Football in the Classroom

This may not look like anything special, but with the help of some of my football playing students - we managed to explain the task of the DBQ they had to write.

The task: How did the US gov't respond to the Great Depression?

The analogy: How did students react to a football game? 

The Play: No idea, but I know we won! (I played tennis in HS and college!)

I've also been introducing my students to Google Docs and Google Classroom during this DBQ Essay assignment. So far, my students say it's come in handy. They can turn in their essays without having to worry if they left it in their locker AND they can look at the task, documents, and outline anytime they want (home or at school). We'll see how much of this new tech will come in handy for future units.

 

Who should have the right to vote?

Recently, I asked my 8th grade students to tell me who should have the right to vote after finishing up the Progressive Era Unit. I've adjusted for spelling. This is what they said:


"I think people over 21 should vote. No, I don't think you should vote in jail because you are punished. Illegal immigrants should vote because no matter who you are you should vote. If you are 21, then you are more responsible. Everyone over 21 should vote because you are human"

"Women should have the right to vote. You should be allowed to vote when you are 16. You should not be allowed to vote in jail because you did something bad to get in there. People are not allowed here to vote if they are illegal immigrants"

"Everyone should have the right to vote because all people think differently. People in jail should have the right to vote and illegal immigrants should have the right to vote. Everyone should have the right to vote"

"The people that are allowed to vote should be men and women. They should be men and women who are not in jail, illegal immigrants or people under the age of 18. Illegal immigrants should't vote because they aren't American citizens until they are made citizens. Women should have the right to vote because they've done a lot."

"Everybody should have the right to vote. You should be 18 years old to vote. You should be able to vote if you are in jail. No illegal immigrants should be able to vote. Women should be able to vote."

"Kids over 12 should be able to vote because we have rights just as older people. At 13 we have just as much rights as 18 year olds. People in jail should not have the right to vote because you are in there because you did something wrong so you should not have a say. Yes, immigrants should have the right to vote because they have as much a say."

Monday came on Tuesday

This is just one of those days where you work through lunch recreating a foldable. My desk is a complete mess!

Student Sayings

An old student came to visit and introduced me to a new word. 

The Debate Over Plants

Over the years, I've seen some teachers bring in small plants to keep on their desk or on a windowsill. Other teachers bring in fish and science teachers can often have an array of other organisms residing in their rooms.

Personally, I feel that having plants in a classroom does several things. Not only does it make a room feel and look "homey" but they can also be used as a teaching tool.

Every year, I assign one of my Resource Rooms to be in charge of plant care. For this, I get a little sneaky. I try to find the class that has an individual that has a goal relating to organization. For example, I've had students that sometimes become frequent visitors to the office. In a weird way, they're the kids that are the most possessive and gentle with my plants. It helps to teach them responsibility and kindness. If you don't water any of the plants, they will die.

Last year, we started some seedlings. Basil, lavender, and thyme. While most of my plants are hardy and can withstand a couple days without water, seedlings need extra attention. It was a challenge for some of my kiddos, but we managed to get those little guys started. I still have lots of basil!

Furthermore, plants do a lot for the environment of the room. My school upgraded a few years back to a new heating and cooling system. Mainly, a lot of the air gets recycled and "conditioned" to the appropriate temperature. When school first starts and I haven't brought in any of my plants, I will occasionally get headaches. After I bring in my plants - nada. Life is good.