Kyrene teacher brings history to life with new technology

Source Domain: www.abc15.com

TEMPE, AZ — With the school year wrapping up for K-7 students in the Kyrene School District, ABC15 wanted to follow up with one Kyrene Middle School teacher who has made it his mission to create a class that no one wants to miss!

Andrew Shapiro has taught social studies for 17 years at KMS and has found a unique way to blend the current with the past, creating a magical – and effective – experience for his students.

We first introduced you to Mr. Shapiro in August and followed up recently as his students were learning about Ancient China with the help of Minecraft!

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It might seem like an odd pairing, but Mr. Shapiro’s sixth graders wouldn’t have it any other way!

“It’s really cool. It’s very interesting,” says student Claire Williams. “It’s really different from what I did at my other school.”

“It helps me visualize how they must have lived life, and it’s really fun,” adds student James Huffaker.

“It’s taking something that is old and making it exciting and engaging and making it real for them,” explained Mr. Shapiro. “We spent two weeks, and now it’s time to live that life a little bit and to build it from the ground up.”

And that’s exactly what his students were doing when we stopped by: building realistic homes like they would have done in Ancient China.

For Mr. Shapiro, who once performed in a rock band and had the long hair to prove it, creating a “must-see” class is just like putting on a performance.

“I’m on stage every day,” Mr. Shapiro told us back in August.

And his performance comes straight from his heart.

“They care about their work, and they are learning the entire time, whether they know it or not.”

Mr. Shapiro and Nick likened it to adding veggies to a smoothie; you’re drinking something healthy, but you don’t realize it because the veggies are overpowered by the taste of the rest of the smoothie.

It’s definitely a winning…

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