the Virtual Bookmark

Creating a culture of reading-staff book clubs

Is a diploma in teacher-librarianship enough?

CREATING A CULTURE OF READING IN HIGH SCHOOLS: Engaging Staff Professional Book Clubs

by Bonnie McComb,

Presented at the ASLA XXI Biennial Conference , Perth, Australia

September 30, 2009.  by Bonnie McComb

Teacher-Librarian, Parkland Secondary, Saanich School District #63, BC. Executive member, BCTLA

Why Try Staff Professional Book Clubs?

* Book clubs are a catalyst for rich ongoing conversations about teaching and school culture

* Book clubs create a common language and background knowledge

* Book clubs contribute to creating and supporting a strong collegial culture, good instructional strategies, and positive, motivated teachers and students

* Book clubs can support alignment of professional development and instruction strategies with school goals and school vision

* Most important, book clubs are fun and social.

What happened?

In my secondary school over the past 7 years, we have voluntarily read 28 books together. In my role as the teacher librarian who believes in the magic of book clubs and reading, I took on the role of organizing and maintaining professional book clubs in the school. We have involved the teachers, administrators, and support staff. The result? A school with a strong collegial learning culture. A school where we demonstrate teaching strategies to each other. A school where you might here someone say, "Yes, but do you remember that book we read that talked about……"

How did it happen?

We were very fortunate that our district initiated and supported the idea of professional book as an adjunct to Educator as Researcher and Action Research projects. We were one of the keen schools that leaped at the opportunity.

Organizational Strategies that Work for Us

1. It takes someone to take ownership to keep up the momentum and this is the perfect opportunity for teacher librarians to provide professional leadership.

2. It’s the background organization that makes it work: book talks, promotion, applying for funding, purchasing and distributing books, organizing meeting dates and food, and ensuring notes are done (for future funding).

3. Apply for funding from any place you can. Apply for Educator as Researcher grants. Apply for literacy money for any books on literacy. Apply for school goals money if the books align with school goals. Be creative.

4. Give people CHOICE. Provide a variety of interesting books. I usually present a sociological book such as The Tipping Point, a book on literacy, a book on motivating students, and a book on instructional strategies or learning.

5. Nurture participation. I let staff members sign up for as many books as they want to do. Some people do one; some do all; and some do none. Talk to people face to face about attending. Promote books to people who might be interested in them but may not. Personally invite administrators so they are involved. If change is going to occur as a result of the book, it is vital that the administration team is part of the discussion.

6. Provide food and time/place for meeting. Our most successful meeting time is at the end of the summer holidays on the evening before the professional development day. We have a catered dinner at someone’s home, sit outside in the sunshine, and enjoy reconnecting with our colleagues.. This is a powerful time because teachers are enthusiastic, full of energy, and ready to implement some of the ideas.

7. Provide a bit of scaffolding but make it easy for people to attend. Ask people to jot down notes to bring: something affirmed, something learned, questions or concerns, impact on teaching or school. (See sample handout)

A Few Reflections:

*

The most popular books where 25+ teachers sign up to do it are often ones that relate to teacher’s own lives as parents such as BoySmart or ones that relate to learning or relationships such a A Whole New Mind or Now Discover your Strengths.

*

Literacy books are the least popular but we had good results with the Cris Tovani books.

*

Meeting several times for an ongoing study using a technology book seems like a great idea but it always seems to fall apart because of how busy teachers are. We have better success with a single meeting date.

*

Book clubs started to align with our school vision and goals in the third year. We started to have Literacy Lovers Lunches, demonstrate ‘’think alouds’’ across the curriculum on pro-d days, use student book clubs in English and Social Studies classes, etc. 1

Professional
Book Club Notes

-Something affirmed

-Something learned

-Impact on teaching
practices

-Something I ......
______________________
______________________(interesting, frustrating, questions you still have)

Handout created by Saanch School District #63

Greg’s TOP 10 Picks                  
          

by Greg Smith

 

September 2008

 

Exciting Ideas and Opportunities for Social Studies Teachers and Students!

 

1. The Amazing Heritage Challenge. A great new resource for BC Grade 10 Social Studies teachers and students. These lessons are a perfect combination of exciting activities, curriculum relevance and real world engagement! http://www.tsa.gov.bc.ca/heritage/education_training/lesson_plans.htm

 

2. Civic Mirror. CM is an educational simulation that turns “classrooms into countries” and “students into citizens”. Check out the “testimonials” button.  http://www.civicmirror.com/whatitis.php

 

3. Federal Election Coming?  Another great new site created for teachers and students in anticipation that a federal election will be called soon. Great ideas to start off the school year! http://bestlibrary.org/election/

 

4. Geography and Beyond!  Fantastic new sites created in BC as a portal to hundreds of geographic ideas, lessons, research topics, maps and a whole lot more. Check out both sites! http://elibrary.sd71.bc.ca/socials/geography-canada.html

http://elibrary.sd71.bc.ca/socials/geography-world.html

 

5. Great War Letters Project. Young Canadians ages 14-18 are invited to pen a letter imagining what it was like to serve in the First World War. The contest starts Sept.8, 08 and is to coincide with the release of the new movie Passchendaele.    www.dominion.ca/passchendaele

 

6. Kalahari Library Project. How about a class or school citizenship project to help support literacy among children in the southern Kalahari? A simple and guaranteed way to make a difference in the lives of children. www.kalaharilibraryproject.com/adopt.html

 

7. Law Courts Education Society. Another new resource to help teachers and students understand our legal system. This resource even has a talking guide named Alex who will help you through the website. http://www.courtsofbc.ca

 

8. Michelle Mulder. Need a refreshing start for a unit on government, citizenship or social responsibility for grades 4-7? Meet Michelle, a Victoria based author of historical fiction.

www.michellemulder.com

 

9. Sierra Club BC. Empower your students to appreciate the many values and perspectives surrounding environmental and sustainability issues and to take ACTION in a fun and credible way. www.sierraclub.bc.ca/education

 

10. Social Studies Videos On Sale! From October 6-24, ERAC will host its annual sale of videos with discounted prices and free shipping! Remember BC teachers have checked out all these videos. http://www.bcerac.ca/Catalogue2008/ERAC2008Catalogue.aspx

 

Comments and ideas-Contact Greg at 250-485-8295 gtgsmith@gmail.com . Check out all the great ideas for Social Studies teachers at the BC Social Studies Teacher’s Association website. http://www.bctf.ca/bcssta/

 

 

Greg’s TOP 10 Picks      October 2008

Exciting Ideas and Opportunities for Social Studies Teachers and Students!

 

1.      Asians, First Nations and the History of the Vote in BC. Plan to attend this discussion in Vancouver on October 28/08. Check out all the other teacher resources at this site. www.cchsbc.ca/

 

2.      BC Mining Class of the Year Contest. Win this contest and your whole class will become expert gold panners. Check out all the other great ideas from the BC Mineral Resource Education Program. http://www.bcminerals.ca

 

3. The Canadian Social Studies Super Site. This site contains an annotated list of quality websites for Canadian social studies educators and anyone interested in Canada. http://www.ualberta.ca/~jkirman/

 

4.      ExploraVision Awards Competition This competition gives students in grades K-12 the chance to create their own vision of the future. Win thousands $. www.exploravision.org

 

5.      The History of Metropolitan Vancouver. A great site with all kinds of teacher resources and quizzes. www.vancouverhistory.ca/index.htm

 

6.      Google History On-line- One Newspaper at a Time. Google has just launched a new service to make old newspapers available for everyone. Look back in time! Check this out! http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2008/09/bringing-history-online-one-newspaper.html

 

7.      Mapleleafweb. A non-partisan Canadian political education web-site for teachers, students and the “attentive” public. http://www.mapleleafweb.com/

 

8.      Teachers Are Agents For Change. Plan to attend the BC Social Studies Teachers Fall Conference in Coquitlam on October 24/2008. Check out all the great workshops and get a look at the latest Social Studies resources http://www.bctf.ca/psas/bcssta/

 

9.      Teacher Professional Development Sourcebook. This American Social Studies/History site may be the most complete interactive, on-line resource for K-12 educators anywhere!

       http://directory.teachersourcebook.org/category_index.cfm?category=8

 

10.  The 11^th hour of the 11^th day of the 11^th month. JudithComfort has just updated her site to assist teachers and students with new Remembrance Day resources. www.bestlibrary.org/nov11/

 

Comments and ideas-Contact Greg at 250-485-8295 gtgsmith@gmail.com . Check out all the great ideas for Social Studies teachers at the BC Social Studies Teacher’s Association website. http://www.bctf.ca/bcssta/

Greg’s TOP 10 Picks      November 2008

Exciting Ideas and Opportunities for Social Studies Teachers and Students!

 

1. Being Victorian. Welcome to Victoria BC circa 1858-1914! Visit this great new site with an innovative format and written for Social Studies 10. http://www.bcpcc.com/Outreach/ss10/index.htm

 

2. BC 150 Resources. More new and exciting ideas and lessons to help students and teachers celebrate BC’s 150^th Anniversary. http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/bc150/

 

3. Comfort Women- a play by Chungmi Kim. Watch this Off-Broadway hit based on a true story about three women who survived the shame of a terrible chapter in Asian history. Special student performance-Nov.21/08 in Coquitlam BC. Contact Kevin Sung hyosoosung@hanmail.net for tickets. Sponsored by www.alpha-canada.org

 

4. Green Learning. Comprehensive, fun and free lessons aligned to the BC curriculum and designed to help students participate in their own learning regarding today’s complex energy and environmental issues. http://www.greenlearning.ca/

 

5. History of Quebec. Get to know La Belle Province a little better. This site has all the information plus great self scoring tests and tutorials. http://www.lbpsb.qc.ca/~history//

 

6. History Wire. HW invites your perspectives, stories and opinions on the relevance of history in understanding current events, the importance of history education and much more. http://historywire.ca/en/index

 

7. Law Courts Education travels BC.  The Law Courts Education Society of BC will hold 6 regional law workshops for teachers in early 2009. Kelowna, Prince George, Surrey, Coquitlam, Vancouver and Victoria. Contact Marylou Leung at marylou.leung@lawcourtsed.ca or call 604-660-9874 to attend.

 

8. Online Publishing for Social Studies Teachers. Check out Judith Comfort’s site on why, what and how to publish as well as a portal to other great Social Studies resources. http://www.bestlibrary.org/ssworkshop/

 

9. Women in World History. This unique site is full of information and resources to help you learn about women’s history in a global context. www.womeninworldhistory.com

 

10. The World Factbook. Straight from the Central Intelligence Agency! This CIA resource is one of the best sources for up to date information on all the countries of the world and it even has lesson plans. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/

 

Comments and ideas-Contact Greg at 250-485-8295 gtgsmith@gmail.com . Check out all the great ideas for Social Studies teachers at the BC Social Studies Teacher’s Association website. http://www.bctf.ca/bcssta/

Greg’s TOP 10 Picks      December 2008

Exciting Ideas and Opportunities for Social Studies Teachers and Students!

 

 

1. British Columbia Moments. Your words could be engraved in stone on the grounds of the Parliament Buildings in Victoria forever! The Deadline is December 12,2008. Just do it! www.leg.bc.ca/speaker/moments/index.htm

 

2. Canada at a Glance. This tiny free publication is a must have for all social studies teachers and students. Use up to date facts when making sense of media headlines. http://www45.statcan.gc.ca/2008/cgco_2008_000-eng.htm

 

3. Coalition Governments in Canada. This may be the hottest topic in social studies classrooms this month. Definition, history, types and a lot more for educators at this hot site. http://www.mapleleafweb.com/features/coalition-governments-canada

 

4. Fort Langley National Historic Site. A great Canadian resource that should be on every BC teachers’ and students’ must visit list during BC’s 150^th anniversary. http://www.pc.gc.ca/lhn-nhs/bc/langley/index_E.asp

 

5. Human Rights Day. December 10, 2008 is Human Rights Day. Passages to Canada has new resources to help teachers celebrate this occasion in their classrooms. www.passagestocanada.com

 

6. Macdonald and Laurier Days. A new interactive WEB site dedicated to telling us all about the accomplishments of two great Canadian nation builders. Great prizes too!

www.macdonald-laurier.ca

 

7. Phyllis Arnold Professional Development Award. An award to help Canadian teachers participate in professional development conferences or courses in geography. http://www.ccge.org/ccge/english/Pro_development/programs_phyllisArnold.asp

 

8. Shafran Teachers’ Conference. Sponsored by the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre, this day will focus on discussions around comparative genocide and literary approaches to the Holocaust. Register today. www.vhec.org/development.html

 

9. Transatlantic Outreach Program. The purpose of this free teacher study tour to Germany is to provide Canadian social studies teachers with global understanding from an international perspective. http://www.goethe.de/ins/us/lp/prj/top/enindex.htm

 

10. Youth Ambassadors of Remembrance.  Students are challenged to create a 3-5 minute video in honour of Canadians who served or are serving the cause of peace and freedom. This Legion sponsored contest is open to all grade 10-12 students in BC and the Yukon.

http://www.legionlegacies.org/userfiles/image/youth-ambassadors/YAPosterContest.pdf

 

Comments? Contact Greg at 250-485-8295 gtgsmith@gmail.com . Check out all the great ideas for Social Studies teachers at the BC Social Studies Teacher’s Association website. http://www.bctf.ca/bcssta/

 

 

Greg’s TOP 10 Picks      January 2009

Exciting Ideas and Opportunities for Social Studies Teachers and Students!

 

1. Better Classroom Guidebooks. Crossword puzzles linked to the BC social studies curriculum and common resources. A great way to learn! www.bcguidebooks.ca

 

2, BC Youth Parliament. BCYP offers students aged 14-18 an opportunity to be involved in the parliamentary system in their own community.

http://www.bcyp.org/main.html

 

3. Canadiana Musical Theatre. The CMT Company creates and performs musicals drawn from pivotal points in Canadian history. Book a performance today! http://www.canadianamusical.com/

 

4. How Well Do You Know Your World? Check out this fun way to find out how well you know world political geography. Be warned- it could be addictive!

http://www.minijuegosgratis.com/juegos/hwdykyworld/hwdykyworld.html

 

5. Jack Pine. Social studies and opera? Yes it can be done! The Vancouver Opera will be touring BC schools this year educating and entertaining children about our forests. http://www.vancouveropera.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=177&Itemid=15

 

6. Peace & Reconciliation Study Tour to China & Korea. Join with other social studies teachers for this memorable summer journey of discovery and understanding. http://www.alpha-canada.org/StudyTour/index.htm

 

7. Pearsonpulse.  A great new blog site created by Pearson Education Canada for history and law teachers. A cool place to exchange ideas! http://www.pearsonpulse.ca/

 

8. Show What You Know-Media Literacy Contest. Grade 3-12 students are invited to develop a multi media project about poverty and sustainable development. Great prizes! http://www.chf-partners.ca/medialiteracy/

 

9. Spirit of Mandela Week. A challenging initiative for Canadian students to help raise money in order to change the lives of children in South Africa through a curriculum based program. www.spiritofmandela.ca

 

10. What in the World. A new social studies resource designed to enhance students’ understanding and interest in current events. A great resource for grades 3-5. http://www.lesplan.com/en/publication/what-world-le-monde-en-marche-level-1

 

 

Comments and ideas-Contact Greg at 250-485-8295 gtgsmith@gmail.com . Check out all the great ideas for Social Studies teachers at the BC Social Studies Teacher’s Association website. http://www.bctf.ca/bcssta/

 

Greg’s TOP 10 Picks      February 2009

Exciting Ideas and Opportunities for Social Studies Teachers and Students!

 

1. Blogs, Wikis and Podcasts. Meet Will Richardson the guru of how these new technologies are changing education. Feb. 20^th in Sannich. http://literacy.sd63.bc.ca/

 

2. The Colonel Douglas H. Gunter History Award. Are you a senior high school history student? Do you want $1,000 to continue your history education? Then check this out! thttp://www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/index_e.aspx?ArticleID=20439

 

3. The Great Canadian Geography Challenge. Register today for this friendly competition for grades 4-10. A great opportunity for your students and school to shine! www.geochallenge.ca

 

4. Horizons. The second edition of Pearson’s much-used grade 10 Social Studies text is about to be published. Check it out and you may win a class set. http://www.pearsoned.ca/school/horizons2/

 

5. National Film Board. Happy Birthday NFB! To mark its 70^th birthday the NFB has an online Screening Room giving instant access to over 700 movies. Check it out! www.nfb.ca

 

6. Okanagan History Vignettes. Stories, pictures, maps, lessons and answer keys all about one of BC’s most beautiful and historic valleys.

http://www.nal.ca/library/learning/okanagan/history/cover.htm

 

7. Open School BC. Not just for correspondence students any more. OS provides exciting packaged courses for many social studies courses and is available to teachers, schools, students and parents. http://www.pss.gov.bc.ca/osbc/

 

8. Refugees. Do you know that 33 million people (the population of Canada) are stateless refugees today? Check out this site for info. maps and project ideas including “Gimme Shelter”.www.unhcr.org

 

9. Teaching For Thinking. This BC company designs digital learning world history materials that challenge the imagination and stimulate higher order thinking skills. http://www.teachingforthinking.com/index.html

 

10. XA:YTEM. A 9,000-year-old Aboriginal village site that contains “BC’s oldest house” at 6,000 years old! Wow and just a short drive from Vancouver! www.xaytem.ca

 

Comments and ideas-Contact Greg at 250-485-8295 gtgsmith@gmail.com . Check out all the great ideas for Social Studies teachers at the BC Social Studies Teacher’s Association website. http://www.bctf.ca/bcssta/

 

 

Greg’s TOP 10 Picks      March 2009

Exciting Ideas and Opportunities for Social Studies Teachers and Students!

 

1. Access.ca. A new way to find social studies lesson plans, articles, and multi media resources for all grade levels. This is the way to find what you need in your classroom! http://access.ca/home.html

 

2. Canadian Olympic School Program. Free downloadable lesson plans, interactive components, contests and stories about Olympians designed for students between grades 2 and 12. http://www.olympicschool.ca/

 

3. Face To Face: The Canadian Personalities Hall. FTF presents 27 outstanding Canadian men and women whose ideas and contributions have transformed this country. Check out these lessons, activities and games.

http://www.civilization.ca/cmc/exhibitions/hist/biography/biographi100e.shtml

 

4. Governor General’s Award for Excellence in Teaching Canadian History. Canada’s National History Society is looking for Canada’s best teachers of Canadian History and Social Studies. http://www.historysociety.ca/gga.asp?subsection=rul

 

5. LIFE photo archive hosted by Google. Wow! For the first time search millions of photographs from the LIFE photo archive from 1750 to today. Lots of Canadian content!

http://images.google.com/hosted/life

 

6. Making Space. A new free resource available from the BC Ministry of Education to help teachers deal with social justice issues across the K-12 curriculum.

http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/irp/program_delivery/ss.htm

 

7. Our Roots, Our Future: Experiencing Canada’s National Historic sites in the Classroom. These lessons help students understand how nationally significant places, people and events interacted to create the story of Canada. http://www.pc.gc.ca/apprendre-learn/prof/racines-roots/index_e.asp

 

8. The Premiers. CPAC presents an unprecedented new TV event starting March 1/09 that focuses on the premiers and provinces that shaped a nation. Check out BC’s W.A.C.  Bennett on March 8/09 at 6pm PST. www.cpac.ca

 

9. The Summits of Canada. Join with schools and teachers from across Canada and the world for this unique look at Canada from the rare viewpoint of a mountain expedition. Lessons included! http://www.summitsofcanada.ca/canatrek/expedition/expedition.html

 

10. World Neighbours Canada. Based in BC’s Okanagan Valley, WNC is an international people-to-people organization that supports community initiatives to alleviate hunger, disease and poverty. Get involved today. http://www.worldneighbours.ca/

 

 

Comments and ideas-Contact Greg at 250-485-8295 gtgsmith@gmail.com . Check out all the great ideas for Social Studies teachers at the BC Social Studies Teacher’s Association website. http://www.bctf.ca/bcssta/

 

 

 

Greg’s TOP 10 Picks  April  2009

Exciting Ideas and Opportunities for Social Studies Teachers and Students!

 

1. BC Public Education Election Kit 2009. Great ideas for teachers planning to hold an all candidates’ meeting in their classroom and to give students insights into public education decision-making. http://bceducation.wordpress.com/

 

2. BC’s 39^th Provincial General Election: May 12, 2009. Judith comfort has done it again with the creation of a new site to help BC teachers and students understand the upcoming election. “This election is an opportunity to bring real life into the classroom”.

http://www.bestlibrary.org/bcelection/

 

3. Canadian Social Forum. Join with other educators and community leaders for the first Canadian Social Forum targeting Canadian poverty-both urban and rural. Witness, experience and participate in what can happen with people working together.

http://www.ccsd.ca/csf/2009/

 

4. The Honorable Steven Point. BC’s Lieutenant Governor has made a pledge to visit as many schools as possible during his term. Invite him to your school! www.ltgov.bc.ca/ltgov/biography.htm

 

5. The Memory Project. The MP is designed to connect veterans and students online and in classrooms across Canada. Over 1,500 veterans are available to visit classrooms and to share their stories with youth. http://www.thememoryproject.com/index.asp

 

6. Meyer & Gita Kron & Ruth Kron-Signal Award for Excellence in Holocaust Education. Awarded annually to a BC elementary or secondary teacher for commitment to teaching about the Holocaust and its lessons for humankind. Apply today. http://vhec.org/development.html

 

7. The Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence. If you know of someone who should be recognized, please encourage applications. Benefits for teachers, schools and boards are “tremendous”. http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/pmate-ppmee.nsf/eng/Home

 

8. Provincial Capital Commission’s Student Travel Subsidy Program. This school year the PCC spent over $200,000 so more than 5,400 students could travel to Victoria. Check out the activities and curriculum connections and plan to bring your class next year. http://bcpcc.com/Outreach/Student_Travel_Subsidies.htm

 

9. Student Vote BC. SV aims to empower teachers to facilitate election curriculum in their classrooms as well as to engage families in elections through dialogue and activities with their children. http://www.studentvote.ca/home.html

 

10. United Nations Cyberschoolbus. A great site aimed at all social studies grade levels to help students learn more about international issues. Lessons, games, classroom project ideas and information-this site has it all. http://www.cyberschoolbus.un.org

 

 

Comments and ideas-Contact Greg at 250-485-8295 gtgsmith@gmail.com . Check out all the great ideas for Social Studies teachers at the BC Social Studies Teacher’s Association website. http://www.bctf.ca/bcssta/

 

Greg’s TOP 10 Picks  May  2009

Exciting Ideas and Opportunities for Social Studies Teachers and Students!

 

1. BC Teachers’ Institute on Parliamentary Democracy. An intensive professional development opportunity for grade 4-12 social studies teachers. Apply today! http://www.leg.bc.ca/info/bcti/

 

2. The Commons. “If people won’t come to the museums, the museums will go to the people”. Check out these pictures from the archives of 24 museums from around the world.

http://www.flickr.com/commons?PHPSESSID=ea7b4da468f5935f24b65f41dbfc356f

 

3. Elementary Education Resources-Social Studies-Geography. Another great super site with all kinds of lessons, games and ideas to help make geography come alive in an elementary setting.

http://www.pitt.edu/~poole/eledGeography.html

 

4. “The Good Nazi”. A new movie that documents how John Rabe helped save over 250,000 Chinese from death. This is part of the “multiple perspectives” that is stressed in the BC curriculum. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/festival/film-review-john-rabe-1003939509.story

 

5. Kids’ Stop. A fun zone for students and teachers to find lots of interesting facts about Aboriginal history and language, educational games and stories and classroom resources.

http://www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/ach/lr/ks/index-eng.asp

 

6. Seal hunt in Canada. A great opportunity for a classroom debate. Have students check the internet for seal hunt “facts”. Then debate the pros and cons and then maybe make your findings known. Start with a search engine like Google. www.google.com

 

7. Statistics Canada. Free lessons dealing with Aboriginal studies, economics, Canadian Studies, civics, environment, geography, history and law. A very active site! http://www.statcan.gc.ca/kits-trousses/edu05_000-eng.htm

 

8. Teachers’ Institute on Canadian Parliamentary Democracy. Spend this November in Ottawa with social studies teachers from across Canada. Submission deadline extended. Apply today!

http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Sites/LOP/Education/TeachersInstitute/index.asp?Language=E

 

9. Teachers Introduction to Cuba Tour. Win a free trip to Cuba August 1 to 8, 2009.Witness an education system based on equality and optimism. Apply today! http://HelloCuba.ca/

 

10. Unicef. When students ask-what can I do to help the children of the world? Help them take action with Unicef. http://www.unicef.ca/portal/SmartDefault.aspx?at=1451

 

Comments and ideas-Contact Greg at 250-485-8295 gtgsmith@gmail.com . Check out all the great ideas for Social Studies teachers at the BC Social Studies Teacher’s Association website. http://www.bctf.ca/bcssta/

 

 

 

 

Greg’s TOP 10 Picks  June 2009

Exciting Ideas and Opportunities for Social Studies Teachers and Students!

 

1. Canada’s Political History Newspaper Assignment. An educational and fun end of the year activity for your students. Check out many other great ideas at this site too.

http://www.historysociety.ca/content/en/pdfs/Underhill-Farrell.pdf

 

2. Canada Remembers. Remember Canada is still at war. Check out this site for classroom ideas you can use over the next few months. http://vac-acc.gc.ca/remembers/sub.cfm?source=canrem

 

3. Canadian Index of Wellbeing. Set to launch June 10, 2009, the CIW will look at our standard of living, health, community vitality, education, arts, culture, recreation and lots more. www.ciw.ca

 

4. Courses in Heritage Studies. Do you want to improve your skills and knowledge related to heritage studies? Check out this site. http://www.tca.gov.bc.ca/heritage/education_training/studies.htm

 

5. Dignity For All. DFA is a new campaign for a poverty-free Canada. Schools, teachers and students can all be a part of this project to make Canada a better place for everyone. http://www.dignit, placws and things yforall.ca/

 

6. The Importance of Geography in the School Curriculum. This easy to read made in Canada pamphlet will answer your questions about why a good geography education is a necessity for your students. http://www.ccge.org/ccge/english/geoLiteracy/default.asp

 

7. Images Canada. IC provides access to thousands of images of Canadian events, people, places and things that make up our collective heritage. http://www.imagescanada.ca/r1-220-e.html

 

8. Media, Mass Culture and Historical Thinking. Plan to attend another great BCSSTA Conference October 23^rd, 2009 in Port Coquitlam, BC. http://www.bctf.ca/bcssta/conference/conf_2009/conf_2009_index.html

 

9. Mineral Resources Education Programs of BC. These good folks need your help to ensure they are meeting the needs of teachers and students in their educational programs. Please take a few moments to give them your feedback. Contact Sheila Stenzel at

 stenzel@bcminerals.ca

 

10. National Day of Reconciliation. Mark June 11/2009 on your calendars to remember and discuss the first anniversary of the Government of Canada’s apology for the attitudes and policies that led to residential schools.    http://www.afn.ca/article.asp?id=3

 

 

 

Comments and ideas-Contact Greg at 250-485-8295 gtgsmith@gmail.com . Check out all the great ideas for Social Studies teachers at the BC Social Studies Teacher’s Association website. http://www.bctf.ca/bcssta/