In EDU 295, I explored methods of teaching and developing curriculum for social studies.

This
course aided my professional growth in many ways. Through this course, I not only became familiar with
a multitude of engagement strategies, but also developed a sense of how to pace and structure learning
for student benefit. I have always admired my high school American history teacher for how he made
history flow like a narrative, and this course helped me to focus my teaching in a similar manner.
The main assignment for EDU 295 was a small group-led social studies lesson. I collaborated
with two peers to develop and deliver a lesson on the Civil War. Our main goal was to have students be
able to explain the most influential causes for the Civil War, after learning about the motivation behind
each opposing side. In developing the lesson plan, we considered the necessary components of an
effective lesson, from reviewing prior knowledge, to an effective closure, which would engage the
students in reflection. We referenced the Arizona State Standards for in order to craft our learning goal,
and referenced Blooms taxonomy to ensure that we asked questions at all levels of thinking throughout
the lesson.
Throughout our lesson, we utilized a variety of engagement strategies. During the recapture
segment, students worked in small groups to review basic knowledge about the Civil War, showing
answers on cards. This was done in a team point situation, to encourage participation. Students then
predicted the topic of the lesson through think-pair-share. Students were randomly selected to share
thoughts using name sticks.
We asked the class to complete a jigsaw reading activity to efficiently learn about varying
viewpoints of either the Union, or Confederacy, given our limited time frame to learn the material.
Students then worked cooperatively within their Union or Confederate group to complete a graphic
organizer, which helped to compile reasons for the war. Using this organizer, students then created
propaganda posters. We ensured each individuals participation by assigning each group member a
different color to contribute with. This allowed us to visually assess participation and understanding.
Subsequently, students shared their posters with the class, identifying reasons for the war from
both the North and South, respectively. Lastly, students compared and contrasted points from both
sides, and concluded which side they agreed with, and responses were shared with the group.
The delivery of this lesson challenged me in many ways. My group and I had to identify a topic
within the standards to focus on, find an engaging way to involve the class in learning, identify several
engagement strategies to keep student learning focused and interesting, and incorporate a question at
each level of Blooms taxonomy. This lesson contributed to my professional goals in many ways. It
strengthened management techniques, challenged me to think of creative learning techniques, and
helped me to stay focused on the overall goal of learning by incorporating effective questioning
strategies. Going forward, one of my goals is to continue to develop effective questioning strategies, and
to support student success by allowing engaging ways of acquiring and presenting the information they
are learning. This assignment helped me to not only strengthen these skills, but it also serves as a tool to
reflect on the strategies I am implementing in my current teaching and to determine if I am holding my
teaching practice to these same high standards.