Sunday, July 31, 2011
5 Themes of Geography
After teaching the 5 themes of geography, I have my students create their "Geography of Me" posters. Below is a copy of the assignment.
KWL - A way to activate Prior Knowledge
Use the following KWL Chart when introducing a new topic, lesson, or theme. There are many layouts that you can find online but most are one full page each. So in order to cut back on paper, I created my own KWL sheet with two. You could also project the image onto a screen so that students can fill it out on their own paper. Eventually, after using the KWL several times, the students will log the layout into their memory and they won't need to see the sheet in order to complete the assignment.
The chart is simple. Under the K, your students must write down what they know about the topic. This is any information that they learned outside of your classroom, or in the years before. They can not use any other resources in order to fill out the chart because that would defeat the purpose of the assignment. Under the W, they will fill out any questions they have. Let's say the topic is Alfred Wegner and his theory of plate techtonics. A student might know that plate techtonics refers to the moving plates underneath the earth's crust. This information would then go under the K. Now the student doesn't recognize the name Alfred Wegner, then he could put that information under the W. Think of the 5 Ws (Who, What, When, Where, Why) for the W column of the chart. At this point, I begin introducting the topic to my students and discussing as a class what we came up with. On the board, I create a large KWL chart and have the students take turns going up to the board to write down what they knew or what they would like to know.
After our discussion, we begin the lesson and assignments. During the closing of the period, we bring the chart back out and complete the L. This is what the student learned today. Then, when turning in the assignment(s), the KWL sheet is stapled on top.
The chart is simple. Under the K, your students must write down what they know about the topic. This is any information that they learned outside of your classroom, or in the years before. They can not use any other resources in order to fill out the chart because that would defeat the purpose of the assignment. Under the W, they will fill out any questions they have. Let's say the topic is Alfred Wegner and his theory of plate techtonics. A student might know that plate techtonics refers to the moving plates underneath the earth's crust. This information would then go under the K. Now the student doesn't recognize the name Alfred Wegner, then he could put that information under the W. Think of the 5 Ws (Who, What, When, Where, Why) for the W column of the chart. At this point, I begin introducting the topic to my students and discussing as a class what we came up with. On the board, I create a large KWL chart and have the students take turns going up to the board to write down what they knew or what they would like to know.
After our discussion, we begin the lesson and assignments. During the closing of the period, we bring the chart back out and complete the L. This is what the student learned today. Then, when turning in the assignment(s), the KWL sheet is stapled on top.
KWL
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Friday, July 29, 2011
First Day of School: Assessing for Differentiated Instruction
Differentiation is a philosophy that enables teachers to plan strategically in order to reach the needs of the diverse learners in the classrooms today to achieve targeted standards. As individuals come to school with varying learning styles and numerous intelligences, differentiated instruction becomes a means of addressing the learning needs of everyone in the classroom. Because we have used the analogy of "one size doesn't fit all" for years in education, the teacher is quickly using numerous strategies to adjust the learning in his or her classroom to fit the learner instead of using the same strategy for all, (Gregory and Chapman,2002).
When teaching with high achievement as a goal, one important aspect of assessing learners is finding out what the students already know. This knowledge is based on their prior learning and experiences. By doing a pre-assessment of knowledge, teachers can plan curriculum and design instruction to meet the needs of the class as well as individuals.
For example, I teach World Geography at the 9th grade level. Prior to entering my classroom, the students should have learned basic geography skills such as basic map components, the location of continents and oceans, and how to read a map. I can not assume that all of my students already know the above information and jump straight to the Geography of the United States and map making. By doing so, the students who might have gaps in learning will be unable to comprehend what is going on and will fall behind.
Therefore, it is imperative to assess our students on the first day of school, and continue assessing them on a regular basis. Click on the following links to find effective strategies and examples for pre-assessing students.
When teaching with high achievement as a goal, one important aspect of assessing learners is finding out what the students already know. This knowledge is based on their prior learning and experiences. By doing a pre-assessment of knowledge, teachers can plan curriculum and design instruction to meet the needs of the class as well as individuals.
For example, I teach World Geography at the 9th grade level. Prior to entering my classroom, the students should have learned basic geography skills such as basic map components, the location of continents and oceans, and how to read a map. I can not assume that all of my students already know the above information and jump straight to the Geography of the United States and map making. By doing so, the students who might have gaps in learning will be unable to comprehend what is going on and will fall behind.
Therefore, it is imperative to assess our students on the first day of school, and continue assessing them on a regular basis. Click on the following links to find effective strategies and examples for pre-assessing students.
Welcome
Thanks for visiting my new blog, Explore & Discover. This is a place where parents and teachers can explore & discover together in order to improve the education of our children and students. Here you will find postings on articles, videos, technology, links, lesson plans and many more educational items. Once the 2011-2012 school year kicks off, you will definitely find many resources to dig your hands into. So welcome once again and have fun as you explore & discover!
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