My Classroom Treasure Box

My Classroom Treasure Box

 

My students are familiar with our Survivor Island treasure box in our classroom where they are able to collect immunities on our island and purchase rewards from our treasure box.  Well now we have a different treasure box where the students also enjoy learning together.  It is truly a treasure in my classroom.   

 

Our treasure box is used in many ways.  It is a box where the students can pull material to read or play a game that they feel comfortable participating in.  It is a great resource for me to support my lessons. It is also an awesome resource for my centers!  I have many books on the constitution and the declaration. At one center the students will choose a book and practice the reading skill of the day.  At another center I have a game on the history of the United States that I purchased at the gift shop in Philadelphia this summer.  Another center will be two primary documents where the student will use a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast. The last center is a timeline labeled “A New Nation and A New Government” where the group will attach the cards from 1781 The Articles of Confederation to the 1800 Washington, D.C., becomes capital of the United States.  Yes, I like timelines too!  I believe this treasure box will foster deeper, critical thinking in my classroom.

 

Having a classroom with many different Genres of history being read during our literacy time with the activities in our centers carefully thought out to engage both hemispheres of the brain, left being analytical and the right creative.

This treasure box and my teacher interactive notebook will always be a working progress.  I continue to make notes for the next improved lesson and replace and add to my treasure box and centers.

 

In our fifth grade history curriculum we teach Ancient Civilizations.  I teach U.S. history using our reading and language arts skills needed for fifth grade.  It works out well considering most primary documents lend themselves to discrepancy which allows for many skills such as compare and contrast, critical reading, debating, and critical thinking with discussion.