Bringing the Neighborhood into the Classroom

Today in class we were able to get to know and understand the valve of our own neighborhoods and the others around them. We were all to bring in a picture of our neighborhood or what we thought of when we thought about our neighborhood. We then all posted our pictures on the wall for everyone to be able to see. We went in a couple groups and filled out a diagram comparing and contrasting our neighborhood picture with that of someone elses in the class. In doing this we were able to see that even thought we all attend the same school, some of our neighborhoods are very different. It was a nice activity to be able to see where people lived and what they had around them that you may not and what you have around your neighborhood that other people did not. This can show students the value of neighborhood and that even though they may appear to be very diferent they have some things in common. We were also given a chance to include some writing skills into this lesson by making up a short poem about our neighborhood. We were also given the chance to answer some questions about what we loved about or neighborhood and what we may want to change about it. This activity provides a great lead in to talking about other things in a community such as street names, addresses and how apartment ones are different, also intersections, sidewalks, how people get around and so much more!! This is a great acttivity to make things really relate to the students and give them information about things that are right outside of their doors. This is also very simple to do with students because even if they do not have the means at home to get a picture of their neighborhood it can be done at school through google maps as long as they know their address! Great authentic learning activity that you can shape and mold to fit any grade level! I would recomend doing this activity to introduce the idea of neighborhood and expand on this idea!

The Journey of a Trade Fair

We recently got to participate in a trade fair in our Social Studies calss here at I.U.S.B. This is a picture of people trading their goods. The day started off with all students bringing in

something that they made or had at home that they would be willing to trade with other people. People brought things likebrownies, cupcakes, dinner rolls, candy, pictures, bracelets, cakes and more! We were to have our items that were up for trade displayed on our desks with what one trade would get you, so you knew that only one bracelet, or that the brownies and candy came together. We then walked around and looked at not only everything our class had to offer but also what the other section's class had to offer as well. It was shared that this was the first time that both sections have been combined to make one big trade fair. After that it was fair trading!

This activity gives students to learn so much about trade and how the economy works. Students are able to see first the idea of trade and how things may have worked in history where bartering and trade were very popular. It is a much more enriching thing to experience then to just hear about it. Students also stand to learn a lot about relationships and attitudes, it was discussed that if were were in grade school some of the things may have made children mad or upset if they did not get what they were wanting to trade for. This then would provide a great oppertunity to teach lessons and learn how things like that could have also happened in history. Students also can learn more about the economy today with the trade fair by seeing supply and demand right in from of their eyes. If someone brought an abundance of one thing not as many people wanted that thing, but if there was only one of something that 3 or 4 people wanted then the demand for that object was high. It then became very difficult for the owner of that Item to decided one person and what the trade was worth. In this very case I ended up trading for promises and ended up making 3 more signs for people in the class!

Over all I think that this would be a great learning experience for students to be able to go through and to learn first hand. I would wait to do this with older children because of some of the emotions that it brings about. It is also a great opertunity to be able to learn about something, then to be able to do it. It is also a great lead in to a discussion about what happend, how it made people feel and other great conversations that can be had from this experience! I recomend this activity to all upper elementary teachers teaching about the economy.