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Penny
Newcomb
Project
Summary
Jasper-Troupsburg Central School
1. General Overview of the Proposed
Project:
Use computers to engage students in
learning and reviewing themes in US foreign policy. Special
emphasis placed on making review cards of vocabulary, cause and
effect, and locations.
2. Clear Purpose and Objective:
Increase student vocabulary knowledge
Enhance student recognition of geography
Relate cause and effect to US actions in
foreign policy, especially wars
Utilize students’ interests in technology
3. Stakeholders: grade level, who will
benefit, who will participate in this project.
11th grade, non accelerated US
History students who must pass the Regents exam
4. U.S. History Content Area
US foreign policy with special emphasis on
wars of the Spanish-American War, WWI, WWII, and the Cold war
5. Outline Describing Content
Spanish-American
war
Causes
Yellow
journalism
US
expansion overseas
WWI
Causes
in Europe America’s entry
Effects---Germany’s punishment leads to wwii
US
refusal to join League of Nations
WWII
Causes
in Europe America’s entry
holocaust
Effects--- Cold war beginnings
Atomic
bomb use
UN
Cold War
Arms
race space race
Cuba,
Korean, Vietnam Crisis
ending
6. Software to be used, internet
materials, contacts, etc.
US history sites for definitions and
examples
game sites ----schoolhistory.co.uk ??
contentgenerator.net
others????
flashcard maker software------studyPerfect
? flashcardexchange?
7. Level of Student Involvement
Students will make flash cards of
vocabulary words, cause and effects, and other information related
to each war as review. (I will proof these for accuracy)
Students will create a computerized game
related to the material.
Students will play each other’s games as a
form of review for each war and at the end of the year for the
Regents exam
8. Evaluation process (include students
when possible)
I will take anecdotal evaluation through
student comments while working on projects.
Students will evaluate each others’ games
for accuracy and gamesmanship using a rubric.
9. Timeline: how you envision the
project being carried out between start up and conclusion
The project will be ongoing from about
March to the end of the year. One set of flash cards and game
created after the class learning for each war. The first one will
most likely be in a large group, then several smaller groups, so
that by the last one, each child can make his/her own review cards /
game.
10. Comments or Questions:
I need to look into purchasing some of the
software for school use. Some is free, but to have the most variety
of games there is a cost associated.
Penny Newcomb
Jasper-Troupsburg School
TAH Project 2007-2008 Reflection piece
My main focus for this year’s project was to
have the students increase their knowledge of US History
vocabulary. Originally I thought of developing review cards either
on index cards or an electronic program, but I finally decided to
use electronic games because that seems to be more in line with
students these days. At the same time I saw an AIS student
frequently go to
http://www.schoolhistory.co.uk to play the
games there. He was interested for the “game” part, but I knew he
had to be gaining academically as well. So I decided to focus my
project on the development of games such as that site offered.
The overall project has been frustrating. The
school’s technology has been a trouble spot for all steps of the
project. At first I had trouble registering at
www.contentgenerator.net because of the
email server’s definition of junk mail. Then the laptop computers
didn’t have all of the needed software for the students to play
their games. All of the games only worked on 2 laptops; the rest
only could play 1-2 of the games. But the desktop computers all
worked fine, so now I have the students use them.
The students were excited to have “video”
games, but the excitement died down when they saw the quality wasn’t
on par with War of the Worlds, and other games they play at home. I
assured them that it was better than pen and paper or listening to
me all the time! However, they definitely needed guidance in how
to write good review questions. Very few did more than restate what
was on their handouts. The few that showed some creativity were so
wild I was hard pressed to see it as creativity instead of blatant
foolishness.
Since I seem to always be running out of time
to cover the material I have not had the kids develop the questions
and the games as often as I would have liked. When I develop the
games for the kids to play it only takes one class period--instead
of the 2 (or more) it takes to lead the kids in writing their own.
The bright side of this project has been that
I believe the students are more familiar with vocabulary words and
definitions. In normal class review they seem to come up with the
correct answers quickly and easily. However, I haven’t really put
the games to “the test.” My intention is to use these games as part
of the Regents review activities in June. I have also intended that
these games will be useful for reviewing with students in AIS
classes.
In conclusion, I have learned several things
to work on for future years.
1.
Check ALL parts of the technology involved
2.
Buy a site license for at least one of the games so the kids
can make the entire game instead of them writing the questions on
paper and then I input them.
3.
Early in the year model writing game questions in different
ways. (Don’t just repeat the vocab word and definition)
Penny Newcomb 08
Reflection in Word
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