Global History Thematic and DBQ Essays

I had such a positive response to my blogpost that has US History Thematic and DBQ essays and many people asking if I had a Global one as well, I decided to put together a list of Thematic and DBQ essays from NYS Regents Exams listed by topic.  You can find all of the multiple choice questions, thematic essays, DBQs and answer keys here. 

Thematic Essays
Change: Individuals (January 2018)
Intellectual Life: Individuals (August 2017)
Nationalism: Individuals (June 2017)
Needs and Wants (January 2017)
Belief Systems (August 2016)
Human and Physical Geography (June 2016)
Imperialism (January 2016)
Movement of People and Goods (August 2015)
Belief Systems: Movements (June 2015)
Human and Physical Geography (January 2015)
Change: Political Leaders (August 2014)
Change—Challenges to Tradition or Authority (June 2014)
Human Rights--Justice (January 2014)
Conflict--Armed Conflict (August 2013)
Change: Revolution (June 2013)
Change: Collapse of Government (January 2013)
Technology (August 2012)
Human and Physical Geography (June 2012)
Change: Individuals (January 2012)
Change: Global Issues (August 2011)
Technology (June 2011)
Geography (January 2011)
Nationalism (August 2010)
Change--Ideas (June 2010)
Culture and Intellectual Life (January 2010)


DBQ Essays
Actions to Obtain Resources (January 2018)
Forced Migration (August 2017)
Written Works and Problems in Society: 95 Thesis, Sadler Report, UN Dec on Human Rights (June 17)
British Rule over the Indian SubContinent (January 2017)
Urbanization and Industrialization Lead to Pollution (August 2016)
Division of Palestine, Germany and British India (June 2016)
Development of Law and Order (January 2016)
Increase of Power by Leaders: Louis XIV, Stalin, Pol Pot (August 2015)
Empires: Roman, Ottoman, British (June 2015)
Individuals: Bartolomé de Las Casas, Maximilien Robespierre, andMohandas Gandhi (January 2015)
Effects of Global Issues on Children (August 2014)
Turning Points: outbreak of thebubonic plague, the signing of the Nanjing Treaty, and the assassination ofArchduke Ferdinand. (June 2014)
People Have Changed their Environment (January 2014)
Economic Developments: China(1976–present), Mexico (1980–present), and Botswana (1966–present). (August 2013)
Technological Advancements (June 2013)
Salt, Sugar and Cotton (January 2013)
Protest Movements (August 2012)
Leaders: EmperorShi Huangdi, Czar Peter the Great, and King Louis XIV. (June 2012)
Transportation Systems (January 2012)
Conquering Regions and Peoples (August 2011)
Denial of Human Rights (June 2011)
Heliocentrism, natural rights, and Marxism (January 2011)
Belief Systems (August 2010)
Geographic Features (June 2010)
Revolutions (Neolithic, Agrarian and Green) (January 2010)

US History Thematic and DBQ Essays by topic

If you are a social studies educator in NYS, you know that each US History test has a thematic and a DBQ essay on it.  NYS provides us with the archived tests for at least the last 8 years.  3 tests a year x 8 years is a lot of tests to look through when in need of an essay.  I had some time on my hands, so I organized them for you!  You can find all of the tests (multiple choice questions, thematic essays, DBQs and answer keys) here.

Thematic Essays
Westward Movement of the Frontier (June 2019)
Government Actions (January 2019)
Supreme Court decisions  (August 2018)
Geography (June 2018)
Governmental Actions (January 2018)
Presidential Decisions (August 2017)
Post World War II United States (June 2017)
Influence of Mass Media (January 2017)
Economic Policy (August 2016)
Reform Movements (June 2016)
Foreign Policy (Latin America and the Caribbean) (January 2016)
Foreign Policy (August 2015)
Organizations (June 2015)
Congressional Legislation (January 2015)
Technology (August 2014)
Supreme Court (June 2014)
Geography: Territorial Expansion (January 2014)
Foreign Policy (Cold War) (August 2013)
Foreign Policy (National Interests) (June 2013)
Government (Congressional Legislation) (January 2013)
Reform Movements (Industrialization) (August 2012)
US Foreign Policy (June 2012)
Supreme Court Decisions (January 2012)
Geography (Development of the US) (August 2011)
Change: Constitutional Amendments (June 2011)
Diversity (Constitutional Rights) (January 2011)
Presidential Actions (August 2010)
Technology (June 2010)
Individuals, Groups and Institutions: Writings and Reform (January 2010)

DBQs
Civil rights movement, anti–Vietnam War movement,and the environmental movement (June 2019)
Housing and Working Conditions (January 2019)
Foreign Crisis (Mexican American War, Vietnam War and Persian Gulf War) (August 2018)
Influential Individuals and their works (Thomas Paine, Harriet Tubman and Upton Sinclair) (June 18)
Territorial Expansion (January 2018)
Development of the West (August 2017)
Presidential Addresses (Washington, Lincoln and Roosevelt) (June 2017)
Interactions between the Branches (January 2017)
Movement of Peoples (August 2016)
Wars (Spanish American, Korean, Persian) (June 2016)
Conflict between the Branches (January 2016)
Struggle of Groups (African Americans, industrial workers and Americans with Disabilities) (Aug 15)
Presidential Actions (Indian Removal Policy, Consumer Protection, Civil Rights) (June 2015)
National Crisis (January 2015)
Foreign Policy (Korea, Vietnam and Persian Gulf) (August 2014)
Writers and Social Conditions (MLK, Jr, Rachel Carson and Betty Friedan) (June 2014)
Woodrow Wilson and FDR's Administrations (January 2014)
Controversial Issues (ratification of the Constitution, Louisiana Purchase, slavery) (August 2013)
Supreme Court cases (Dred Scott, Plessy and Brown) (June 2013)
Post WWII America: Korean War, Montgomery Bus Boycott, Sputnik (January 2013)
Controversial Governmental Actions (August 2012)
Movements (Abolition, Labor, Women's Suffrage) (June 2012)
Events Leading to the Civil War (January 2012)
Expansion of Democracy (August 2011)
1920's and 1930's (June 2011)
Presidencies: Kennedy, Nixon and Reagan (January 2011)
Geography (August 2010)
Movements: Women's Rights, Temperance, Child Labor (June 2010)
Influence of Water on the Development of the US (January 2010)

Learning More About Haters and Trolls

This year in #DigCit class, we dove into our study of Haters and Trolls a little differently. Thanks to CommonSense Media, we watched a short video explaining what haters and trolls are.  We then discussed something specific we learned about haters and trolls from the video, sharing any experiences we had with them.  Next, the students were given either video A or B and a specific question for the assigned video.  They were to then make a graphic representation in our collective Google Slides that answered the question that was assigned to them from the Digibyte. They presented their graphic representation to their assigned question as we continue to share our learning and practice our presentation skills. All of that was meant to get them thinking critically about haters and trolls and the impact the haters and trolls can have, as well as how the students can combat them.

The second step was to think about what else they wanted to learn about when it comes to haters and trolls.  As you can see from the rubric, the students not only had to get outside their comfort zone by choosing a platform they had not previously used, they had to demonstrate their learning as well as engage their audience.   You can see their end products by clicking here.   Feel free to use any of their projects in class!

During their presentations, the students in the audience completed a feedback form to work on their feedback skills and to also help determine who our Techsperts would be.  If you will notice, the first question on the feedback form is asking what percentage of peers have to agree that someone has mastered a platform.  This question only appears once during the semester and they chose 80% as the threshold.  All but one student earned a Techspert badge and they are now the experts in the room for the platforms they used in this project. The students have access to this Padlet that indicates who our Techsperts are so that if they need assistance going forward on a platform, they know who the experts in the room are.  Once a student masters a platform (earned 80% peer review of skills on a platform) they can't use the platform again.  Not only does this expand their knowledge of platforms, it gets them outside their comfort zone (which is where all the magic happens!)  Truth be told, I don't know how to use most of the platforms, but we learn together and I LOVE when a student chooses a platform I've not seen yet!  I love to learn new things!

Grading this project in Schoology allows me to have a live, clickable rubric that instantly shows the students what points they earned and where they needed to make adjustments to earn back points.  I pregrade their assignment prior to class starting so that all I am evaluating during their presentations is the actual presentation itself.  I have also put comments in (which are visible to the students) during the pregrading process and simply have to add comments pertinent to the presentation during their presentation.  I keep a list of common comments in Google Keep, so it is simply copy and paste the ones I need during the presentation.  So easy!!

How are you addressing haters and trolls in your classroom?  

Opportunities for Student Voice

Last spring, I was part of the strategic planning team (along with students, parents and administrators) and we were tasked with creating a set of priorities for our district when it comes to technology integration.  One of the top priorities was digital citizenship.

Fast forward to this September...

In my Digital Citizenship (semester long class) class, students are required to do extension activities throughout the semester when they finish a project early or we are in between projects.  They have a lot of choices from the document I linked above but they can also propose extension activities.  One of the activities a group of students chose to do was to have digital citizenship sessions for parents at Open House.  Our Open House is more of a community night where parents can interact with teachers, students, programs (music for instance).  Parents do not have to follow, in period order, their child(ren)'s schedule and we have found it very freeing.

The group who wanted to hold the sessions at Open House discussed what they wanted to share with parents and how best to accomplish this.  They decided to have one room where they showed Positively Social (a documentary that was student driven in our district and created in partnership with our BOCES) and then answered questions regarding the information in the video.   They decided to have a second room where they were teaching parents how to use social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, SnapChat and Twitter.  In that room they also were teaching parents ways to monitor their child(ren) and how to use the social media platforms for positive purposes.  The third room was a room for parents to fill out a Google Form, that the students created, to find out what level of understanding parents have about digital citizenship.

The feedback from these student created, student led sessions was phenomenal!  I had parents come to my room that night, email me and tag me in social media later giving the students props for not only being leaders but for teaching them how to use the social media sites for positive purposes.  It was a huge hit!

You can see pictures from both this event and the one described below here! 


Also at Open House were the students (pictured in the above link standing in front of my Smartboard) that wanted to be my student ambassadors for Open House.  They each chose a specific topic to run a station at Open House.  We had one station where a student was explaining hyperdocs and how they have been so helpful to her in learning and being able to voice her opinion and share her learning.  I had another explaining formative assessments and how those, in tandem with our gaps sheets, helps them be better prepared for assessments.  Another student was showing parents how we use Google Drive and Schoology.  The last student was showing parents about how we use Growth Mindset in our classes.  They did a great job!!

Earlier in the week, two of my students decided they wanted to go to Homer Brink Elementary (one of two elementary schools in our district) to talk with a 3rd grade class and a 5th grade class about internet safety.  They emailed both teachers (@MsBurghardt and @MrNortonHB5) to ask if they could visit the classes and when would be best for all involved.  It was great to see their emailing skills evolve throughout this process!  We traveled to the building on Tuesday of Open House week and they did an excellent job of reviewing the tips they created in Google Slides and also giving them real world examples!  They answered questions from the 3rd and 5th graders and it was definitely a meaningful experience for all involved!  The 3rd and 5th graders then created a Google Form to give feedback and shared it with us.

Here is a picture from the day..

There are so many opportunities for students to voice where maybe we hadn't thought of before and I am always on the lookout for more.  If there's an opportunity to have the students talk about something instead of me, it is so much more meaningful!  How have you amplified student voice?

We Googled Ourselves!

One of the first activities we tackle in our semester long #DigCit course is to Google ourselves.  This is always an interesting activity since many of my students have never done this before.  Before we begin, I have them predict what they think people meeting them online for the first time would think of them.  They are challenged to Google every name they have used online, every email, every social media account, YouTube, gamer tags and Google Images.  They have to search for themselves for at least 15 minutes.  When they think they are done digging, I tell them to keep digging.  They then have to report back in their blog as to what they found and whether they feel Googling themselves is something that they would recommend to their audience.  This then leads us into our discussion of developing our social brand and how we can drive the narrative of what is online for others to find out about us.

Below are their first attempt at blogging.  If you have a couple minutes, they would love to hear some feedback on their blogs!  (Make sure to click Read More as some of them are longer than others).

Thank you!

Ryan                           
Kyle                     
Matt                 
Sadie                 
Zach               
Josh
Taylen                         
Brady                   
Sam                   
Mia                   
Lucas             
Savannah
Gabe                           
Gavin                   
Ty                     
Noah                 
Adam           
Hailey
Brendan                     
Alexis

Advice for New Teachers

If you were to catch any of my tweets while I am in a chat, you would probably see at least one that said Maslow before Bloom every single day!  I am a firm believer that curriculum doesn't matter if the social emotional needs of the students aren't met.  No student will look back and remember a worksheet fondly.  They will however, look back and remember that you invested in them as a person and that you took the time to get to know them. There are so many ways that you can go about doing this and I would argue that is the fundamental thing upon which everything in the classroom is built.

If you are in middle school or high school, I would offer that you do not spend the first day telling them what they can't do and how things are going to be run.  They will hear that many times during the day and you have the chance to distinguish yourself and your class!  Why not spend the time to get to know them? If you are in a school where most of the kids know each other, you can spend the time having them get to know you and you getting to know them.  Do something silly that shows you can laugh at yourself! You might not need to do an ice breaker so they get to know each other.  Whatever you do, remember that you only get one shot at making a first impression.  You would be amazed at how far laying this foundation will get you during the year.

I also think it is important that the kids know that you are there for them as a person not just as a member of your class.  For example, ask how their weekend was when you first see them on Monday.  Ask them how their game went the night before or wish them luck at that night's contest.  Go to a concert, give them shout outs on social media.  Smile and be a source of positivity for them. Be a cheerleader!

For the most part, I only teach juniors and seniors.  Having said that, most students know who I am (if it's only by the name of the "crazy lady that says hi to everyone in the hallway").  I make it a point to smile at each student in the hallway and say hi to as many kids as humanly possible during the day.  Many students have interacted with me many times before they even step foot into my classroom.  Again, this goes a long way to success in the class.

Remember that not everyday is going to be an Instagram worthy day.  You will have days that are Instagram worthy and you will have days that you question your career choice and your sanity.  If you seem to be having more of the later, reach out to your mentor teachers, educator friends or PLN.  We are here for you! No one wants to see you fail and we ALL have bad days.  We got you!

You do you best. Just because you are doing something different than the other teachers (as long as it is in line with the district goals, etc) doesn't make it wrong. 

Be open to listening to both teachers and students.  You never know when something they say is going to resonate with you.

Don't neglect your own learning. I know that it is difficult to keep as a priority when your #1 priority is the learning of the students, but in this ever changing time, you not only need to keep up with the changes, but it will keep you invigorated!

Make sure to learn the student's names quickly and pronounce them correctly.  This is important!!!

Own up to your mistakes and move past them.  Modeling this for your students is very important!

Growth mindset goes a long way.

Ask for and honor student voice.

If it's working for you but not the kids, it's not working. Period.

You may think that some of this sounds like too much touchy feely for you, but let me share some stories with you and let you decide.

I have students who have NEVER passed a single Regents exam (ELA, Math, Social Studies or Science) pass my US History class, and some even achieved mastery (85 or above) on the Regents.  Why? Because I invested in them. I believed in them.  I didn't give up when they put up their defense. Sometimes the kids who need the love and support the most are the ones that make it most difficult to love and support.

I have students who have never taken an AP class and generally aren't that interested in government want to take AP Government and Politics because they know that I will do everything I can to support them and that they are not defined by a score on a test, but their character in taking a class that is outside their comfort zone.

I have students that come back to visit me regularly.  I have the children of students I had previously and they come in and say "My mom (or dad) said I am going to love you!".

As you begin your journey in the classroom, remember that there are trying days, there are trying students and days you will want to give up.  Please don't! We need you! The students in your community need you!  I cannot stress this enough.

Go out and be awesome! You got this!

Entrepreneurship Surveys: Kratky

I am writing this blogpost for our Business Teacher, Christina Kratky.  We are excited for the opportunities her students have in her Entrepreneurship course.  (This is the project that I was blessed to be a part of for the past 3 years)  They are participating in a regional competition called the Greater Binghamton Scholastic Challenge sponsored by Modern Marketing Concepts.  At this competition over 50 student groups from 20+ school districts bring product/service ideas to fruition through much hard work.  The past couple of years, the winners have received funding to actually start a business. Last year, partly due to your input, we won 2 of the 3 events!!  Every aspect of it is real-world and we need YOUR help! Below are the surveys each group put together.  IF you have time to complete a couple, they could really use your feedback.  None of them will take you more than 60 seconds to fill out.  Remember, this is a learning experience for all of them, so if you have any feedback for them, please feel free to comment on this blog or tweet me at @MrsMurat.  Thank you in advance for your assistance!

RetroCleat

EaSeeHome

Hunters Heated Hammocks

Only You

The OdrRack

TRAC Triggers

Spra-Lax

Unnamed App

Flee Market Clothing

GSuite Course

During the 16-17 school year, I got thinking about how many Chromebooks we are putting into the district and our emphasis on Google as a learning, collaborating and creating platform.   I was thinking that offering a GSuite course to complement our Microsoft Office class would be a helpful way to help students become more proficient in all things Google.  Below are the components of the class.  I would love your feedback! 

Parent Letter

The class is asynchronous and self paced. That is important to me because I didn't want to frustrate anyone in class because the pace was too slow or too fast for them. I have students in here that are already into graphic design and others who are still figuring out how to login each day.  As you saw in the parent letter, the students have to choose their path through the class.  They choose which points to earn and when to earn them as they strive towards our quarterly point goal.  Most of the links below are hyperdocs I created with the skills they have to show.  Some are simply Google Docs with a couple skills because they are less intensive platforms (think Alerts vs. Slides).  To show that the students have mastered a platform, they choose how to show the evidence.  They can conference with me, they can create a tutorial, create a doc or slide deck with screenshots, etc. Each platform has an optional extension activity where they can address a societal need with that platform.  That could be for a teacher, a fundraiser, a community organization, etc.  The sky is the limit!  Each platform has a live rubric in Schoology where I will assess whether they have demonstrated the skills required for the platform.  I have only included a few of them for your reference. You will notice in all of them that they get extra points for teaching me something about the platform that I didn't previously know.

Disclaimer: I have been updating these as I go, but they may not reflect the latest changes in GSuite.  Please make sure you proofread each AND check that the skills it asks the students to show are still accurate. 

If you feel so inclined, my Venmo for coffee is @Rachel-Murat

Alerts
Blogger
Books
Calendar
Chrome
Docs
Draw
Drive   Drive Rubric
Earth   Earth Rubric
Expeditions
Explore
Forms
Gmail
Maps
My Maps
Photos
Scholar
Search
Sheets
Sites
Slides
YouTube  YouTube Rubric

As you can see towards the end of each of the Hyperdocs, they can earn extra points by creating an on topic meme or anchor chart.  Here is the rubric that they can access via Schoology. 

There are a couple extra adventures this semester.  We will have an app smack down each quarter where students teach the in class audience as well as the virtual Periscope audience about Chrome apps and extensions.  The rubric and a past example from my DigCit class are included.
App Smackdown Rubric
App Smackdown Former Student Example

We will also have a biweekly showcase where students can show the class something they learned that might be a hidden gem or a hack they figured out.

Each week students will be required to complete this Weekly Performance Assessment.  This will enable the student to monitor their progress in class and will act as a springboard for one on one conferences with me.

The students will submit their creations here.  You will notice that it includes a reflection of the product and process.  I am hoping that is instructive for them as they progress through the class.

Right now, I am planning to list badges on Padlet, but am exploring different badging platforms.

I would really love your feedback (the good, the bad and the ugly)! Suggestions, comments, etc.  I'm all ears!  Thank you!

US History, Economics and Civics Hyperdocs

This summer @Math912Teach afforded me the opportunity to attend a Master Class institute that featured the authors of Dive Into Inquiry (Trevor Mackenzie), The Google Infused Classroom (Holly Clark and Tanya Avrith) and The Hyperdoc Handbook (Lisa Highfill, Kelly Hilton, Sarah Landis).  I heard about hyperdocs previous to this but my understanding of them was weak at best.  I went in excited to learn more and this Master Class did not disappoint!! I left with what I like to call a learning concussion!  I went right back home and started to dive into creating hyperdocs for my US History class based on the inquiries I built last year.

If you feel so inclined, my Venmo for coffee is @Rachel-Murat

Here is the hyperdoc I use for PD.  It includes student testimonials.

PD Hyperdoc

On the left are the hyperdocs I used in 17-18.  On the right are the updated ones I am using in 18-19.  I will add them as I go.

17-18 Geography                                                                 18-19 Geography                                                          
17-18 Justified Anger (Colonial Times)                              18-19 Justified Anger 

17-18 Declaration of Independence                                     18-19 Declaration of Independence

                                                                                              18-19 Articles of Confederation

Constitution (Created by my student teacher, Sean Mullins)  18-19 Constitution
-
Westward Expansion                                                            18-19 Westward Expansion                                         
Civil War                                                                               18-19 Civil War

Reconstruction                                                                       18-19 Reconstruction

Industrial Revolution                                                             18-19 Industrial Revolution

Imperialism

Progressive Era

WWI 

1920

1930's

WWII

Cold War

Civil Rights Movement

Decades and Presidents (60's - 2010's and Kennedy - Obama)

Here is what I have developed so far this year for Economics

Economics 101

Demand 

Market Equilibrium

Personal Finance

Here is what I have developed so far for Participation in Government (Civics)

Political Parties

Legislative Branch

Executive Branch

Electoral College

Things I have learned:
1. For me, it is easier to create the hyperdocs in Google Slides because I can manipulate the images I want to put in there much more easily.  Buncee, Thinglink and Wizer might be platforms that could be useful also.
2. I have found many of the different images I use on Kate Hadfield designs and Teachers Pay Teachers.
3. I am constantly referencing the books I mentioned above so that I don't get into a rut when giving students choice as to how to respond to things.
4. You will notice that if it isn't a Google Doc that is linked there is a link to the Google Doc in the Google Slides.  My students have the choice of typing on the Google Slides or on a preprinted copy.  At this point, I know who usually wants a preprinted copy, so I have them ready for the students.  This saves an immense amount of time and paper.
5. In class, I start off the period talking about the goals for the period (what to accomplish) and then give them roughly 20-25 minutes to accomplish those goals.  If they finish early, they can continue working.  I do have a couple students who need more time to complete the sections of the hyperdoc so they come in during Resource Room, their lunch or study hall to not only stay caught up but also to get ahead.
6. While they are working on reaching the daily goals, I am conferencing one on one with each student.  During this time, I have my tablet so we can look at their answers to the checks for understanding.  Additionally, I am asking them to clarify any of the information they've written down.  Lastly, I ask them if they have gaps in their understanding.  To a student, they are very honest about their gaps.  They learned very quickly that if they get help as they go,  they will be better able to participate in discussions and more successful on the assessment (whatever that may be).
7. I needed to vary the design for my own sanity and so they aren't seeing the same old same each time.
8. When building them, keeping the end in mind is crucial (at least for me).  I have the curriculum map up on one screen while I build them so I can make sure I am covering everything.
9. Varying the types of resources (video clips, readings, websites, documents, etc) has really made a difference for my students, especially when I can give them a choice of two or three for each topic.
10. Having them write each and every inquiry is so important, but they get tired of the long response each time, so that is why I have varied up the writing requirement.
11. Having them design a Breakout was so much fun (and meaningful) for both them and me!

I have come to rely on the hyperdoc community immensely.  Their voice and suggestions have been very meaningful for me. You can find helpful resources/communities on Google +, Facebook Hyperdoc group and on Twitter using #hyperdoc or #hyperdocs.

I will update this blogpost each time I create a new hyperdoc, so bookmark it if you found it useful!

I would love your feedback on anything in this blogpost.  What are your thoughts?  What suggestions do you have?

Thank you!

Breaking the Internet with Positivity!

One of the aims of my #DigCit course is to help cultivate the leader in each of my students.  By the end, they need to show that they have transitioned from being a good digital citizen to being a digital leader.  One of the ways that we accomplish this is by tackling the negativity that haters and trolls put out there.  This is the intro that one of my students wrote for this project...

"Doing this project about haters and trolls has taught me more than I expected it to. During this project we were asked to find a platform we have never used before, you can access the platforms here. This forced the class to go out of our comfort zone, but ultimately helped us because next time we go to chose a platform we will have more knowledge on some sites.

This task greatly increased our knowledge of haters and trolls. One fact that really stuck with me personally was about feeding the troll. I always thought it was best to stand up for yourself and other people while being bullied or trolled. However after learning that trolls feed off of the reaction of others, it’s clear that the best thing to do while being trolled is unfollow, block and ignore. We had a choice of how to do our projects and some of us did presentations and others in the class made videos and narrated it as it played which was a very effective learning method.   Keep reading to find all about how we combat haters and trolls!

One of the things that I was most excited about with this project was our Twitter chat on Friday, October 20th. Unfortunately real life intervened in the middle of our study of haters and trolls. The Monday after we finished our presentations, we watched the tragedy in Las Vegas unfold. We could not believe the amount of negativity that was being spewed at the victims before we even knew who the victims were! It was unbelievable!! We felt that after learning about all the negativity that haters and trolls were putting out there, we wanted to break the internet with positivity!! We were the #1 trending hashtag for the half hour of our chat! That was unbelievable to me! There were over 1000 tweets in that half hour and you can see from this map below, we really were able to spread positivity all over the world!!"

I am so impressed with all that they have accomplished during this project!  Most students were outside their comfort zone (both with process and product), they are now more cognizant of the fact that they can in fact be a source of positivity and that a group of students in Endwell, NY really can make a difference!!!  If you would like to see their projects, click here.  If you would like to read their blog reflections (and maybe give them some feedback!?) click here. (Some of these links will not work after September 2018 because the graduating student's accounts are deleted).

Here is a link to an example of the parent email I sent home afterwards.  It has all of the links you would need for all that we did. Email Example

If you have any comments or feedback you would like to share with my class, fee free to comment below and I will share it with them!  Thank you!

I would love to hear how you and your students are helping to spread positivity and kindness!