Social Studies in the Classroom

Flat Stanley...I have never read the book but the students in my field placement have and they love it. I am not sure if it has anything to do with social studies but I know that my mentor teacher turns it into a social studies lesson. It is really creative and any teacher could do it with a popular book. My mentor teacher takes Flat Stanley with her whenever she takes a vacation. There is also an aid in the classroom and she just got back from a cruise to Mexico and Flat Stanley went with her. Now what they do is take pictures of him at various places and write captions about the place. Flat Stanley brought back treat bags from Mexico for all the students. They discuss the items in the bag and the place Flat Stanley visited. I love this for my future classroom!

Critical Voice

My biggest shock in this article is the paragraph about John and Jenni. It sounds like John is a little insecure about his teaching style and does not want the kids to fail at the upcoming test. I guess John's view of teaching social studies is feeding the facts....no fun allowed! But can you blame him?
I understand the fear though, especially if you feel like your job is on the line. I feel like I have a strong voice for what I believe but I would like to see myself in a sticky situation dealing with test scores and my job...I doubt I would be voicing my opinion if I thought I would lose my job.