AVALON PARK, Fla. – Some students at Avalon Park Elementary School are getting fired up about social studies, all thanks to a simulation that teachers call an “educational adventure for fifth-graders.”
Each day brings something new for fifth-graders at Avalon Park Elementary.
Some days they dance to music from the 1970s and spend play money on records while they learn about the economy and the stock market. Other days, they learn about the Civil War or civil rights.
"It's different because it's very interactive. In previous years, they teach you out of a book, but this is hands on," fifth-grader Ailey Smith said. "We're pretty much getting walked through history."
Teacher William Ogle created the social studies simulation model 14 years ago. It covers teaching standards and incorporates lessons across subject lines, including math. As part of the simulation, the kids get a newspaper each day that features historical headlines they learn about through classroom discussion.
Ogle said he and seven other fifth-grade teachers run the social studies simulation built through conversations and debates.
“At the end of each day, we run a scenario. We call it an interactive game to make it exciting and fun," Ogle said.
From mock marches to mock press conferences where students act as presidents and members of Congress, students are able to walk in the shoes of history makers.
"We have a lot of characters we can be. I've been Congress, the Cabinet and president," Alfonso Veras, a fifth-grader, said.
Ogle said as teachers, they hope these lessons help open young students' eyes and prepare them as future leaders.
"We're trying to educate our kids and make them ready for the world around them. The world is, at times, an intimidating place," Ogle said.
The students are looking forward to the end of the school year, when their lessons will have a present-day focus and they will take a field trip to New York.