My Take
I was impressed with the way in which the tool can be used to scaffold every aspect of a DBQ essay. The students were able to use close reading to analyze the documents, with guiding questions at each step. The interactive format allowed them to save notes which they could then use on their final essay. Not only did this tool help them to look more critically at the content, it also helped them appreciate and internalize the process. Excellent tool!
How I Use It
I used Zoom In to guide my students through the process of writing a DBQ essay. They worked in groups to analyze the documents using the guided questions. They then used the scaffolds to write an essay based on the documents they analyzed.
More community reviews for Zoom In!
Caroline H.
Davidsonville, MD
August 11, 2021
Great way for the students to be active learners!
I liked that this tool helped the students to be active learners. It is not simply a click through seminar, it helps them to understand primary and secondary sources better while they write to further learn the knowledge gained. There will be various check points throughout readings to help students identify what they should be paying attention to. Teachers can use interactive rubrics to give feedback on their students notes and writing exercises that will help the students get better and better. Overall, this is a great website to help students learn and take an active role in their own learning.
Continue reading
Tracy R.
I.S. 034 Totten School
Staten Island, NY
November 2, 2016
A detailed timeline of important social studies movements - a great teacher resource
I love this as a resource but it may be a dense teaching tool. There is so much information so it may take time to get through all of it. It may be amazing support for an existing curriculum or provide a guideline for new teachers.
Continue reading
Stephen Z.
Barboursville, WV
May 3, 2016
Zoom In: Enhance your lesson
The students didn't particularly follow the website well. However, I believe this tool is best served by a teacher taking this resource and making it their own. The students were engaged and really enjoyed seeing documents about certain events. My favorite thing about the website is the endless amount of information about certain subjects. As a teacher my main complaint the lessons are very specific about specific subjects. If you are teaching that particular content it works really well for you. But I wish there was more generalized information ie. WWI, Industrial Revolution, etc.
Continue reading