Recently my students studied about westward expansion as part of our 4th-grade social studies curriculum. It's a big concept to unpack, but we focused specifically on three objectives: the motivations of pioneers to move west Missouri's role as a "jumping-off place" on the trails going west the hardships endured on the journey With our learning goals now well-defined, we were able to narrow our focus and study the importance of this historic American event. The Power of Humor One … [Read more...]
The Big Game
Are you a football fan? The Super Bowl seems to turn nearly everyone into one, if only for a single day. I usually watch it with a group of friends, mostly for the social aspect and, of course, the commercials. What is it about a game that generates such enthusiasm among us? Games used to be thought of as only occurring on the playground during recess, but they are also useful (if done well) in the classroom. There are many variations on games and game-like activities that can easily be … [Read more...]
