APUSH Collaborates Via Google Docs
April 7, 2020
The transition to Online School has required our teachers to find creative new ways to engage students.
It might seem that social distancing would make group projects impossible, but Social Studies teacher Angie Keske found a way to engage her AP US History students in writing a group paper using Google Docs.
Students were split into groups to write a recommendation paper for President Truman in July 1945 regarding the atom bomb. The groups were:
Manhattan Project Scientists
Anti-Soviet Diplomats
Military Experts (on the current state of the Japanese military in July 1945)
Experts on Japanese Culture
Environmentalists
Family Members of Soldiers Stationed in the Pacific
Each team researched using the LLC databases and primary source material to argue using evidence to support a position about dropping the Atomic Bomb and presented their recommendations in Google Hangouts to President Truman, also known as Ms. Keske.
"I like how engaging Ms. Keske’s lessons are and how she gives us resources to use to work with our groups closely. With Google Hangouts, we are able to work with each other about as closely as normal while not being in person," said Nathan Muetzel '22. "I think this project gave me, as well as many others, a better understanding of letting others work and dividing up the tasks. When we don’t see each other on a daily basis, we learned to just let each other go, and knew that we would check back in before the deadline to make sure we were on the same page."
Madigan Rios '22 said she would even continue using some of the tools she's used as part of Online School once campus is open again. "In the future, I plan on using Google Hangouts when I can because it is an efficient form of communication that is less intimidating than email. I would even use the app when we get back to school because of the ability to have online discussions over video."
Some students have found that virtual group project meetings aren't just helpful for getting the work done, they are also a great chance to connect with classmates and friends.
"In the days leading up to the conference, my group relied on Google Hangout not only to collectively work on our argument, but also to have some fun with the friends we no longer see in person," said Allison Sotwatzka '22. "This whole experience has made me realize just how much my time with classmates at school means to me, and I think that when we all go back we will appreciate the classroom so much more."