Tag Archives: social studies differentiated instruction

Common Core Social Studies

Common Core Standards Help Teachers Enrich Their Lessons

COMMON CORE SOCIAL STUDIES

The Common Core Standard CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.2 encourages the social studies teacher to go beyond the curriculum or content in a lesson with the inclusion of primary or secondary sources that may add knowledge or conflict with the knowledge they’ve acquired during a mini-lesson or from reading their textbook.

To use the CCSS.ELA-Literacy.R.H.6-8.2 Common Core Social Studies Standard in class, the students must read, analyze and summarize the primary or secondary source explaining how the source is different from what they knew or how it differs with their own opinion. This Common Core Standard brings in high level critical thinking. It helps them connect the content they are learning with their background knowledge. This Common Core Standard also helps them connect the content with themselves. Connecting content to self and background knowledge has long been known to help students retain information.

When I taught in GA, the students learned about Andersonville prison. It was a POW camp during the Civil War with extremely poor conditions and a high death rate. Until I brought in a primary source from a POW camp in Elmira, NY, the students thought that the Confederacy was the only side that had POW camps in the Civil War. Both camps had horrid conditions. When I teach this lesson again, I will provide the same questions that helped students analyze the document. I will add onto what I did before by including a section for students to summarize the document and then another section where they can write about how it conflicted with what they knew or with what their opinion had been before they read the primary source.

In WWI, most teachers will only teach about how the home front helped the war effort through the use of Liberty Bonds and Liberty Gardens, etc. What if a teacher then brought in a primary source about protests against WWI? I for one am excited to see what their responses to that will be.

The next question teachers may ask is how would they differentiate instruction for this type of work session that uses the Common Core Social Studies Standards? My two favorite ways to differentiate instruction are to use the Multiple Intelligence Theory to peak student interest and leveling so that they can learn the same content on their own ability level. To bring in both of these forms of differentiated instruction I would use a ‘Museum Walk’ with two ability levels using two different sides of the room. The average/enriched side would include the primary or secondary sources as is with the questions at the bottom of each source. The lower ability level side of the room would have the primary or secondary sources simplified and have alternate words in parenthesis for vocabulary that is higher than they can handle or for sections that are written so archaically that they would not be able to interpret the meaning. I would also split up the sources into different sections with a question following each section where the answer can be found to help them focus and not be overwhelmed.

During ‘Museum Walks’ students use the kinesthetic intelligence because students move around the room. I would allow students to work in similar ability pairs to bring in the interpersonal intelligence.  I would also offer students the choice of working by themselves in packet form to bring in the intrapersonal intelligence. I would include political cartoons, paintings, photographs or propaganda posters to include the spatial intelligence. Students will be reading the primary or secondary sources from the wall where they hang, discussing the answers with their partner and writing about them so that also brings in the linguistic intelligence. Another option is to have the teacher lead a group of lower level readers and learners with the lower ability level packet form of the activity in a small group to help them read, analyze and summarize the primary sources. The last option will be harder to do without a co-teacher because teachers will still have to pay attention to the partners moving around the room and announce when they need to move to the next source.

Go beyond your content and provide a primary or secondary source that will have your students conflicted and critically thinking about their own knowledge and how they feel about the situation in history in order to enrich your lessons. The Common Core Social Studies Standards encourage you to do this.

To find out more about and how to use the Common Core Social Studies Standards, click on the link here.

 

 

Written by,

Kasha Mastrodomenico

www.socialstudiesdifferentiatedinstruction.com

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Kasha-Mastrodomenico

Shhhhh! It’s a secret! Creation of the Constitution PowerPoint and Lesson Plan

First I’d like to say thank you to all of you that purchased my products during the 20% off sale! I want to let you in on a little secret to say thank you. Two of my products that are listed on Teacherspayteachers.com are more than what they seem. Don’t be scared off my the product descriptions warning you away from purchasing these items. They are decoys. In reality it actually has three PowerPoints and three differentiated instruction lesson plans! (Annapolis Convention, The Need for Compromise, and the Major Issues of the Constitutional Convention) Common Core standards are used too. This product will only be up until Jan. 2014. This is one benefit of subscribing to my blog. If you bought these items separately, it would cost you $19! But the Creation of the Constitution Differentiated Instruction Lesson Plan is only $4.00 and the PowerPoint is only $3.00! So you can SAVE $12.00 by getting in on this deal not to mention a bunch of time planning! Below are the links that will take you to these products and remember… shhhhh, it’s a secret!

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Creation-of-the-Constitution-Differentiated-Instruction-Lesson-Plan-499062

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Creation-of-the-Constitution-PowerPoint-498958

Don’t miss out on the deal for three differentiated instruction lesson plans and PowerPoints! You can see what is in each lesson plan and PowerPoint by following these links:

Annapolis Convention differentiated instruction lesson plan and PowerPoint:

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Constitution-Annapolis-Convention-PowerPoint-948231

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Constitution-Annapolis-Convention-Differentiated-Instruction-Lesson-Plan-948432

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Constitution-Annapolis-Convention-BUNDLE-948625

The Need for Compromise differentiated instruction lesson plan and PowerPoint:

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Constitutional-Convention-The-Need-for-Compromise-Lesson-Plan-960493

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Constitutional-Convention-The-Need-for-Compromise-PowerPoint-960472

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Constitutional-Convention-The-Need-for-Compromise-BUNDLE-960529

 

Major Issues of the Constitutional Convention Differentiated Instruction lesson plan and PowerPoint

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Constitutional-Convention-Major-Issues-BUNDLE-958921

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Constitutional-Convention-Major-Issues-PowerPoint-958789

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Constitutional-Convention-Major-Issues-Lesson-Plan-958893

Written by,

Kasha Mastrodomenico

www.socialstudiesdifferentiatedinstruction.com 

kasha@socialstudiesdifferentiatedinstruction.com

Common Core

Common Core: Cite specific textual evidence

Common Core

The Common Core Social Studies Standard  for History/Social Studies CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.1 demands that students cite evidence when practicing expository writing. Students need to use that evidence to support their analysis of primary and secondary sources. Specific evidence helps students prove why they believe their analysis of the primary or secondary source is accurate. Without proof, it is an ignorant opinion.

When first beginning to teach students how to cite, a teacher can introduce it as a matching exercise. They can provide students with five to ten short secondary or primary sources. Then they should offer the same amount of statements. Have the students find the primary or secondary sources that could provide the evidence to make each statement true. In order to differentiate instruction for this I would use the Multiple Intelligence Theory. I would allow my intrapersonal learners to conduct the activity the way I suggest above. For my interpersonal and kinesthetic learners, I would create small posters with the individual statements and the primary sources. The students could then search for the match with the other students that are going through the activity in this format. Once they think they have a match, I would have them come up to me and explain orally why they think it’s a match. They should say something in the realm of “We think it matches because…”. That statement will also help them gear up for the next Common Core Standard that I will be writing about in my next article.

Once students understand that they can cite evidence to prove an opinion statement, they need to practice writing their own opinion on the content and then write the reason a primary or secondary source helps to prove it. Teachers can have students practice this by providing a primary or secondary source for students to read and providing a question for them to answer about it. The question must contain a ‘why’ statement. The student should then answer the question and state the reason including a ‘because’ statement connecting their opinion with the factual evidence from the primary or secondary source.

When students are ready to move on, they should start using primary or secondary sources in an essay format, usually called a DBQ essay, there are three possibilities for citing specific evidence from the documents.

1. Students may summarize or quote what was stated in the document.

2. Students may summarize or quote and then write where they found the evidence.

3. Students may summarize or quote a document and then place the document number or title inside parenthesis.

Encourage students to create educated opinions by citing proof during expository writing. It will encourage critical thinking and increase confidence because they will be able to back up their opinions. Instead of just saying “I think it means this…,” they’ll say “It means this because…”. One of our goals as social studies educators is to teach our students the skills they need to be successful in life. This Common Core Social Studies Standard can help us accomplish this goal.

I have created an expository leveled writing system that can help social studies teachers differentiate instruction for their students. You can find it by clicking here: Leveled Expository Writing System

Click on the link below to find out more about how to use the Common Core Standards.

To find out more about the Common Core Social Studies Standards, click here. That page goes through the Common Core Social Studies Standards and simplifies them by giving examples and explanations.

 

Written by,

Kasha Mastrodomenico

www.socialstudiesdifferentiatedinstruction.com

kasha@socialstudiesdifferentiatedinstruction.com

Differentiated Instruction

Differentiated Instruction Systems

Use Differentiated Instruction Systems to Save Time During Planning

The administrations that I worked under were always pushing differentiated instruction. I think I attended more differentiated instruction training seminars than years I taught. The biggest problem I found when I taught middle school social studies was finding time to plan for differentiated instruction. I had to learn the content before I could create a lesson plan and then I had to differentiate it and with only one planning period which was many times a week taken away for meetings. I was staying at work until nine at night and getting there at six in the morning to try to get everything done. Needless to say, I was exhausted and I was burned out before five years. I took a year off after moving, my husband is in the Army, and then started again. I ended up running around in circles once more.

I realized that there were two ways this could go for me. I could switch careers and work normal hours and actually have weekends off, or I could figure out a way to plan for differentiated instruction in a much faster way. I decided on the latter because I love to teach. I began to systems that helps me plan for differentiated instruction.

The first system I created was a leveled expository writing system. It has nine levels that can help bring a student who needs to focus on just writing a topic sentence and then listing the facts that support it underneath to a DBQ essay within a year’s time. Each template included the directions. They also included the grading checklist so that the student could see how they were going to be graded. All I had to do was write in the question I wanted my students to explore and the assignment was created. By using my leveled writing system, I increased the amount of writing that was done in my classroom and my students became much better writers. There wasn’t one student that didn’t show some sort of improvement in writing that year. When I became the SST chair for my grade level, I realized that this could also be used for the RTI process because it shows small achievable goals each student has made in their writing.

The second system that I created was for activities based on the Multiple Intelligence Theory. At the top of each activity were the Multiple Intelligences used in the activity. Under those, student roles were included to help keep the students focused and on task. This also provided consistency in the way activities were run. All I had to do with the activity templates was write in the content I wanted my students to use for that assignment. I could provide four choices of activities for my students that could be ready in less than five minutes! Each one of the templates also included a rubric specific for that assignment but with an equal grading system as all of the other activity templates.

I was pretty proud of what I had created and since they took less than five minutes to include in a lesson plan, I saved a lot of time during planning. My brain wouldn’t shut off though. What about the other sections of a lesson plan? Was there a better way to do those too? Could I create a system for that as well?

After much deliberation I realized that there was a way to differentiated instruction for vocabulary that could be done with templates too. I created a template with three sections; one for the vocabulary word on the left, in the middle was the area for the definition, and on the right side students could choose from drawing a picture to represent the vocabulary word or write a sentence to show understanding. This choice brought in the Multiple Intelligence Theory and student choice.  From there I decided to level it. The enriched level allowed students to write the definition in their own words to provide a bit of critical thinking. The average level allowed students to fill in the blanks of the definition. The basic level provided the full definition. I chose this option for the lower level because I realized that many of them were having trouble just decoding the definitions even in simplified form. This allowed them the time to read and comprehend it and then use it in their choice box on the right.

Unfortunately, there really isn’t a way to systemize the creation of PowerPoints, note sheets and primary sources quickly. However, I have created many for American History for you to download. Most of my PowerPoints have two levels of them; enriched and basic. For each PowerPoint, there are two levels of notes; enriched and basic. The enriched notes allow for more critical thinking and the basic notes allow students to fill in the blanks as they go through the PowerPoint in class. There are many differentiated instruction primary sources available in my social studies differentiated instruction lesson plans as well to help you bring in the common core standards too. You can access my plans at http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Kasha-Mastrodomenico.

To learn more about differentiated instruction, click here.

Written by,

Kasha Mastrodomenico

kasha@socialstudiesdifferentiatedinstruction

www.socialstudiesdifferentiatedinstruction.com

Differentiated Instruction Lesson Plan

Response of labor to Industrialization differentiated instruction lesson plan for middle school social studies

The Response of Labor to Industrialization Differentiated Instruction Lesson Plan and Revised PowerPoint is now available at http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Kasha-Mastrodomenico! I specialize in middle school social studies differentiated instruction. This lesson plan focuses on the NYS 8th grade social studies curriculum and standards.

Social Studies Differentiated Instruction Lesson Plan

The following are the essential questions used in the Response of Labor to Industrialization differentiated instruction lesson plan:

  • Who entered the workforce and what kind of work did they do?
  • How did the roles of workers change?
  • What are unions and how did they work for improvements in the work place?
  • What were the results that the unions achieved?

This differentiated instruction lesson plans starts off with the essential vocabulary as the anticipatory set and includes the following vocabulary words: industrialization, anarchist, labor union, strike, boycotts, closed shop, and yellow-dog contract.  There are three different ability levels of vocabulary sheets. The enriched version allows for more critical thinking by making the students write the definition in their own words. The average version has students filling in the blanks of the definitions. The basic version has the complete definition to allow them to read the definition and then work on step two, which is on all of the versions; write a sentence or draw a picture to show understanding of the vocabulary word.

differentiated instruction vocabulary

There are two different ability levels of the PowerPoint to differentiate instruction; enriched and basic. There is an enriched note sheet that can be used with both PowerPoints. There is also a basic note sheet for each of the PowerPoints. Below are the notes that are in “The Response of Labor to Industrialization” PowerPoint. (Only headings are shown in the preview below.) The different ability leveled note sheets allow some to do more critical thinking and others to focus on the content and then review with a partner after each slide is presented.This provides repetition for students who need it. Choose the level that will work the best for your students or if you have a co-teacher you can parallel teach and use both of them.

 

The Response of Labor to Industrialization

  • Industrialization Created a Larger Workforce and Complex Work
  • Working Conditions Changed and Placed Hardships on the Workers (3 slides)
  • Roots of Modern Labor Unionism (6 slides)
  • Labor as a Reform Movement in Other Aspects of Society

Social Studies Differentiated Instruction

social studies differentiated instruction

social studies differentiated instruction

social studies differentiated instruction

social studies differentiated instruciton

(Above) Basic Note Sheets

social studies differentiated instruction

(Above) Enriched Note Sheets

The activity allows students to choose how they work; individual, partners or groups of four. Make sure that all students work in mixed ability levels unless they are working individually. If you allow lower level students to work individually, you will need to guide them more.The students will create 3 metaphors based on the notes that were provided. These metaphors will summarize the content. Each group should have their own activity sheet to work from. There is a rubric to help you grade. This activity does not use differentiated instruction.

factors of production activity

For the concluding set students will answer the essential questions during a class discussion or have your students write the answers as a ticket out the door.

Written by,

Kasha Mastrodomenico

kasha@socialstudiesdifferentiatedinstruction

www.socialstudiesdifferentiatedinstruction.com

How to bring in the Common Core to Social Studies Classrooms

Don’t freak out, the common core are here to stay. If you have ever used a primary source document in your classroom, you were doing what is now written in the common core. New York State teachers have been using primary source documents in as early as fifth grade for many years now because on the fifth grade state social studies exam, it was expected that students be able to interpret primary source documents and write an essay including the information in them. This is all common core; reading for information, interpretation, and expository writing.

If you teach your students how to read the expository writing in their textbook then you are following the common core. You can use different techniques to do this such as annotating using post-it notes or having them write it in their own words on a separate sheet of paper. What is important to extend to your students is that reading for information is different than reading for enjoyment. When reading for information, it is important for them to stop and think about what they read after each paragraph before they go onto the next. If they don’t remember what they have read, they need to reread the paragraph until they do. Expecting them to write the information in each paragraph or at least each section in their own words will help reiterate this technique.

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Kasha-Mastrodomenico includes the common core by implementing primary sources into their lesson plans. Beyond that, they are leveled for differentiated instruction. I highly recommend my store for anyone who teaches middle school American History.

Written by,
Kasha Mastrodomenico

kasha@socialstudiesdifferentiatedinstruction

www.socialstudiesdifferentiatedinstruction.com

Government Response to Industrialization and Abuses Differentiated Instruction Lesson Plan

Government Response to Industrialization and Abuses Differentiated Instruction Lesson Plan

I am proud to announce the addition of the “Government Response to Industrialization and Abuses” differentiated instruction lesson plan and revised PowerPoint! It follows the NYS 8th grade social studies curriculum. Below is a sneak peek of what is included.

Government Response to Industrialization and Abuses Differentiated Instruction Lesson

 

Table of Contents

  • Lesson Plan  (3-8)
  • 3 Ability Levels of Vocabulary Sheets (9-14)
  • Enriched Note Sheets (15-16)
  • Basic Note Sheets for Enriched PowerPoint  (17-19)
  • Basic Note Sheets for Basic PowerPoint  (20-22)
  • Enriched Economic Activity Sheet  (23)
  • Basic Economic Activity Sheet  (24)
  • Basic Economic Activity Answer Key  (25)
  • Activity Choice Sheet (26)
  • Rap and Dance Activity with Rubric (27-28)
  • News Article Activity with Rubric (29-31)

Grade: middle school

Title of Unit: Industrial Society in the 2nd Half of the 19thCentury

Title of Lesson: Government Response to Industrial Development and Abuses

1. Standards addressed in lesson: You will need to put your state standards here. (NY 4 and 5)

2. Concepts used in lesson: Economic Systems, Factors of Production, Government

3. Materials/supplies needed for lesson: computer, projector, and screen for PowerPoint, vocabulary sheets, note sheets, economic activity sheets, activity choice sheet, rap and dance and news article activity sheets, colors for newspaper drawing

4. Approximate length of lesson: 2 days

5. Multiple Intelligences: linguistic, logical, musical, spatial, kinesthetic, intrapersonal, interpersonal

6. Teaching Strategies Used: anticipatory set, group work, vocabulary taught before lesson, check for understanding, timer, processing time, partner review, concluding set

7. Background Information:

a. yesterday students…

b. Students already know… there are businesses in the US.

8. Essential vocabulary needed: (definitions are included)

(Day 1)

  • Capitalism:
  • Social Darwinism:
  • Laissez-faire:
  • Market Economy:
  • Regulation:
  • Command or Planned Economy:

(Day 2)

  • Mixed Economy:
  • Interstate Commerce:
  • Pooling:
  • Rebates:
  • Kickbacks:
  • Corporation:
  • Trust
  • Monopoly:

9. Essential Questions:

  • What is the difference between laissez-faire and regulation?
  • What type of government regulations were put into effect?
  • What was the purpose of the Sherman Antitrust Act?

10. Anticipatory Set: (Day 1: 12 minutes; Day 2: 16 minutes or less depending on if there was time left over the previous day to do this; if all vocabulary was done the day before just have the students review the vocabulary words for 5 minutes) There are three different ability levels of vocabulary sheets to differentiate instruction. The enriched version allows for more critical thinking by making the students write the definition in their own words. The average version has students filling in the blanks of the definitions. The basic version has the complete definition to allow them to read the definition and then work on step two, which is on all of the versions; write a sentence or draw a picture to show understanding of the vocabulary word. Day One’s activity is short which will allow you to have your students work on the vocabulary that will be used on day 2.

Enriched Version

Enriched Version

Average Version

Average Version

Basic Version

Basic Version

11. Notes: (25 minutes) In order to differentiate instruction there are different ability levels of note sheets. There is an enriched version of the note sheets that work with both of the PowerPoints. There are two basic versions of the note sheets that work with the basic PowerPoint and the enriched PowerPoint. Below are the notes that are in the “Government Response to Industrial Development and Abuses” PowerPoint.  (This preview only includes the headings of the PowerPoint and a view of four of the slides from the enriched version of the PowerPoint as well as pictures of the note sheets.) The different ability leveled note sheets allow some to do more critical thinking and others to focus on the content and then review with a partner after each slide is presented.This provides repetition for students who need it. The notes are separated into two days.

 

Government Response to Industrial Development and Abuses 

Day 1

  • Capitalism
  • Opposition to Capitalism (enriched only)
  • Laissez-faire vs. Regulation

Day 2

  • Interstate Commerce
  • Sherman Antitrust Act: Bigness as a Threat

·pp cover

Capitalism Differentiated Instruction PowerPoint

Laissez-faire vs. Regulation Differentiated Instruction PowerPoint

Interstate Commerce Differentiated Instruction PowerPoint

Basic Note Sheets

Basic Note Sheets

Enriched Note Sheets

Enriched Note Sheets

12. Differentiated Instruction Activities:

Day 1: (15-20 minutes)The economic systems activity should be done after the laissez-faire vs. regulation slide of the PowerPoint.There are two different ability levels of the economic activity sheet to differentiate instruction. The enriched sheet allows for more critical thinking. The basic sheet is more for repetition and identification of the different types of economies.You can allow your students to work individually, with a partner or with a small group. You will need to make sure that if they are partnered or grouped, each member in the group has the same ability level sheet.

Left: Enriched/ Right: Basic

Left: Enriched/ Right: Basic

Day 2: (35-40 minutes)Use the activity choice sheet the day before you plan on doing the activity. Students will be allowed to choose to create either a rap and dance or a newspaper article. These options are based on the Multiple Intelligence Theory to differentiate instruction. The rap and dance must be done in a group. The newspaper article may be done individually, with a partner or in a group with no more than 4 people. Using the activity choice sheet the day before will allow you to run off enough copies of each activity and group appropriately. It is recommended you group using mixed ability levels.

It is important that you check the rap before the performance to make sure there is nothing vulgar in it. Sometimes students hear the word “rap” and immediately think they are on MTV and don’t think they will get in trouble for vulgarity even though it states in the activity that it will not be accepted.

Student Activity Choice Sheet

Student Activity Choice Sheet

Rap and Dance Activity with Rubric

Rap and Dance Activity with Rubric

News Article Activity with Rubric

News Article Activity with Rubric

13. Concluding Set: Answer the essential questions during a class discussion or have students write down their answers as a ticket out the door.

14. Evaluation: There is an answer key for the economic activity for the basic version. No answer sheet is available for the enriched version because answers will vary. There are rubrics for both the newspaper article and the rap and dance activities.

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Kasha-Mastrodomenico offers this differentiated instruction lesson plan (soon) and much more. Our site specializes in middle school social studies differentiated instruction. Check out what we offer by visiting our site!

Written by,

Kasha Mastrodomenico

kasha@socialstudiesdifferentiatedinstruction

www.socialstudiesdifferentiatedinstruction.com