Post date: Mar 05, 2015 1:59:55 AM
Hello Parents of Room 22 (and kids via cc).
As I am sure you already know, the 8th grade students rotate between the three teachers for six week "intensives" during the first 100 minutes of each morning. Right now, your kids are nearing the end of their social studies intensive with me, and so I thought that I would finally communicate with you about their time with me.
First off, let me say that the kids of room 22 are very kind, thoughtful, hard-working, and respectful. I know most of them quite well and am very impressed by the class climate that they and Mrs. Leftwich have created. They like learning in a fun and yet productive atmosphere.
This is my first year teaching US history, so I don't have the breadth of knowledge necessary to know exactly how to structure the ultimate curriculum, but I have worked to educate myself by reading a bunch, talking to veteran history teachers at other schools, and bouncing many ideas off of students. The result is this general curriculum map that is guiding much of the in-class lessons and activities as well as the occasional homework assignment.
So far the kids have participated in daily discussions about current events, learned a bit about the physical and political geography of the US and had a quick overview of early colonial life and the climate and events that led up to war for independence. We spent about a week learning about the Articles of Confederation which served as our first constitution during and after the war, but had great weaknesses for the time and longevity of the nation. Next, we jumped into the Constitution itself. The kids had to learn the Preamble and, after research and discussion, translate it into their own words.
From there I had the kids delve into the first few articles that define the three branches of government. They learned a bunch about one branch and taught others about it. Always, I've tried to make the topics lively and personal, discussing current events and local or even hypothetical issues involving government and civics.
For the past 5 class periods the kids have been engaged in a deeper exploration of one of the amendments. They are each making a presentation that has five parts: the actual text of the amendment, a common-language translation, an explanation of where it fits into history, a historical fiction piece, and a discussion of how the amendment has been relevant/challenged/important in current society. When school starts again after break, each kid will do their 3 to 5 minute presentation for the class. Please find some time with your kid over the next 9 days to have them practice their presentation with you, making sure that they know the information well, don't have to read from their slides, and have a good mixture of text, graphics, and animated explanation!
Of course, I do have a website with all of the information that you and/or your kid might need regarding the lessons. There are links to your student's amendment presentation on one of the embedded documents. When this intensive ends (2/27), I hope that the kids understand more about our geography, history, system of government, and current events and controversial issues. Most important, though, is that they have an increased desire to learn more and participate from a knowledgeable and passionate perspective.
Please let me know what you've heard about the intensive so far, and any thoughts you might have for improvement.
Thanks,