Rm. 117 Social Studies
NEWSLETTER

March 2022

Taking the “Show on the Road! ” 

8th-grader tour the Kansas History Museum in Topeka! 

On a quiet crisp Spring morning, our 8th graders loaded into a  bus before dawn to hit the road to discover and connect classroom learning to the real world. They were surprised and even a bit overwhelmed at seeing artifacts of the past and exploring multiple aspects of the State’s history as they really came to life for them. It was magic to see students explore the massive Kansas Museum and watch ideas connect as they discovered early trains, Native American structures, and even a 1950s diner.  

8th Graders observing the Kansas Government in action! 

Connecting ideas! 8th graders have studied and worked on multiple projects that demonstrated how our branches of government work. It was exciting to see students light up as they walked into the actual Kansas Senate floor and see where we write our legislation and pass our laws. 

7th Grade discovers the People of Kansas. 

Currently, students are exploring different settlements that established ethnic enclaves throughout Kansas. This assists students to see the “larger” picture of our state as many diverse groups of people have made our state the great place it is today. #IBL 

7th Grade Get the Run of their own County! 

Running a farm/county is hard work! 7th graders are developing real-world skills in business decision making, civics policies, and business math as they develop a county from homesteads and manage their farming businesses, and watch their P & L sheets in our epic RPG. This project runs through the remainder of the year and connects multiple concepts from mapping/topography, to economics and civics. #PBL #Gamificatio
 

BATTLE BLOCKS CHALLENGE! 

Expect the unexpected! To help with recall and synthesizing materials, students were challenged with a friendly tower-building game of Battle Blocks. The team that built the highest tower in 30 minutes wins!  #Gamification 

Animated Paper Film Making Fun! 

8th-grade students were challenged with creating a stop animated paper film documenting the early years of the Civil War using storytelling through art and narration. Students used everything from cell phone applications to stop motion cameras to create their films. We will be sharing them on our YouTube channel next month, so stay tuned! # PBL

As always, thank you for your community and family support as our students continue to learn and grow here in Rm 117 Social Studies. 

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to email me at Mwoods@usd357.org.