SOL 14 of 31 -- Hands on Teaching & Learning

I teach three Social Science courses each quarter at The Logan School for Creative Learning.  We are almost done with the third quarter and my students are engrossed in major projects right now for three different courses: War, Almost History, and Ancient Inventions. When I reflect on all that I get to do with these 2nd-4th graders, I am energized and inspired.  Here is a photo-list of my day in the classroom:

Today with students, I...
...helped label a diagram of the WWII German Tiger Tank

...discussed the difference between Bolsheviks and Mensheviks

...advised on the design of a Russian Revolution protest poster

...evaluated presentations on the Space Race, the Wright Brothers and the Battleship Bismarck

...asked for help

...problem-solved how to make wheels of chariots and wheelbarrows actually roll

...sorted piles of junk that served as supplies for models of ancient inventions


...experimented with ways to make stairs for the Great Aztec Temple

...listened to many ideas and questions

In my quiet classroom, by myself, I...

...assessed student presentations on rubrics

...compared student self-assessments with mine

...sorted and cleaned junk again (this time I threw some away!)

...added questions to a cumulative history quiz that I've been creating based on the student presentations

...prepared attendance sheets for next quarter's classes

...finally ate lunch!

German tank photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sisaphus/11484194504/">sisaphus</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/">cc</a>

Russian Revolution photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/elhamalawy/1820095372/">Hossam el-Hamalawy حسام الحملاوي</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/">cc</a>

Wire cutters photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamelah/173783575/">jamelah</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/">cc</a>

Aztec temple photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ru_boff/7335332138/">Dimitry B</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">cc</a>

Wright brothers photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/vanderkroew/3707006401/">Euclid vanderKroew</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/">cc</a>

moon landing photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/luvi/2327016098/">luvi</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/">cc</a>