Friday, September 13, 2013

Time Traveling


My second graders always surprise me! This week we read a photo essay about a girl who attends a school for deaf students. We learned some hand spelling and signs. We also read a story about Helen Keller. It was after that story that my students began to ask me questions such as:

-Is Helen Keller still alive?
-How old is she?
-Did you know her?



I decided it was a great time to get out one of my magnetic timelines and help them find answers to their questions. I've never taught timelines so early in the year, but I believe in grabbing those natural, teachable moments and riding the "interest wave" as far as I can! This was one of those moments.
Through the course of the lesson, we discussed many things. Here are a few of them:

  • place value and the 1000's place
  • counting by tens above 1000
  • counting on and back on a number line
  • how long ago Helen Keller lived
  • how long she has been gone
  • how old she was when she died
  • whether or not Mrs. Edwards was alive at the same time as Helen Keller (for 13 years!)
  • whether or not Mrs. Edwards knew Helen Keller (It's a big world! and, no, I never met her.)
We now have a foundation to build on as we explore immigration, explorers, and pilgrims later this fall. At the end of the lesson, a student raised his hand and said, "That was like traveling in a time machine!" I think I have them hooked!