Skip to main content

Resource Blog #1

Image result for smithsonian
Social Studies is most commonly associated as the boring class about irrelevant information for students. It's often difficult for students to form meaningful connections between themselves and the content. An effective way to engage students in Social Studies includes using interactive resources that allow them to create their own experiences with the content. A helpful resource I found is the Smithsonian Learning Lab. This resource allows teachers and students to view several of the worlds most historic artifacts in a virtual museum. It also provides helpful videos and texts by experts. A feature that I think is very beneficial as a teacher is the "Create" tab. Through this tab, teachers and hand-select the resources they want to use for a given unit. This compiles all of the resources into one space for the students to engage with. Social Studies teachers should definitely consider the Smithsonian Learning Lab as a helpful resource, because it helps bring history to life. By visually seeing artifacts that came from a significant event or time period, students can form connections with the content, rather than just hearing about it. This resource would also be beneficial for teachers of other content areas. One of the most remarkable things about the Smithsonian Institute is their dedication to displaying knowledge of a wide variety of subjects. For example, this resource might be cool to use for a science teacher discussing engineering. They could definitely use artifacts from the Air and Space Museum to connect science content with scientific advancements of the past.

Word Count: 249

Comments

  1. Shelby 28 August 2019 at 13:03

    Hello Heather!
    I am a firm believer in hands-on interactive learning and your resource allows just that. Your resource would be amazing in a science class when we are talking about space! I was able to search with the keyword earth and it brought me to live pictures of Earth...how cool! I also love how you can create your collection of resources so that they are readily available to you when showing students. The organization in a classroom is the key to success!
    (81 words)

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Resource Blog #2: Cross Curricular

Cool Math Games  Cool Math Games is a website designed to allow students to play games that help them with their understanding in various math concepts: strategy, skill, numbers, and logic. Students can learn these concepts through a nontraditional format of a game. Rather than using word problems to induce critical thinking, students are immersed within the problems posed by the different game scenarios.   makes this resource especially inviting for students is the format itself. Many students are familiar with video games and play them as part of their everyday lives. By using math concepts in a game format, students can better connect with the content, given it is culturally relevant to them. What’s great about this resource is that it is not limited to math, despite the website’s name. There are hundreds of games to choose from. Other content areas include geography and science. This is a resource that both science and social studies teachers cou...
1 comment
Read more

Subjects Matter: Synthesis Blog on Chapter 2

How Smart Readers Think Daniels and Zemelman's  Subjects Matter  Chapter 2 discusses how to use appropriate reading strategies to increase reading comprehension. The authors argue that we sometimes struggle as readers, not because we can't read, but because we don't know the right ways to approach the text provided. Not having comprehension strategies established early in our reading careers significantly impacts our overall literacy later in school and in life. To combat this, the authors listed the stages of reading and the goals assigned to each stage to help both students and teachers recognize the steps necessary to approach a reading passage.              The authors challenged me and how I personally perceive reading but showing how complex the reading process is. In order to truly comprehend the text in front of us, we use a variety of processes, often unconscious to us as we read. I often skip t...
3 comments
Read more

Measurement Ideas

As a student, I never took the time to consider what measurement actually means. Chapter 14 discusses what measurement means and the implication it has on understanding measurement in math. TCSM defines measurement as "a number that indicates a comparison between an attribute of the object (or situation or event) being measured and the same attribute of a given unit of measure (341). By understanding measurement as a comparison method, students will begin to understand how an object can be measured using different units that describe the objects weight, volume/ capacity, length, or area. With the definition of measurement in mind, one way teachers can help their students gain conceptual knowledge of measurement is by helping them create models that demonstrate the idea of space and units that can be iterated to measure an attribute of an object. I like the idea of revisiting iteration and discussing how it is also used in measurement, which can ultimately reinforce fraction concep...
Post a Comment
Read more