Category: Desert Christian High School

Concept Maps in the Classroom

Posted on Posted in Desert Christian High School, Other Totally Cool StuffTagged , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

This year I’m trying a new method of introducing, and keeping students familiar with, our course terms and themes. With over 100 terms/themes combined, I thought all summer long about what was the best way to tackle this undertaking.

And then it hit me: concept maps. According to Inspiration.com, “a concept map is a type of graphic organizer used to help students organize and represent knowledge of a subject. Concept maps begin with a main idea (or concept) and then branch out to show how that main idea can be broken down into specific topics.”

Running with this idea, I printed all of the first semester terms/themes onto card stock and then jumbled the order in which they occur in US history. Next, I asked students to work in groups to attempt to place these terms/themes into chronological order. By attempting to create their own concept web, students gained a first look at what they’ll be learning over the next few months, and I, as their teacher, gained insight as to who was already familiar with certain terms and who was not (formative assessment).Students will continue to Continue reading “Concept Maps in the Classroom” →

Second Semester Finals

Posted on Posted in America, Desert Christian High SchoolTagged , , , , , , Leave a comment

For the 2016/17 second semester final, students were asked to be creative in order to show their knowledge of the terms we learned. These terms spanned the last 100 years of American history. Although I gave them options for their creativity, some students came up with ideas that I hadn’t thought of, such as creating a puzzle or a board game. On the board game, for example, in order to move forward, a question you might be asked is, “What was one cause for the Great Depression?” Other spaces on the board might say, “You fell in love with a flapper. Move back one space.”

Other students created a short video as a team or composed a poem. Here are a few links to some of these projects.

Last but not least, here is a wonderful example of a digital infographic: Second Semester Final

It’s been an awesome first year. Thanks to all my awesome students at Desert Christian High School.

Shel Silverstein

Posted on Posted in America, Desert Christian High SchoolTagged , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

A week ago today marked the anniversary of the passing of American poet, cartoonist, and children’s story writer, Shel Silverstein. I would guess that the majority of us have read at least one of Silverstein’s poems. Remember A Light in the Attic? What about Where the Sidewalk Ends? How many of you were touched by the words in his famous poem, The Giving Tree? In remembrance of Silverstein, one of my student’s wrote a poem of his own about the famous poet, modeled after The Giving Tree. Fitting.

Once there was a poet…

And he loved the little children.

And everyday the children would come,

And the children would listen Continue reading “Shel Silverstein” →