Looking at what is and what will be: The Life of a 7-1 Social Studies Student

The chapter 5 writing tasks are reaching their natural conclusion. Final Drafts will be collected on Thursday. Students have been and will be continually reminded to ensure that their best work is on display and focus is harnessed all the way through the deadline for submission of work. I believe that this experience has been useful introducing students to different modes of thought and being able to explain how they approached a particular task in the manner that they did. Yet, while I appreciate the work and focus that has been lavished upon this writing task, I am looking beyond into what lies ahead.

Once submission of chapter 5 writing assessments is complete, students will be then directed to chapter 6. Students will be exposed to the actual mechanics of the war with direct analysis of the textbook on Thursday and Friday of next week. Building into this, students will engage in an inductive learning task on Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence. This will take us to Thanksgiving Break. Upon our return, we will wrap up Inductive Learning in studying how political writings can, to quote our President Elect, be more than “just words.” We will conclude our work with the chapter 6 writing tasks. This assessment will be in the same configuration of the chapter 5 writing assessments. Students will have to use more of the history presented in the actual execution of the American Revolution in order to better understand the synthesis between creative thought and intellectual frameworks. Our potential date based timeline for this should look like the following (Please understand that all dates are tentative: )
* November 20- November 23- Reading of Chapter 6, sections 2, 3, and 4.
* November 24 and November 25- Inductive Learning Work on chapter 6, section 1.
* December 1- 4- Finish Inductive Learning task, assess Inductive Learning task. Report out on findings from the Revolution with Chalk Talk/ Station Rotation/ Direct Discussion.
* December 5- Distribute Chapter 6 Writing Assessments. All Final Drafts due on December 18.
The most striking element of the projected sequence is the idea that we are making progress and the expectations placed upon the broad shoulders of students are rising and becoming heavier. Simply put, the time for immaturity seems to have long passed. Students are being asked to do more with less time and in a more comprehensive manner. I believe that this is developmentally appropriate in our journey because students have learned (or have been instructed) as to the importance of handling the taskmaster known as time. In addition to this, a lesson such as this helps students understand that the train must keep moving towards its inevitable destination. While this timeline might seem daunting, when placed in comparison to what lies ahead, it will assume a smaller proportion. I recall when students first examined their Trace Fossil Writing Task. I remember the looks on their faces of abject frustration, and in some cases, horror. I think it is safe to say that if we asked students now about that moment in time, they would have said that it pales in comparison to what stands in front of them now. Perhaps, there is a larger lesson here about maturation and growth… or maybe Social Studies has simply become tougher.

I believe that like all challenges placed in front of these students, your children and our emerging scholars, they will be able to assume the persona of Aeneas for they, too, “will be able to look back on this and smile.”

Happy Hunting and even happier writing.
All best.
Mr. Kannan

P.S. Please do not be surprised if next week’s blog entry is abbreviated. I will be grading student work throughout the weekend in the hopes of returning it by Monday, 11/24. I will make some comments, but they will be in the truncated form. I apologize for this and thank you for your (hopeful) understanding.