Favorite end of the year/reflection activities

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Social Studies Teachers Chatboard

Favorite end of the year/reflection activities

by R

Apr 21, 2012

I am seeking some new ideas for reflective and/or fun activities to end the school year for my middle social studies classes. I am sure ideas for other classes can be modified for my class. What activties to do you to to tie the year up? Thanks.

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R Not sure what happened to my last sentence, but excuse the typos. That's what happens when a toddler is vying for your attention. Anyway, what activities do you do to tie up the school year?

On 4/21/12, R wrote: > I am seeking some new ideas for reflective and/or fun > activities to end the school year for my middle social > stud...See More

Apr 21, 2012

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Sara On 4/21/12, R wrote: > I am seeking some new ideas for reflective and/or fun > activities to end the school year for my middle social > studies classes. I am sure ideas for other classes can be > modified for my class. What activties to do you to to tie > the year up? Thanks.

I've often asked my students to decide on a perso...See MoreOn 4/21/12, R wrote: > I am seeking some new ideas for reflective and/or fun > activities to end the school year for my middle social > studies classes. I am sure ideas for other classes can be > modified for my class. What activties to do you to to tie > the year up? Thanks.

I've often asked my students to decide on a person - in history - (recent history or distant history) who they see as a particularly worthy person who made a great positive contribution to society. (yes, we're all worthy, I believe that too but if I'm honest I'd have to say that people like Salk and Sabin who developed the vaccine for polio and so eradicated polio... I'm very willing to say they made an even worthier contribution to society than have I - a hard-working teacher nevertheless.

Sometimes I've put a twist on it and asked them to choose the invention or development that furthered human society the most (the Internet can't be used- it's too hard to beat and thus there's no reflection that goes into the choice of it)

They've chosen things like antibiotics, the invention of the alphabet, the printing press etc etc. They present their choice and we consider it. Then we vote in a silent, anonymous, no way for anyone to know but me who voted for what - we actually rate the invention or development but that gets complicated to explain but it works very well and avoids all hurt feelings and is very fair)

It works maybe even better than the 'worthy person' one because we really don't know who invented the alphabet and kids are somewhat more comfortable 'rating' an invention or a concept than a person.

But we're not rating the convenience of the development (every year a kid says televison and it NEVER gets a good rating - kids see it as fun not 'furthering') We're really trying to consider what these various things and ideas have done for human society.

Gandhi is chosen every year (they sometimes fight as to who said 'Gandhi' first or "If I can't do Gandhi there's no else I want to do." Gandhi articulated the concept of peaceful resistance and non-violent protest. It's an awe-inspiring thing but kids will ask - wait, how often has it been used really? It's great but has it really had the same impact as...

They can and do go back in time - every year one chooses the modified plow that allowed for greater food production and its use slowly swept over Asia and Europe.

Have fun - it is fun and thought-provoking too.

May 1, 2012

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Dr. J.S. Allen On 5/01/12, Sara wrote: > On 4/21/12, R wrote: >> I am seeking some new ideas for reflective and/or fun >> activities to end the school year for my middle social >> studies classes. I am sure ideas for other classes can be >> modified for my class. What activties to do you to to tie >> the year up? Thanks. > >...See More

May 17, 2012

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Sara On 5/17/12, Dr. J.S. Allen wrote:

I've asked my students to choose an event or invention in history as 'the most significant event in history' - I want them to think critically and to work to make their case. They don't write a paper but they make a presentation. After the presentation we 'rate' the event or invention on a scale of 0 to 1...See MoreOn 5/17/12, Dr. J.S. Allen wrote:

I've asked my students to choose an event or invention in history as 'the most significant event in history' - I want them to think critically and to work to make their case. They don't write a paper but they make a presentation. After the presentation we 'rate' the event or invention on a scale of 0 to 10 significance depending on how we came to feel about that idea in the course of the presentation. I do all the tallying - no one knows but me - and at the end every day I announce a daily 'winner' and at the end of all the presentations I announce the overall winner.

They love it. And they've made some sophisicated and inventive connections. One student argued the invention of the alphabet was the most significant development in history because communication wouldn't be easily possible without it. (I don't let them use computers or the Internet because in my opinion it's a no-brainer than computers and the Internet are the most significant event in human history. One student chose the television and was dismayed that his peers didn't jump on the bandwagon of the trivial. One did a very comic presentation on the zipper - but usually they stick to things like vaccines, the printing press, sewers (yes) and so on. It's a great ending to the year. > On 5/01/12, Sara wrote: >> On 4/21/12, R wrote: >>> I am seeking some new ideas for reflective and/or fun >>> activities to end the school year for my middle social >>> studies classes. I am sure ideas for other classes can be >>> modified for my class. What activties to do you to to tie >>> the year up? Thanks. >> >>Most students enjoy scrapbooking. At the end of the school year > I have my students complete a culminating project. This project > requires the students to complete several pages that coincides > with the Georgia Performance Standards. > I also give them a rubric and a calendar that tells the student > what they should work on that day. The students enjoy working and > embellishing their pages with stickers and letters.

May 18, 2012

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