Wordle

Eric Langhorst, an 8th grade social studies teacher, introduced me to this amazing website that allows the user to create "word clouds." Here are a few samples I created using Wordle. These are the Declaration of Independence and The Gettysburg Address.

The programs takes the document, poem, lyrics, or whatever, and makes the most frequently used words larger than the others. This allows students to see the documents or speeches in another way that might spark classroom discussion.

There are so many different ways a teacher could use this in the classroom. For example, before or after discussing the formation of American government I could show a series of word clouds containing the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution. The students could either work in pairs or individually and try to determine which document is being presented. That is just one idea, if you have any other creative ways to use Wordle, please share.