Revision idea! “Take 2 random characters, identify a connection, make a ‘wedding invite’” #historyteacher pic.twitter.com/xUi6EMiHS4
— ActiveHistory.co.uk (@activehistory) April 8, 2015
Tag Archives: activities
The Purpose of Civics
Keynote: Civics Day 10
Ontario Secondary School Diploma graduates must earn a 0.5 credit in Civics. This course is often taught by teachers who see it as a chore and it becomes repetitive lessons in memorizing party leaders, riding statistics and municipal responsibilities.
Does any of this help us to produce more active, engaged global citizens? Probably not. Also, Social media does not voters make. This study also argues the course has not increased the number of youth voters in Ontario.
The Toronto Sun addressed this in a recent article, concluding the youngest voters are Spectators. According to the author, “They don’t believe in status buying. Or consuming for the sake of consuming. They also don’t believe in many of the touchstones of Canadian society — like democracy. And Parliament.”
Thanks, Tom Conklin, for reminding me this course deserves more study.
Building Miniature Houses of Inequality
Here’s Hans Rosling, creator of Gapminder, using statistics to demonstrate some clear changes in regional wealth, health and life expectancy over the last 200 years.
Some great online resources for Civics:
Bite-size, Young Person Friendly ‘Types of Government’ from CBBC
TVO’s Singing and Dancing Approach to Ontario Government (You tube channel)
‘Teacher Support.ca – ‘just add a classroom’ resources for studying citizenship, human rights, government workings etc
Political Cartoons in the classroom – why read when you can interpret?
Antz-English Version – Chart and worksheet to work with film, “Antz”
Think about what we need to do to encourage ‘Active Engagement.”
**reposted from December 2013
The Question Matrix
The Question Matrix
Today I’m going to try to use a Question Matrix with my gr 10 applied History classes.
I am seeking a way to help them develop their inquiry process skills. Many students have never been pushed to ask questions beyond closed ended ones and certainly most have never been explicitly taught how to create thoughtful inquiry questions.
My own skills in this endeavour are limited – I know I can formulate valid research questions, but I haven’t thought enough about HOW I do this. This requires some meta-cognition my my part. Besides, the best way to learn something is to teach it to others!
I will start with a interactive lesson about questions using Pear Deck (a new tool I picked up this weekend at the GAFE Summit Ottawa). This will stimulate some discussion about what makes a good question. This will lead us to a conversation about the Matrix.
Using a series of paintings (on loan from the Canadian War Museum Supply Line) students will develop questions about what they are seeing. Students will be required to make up a question (and then find answers) for EACH of the matrix boxes.
(Possible extensions – using 2 x 6 sided dice, the matrix becomes a trip-tic of sorts. If the student rolls “1 &1”, they design a question for “What is…” or a “3 & 4” they get “Which would…”. His/her peers then try to answer the question.)
This is a bit of an adventure. We’ll see how it goes.
I also found this lesson about reading the news and using a matrix.
How NOT to Ask Questions:
Vocabulary Sort
A vocabulary sort provides students with a variety of terms and concepts related to a unit or for a course. You can use them at the beginning of a unit or at the end of a unit. Sometimes I do both as a way to show students what information they’ve learned.
Gr 12s doing a sort. One is even doing additional research!
Here are some strategies.
Ask Students (usually in small groups) to
- Separate terms they know and the terms they don’t. Look up/research the ones with which they aren’t familiar. (then move to the following strategies)
- Identify & justify at least 3 categories (student or teacher choice) and sort the words in the appropriate categories. Discuss the similarities and differences of the categories selected by each group
- As the teacher, include ‘obvious’ headlines/category subjects, and students sort associated words/terms
- Have the students select their “favourite” words and ask them to do a short literacy activity using each of the words in the correct context.
While students work, emphasize there are no “right” or “wrong” answers. Their properly reasoned verbal justification can make any word fit any
I have also made the terms on large sheets of paper. The students then sort the giant words on the floor in a larger group. I then post the words in their selected categories on the wall for a Word Wall.
Here is my Vocabulary sort for The Great War.
Here’s a PDF: CausesofWW1wordsort
Teaching History through Changing Landscapes
One of the best ways to teach students “Change and Continuity” is to have them walk the streets of their own neighbourhoods. Some may have knowledge of more recent changes, but most would have no idea of what their communities looked like 30, 50 or 100 years ago. Access your local archives and find photos, maps or other primary sources which can trigger student understanding of what has changed around their space and what has stayed the same.
A great Resource for Ottawa’s changing landscape: http://www.pastottawa.com
I love their “Slide” feature for comparing one location over two moments in history. Students can then discuss continuity (this building is still here, the door is still glass, there are pedestrians), and make inferences about why things have changed (the post office isn’t here because it isn’t as important a service or there are no buggies with horses so the streets needed stop lights etc).
The Ottawa Citizen also created a neat interactive about the memorials and statues in downtown core.
Matt Henderson (winner of the Governor General Award for Excellence in Education) challenges his students to examine “Main Street” Winnipeg in this post. He focuses on the element of the historical concept of Significance. Their task:
“to create [their] own historical walking tour of Winnipeg. As we walk down Main Street, decide what buildings and location are significant. Using Evernote, jot down notes, capture audio, take photos, shoot some video. Gather us much information as possible about these places and ask yourself what sort of evidence do you need in order to prove that they are significant. As well, try to explain the evolution of this area from 6000 years ago until today.”
Can’t get out into your environment? Try these resources:
The Guardian put together a fantastic series about Dday locations from 1944 and 2014.
Here’s the Guardian’s online gallery comparing images from The Great War and today.
Transmediation
Transmediation is the process by which information is gained in one form and changed to another. I love the following activity. Students get the opportunity to work as a group (and they get loud!), work with their strengths (readers, illustrators, humour, oral presenters, colour-ers!) and discuss the value of information they have received.
Generally, I’ll give the students 45 minutes to do the reading, discussion, planning and illustrations. Then, each group presents their work to the rest of the class. The final products are then hung in the classroom for the duration of the unit. These provide a valuable visual reminder to the students about what they covered in previous lessons.
This is the most ideal lesson for a Friday afternoon!
Here is the assignment as I would give to my students.
Below is a student example about 16th Century Italy. It makes reference to the “New Pope;” the vibrant art scene; Italy’s production of wine, textiles and (military) arms; the absence of the plague; the exhaustion of natural resources; and of course, France’s ‘sacking’ of Rome. Effective and humourous!
(reposted from Sept 2012, 2013)
Poll Everywhere
I was recently introduced to the joys of Poll Everywhere. It was used in a presentation by Matt Brash, a technology consultant from the Ottawa Catholic Schools as a tool to engage learners in any setting. Naturally, as I started to investigate, I got more excited about the possibilities.
Essentially, it enables the user to solicit information from a crowd without specialized tools or counting hands for “yays”/”nays.” Audience members can text their ideas to a free number or use the online platform to fill out forms online.
Once you set up your polls (and you can do this anonymously & without signing up) you can present them on a projected screen (or not!). If you’re using Powerpoint for your presentation, PollEverywhere will even provide downloadable slides of each question or “Poll.”
How it Works:
http://www.polleverywhere.com/how-it-works
How I might use it in the Classroom:
- personal survey
- feedback on an investigation
- icebreakers (include some silly questions to keep out the inevitable goofy answers)
- Image click option can be used to have students point out details in a photo
- review for a test using open ended and multiple choice answers
- gage interest in a topic
Watch this space for more ideas generated by my 2014 faculty of Ed students!
I might just use this platform more just because I like this video so much. He does have a great vest.
Fantasy Geopolitics
Students use their PEDs during Draft Day to maximize their picks.
My Grade 12 students tend to zone out in early May with their case of “Senior-itis.” Once conversations of Prom and post-secondary acceptances begin, it becomes more challenging to motivate. Earlier in the spring, I came across a link to Eric Nelson’s Fantasy Geopolitics (Kickstarter campaign). This would be my solution to May disengagement.
Fantasy Geopolitics is essentially mimics a sports fantasy draft. Instead of players, students draft countries which then earn them points depending on how many times the country is mentioned in the New York Times. Nelson’s online app for Fantasy Geopolitics automates the draft, scoring and links to the NYT. It’s a management tool to make this sort of activity very easy. His newest verison also makes links to the UN Millennium Development Goals.
Nelson says,
We’re not just trying to gamify learning. We’re going after the “learnification” of gaming. We encourage students and teachers to get curious about the world in which they live and then become fans of global competence, all the while playing, reading, and learning!
Three days before our Draft Day, I introduced my HSB4U Challenge and Change students to the program. In teams of two, they went off to research what countries might provide them the greatest end score. We would be playing for 3 weeks and students could swap their picks later if they wanted using the FG App.
Draft day was intense. Students were forced to make last minute decisions when their top picks were selected by others. We ate potato chips. We chirped each other’s choices. It was a hoot. It also only took about 40 minutes.
The “Scores” tab in the Fantasy Geopolitics App
As the game progressed, students got down to business and used the “Scores” tab to help predict “up and coming” countries.
I planned to award prizes for 1st, 2nd, 5th and second last. That way, even the students who ended up with the countries least interesting to Western eyes, could still be engaged. (I also found this helpful to lead a discussion about why countries like Malawi or Laos rarely make North American news).
screen shot of game play.
Each subsequent class, we’d analyze who was winning, which countries had gained points over the last 24 hours and why. Students realized France was more than its Cannes Film Festival (while we played, the country was making headlines for a shift away from its a role in the European Union and for problems between citizens and refugees).
Students came to class with stories about the countries they had selected. Others were excited about a potential point coup because they had traded Vietnam for Thailand – “Ms! They just issued Martial Law! It’s gonna get crazy!” Each new idea was a great win for global awareness and global connections.
2014 ChaCha Fantasy Geopolitics Winners
Other lessons started with “Africa is not a Country” themes. We would conclude with Countries of Africa (or other continents) on the smartboard.
We discussed what limitations the New York Times had in teaching us about world issues. We sought out alternative news sources like Al Jazeera and New Internationalist, and discussed the differences between coverage of events in the BBC and CBC.
After 3 weeks and Post-Prom, we had our winners. Nelson had been following our game on Twitter and sent us t-shirts for our winners.
Short surveys indicated my students really enjoyed the game. Eighty percent said they spent more time reading about international issues. Sixty percent said thought more about global issues and media coverage. All students said it helped them stay interested in the course over an otherwise challenging period.
I would use this program with grade 7 – 12. It’s got clear links to the 2013 Geography- History- Civics curriculum. Strand A2 focuses on Transferable Skills developed through investigations. The grade 9 Geography program asks studetns to analyse selected national and global population issues and their implications for Canada as part of Strand D. I would also use it in Civics to “assess ways in which people express their perspectives on issues of civic importance (C2).”
One of the suggestions I got from a student was that each person choose the rank he/she would want to meet. For Example, Nic and Matt want to end up 6th. Jill & Carrie want to end up in 4th position rather than all students aiming for 1st. That way, they would have to be more strategic to select more media-heavey countries or those less in the spotlight. This helps to reduce disengagement when one country seems to have a lot more points than anyone else.
What might you do or try with this program? Let me know in the comments or drop Eric Nelson a line!
Nelson and his team are seeking small donations to keep the site up and running. This allows you to commission as many leagues as you want for a year. It’s worth it. Pay the guy.
You can follow Eric Nelson here: Tweets by @nelson_ejn
Games
Here are a few games you can use in your classroom. I believe all can be adapted and modified to fit many elements of the history, civics or social science curriculums.
10 Out
Object: be the last person in the game.
- Sit on the desk. – on desk = in the game, in chair = out of the game.
- Count numerically from 1 – 10.
- Each player says up to 3 numbers sequentially. (ex, 1 or 1-2, or 1-2-3…)
- move around the group in the same order.
- you are trying to force others to say 10. If they do, they sit back in their chair and lose.
- Start again at 1
- repeat until you only have one person on their desk. They are the winner
The Tower
Have students work together to build a tower from paper.
PDF Instructions (I’m sorry – it’s a terrible copy).
Nuclear Simulation
Students make judgements about who can survive after a nuclear war destroys the planet.
Possible extensions:
- Create a set of cards with “communist” vs. “non-communist” McCarthy-like assumptions. Students have to categorize who is arrest and who is not.
- Create a set of cards with qualities possessed by different immigrant families or individuals. Students then determine who can come to Canada and who cannot. This may be done for immigration policies for 1900 as well as current practice. Perhaps students can determine the best criteria.
Here’s a similar game where students have to determine what items should be taken from a crash site.
Scategories
Instructions for this game can be found on one of my older posts.
The Ball Toss
Object: Say 5 topics within a given category before the other players pass an object around the room
- Students sit in a circle.
- One student is “it.”
- The Game Master selects a category in which “it” must list 5 terms. He/she must do this before the rest of the class passes the ball around the circle.
- “It” wins if she/he lists their words quickly and correctly. The class wins if they pass the ball effectively.
Rock Scissors Paper – Marxism
this is an awesome game used by Greg Kulowiec at The History 2.0 Classroom.
Purpose: The game is played to demonstrate Karl Marx’s view of capitalism, exploitation of the working class, the control of the means of production & the difference between the bourgeoisie & proletariat.
Rules:
-
Each player is given two paper clips (units of money).
-
One paper clip is the minimum necessary for your survival. Any more than one paper clip allows you to do with what you will.
-
Everyone has the same opportunity to earn more money by challenging others to a game of rock, paper, and scissors.
-
You may accept or refuse a challenge to play, except from a player with more units of money, in that case you must accept the challenge.
-
You may go at it alone, pool resources, divide winnings or create alliances.
-
The winner of each challenge takes one unit from the loser.
-
Once a player has not units and loses a match, they become the employee of the winner of said match.
-
As an employee, the individual must challenge others on behalf of their boss. Once two units are earned for the boss, the employee keeps one unit, gives one to the boss and gains their independence.
-
-
If an employee with nothing loses to another, he becomes the employee of the new winner, unless the new winner is also an employee. Then both work for the original employer. (The employee plays with his labor, not the units of the employer. If your employee loses, you lose your employee to the person who won, and he works for the new employer.)
-
Employees may not challenge their boss.
Discussion
- What was it like to be an employee?
- Why did you become an employee?
- Was it easy to gain your independence?
- Was it easy to become a boss?
- Was it easy to stay a boss?
Got any more ideas or links to new strategies? Please tell me in the comments!
The Purpose of Civics
Ontario Secondary School Diploma graduates must earn a 0.5 credit in Civics. This course is often taught by teachers who see it as a chore and it becomes repetitive lessons in memorizing party leaders, riding statistics and municipal responsibilities.
Does any of this help us to produce more active, engaged global citizens? Probably not. Also, Social media does not voters make.
The Toronto Sun addressed this in a recent article, concluding the youngest voters are Spectators. According to the author, “They don’t believe in status buying. Or consuming for the sake of consuming. They also don’t believe in many of the touchstones of Canadian society — like democracy. And Parliament.”
Thanks, Tom Conklin, for reminding me this course deserves more study.
Here’s Hans Rosling, creator of Gapminder, using statistics to demonstrate some clear changes in regional wealth, health and life expectancy over the last 200 years.
Some great online resources for Civics:
Bit-size, Young Person Friendly ‘Types of Government’ from CBBC
TVO’s Singing and Dancing Approach to Ontario Government (You tube channel)
‘Teacher Support.ca – ‘just add a classroom’ resources for studying citizenship, human rights, government workings etc
Political Cartoons in the classroom – why read when you can interpret?
Antz-EnglishVersion – Chart and worksheet to work with film, “Antz”
Steph Pearson 