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Athens vs. Sparta: Interactive Venn Diagram
I teach 6th grade ancient civilizations and 7th grade early U.S. history. Using a Venn diagram would be ideal in 6th grade for comparing and contrasting two different city states in ancient Greece, specifically Athens and Sparta. In 7th grade, I can use a triple Venn diagram to compare and contrast the three regions of the 13 colonies (the north/ New England colonies, the Middle colonies, and the Southern colonies).
For this assignment, I chose to focus on comparing and contrasting Athens and Sparta. When I taught this lesson last year, I had students read the attached textbook excerpt and take column style notes. Then, I passed out color coded note cards, one color (yellow) for Athens, one color (blue) for Sparta, and a third color (green) for similarities. Each wall in the classroom was designated for a specific color, essentially creating an oversized Venn diagram. However, the information students wrote down was too detailed for the size of a paper and pen Venn diagram. Therefore, the readworks interactive Venn diagram is ideal. It provides enough space to write down main points, with the option to provide additional information, like definitions, in the numbered areas underneath the Venn diagram. Likewise, it is a great handout for students with IEPs and/or those that are missing school. Another option is to use a blank Venn diagram, and have the labels on the side. Then, students can come to the board (I have a Promethean board) and drag and drop the label in the correct category.
In the Venn diagram, I use the sub topics from the reading to provide structure and guidance for what the students should be looking for. Then, I would instruct students to write an overarching phrase or sentence that summarizes the sub topic in the label, and provide additional information in the description portion, which appears as a footnote. This way, the inside of the Venn diagram does not become too verbose and overwhelming. With the footnotes, all the information is still easily accessible for the students to use in a single, double sided handout.
VennDiagram.pdfChapter 27 - Life in Two City-States Athens and Sparta FULL TEXT with pictures.pdfSeesaw
Seesaw is an interactive platform for students and teachers to use to communicate, complete activities, and help stay organized. I can see myself using this platform in a variety of ways for in person learning or if remote learning ever occurs again. For one, it is a fantastic tool to create and use interactive worksheets that are all kept in a student’s online journal. As shown in the image carousel, I practiced using interactive worksheets with a coloring and drag and drop of labeling the 13 colonies. As the teacher, I am able to view the student’s work, see their progress, and provide feedback. Seesaw provides teachers the opportunity to create their own worksheet template or use a template made by another user. As demonstrated in the image carousel, I practiced making my own template for an interview. Students can use the template to brainstorm, then write and/or record their interview. There is the flexibility to create a worksheet with various shapes, colors, and flowing movement, something that Google Docs does not offer. They can also be downloaded into PDFs. Another option is to use another Seesaw user’s template. These templates can be found under the community tab. It is a great tool for teachers to share materials. This is where I found the current events template and 13 colonies interactive worksheet. If needed, I can edit the templates to best work for my students.
In addition to the ease of creating activities, Seesaw has a plethora of options that can be used to complete a worksheet and provide feedback. A student and teacher can draw on the template, provide textboxes, and/or record audio. So, a student can express themselves in a way that best suits them to complete the assignment. Likewise, I can record feedback using the microphone or use text to label and provide feedback on specific parts of the worksheet. If a student struggles with virtual feedback, their assignment can be downloaded as a PDF and printed. This can save me time while providing more valuable feedback to a student based on their learning needs.
In regards to communication and organization, Seesaw allows the teacher to contact students and parents individually or as a group. These messages can be sent directly to an email address. This also aids in organization by keeping all parents informed and all information in one place. I also found Seesaw to be a better method of organization than Google Classroom. Each student has a “journal”, which is like an individual portfolio that compiles all of a student’s work in one spot. This is great because Google Classroom does not have a feature where a teacher can view all of one’s student work on one page at the same time. Seesaw also allows teachers to see student progress on an assignment, and with an upgraded version the ability to see each student’s progress in a class at once. Finally, Seesaw syncs with Google Classroom, minimizing the amount of websites and places a teacher needs to look for work. Overall, Seesaw is a fantastic tool to create interactive worksheets that can be completed in class or virtually, provide feedback in multiple ways, and help a teacher stay organized.
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