Stephen Rowe's Blog

An important skill for any student of social studies, and geography in particular, is mapping. This doesn’t have to be terribly complicated, because I know most of my students will not go on to become professional geographers or cartographers, but an awareness of the world around them (whether physical, human, cultural, or political) will help…

In Social Studies 2211 (History), we are completing a research activity on significant contributions to the Scientific Revolution during the 16th-18th centuries. It’s a way to get students practicing research skills and working collaboratively to not only learn about a scientist, but also discovery why certain developments were “big deals” at the time. Here’s the…

Here’s an activity I put together for my World Geography students, who are currently completing an outcome that asks them to analyze issues countries face when population growth rates decline significantly. This situation is called the birth dearth, and is becoming more and more common in developed or highly globalized countries, but will also be…

I’ve found in my teaching of geography that one of the best ways to begin a new topic that requires some level of background knowledge is to use minimal lecturing and instead use an activity to get students thinking. In particular, an activity that has students use data to draw simple conclusions about a condition…

A major topic of focus in human geography is sustainability, which is not the least bit surprising with the increases in resource use and material output that have occurred in the last two centuries. The issue of population growth has magnified concerns about responsible use of the environment and meeting the needs and wants of…

I’ve put a little time in today updating the look of the website. The main reason is to make it look a little sleeker, more minimalist, and allow a clear and easy method of navigating from page to page without all the clutter that existed before. So far I like the new look better than…

I recently read an article by Tom Sherrington (@teacherhead) that discusses regular and consistent classroom procedures. He outlines, in a neat table format, what was agreed upon among the staff of a school where he had worked previously, and I must admit that it looks well put together with some good ideas (e.g., orderly lines … Continue reading Classroom Routine: Finding A Balance →

As teachers, we’ve all been there: spending hours after school marking papers and assignments, or correcting tests over the weekend. There’s been more than one occasion, in order to meet an end of term deadline, that I’ve taken marking with me on family vacations. There are a number of fun events or get-togethers with friends … Continue reading Mark Smarter, Not Harder →

The approach we are taking to the study of history is a theme-based one, which considers broad topics in the social studies and investigates how changes in these areas over time have influenced the human experience. Thus far, we have considered the theme of innovation and have traced developments in this area during major periods … Continue reading Innovation and Change →

I’ve decided recently to start a Facebook page linked with this website and my instagram. The main reason for this is to provide another place where students and parents can get updates on what’s happening in Socials at GC and in my classes in particular. I’ve been posting pictures and updates there so far, but … Continue reading New Facebook Page →