Mrs. Slaviero's Blog

We have had a busy week! Students in US History participated in a Gallery Walk, examining primary and secondary sources related to some of the battles of the American Revolution. We also reviewed the concept of propaganda and applied that concept to some of the sources. This important understanding will assist students during their National History Day work.  Student Historians also used the National Archives DocsTeach app to analyze multiple primary sources about Valley Forge. They needed to figuratively weigh the evidence on a scale as to whether or not the documents would make them quit the Continental Army or encourage them to stay.  This exercise is beneficial for many reasons. One is that the students are working and thinking on a continuum.  Being able to weigh evidence is a critical life skill (and citizenship skill). Preparing students to problem solve in this way will benefit them, regardless of their career path. I was impressed to see th...

Today my Student Historians started to create a One-Pager. One-Pagers are new to me, but English Language Arts teachers have been using them for some time. These graphic organizers promote deep learning and creativity, and is a meaningful way to have students show what they know. The focus of our One-Pager is Thomas Paine's "Common Sense". Students translated six quotes yesterday, rewrote them into 21st Century language, and discussed these tricky meanings together as a class. These primary source quotes are now at the heart of the One-Pager. My Historians needed to select one of the quotes and bring it to life in their project. A template isn't necessary for One-Pagers but I believe at this point in the year my students need the structure a template provides. I found out that most of my students (like me!) had never created One-Pagers before. I searched and searched last night for a One-Pager template that was free and easily accessible, but had no luck.  I ...

Student Historians were given one year of the Civil War to analyze (see Civil War Investigation iMovie post). The following video was the overall selection voted by my students from all classes and was entered into a district video competition. The video is excellent and a great example of the work we do in class. Bravo! Another video worthy of showcasing is presented below. This group also clearly followed directions and found excellent primary sources. Well done!

Student Historians started their Civil War investigation this week. Teams were each given one year of the war from 1860-1865 (1860 was included because of the significant events that directly impacted the war) and will rank and justify 3 events they believe impacted the end of the war.  Project-based learning never gets old for me as an instructor. I find such joy in seeing the students interact, think deeply, and work together. I move from group to group questioning and guiding while team members sort through primary sources, storyboards, and apps and discuss and debate with one another. The sense of purpose is palpable and our class minutes tick away productively.  Today team members each chose one of five project roles: Producer, Director, Screenwriter, Special Effects Director, and, of course, Historian. Tomorrow each role will have specific tasks to complete, including deciding on the overall tone for the year being studied and developing justification for this t...

We all have our strengths. I have learned long ago that science and math aren't strengths of mine but I've continued to challenge myself in areas of weakness in order to grow. My Business Calculus college course comes to mind--I've never been prouder of a sub-par grade before! (I also didn't need the class to graduate when I switched majors!) Another realization I've made over the years is that the need to provide opportunities and connections for my Historians that aren't necessarily in my realm of expertise is important. This might give students their "aha!" moment and help them see the impact social studies has on their lives. It's up to me to step out of my comfort zone and provide this. I implemented Genius Hour in an elective course two years ago and promised myself it would be put into practice in History this year (using the National History Day competition structure). While researching Genius Hour makerspaces and the engineering...

Today my school had the opportunity to take part in an interactive video conference, with great success! Project details, according to the organizers: The National Park Service, U.S Presidential Libraries, and Museums, the Internet2 community, and cultural and historic organizations nationwide are proud to offer the annual  Presidential Primary Source Project (PPSP) , a series of free, standards aligned, 45 minute interactive videoconferencing programs aimed at students in grades 5-12. The series will run from January - March 2016. Each program will also be live streamed and recorded for on demand viewing for free. I signed up for the program about President Grant, titled  "Daughters of Freedom:  Ulysses S. Grant and the Rise of the Women's Rights Movement" from the  Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site, St. Louis, MO. This topic relates to the US History content I teach and Womens' History is also interwoven into the activity. I thought about jus...

Students created a persuasive analysis and used primary source documents to prove George Washington was or wasn't our nation's greatest president by creating a Spark Video. These Historians researched the Mount Vernon archives as well as the National Archives to locate letters, documents, and other items that should explain why he was or wasn't the greatest president. We have used this technology once before and it's clear students knew the ins and outs of this app much better this time. Here are two excellent examples:

Student Historians began Civil War era research today, with a twist. My goal was to create a thematic investigative project. Upon reflection, Civil War projects at the beginning of my teaching career centered on various historical groups and topics but I noticed how these projects were actually more like a research report than an opportunity to delve into deep thinking and learning. I needed create something to help this year's students continue to hone the analytical and technological skills they've developed this year and I think we are really going to like the results. Six groups of students will each focus on 1 year of the war, from 1860-1865. (I included 1860 because the Election of Lincoln and secession of South Carolina were huge events that directly led to war.) Each group will rank three events that had an impact on the end of the war, as well as locate and analyze a primary source document for each. They will compile this information into an iMovie trailer pr...

Biographical line graphs put students in the role of historical biographers. The critical thinking and reasoning needed to justify and debate decisions make these graphs one of the most powerful activities we do in US History. The topic for this line graph is Andrew Jackson. I selected 7 life events and gave students the task of combing through previously analyzed documents and readings to write highlights and low lights of the events. Students created line graphs based on their notes. The graph's range was from -6 to +6 and reflects both positive and negative life events. When line graphs were complete each student needed to prepare for a graph justification discussion. This discussion is powerful both academically and social-emotionally. Students are doing the work of historians when they present and discuss their findings. One needs only to search major historical people and events to discover complimentary and disparaging works on the same subject--the ...

Student historians learned  today about OPVL, a method of primary source analysis used in IB and AP History classes. The acronym stands for Origin, Purpose, Value, and Limitation. OPVL is a method that will allow students to determine the context primary sources are set in and also think deeply and reason what the source says about the time period it came from. A professional development session I attended earlier this month gave me the idea to first model OPLV using personal student items. Students brought in an item they have pride in and we prepared for a Primary Source "Show and Tell" session in class today. This activity really helped me learn more about my students and I also discovered was a great example of character education. Students needed to reflect on the value these items had on themselves and what our society values, as well. I look forward to our discussions about these special items tomorrow.

  Today's work in History centered on a Visible Thinking routine called Zoom Out. Students were asked to analyze this political cartoon in three stages: during the first stage I only showed the bottom of the cartoon. The second stage included the veto in Jackson's left hand and the third stage showed the entire image. Students needed to analyze the changes in their perspectives first, and then analyze the cartoon and its impact on them (whether they feel Jackson is a hero or a villain). Routines like Zoom Out challenge students' thinking in ways that allow all students to take risks and give everyone a chance to share their opinion with others. They are also interacting with primary historical sources. 

Students are currently learning about the Declaration of Indpendence and its impact today. Groups matched excerpts of the document with examples written in modern language and compared the two. They also selected which excerpts illustrated four key principles of the Declaration (and of our government today): all people are created equal, all people have basic rights that cannot be taken away, the government gets its power to make decisions and to protect rights from the people and when the government does not protect the rights of the people the people have the right to change or remove the government. The ideals of the Declaration of Indpendence are truly keystones of Government in the United States.

My students recently examined important documents related to the Civil War. Groups analyzed the Emancipation Proclamation, Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address, the order to allow African-Americans to enlist in the Union Army and the Gettysburg Address. Students used the SmartBoard to examine the original document from the National Archives website as well as a paper copy of the document. These young historians learn a lot from primary sources and get an opportunity to make their own conclusions from these resources, as opposed to only reading the opinions of textbook writers.    

        Students started today's class listing examples of the causes of the war with Mexico, then determining which of these causes are still in effect today. One example is the then-disputed Texas/Mexico Rio Grande border.         Student groups spent the rest of the hour analyzing the treaty that ended this war, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Each group recieved a translated excerpt of the document and used it, along with photos of the actual treaty, to determine why the document was written and to make inferences as to what life in the early 1800s would have been like. More information and pictures are available at the National Archives link: http://blogs.archives.gov/todaysdocument/2011/02/02/february-02-treaty-of-guadalupe-hidalgo/