#sschat is a network of educators, resources, and ideas that started on Twitter, but has expanded to Facebook, an annual NCSS unconference, and more. Join us to chat asynchronously on Twitter or Facebook, or chat with us live on Mondays from 7-8pm EST.
Welcome, all, to "Are You Ready for Constitution Day?" By the end of this #sschat, you should have loads of ideas! Please introduce yourself, and tell us where you teach and what subjects.
#sschat Hi everyone! My name is Sarah, and I'm currently a college student at Indiana University. I'm studying to be a high school history teacher, so I'm here to learn some new ideas!
Welcome, all, to "Are You Ready for Constitution Day?" By the end of this #sschat, you should have loads of ideas! Please introduce yourself, and tell us where you teach and what subjects.
Hi, I am a pre-service teacher and master's student at William and Mary. I am working with a cooperating teacher who teaches four sections of 6th grade American history to 1865; I will be teaching some of her sections in the spring. #sschat
Q1: Let's get started! What are your favorite resources for teaching about the Constitution? Hint: Check out our Teacher Toolkit! https://t.co/V6aODtkHWN#sschat
Show students the Constitution on DocsTeach. Find digital images of the original, a transcript & several online teaching activities about its Big Ideas, checks & balances, Congress, how it forms the basis for our Government’s actions, & more. #sschat#ConstitutionDay#renewcivics
I am a student at Indiana University in the School of Education. I find history and social studies to be a very interesting topic and would like to learn some different ways to approach the subject. #sschat
Hi everyone! My name is Melissa and I am a middle school humanities teacher in north central Massachusetts. This year I am teaching the new 8th grade civics standards as well as English #sschat
Welcome, all, to "Are You Ready for Constitution Day?" By the end of this #sschat, you should have loads of ideas! Please introduce yourself, and tell us where you teach and what subjects.
A1: So far I have liked reading through sources on the @ZinnEdProject site. Some do a good job of discussing those who were represented in the Constitution at the time it was written #sschat#ssvpln
A1: I am not a teacher yet, so I have no experience teaching about the constitution. However, I do think all students should learn about the constitution and its creation in their history classes. #sschat
I love connecting to specific current events. My students and I streamed the Kavanugh confirmation hearings last week. They were completely fascinated. #sschat
Hi everyone! I'm Michael Zelnik, and I'm a graduate students in the @OhioState Masters of Education program for Integrated Social Studies (7-12th grade). I'm currently student teaching American History and Humanities in Columbus City Schools. #sschat#ssvpln
I start with the text of the Constitution. Sometimes James Madison and co. just say it best. I want students to know that all the rules and procedures we mention are rooted in the actual text. #sschat
#sschat#sschat A1: In my history classes, it helped to read the Constitution as a class and slowly break apart the sentences to see what the Founders meant
Welcome, all, to "Are You Ready for Constitution Day?" By the end of this #sschat, you should have loads of ideas! Please introduce yourself, and tell us where you teach and what subjects.
A1: I love the @icivics LPs on the Constitution, but there’s also an amazing set of activities that asks students to count the words in each section & analyze it statistically #sschat#icivicsEdnet
Q1: Let's get started! What are your favorite resources for teaching about the Constitution? Hint: Check out our Teacher Toolkit! https://t.co/V6aODtkHWN#sschat
The way I would teach the Constitution to my students would be to tie current issues to the Constitution and have a discussion interpreting how the Constitution relates to the current issues. #sschat
A1: I think the Zinn Project has some great resources to teach the Constitution. I also like to do a Constitutional Convention with my students and have them take on the persona of one of the signers to get this document signed. #sschat
I really enjoy this Teacher Toolkit you have shared! I plan to look into this more because I think the resources listed could be very useful in structuring meaningful content! I also really enjoy using PBS Learning Media when teaching topics within civics #sschat#CCED336
A1: I like to start with the Magna Carta, then the Enlightenment--one of my fav. lessons are the founder's library books from the @ConstitutionCtr#sschat
Joe Schmidt - social studies specialist Maine. Former HS govt teacher and current member of the @iCivics#icivicsednet Also co-founder of #socstudme and hosted our chat on 9/6 about #ConstitutionDay Check us out the 1st Thurs of every month. #sschat
Welcome, all, to "Are You Ready for Constitution Day?" By the end of this #sschat, you should have loads of ideas! Please introduce yourself, and tell us where you teach and what subjects.
A1. I enjoyed analyzing the Federalist and Anti-Federalist debates about the Constitution. I feel like you have to understand that ideological conflict to understand the Bill of Rights and the rest of the document. #sschat#ssvpln
Had a fun lesson the other day with Reconstruction amendments that could be applied to a variety of topics. Ss summarize each amend, create 4 pics - 1 word slide, and a meme. We will use their 4 pics - 1 word to play a review game. #sschat
A1 I think that a good way to start when covering the Constitution is to have students break down the Bill of Rights and try to dig into the reasons why the individual amendments were created. #sschat#ssvpln
I made a 'marketing the Bill of Rights" game where students learn about and try to market individual amendments. It was based on an improv game. #sschathttps://t.co/RYeK9cCHQf
#sschat Hi there, my name is Patrick Ernst, and I am from Franciscan University of Steubenville in Steubenville, OH. I am a junior studying History and Education.
Give groups segments of texts to share back their findings to the rest of the class. Differentiated groups, different parts of the text/assistance with the text. #sschat#edchat
A2 For Ss struggling w/ concepts & the wording, can combine it w/ visual through this graphic novel adaptation of the US Constitution https://t.co/0TV0IKR6Np#sschat
A2: While I haven't had the opportunity to teach the Constitution yet as a pre-service teacher, I believe that role play or acting out certain parts of the Constitutional Convention and allowing Ss to act as certain figures could be a way to get Ss engaged #sschat#ssvpln
A2: I love to incorporate math in the Constitution--esp. when we look at the distribution of the electoral votes and the 3/5s compromise. The kids are blown away when they see just how powerful the south became as a result of that. #sschat#apgov#hsgovchat
A2: I had a student teacher that did a wonderful activity for Ss tryihng to understand constitutional principles. She used the game "headbands" where Ss had to give clues without saying the word while their partner guessed. #sschat
For concepts that are harder to teach, role play and dramatic play can be very useful for younger students. It’s all about making the content meaningful for the experiences that these younger students have had! Draw on as much previous knowledge as possible. #sschat#CCED336
A2: I haven't taught younger students but when my students are struggling with the constitution I have them break it down and create a children's book about it. #sschat
I made a 'marketing the Bill of Rights" game where students learn about and try to market individual amendments. It was based on an improv game. #sschathttps://t.co/RYeK9cCHQf
A2: Choosing key vocabulary words can be a good start, e.g. rights, powers, compromise. Also, I've found it effective to reword constitutional phrases into today's language.
#sschathttps://t.co/3v3OyMWFxk
Love this idea of cross content learning! Doing it this way not only makes it more tangible for students, but also gets students who are more mathematically minded involved! #sschat
Yes!! I have my 8th gr. Ss write "plays" to teach "how a bill becomes a law" - westerns, musicals, rap battles, romantic comedies, I've had it all and they LOVE it #sschat
A2 I think especially with younger students you need to relate things as much as possible to their everyday lives because otherwise the ideas will not sink in. #sschat#ssvpln
A2. I would have to agree with with @_Miss_K__. Younger kids might benefit from acting out the creation of the Constitution. This would allow teachers to explain each side of the debate and allow their peers to make an argument for the side they are given. #sschat#ssvpln.
Yes!! I have my 8th gr. Ss write "plays" to teach "how a bill becomes a law" - westerns, musicals, rap battles, romantic comedies, I've had it all and they LOVE it #sschat
Yes!! I have my 8th gr. Ss write "plays" to teach "how a bill becomes a law" - westerns, musicals, rap battles, romantic comedies, I've had it all and they LOVE it #sschat
Four new Library of Congress funded civics interactives/apps: https://t.co/vNvbRJAhve (one from our host @iCivics) for #sschat. Some include Constitution.
My favorite last year - "Pass it like a law" #sschat Rap battle in conference committee! It was a special moment as a teacher. I hope my former student sees this!
One time I made "How a Bill Becomes a Law: The Board Game." My students agreed that it was a step in the wrong direction and did not particularly enjoy playing it (I made it very very difficult). #sschat
A3: I find the https://t.co/nstWvft4gV website pretty helpful. If it is too wordy, however, there are a lot of websites that break it down further #sschat
https://t.co/U5ywfmygHF is my go-to! My government teacher in high school showed me this website and it is by far the best one I've found regarding the Supreme Court and the judicial branch
#sschat
A favorite video is Chief Justice Roberts discussing how the Supreme Court works with high school students. He gives some behind the scenes info. https://t.co/339WkHPwTZ#sschat
A3: I typically use https://t.co/69cxy0ZOXn and have my students do stations with court cases. I also like doing mock trials and we go through the process together #sschat
A3: My goal as a social studies teacher will be to use past Supreme Court cases to show the far-reaching effects of decisions made by justices, like Justice Taney in the Dred Scott decision #sschat
A3. For #SCOTUS coverages recommend:
-SupremeCourt Nominations lesson plan
-Judicial Branch in A Flash lesson plan
-Judicial Branch Curriculum Unit
-Supreme Decision game
-The SUPREME in Supreme Decision lesson plan
#sschat 👩⚖️👨⚖️
"I am privileged to represent 130 million people with pre-existing conditions today, and I am grateful for the invitation to testify before you," 13-year-old Jackson Corbin tells the @senjudiciary Committee.
Q4: How do you teach controversial current events related to the Constitution, such as free speech (Colin Kaepernick) and have a civil discussion? CRN offers a list of resources.
https://t.co/LBlSOVBaJy#sschat
A3. I would say textbooks, but that's how I was taught. Kids today might benefit from videos explaining and breaking down this branch of the government. I think Khan Academy might be a good resource if you want a lot of detail. https://t.co/VmrtwSBNR5#ssvpln#sschat
A3: I taught Colin Kaepernick last year, and the students had a great discussion regarding First Amendment but also the value and meaning of the American flag. #sschat
A4: we set civil discourse rules at the beginning of the semester - no name calling, debate opinions not people, be able to back up your opinions with EVIDENCE, leave the room friends, etc. #sschat
Q4: It's important to set ground rules with your students. Encourage them to have an open mind and if they disagree to do so in a respectful manner #sschat
A4: In my high school class we were expected to be civil and were told to root our arguments in the constitution, court cases, or other documents. This worked well for me and was very informative. #sschat
A4: I find it rather easy. Usually my students bring up the stories and I just try to avoid taking a stance personally. I always love playing devil's advocate, so it leads to a lot of fantastic conversations #sschat
Q4: How do you teach controversial current events related to the Constitution, such as free speech (Colin Kaepernick) and have a civil discussion? CRN offers a list of resources.
https://t.co/LBlSOVBaJy#sschat
A3: I also like teaching some of the 5-4 decisions. Texas v. Johnson (flag-burning), for example, to get students thinking on how hard it is to decide these cases. So much personal and judicial conflicts. #sschat
A4: I think setting standards for good citizenship is always important for classroom discussion. If a student needs to resort to name calling or ad hominem attacks to back their argument that should not be allowed to engage in that discussion. #sschat
A4: I do a lot of seminars with my students. Before we do this however, we discuss appropriate and innappropriate discussion techniques and conflict management. We also as a class create a social contract which address how they want to be treated by each other #sschat
Doing this prepares students for real situations in life where they face opposition. This teaches them not to attack the person, as so many do in our society today #sschat
Hello everyone! My name is Jacob Thorington and I teach Economics and Personal Finance at Dearborn High School in Dearborn, Michigan. This is my second year teaching and I am ready to learn! #sschat
A4: I think it's important for Ss to know the basics of free speech: what is protected and what isn't. Then, a case like Tinker has proven to be a good jumping off place to move to current issues of free speech. #sschathttps://t.co/SiSYnSaNd4
Q4: How do you teach controversial current events related to the Constitution, such as free speech (Colin Kaepernick) and have a civil discussion? CRN offers a list of resources.
https://t.co/LBlSOVBaJy#sschat
A4 I feel that the best way to teach controversial topics is to make sure you have ground rules set up for class discussion. You could possibly use this opportunity in the first week of class for you along with your students to write a class Constitution. #sschat#ssvpln
A4: you set clear rules regarding respect. I feel like fish bowl could be a great format for these discussions. Some students may not be as willing to discuss out loud so having a discussion thread could be effective. I would also allow students to prepare #sschat#ssvpln
A4A Divide class into table groups of 4. Give student A at each table 1 minute to give their POV & defend it w/ source(s) to their table group. Then student B gets 1 min & must to do same + responding to what student A stated, then student C goes, etc. (cont. on A4B)... #sschat
A1: Does anyone have any suggestions for teaching controversial events in an elementary classroom? I think certain topics are important to address, but can be difficult to address effectively with younger students #sschat#CCED336
A4B Helps w/ listening skills, teaching students to use sources, & allows teacher to know who is speaking at each table at all times, because only 1 student per table is speaking for each 1 minute time #sschat
A4: also use backchannels for those more shy Ss. Sometimes the best discussions take place in silence. I’ve also done a silent debate that is ALL backchannels - it’s amazing what they come up with when they don’t have to have an immediate response! #sschat
Q4: It's important to set ground rules with your students. Encourage them to have an open mind and if they disagree to do so in a respectful manner #sschat
A4: Does anyone have any suggestions for teaching controversial current events in an elementary classroom? Certain events can be very important to address, but can be difficult to discuss effectively with younger students #sschat#CCED336
Q4: I use parliamentary procedure to structure discussion and preparation documents are always taken from multiple perspectives. The best bet is to stick to policy debate as much as possible. #sschat
Check out the Constitutional Rights Foundation website. They have resources on civil conversation for the younger students, or you can find them on https://t.co/iEsvcW678z#sschat
A4 May I say that my esteemed colleague @dmfouts has a great blog https://t.co/AdHqYXPsse that poses big questions around current and controvesial issue topics #sschat
A4: You had to provide structure and also build an atmosphere of trust within your classroom students should feel free to speak openly and honestly about their opinions as long as they can support their claim with evidence.
A4: You had to provide structure and also build an atmosphere of trust within your classroom students should feel free to speak openly and honestly about their opinions as long as they can support their claim with evidence. #sschat
Q4: How do you teach controversial current events related to the Constitution, such as free speech (Colin Kaepernick) and have a civil discussion? CRN offers a list of resources.
https://t.co/LBlSOVBaJy#sschat
#sschat Jumping in late. Encourage everyone to checkout resources at @NewsHourExtra. @vicpasquantonio and her staff do a great job introducing new ideas/resources for teachers.
Check out the Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago website for civil conversation resources for the younger students, or find them on https://t.co/iEsvcW678z#sschat
A4. I would start with teaching basic Constitutional rights and then work towards these situations. Much like what everyone else is saying, ground rules should be set so all opinions are respected, and maybe move into a discussion to hear student voices. #sschat#ssvpln
A4 - have been pushing teachers lately to get more "controversy" into their classroom. Have had a lot of success using structured academic controversies. A lot of support by Diana Hess & Paula McAvoy @UWMadison#sschat check out an example - https://t.co/HGKq3dkZY3
Q4: How do you teach controversial current events related to the Constitution, such as free speech (Colin Kaepernick) and have a civil discussion? CRN offers a list of resources.
https://t.co/LBlSOVBaJy#sschat
A5: Schoolhouse Rock Preamble Song! We watch it every year and I encourage my juniors to sing it in the halls and their other classes so EVERYONE has it stuck in their head all day! #earworm#sschat
"Do I have a right?" Game-based learning from @iCivics. Good for ELL. https://t.co/mNQbzBXrmj I think I saw something about an upcoming webinar? #sschat
A4:
1. Articles of the month with text-dependent questions
2. Debates
3. Socratic seminars
4. Guest speakers
All to provide a space for student voice and foster critical thinking.
#sschat
Q4: How do you teach controversial current events related to the Constitution, such as free speech (Colin Kaepernick) and have a civil discussion? CRN offers a list of resources.
https://t.co/LBlSOVBaJy#sschat
To celebrate Constitution Day, I often berate the Articles of Confederation before erecting a liberty pole and reading my favorite articles from the Constitution. #sschat
A5: I love to read the constitution and imagine with students what it would be like if certain parts of the constitution were not the same, such as the Bill of Rights #sschat
I love this idea! It's so simple and so perfect! And so easy with @icivics classroom control functions where you can assign students to play a game and see how they did! #sschat Right #iCivicsednet?
"Do I have a right?" Game-based learning from @iCivics. Good for ELL. https://t.co/mNQbzBXrmj I think I saw something about an upcoming webinar? #sschat
I agree that ground rules need to be set before a discussion even begins! I also think it is important that the teacher has established a safe learning environment and that the students know that their opinions and words will be valued in the discussion. #sschat#CCED336
A5. I think having students draft a modern day Constitution would be interesting. It would give them a chance to apply what they've learned as well as a chance to voice their opinions about modern society. Another activity could be a Quizlet Live competitions. #ssvpln#sschat
A5 When was HS teacher I used to have my Ss name the 5 family members of Simpsons. Usually aced that. Then Ss have to name their 1st Amendment rights. 99% of time Ss didn't do nearly as well. Then gave Ss mnemonic device to remember & tested later in year & much better #sschat
Q4: How do you teach controversial current events related to the Constitution, such as free speech (Colin Kaepernick) and have a civil discussion? CRN offers a list of resources.
https://t.co/LBlSOVBaJy#sschat
A4:
1. Articles of the month with text-dependent questions
2. Debates
3. Socratic seminars
4. Guest speakers
All to provide a space for student voice and foster critical thinking.
#sschat
Q4: How do you teach controversial current events related to the Constitution, such as free speech (Colin Kaepernick) and have a civil discussion? CRN offers a list of resources.
https://t.co/LBlSOVBaJy#sschat
I would also recommend creating a digital space for students who feel shy about voicing their opinion out-loud. My Social Studies Methods class did a fishbowl with a verbal discussion inside while the outside group participated in a Twitter chat. @OSUSocStudies#ssvpln#sschat
In reply to
@StrelowHannah, @CivicsRenewal, @OSUSocStudies
I agree! The best way to establish a safe learning environment is to have your students create some of the rules for your classroom at the very beginning of the year; I love calling it a class constitution though! #sschat#CCED336
That sounds right. I remember when I did that in class I always referenced somewhere when sharing stats w/ students, but its been awhile since I was in HS classroom now #sschat
Sounds cool. I know that some students are not on (or are on but private) Twitter. I used to use TodaysMeet for a backchannel. Now, I don't have an alternative! #sschat
In reply to
@mhzelnik53, @StrelowHannah, @CivicsRenewal, @OSUSocStudies
I think this is super important, with technology becoming more and more available in schools, taking conversations digital can give students who are afraid to speak up another avenue to have a voice! #sschat
I would also recommend creating a digital space for students who feel shy about voicing their opinion out-loud. My Social Studies Methods class did a fishbowl with a verbal discussion inside while the outside group participated in a Twitter chat. @OSUSocStudies#ssvpln#sschat
In reply to
@StrelowHannah, @CivicsRenewal, @OSUSocStudies
A6: I would always encourage students to keep up with current events by looking at reliable news sources, and watch debates and keep track of campaigns if an election is approaching (even if they can't vote) so they stay informed. #sschat
You could even challenge the kids to write their own song if you wanted, although that might put-off some kids who don't want to be that outgoing. #ssvpln#sschat
Q6: one of my professors this summer had us write - and actually submit - op-eds to newspapers. Before that I never thought I had the expertise to write one. I would like to assign op-eds for students to realize they have a voice! #sschat
Let's help our students to be "Justice-Oriented Citizens". The final step of the IDM, taking our students from being thermometers to thermostats. @SocStdHI@daneels_m
