10/24/13

To begin class, I showed students a quick video on how to locate the main idea in a paragraph.

Video-Locating the main idea

Next, I placed students into small groups.  Students worked with their groups to find the main ideas in the reading on the Salem Witch Trials from yesterday's lesson.  They compared the main ideas they had identified, and came to a consensus on what the main ideas were. 

They then used these main ideas to write a summary paragraph of the reading.  If students had already wrote a summary paragraph, they edited the paragraph they wrote yesterday.

Next, I introduced the "Question Building Activity" on the French and Indian War.  Students used the rest of class to examine primary and secondary sources.  They wrote down conclusions based on these "inputs" and wrote questions about the French and Indian War.  Students will finish looking at their inputs tomorrow and answer the questions using their textbooks.

Homework is:  If you made changes to your main ideas with your group, make these changes to the summary you wrote about the article.  I will collect the summaries tomorrow.