Civil War Sallie’s Visit

What A Group!

Civil War Sallie joined us at CTK this morning and is hoping to visit with each of the classes. Her goal is to encourage the study of the American Civil War as well as the use of technology in education. While we don’t study American history in seventh grade, the eighth graders are working on a project that will help everyone learn more about the War Between the States.

Sallie Visits the Computer Lab

Of course, one thing we do pretty well in seventh grade is use technology. So we invited Sallie Ann to join us in the computer lab to help answer any questions the fourth graders might have. Fourth grade has recently started using Google Sites, but they’re still learning how to use them. With our tech teacher, Mrs. Massi, out for a few weeks after knee surgery, I volunteered a few of my seventh grade experts to help Mrs. Hunziger and her fourth grade bloggers. Sallie Ann and I joined them for a little while to see if we could be of any assistance.  I think she liked some of our “toys.”

Later in the morning it was time to sit in on the eighth grade social studies class. They’ve just started studying the Civil War, so Sallie got to listen to us talk about slavery. We talked about how slaveholders viewed slaves as property, not human beings with the same “unalienable rights” that Thomas Jefferson wrote about in the Declaration of Independence. It is a concept that is unfathomable to my students. As it should be.

Sallie Learns About Kenya

In the afternoon, Sallie and I enjoyed a few more of our seventh grade presentations about Africa. Each student researched a different African country, created a powerpoint, and will be teaching all of us about the history, culture, and current political climate of the country they studied.  So far, we’ve both been quite impressed with the work our amazing seventh graders have done!

Sallie will be with us Monday and Tuesday of next week, so we will have to pack a lot of learning into those two days. I’m sure Sallie will also want to visit that third grade classroom. I’ve told her all about our resident Southern belle, Mrs. Sihler. I’m sure Civil War Sallie would love to have a chat with her!

She’s Here!!

Civil War Sallie

Civil War Sallie finally arrived at CTK this afternoon! Just in time for our faculty meeting after school. She was most happy to get out of her traveling compartment (aka, big, brown box) even if it meant sitting around listening to teachers talk about budgets and test scores.

Sallie is looking forward to meeting all of the wonderful CTK students and staff. I know she’s particularly anxious to hear what we know and what we want to know about the Civil War. I bet she’d love to sit in on some of the seventh grade Africa presentations, especially if they’re all as fabulous as the ones we saw today! She’ll probably have lots of questions for us. She had one or two for the faculty today.

Sallie Asks A Question