A Variety Of Materials Were Used

-All kinds of materials were used for reading, including math, science, and social studies. Students read historical novels, biographies, and informative texts, as well as magazines and the internet.




This year I learned about the "Trail of Tears", a relocation movement in 1831, in which 15,000 Native Americans were moved from the southeastern parts of the United States to “Indian Territory” in what is now Oklahoma. A great deal of what I learned came from the historical novel, The Journal of Jesse Smoke, by Joseph Bruchac. Although Jesse was a fictional character, I discovered that over 40 characters in the book were real people who were a part of the relocation. I could have learned this from a textbook, but reading the novel showed me how to identify with the character and become invested in learning about the Trail of Tears.
By using a variety of materials in math, history, integrated studies, and even science, we can connect students more deeply to the subject matter, which motivates reading.