• Replies 3 replies
  • Subscribers 6 subscribers
  • Views 261 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Related

Struggling to get through all this content before the AP Exam in May??

Ian Casey

Every year, I always have had a plan on how to get through the vast amount of content of World History, while also trying to prepare my students for their AP Exam by developing their historical thinking skills. However, testing days, snow days, flu season, and other life events can affect instruction, and if you are me, sometimes you find yourself trying to catch your class up. Most of the time, I assign articles and content for students to read for homework, using the wonderful guiding questions provided by OER Project. But if I am behind, or want to switch up my delivery method, I have been using a Jigsaw strategy with the readings and making it into a group project.

For example, I recently did a group project for Unit 5. I picked the following articles provided by OER:

  • The Emergence of Industrial Capitalism
  • Slavery and Capitalism
  • Responses to Industrialization
  • Rise of the Proletariat
  • Class Structure
  • Changing Gender Roles

I divided my class into 3 groups. Each group was responsible for two articles. Using the guiding questions provided by OER for each article, each group made a slides presentation to present to the other groups. Students also had to make slides for the “After you read” questions as well. 

When it is time to present, I post or hand out the questions to students. They fill out the guiding questions as each group presents their slides presentation. Students are encouraged to ask questions after each presentation to further their understanding. This activity fosters collaboration and critical thinking while also enhancing their presentation skills. In the end, I count it as a project grade and sometimes provide an SAQ or LEQ afterwards as a further assessment. After 1 or 2 times of doing this, students know the expectations and the project moves fast, allowing them to cover more content in a shorter amount of time. 

This has really worked for me this year. Does anyone have any other ideas on how I can switch up instruction while also staying on the scope and sequence for the AP exam in May? I would love your thoughts.

Parents

  • Great idea,  !  I also appreciate  's suggestion and struggle with keeping up.

    I do something similar with Unit 9.1-9.3 that I call "Slideshow Teach-a-Friend."  The exam is breathing down our neck at that point and we have usually run out of time.  I have found that students have generally done a good job - especially those who have been working on presentation skills in AP Seminar all year - and they enjoy looking into something that they may already have an interest or passion in. Having them submit their slideshows to a shared Google Drive allows them to access and revisit their classmates' slideshows, too. 

    Here are the directions from my LMS:

    Read/review the appropriate AMSCO section and Heimler video for 9.1, 9.2, and/or 9.3 and then: 

    Pick a technological advance, a disease/response, or environmental issue from one of the topics and learn a little more about it

    • Create a title slide
    • Tell us about the topic in no more than 2 slides
    • Compare it to a historical event or process prior between 1200-1945 in a final slide (Think: Causation or CCOT)
    • Be prepared to present and share (Google Drive Shared Folder) with classmates at the beginning of next class.

    And here's a link to the shared Google Doc where they sign up or I sign them up. 

    It's also around this time of year I give them my "you know more than you think you do" speech.  Hopefully this helps.

Reply

  • Great idea,  !  I also appreciate  's suggestion and struggle with keeping up.

    I do something similar with Unit 9.1-9.3 that I call "Slideshow Teach-a-Friend."  The exam is breathing down our neck at that point and we have usually run out of time.  I have found that students have generally done a good job - especially those who have been working on presentation skills in AP Seminar all year - and they enjoy looking into something that they may already have an interest or passion in. Having them submit their slideshows to a shared Google Drive allows them to access and revisit their classmates' slideshows, too. 

    Here are the directions from my LMS:

    Read/review the appropriate AMSCO section and Heimler video for 9.1, 9.2, and/or 9.3 and then: 

    Pick a technological advance, a disease/response, or environmental issue from one of the topics and learn a little more about it

    • Create a title slide
    • Tell us about the topic in no more than 2 slides
    • Compare it to a historical event or process prior between 1200-1945 in a final slide (Think: Causation or CCOT)
    • Be prepared to present and share (Google Drive Shared Folder) with classmates at the beginning of next class.

    And here's a link to the shared Google Doc where they sign up or I sign them up. 

    It's also around this time of year I give them my "you know more than you think you do" speech.  Hopefully this helps.

Children
No Data