While taking a course on gender differences in the classroom, I modified one of our History Alive Lessons to accommodate male learning needs. Boys store information better when it is organized into clear, logical form. Therefore, I incorporated a structured overview graphic organize to utilize boys' memory needs. To capitalize on their need for movement and their spatial reasoning strength, I have added in a kinesthetic component called “statues.” Students act as statues for the different components of the rural and urban areas. In addition, catering to their spatial preferences, I would have the class make a map of the communities with their statues and include drawing as an option for responding/assessment. See the completed, revised lesson below.
Activity Materials
• Social Studies Alive! My Community Student Editions
• Structured Overview
• Transparency 2.3
• Student Handout 2.3 (write 1 word per child on sentence strips)
• Sentence strips with yarn for hanging around necks
• Placards 2.1A and 2.1E
• Quick Write Paper
• White Drawing paper
1. Show Project Transparency 2.3: Urban and Rural Communities. Ask these questions: What do you see here? What kind of community is the one pictured on top' (urban) How are the buildings different in each community? Which community is less crowded? Which has more traffic? Which has more land? Which has farms? Which has fewer stores? Where would you see more animals?
2. Read aloud. Read pages 12 and 13 in Social Studies Alive! My Community as children follow along in their books and complete the structured overview. For page 12, discuss what is found in rural communities. For page 13, discuss the advantages and disadvantages of living in a rural community.
3. Have children categorize features of urban and rural communities. Follow these steps:
· Give each child one word necklace "Urban Features" or "Rural Features" on Student Handout 2.3: Features of Urban and Rural Communities.
· Have children become stationary and moving statues of their feature. Students may place themselves at a high level (standing), a medium level (kneeling or bending), or a low level (sitting or lying down). Students should not block any other student from the audience. Students can team together to make larger structures like hospitals or hotels.
· Tape Placard 2, IA: An Urban Community at the front of the room and Placard 2. IE: A Rural Community at the buck of the room.
· When all children have devised completed their drawings: ask them to stand next to the placard like statues that shows the community in which their item would be found. The class can indicate whether the child is standing in the appropriate community by showing thumbs lip or thumbs down.
· Have the rural community members create a “Map” of a rural community with their “statues.” Have the urban community members create a “Map” of an urban community with their “statues.”
4. Assessment: Students may answer this question “What is the difference between a rural and urban community” by either:
a. producing a quick write
b. drawing a picture
No comments:
Post a Comment