Henrico Staff Development

Our 7th grade Social Studies teacher Mr. Berry used Mash-On, an online website, to enhance digital pictures that students took in order to show their understanding of the Great Depression. There were 10 questions that students needed to answer for this assignment. The questions were:

1.    How did the stock market crash affect investors?
2.    How did tariffs affect the US economy?
3.    What role did the Federal Reserve play in the Great Depression?
4.    How did foreclosures affect people?

5.    What happened to banks during the Great Depression?
6.    How did the Dust Bowl affect farmers on the Great Plains?
7.    What were breadlines and soup kitchens?
8.    What was the goal of the New Deal?
9.    How was American society affected by the WPA and CCC?
10.    What ended the Great Depression?

Students then answered these questions in picture form. For each answer,they took one picture and added a caption that answers the question.  Each student created his or her own comic strip about the Great Depression.  The results were fantastic!

Miss Mosier created a group for US I teachers across the county in SchoolSpace. Teachers share lesson materials through this group. Miss Mosier showed teachers how to publish quizzes by SOL for their students. Students have to get a 100% on each quiz as part of SOL review. Teachers get valuable data from the quizzes and learn how to use SchoolSpace even better!

Ms. Heesen’s class logged onto SAS curriculum in order to identify the three West African Empires that dominated trade between 1200 A.D. to 1600 A.D. They accomplished this feat by using SAS’s interactive atlas.  The atlas allowed them to create overlays and add text to the map.  When the students finished their work they were able to download a .pdf and email a copy of their work to Ms. Heesen.

6th Grade students in Ms. Cannon’s Social Studies classes utilized Google Earth to create a virtual tour of the Continents, Oceans and the US Regions, and Waterways for SOL USI.2a, b, and c. Click on the link below to download and example of the  their adventure.

Take The Tour!

Ms. Tyson’s 8th grade Civics and Economics classes used Voice Thread to illustrate and narrate the civic responsiblities of American citizens.  The students used iPhoto and Voice Thread to complete their projects.

Mrs. Jones’ 7th grade history classes created posters of various artists of the Harlem Renaissance.  They used iPhoto and Microsoft Word to make their creations.

Miss Foley’s 7th grade social studies classes created talk shows and interviewed special guests, Andrew Carnegie or John Rockefeller (USII3.d).  This assignment strengthened their research skills as they found information on their “special guest.”  (research & information fluency)  The students worked in groups and each assigned a different task.  They had to learn to collaborate and rely on each other to get the job done in a timely manner.  The roles included a web designer, video editor, and writer. (communication & collaboration)

The talkshows were video taped, uploaded on the student laptops, and edited by the students using iMovie.  Once complete the videos then embedded onto a web page created using iWeb.

The 8th grade students in Ms. Cosby’s World History class became news anchors for WRMN Channel XII news for a day.  Students formed small groups from the students in their class and collaborated on ideas of ways they could present the information they researched about a topic from Roman history. They were challenged to use their creativity and problem solving skills to communicate what they had learned about their topic and present the information in a way that was not only informative, but also entertaining.  The groups then wrote scripts based on their ideas and video taped their presentations as if they were broadcasting the news live.  The footage was then imported into iMovie where the groups worked together to edit and fine tune their final product.

Through this project, the students became more connected with the information they researched and learned how to work with others in an highly productive way.

In Mrs. Craver’s world history class, the children traveled back in time to ancient Mesopotamia (WHI.3) to serve as consultants to village elders who were confronting big problems with their food supplies.  The kids analyzed information about the main problem in groups, then recommended a possible solution (critical thinking).  The village elders (Mrs. Craver with the actual historical decision) then made their decisions based on the recommendations.

Since the students had recorded their own proposals and rationales rather than the historical decision, the teacher had them create a Comic Life to portray the actual series of problems and solutions from history.  This was a cause and effect, review assignment used as a follow up activity to an experiential exercise in class.

Capzules.com allows for students to create interactive time lines.  Students can add dates, sound, pictures, and summaries describing the important events.  Here is a link to a time line created by a student in Ms. McInnis’ 7th grade Social Studies class.

Click here to see the sample