Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Sparta verses Athens

Students will compare and contrast the military life of Sparta to the academic life in Athens. Students will decide if it is better to be smart or strong in a society. They will study the philosophies of both cities and how successful each city was at that time period.

Essential Question --Is it good to be different?

Unit Questions--

1. Why is it important to be smart?

2. Why is a strong body good for protection?

3. Is a strong army better that a smart army?

Content Questions

1. What did Athenian teachers’ stress in their schools?

2. How were the young boys trained in the military in Sparta?

3. Why were the arts important to the Athenians?

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Classroom Projects

How can projects provide opportunities for deeper thinking in my classroom?

Projects can allow my students to investigate, evaluate, and express their knowledge in a meaningful way. Once they take ownership for a project, they can use their creativity as they learn and research a particular subject. The use of technology will help in their evaluation of materials and give them a broad range of different resources. Students should be able to see the relationship to their lives and the world around them. Hopefully, this will encourage and promote deeper thinking skills for all students. Working in cooperative groups allows for personal expression as well as listening and learning from others. The final product will reflect their learning and will provide an assessment of the unit for the group.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

What thinking skills should I target for my class?

I want my students to be able to compare and contrast, explain topics, solve problems, predict outcomes, and rewrite (summarize) learned material in their own words and style. I want them to become independent thinkers with their own opinions and have the ability to make connections to their present world.