Learning is: Allowing Students to Make Connections to Ancient Civilizations
Visit Mr McDonald’s grade 6/7 class in Surrey, British Columbia Canada. This month, they allowed our Discovery Education Community to join them in their study of Ancient Civilizations and specifically Mesopotamia.
The Big Idea
Mr McDonald introduced his students to Ancient Civilization using this video from Discovery Education (US link) While this is a full video, Mr McDonald paused the video at various points and incorporated several Spotlight on Strategies (SOS) to engage students in deeper thinking and brainstorming. Mr McDonald has been “mashing up” SOS in many lessons in attempts to connect with all learners
Step Inside
Learn more by stepping into a 360-degree view of Mr McDonald’s classroom. Here are tips to maximize the experience:
- After launching the 360-degree image, spin your view to find the pin that reads Begin Here. Play the embedded video to meet Mr McDonald as he welcomes you to her classroom.
- Follow the pins in numerical order. Each numbered pin contains an embedded video or image or audio clip that describes what students are doing during the lesson.
- Don’t take our word for it: hear from Mr McDonald’s students and see examples of his students’ learning by selecting the pins with appropriate labels.
View the 360 Experience in a separate tab here.
Resources
Interested in creating a similar experience in your class? Check out the strategies and resources used by Mr McDonald. You can also explore additional resources and lesson plans by utilizing the updated “Search by Topic” feature within your Discovery Education resources.
Video: Mesopotamia: From Nomads to Farmers (US link)
Spotlight on Strategies: Quick Writes (US link) Table Top Texting (US link) Six Word Story (US link)
Don’t be afraid to reach out to Mr. McDonald. You can find him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/hughtheteacher
New to Discovery Education or interested in learning more about what you can do with Discovery Education Streaming Plus? Explore resources in the Professional Learning Center. (CND subscribers)
