Pioneer History... Let's delve into the 1800's!!

Students and Parents:
We are about to begin a new and excited theme in our classroom: pioneer history! We will explore books, songs, plays, poems, movies, and so much more on our quest to learn about how pioneers lived in the frontier. I will be including some links to websites here for you to explore at home. In addition, I will be updating with our current activities, student's work, and books that we have done in our classroom. Why wait until next week to start, huh? Here is a list of the books, magazine articles, newspapers, and songs that we'll be digesting next week:
1. Ox-Cart Man by Donald Hall
2. Prairie Girl: The life of Laura Ingalls Wilder by William Anderson
3. Look Inside a Log Cabin by Mari Schuh
4. Kids Discover: Pioneers
5. Newspaper articles from the 1800's
6. The Buffalo - a song
7. Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

In addition, here are a few websites that you can explore now, and we will explore in the next few weeks in class.

1. http://www.campsilos.org/mod2/students/life4.shtml
2. http://pbskids.org/stantonanthony/frontier_girl.html
3. http://library.thinkquest.org/6400/toys.htm

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Parents: Why are we learning about Pioneer history? Well, here are the two state standards that I am completing in this theme:

B.4.3 Examine biographies, stories, narriatives, and folk tales to understand the lives of ordinary and extraordinary people, places them in time and context, and explain their relationship to important historical events


B.4.4 Compare and contrast changes in contemporary life with life in the past by looking at social, economic, political, and cultural roles played by individuals and groups

If you find any other resource about the pioneer time, history, lifestyle, famous people, etc., please leave a comment on this post with the resource link or name, so myself and other parents and students can explore and learn. Thank you, and I hope you enjoy learning with your children.

Introduction to Ms. Winkel's Classroom

This blog is to keep students and parents aware of what's going on in our classroom. In addition to posting daily activities and homework, I will also be posting extra activities and links for parents and students to explore at home. Learning isn't just for school you know. :) My hope is that through this blog, students and parents will extend their learning, make extra connections, and become life long learners.  Please feel free to leave comments when ever/where ever you need to. I hope you enjoy this wonderful ride we call a school year with me.

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Parents:
As you will see through out the year, I will always try and keep you informed as to WHY I do certain things. Here is my first chance to give you a reason: why am I blogging for your student's elementary classroom? I'd like to share with you this interesting article about the importance and benefits of blogging for/in a classroom. This article explains how blogs help students learn to navigate technology that will be essential for them to know and understand as they grow into adults. The article also includes the importance of comments, and includes comment starters for parents and students. It has helpful hints/tips for students who want to start their own blogs, and has links to outstanding class blogs.