Teaching with Timelines

Timelines are a great way to have your students "visualize" important events in history. Not only are there diverse ways for your students to create timelines but they can be created for any event, topic or person. Creating timelines also appeals to all types of learners; visual, mathematical, and kinesthetic.

Check out the possibilities for Timelines in the Classroom:

EKG Timeline
An EKG is an instrument used in the medical field to check the electrical activity of the heart. If you look at an EKG machine you can see the spikes and dips of the heart beat. Students will use this same idea in creating a timeline. The spikes and dips on the timeline do not represent heartbeat, but rather represent the importance of the event. The higher the spike, the more important the event. This is a great way to assess your students' understanding of the events they include on their timeline.

Timeglider
With Timeglider.com students create a web-based timeline. Students choose a date, write a description and add a picture from the internet. They can also change the significance of the event by making the event larger or smaller. After students create their timeline they simply copy and paste the url link to GoogleClassroom or any other classroom website.

TimelineJs
Another great web-based timeline creator, TimelineJS allows students to add text, pictures and dates. I find it easier to read than Timeglider. Students can also insert GoogleMaps  to indicate locations of events. Many of these web-based timeline creators are so easy to use, I rarely have to give instructions. Many students just figure it out themselves.

Clothesline Timeline
Students work together to create a timeline using note cards, string and clothesline pins. This is a great cooperative activity.

WhenInTime
WhenInTime is a easy tool for students to create professional looking, web-based timeline. Events can be imported and added  to the timeline from a number of social media sites such as Google+, Twitter and YouTube. It also provides several themes and templates for your students to choose from.

I hope you consider incorporating timelines into your classroom using these easy tools. I would love to here more ideas about how your students create timelines in your classroom.

Happy Teaching!

Back-to-School BUNDLES

It's that time of year when we begin to say "good-bye" to summer and "hello" to a new school year. Not only do we have to get used to the sound of the alarm clock and getting dressed before noon, but we also need to prepare for the first week of school.

The first week of school in my secondary social studies classroom always includes a "getting-to-know" you activity, a review of the course and classroom rules, and a cooperative group lesson. Depending on the course, I might also include a "why study history" activity and a lesson about how to "think like a historian". Knowing that most classes will be doing similar lessons, I try to make the lessons fun and engaging.

If you are looking to make your first week of school less stressful, you might want to consider purchasing these Back-to-School BUNDLES! Everything you need for the first week of school is included!

Happy Teaching!

Google My Maps in the Classroom

Do you struggle to find an activity that is student-centered, technology based, and common-core aligned? Well look no further! GoogleMyMaps.com meets all of those requirements! And, it's super easy! In fact, recently in my summer school class I gave my 10th grade students a very brief introduction and they were able to figure it out on their own. You can have your students map the battles of World War II, The Cold War or The Civil War. The possibilities are endless!

Students simply sign-in to their google account and go to https://mapsengine.google.com/map/. They then  search a location and add a placemarker, a description of the event and a picture. They can also add shapes, lines, and rulers. I then had my students turn in their map by simply copying the link to Google Classroom. (Be sure students change the "share" settings to "anyone can have access with the link").

You can see a great video tutorial HERE.

See my Google Maps Activity for the Cold War HERE.

See my Google Maps Activity for the Battles of World War II HERE

Happy Teaching!

Teaching "Growth Mindset" in the Secondary Classroom

During the first week of school  I always begin with teaching my students about the concept of "Growth Mindset". I begin by asking my students some basic questions:

I then have my students complete a reading, "Success is a Mindset" where they learn what it means to have a “growth mindset” and how the views and beliefs they have about themselves impacts the decisions they make and the lives they lead. Students will learn the difference between a growth mindset and a fixed mindset, understand that intelligence is not fixed and suggestions on how to foster a growth mindset.

Students with a growth mindset see challenges as opportunities rather than negative judgements about who they are. Therefore, teaching "Growth Mindset" is essential in any classroom!

To see the activity I use in my classroom click HERE!

Happy Teaching!

Teaching With Movies - World War II

Because there are so many amazing  movies related to the topics I cover in my secondary U.S. and World History classes I offer extra credit to students who watch them. Since I am currently teaching World War II, here are the student-friendly films I suggest to my students:

Monuments Men Wind Talkers Red Tails Twelve O'Clock High Tuskegee Airmen South Pacific Patton Midway Memphis Bell Fat Man and Little Boy Judgement at Nuremberg The Longest Day A Midnight Clear Swing Kids Saving Private Ryan Fat Man and Little Boy Pearl Harbor

Ballad of a Soldier Hiroshima Maiden Judgement at Nuremberg The Longest Day The Sound of Music The White Rose The Diary of Anne Frank Europa! Europa! Schindler's List Midway Tora! Tora! Tora! Casablanca The Pianist Seven Years in Tibet Truman Swing Kids Pearl Harbor Saving Private Ryan

Effective Classroom Management Strategies

I have been a Master Teacher for more than 10 years and it is a very rewarding experience.  The #1 problem my student-teachers face in the classroom is learning and using effective classroom management strategies. The Universities that many student-teachers attend often  focus more on lesson planning than classroom management. Unfortunately, one could create the best lesson on paper, but if effective classroom management strategies are not used, the lesson will not work. So, before my student teacher takes over the classroom we review and practice the following classroom management strategies that I find most effective:

1. Have a few classroom rules:   Here are my rules:

            1) Everyone, including the teacher, will be treated with respect.

            2) Put-downs or purposely hurtful comments or actions will not be
                tolerated.

            3) No one will be allowed to disrupt the learning process of others.

2. Have clear consequences: For example:
          First Infraction: Warning
          Second Infraction: Conference with the Teacher
          Third Infraction: Teacher Detention
          Fourth Infraction or Defiance: Referral to VP
   
Be sure to be fair and consistent with your consequences. If you say your are going to do something, then be sure to do it!
   
3. Procedures, Procedures, Procedures. It is vital to have a procedure for everything your students do in the classroom, from how students are to enter the classroom, to how they get into their groups, even how they ask a question. If you create and practice procedures in the first month of school, by the second month your class will be a "well oiled machine"!

4. Use proximity. If you notice a student is off task,  instead of disrupting the lesson by asking the student to get back on task, simply move towards that student. Most likely, the student will get back on task without you having to say a word.

5. Use whole-class positive narration. Instead of focusing on students who are off task, give attention to those students who are on task. This will remind the off-task students what they need to be doing without taking your attention off the entire class. For example, "Thank you Jennifer for taking your items off your desk". Or, "I appreciate those of you who are reading the directions".

6. Delegate Tasks. A teacher needs to focus on the classroom as much as possible. Therefore, be sure to delegate tasks to the students so you can focus on the class. For example, I have a specific place in my room where students go to get their absent work. I also post all of my assignments on-line. Therefore, I don't have to spend any time with students who have been absent.

7. "Ask 3 Before Me" strategy. If students have questions about directions, homework, etc. have the students ask three other students before they ask you. This will make sure you can focus on the entire class rather then specific individuals.

8. Build Rapport. One of the best classroom management tools is to build rapport with the students. If the students know that you care and respect them, they will often care and respect you. They will want to be good for you. Stand by the door when the students enter the classroom and engage them in quick conversations. Compliment the students. Take a few minutes of class time to have the students get to know you on a personal basis. For example, tell them about what you did over the weekend and ask them the same.

9. Get their Attention. When you want to get your students attention, have a procedure in place to do that. For example, you might ring a bell, hold up your hand and have the students do the same, clap and have your students repeat the number of claps until all students have your attention. Once you have their attention give directions from the same spot in the room. Never try to talk over the students. If the students begin talking, wait to talk until they have stopped. Use positive reinforcement often. For example, "Thank you for your attention". "Thank you for being quiet while I am talking". Respect goes along way, especially with high-school students.

10. Be assertive. Many of my student-teachers are only a few years older than my high-school seniors. So, they must be assertive and have a commanding presence. The way you speak and carry yourself can go along way in commanding the classroom.

Student Grade Progress Analysis

The first quarter just ended and Benchmark Test scores are in! I am excited that most of my students received advanced and proficient on their tests…I guess I am doing something right! At this time in the school year I have my secondary U.S. History and Civics students complete the Grade Progress Chart. On this form, each student keeps track of their yearly State Test, quarterly Benchmarks and unit tests.  Each month, they analyze their test scores and determine what they can do to improve their grades. My students keep this form in their Interactive Notebook. It’s rewarding to see my students get excited when they improve their scores.

What similar strategies do you use in your classroom?