Walk this Way: Discovering (and Filling!) Learning Gaps

My own “Aha!” moment came this year when my students and I were discussing the Boston Tea Party (4-#53, Complete-#62) podcast. A reference was made to Martin Luther King Jr. and his fight for what was right. The podcast posed the question, “Is it okay to go against a law if you don’t believe the law is right?” as the patriots who dumped the tea had.

What Happened When?

One of my students asked, “So Martin Luther King was alive during the Boston Tea Party?” He was serious (and he was not the only one; my other students had thought the same thing). It was obvious then that there were some learning gaps. My students had very little understanding of which historical events happened when.

Building A Timeline . . .

Because of this, I realized it was extremely important to put together a basic historical timeline my students could understand. We have been doing just that for the past week or so. The students are not only enjoying it, but it is also helping them create a visual understanding of the order of events in American history — very basic — between Jamestown, 1607, and present day.

. . . and Filling in Learning Gaps!

I plan to leave a copy of the timeline up all year, and add people and events to it as we go along. Even though this was not originally a part of my plan for social studies, I think it will prove beneficial both now and through their future years as well. If it were not for the podcast, I would not have known so quickly to fill in the learning gaps for my students.

Trecia Shales
Fourth Grade Teacher
Washington Elementary

Follow Mrs. Shales’ class of fourth grade students as they walk, listen, and learn through the school year. Look for her posts the first Friday of every month!

And, be sure to check out how the program is being implemented by three other teachers on subsequent Fridays!