Unit 1 Exam and Exploration

I apologize for the long wait...my computer hasn't been feeling well lately!  :(

Students will have an exam tomorrow on Unit 1...this includes Native Americans, Middle Ages, and Renaissance.  Monday will begin our Unit on Explorers and early exploration.  Students will be required to do a vocabulary assignment on an explorer.  They will also be creating flipbooks for their notes on explorers. 

Have a great weekend!

Native Americans

Throughout this week, students have been completing a booklet on the Native Americans one tribal geographical area at a time.  Within these books, students are completing maps, vocabulary, summary charts, and activities.  These booklets will be turned in next week.  Students completed a Kachina Doll art project in class today (a few that didn't finish were to take those home and complete them as homework tonight).  On Tuesday, students will have an open notes quiz on the tribes and locations we have covered in class the last couple of weeks.


Tomorrow we will be commemorating the 10th Anniversary of 9/11 with videos, PowerPoint, and written letters to local police officers and firefighters in support and dedication of their services.


Have a great weekend!!  :)

Grades!

Good Wednesday!


I'll start off by saying that I will be passing out grade reports to each student tomorrow.  I will be asking them to take their grades home to show parents, so if you ask for them....we'll pray that they have them!  lol....if not, you can email me, and I will give you the most updated version of their grades!  If your child has a zero, they can turn in late assignments for half credit.


Yesterday, students took a quiz on the Mesoamericans.  They take the quizzes on the clickers (smartboard), and receive their grades immediatly.  So, you can ask them how they did and they should know.  We ended class with a pre/post test on the moundbuilders in which they took notes from a powerpoint.


Today we debated for our reading class (in which we do every Wednesday).  The students create a T-Chart for their pro's and con's and write their opinion over the topic to turn in as a graded assignment.  Todays debate topic "Should schools teach sex education" ...these topics come from their "word generation" packets.  Needless to say, it was VERY interesting!  


Tomorrow, we will start our short unit on the North America Native Americans.  Students received a thick packet that we will be using throughout next weekend.  It is crucial that students hang on to this packet...if they lose it, they start over.  :(


Before I go,....there is an extra credit opportunity for students this weekend.  At Mill Springs, there will be Civil War re-enactors, booths, arts/crafts...etc.    Students need to collect some kind of proof that they went and turn it in for 20 points.  This can greatly help their grade!  The event is held this Saturday and Sunday.


Have a Terrific Thursday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hernan Cortes

Today the students finished the video on Hernan Cortes.  They were to complete their movie guide and turn those in.  Tomorrow will conclude our discussions on the Mesoamericans with an open note quiz on the Aztecs, Incas, and Mayans. 

Maya

Today we finished our studies on the Mayans!  Students took notes on a couple of powerpoint slides, which they will be able to use on their open-note quizzes.  Then we watched a gruesome video on the Mayan sacrifices....which middle schoolers love!  Students were then given a handout that had artifact photos of the Mayans in which they were to analyze the artifacts as archaeologists do today.  They were to answer several questions based on their observations and turn their worksheet in today as an in-class assignment!  We then ended class with a cup of homemade Mayan Hot Chocolate!  Ingredients included cocoa powder, hot peppers, and cinnamon sticks....I only wish you could have seen their faces after trying this mixture!! We had a blast!

I won't be there tomorrow, as I am off to a training, but my student teacher Ms. Whitney Smith will be taking over.  She will be covering the last Mesoamerican group, the Aztecs, with a few powerpoint slides, a simulation of the mesoamerican ballgame, and a video with a video guide to complete during its viewing.  We will have an open-note quiz on Monday over the Mesoamericans (Inca, Aztec, Maya) and will finish the video and video guide covering Hernan Cortes.  Students will be turning in their guides after the completion of the video.  I will be back with an update on Monday,.....until then,....Have a GREAT WEEKEND!  :D

Mesoamericans

This week we are studying the mesoamerican groups of the Inca, Aztec, and Maya.  Students were to turn in their webquest that they should have finished in class.  We worked 1 1/2 class periods on the website.  Please remind your student to collect their missing assingments when they return so that they don't get behind.  Today in class we studied the Maya Empire.  The students are completing maps, taking notes, watching video clips, etc.  They also worked from their word generation (reading) booklets by creating a t-chart and writing their opinions on Affirmative Action.  Tomorrow students will be finishing the Maya Empire with notes, video clip, original Maya hot chocolate, and artifact observations. 

Students are saying that they do not check this blogspot, and their parents don't either....so....if you are checking the blog on a regular basis, would you please send me an email saying that you do.?  If I receive no emails, I will discontinue the blog.  I will continue the blog only if it is beneficial to you.

Thanks and happy Thursday!

Vocabulary

Today students completed their first vocabulary assignment.  They will receive a vocabulary word at the beginning of every unit (approx. every 3 weeks) in which they will use to create a flipbook or biography doll.  The majority of students completed this assignment in class today; for those who didn't, it will be homework tonight to be turned in tomorrow.