Effective Social Studies Lessons

After viewing a video on how to assess students, I learned different ways to assess students.  The amazing thing about assessments is that the students don't even have to know they are being assessed!

Essential Questions: 

1) How do we know students are learning?

2) How do we know our teaching is effective?   

Teacher #1

In the first clip, the teacher began by asking the students how bread gets to the store.

Then, she asked if there is a lot of bread of a small amount of bread.

Afterwards, she connected their plant lesson and asked what plants need to live and grow and what humans need to grow and live.

Mrs. Gonzalez made a chart of needs and wants and then had the students make their own charts.

She is modeling how to do the assignment by making her own chart.  

While students were working, she walked around to check their progress.  

Then, the teacher had students present their charts to the class.

The teacher did not make it noticeable that she was assessing the students.

She used questioning and activated prior knowledge to engage students.

The chart was a formal assessment.  

The students were constructing knowledge together and sharing their knowledge.  

Teacher #2

Mr. Rubio also effectively assessed his students.

He began by questioning his class.

He had the students come up with what they wanted to learn because he wanted to have them research what was important to them.  

They had to make a 5-10 minute presentation including a drawing, a poster, a writing, and a model of their choice.  

He also said they could make iMovies if they wanted.  

This group decided to make the movie!

While the students were presenting, the teacher asked them questions to receive feedback.

Students learned how to develop research questions and how to research.

This was a cooperative based research project.  

I think that both the assessments were great!  I think that both teachers developed skills that were necessary during that grade level.  The chart was effective for younger students and the research was effective for a 4th grade class.