Teaching Ghosts in the Classroom... can it be done?
What did this project teach me?
This project taught me a lot about the history involved in ghost stories or haunted locations that plays into the fear aspect surrounding a place. Though whether or not ghosts exist ceases to be of the main concern, social studies, science, literature and other curriculum cornerstones can be related to this topic. In the process of researching stories, my imagination was put to use, and often sent into a tailspin worrying about a creaky door or footprints. Too much of a childs life today is spent in front of a television, utilizing their thinking skills to operate race cars rather than create imaginary kingdoms and enjoy fresh air. I believe it is a necessity to utilize the mind as often as possible, and this project reminded me of the presence of my imagination, rather than having to purely rely on my scholarly ability to type papers. I was also reminded about the sense of confidence, intrigue, and interest that results from researching an interesting topic, and presenting hard work to peers. Though the idea of a research project seems daunting at first, it is nothing but rewarding if carefully crafted with time taken to perfect it. Overall this project made me feel like a high school student again, (in the best way possible), and I enjoyed the opportunity to craft a webpage I can one day show my future students.
How will I relate this topic to the North Carolina Standards?
The source I used for my interview and who actually inspired me to chose this topic is a fourth and fifth grade teacher in Lincoln county, where Vesuvius Furnace is located. She took her class to visit Vesuvius Vineyards on a field trip, so I considered her lesson plans when selecting the objectives I would utilize in a unit below.
NCSCOS Standards
Social Studies
4th Grade: In regards to the differing cultural origins of ghost stories (Mexico/Celtic).
2.04 Describe how different ethnic groups have influenced culture, customs and history of North Carolina. 4.02 Identify religious groups that have influenced life in North Carolina and assess the impact of their beliefs. 5.01 Explain different celebrated holidays, special days, and cultural traditions in North Carolina communities. 5th Grade: In regards to the differing cultural origins of ghost stories (Mexico/Celtic).
3.03 Identify examples of cultural interaction within and among the regions of the United States. 3.04 Hypothesize how the differences and similarities among people have produced diverse American cultures. 4.03 Describe the contributions of people of diverse cultures throughout the history of the United States. |
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English/Language Arts
In either 4th or 5th grade units, wide arrays of reading and writing would be interdispersed with a result in building schema and editing prior knowledge if necessary. A large focus of this unit would center around developing perspective since ghosts and the paranormal is such differing issue focusing on personal beliefs often more than fact. This unit would result in a multi-genred report, debate, and reflection papers to display knowledge learned and perspective gained. Students would never be forced to choose one side or another, just simply consider it, as they will be faced with many similar issues later in life.
How has the creation of this project been beneficial to me as a future teacher?
This and many of my other projects this sememster have given me much more insight than I had previously considered regarding student interest. A big focus of any lessons I will generate and teach from this semester on will revolve around student interest, motivation and movement. Having students role play and investigate historical timeperiods or subjects, conduct experiments and gather field notes and then contribute to a class discussion or presentation is key to students taking the most knowledge possible from a lesson. In the unit I plan on one day creating with this project, through the creation of this website, I have pre-generated everything except the gathering of outside texts and actual lesson plans. I am thankful for the assignments this semester that are worthwhile and can be used in a classroom one day, which is more beneficial than any lab report ever was.