Questioning Students Chapter11

   “For every question there is a purpose, ” according to David A. Welton in Children and Their World, teachers should have a purpose for the questions they wish to ask. It is also important to consider the answer you anticipate the children giving.

  In chapter eleven, Welton describes the different types of question teachers commonly ask. Memory-recall questions can help a teacher determine whether the students in their class can recall previously leanred information. This type of question would help students understand the purpose for learning information abd to create a connection to what they learned. Descriptive-interpretive questions allow students to describe their answer in their own words. Giving the question more meaning to their own life. A third type of questioning that teachers use is evaluative- judgemental questions. These are great to test student ideas about how they feel.

   As a future teacher it is helpful to understand and use some of these questions within the classroom. Welton also mentions a type of question that teachers should avoid. Queen Bee questions such as, “who can tell me the capital of Ohio?” Should never be used in the classroom. These questions suggest that whoever answers them will impress the teacher.

  When asking different types of questions, it is also important to lenghten the wait time for a response. Most teachers wait only nine-tenths of a second before giving the answer. By waiting two or more seconds teachers can increase the number of students who participate.

Strategies and Activities for Effective Teaching

Strategies and Activities for Effective Teaching

“Discussions that involve twenty or more students, for example, are less likely to be successful than discussions involving groups of five-seven students, simply because participants in the larger groups must wait so long before they get a chance to speak.” (Welton, 285).

Many classrooms teach through large group discussions that include the entire class. Many classrooms have as many as 25 students. When a question is asked, students must wait their turn to answer or respond, which can take a long time with 25 children eager to talk. Some children get lost in crowd as they go unnoticed while zoning out and focusing on topics unrelated to school. Small groups allow students to receive more attention and the opportunity to be more vocal because they are not waiting for the other 24 students.

Small groups can be used in numerous ways for nearly every subject. For social studies purposes, students can be put into small groups for projects, discussions, research, or reenactments.

4 common small group purposes for social studies:

1) To discuss issues and events

2) To engage in decision making exercises

4) To provide small group instruction

4) To research or investigate problems and questions

Ways to arrange small groups:

1) Discussion groups

2) Decision-making groups

3) Tutorial

4) Research

All of the above are great ways to arrange small groups except for tutorial. This means that students are divided up in ability groups- the higher achieving students with the rest of the higher achieving students and the lower achieving students with the lower achieving students. By mixing abilities, the students have a chance to learn from each other and make discoveries that they might not have if they were grouped with people similar to them.

One small group activity observed by one of our group members in a third grade classroom is based on government. The students were divided into groups of five or six, each receiving a piece of paper describing their task. There were four different types of groups and each group had a different way of describing the task.

Each group has to construct a scarecrow:

- One group gets a leader and the instructions say “____ is in charge. Whatever he/she says goes. Use the materials provided. Have fun!”

- One group gets directions that say “Use the materials given. Majority rules. Have fun!”

- One group gets brief instructions saying “You will be making a scarecrow. Majority rules. Use the materials provided.”

- One group gets step-by-step directions on how to construct the scarecrow. Every detail is listed.

After each group makes their scarecrow, the groups come together and share their work. A discussion evolves about the difference in directions provided and the strategies used to make the scarecrows. In the end, the teacher explains that the groups simulated different types of governments. This activity and discussion introduces the government unit and many activities and lessons could branch off of this one. Using the information given above, can you name the purpose of these small groups and how they are arranged?

We think that using small group instruction is beneficial to the students and can help make social studies interactive, effective, and fun!

Nichole, Carla, Taylor, Ty, and Amanda

Critical Thinking and Metacognition and Pumpkins

Reading Between the Lines

It is important that teachers encourage 3rd graders to read between the lines and other critical thinking skills. Some different ways to teach these skills include: 1) modeling the desired behaviors, including talking out loud as you think through the problem 2) Including clear student expectations 3) Applying synthesis level questions from Bloom’s Taxonomy in your lessons.

** Something to remember when asking questions to your students is that the questions need to be relevant and have a purpose.

Understanding Maps, Globes, and Graphics

Students in the primary grades begin looking at maps, globes, and different graphics. They do not have the appropriate understanding of viewing these tools. One way to help students become familiar with looking and studying maps is to give them activity that is relevant to them. Students will be asked to map their bedroom with a bird’s-eye view. This term will have to be explained to them. They will map all of the different components to their bedroom. This activity can then be expanded to their home and their neighborhood.

Critical Thinking

Teachers should include the main elements of critical thinking in their classroom, such as analyzing, hypothesizing, evaluating, inferencing, etc. Students need to be given opportunities in the classroom to develop these critically thinking skills through fun, engaging activities. In order to encourage students to do this, teachers must model how to apply critical thinking skills in order to understand and analyze information.

One resource that teachers can use in a third grade classroom are Culture Cards. These cards have pictures cut out from magazines such Smithsonian and National Geographic. Before studying a certain culture, students will be given a set of pictures, without captions, the depict people from the specific culture. The students will use the cards to describe what the people are doing, where they are from, etc. After studying the the culture, the students can use the cards to sort them by topic, match captions with the cards, or as prompts for writing.

Metgacognition

As teachers, we need to help students become proficient thinkers. To do this, we must provide them with opportunities to process varoius types of information and experiences. The most sophisticated level of thinking is when students can control or direct their own thinking. Metacognition is the ability to think about one’s thinking process. Giving students a choice, such as allowing them to decide what topic to do for a project, will help them gain more control over their thinking. Having students paraphrase words or ideas will help them put information into a more meaningful context that they understand.

Wait TIme

When having a discussion with your third grade class over a topic, the teacher should remember that wait time is important. The teacher should give the students enough time to respond to the topic presented and not rush them. When giving the students time to respond a nice discussion in the class may develop.

Pumpkin Geography

Fall is in full swing right now. Students can use a pumpkin to learn about important geography concepts. The vertical lines can serve as lines of longitude on a globe. The teacher can cut a pumpkin into halves to represent hemispheres. Students can also draw the different continents on the pumpkin to better represent a globe. These activities give students hands-on experience and aid in their understanding by relating the concepts through different methods.

Jamie, Emily, Amanda, Emily, Greg

Really Planning for Social Studies

Planning for instruction is the key point in chapter eight. The book talks about three different types of planning and why teachers may use them.  The most widely used would be directly using the textbook to come up with topics and to organize them.  This is typical for traditional classroom setting. The text also talks about creating units that go beyond the text to help the children get a better understanding of the subject matter.  This is a great idea but when there is so much stress on reading and math, social studies is over looked.  It is not until the higher grades that it is even tested which even at that time it still tends to be of less importance.

 

In a self contain class room it would be nearly impossible to create these over the top lessons for each subject.  From my personal experience in a third grade class room I see the importance that is given to reading and math.  On an average my students only receive one hour a week of social studies and it is directly related to the text.  To veer away for the traditional method of planning and move more towards the beyond the text approach would be a great change.  It can even be integrated in to the other subjects.  Teachers could give the students historical literature other then the text, or even ask them to graph information gathered from a time period.  This way the teacher is not using the traditional approach and they may even get the students to become more engaged when it comes to social studies.

 

The idea of creating teaching units is great also.  It applies well with third grade.  Teaching units are just a series of related lessons.  In my current placement I see this in other subject, and students do very well.  The teachers can start at the easiest concept and continue to build on those concepts as each lesson is introduced.  Some just think of social studies as just facts one must learn, but with this idea it can be looked at as more then facts.    

 

Over all planning for social studies can be taken very lightly.  I think being in a third grade class we have really experienced this.  There is such a huge focus on reading and math.  Many hours our put in to planning for those subjects in hope to prepare them for the Ohio Achievement Test, and social studies is over looked because it is not tested until later on in elementary school.  That is all wrong; social studies could be taught and even integrated to cover some of the other subjects that are stressed too much.  We just need to look beyond the textbook. 

Source for Grants

Grant Wrangler is a teacher recommended source on grants for educators:

Public libraries like the Dayton Metro Library have staff familiar with grant writing and grant directories who can be of a great deal of help to teachers.

Plan, Plan, Plan, Then Implement!

Planning for Instruction

Teachers need to use many resources when planning for instruction. Despite their bad stigma, textbooks can be great guides as the basis of a teacher’s planning. While teachers should use what text books have to offer, they need to go beyond the textbook. If teachers are planning a unit on presidents, they need to plan instruction that has student thinking critically about how a president is selected, what it means to be a president, what the job of a president is, and so forth. They shoud use many resources, such as pictures, videos, vocabulary words, etc to teach the unit.

Ways to Teach Social Studies Content

While written or printed material can aide in student understanding of concepts, they should not be the only materials teachers use to teach social studies. Allowing students to work in groups to create projects and assignments that peak their interest. Taking students on field trips to historical places can also aid in thier understaning of the topic or time period they are studying.

Curriculum Units

When planning curriculum units, teachers first need to identify the main focus of the unit. The traditional focus of a third-grade social studies curriculum is “communities”, therefore teachers would be able to develop a unit focusing around communties that ties in many Ohio Academic Content Standards. Any topic can be chosen, as long as it ties in what students need to know that given year. Teachers need to plan engaging, interactive activies to teach the unit. One thing teachers need to remember is the KISS principle (Keep It Simple, “Sweetie!”), because students at this age level cannot be overwhelmed with complex detail. With each curriculum unit, teachers need to give students detailed performance expecatations so that they know what they are going to be held accountable. Following the standards is also important when developing a curriculum unit. Using “big or key” question to ask students can help focus them on the topic and get them thinking critically. Using webs as a starting point is a great to get a preassessment of student knowledge or have students apply what they already know. Your curriculum unit should have mesurable goals, objectives, and assessments.

The Importance of Small Groups

Small group work is a key component of an effective social studies curriculum. Group size is the key in creating a proper group dynamic. Too small of a group and there could be conflicting personalities that cannot be worked out. Too large a group and some people will be sitting around doing nothing.

When making the decision to use small groups in the classroom, the teacher has to decide what type of group is needed for the situation. A discussion group can be used if the teacher wants the students to discuss material they’ve learned and discern the student’s viewpoints on the material. Decision-making groups allow for the students gain experiences in making choices on matters. Tutorial groups are used with students who need extra help or more advanced material. Research groups allow students to focus on a particular topic and investigate the topic to find an answer.

When students are working in a small-group setting, behavior concerns may arise. Teachers must be specific in addressing the behavior at hand. Their timing in addressing the issue must be appropriate. Their tone and expectations for the project and the student’s behavior must be clear.

Active Learning Activities

There are many ways teachers can actively engage students in the material at hand. One of the most effective methods for students in grade 3 and younger is through dramatic play. Through dramatic play, students can gain real-life experiences in the subject. Through dramatic play, questions can arise that students can research to find answers to.

Another effective active learning activity comes through the use of role-playing. One student can pretend to be a historical figure while the rest of the class questions the pretender. Role playing allows students to have a better understanding of the historic perspective of the time or person.

Role playing can be unstructured or structured. In unstructured role-play, the outcome of the role-play is always in question. In structured role-play, the teacher sets up the roles and the expectations that each role must play out, allowing for the end outcome to be more easily seen.

Games and simulations are another excellent way to teach social studies’ concepts. Through simulations, students can experience what it was like to work on an assembly line or live through a historical period. Computers can also be used for simulations through games such as the SimCity series that allows users to create and manage their own cities.

Students can also create more artistic expressions of social studies through expressive and enactive experiences. In an expressive experience, students use drama as an art-form and perform a dramatic act describing a particular social studies concept. An enactive experience or project allows students to build or model a social studies concept.

Teachers should incorporate a variety of these techniques to reach all of their students. When learning is presented through fun and interactive activities such as these, students remain more engaged in the material and are able to take more from the outcome of these activities.

Emily F, Greg, Emily F.G., Amanda, and Jaime

Social Studies: Igniting the Flame through Literacy

In many a third grade curriculum, and early childhood in general, the emphasis for instruction is on literacy. Without a solid foundation in reading, writing, and speaking, students will not be able to decipher or construct the information necessary for the study of other subjects. This does not mean that teachers cannot find ways of teaching subjects like social studies. A creative teacher can find ways to ignite the passion for social studies in their students through the literacy program.

ESL Learners

Students who do not use English as their first language need many chances to play with language in order for them to learn it. Interactive writing and choral speaking are great ways to improve the student’s understanding of the language and how words are used. Other ways to help the ESL learner develop English language skills are for the teacher to use Standard English when speaking to the class, model the language when writing, and to resist correcting students every time they make a language mistake.

Vocabulary in Social Studies

Much of the vocabulary used in social studies is unique to the subject of social studies. Aiding in student’s understanding of this specialized vocabulary is crucial for their success in social studies. Teachers need to decide what vocabulary is important to the students’ understanding and leave the rest out. Once the decision has been made, the vocabulary can be presented to students through devices such as a word wall. Students can illustrate the needed vocabulary words, then post these on the word wall to show the meaning of that word.

There are other activities that can help students have an understanding of the vocabulary before they begin the lesson. Word maps can help students to relate unfamiliar terms to students’ prior experience. KWL charts help students identify what they “K”now, what they “W”ant to know, and what they “L”earned after the investigation. By using these and other strategies, the teacher is scaffolding the child’s learning and allowing the child to construct their understanding by making connections between what they are learning now and their prior knowledge and experience.

Textbook Use

Many textbooks for social studies are difficult for early childhood students to use. Teachers need to pick and choose the parts they feel are most important and ensure that the text is readable for all of the students. The text needs to be clear and informative if the students are going to get any use out of it.

An alternative to textbook use is to develop a social studies program around the use of picture books and other trade books. There are tons of picture books on almost any social studies concept conceivable. Picture books present the concepts in a simplified way and allow students to connect easier with the material.

Writing in Social Studies

Once students have a knowledge of a social studies concept through reading and research, they can write about it. Some possible writing activities include interviews, how-to instructions, applications, letters, radio/TV scripts, plays, pamphlets/brochures, and many more. The old notion of writing a report on some social studies topic does not have to be the only writing activity presented. By providing creative writing activities, students will become more engaged in the material and have a better understanding of the concepts presented.

Putting it all Together

Connecting literacy with social studies makes logical sense. With the time constraints and pressures in the classroom today, teachers must be creative in finding ways to introduce all concepts necessary for well-rounded students. The opportunities exist to teach social studies through the literature and writing activities that students perform during literacy instruction. Whether these strategies are used is ultimately up to the teacher and their willingness to be open to the idea.

Emily, Jamie, Greg, Amanda, Emily