Jordyn's Blog

 Social Studies is a subject that is often left behind or  put on the "back burner" in the early years of education. This is not surprising - the demands of teachers and students are so high to preform well on standardized reading and math tests. Teachers and students are feeling the pressure to become proficient in reading and math and the days never seem long enough for everything.  With that being said, I still believe it is important to be creative in finding ways to incorporate social studies throughout your day. The best learning happens when students are interested in the topic and forming their own questions about the topic. When teaching social studies it is important to me to include social studies in all areas of my instruction.   Social studies teaches students about the events that have happened in the past and the events that are happening in our society now. I think it's important for them to know the facts and give them to tools to develop their ...

 Teaching difficult history to young students is no small task. When I think about difficult history I think about how uncomfortable it makes me as an adult. This makes me consider how difficult it must be for my little first grade learners to take on this heavy information. When I think of my first graders I want to keep them innocent as much as I possibly can. I am sure I am not the only person who feels this way, which is what makes this topic especially difficult for me. Students need to hear hard history. During the video Teaching Hard History: How and Why they talk about how when students go to high school they spend a lot of their time unlearning what they've previously been taught. This often happens again in college. This really made me think hard about my own instruction. I asked myself - how can I teach my littles in a way that is authentic and beneficial to their future but without scaring them about the world around them and the abilities of humans good or bad. What I ...

As a first grade teacher it is so easy to get caught up in the importance of teaching reading and math. I will not sugar coat it, teaching first grade can be difficult. I want to make sure my little friends leave my classroom feeling loved and happy. I want them to be able to read - first graders are expected to go from reading very basic CVC words to reading chapter books by the end of the year. I want them to be able to add double digits. The demands are high, and I work in a Title I school where many students are at an economic disadvantage. I have many students who come to school to have their basic needs met. So when I think of social studies instruction my first thought is often - if my student doesn't have a snack and cannot read or add - how can I worry about Social Studies? I still believe that is a fair question but my current course has allowed me to research and think about this in a way I had not previously had an opportunity to do.  Social Studies can be incorporated ...

  My first social studies lesson this year will be based around the learning goal: I can show good citizenship. My first learning target or objective is for students to be able to explain why we need rules. I anticipate my students struggling with language such as citizen or responsible. In my pre-assessment for this unit many students verbally expressed that they did not know what the word citizen meant. Many students also did not know what responsible meant. I will be proactive about addressing these struggles. I will refer to the The Art and Science of Teaching / Six Steps to Better Vocabulary Instruction for addressing these vocabulary words. Morzano says     1. " Provide a description, explanation, or example of the new term. 2.  Ask students to restate the description, explanation, or example in their own words. 3. Ask students to construct a picture, pictograph, or symbolic representation of the term. 4.  Engage students periodically in activities th...

  5 strands and 10 themes of social studies-  Reflect on what you have learned about the 5 strands of social studies through your readings and research and through the lens of K-8 learners and their learning needs in today's world. The 5 Content Strands or subject areas for social studies are: Civics and Government Economics Geography NH and US History World History and contemporary issues  the K-12 Social Studies Curriculum Framework organized in three parts, part 1 includes the 10 themes of social studies: 1. Conflict & Cooperation 2. Civic Ideals, Practices, and Engagement 3. People, Places and Environment 4. Material Wants and Needs 5. Cultural Development, Interaction, and Change 6. Global Transformation 7. Science, Technology, and Society 8. Individualism, Equality and Authority 9. Patterns of Social and Political Interaction 10. Human Expression and Communication I will be focusing on #1, Civics and Government for my social studies unit.  SS:CV:2:1.1: Comp...

  I chose to reflect on the blog  " 9 Reasons Every Teacher Should Blog" Tsisana raises some greats points as to why every teacher should blog. I do have to say, before reading this or taking my current course I had no idea what a blog was or what it was for. I felt overwhelmed at the ideas of diving into something new - especially something that has to do with technology. Not my strong suit! Anyways - as I read Tsisana's 9 reasons for blogging my stress bloomed into excitement. I am a first grade teacher who is on a cite based learning plan. Basically I am figuring teaching out as I go with some very supportive educators and college courses. It is a super fun ride but at times it is overwhelming. I love the idea of being able to share and reflect with other teachers. I really connected when she described talking with a teacher in the break room and all the ideas that flow. I find my best teaching and work is motivated by my awesome co-workers. If I ever feel overwhelmed ...