POWERFUL Social Studies

1. Meaningful

1.1. Eileen Mesmer's goal "is to get them to think...extend it as far as I can" (Mesmer). Once you learn how to think then learning/doing anything becomes easier. An example of this would be learning about the different celebrations from the different people, different communities, different countries and the world and know that are not too different after all. They all have meaning: to bring light into us all even though ew may celebrate (holidays) a little different.

2. Challenging

2.1. group discussions; where for example Eileen Mesmer sat infront of the class and had a class discussion- asking questions, answering questions, getting them to think, getting them to work together to answer the questions she had asked, etc... Then later putting them into groups which had different tasks to complete. She kept asking them why they were doing what they were doing, why they thought what they thought, why they had drawn what they did, and so on. Each student had a great explaination- which she then continued to ask questions about to keep them thinking!

3. Integrated

3.1. Eileen Mesmer uses just one thing such as a story book and makes it one HUGE thing. For example, she connects the different communities, different people, and different beliefs (which would be the Social Studies aspect of the lesson) to Language Arts- thinking, brainstorming, expressing, writing, etc.. to Art- drawing/painting pictures of "dark", to Math- sequencing the seasons and to Science- the Sun/Earth- drakness activitiy. It ALL connects to the one theme, which is "The Celebration of Light"

4. Value- based

4.1. Brainstorming, reviewing, reading, doing activities, etc... that help the students know that even though we are all the different, we are the same in ways as well and in this case we are all the same in that we all need "light" in our lives.

5. Active

5.1. Example of students sitting in the dark in a circle with the teacher in the middle acting as the Sun. Having students going around her (back to back) holding a globe to help describe/teach these children how this dark world works in relation to science, the story- holidays, and why we celebrat "Light" during winter months.