Anne Frank: The Diary of Young Girl transcends the labels of genre. Yes, as the title suggests, it is a diary, but it is also a memoir, a narrative, an argument, an expository journal, an informational text, and much more. Yet, these genres listed are treated as separate and distinct in the reading and writing standards of the Common Core (CCSS). The […]
social studies
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, Social Studies
Lincoln's Assassination, 150 Year Later
The Shot & The Plot: Sesquicentennial of Lincoln’s Assassination It was 150 years ago this month when a single gunshot from a Derringer pistol changed the course of American history. On April 15, 1865, John Wilkes Booth interrupted a performance of “My American Cousin” to assassinate the President of the United States. The actor and […]
Posted inCommon Core, Current Events in Education, High School, Instruction & Curriculum, Social Studies
Top 5 Reasons Socrates Would Rock a High School TODAY!
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] Great teachers come in all shapes and in all sizes. But to my way of the thinking the greatest teacher in Western history is Socrates. Sure, his bombastic ways and eccentric […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, High School, Instruction & Curriculum, Opinion, Social Studies
"Exceptionalism" as the new American Idiocy: an Outlaw AP US History Teacher Responds
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] If you are an educator, and especially an AP Teacher, or a current or former recipient of an AP education, you could not have missed the news this week that the […]
Posted inUncategorized
Running a Successful Student Government Campaign
In the dog eat dog world of high school, only a few things are certain: a) that you’re going to be socially awkward all the time, and b) that your peers and classmates will be easily swayed. If you’re interested in pursuing a role in your school’s student government, that second idea is going to […]
Posted inClassroom Management, Featured, Instruction & Curriculum, Science, Social Studies
Differentiation in Science and Social Studies: 3 Things to Keep in Mind
A common occurrence across the country is taking students and grouping them by abilities in order to better meet their needs. It is a perfect sounding theory. But once those students are grouped by ability, are they all exactly the same? Absolutely not. So, exactly how do you differentiate for those students within a similar population? […]
Posted inInstructional Strategies, Social Studies, Technology, Uncategorized
STEAM Inspired Spin on Social Studies
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math – the STEM subjects joined forces with Art (Design) to become STEAM, the acronym which stands for education that deliberately promotes 21st-century transformations in thinking. Social studies skills are not included as a focus and I like to think it’s because it is at the root of the original STEM. As […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Technology
Social Studies Educational Apps 101
Having access to technology in a classroom is one of the best ‘next generation’ resources you can have. Teachers all over want to be able to give students exactly the information that they need in engaging ways. The answer? Apps. Now, we know that not all apps are created equal. I’ve put together a list […]