help! 5th gr - primary docs

OK..... so I work as part of an enrichment program... I ordered these great poster size primary documents for my 5th grade.... the topic that the teachers wanted was woman suffrage... we got the posters today and they're great.... but now what do we do with them?? There are 12 posters and they want the kids to get a taste of each of them over the next 3 weeks (35 minute periods). I thought they should each pick one and focus on one to become an expert on, but that's not what they want. I aim to please :) so I'm coming to you for some help and guidance.... what can I do with these posters that will be FUN for the kids?? I usually do interactive science with them. Looking at posters and answering questions is very different than what they'd expect from me usually. How can I make this fun and hands on and still make the teachers happy by getting them exposure to 10 or 12 of the posters over 3 sessions?? I envision something with centers, but what activity could they possibly do in 10 minutes that would a) get them to understand the concepts in the photo and b) be exciting?? Also, they haven't gotten to that topic yet, so the kids are going to be clueless about what it is. This is for Monday morning. Please help! :)

Re: help! 5th gr - primary docs

yikes, Jen... that sounds rough!!!

do they have to 10-12? i think that's a lot. i liked your idea of getting them to be an expert on a few of them... split the kids into groups....

but if they have to do all, i would put them in groups and have them rotate every 10-15 minutes... you could do a few a session. you could start with questions they need to answer that are with each poster and they answer in their notebook. sounds boring, but it will get them to look at all of them... then talk about them... and then perhaps they can make their own poster modeling what they have learned?

Message edited 10/12/2007 7:43:38 PM.

Re: help! 5th gr - primary docs

thanks Karen!.... yeah.... I want it to be exciting, but alas, I am stuck.

DH just came home and had a few ideas for introducing them to suffrage and women's rights.... find a few objects that were invented by women and have them out on their tables.... one by one remove them and explain that the women who invented these things wouldnt have been able to without the women's rights movement..... or make them vote on something and then don't count the girls' votes because they don't have rights.... a little more exciting than reading the article that came with the posters....

I also thought they could be a reporter covering an event and the story that went with the photograph was lost and they have to recreate the article....something like that... but the teachers want them to see ALL the photos in the 3-4 weeks...

Still hoping someone has a brilliant idea!! :)

Re: help! 5th gr - primary docs

Since the teachers were pretty adamant that the kids get a "taste" of all 12 images, the best I have come up with so far is this:

Week 1.

Do a voting simulation with the kids. Something polarized where boys and girls would have a definite opinion. Survey the class and then say, oh, well, wait, we're going to do this like it was done before the 19th amendment was passed. Joanna, you said X, but your vote wouldn't count because you're a girl and you don't have those rights yet.

Then I thought I'd post the 12 photos around my room with chart paper next to each one. They will have the 30 minutes to circulate to as many pictures as they can and comment on what they observe and can infer. They can also post questions. It will be very superficial in that amount of time, but the teachers want them to see all 12.... I really want them to do some sort of a project that requires them to think about what the purpose of the photo was.

Week 2 and 3.

Give them a simulation and short project. Something like this.... The photographer who took these photos is in the hospital recovering after an unfortunate photo opportunity with a hungry tiger went horribly wrong. These photos were recovered from his camera. The only thing you, as the new reporter on these stories, has to go by is these photos. You weren’t at the events, but you are a smart reporter and good analyst. You should be able to use the clues in the photograph and any other materials you can find to write an article for this week’s edition of “The Woman’s Journal.” Make your article as factual as possible. If your article is published, you will be up for a promotion!

I thought that they could have the charts that their peers made the previous week as a guide for questions, observations, etc.. I could also print out some supplemental info for them between now and then so they could actually do a little research.

I would put together all of their articles with the real pictures in a real newspaper.

I want to make them have a task and not just look at the photos for no real reason.

Thoughts?? Thanks!!

Re: help! 5th gr - primary docs

girl ,you are awesome. talk about getting yourself out of a jam... I love the newspaper idea!!! i think you're right on with having research materials availble to them (articles, internet, books, etc.) to aid them. as you said, it's a lot of pictures to look at and they might not have inferred or retained all that information.

i love the newspaper idea.... i say go for it!

Re: help! 5th gr - primary docs

thanks, Karen.... here's hoping the teachers like the idea! I need to make it at least a little interesting for them..... sort of a bland topic....


PS You never told me how your vacation was!! :)