As I continue to refine my version of the North Star Classroom, I’ve stumbled onto a particular idea that seems to work…

Every year, I’m fortunate to teach my students about the remarkable story of Virginia.  We’ve got a complicated and fascinating history, rich with memorable, unique people from a variety of backgrounds.  Learning who’s who, and what’s what can be a challenge, especially for ten year olds.

That’s why, each time we learn about a new historical person or figure, I ask my students to take a blank constellation (from the North Star Educator Guide) and complete it, using that person’s particular strengths, preferences, experiences, hopes, goals, fears, and/or intelligences.  We spend time talking about what the person must have been like - day to day  - and how he or she did (or didn’t) fit into to surroundings at the time.

It’s interesting to consider which of Gardner’s intelligences Chief Powhatan must have possessed.  It’s enlightening to uncover what hobbies Nat Turner enjoyed.  It’s fascinating to ponder how Rosa Parks’ strengths led to a turn of events that literally changed the world.

The most exciting part of all of this is that my students realize that history is conducted by people no smarter, no braver, and no more capable than my students themselves; by exploring the constellations of the folks we study, they begin to see themselves in a context, and as part of the story.

Maybe one day a former students of mine will be the person kids are studying.  The possibility is enough to keep me going.

This entry was posted on Sunday, October 28th, 2007 at 5:54 pm by Wade Whitehead and is filed under How Are YOU Using The North Star?. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.