| In regards to Cold War lesson plans, what has | | | | made. Ultimately, I found out that they all |
| worked for students in previous decades does | | | | loved me as a teacher, they just wanted me to |
| not necessarily work for the students of | | | | present information in different ways. |
| today. These days, the youth have so much | | | | |
| stimulation, which is mostly comprised of | | | | From that point on, my classes have been |
| distractions that stem from captivating | | | | totally different, along with the way I |
| technology--video games, cell phones, TVs, | | | | structure my U.S. history lesson plans. Now |
| computers, etc.--that saturate the mind, | | | | I do three, four, sometimes five different |
| rendering it numb to the low tech media (ie., | | | | activities in each class, using different |
| textbooks and lectures.) Teachers, I hate to | | | | approaches. Don't get me wrong, there is |
| break it to you, but you may have to step up | | | | still textbook time, but I find if we use it |
| your game if you haven't already. There is | | | | in short bursts, it can actually be a welcome |
| really no room for "boring" in your U.S. | | | | change from all the interactive activities. |
| history lesson plans. If you're relying on | | | | The kids also enjoy PowerPoint slides, |
| the textbook-guided lecture to impart the | | | | especially when it comes to presenting the |
| information your students need, it's no | | | | notes from my Cold War lesson plans, because |
| wonder they're not showing the excitement or | | | | it gives them a visual aid to accompany the |
| the grades that you had hoped for. The best | | | | notes they're taking. When they're not |
| move you can make is incorporating the | | | | divided into groups, or interacting as one |
| technology that they love so much into your | | | | big group, I like to use PowerPoint |
| classroom and use multimedia to present the | | | | presentations to get across important points |
| material outlined in your World War II lesson | | | | the students will have to know for tests. |
| plans. | | | | |
| | | | When other teachers ask me where I get, say |
| Until a few years ago, I was still depending | | | | for example, my World War II lesson plans |
| heavily on textbooks as the main teaching | | | | that come in multimedia packages, I let them |
| instrument for my U.S. history lesson plans. | | | | in on a little secret--I purchase them |
| I knew that I was a good teacher, my students | | | | online, ready to present! You can actually |
| seem to like me well enough...but something | | | | get just about all the U.S. history lesson |
| was missing. Their grades weren't as good as | | | | plans you could ever need in PowerPoint form |
| they could be, and I felt like they were | | | | online, although you wouldn't want to use |
| bored most of the time. In response to this | | | | them all the time. These packets are shipped |
| horrible realization, I decided to talk to my | | | | right to your door, with not only PowerPoint |
| students about what they liked and didn't | | | | slides, but also worksheets, games, quizzes, |
| like about the teaching methods I was using. | | | | charts, artwork, maps, videos, photos and |
| I then surveyed them about their personal | | | | lots of other stuff. These are great to have |
| learning styles. I was amazed at everything | | | | in your classroom, especially when you need |
| I learned just from asking for feedback. | | | | to put the teaching on auto-pilot for a |
| After that, I knew what changes had to be | | | | little while. |