading process down, by first reading and then looking for the key ideas that best answer our focus question.
Picture Books in the Classroom
Why? All kids, even middle schoolers, love being read to! Each book shared is based on a true story, and provides students a 'real-life' connection to history!
UPCOMING UNIT: THE CIVIL WAR
In the next week, we will be wrapping up our unit on the Causes of the Civil War. We have looked at the economies of the North and South, the geographical differences of the two regions, and are completing a study of the political decisions of the time that paved the way to America's most deadly and brutal war.
On January 26th, students will be assigned to create a "Paper Slide Movie" on a Civil War topic of their choice. A culminating Civil War test is planned for about February 19th!
What's with all the READING AND WRITING? A look at the STANDARDS!
In addition to new Illinois State Standards, Social Studies also includes Common Core Reading in History and Writing standards. In our classroom, we integrate learning of these standards with the historical content. Students are challenged to use a variety of primary and secondary sources to draw conclusions about key historical events.