ANDREA RUNNELS
Last Thursday was one of those days that made my teacher heart happy! It was Civil War Project day! All 3 of my 5th grade classes were abuzz with excitement! I created this project many moons ago and recently updated it to give it some pizzazz! It is always a big hit with students because it appeals to their interests. I really treasure the opportunity to see students showcase their talents so I try to give them the opportunity through choice boards and projects to shine!
Options include sewing, dioramas, making an ABC book, singing, timelines, collage, essay writing, giving a speech, and even creating an authentic dish. If your school has a policy against this, have the student just cook it at home and take pictures to display in a creative way. I use it as an at home project and give them about 2 weeks to complete it. I always point out that students can create their product using technology. It is always interesting to see what final product the students chose.
This project has 3 total components: the activity, a written reflection, and a presentation. It can be an empowering experience for students to present their hard work! As you know, Speaking and Listening are key parts of Common Core so why not incorporate those across the curriculum?
I have tried presentations a few different ways. Since I had three times as many to grade this year, I tried to mix it up a little. Since I do have so many English Language Learners, I wanted to make the speaking section as comfortable of an experience as possible. Usually, I have the students anxiously stand up in front of the whole class while everyone kind of awkwardly stares at them. It is rare that a student is very comfortable in this situation. This year, I did a gallery walk/wax museum mash-up. The first thing they did was write their name and the topic or title for their project on the rubric sheet. I copied them 4 to a page on bright red paper. This was a genius time-saver and I don’t know why after giving the project for 6 or 7 years I just thought of it!!
I have my classroom set up in table groups. It was 5 groups last week, now it’s 4! That will be a surprise in the morning since the kiddos had the day off for teacher Professional Development. I had 2-3 groups at a time set their project up around the room and stand by them. I took the score sheets up and didn’t have to wonder whose project was whose! I also snapped a pic of every kid with their project. I was pretty on top of things that day because I got most of them graded as we went! It was the day before the end of the 9 weeks so I was extra motivated to be done.
They just gave a quick spiel while the other groups were the audience. Many of them shared part of their reflection. Many of them learned some troubleshooting tips for technology or different types of paint on various surfaces! One of my kids opened his project with a joke. It was epic. He said “I didn’t face any challenges other than lack of painting skills.” I thought it was hilarious. Many of them were really insightful in their analysis and one cracked me up even more than my comedian. This seriously made me laugh my head off. Classic. This little girl has my name spelled with an F instead of R on her folder. One of the boys asked her about it and she said, “Oh, I call her Mrs. Funnels instead of Mrs. Runnels because she is so fun!” Reason # 1, 026 why I love 5th grade!
Afterwards, the captive audience walked around and looked more closely at the projects and asked the presenters questions. Then rinse and repeat with the other groups! I was so moved by one of my girls singing the National Anthem and pouring her heart out relating it to the Civil War and explaining how much the song means to her. Mrs. Runnels teared up a little! Bless her heart, afterwards she lost it herself because she was so relieved. She had been so nervous but showed tremendous courage hitting all the high notes and everything. I didn’t even know she like to sing!
That’s why I love projects like this!! My other emotional moment came when a student of mine gave a speech expressing his opinions on slavery. The remarkable thing is this young man goes to speech therapy and had the courage to choose public speaking. I’m happy he felt secure enough to do this.
What about SPED kids or newcomers? They couldn’t do the project, right? I am happy to tell you they COULD do a project. Just not this one as is. I made them a project book to complete. I combined a Civil War Mapping Activity product from Wise Guys TPT and one from a seller who did not include their name so I have no clue who to give a shout-out to. Teacherprenuer 101 people!! I hole-punched it and tied it with yarn and it looked exactly like it could fit in with the other kids’ projects. I was so pleased that one of my newcomers presented it!! He talked about how he didn’t know which one was the North or the South so he looked it up in a book and found out. Hallelujah moment!!
Like I said, it really was a day that made me feel so proud and inspired by my students! And to think we are supposed to be teaching them! They gave me a lesson in courage that day! If you use my product, I would love to see your pictures Tag me on Instagram @andrearunnels! I also have a similar product for Reconstruction in my store and would be happy to create more on topics you might be teaching soon! Click the picture below to check out the project itself!
