The UNIT!!!

Wow! This was a project that brought about many emotions and feelings (many possible due to my current state of being pregnant!)  It was one project that I knew was going to be a process, but fun.  I went from being excited to nervous, to overwhelmed, to accomplished all in the same day, each day I worked on the unit!

Our unit was titled: Monumental Road Trip.  It was a thematic unit designed for 6th graders that focuses on several monuments across America.  From budgeting to pod-casting, we covered a variety of skills and standards in this unit.

My group was very well organized and a pleasure to work with.  I know they will all make wonderful teachers and am excited to see them in action someday!  The only bad part is not being able to actually teach this unit and see it all come together!

Here are the links to my wonderful group member's blogs.  Each one of them contributed a unique and useful skill set and their ideas are phenomenal!
http://misskwilliamsblog.blogspot.com/
http://block2socialstudiesblog.blogspot.com/
http://miss-greene.blogspot.com/
http://mrmaxwellsblog.blogspot.com/

The Controversy of Teaching Immigration

Though immigration is such a touchy subject, I feel children should be aware of what is going on in the news.  Some of the children may have relatives that were immigrants or they may even be immigrants themselves.  I feel it is important to get them the facts.  They need to know what immigration is and hear both sides of the argument.  I plan to establish a close, culturally accepting community in my future classroom, and thought this may not be an issue to begin with; I feel that it is one that needs to be brought up.  My hopes are that this will teach tolerance and create a realization of the struggles these people are going through.  I also hope to get them to understand that both sides have valid points and that it is alright to have your own opinion about something, as long as you are not stating it in a biased manner or hurting feelings.  The United States is known for freedom and opportunity.  It is also nicknamed the “Melting Pot” because of all the diverse ethnicity and cultures.  I want my future students to know that America is a great place to live because it gives opportunity to everyone, there are equal rights, and our diversities are what make America so great.  My hopes are that if they know this, then when they grow-up and come to a point where they can make a difference, they will know what is good and right and act accordingly.


Teaching topics such as this can be controversial and many teachers steer clear of teaching them all together.  I do not feel it should be so taboo to talk about these topics.  Children do not need gaps in their learning and it is good for them to experience different viewpoints.  There are just some topics that need to be well thought-out before discussing.

Teachable Moment is a site that talks about handling things like this...
http://www.teachablemoment.org/ideas/teachingcontroversy.html

Totally '80's

The decades project was awesome!  Our group learned a lot about the 80's and we also were able to get an idea of what all the other decades were like.  Everyone did a fantastic job with displays, props, and costumes.  It was such a fun way to research history!

Kids will love doing this in the classroom.  It is such a great authentic learning experience and it allows them to let loose and have fun.

5 Themes of Geography

Working with the five themes of geography is a great way for students to learn about and study a specific place. Students can do this by creating a PowerPoint, travel brochure, poster, or other visual presentation. They can also practice their language skills by presenting to the class.

The following info. is from http://www.una.edu/geography/statedepted/themes.html#Location
LOCATION
"Where are we?" is the question that the theme Location answers. Location may be absolute or it may be relative. These locations, whether relative or absolute, may be of people or places.
An absolute location is a latitude and longitude (a global location) or a street address (local location).

Florence, AL is 34^o46' North latitude and 87.40' West longitude
Paris, France is 48^o51' North latitude and 2.20' East longitude
Marshall Islands are 10^o00' North latitude and 165^o00' East longitude

Relative locations are described by landmarks, time, direction or distance from one place to another and may associate a particular place with another.

PLACE
What kind of place is it? What do you think of when you imagine China? Japan? Russia? Saudi Arabia?
Places have both human and physical characteristics, as well as images.
Physical characteristics include mountains, rivers, soil, beaches, wildlife, soil. Places have human characteristics also. These characteristics are derived from the ideas and actions of people that result in changes to the environment, such as buildings, roads, clothing, and food habits.
The image people have of a place is based on their experiences, both intellectual and emotional. People's descriptions of a place reveal their values, attitudes, and perceptions.
How is your hometown connected to other places? What are the human and physical characteristics of Florence? How do these shape our lives?

HUMAN/ENVIRONMENTAL INTERACTION
How do humans and the environment affect each other? We change the environment and then sometime Mother Nature changes it back. For example, floods in the mid-West, Hurricane Emily (Hatteras), and earthquakes and mudslides in California.
There are three key concepts to human/environmental interaction:

Humans adapt on the environment.
Humans modify the environment.
Humans depend to the environment.

People depend on the Tennessee River for our water and transportation. People modify our environment by heating and coolings buildings for comfort. People adapt to the environment by wearing clothing that is suitable for summer and winter; rain and shine.
All places on Earth have advantages and disadvantages for human settlement. One person's advantage may be another person's disadvantage. Some like the excitement of large cities whereas others prefer remoteness. Environment is not just trees, spotted owls, and rain forests. Environment is a feeling. What is the environment of a big city? Boston? Los Angeles? Dallas?
Given the choice, where would you live? Why? What is the environment? How do people interact with the environment? How do the physical features affect us?
How have we adapted to or changed our landscape? For example, in the Sudan even though everything is seemingly barren, the land sustains farmers and nomadic herders. People and animals have adapted to a hot, dry climate.

MOVEMENT
The movement of people, the import and export of goods, and mass communication have all played major roles in shaping our world. People everywhere interact. They travel from place to place and they communicate. We live in a global village and global economy.
People interact with each other through movement. Humans occupy places unevenly on Earth because of the environment but also because we are social beings. We interact with each other through travel, trade, information flows (E-Mail) and political events.
Not only do humans move but also ideas move; fashions move; fads move. What is an example of an idea that moves? Fashion? Fad? How do we depend on people in other places? How would our lives change if our movement options changed? What would happen if we traveled by camel or horse? How do we move from place to place? How do we actually get food?

REGION
A region is the basic unit of study in geography. A region is an area that displays a coherent unity in terms of the government, language, or possibly the landform or situation. Regions are human constructs that can be mapped and analyzed.
There are three basic types of regions.
Formal regions are those defined by governmental or administrative boundaries (i. e., United States, Birmingham, Brazil). These regional boundaries are not open to dispute, therefore physical regions fall under this category (i. e., The Rockies, the Great Lakes States).
Functional regions are those defined by a function (i. e., TVA, United Airlines Service area or a newspaper service area). If the function ceases to exists, the region no longer exists.
Vernacular regions are those loosely defined by people's perception (i. e., The South, The Middle East).
What region do we live in? What type of region is it? What are its characteristics? South, North Alabama, the Shoals, the University community? What states do you define as the South? The Northeast? The Bible Belt? What characteristics and perceptions go along with these regions?

Family Recipe

Pecan Chicken with Raspberry Sauce

2 lbs. chicken tenderloins
4 eggs 1 cup buttermilk
1 ½ cups flour
1 lb. Pecans (crushed lightly in food processor)
2 cups plain “Panko” style breadcrumbs

In a small bowl, lightly beat eggs and buttermilk. In another mixing bowl combine crushed pecans, breadcrumbs and a ½ cup of flour. Use remaining flour to coat chicken (be sure to coat both sides). Next, dip chicken into the egg wash. Shake off excess egg wash and place into the pecan mixture. Press firmly on the breast to ensure a strong binding crust. Pan-fry in oil over medium heat. Be careful the pecans can burn quickly! I like to brown both sides and if the chicken isn’t cooked through finish in the oven at 325˚.

Raspberry Sauce

1 small bag of frozen raspberries or blackberries
1 cup Zinfandel or favorite sweet berry wine
1½ cups sugar
1 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice

Bring ingredients to a simmer in a medium sauce pan for 10 min. Blend with blender and strain seeds. Bring back to the pan and bring to a low boil. Thicken with cornstarch till it just coats the back of a spoon. It will thicken even more as it cools. Drizzle over cooked pecan chicken. **You may substitute 16oz. of Premium Raspberry Preserves instead of the frozen berries. It may be sweeter so adjust sugar if needed.

This recipe was created by my own personal chef (my husband), Matthew Hawkey. Several of the restaurants where he has worked have put this on their menu. Also, our family loves it so much that they had us print out recipes for everyone. It has now become a favorite dish among many families. My mother and grandmother request it every Mother’s Day! 

This idea is such a wonderful way for us to keep a little memory of each of our classmates. I can not wait to see everyone's recipes!

Shoebox Activity

The shoebox activity was such a great activity. It allowed us to see what was important to each of our classmates. We each brought a shoebox with artifacts that represented us. It seemed as though many of us had a theme of fmaily and relationships. There were also materialistic items; however each one had its own significant meaning and reason of value. The five items that I brought were: My wedding ring - Symbolizing my bond and love of my husband. I feel that we are truly soul-mates. He is what keeps me grounded and even after 7 years, I love him more and more each day. A picture of my children - They are my world! I live and breathe for them! A bible - My faith is very important to me and I wanted something to symbolize it. I chose this Bible because it was a recent gift from my mother-in-law. It has been passed down for several generations. The next 2 items were a bit more difficult, I chose hand sanitizer and a candle. The hand sanitizer symbolizes our daily routines, procedures, and adaptations needed to keep my daughter healthy as she battles cystic fibrosis. The candle symbolizes my "me time." Very rarely do I get time, but when I do I like bubblebaths, aromatherapy, or anything else that helps calm me. This activity is a great extension for a story about pioneers or others in history that have had to pack only a few things and leave everything else behind. It really gets children to think deeper and realize what is important to them. They also get to know a lot about their classmates.

Trade Fair

Our class had a trade fair a while back. Everyone was to make or bring something to trade for something else. I made some of my homemade granola. Lisa wanted it, so she traded me for 2 bags of her AMAZING crossaints/cookies. I traded one of those bags for a beautiful blue, beaded bracelet made by Holly! The fair was so much fun and such a great idea to integrate into the classroom!

Students will get a sense of culture and get to know the amazing strengths and talents of their classmates all while learning history about the trade and barter system. What a cool way to enhance, engage, and bring authentic learning into the lesson!

Here is a PDF with a great "child-created" poster and ideas for integrating bartering... http://richmondfed.org/publications/education/concepts_posters/pdf/2008_barter_va.pdf

Digging-in to Geography

This project was such a great way to learn about geography. Not only were we able to learn about our chosen country, but we were also able to have fun and create a very hands-on activity. This is definitely something I will incorporate into my classroom, as I feel that hands-on activities are crucial to learning and engagement. With just a few materials (in this case - salt, flour, water, and food coloring) we were able to create a model of Peru, displaying the geographical features. When students make something of their own it gives them ownership. When a student has ownership, they are more likely to open-their minds to learning and they have more fun and get involved. This was an experience, and experiences are what kids need to succeed. They will not remember the dull, boring lessons, but rather the fun, engaging experiences.

Hereis a link to a site that explains the benefits to having a hands-on classroom. There are also ideas and lesson plans!
http://www.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3751901

Color

Source: mztang.wordpress.com via Chanelle on Pinterest

"Not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

This seems to be a topic brought up quite often. Why do people judge by outward appearances? Growing up in Chicago, I was very naive to race and segregation. My mother always loves to tell this embarrassing story about 4 year-old me at Christmas time...
We were in line waiting to see Santa and I, a very curious and outspoken 4-year-old, am "people watching" as usual. Finally, we got close enough to Santa and my mom said, "Chanelle, look, there he is!" I get on my tip-toes and still can't see him, so I say, "Mommy, can you ask the chocolate man in front of me to scoot over a little so I can see Santa?"

Growing up I just did not "see" color. Sure I noticed that there were differences amongst people, but to me it was no different than milk chocolate and white chocolate. It just didn't make a difference to me. I also could not understand why people treated others differently because of skin color (many of my relatives included). I still, to this day, refuse to stand around and listen to people, even family, talk with racial slurs. Teachers need to possess this quality and advocate for their students. NO child should feel like an outcast or like they are inferior! Skin is just skin. Color is just color. People are just people. It is their character that makes them who they are, not anything else!

**On a side-note, this picture made me laugh so hard, because as anyone who has seen me knows, I am extremely white. Not just pale, but white! Whenever we had a coloring project, I hated to have to color myself. I could never find a color close enough to my skin tone and I thought it was very wrong for them to say that a certain crayon was "flesh" colored, when really only one person, maybe, matches that color!

So teachers, be aware, do not discriminate, and advocate!

Block 1 - Community

Block one seemed to have an overall theme of community. It is where our classroom community was first established. Though many of us knew other students from prior semesters, Block 1 was where we really all became a true community (almost as if we were a family). I know I personally have grown to trust and respect each and every one of my classmates over the last year. It is sad to think about us not being together for Block 3, but at least we know that our bond is strong enough to remain a community. Community is such an important aspect of a classroom and experiencing this one in particular has made us all more aware and given us the foundations for creating community in our own classrooms as teachers.


Also, I found this on Pinterest and I LOVE IT!!

Source: prepare2play.blogspot.com via Chanelle on Pinterest