![page background](https://cdn.smore.com/_fr/z-tubes.8582c126.jpg)
Today's Update
Florence 1 Schools: April 29, 2020
Facebook Live Program: Tuesday, April 28, 2020
Teachers are Integrating the COVID-19 Crisis into Their Lessons, Part II
Jason Brewer, History Teacher, Wilson High
My IB 20th Century History Classes at Wilson will be making comparisons to the current pandemic to the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918-1920. They are going to write a paper that asks a research question that is similar to their IB Internal Assessment project, dealing with both illnesses. They will use primary and secondary sources from the Spanish Flu era and will compare them to what is happening now with COVID-19. Each student will have a unique question and unique answers that will compare and contrast the nation's experiences with both pandemics.
Michelle Martin, ELA Teacher, Sneed Middle
In 7th grade ELA, our current unit is focused on the "Consumerism Culture". Students have read multiple texts and responded to videos and writing prompts regarding consumerism. As part of a weekly journal prompt, my students have been responding to how they and their family's consumer habits have changed or been impacted as a result of the pandemic. Students also responded to how the effects of media have played a part in their consumer behaviors.
Lynn Perkins, Music Teacher, Southside Middle
The first week of eLearning I asked the students to respond with the first 3 words that they thought of about eLearning and the first 3 words they thought of about the Coronavirus. We used that list of words to create poems that would become lyrics for songs.
I created the "Rona Rumba" dance sequence with the help from some of two of my students. I put the moves to music also written by a student, and made a video demo of me doing the "Rona Rumba". The next week I wrote out the dance sequence and had students video themselves doing the "Rona Rumba" to the song of their choice. (any genre as long as it was school appropriate) They got extra credit for having a family member join them in the dance. Note: We all needed to get up and move. It was great seeing the smiles on the faces of the students as they performed their "Rona Rumba".
Melanie Gibson, Third Grade Teacher, Greenwood Elementary
Our 3rd graders at Greenwood watched a cartoon video about COVID-19 for a Health lesson several weeks ago. Since then I have had several students open up more and ask questions about the virus.
Sneed Middle Social Studies: A Team Approach COVID-19 Lessons
In 7th grade Geography at Sneed, we began researching the Coronavirus when there were only a handful of cases present in the United States.
We taught our students to create a map of the world and of the US in google sheets that allowed them to track the spread of confirmed cases. As the pandemic began to spread, our students would frequently check back at their original maps that we created in mid-February.
We asked them to make predictions on how the US Government might handle an outbreak as widespread as in Wuhan. It has been interesting to reflect on their predictions as we are now dealing with the spread of this virus here in Florence and how it impacts our daily lives.
This week we will be researching New Zealand and their approach to dealing with the virus. The students will be able to compare their policies with our own, and draw conclusions about how population size impacts government decisions and virus spread.
The Department: Archer, Blackman, Donor & Matthews (Photos below)
Amanda Archer, 7th Grade Social Studies Team
Bethany Blackman, 7th Grade Social Studies Team
Jeffery Donor, 7th Grade Social Studies Team
Stephanie Walz, First Grade Teacher, Delmae Elementary
Judy Lee, Anatomy & Physiology Teacher, West Florence High
After the students were polled, one of the options selected was COVID-19. The students had to look at how it affects the lungs, how ventilators work, etc. My AP Biology students studied COVID-19 during our pathology unit and looked at the origins, the type of virus, its structure and how to prevent its spread.
Beth Abernathy, Third Grade Teacher, Lucy T. Davis Elementary
Brandy Montgomery, South Carolina History Teacher, Sneed Middle
I integrated the COVID-19 pandemic into my lesson last week when we were talking about World War I. I was able to relate the Spanish Flu pandemic that broke out in Europe at the end of the war to the current pandemic. By doing this, I believe the students got a better sense of what was happening in Europe during that time.
Patti Nunnally, ED-SC Teacher, James F. Reames Center
I am incorporating a short social emotional lesson into our daily routine to help students navigate the current situation. We have made videos about COVID-19 to help answer questions and share important information, completed activities about stopping the spread of illness, and practiced strategies for maintaining physical and emotional health.
While learning about primary and secondary sources, students started journaling about their daily activities, and they created a time capsule for the future.
We are addressing COVID-19, but not letting it take over everything we do. I want my students to see that we can overcome adversity and maintain a positive outlook.
Matthew Aug, Medical Detectives Teacher, Williams MIddle
In teaching Medical Detectives at Williams Middle, COVID-19 has given me a ton of information to incorporate into my class. I have included lessons about the numbers/statistics of it, how it came into being, the spread, key governmental players and their roles, as well as comparing it to other diseases/viruses.
It's my first year teaching the course, and the timing of the coronavirus has been quite interesting/challenging to say the least. There was nothing on it in the course syllabus, for sure. How could there have been, right?
We're living history right now, and we all cannot wait to put this chapter behind at some point. Our hearts go out to those who have suffered in any way due to COVID-19.