Valarie Rapp is an Ohio Middle School teacher who has taught social studies for 21 years. She knows that teaching complex subjects to middle school students can be difficult, so she is looking for a program that will help students build AHA moments to meet standards.
Living history! The Ancient World is a K-12 curriculum designed by the Teacher Curriculum Institute (TCI), captivates social studies through interactive lessons and inquiries-based projects.
We chose the history we lived! The ancient world as a teacher is because programs emphasize student-driven explorations and encourage research and evidence-based discussion. Integrate reading and writing skills by incorporating primary resources, biography and diverse perspectives. Covering topics such as geography, history, economics, citizenship, and more, the program offers content at all grade level. Additionally, TCI offers a digital platform with interactive activities, assessments and teacher resources.
This is what I want Valary to know that other teachers are alive about TCI’s history! Ancient world curriculum.
What grade level and subject area do you think TCI’s history lives in? Is the ancient world the best?
I think TCI’s history is alive and well! The ancient world is perfect for middle grades as it is difficult to grasp the concepts of ancient history. Students must be able to connect to the material. We feel that TCI is truly doing an incredible job of incorporating a variety of learning methods to help middle school students learn.
Valary Rapp
Does this product match certain standards or curriculum guidelines you know?
The TCI website promotes the program as being perfectly consistent with state and national standards. I was able to find the “Soccer Studies Standard Correlation” page within the TCI website. I filled out my grade, state and content information for my field of education. The system then generated reports of Ohio standards for my grade level of choice and taught me the TCI products and lessons connected to all standards. This is a useful resource as I don’t teach lessons for me, but it leads me to the lessons that best convey information. The database connects lessons and standards, which eliminates some of the heterogeneous tasks that can sometimes get lost before you begin.
Valary Rapp
How did you use this product in your classroom?
In my classroom, I am currently learning about the lasting influence on the ancient Roman and Roman worlds. We added some information provided by TCI to what we had already learned in our class. They also compared Greek culture with Roman culture and were able to use some of the Greek placards with students.
Valary Rapp
How did your students respond to the product?
Students basically loved being able to hold artifacts in their hands. The placards that complement the lesson are very clear. Some of the items we normally consider to be Google to better understand with Google came to life using placards and resources in lessons. Of course, the review game was excited to test their knowledge.
Valary Rapp
How would you summarize the overall experience?
Overall, I was able to navigate most of the materials without needing any assistance. Once you have the opportunity to adapt, this program is user-friendly and easy to search. TCI offers a variety of online ways to get help. Even placards are clearly labelled and numbered in case they are not organized. I feel that this program offers a lot in a way that connects with the ancient world, as I can’t go back in time or visit all the museums there.
On a scale of 1-5, how easy was it to use TCI?
I’ll give this to 4.5/5. At first, like all great tools, I think it will take some time to learn how the program works. However, after spending time working with printed materials and online materials, I found them to be extremely user-friendly. I think this program will allow teachers to make each lesson unique without too much extra preparation. Many valuable resources outweigh the initial feelings of being overwhelmed. So many details are packed into the video. Once teachers understand how to navigate the program, the value is definitely clear.
What makes TCI special or unique compared to the other programs you have used?
I think the teacher website organization is top notch. Once logged in, you can select a unit, lesson and see the activities. Videos, materials and games are now available. These materials can be easily assigned with the click of a button. I also think each lesson will have a variety of activities, differentiation and great changes in pace. There are so many options, including options for students of different levels and paces.
TCI is extremely versatile. The reading voice of this program was easy to understand. I’m also a sucker for the game. Students love review games and competition. The entire program is set to turn students into history detectives and solve the mysteries. The review game blends well with the material and can be used independently by students or as a group for reviews. I especially liked the “matrix of knowledge.” It’s very similar to danger. I used this in my class. Overall, they really liked that it was similar to risk, but there were multiple choice options. All games provide one point of correct answer in the first attempt, half point for the second correct guess. The third mistake will give the students the answer. The students enjoyed this.
Valary Rapp
How does TCI save time and make education easier?
Like all programs, there is an initial learning curve. There are both print and online resources available to teachers to help them with their plans to meet the fullest needs of their students. The teacher’s guide is amazing in that it lays out each lesson you need and the materials you need at the required level. There are flexible options for a wide range of ideas to be used. It is extremely important in a world where students from a wide range of abilities and cultural backgrounds. I think this program does an amazing job of showing teachers what students see. Also, because the materials are combined in one place, teachers do not open many books or turn pages. I was delighted and surprised to see that Unit 1 Lesson 2 is on page 17 of the Student Notebook and that the page numbers are also listed in the teacher’s guide. It is 33 pages from the Teacher Guide, and both pages are listed.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
When I first started teaching in 2004, this was the first social studies program I used. That was before the school was 1:1 with technology. I have always felt that my sixth graders were able to grasp big ideas of the ancient world for materials and placards. It’s great to see years later, TCI has maintained the integrity of its program and expanded its resources and ideas to meet the needs of the present and future. We have teachers who have years of wisdom who are nervous about adding technology to their curriculum. The program provides an intermediate ground, so it is not intimidating for teachers, regardless of experience level.
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