SARA SHIPMAN

Building Content Background

Social Studies, The Bill of Rights Fall 2012

Content Background
What is it?

Whats in here:
Content Background What to consider Making Connections Including Personal Experience Background in your classroom

Building content background is just what it says. It is building students background knowledge of a content area (in this case Social Studies) through different learning tools within the classroom.

students personal experience they are more likely to create stronger connections because that connection becomes their own.

What does it include?

Why is it important?

Building a background to the content that is being taught allows students to draw connections between that background knowledge and what will be taught in following classes. It also allows students to draw from their own experiences and compare them to what is being taught in class. When background knowledge comes from

This background knowledge can come from personal experience or past class instruction. Any instruction or knowledge that has to do with the content area can be considered background knowledge. Building upon that knowledge starts scaffolding that can continue throughout the students school year and on into their next.

What to Consider:

What have the students been learning so far? How does what they have learned so far relate to our current lesson? How can I incorporate their personal experiences in the lesson and make it meaningful to each student?

Some Background:
What the students should already know: Events Leading up to the American Revolution The Declaration of Independence and Articles of Confederation The American Revolution

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Building Content Background

Making Connections:
Have students compare the Amendments to the Declaration of Independence and the events leading up to the Revolution. Students may work in small groups, coming up with at least one connection per Amendment. They will share their findings with the rest of the class by selecting a speaker. Ask if any of the other groups found a different connection to the Amendment and allow them to share before moving on to the next Amendment. Keep the list of connections on the board.

Including Personal Experience:

Ask students to look at the Amendments and have them choose one that has played a part in their lives in one way or another. Students will write a short paragraph (4-6 sentences) describing how the Amendment they chose helped them in their life.

When a student has ownership of a connection that connection becomes meaningful

See if any students are willing to share with the class before collecting the papers. Students may also pair share if they feel more comfortable doing so.

Background in your classroom:

Background is an important tool for teachers of any content, it allows you to bring your students closer to what you are trying to teach and help them have a better understanding of the connections that can be drawn between lessons and their lives. When a student has ownership of a connection that connection becomes meaningful and important to the student, the more background knowledge that can be related through personal experience will create greater and memorable connections. With some students all they will be able to think of are connections to past learning in a classroom, its up to the teacher to help draw the personal background connections out of the students, even if it is something small, it will still be helpful.