The First Step Back in Time: Ancient China

Today is the day, Mike and I got to teach our Ancient China lesson to the students.  It was a whirlwind of activities, but it was a great learning experience.  Within a hour and a half time period we taught three different lessons to a great group of students.  The hour and a half was broken into three parts: direct, inquiry, and cooperative.  Within those parts we explored Ancient China in many different ways. Being the first group to present I had no idea what to expect.  Overall we did a good job of being prepared with our materials, staying on topic, and keeping the students focused on the lesson.  Some of the things that went well in the lesson today were the fact that the three lessons were engaging and they flowed very well.  The topics built on each other which helped the students stay focused.  I think the four square game we made up for our direct lesson was very interesting.  The lesson was not perfect, but that's why we are here.  In the direct lesson we could have kept a faster pace, have students repeat key points, and ask review questions at the end of each grouping.  In the inquiry lesson we needed to ask what and how a historian collects their data, have students elaborate on the topics, and have students report their findings and conclusion to the class.  In the cooperative lesson we were running out of time.  We needed to teach ThingLink in more depth, make a point of how to work in groups, and we did not have time for an exit ticket.  Going first was a great learning experiences for me. Not knowing what to expect had me a little rattled, but it helped me be over prepared and kept me focused.  
 
Direct Instruction Lesson:


The direct lesson plan focused on the four parts of civilization: Geography, Religion, Culture, and Government. In geography we focused on where China is located, China natural barriers (the Pacific Ocean and Himalaya Mountains), and the Huang He/Yellow River.  We also focused on why the Huang He River was important to the Ancient Chinese people.  In religion we focused on Confucius and some of the main points of Confucius teachings.  In culture we focused on the Ancient Chinese family structure.  In government we focused on Shang and Qin Dynasties.   

Inquiry Instruction Lesson:

The inquiry lesson plan focused on the students exploring the Great Wall of China.  The students were presented with this statement "People are conflicted about the Great Wall of China." There question was "Was the Great Wall of China a good invention?"  The students were then given resource to help them come to their conclusion.  There were articles and videos for the students to go through to collect information.  The resource were: Religion of Ancient China, Ancient China for Kids: The Great Wall of China, When, Why, and Who Built the Great Wall of China, Infographic about the Great Wall of China, What Makes the Great Wall of China so Extraordinary, and Deconstructing History-The Great Wall of China. When the students were done with their research they had to come to a conclusion based on the question they were given.  

Cooperative Instruction Lesson:

Group 1's ThingLink

The cooperative lesson plan focused on the student working in groups to create a ThingLink.  ThingLink is an online site that lets you create interactive posters on anything.  Using the information the students had already learned in the previous two lessons and extra resources, the students were to work in groups to create a ThingLink.  The ThingLink was to have 2 facts on geography, religion, culture, government and 2 places to visit. When the students were done creating their ThingLink they would present it to the rest of the class.