What is History?

[bookaddict88]

So, things are finally starting to settle down in my second year of teaching. This is going to be a crazy week, as one of the sixth grade teachers is going to be moving down to fifth grade, but at least that means we'll have smaller classes (Currently I have two classes of around 30. With the third teacher, it will be three classes of around 20).

Comments

[3rdragon]

Those are simultaneously amazing and distressing.

[bookaddict88]

They are! Though it's the quality of the writing in the "paragraphs" that distresses me more than the knowledge of history. Up to this point, they haven't had a whole lot of history in the curriculum, but fifth graders should be writing better than my students are. But since it's not a tested subject until fifth grade, it mostly gets thrown by the wayside. So we certainly have a lot to cover, but it is pretty amazing to see how much they can learn and grow in just a year!

[asakiyume]

Awww! Some of those are almost poetic, and they all have a hint of truth in them (though I'm worried about World War III, and I don't know who The Cristiffer was).

I like the details. The Smithsonian. How people washed clothes :-)

...

But yeah, you have your work cut out for you, I'd say.

[bookaddict88]

They are great, aren't they? And definitely some truth in each; I particularly liked the philosophical "just like you are going to be in the past".

(I'm thinking The Cristiffer is meant to be Christopher Colombus.)

[j_cheney]

I'm still wondering about the Cristiffer, too...

[asakiyume]

Can I share on my blog (referring people back to yours, of course)?

[bookaddict88]

Of course! :)

[asakiyume]

Thank you! The entry is up now.

[sartorias]

Hey, they are trying to think!

[bookaddict88]

They are! I had several students whose answers were blank, or left off after "History is", but most of them did put some thought into their answer.