Great Content. Great Education.

A Universally Designed, Rigorous, and Culturally and Currently Relevant Curriculum engages students.

Meeting Diverse Needs

Gallery walks were one of my favorite lessons to run with students. Gallery walks meet sensory needs for students who need to move around during class, or for students who learn better visually and with guiding questions.

Below is a gallery walk on the Latin American Revolutions unit. In groups, students filled out a worksheet using foundational ideas from the Age of Enlightenment to analyze primary and secondary sources, identify major figures, and understand the cause for independence.

  • El Grito de Dolores

    What might this picture be about? Who is leading this people? What is he doing? Who are the people he’s leading, and what are their motives? HINT: It was an event led by Hidalgo on September 16 1810.

  • Morelos Statue

    Analyze this plaque about José María Morelos. What are three things you learned from the plaque? *Many students who spoke Spanish were glad to read text in their native language.

  • Simon Bolivar

    Who is this leader and where is he going? What do his clothes say about him? What does the white horse say about him? What was he known for? HINT: He’s in the Andes Mountains in this picture.

  • Jose de San Martin speech

    This is Martín proclaiming the independence of Peru on July 28, 1821. Who is he backed/supported by? How many people followed him? Where might this be? Who’s the figure in white behind him?

Making content accessible.

Students responded better to lectures when they were asked to watch them for homework, and take notes, or fill out a feedback form about what they learned.

Students could access these lectures on Google Classroom as pre-recorded videos with closed captions in English or their native language—I use Microsoft PowerPoint’s feature in which spoken language can be transcribed or translated for the audience. This was especially helpful to review for summative assessment, projects, and English Language Learners.

High Expectations

Being able to write, research, and create original arguments prepares students to think critically.

At the beginning of the school year, an essay was given out to assess students’ writing skills and determine areas for growth and support.

Students were given a rubric for a five-paragraph essay, and a set of primary and secondary sources to respond to the prompt: “How did women participate in the French Revolution?”

Below is a sample student essay, which could have a stronger structure, and analyze evidence on a deeper level.

As many students could not properly cite evidence, create works-cited pages, and write strong thesis statements, exercises were implemented to help students analyze evidence and make connections to big historical ideas and events.

Students were provided with exemplars, rubrics, guides, videos, websites, and peer editing workshops to improve their writing.

Below is the same students’ essay, after the four sections of World History II were given support and asked to answer the question: “How did European imperialism economically and politically impact China?”