This week we finished up our notes on the Colonization of Texas which includes empresarios of Texas. We took a closer look at three of the more famous empresarios using the Empresarios of Texas Fold-Up and Reflection Questions.
We had already taken general notes in our journals about what empresarios are and how they helped to settle Texas. Students had heard the names of these empresarios, so we put more specific information in our fold-up.
Now, my students this year are scissor challenged. They take a silly amount of time to cut anything out, and have a REALLY hard time cutting on lines. Now when they are not supposed to cut something they are all about it. Last week after being out for a day I came back to find pieces of cut up eraser and pencil everywhere. It has gotten to the point that I am now cutting out as much as I can for them.
Moving on...
This little fold-up is pretty basic and has a flap for each of the empresarios. Above you can see one that a student has completed. That is the other thing about this group... their writing is tiny. I don't know when it started, but it has been that way all year. I joke with them about how I have to get out my magnifying glass to grade their papers. They think it is hilarious and then try to write even smaller. However, this is just one of those things that I am not concerned enough about to do something.
After we finished our fold-up we responded to three reflection questions. My students have come to expect these questions and ask if we are going to have time for them. I try to phrase the questions so that they allow the students to connect their new knowledge with themselves, because then they maybe have a better chance of relating to it and therefor remember it.
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