Laurelhurst SchoolYear-Long Homework: American History Book Project
New Bonus Opportunity Coming to American History Have you ever tried to manage a field trip for 145 students? It's REALLY hard! But that shouldn't stop us from taking advantage of the incredible western history that exists in our midst! Talk your parents into taking you on a field trip with a few friends. Go have a good time. Come back and write me about what you found. I'll give you a bonus, and you know that's a good thing. But you have to write it up. You choose how you want to write it, and what you want to write about. You can even bring a bochure, and use it to help your writing (attach it to your writing with a stapler).
Where, do you say? Look around. Get on-line. Brainstorm. If you want to go close, go to Bonneville Dam, which is free. (don't forget to check in on Herman the Sturgeon: take a picture of him and send it to me for double bonus points).
Closer? Fort Vancouver is right across the river, Columbia River in Vancouver. Bonus points for anyone who sends me a photo of the beaver skins, inside the iron factory, or inside the dining room.
Keep an eye here for other places you might go on a day, a weekend, or on a holiday.
GET CREDIT FOR WATCHING A MOVIE WITH THE FAMILY Consider giving yourself a bonus by watching an American history film with your family. You may receive bonus points for watching the movie with relatives, talking about it, and writing up your discussion. Or you may choose to get full class credit by doing a presentation. Like the book projects, you can do a smaller presentation to a limited group, or you can do a full presentation to the whole class.
BONUS POINTS: Bonus points can help to offset a weak score you had on a test, classwork, or homework. You need to write up the 5Ws/1H about the movie, and write several paragraphs about the discussion your family had. All write-ups must include the following: a beginning, middle, and end with five paragraphs; a title block with the title of the movie; must be typed; must have a parent signature. Put this write-up in your class box. It will be used as part of the final Quarter II grade.
CLASS PRESENTATION, SMALL GROUP: If you want to use the movie as one of your small group presentations, you may prepare an essay that shows how this movie fits into American history. Focus your comments on how the movie shows an important event, person, or time in American history from 1800 to 1900. Be prepared to speak for 3 to 5 minutes. Visual aids are always welcomed by your audience. The essay must be turned n to your class box. It must show a parent signature.
CLASS PRESENTATION, LARGE GROUP: You may use this movie as one of your large presentations for the year. You may not read any of your materials except important quotes. You will get double credit if you can also prove that you have read the book as well as seen the movie with family. For the large presentation, you will be speaking for 5 to 10 minutes. Use at least two disciplines of social studies to analyze the issues contained in the movie (anthropology/culture; psychology; economics; government; history; geography; sociology; technology; current events, public involvement).
Please note that you may not sign up for a movie-based presentation until you turn in a written essay or presentation plan with a parent signature. One more word about involving a guardian: there are many excellent films to watch, but due to potential levels of violence, your guardians are the ones who need to make the decisions about what you watch. Only one student per class may do a presentation (small or large) per movie, and only your guardian may send an e-mail to secure hat movie for you. Do not bring in any movie clips that display abuse to people.
In the classroom, we will be watching "Into the West", a twelve hour docudrama produced by Steven Spielberg. If you have your own access to this movie, you may receive bonus points by keeping track of one of the characters, movie segments, or issues for us. I will not be able to loan my copy.
HAVE FUN AT THE MOVIES!!!! Movie Sign-Up:
Period One: Gone with the Wind/Gabby Hanselman; Amistad/Cole Rossman; Wyatt Earp/Ben Cadwell; Cold Mountain/Natalie B
Period Two: Gangs of New York/Stew Robertson; Who Shot Liberty Valance/James M; Dances with Wolves/ Derek C.
Period Three: Roots/Logan; Samuel Adams/Sam S.; Gone with the Wind/Delia Tran; Dances with Wolves/Jayden Dirk
Period Four: Roots/Georgio; American Experience; Donner Party/India Rockey; Billy the Kid/Patrick W.; John Adams/Mimi McDonald; Into the West/Nolan M.
Period Five. Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman/Olivia P.; Glory/Bobby B and McKenie F.; Dances with Wolves/Madeleine & Payton S.; Gone with the Wind/Emery R.; Lewis & Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery/Julia W.; The Conspirator/Ben Breshears, The Color Purple/Collin Mitowski; The French Revolution/Sprout Chinn; The Last of the Mohicans/Tamsin F.
Please remember, that I am delighted to help you decide on a book. Please e-mail me at cberkley@pps.net if you want me to participate in your selection.
Weekly Lessons: Home/School Connection
The last update was on January 23, 2012.
QUARTER II, NOVEMBER 14 THROUGH FEBRUARY 2
PROGRESS REPORTS MUST BE RETURNED WITH PARENT SIGNATURES
This section includes assessments that will be included on the final Quarter 2 grade followed by daily objectives.
Rivers and the Land, Assessments Assigned:
Rivers and Mountains Crossword Puzzle (you can miss up to 5 to get an A; 7 down is a bonus) Due Monday, January 9th
River Words Bring in 3 – 5 river words (in addition to those you wrote in your spiral in class). These words will go on display as a “bank” of river words. Due Thursday, Jan. 5
Should We Be Worried About the Fish? In-class 5 minute writing assignment in spiral on January 5
River Research Sheet Use encyclopedias and laptops to answer questions about your river. Keep your sheet in your river file; in class with homework in not completed Jan.9
Post a Video on the River Website Posters January 11 and forward (only the first person who posted the site will get the credit)
Post a Website on the River Website Poster January 12 and ongoing (please do not post duplicates)
Present a Paragraph about Your River Homework from Jan. 10; most presentations on January 11
Map Your River in Context of the Physical Geography of the U.S. Completed in class on January 12
Annotated River Basin Map Find 5 key issues per person that pertain to your river basin and the role you play on your river (technocrat; naturalist; anthropologist; and other such as government specialist; economist). Cartographers will provide the base map. These are due on Tuesday, January 17th to prepare for a cost/benefit study.
Speech Scoring Guide On Thursday, January 19 we wrote the state expectations for a formal speech in our social studies spiral. If you did so, you will receive credit. Have an adult listen to your speech using this scoring guide.
Cost/Benefit Analysis Speeches Cartographers will present an expository introduction to your river basin, and they will serve as the moderator (emcee) for your group. All other group members will present a persuasive cost/benefit analysis on one problem and one solution. All students need to be prepared to speak on Tuesday, January 24th.
Post-test Essay on the Past and Future of Rivers Friday, January 27th. You may use all the notes in your spiral that you took during presentations.
RIVERS AND THE LAND DAILY OBJECTIVES FOR YOUR PLANNER
Friday, January 27 Complete writing of your river essay. Book/movie presentations will continue.
Thursday, January 26 (1) Brainstorm and preplan your river essay about these two questions: how were rivers used in the early days of the country? What are your concerns about American rivers in the future. Use examples from the speeches. (20 minutes to preplan.) Book/movie presentations continue today..
Wednesday, January 25 River presentations continue.
Tuesday, January 24 Groups present; audience takes notes in preparation for the final unit assessment.
Monday, Janurary 23 Rehearse the entire group performance; prepare your speech scoring sheet; drive your river on Google Earth for the last time. Rehearse your speech using a mirror and a timer.
Friday, January 20 Friday Showtime (in the classroom this week) Homework: rehearse your speech at home with an adult.
Thursday, January 19 Review the state speaking scoring guide and the outline for your cost/benefit river speech. Homework: Use the cards you started in class to complete the 8 parts of the speech.
Wednesday, January 18 Gather resources for your cost/benefit speech to be presented on Tuesday, January 24.
Tuesday, January 17 Objective: Bring your five cost/benefit issues or your basin map to class for a group meeting. Use a cost/benefit sample to learn how to do this analysis on one of your issues.
Monday, January 16 No school: MLK Holiday.
Friday, January 13 Friday Showtime in the library
Thursday, January 12 Objective: Map your river in the context of U.S. physical geography.
Wednesday, January 11 Objective: Perform an introductory river presentation with your group.
Tuesday, January 10 Objective: Prepare a presentation format for Wednesday river group presentation.
Monday, January 9 Objective: Complete a river research sheet using encyclopedias.
Friday, January 6 Presentation Showtime in the library
Rivers and the Land, Lesson Plan for Thursday, January 5
Objective: Create your river group; assign roles for group members; “drive” your river
Assessment: ticket in is 5 definitions of river words written on cards; get read to practice creating a river fact file.
Homework: rivers and mountains crossword puzzle due on Monday, Jan. 9 for full credit.
Bonus Homework: e-mail me a video clip that supports hydroelectricity from dams to show on Monday, Jan. 9
Today’s Lesson Steps:
1) Allow students to sit with one friend of choice; mixed gender tables; maximum 5 at each table.
2) While students put objective and homework in planner, place 25 3 x 5 cards at each table. Have students write their “found” river word in large letters on the blank side. On lined side, write name and period in upper right corner, definition in the middle. Turn in for credit. 5 cards = A; 4 cards = B; 3 cards = C; 2 cards = C-; 1 card = D; 0 cards = O
3) While students are completing their cards, queue up today’s media, Condit Dam Removal Update, Andy Masser, December update of October dam breach on the Salmon River. (4 minutes’ e-mailed to cberkley and jatkinson; on jakebodie home e-mail)
4) Before starting clip, set up spirals: Title is “Is ‘Fish” a River Word?” Tell students they are going to see a 4-minute clip about the removal of the Condit Dam on the White Salmon, a tributary. Listen carefully to what is being said about fish. You will be writing about it.
5) 5-minute write: Should we worry about the fish? (Preliminary brainstorm for Persuasive Essay I)
6) Take questions, set the clock for 5 minutes; get in the attendance if not yet done. Students write.
7) With the remaining 25 minutes, ask students to open up Google Earth and play for a while (give this 8 – 10 minutes). Repeat the rules and expectations: google earth and the river is the only place anyone can be viewing. Consequence is a referral and visit to the office immediately.
8) Once everyone is playing with navigation tools, take everyone to the center of the country: St. Louis, Missouri at the site of the St. Louis Arch on the Mississippi River.
Give a pitch for reading Mark Twain (book presentation).
9) Quietly drop the table topper name plate with river name at each table. As students come to realize what they’ve been assigned to, offer the following challenge: “the first group who can find the headwaters (source) and the outflow (confluence) will be today’s challenge winners. Then, go to the very end of class.
Wednesday, January 4, Full Lesson Plan
Objective: develop a vocabulary bank about rivers and use Google Earth to describe the characteristics of the Willamette River
Assessment: first 16 words will be written in the student spiral; 21 words applied to spiral with the homework
Homework: Find five additional words (preferably nouns) that describe a feature of a river. Write these in your spiral with the definition. These will be used in class tomorrow, Thursday, January 5.
Lesson Steps:
1) Have tables set up to accommodate 5 students (a maximum of 6 tables. Invite students to sit with one friend only. 2 boys, 2 girls; 1 solo person.
2) Pretape the 16 river words and definitions on each two top. Pull out spirals and label table of contents “River Words”. Have each student write the word and definitions in their spiral. Put on timer for 16 minutes, and note it out loud.
3) When students are done with the definitions, send one person per pair to get a computer. Start up Google Earth. Play with it while waiting.
4) Begin the instruction.
a) Show the large wall map of the Willamette/Columbia confluence. Explain that while every river shares some common characteristics, each river is unique. Today we are going to use the Willamette River and its tributaries to use some of our vocabulary.
b) Make sure every two top has a computer. Have other students help get all partners into Google Earth.
c) Give the rules: we will be on Google Earth only, and students will follow my instruction. DO NOT go anywhere else.
d) Put my Google Earth on the overhead large wall.
e) Focus in on the confluence of the Willamette River and the Columbia. Explain what a confluence is. Make sure all computers are on the confluence.
f) Use both Columbia Slough and Multnomah Channel to show the definition of tributary and channel. Explain that the Willamette is one of few rivers that flow from south to north. Ask for ideas why.
g) Invite students to find the headwater of the Willamette River by scanning southward to Waldo Lake. What do we see on the way? Do this together.
h) In spiral, we will now “drive” northward and we will find aspects of rivers. Describe what you see.
i) Assign the homework: 5 new words that describe rivers. Will be needed for Thursday. Brainstorm places to get these words.
Tuesday, January 3
Objective: Begin a seven-week unit on “Rivers and the Land.”
Assessment: Pre-assess for this unit and reassess on the role the Appalachian Mountains played in U.S. settlement history.
Homework: “Mountains and Rivers of the United States” due on Monday, January 9th (other homework will be given throughout the week)
Lesson Steps:
1) Take out student spiral. Label the table of contents “Rivers Pretest.” Label a fresh page.
2) Write and answer the following questions (timer set to 10 minutes)
a) How have rivers influenced the lives of Americans?
b) What roles will rivers play in our future?
c) (Reassess) What political, economic and cultural roles did the Appalachian Mountains plays in United States history (address each part.)
3) Explain that before there were states, native peoples navigated using natural landmarks such as rivers and elevated features. The Europeans had a very different cultural and psychological relationship to nature. In this unit about rivers, we will try to get a better take on how Native Americans, then and now, view the natural landscape.
4) Pass out copies of A River Ran Wild by Lynne Cherry. Note that the environment is one of the five parts of geography. This book will show us the history of one American river. Go to timeline; ask for readers.
5) Teacher reads the book out loud (7 minutes) while students analyze the pictures, especially the borders.
6) Pass out “Mountains and Rivers of the United States” homework. Discuss it. Come after school if you need an atlas. DO NOT take atlases and work maps from class.
TURN BACK REMAINING PROGRESS REPORTS TODAY ONLY IF THERE IS TIME.
The Foundations of Civics and Government in the U.S. Constitution - November 30 - December 16th (daily objectives, lessons, and assessments follow)
MAJOR KEY CONCEPTS TO MEMORIZE FOR THIS UNIT (These will be on the unit test on Thursday, December 15th): popular sovereignty, legislative branch, bill, veto-override, executive branch, judicial branch, checks and balances, amendment, federalism, supremacy clause.
Homework for this Unit: Constitution questions and a study guide work sheets will be coming home. Please have an adult practice these with you to make sure you have a high level of success on the unit test.
Book Project Homework You are either: preparing to give a presentation; reading; or selecting a new book for you second book choice. Please see bonus for watching a movie with the family on the main page.
Homework: Recite the preamble to the Constitution by heart. Present it to the class. Bonus points for presenting on Nov. 1, Dec. 2 or Dec. 3. Full credit for the week of Dec. 5 - 9. Partial credit for the week of Dec. 12 - 15.
Tuesday, December 13:
Monday, December 12: Objective: Answer this question: What is federalism? (What is the federal system of government?)
Friday, December 9: American History Book Project in the library.
Thursday, December 8: Objective: Today is a VTS kind of day. Review test scores from last two unit tests. (We will continue to find answers to the flash card questions in History Alive.)
Wednesday, December 7: Turn in your voting sheet (assessment) from yesterday. Objective: Define ten key concepts pertaining to the structure of government in the United States Constitution. Complete the vocabulary study guide today. Flashcard homework.
Tuesday, December 6: Objective: second assessment on the Constitutional Convention using first-person point-of-view role plays. Vote on the subjects of slavery and who should vote be able to vote.
Monday, December 5: Objective: first assessment on the Constitutional Convention using History Alive student handbook and textbook. Quiz on knowledge of the Preamble to the Constitution. Pre-assessment on the structure of U.S. government.
Friday, December 2: American History Book Project Presentations in the library.
Thursday, December 1 Objective: Complete History Alive student handbooks for Chapter 8, Constitutional Convention. This material and the textbook will be used for the chapter test.
Wednesday, November 30 Objective: Explore the historical process by which the United States Constution was framed. Lesson: use History Alive and poster paper to teach the class a piece of the process that was part of the Constitutional Convention.
Thursday, December 1 Objective: Identify the social forces that were active during the Constitutional Convention. Lesson: be assigned to a role play with a group of 4; choose an issue that you will debate; go home and write a speech.
Friday, December 2 American History Book Project day in the library.
Bill of Rights, November 15 - November 29th (daily objectives, lessons, and assessments follow)
After completing a unit on the purpose of government, we study the Bill of Rights using History Alive and other support material in the classroom. The Bill of Rights helps us see what protections all citizens are to have before we study the constitution, when many people in America were left out of the process.
The unit begins on Tuesday, November 14th. We will not have a list of key vocabulary concepts; instead, students are to memorize the ten amendments by purpose, number, and picture used in History Alive. A study guide will be built in class, and students are encouraged to get family help with their memorization. We will also be using materials from the Classroom Law Project to help students understand their responsibilities for the first amendment in more detail. We will also return to the work we did with lawyers from the American Bar Association in October. A review will occur on Monday, November 28th, and the test will take place on Tuesday, November 29th.
Tuesday, November 29th: Objective: take the multiple choice post-test to see what you have retained. Bonus points: use a graphic comic to pull out violations of the ten amendments.
Homework: Memorize the preamble to the Constitution of the United States.
Monday, November 28th: Objective: Understand the role of free speech in school. Consider time, place, manner, and ethics..
Homework: use your study guide to prepare for the test on Tuesday.
Friday, November 18th; Book Presentation Day You need to bring your current American history book project book. Please meet in class for attendance; we'll go the library together. Some classes will have presentations. There should be time in all classes to meet around similar topics, research topics in further depth on the internet, and pick new books. If you are ready for a new book, bring your library card so you can order through the Multnomah County library system. Please do not share library cards.
Thursday, November 17th: Objective: Complete a study guide on the Bill of Rights that includes the number, the icon (illustration), and a brief annotation to help you remember each part of each amendment. Use this to memorize all ten amendments for a test of Tuesday, November 29th.
Wednesday, November 16th: Objective: Enumerate (number) and annotate (note) illustrations about the Bill of Rights. The work is in the History Alive handbook on pp. 64 - 67. You need to find the illustrations that go with the amendments that are described in Chapter 10 of the History Alive textbook. When you are done, you will transfer the information to a study guide. Have friends and family test you on all parts of the study guide until you understand every part of the Bill of Rights. The test will be on Tuesday, November 29th.
Bonus Homework: Find an example from current events in the United States this week that deals with first amendment rights to assemble. You may use the newspaper or the internet. Use your 5Ws and 1H to explain the problem in at least one paragraph. Your name and class period is required. Put this bonus paper in your class period box.
Tuesday, November 15th: Objective: Consider this question: should children have rights? If you were absent, please take home your History Alive handbook and do the work on pp. 62 - 63, # 1, 2, 3. On number 1, explain the parent right and why you agree or disagree.
Please note that on Friday, November 18th, you are to bring your current American history book for work in the library. Dates for presentations have been assigned.
Monday, November 14th, We conducted our first official visual thinking strategies (VTS) training using the sequential images required by the VTS program. VTS is a strategy used with all grade levels at Laurelhurst. This year, students in grades 6 - 8 have VTS training during their social studies class period. Please note that we also conduct VTS using American history images throughout the year. Our first image analysis came from a study of slave at auction in Howard Zinn's Young People's HIstory.
Vocabulary to Know During this Quarter
RIVERS AND THE LAND: 16 vocabulary terms that help describe aspects of rivers should be in your spiral with definitions. In addition, you had homework to add 5 words that you found with descriptions; and you traded words with at least five othr people.
UNIT OF THE FOUNDATIONS OF CIVICS AND GOVERNMENT (10 key concepts): popular sovereignty, legislative branch, bill, veto-override, executive branch, judicial branch, checks and balances, amendment, federalism, supremacy clause
BILL OF RIGHTS CONCEPTS: the student study guide developed on 11/17 to remember the parts of the first ten amendments.
Challenge Up Ideas
YOU BECOME THE CHARACTER
The following people are needed in the classroom to help us identify points of view on various American history topics: Thomas Jefferson, Sojourner Truth, Harriet Beecher Stow; Frederick Douglas; Andrew Jackson; Martha Washington. Find a book on these, or other, characters, and get into role. Want to know more? E-mail me at cberkley@pps.net.
American History Book Project Archive
ARCHIVAL INFORMATION FROM THE AMERICAN HISTORT BOOK PROJECT
Beginning with the second half of the first quarter, student homework will focus on the American History Book Project. We will also continue to work with banks of key concepts (vocabulary) at home as we move into new units of study. You are to choose a book and begin reading no later than Friday, October 21st in order to be done with it by November 9 when the grading period is over.
Book project presentations will be scheduled for Fridays in the library. On Friday, October, 28th, the classes participated in an exercise to discuss what should be included in a scoring guide (rubric) for the presentations. This information is being put into a worksheet, and it will be linked here when it's done. Hopefully, all presentations will be completed before December 16th, our last day of school before the holiday break.
The work sheets for the American History Book Project can be downloaded here by clicking on this link: American History Book Project. The graphic organizer on the second page is a requirement of the homework. Parents are encouraged to help students select reading topics and to keep students on task at home with this project. Please note that this first book organizer is due on Tuesday, November 8th for the end of the grading period. A second organizer called "The Frame" was used in class. This is also due on Tuesday, November 8th.
The third organizer is designed to help students prepare for their presentations. Click here on Presentation Organizer to download a copy. This organizer must be completed to help students have a successful public speaking event.
A terrific list of books can be found here by clicking on this link: Multnomah County Library Corps. There is also an American HIstory Book Project cart in the Laurelhurst Library for students to borrow from. Due to a popular request from students, the topic of the American Revolution can be studied during the first quarter only. The French Revolution has also been approved for Quarter I only. After that, we will be done with our review of the fifth grade scope and sequence, so we will need to move on to other topics -- and there are many good ones to choose from!
The local librarians love working with students, and you should start with the children's section before taking on a book that could be too difficult. For the first book, you can tell the librarian that a "lexile of 500 - 700" is appropriate. Librarians know what this means. For you, what this means is read at your comfort (recreation) level.
Mrs. Berkley does happen to have some favorite challenge topics and books that might interest you. From time to time, I will add to this list: everything and anything about Thomas Jefferson; the journals of Lewis and Clark; anything written from the point of view of the Native American experience after the revolution through the Dawes Act; treaties between the United States and other countries; the independence of Mexico and the history of the Latino people in the United States; all of Charles Dickens because of his excellent portrayal of the industrial revolution; Ladies of Liberty by Cokie Roberts; journals from the Oregon Trail. Many ideas will be forthcoming about slavery and the civil war later this year.
What about the movie recommendation on the book project handout? In order to get credit, students must watch the movie with a parent or guardian. Discuss the topic together, and decide how you would like to present the movie to the class. You will have no more than ten minutes to do so. This requirement insures that parents will have a say in what movies you're watching and they'll be able to manage appropriate content.
Please remember, that I am delighted to help you decide on a book. Please e-mail me at cberkley@pps.net if you want me to participate in your selection.
Archival Social Studies for 2011-12
Archival Materials from Quarter One
Week One and Two: Developing Habits of Learning
Current Reading: A Young People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn, Introduction and Chapter 1.
Our focus this week is to begin developing the habits needed to be successful in our social studies classroom. All students need to bring a single-subject spiral, and we will begin to develop our bank of social studies words/concepts. Students will discuss ways to maintain the concepts by using their spiral, a handmade dictionary, 3 by 5 cards, etc. At the end of the quarter, there will be a test on all of the words, and the organization of the word study guide will also be graded.
Homework: With new units of study, there will be 10 - 12 key concepts to learn. Rather than deliver the definitions to students for rote memorization, our learners will find the concepts in the reading/guided study, and they will create working definitions to practice at home. Please scroll to the title called "Vocabulary to Know During This Quarter" for the vocablulary homework.
A formative assessment will take place to make sure the students are able to use these concepts before a new set of words is introduced. Students will self score the test as a whole class excerise. Ms. Atkinson and Ms. Berkley will review the test to determine what concepts need to be retaught.
On Monday, September 12th, we took time out to explore issues surrounding 9/11 both in 2001 and today in 2011. Media from Discovery Education will be used.
Week Three Use Text to Pactice Key Concepts
Monday: Howard Zinn, Chapter Two, "Black and White." Prioritize the key concepts from this section to write about the history of slavery. Students built their own lists of the words they believed were most important. They then used these words to create an essay on the history of slavery in the United States.
Wednesday, Howard Zinn, Chapter Three, "Who Were the Colonists?" Working with a group, students used a graphic organizer to determine who, what, when, where, why, and how the colonists became increasingly interested in being an independent country. Then, using what was learned, they created and performed a group play to show understanding of their section.
Groups evaluated the performances of other groups as well as the participation of their own members on Tuesday, Sept.27th.
Week Four: How to Interact With Your Government: Grievances, Rebellions and Uprisings, Declarations and Revolutions, What Would You Petition Your Government About?
Reading: Howard Zinn, Chapter Four, "Tyranny Is Tyranny"
During this week, we conducted a close reading of conditions in the colonies building up to the Declaration of Independence. We discussed the importance of Thomas Paine's Common Sense, and we reflected on the importance of literarcy in society.
Each of the five classes participated in a "value-added" vocabulary assignment by building to lists of words that identify the role of citizens and the role of government. We then used a graphic organizer to evaluate which of the words we thought were healthy (good), iffy (questionable), and bad (a serious problem) in the social contract). For homework, students were instructed to spend 15 minutes on the internet using this search string: Wall Street Sit-In Demonstration. The goal was (1) learn how to manipulate a search string to get at the targeted information, and (2) bring that learning to the class to share.
Having a live citizen protest in the midst of pre-Revolutionary studies was one of those rare teaching moments.The students are now set up to understand the Bill of Rights in detail.
Students did a pre-test on the Ten Disciplines of Social Studies. Most results were below 40%, which means some solid growth can be expected. These ten disciplines are the words of Week Four and Five.
A study guide was distributed in class as a way to help students start building their own working definitions using synonyms. CLICK HERE FOR A COPY OF THE STUDY GUIDE. The next assessment on the synonyms will be Friday, October 7th. The tests will continue until 90% of 142 students get all the answers.
Week Five: Understand the 20 Grievances Against King George III (Preparation for Understanding the Bill of Rights
In order to appreciate the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, some reading skills were put into place this week. Students worked in pairs to deconstruct several of the grievances. Then, one member of the pair went home to research a specific grievance on the internet to compare what they thought it meant to interpretations they could find on the internet.
In preparation for making a political cartoon to demonstrate understanding, we deconstructed a cartoon from the pre-Revolution period together as a whole class. Parents, ask your students to tell you about how the tax collector was tarred and feather. Then, students worked in pairs and in groups of four to deconstruct a recent political cartoon from The Oregonian. When the cartoons are done, we will have a "Grievances Cartoon Gallery" near our classroom.
On Thursday, October 6, lawyers volunteered through the Oregon State Bar to come talk to use about the Bill of Rights. The lawyer presentations gave additional depth to the concepts of grievances, rights, and responsibilities.
On Friday, October 7, we will take an assessment: can we make the match of the ten disciplines of social studies synonyms; what do we know so far about the basic ideas of rights and responsibilities?
Week Six: Bringing Together the First Six Weeks/Completing the First Half of Howard Zinn's Young People's History of the United States
On Monday, we will conduct a self-evaluation on healthy classroom habits by filling out a check list of work completed in our portfolios and in our spirals as well as completing entries in the student planner. Tuesday will be a work day to complete the details of the King George cartoons while I am conferencing with students about their progress report grades.
On Wednesday, October 12, we will have our first major essay exam about the reasons for the Declaration of Independence. Deep reading from Howard Zinn on the American Revolution will close out the week.
HOMEWORK THIS WEEK: STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO APPLY THE TEN DISCIPLINES OF SOCIAL STUDIES TO THEIR CONTENT READING. PLEASE DRILL THE SYNONYMS AT HOME TO INSURE SUCCESS. Practicing the speech at home is an assignment that students should anticipate for the following week.
Week Seven: The American Revolution Review/Beginning the American History Book Project
The American History Reading Project hand out has been sent home. Students are expected to come to school on Friday, October 21st with their book. Additional copies may be downloaded by clicking on the handout in the book project description at the top of the homework page.
We have opened the week with deep reading from Howard Zinn and History Alive (Ch. 7) on the American Revolution. On Tuesday, students worked in table groups by using their History Alive handbooks to more deeply compare and contrast the British and the colonist approaches to the war. For a challenge opportunity, students are invited to analyze how two different texts approach the topic of the American Revolution in different ways. This is a good learning extension for students who completed an expert project last year.
On Thursday, we will take our first multiple choice test to check retention about the American Revolution. Additional bonus questions will give students a change to practice simple essay writing.
Full progress reports using a student-directed portfolio are being sent home on Tuesday and Wednesday. Parents and children are to read the comments together; then sign and return the progress report by Friday, October 21st.
For students who wish to redo work on the Declaration of Indepence, or for those who would like bonus points, an A-B-C poetry project will help students show the most important provisions of this important primary source document. Once students put the draft work in their spirals, they will need to complete the poetry at home. Poems with correct conventions of grammar will be added to our class comic book.
