Book Discussion Reflection on Chapters 21 and 22

      The book talk discussion that took place in class on Monday had consisted of two chapters in the social studies text. The chapters that were covered were chapters 21 and 22, which had consisted of learning how to write a unit plan and learning about assessment tools and strategies. The chapter had provided a great visual example of what a unit plan may look like. The unit plan that is displayed in the textbook should be kept in mind when referencing to it is only an example and is one of the many ways that a unit plan can be written. However while looking through this chapter, and connecting it with concepts and principles that we have been discussing in class I only seen inquiry learning in it maybe once. I though that with the connections while creating our blended learning inquiry culminating unit that textbook would have a great resource about how to write or tips that would be useful in a inquiry culminating unit.

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       The tips and steps that the textbook provided for writing a unit plan and assessment tools to be used are very informative for when I would like to write a unit plan, just makes me wonder why the text does not provide more insight on tips to writing an inquiry unit? Why does it not include this type of learning since it has been something we are focusing on so much in class? There should be some sort of connection between inquiry unit planning in the text to connect with the content that is happening in class. These chapters are very informative on what needs to be included in the lessons, the steps to creating an effective valuable unit. The textbook is very resourceful for the steps to creating and implementing unit plans and effective assessments. However the text should be including more aspects that are being put into place in the classroom to create more connections by what is being learned in class and what we are getting from the textbook. Feel free to have a look at the book club document at this link, great explanations and resourceful information about the chapters. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1dOKuTNhEQBE-a81KCdGdrwW4rdtyl7YpfZn3pti6xFs/edit?pli=1#slide=id.g7a23c1926_016

Social Justice for Women in International Sporting Events

      The big idea for our Group Inquiry Project is “what are the implications of Canada’s involvement in International sporting events? “. A social justice theme that is easily connected to this big idea is the social justice of women in international sporting events. A tool that I would use within this inquiry is to have students use Padlet at this link http://bit.ly/1DTE4ZR. That is during this inquiry or this particular part I want students to think critically and into depth of why this topic is a part of social justice. What happened? What were some of the restraints for women in these events? I want the students to critically think in depth of this social justice theme, and even question what happened.

         Social justice is very important to integrate into History, Geography, and Social Studies because these are interesting topics that are actually happening or were happening in the world. This is where students can go and research themselves the information that they may or may not know and spark an interest of choice. Social Justice Knowledge is really important for students and each grade to know because through each grade one part of a social justice theme will always be different and constructed for the appropriateness of the age and grade. It is important for students to understand the topics of Social Justice because students need to know that everything that we have today is because of long journeys to get here. For example this link gives insight on when and how women progressively started to play in the Olympics http://bit.ly/1xWZsIN. Students can look at many resources to research how and when things occurred to understand how it all came together.

     For this Inquiry Project theme social justice for women’s rights in international sporting events fits in very nicely because this can be used as a lesson in itself. Social Justice in this area is a particular long battle for women to be playing and ranked the same as men, which has come a long way. Students may not understand it however, so they can take the initiative in the lesson and do their own inquiry work and question what happened, why was it like that, what made it change? There are many sites and resources that students can use to research women’s role in sporting events, at what points were they allowed to only play, when they could play. This topic is a great research and presentation topic to display information they found, their insights, what they thought was interesting. This link is to a column that discusses if sports are sexist, what sports are and are not and what are the views on women and sports today http://bbc.in/1ICpzzZ.