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G. JAMES GHOLSON MIDDLE SCHOOLPRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY

MARYLAND

STACY PRICEELLEN SLOBODNIK

CAITLIN THOMPSON

C3 and Project-Based Learning in Middle School

About the Dream Team

Caitlin Thompson 3rd year 7th grade World Cultures teacher Masters in Adolescent Social Studies Education- Binghamton

University, New York Undergraduate Degree in Political Science, Women’s and Gender

Studies, and Sociology- Rutgers University, New Jersey Ellen Slobodnik

3rd year 7th grade World Cultures teacher Masters in Secondary Social Studies Education- University of

Maryland, Maryland Undergraduate Degree in History and Government- University of

Maryland, MarylandStacy Price

5th year World Cultures & U.S. History Teacher Department Chair JD from Campbell University Undergraduate Degree in English- University of Maryland

The G

G. James Gholson Middle School Turn-Around School

7th Grade World Cultures and Geography Eastern Hemisphere

Teach ALL Levels of Students Intensive, CoTaught, ESOL/ELL, General Education,

Honors

Demographics

Problem

Out dated curriculumClueless administrationCommon Core that no one understandsC3, which is brand newSLO’s Students that were never truly exposed to

Social Studies in Elementary School Time Constraints Students with low reading ability

Solution

How do we solve all of these problems?

CollaborationGoogle DocsUBD Training from Grant Wiggins

Transfer Goal!!Awesome StudentsTrying NEW Things Project-Based Learning

Transfer Goal

Transfer Goal= real life skill + historical content parallels

Our Course Transfer Goal: Students in 7th grade will learn what makes a successful

civilization in order to change or influence their own civilization (community to world)

Our Unit Transfer Goal: Based on the physical, structural, economic, and cultures

elements of a successful civilization students will create a solution to help solve issues for a current country in turmoil (2013-14 Syria)

Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (2011). The Understanding by Design Gide to Creating High-Quality Units.

Explore the C3

How do we integrate the C3 into an outdated curriculum?

Units based in content in Curriculum

1st Half= history or “traditional” content

2nd Half= Current Events Background Information

Assessment= Real Life Application

From Mesopotamia to Syria

We had just got done teaching about Ancient Mesopotamia and how it was a successful civilization

We switched gears to discuss a non-successful civilization in the Middle East 2013-2014 focus was on Syria and the Syrian

Revolution and the Arab Spring

Project Outline

Arab SpringSyrian Revolution Introduction9 Questions about Syria and Gallery WalkWebQuestLetter to Obama

Writing Lessons

Project Timeline: 4-5 Weeks (A/B Day)

Gallery Walk

9 Questions about Syria

Each group of students was given a question and they had to create a poster that answered the question using details and evidence from the article

Then students performed a Gallery Walk to peer review the work as well as learn information about Syria

WebQuest

BBC.com http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-

19331551

WebQuest was done individually (honors) as well as a whole class (gen-ed, CoTaught, ESOL)

Students were given a packet with analysis questions to help guide them through the WebQuest

Letter to Obama

Students were then given the task to write a letter to Obama explaining what action they think the United States should take

How to Write A ParagraphHow to Write a Persuasive LetterLetter TemplateHand Write Rough DraftPeer EditFinal Copy (Hand Written or Typed)

Student Samples

Posted around the room are Student SamplesYou will do a Gallery Walk and observe the

Student Samples

With the people around you, read and discuss what “level” you think the paper belongs to Honors, ESOL, Gen-Ed, CoTaught

Think about how you could modify this for your classroom and your students

Discussion

How could this be adapted to your class?What additional support do you think you

could have provided?What other topics could you do a project like

this on?What else could we have done?Could this fit into your curriculum?

Plus/Deltas

Delta: actually send letter (kids still ask us about the response)

Plus: Full engagement (kids still ask about Syria)

Thank you for attending this session about the College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework

for Social Studies State Standards!

TO ASSIST NCSS WITH FUTURE PLANNING FOR IMPLEMENTING

THE C3 FRAMEWORK, WE INVITE YOU TO COMPLETE A SHORT

SURVEY AT

HTTPS://WWW.SURVEYMONKEY.

COM/S/XV2RQFW Thank you!

Kimberly Heckart, Michelle Herczog, and Susan Griffin

National Council for the Social Studies