Talkin’ Content Challenge – History Edition

A week back, @BlueCerealEduc sent out a new challenge for #oklaed (& beyond): skip the pedagogy & talk your favorite content.

So HARD!!! How in the world do you narrow your passions down to “that one”?!? …so I’ve had that challenge in the back of my mind for a week now. Yeah, still no closer

So, I’ll share one or two of my student favorites based on comments on their end of the year survey.

Drumroll…

Exhibit A: That Time We…

This one is a hodge-pudge of all those times we went outside and other classes looked out windows and thought we were nuts. 

There was the Nerf gun fight where they puzzled out for themselves the value of the Spartan phalanx style grouping (bonus fun for those classes who decided to attack the teacher once they got the formation, lol). 

 

Or when we blared trench warfare sound bites while simulating with paper wads. We drew many a face to out window that day! (To the class that got inventive creating backpack “tanks” and planted “spies” – you shall go far my minions, mwahahahaha!).  

 

Yes, that student really was doing a body-roll-sneak-attack to steal enemy “ammo”. 

And who could forget the fun of “WWF – Explorer Edition”? Do you realize how rediculous it sounds when you explain the reasoning behind your students’ clear grasp of “who did what” is due to wrestler masks & theme songs?!? But whatever works, right? 

 

Exhibit B: “Presley, you are evil”

I have a confession to admit to here – I love doing DBQs with the students & I then want to kick my own tail for doing another one when they are a foot deep on my desk for grading. But I just love the doing part! It’s that separating those who play well at school from those who can think. And when they reach that point when they see them as “doable” or (gasp!) preferabl, oh I get all tingly (excuse me a moment…)

..and I guess I am guilty. I just realized my “Content post” is actually one on pedagogy – whoops! At the end of the day, I just LOVE seeing the students ENJOY history. However bizzarre it may look (and you probably understand my aversion to heels, pencil skirts, really anything that doesn’t move a bit more now too).

Chicken Little Out