Our Faculty was posed the question, "How do you exercise the teaching methods of project based learning, debates, and Harkness and Socratic style discussions in your classroom at The Founders Academy?"
In the coming days, the "In the words of teachers" blog will highlight faculty responses. Today we start the series with Mr. Gaumont who teaches History at Founders.
Mr. Gaumont:
In Mr. Gaumont's History 3 class, students examined the role that compromise played in ratifying the United States Constitution. Students delved into debate over some major issues discussed at the Constitutional Convention including slavery and how we choose our president. Students then took part in their own classroom debate on issues including gun control, privacy rights and levying of taxes. Students recreated the political spectrum as they examined parallels between Federalists & Anti-Federalists and our present day American political parties.
In Mr. Gaumont's History 2 class, students engaged in a Socratic discussion as they explored the Protestant Reformation. Students stood and answered questions surrounding the theses of Martin Luther and John Calvin as well as the Catholic Church's response at the Council of Trent. Students enjoyed this review format as it enabled them to better study for their Renaissance and Reformation Exam.