Interdisciplinary Strategy #1
The Gapminder World by Hans Rosling
I’m planning on using this website and this “dataset” as a
way to introduce statistics into my comparative government class. Even though the subject matter is within my “discipline”,
the comparisons of the charts and the analysis of trends have a statistic and
mathematical base. Students could choose
two different axis and then write a short report on how each chart might have a
correlation with a government institution or policy. The spikes and trending changes could also
link to specific historical events. The
challenge of incorporating this website and information is the assignment that
students can work on the website through.
Interdisciplinary Strategy #2
This Week in Review
I’m also planning on having students publish an online
paper. Students will work in teams of
eight (with 5 different jobs within the group) to “publish” a paper that
summarizes and editorializes the news and topics that are going on in a
specific country. Students will produce
cartoons, op-editorials, and news reviews that will help students summarize
current events in our countries of study (Russia, U.K., Nigeria, Mexico, United
States, China, Iran). In conjunction
with their English teacher, students will practice these writing techniques
individually in more scaffolded exercises.
They will then lead a discussion about the most interesting topic of the
paper. Students will be quizzed on their
knowledge of their peers’ paper as well.
Both of these classroom activities/projects sound interesting and certainly interdisciplinary. I'm wondering how your students will warm up to statistics. That may be challenging for some of them, but certainly useful. The "team" papers sound very fun, varied and creative (incorporating so many modes of communication). I would be interested in seeing one when they are finished.
ReplyDeletePatti