Feedback on lessons

[Rob_Hugo@PortNW]

I was curious as to feedback people had on their lessons.

I have to say it was great running into my 6th graders from last year (who are now in Betse's 7th grade class) referencing the historical sites they saw in her pictures in casual conversation.
Just hearing them throw out different sites like the great wall, the terra cotta soldiers and talking about temples they saw, showed me how the realia and deeper knowledge that Betse brought back helped the students get a more thorough understanding of the material.
I don't think I have ever had any other student come back to tell me what they were learning in their 7tht grade history class, at least not without me prying it out of them.
They were so comfortable talking about certain aspects of China and Japan. They were the ones initiating the conversations.
I think seeing their teachers taking pictures in front of the very things they were learning about really brought it to life for them. It was much easier for them to relate to.

As for my own students, I was also excited to pass around the realia and pictures I brought back from China.
It was great to show them pieces of Jade when discussing the Shang dynasty.
They also really got a kick out of the autographed book I got from the farmer who found the terra cotta tombs.
Many of the students actually offered money to buy it from me! hahaha
I even got a bid for $1,000 : )
Some of the students also told me that the Great Wall looked different in the picture than what they imagined.

In addition I had the class do an analysis on Qin, and the type of leader he was.
I know that because of the experience I had in China, as well as the materials I brought back with me, I was able to develop a better discussion in class, which led them into their papers.

We also discussed cultural differences. I told them about the dinner I had with the Chinese family, and they asked me many of the same questions I asked the family.
That led into a discussion of the similarities and differences of the two countries, and also in which direction they thought education should go.

Teaching about China was definitely different this year than any other year. These are just a few quick highlights, but I could go on and on about it.

As they say you can read about something, but experiencing it, is understanding it on a completely different level.

[clay dube]

Kristina,

Thanks for this wonderful feedback on not just your efforts but also Betse's!

[Anonymous]

I was able to cover half of what I planned for my original unit, due to time constraints. Hopefully this will not be an issue in the future, as my school is discussing a new school calendar starting in August!

Student and class discussions were very fruitful, but what added a dimension to the lessons, of which I lacked in the past, were the slides of Japan, the blogs of the NTCA participants, and my personal accounts of our trip. My students were struck by the Peace Museum, the resulting effects of the atomic bomb, and the memorials for Peace. I also showed them the video: A Mother's Prayer, which I purchased from the museum. This is one of the best video's of Hiroshima. The slides of the Museum and the video added evidence to the debate the students' engaged in--Whether or not the bomb should have been dropped. It was a very spirited debate.

In regards to China, the students enjoyed pictures of us "attempting" to climb the Great Wall of China. They also commented on how it seemed different than other pictures they had seen. Students seem most interested in the current culture in China. They want to know what the schools are like and how other teenagers in China live. They were very interested to hear of my experience with the Kindergarten class and the visit with the family. (They were very amused to hear that the teenage boy in our family was texting his friends at the dinner table.) They also were very interested in the little red books I purchased in China. I am working on a unit covering China. I worked on a unit for Hiroshima for NCTA, but would like to start work on China to encorporate slides, our blogs, and my personal experiences from the trip.

There are still things I need to tweak in my unit. I feel that it will be better next year. Our trip really added depth and dimension to lesson on Hiroshima.

[Edit by="hpenrod on Jul 20, 12:06:06 PM"][/Edit]
[Edit by="hpenrod on Jul 20, 12:08:14 PM"][/Edit]

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