Marzano Lesson Strategy Reflecton

Well I must say this was an experience! I created a comparison matrix and placed it in my lesson on capabilities of the North and South . In the past, I simply showed a power point that highlighted the differences in the North and South at the onset of the Civil War. This Power point also went over resources and capacities to wage war. (Core Content U.S. Hist #6120) After creating a new lesson based on this content & incorporating the Matrix, I then added this to a game format. The students now use the matrix and play the game which was designed to help them gain understanding of the factors that affected the course of the Civil War and helped to contribute to a Union victory.This was a smash Hit! I also have two other variations of this game (presented in my Marzano Lesson). In addition, I went to the D.I. got some game pieces from a Monopoly Game and an Old Risk Game .. We use them in this lesson. We have factories, cannon, armies, Money, railroads, etc. This was used as an Non-linguistic illustration set out according to the matrix informational chart! It was so cool! The students came to understand far more through this teaching strategy. I should learn by this! Doug

Marzano Strategy

I created a comparison matrix comparing the resources of the North and South and how they affected the course of the Civil War . I used it in my lesson plan last week and it really went quite well. We played a game along with the use of the Matrix Graph and the students quite enjoyed doing this activity. I believe it achieved our goal of coming to understand factors that affected the course of the war and how they contributed to the Union victory! I will submit this as my lesson plan for the Miller Travel Seminar Group if I can just figure out how to transfer it over to everyone!

MARIZANO - Entry

Although I have read this book in the past , I have decided that I really should read this book each summer prior to the new year! It is of the best and has great examples too. After review ing the section on the "Research and Theory on Vocabulary" I understood how I have needed to underscore vocabulary development. I simply Incorporated a small change that has worked well. We often have the students complete journal entries that would place them within the historical setting of our study, but now I have begun to list 5-10 vocabulary words on the board for the students to add to the journal. This has been a great way to increase their use and within context as well. The students have been having fun with this challenge. We are now doing better at encountering words in context more than once! I should have been doing this years ago.

Battle Cry of Freedom:
One subject I have really enjoyed reading about in the book is the justifications put forth from the Southern perspective for secession. I also learned quite a bit about Ft. Sumter and Pres. Lincolns options in respect to the advice he had received from others concerning the resupply of the fort. I think i will get a set of those old "Rock' em Sock'em Robots and have the students play with them a bit and draw some parallel to the idea of strategies used to draw FIRST BLOOD!
I could also use them in respect to Pres. Lincolns' desire for finding a general that could actually deliver a KNOCKOUT BLOW for the North!! It might make for a good tie to comparing McClellan and Lee . I found the struggle over finding capable generals quite interesting and informative. James McPherson has helped me with great quotes and information to use in the classroom!

Battle Cry Of Freedom

Battle Cry Of Freedom
One thing that stands out to me as being both interesting and informative within the pages of this book have been the references to the Lincoln / Douglas debates. I can see more fully how Lincoln was brought forward by his Wit and reasoning shown all through his presentations! One question I have about this was Did he actually write and prepare all his own issues and responses ... was it spur of the moment stuff ... who assisted him throughout the debates?

Killer Angels

Just a note.. reading the book inspired me to search a bit as to the aftermath of this battle as to how it affected the people who lived in the town of Gettysburg. They had to deal with clean up for months such as,burning of dead livestock, the hiring of grave diggers, and maintaining a make shift Army Hospital for months after the battle!! These are some issues I had NOT previously consiedered and found to be apart of vertually every major encounter throughout the entire Civil War. I also found a cool video clip of the 1938 reunion of vetrans who had fought the battle of Gettysburg. You can simply google it and view it . Doug Snow

Book Killer Angels ..
they say a picture is worth a thousand words! The maps in the book were fantastic. I could picture the events as they occured within the pages by following the maps! Doug