What is the Strategy? This activity would require students to use strategic thinking by comparing the past (then) to the present (now). This is a great way to get students engaged by comparing how things have changed over time. This activity will also get students thinking about how people lived in the past and compare it to how we live now. This could also set up further thinking about how we are going to be living in the next 10, 20, 50 years from now.
How Does it Work? Students will compare multiple items that were different then, than they are now. Students will create a t-chart (or t-chart book) with the item/topic they are comparing from then to now. For example, transportation, clothes, shopping, food, housing, etc. The students will draw and write a sentence of how things have changed over time.
Scaffolding For students that may require an additional challenge, I would have students create another row and label it "future". I would have my students think of reasonable ideas of how that item/topic is going to be 10, 20, or 50 years from now. For students that may require a little extra support, I would start by giving them an example of what it was then and have them identify and draw the now.
2. Tug of War
What is the Strategy? This activity would require students to use strategic thinking in order to create and develop a logical argument. The teacher would create a topic based on what they are learning in social studies and have students create and develop a logical argument.
How Does it Work? The teacher or the students would create a question or a topic based on what they are learning in social studies, to create a 'tug of war' or debate. Students will then create a statement based off a fact to create a point, or they would take a fact and create an argument to present to the class. There will be two sides of the argument (topic) in which students will create a debate.
Scaffolding For students that may require an additional challenge, I would have them run an argument or create a statement based on a fact for students to debate. For students that may require a little extra support, I would have them work in teams to help bring out more ideas and create less frustration for those who do not excel at debating.
3. The Sandwich Swap
What is the Strategy? For this activity students will use strategic thinking to differentiateand compare cultural diversity. This is a great way for students to not only investigate and learn about different cultures, but compare and contrast it to their own.
How Does it Work? Throughout this unit, students will learn about Middle Eastern and Muslim Culture. For this particular assignment, students will read or listen to a story called, "The Sandwich Swap" and "A Day in My Life: Aadila Reading Passage (Girl FRom Iran)", by Queen Rania. Students will differentiate and compare Middle Eastern and Muslim Culture to their own country and culture using venn diagrams and other fun worksheets. To learn more about this unit vist: Teachers Pay Teachers
Scaffolding For students that may require an additional challenge, I would have them differentiate and compare two or more cultures to their own. For students that may require a little extra support, I would have them start with finding and writing out facts about Muslim Culture and have them separately write out facts about their own culture. Then I would have them find the facts that are the same and ones that are different. I basically would be breaking down the lesson step by step.
4. Article of the Week: Current Events
What is the Strategy? For current events, students would be investigating real events currently happening around the world, as well as, formulating thoughts, ideas, and questions about those events. This is a great way or students to investigate and research the topics that they are interested in.
How Does it Work? Once a week, students will find one article each from their local newspaper or from a reliable online source. After reading their article, students would discuss what they have learned with their parents and classmates. On the worksheet shown above, students will specify the articles name, the date, and the news type. They will then write a 5-7 sentence summary of their article, as well as, their personal reaction/thoughts. Scaffolding For students that may require an additional challenge, I would have them add a specific quote from the article, cite it, and have them talk about it. For students that may require a little extra support, I would have articles prepared for them to read based on what they are interested in. I would also help them learn how to find their own articles in the future.