If I Had it To Do Over...

We are finishing up a unit on the 13 colonies in Social Studies. Today’s lesson was on the Breadbasket (or Middle Atlantic) Colonies. Unlike any previous lesson this semester, I had not assigned anything out of the workbook associated with the social studies textbook. With this lesson, the students used their textbook first for the class discussion and then had to complete a page in the workbook. The workbook page required that the students use what they read and talked about in class to match up an event with a place on the given map. The question at the end of the matching portion had asked the students “Why were the Middle Atlantic Colonies called the “breadbasket colonies”?”

Throughout the lesson, the students were to look at the titles that began each section within the lesson. After reading those titles, we discussed as a class why the section could be titled that way. We also used the “review” question from each of those sections to discuss important facts about those colonies. While I try really hard to make sure the students are getting a good overall understanding of these parts of history, I sometimes fail to bring in enough details. For example, the students could understand why they were called the breadbasket colonies, but not why certain people should be matched with certain states.

After looking over their assignment again, I should have specifically gone over those 12 details so they would see the answers coming. Since I did not do a great job with that, I feel they will struggle with the assignment. If I had it to do over, I would turn them loose in the beginning with the workbook page, and give them time to work on it first. The last ten minutes or so, I would attempt to either discuss all the answers, or give the students “hints” as to what to be watching for. Expecting them to look that much stuff up may not have been the best use of judgement on my behalf.