I am starting a new unit in Geographic Cultural Studies, this time focused on China and East Asia. The student readings are supplemented from several textbook and secondary sources as well as many primary sources that will align to the supporting questions.
Teaching Historical Thinking Skills
European Intellectual Transformations: Reflections on a C3 Unit for 9th Grade
I recently completed the unit I recently posted about in my 9th-grade Geographic Cultural Studies course that covered the Renaissance, Reformation, and Enlightenment. Unfortunately, it did not go as smoothly as I had hoped. This post is reflective, but also has many of the resources I used in the unit linked again.
Enriching Social Studies Curriculum with Local History
Incorporating local history into the curriculum adds significant value. It helps students develop a sense of connection and belonging to the place where they live, makes the study of history more tangible and relatable, and creates opportunities for hands-on learning and the application of historical thinking skills.
Building a C3 Inquiry Unit around Early Modern European History and Geography
The first major unit in my 9th grade foundational course, after the National History Day and Intro to Geography units, dives into the study of Europe. Last year, the content focus began in the late Middle Ages and finished with the Renaissance. We did not get far enough chronologically to align with where the 10th … Continue reading Building a C3 Inquiry Unit around Early Modern European History and Geography
Teaching the Silk Roads with Primary Sources
I like to slow down in the first two units of AP World and take advantage of the time and lighter content to unpack skills, particularly primary source comprehension and analysis. This post includes several activities and resources I have used over the years to do this.
Teaching Historical Writing to English Language Learners
I have been teaching in China for nearly a decade, and in that time at least half of my students have been English language learners. Ultimately, this has made me a much better teacher. When I started teaching in Florida, I rarely used instructional time to explicitly teach writing. After all, that's what the English teachers did. When I moved to China, I was forced to stop taking writing skills for granted.
Tools and Tips for Teaching Contextualization in AP World History
Contextualization can be a deceptively easy skill for students. Many default to information overload instead of thinking through which historical facts or developments are the best choice for revealing historical insight about their topic or argument. Structure is needed.
Making the First Day in AP World Count
Start the year with something engaging that will help establish a positive class culture. Be the unique class that breaks the Day 1 stereotypes of syllabi and class rules and show students that inquiry and historical thinking can be fun.
Designing a Social Studies Course with C3 Standards
Our department's 9th grade foundational course is interdisciplinary and uses the C3 Framework; its called Geographic Cultural Studies. Courses and curriculum are always works in progress. This course has been successful so far and I am very happy with the rigor it has added to our curriculum, however, there are some adjustments needed to make it better. Some of the adjustments were related to content, so that it aligns better with our 10th grade World History course, and others are related to prioritization of the C3 standards and unit structure to support a transition to standards-based / competency-based instruction and assessment.
Should AP exam scores count as a grade?
I came across an interesting chart from a school where AP exam scores seem to be used as a factor in a student's final grade. It's pictured below. The summer logistics of this aside, I was intrigued by the intended and unintended consequences of such a policy.