Today, the fifth grade had fun producing short little plays about groups of people who had to decide whether to be Patriots or Loyalists at the start of the Revolutionary War. It was interesting watching the light bulbs go off. Or not, in some cases.
They enjoyed making up the skits, I only provided them with a short vignette, and they wrote their own lines and acted them out for the rest of the class. I also asked them to answer questions as their characters. That was especially important for the groups who didn't bother to use the facts provided to justify their decisions.
The students took home an assignment, due Monday, to write a letter home (as in England) about their decision to be a Loyalist or Patriot. I gave them a grading rubric for persuasive essays. I can't wait to see what kind of job they do.
Today I picked up kalamata olives for the sixth grade on Monday. They're starting a unit on Ancient Greece, and I'm teaching the first day. I thought it would be fun to hook them in by offering a taste of a food that Greeks are famous for - olives. Kalamata olives are pretty skunky. I wonder how many of them will be brave enough to try the olive, let alone eat one?
On Thursday, I have my first observation. I'll be teaching the fifth grade, and will do a lesson on George Washington's amazing spy ring. I'm looking up ideas for writing in code ...
I'm enjoying bring ing history alive for the students!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
You're just plain awesome.
k
Hi,
I am considering returning to school myself and was curious as to how you are able to attend full time and support 3 children and yourself. Would you have any pointers for help with funding or grants?
Thanks!
Cate in Sandyston, NJ
Hi Cate,
Send me an email, and I'd be happy to send you what I can. The short version is, in NJ, you can get money through the unemployment office to go to school for elementary education, because the state needs teachers. You don't need to be eligible for unemployment, just not currently employed.
Also, I lost my job, so I was eligible for unemployment. I subbed a lot last semester, to bump up my income, and saved some of those unemployment benefits for this semester.
I do as much freelance writing and editing work as I can find and manage. Every little bit helps.
Oh, and I took out a loan to pay my tuition, since the state program only pays for state universities, and I'm attending a private university because I could get the right credits in one year, all I could afford.
Post a Comment