May 28, 2014

OESSTA Roll Out News #6

OESSTA Roll Out News #6 http://oessta.blogspot.ca/
 We are still completing projects that are being reviewed by our colleagues and the Ministry of Education.  We have language and math integration ideas along with lesson ideas using spatial skills. There are 10 different projects. The finished work is being reviewed by the Ministry. We plan to have the material ready for the fall when full implementation of the 2013 Revised document is required.
Organizing OESSTA
We will begin to contact people interested in OESSTA leadership in June. We need to form a core group that can meet virtually and help lead the group through the next year.
 Upcoming Events
 Also, we have the opportunity to conduct our own conference in the fall with the support of OAGEE. The conference will be Toronto at Ryerson University on Oct 17, 18. We plan to feature the resources that we are creating for the province. 
Would you be able to use Federation or school funds to attend the professional learning session on the Friday? Are you a coach or Instructional leader who would participate? Please complete the survey. This will help us determine the sessions we will offer.
Professional Learning Opportunity

OTF Webinar (Free of charge)

Supporting Teachers in the Use of Inquiry through the Revised Social Studies, History and Geography (facilitated by OESSTA)

Date: May 29, 2014
Start Time: 7:30 pm
End Time: 9:00 pm


Ontario Teachers Federation Summer Institutes                                  
Teachers are invited to participate in three day professional learning sessions. You may select more than one workshop.  A fee of $50.00 per workshop will apply.


Visit the OESSTA hashtag on Twitter #ontsshg
The Ontario Elementary Social Studies Teachers’ Association encourages teachers to share ideas and samples of the work they are doing with students.
Chats are offered on interesting topics on Thursday from 9-10 PM

Disciplinary Thinking and Critical Thinking

Getting started with Historical Thinking/Social Studies Thinking Concepts

We have developed a number of videos to enhance student ability to think critically and nurture their willingness to act in thoughtful, responsible ways.

Talking about disciplinary thinking

This is an archived discussion of a recent Twitter chat  #ontsshg.

Tip For Teachers related to Critical Thinking

Look through these print and video resources for helpful hints and strategies on how to implement critical thinking.

Inquiry Process
 Teacher Voice relating to Inquiry
 I used to think…
Problem-based learning meant not teaching content and allowing students to research content on their own. I never fully understood how we would be able to teach what they need to know in this way.
 Now I think…
Problem based learning is very important and does not mean that we don't teach content. The content is embedded within the inquiry.

As teachers engage in inquiry with their classes their views about inquiry change. Some of our misconceptions are challenged and we can see how inquiry based learning links with student achievement.

Thinking about inquiry
This is an interesting way to look at the inquiry process.

I wonder
See what this teacher does to promote wonder in her classroom. How can we take this to another level integrating the wonder into SSHG?

Developing Questions

Tools for Thought: Ten tweaks for your questions

Invite students to go beyond providing a casual answer and to think more deeply about the topics they are studying

Asking powerful questions This is a tool to help teachers work with students to generate more powerful questions.
Q Chart – This is a tool that can help students develop rich questions

What makes good inquiry questions?

Creating questions

See how this class is working through the development of good questions.


Discover how one classroom teacher developed rich questions with her class.

When using the Q-chart with my Grade 6 students, many of them commented that the Q-chart was really limiting their thinking.  In working with the chart, they were trying to avoid using the question prompts at the top left-hand corner because they were always told that when using those prompts only shallow questions could be created.

Questioning Skills: Thick and Thin Questions

These sites provide information on thick and thin questioning. Learn the difference between thick and thin questions as well as how to generate these questions. There are lesson plans, printable posters, and worksheets. Includes eThemes Resources on Reading Strategies for Elementary Students and Teaching Tips: Questioning.

Sites of the Month

Teaching History (Focus on African Canadian History)

Take a moment to let you know that I have launched a website and blog on "Teaching African Canadian History." Check out my first blog post, "Why the African Canadian Experience Must be Part of an Equitable and Inclusive Curriculum"

Check my site regularly for resources, information, and strategies for including the African Canadian voice in the Social Studies and History classroom and across the curriculum.

Connecting with other classes through Skype


The concept is simple: classrooms Skype call each other and try to guess where the other classroom is located either in the United States or in the world.

Connecting Assessment with Skype Activities



Resources:- Commercial Materials


PEARSON CANADA LAUNCHES NEW RUBICON SERIES BIG IDEA
Big Idea is a series of content area books designed to make grades 4–6 curriculum topics accessible to English language learners (ELLs) and striving readers.

Nelson Resources for Social Studies (Grades 1-6)

At the moment resources for grade 4 have been created. Resources for other grades will be produced.

Nelson Grade 7 Geography Resource


This is a new resource for grade 7 that emphasizes geographical thinking and inquiry.

On Going Professional Support

SSHG Roll Out Blog (created through the AW)


Combined Grades Webpage
The Social World Studies and Humanities and the Science and Technology departments have collaborated to create a website designed to help teachers plan for their combined grades classes.

The site includes draft samples of unit plans, videos and teaching/ learning strategies. Additional information regarding the 2013 Revised Social Studies History and Geography Curriculum has been added.