We are back from Winter Break and full swing into the wonderful world of 3rd grade! We are also… tired. But isn’t everyone? That tiredness though, and the adjustment period back into school routines, means that we (teachers and students alike) might bump into a few more dilemmas throughout our days. It happens! It is part of being human, and because we try to be … Continue reading Probletunities!
It’s December and already the chill in the air makes us yearn for books, fires, and cozy spaces to sleep!* The alarm of a teacher who is feeling this tired when it is only December is real. The exhaustion of our profession, as well as keeping up with our own lives, and the news, has taken a toll on many of us. Nevertheless, we know … Continue reading How to Refresh & Incorporate Pluralism/Social Justice in 5 Easy Steps
When teaching geography (and every subject) we need diverse voices. We need to push back against dominant narratives that amplify some perspectives (usually of those in power) and erase or ignore others. With this in mind, my co-teacher and I created a new activity to shed light on who we focus on and where they tend to be from. We hoped to encourage students to … Continue reading What Continent Do You Think They Are From? Drawing Humans to Reveal Internalized Bias
As we dive into Geography Awareness Week, I start with the reminder to all social studies teachers: social studies is more than just history. It’s economics, psychology, civics, and most importantly (yes, I’m biased) GEOGRAPHY. If you skip out on geography most weeks, make sure that this week you find some time to work it into your plans. This year’s Geography Awareness Week theme is “The … Continue reading Three Ways to Teach Civil Rights Through Geography
By Koen Timmers As a student, I frequently learned via boring textbooks about certain subjects, and I remember very little about those topics since I didn’t make any emotional connection and thus wasn’t engaged. As an educator, I decided to do things differently and welcomed students across six continents to focus on climate change and exchange thoughts. The result? The Climate Action Project! Collaboration is … Continue reading Climate Action: 250 Schools, 69 Countries Focusing on Climate Change
