The Constitution

The Constitution
The Constitution

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Projects, Projects, Projects

Last Friday we began our 18 powers of Congress presentations.  They were great!  I saw poems, puppet shows, youtube videos, skits, songs, raps, and powerpoints.  We have a few more to give this week, so let's keep up the good work!
Remember, Wednesday is your Preamble test.. 
I know you can do it.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

The Powers of Congress

This week we will study the powers of Congress as listed in Article 8 section 1 of the U.S. Constitution.
Your job will be to simplify the 18 powers (hence, the dictionaries around the room!) on the chart you were given in class, then create a song, rap, poem, or cheer.  Your performance is due on Friday.
Have fun with it and learn a few things about our Congress!

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

The Three Fifths Compromise

Yesterday we studied the "Great Compromise".  The question of representation was an ongoing obstacle throughout the Constitutional Convention.  Even the issue of slavery, which was in itself controversial among many of the Founding Fathers, was entangled in the debate involving the number of votes each state would receive in a national legislature.  Today, we will look at the three fifths compromise and ask the question:  "Was the Three-Fifths Compromise fair?"  Click on the title of today's blog to go to today's lesson.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

The U.S. Constitution



This week we will start my favorite part of our curriculum- the U.S. Constitution. Knowledge of our government and how it operates is an integral part of being an American. Our Founding Fathers believed from the beginning, that citizens would need to be educated properly in government and history in order to participate in our federal system. Indeed, it was their knowledge of world history and political philosophy that led them to design a new style of government.

Before we can begin our study of the Constitution we will need to discover why they designed this particular type of government ... and how!

Monday, December 5, 2011

Constitutional Convention Vocabulary

Chapter 8 sections 3 (pg. 236) and 4 (pg. 242) from the textbook.
Vocabulary words:
Section 3
popular sovereignty
federalism
legislative branch
executive branch
judicial branch
Constitutional Convention
James Madison
Virginia Plan
New Jersey Plan
Great Compromise
Three-Fifths Compromise
Section 4
amendments
Antifederalists
George Mason
Federalists
Federalist Papers
Bill of Rights

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Letter from the Philadelphia Convention

Today you will write a letter to your parents explaining that you will be attending the Philadelphia Convention.   You should give three good reasons for "fixing" the Articles of Confederation.  Some very good reasons can be found on pages 230-235 in your textbook.  Make sure to include Shays's Rebellion!

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

The Articles of Confederation and Shays' Rebellion

Go to the following link to complete today's lesson.  Copy and paste questions to a google doc and share with me.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Revolutionary War Battlemap

Today you will complete a Revolutionary War Battle map.  Click on the title of today's blog to find a blank map of the colonies.
Instructions:  
1.  Label all of the battles/events on your map
2.  Show which side won the battle
3.  Show the General for each side of the battle.


All of the following events should be on your map:
Lexington and Concord
Bunker Hill
Battle of Long Island
Battle of Trenton
Battle of Princeton
Battle of Saratoga
Battle of Brandywine Creek
Valley Forge
Battle of Vincennes
Battle of Yorktown

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

The Battle of Bunker Hill

Today students place themselves in the shoes of British Governor/General Thomas Gage. 
Having failed to take colonial stores of weapons in Concord, losing 250 of the worlds finest troops to a bunch of pitch-fork wielding farmers, and speeding up the process of rebellion, General Gage found himself surrounded in Boston by colonial militia.  In an attempt to save face and keep Parliament from replacing him with General Howe, Gage makes an attempt to take Bunker Hill through brute force- yet another disaster! 
Your job today:  draw the map of Boston and the surrounding area, then create a battle plan for taking the hill successfully.  Good luck!  I hope you are smarter than General Gage...

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Revolutionary War Newspaper

Follow the link to the Revolutionary War Newspaper assignment.  Follow the directions, it will be on a microsoft word document.  There are several ways you can complete this assignment and share with me:
1.  Complete the microsoft word document, save it to your file folder, and send it to me as an email attachment.
2.  Complete the microsoft word document then print it- place it in the box.
3.  Copy and paste the word document to a Google document (remember to work in Google Chrome), complete it and share with me.
4.  Print the microsoft word document, fill it out with pencil or pen, paste pictures on it- place in the box.
Please do not copy and paste articles.  You must include an annotated bibliography with your newspaper.  Take notes, summarize, then write the articles using your own words.   This project is due on Monday at the beginning of the period.  It must be complete, you will not work on it in class.

Example of an annotated bibliography for an internet source:
Rosenberg, Jennifer. [history1900s.guide@about.com]. "A History of the Olympics." In "20th Century History Site at About.com" [http://history1900s.about.com/library/weekly/aa081000a.htm]. January 3, 2001.

This web site offers an overview of Olympic history and specific information about each Olympic Games. This site was important to my paper because I learned about the role Pierre de Coubertin played in restarting the Olympic Games.

Monday, November 7, 2011

Chapter 7 Vocabulary

Chapter 7 vocabulary sections 1 and 2 in the textbook will be due on Wednesday.  You may have today in class to work and what you do not finish will be homework. 
By the way if you are not in class, feel free to Google any of the people, places, words and terms.  Just be sure that your definitions are in the context of the American Revolution.  For example, you would not want to write that George Washington was the first President of the United States, because he was not the President during the American Revolution!
If you write the definitions on a Google doc you can share your definitions with me and be finished with the assignment. 

Section 1:  pages 184-188
minutemen
seige
First Continental Congress
Thomas Gage
redcoats
Second Continental Congress
Continental Army
George Washington
Olive Branch Petition
Battle of Bunker Hill

Section 2:  pg 190-193
unalienable rights
Common Sense
Thomas Jefferson
Declaration of Independence
Patriots
Loyalists
Abigail Adams

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Causes of the American Revolution Test

If you are at home today or missed class for another reason, you may click on the title of today's blog entry to take an online test.  Just type in your first and last name- the secret word is patriot!  Sshhh, don't tell anyone...


Tuesday, November 1, 2011

This Week

We will continue working on the board games Monday and Tuesday.  By Wednesday, we will be playing all of the board games you have created!  If you have been absent or just can't seem to remember the rules regarding the board game, check out last Thursday's blog (Nov. 27th).  On Thursday, we will have a test over Causes of the American Revolution.

Friday, October 28, 2011

Blue Zone

If you are 14 or older please go to the following site to sign up for the Blue Zone.
Blue Zone sign-up

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Causes of the Revolution Game Board

Today you should finish "For Crown or Colony" as well as the hand-out from yesterday.  Make sure your drawing of the Boston Massacre shows that you either believe the event was the fault of the soldiers or the fault of the crowd.
When finished, you will begin making a board game.  You may work with a partner, or you may work alone.  On the back of the game board you should write all of the rules for your game.  Any game pieces or cards should be made of tag board.
All of the following events/laws should be in chronological order and must include dates. The game should be colorful and should reflect your knowledge of causes of the American Revolution.

Battle of Lexington
Declaratory Act
Stamp Act                 
Boston Tea Party
Townsend Act
Sugar Act
Proclamation of 1763
Quartering
Intolerable Acts
Boston Massacre
Tea Act
Declaration of Independence

Ideas for blank spaces:
tarred and feathered
importation
Sons of Liberty
propaganda
indentured servant
committees of correspondence
smuggling
hanged in effigy
liberty tea
boycott
Daughters of Liberty
minuteman
apprentice
master craftsman
redcoat
Parliament
loyalist
patriot

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

For Crown or Colony: Part 4- Boston Massacre

1.  Finish Part 4
Click here to log in 
2.  Complete the hand-out
      a.  Read each of the four accounts of the Boston Massacre
      b.  Describe what you saw as Nat Wheeler
      c.  Answer all of the questions
      d.  Complete the engraving of the Boston Massacre
3.  Finish Part 5 of   "For Crown or Colony?"
4.  Finish the Epilogue
5. Go to last week's blog entries to find vocabulary games to play








                                                                                   








                                                                                                                                         

Monday, October 24, 2011

MAP Testing Today

Today and tomorrow, our district will be testing all students in eighth grade.  Rather than Social Studies, students will take a computer generated test called MAP.

MAP (Measure of Academic Performance) is used to measure a student's progress or growth in school.  They are important to teachers because they let teachers know where a student's strengths are and if help is needed in any specific areas.  Teachers use this information to help them guide instruction in the classroom.

If you have ever used a growth chart in your home to show how much your child has grown from one year to the next, this will help you understand the scale MAP uses to measure your child's academic progress.  Called the RIT scale (Rasch unIT), it is an equal-interval scale much like feet and inches on a yardstick.  It is used to chart your child's academic growth from year to year.  RIT scores typically start at the 140 to 190 level in 3rd grade and progress to the 240 to 300 level by high school.

Friday, October 21, 2011

Part 3 Writing Prompts

Writing Prompts: 
1)  Pick one of the writing prompts below then share your answers with me on the Google Document you shared with me yesterday. 
2)  When you are finished, go to Tween Tribune on the right side of this blog.  Find three stories that interest you.  For each story, write a one paragraph summary- include your personal thoughts on the story.  Make sure you include the title, author and date of each story you choose to write about.  These three paragraph/reflections should be written on the same Google Document as the writing prompts from today and yesterday.
3)  Go to State Challenge  -start on Beginner and make your way to Master Geographer.
 DESTROYING A MESSAGE: If you see a message posted in public and you don’t like it, is it
okay to destroy it? Would your answer change depending on the content of the message? What
would you do in the following situations? (Explain your reasoning.)
a. You see a sign saying that a sports team that you really don’t like is the best team ever.
b. You see a message or symbol (such as a swastika or a racial or ethnic slur) that is offensive to you or others.
c. You see a poster for a political candidate whose views you oppose.
d. You see a sign posted in a public space that has mean things written specifically about you.

DELIVERING A MESSAGE:  Nat is asked to deliver a message to Paul Revere, but is stopped
by a redcoat who wants the message. What would you do if someone wanted to take a message
away from you? What would you do in the following situations?:
a. Your mom has given you a note asking your teacher for permission for you to miss school
tomorrow so that you can go to an amusement park to celebrate your birthday. Another
student stops you and asks you to give her your note. What do you do? Explain why.
b. A student passes you a note and the teacher comes over and asks for you to give him the
note. What do you do? Explain your reasoning
c. You have written a love letter to another student. On the way to give the note to the student,
a bully stops you in the hall and asks for the note. What do you do? Explain why.












Thursday, October 20, 2011

For Crown or Colony: Part 3

Complete this writing prompt activity on a Google doc and share with me.

A CHILD DIES. Think about what you already know about the death of Christopher Seider.


Now imagine this similar, contemporary situation: a group of adults go to protest a dealership
that sells imported cars in your neighborhood. The protesters feel that when imports are made
available, fewer American cars will be sold, and so fewer American workers will have jobs.                 A group of boys you know from school passes by. It looks like fun, so they join the protest. An
angry man appears on the scene and yells at everyone to go home. The protesters hoot and boo
and ignore him, but some of the boys laugh and throw rocks at the man. His wife, who is with
him, gets hit. This angers him. He goes into a building. The boys throw rocks at the windows
and break them. Suddenly, the man appears at one of the windows, points a shotgun at the
crowd and fires. One of your schoolmates is shot, and he later dies.

A.   Think about this for a few minutes: Whose fault is it? The owner of the dealership? The
protesters? The group of boys? The angry man? The man’s wife? The boy who got
shot? Explain your reasoning. If you feel more than one person is at fault, explain your
thinking about that.

B.   Do you feel that a crime has been committed, or that this was just a terrible accident?
Explain why.

C.   If the person who died had been an adult, would this seem as sad? If it was a girl? If it
was a man in his nineties? Explain your reasoning.

Today, if you have finished Nat's second letter home and you have finished part 2, you may go on to part 3 Login .  When you are finished, you have a Jumbled word puzzle to complete.  When the Jumbled Word Puzzle is complete, play 2 of the Java Games (there are four games, do not play flash cards).  When you have beaten Crown or Colony Battleship on medium or hard, you may go back to For Crown or Colony and play parts 1,2, or 3 (if you make different decisions, you can change the story!) but do not play part 4.
Jumbled Word Puzzle
Java Games
Crown or Colony Battleship

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

For Crown or Colony?: Part 2

Today we will complete part 2 of Mission US: For Crown or Colony?
Log into the site just as you did yesterday.  When finished, you should complete Nat's second letter home- it is a pop-up letter so you will find it is much easier!  

Nat's second letter home

When you finish the letter, you may play Battleship
Battleship

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

For Crown or Colony: Part One

Yesterday students began playing Mission US: For Crown or Colony?  Each student became a printer's apprentice and negotiated an indenture contract to sign.  Today, we will experience 18th century Boston as a newspaper apprentice.
Click here to play part one:  Login page

When you have finished part one today, click on the following link to write Nat's letter home to his Mother and Father. 
Nat's Letter
When you have finished, make sure I can see you were successful!
Click here to play vocabulary games:  Part 1 vocabulary games

Today's vocabulary words found in the game:
apprentice
master (this one is used twice in the letter)
patriot
contract
merchant
redcoat
artisan
journeyman
slave
freedman
slavery
printer
Seven years' War

Monday, October 17, 2011

For Crown or Colony?

Over the next two weeks we will be studying causes of the American Revolution. To study the Revolution, we will use a revolutionary tool called  "For Crown or Glory".
"For Crown or Glory" is a multimedia project created by Mission US.  It features free interactive adventure games set in Pre-Revolutionary Boston. The online adventure puts the player in the shoes of Nat Wheeler, a 14-year-old printer's apprentice in 1770 Boston. As Nat navigates the city and completes tasks, he encounters a spectrum of people living and working there when tensions mount before the Boston Massacre. Ultimately, as the player, you will determine Nat's fate by deciding where his loyalties lie.

Click here to register for the game:  For Crown or Glory

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

The Last of the Mohicans

Today we will begin watching the film "The Last of the Mohicans". based on the novel by James Fenimore Cooper.  The story is set in 18th century North America in the third year of the French and Indian War.  The story has many themes, we will concentrate on the recurring theme of Hawkeye's (the hero) struggle to belong in an Indian world as a white man- or perhaps as an Indian in a white man's world.  Similarly, colonists of the time found themselves something other English, and not yet uniquely American.

No assignment, just discussion

Monday, October 10, 2011

The Thirteen Colonies

Students who need to finish the Pilgrim Economics assignment should do so.  Everyone else will begin a Thirteen Colonies map. The map can be found at the following link:  Thirteen Colonies Map
Other than today, we will not spend time in class completing the map.  It should be turned in sometime between now and Friday.
The map can be printed from the above link.  You should label the following colonies, rivers and lakes:

New York
Connecticut
Pennsylvania
New Jersey
Virginia
Massachusetts
Delaware
Maryland
North Carolina
South Carolina
Georgia
New Hampshire
Rhode Island
Lake Superior
Lake Erie
Lake Michigan
Lake Ontario
Lake Huron
Ohio River
Delaware River
Hudson River
Mississippi River
Potomac River
St. Lawrence River

Friday, October 7, 2011

Pilgrims Continued

Finish the assignment given yesterday.  Click on the link below to watch a History Channel video about the Mayflower Pilgrims.
Deconstructing the Mayflower

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Pilgrim Economics

One major aspect of Social Studies is the study of Economics.  Economic issues have played a major role throughout the course of history and are responsible for altering many historic events.  It is important to look at the role of economic issues to further understand the events of the past.  It is also important to understand the economic lessons of the past to avoid the same pitfalls in the future.  The following activity deals with the Pilgrims and gives us a valuable lesson in economics for both the present and the future.

If you are at home today, click on the following link, copy to a google doc, answer the questions and share with me.
Pilgrim Economics

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Chapter 4 Vocabulary

Chapter 4 Vocabulary: sections 1-3
Due Friday, October 7 

As you read about each person, place, or item below, keep this question in mind:  Why did people choose to leave their homelands for the New World?
 

Section1: pg. 92-97
headright
indentured servants
planters
John Smith
Pocahontas
Powhatan Confederacy
John Rolfe
Nathaniel Bacon

Section 2:  98-102
sect
immigrants
Puritans
Separatists
Pilgrims
William Bradford
Mayflower Compact
Squanto

Section 3:  103-108
dissenters
covenant
Great Migration
John Winthrop
Thomas Hooker
Fundamental Orders of Connecticut
Roger Williams
Anne Hutchinson
Salem Witch Trials

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Early English Settlement Map

Today, we are filling out a map for early English colonization.  Map Link
Use the following map pages in your textbook to find the following items: pg. 11, 95, 106, 112, 117, A3

Jamestown
James River
Chesapeake Bay
Hudson River
Plymouth (1620)
Lake Ontario
Connecticut River
Lake Erie
Lake Huron
Cape Cod
Appalachian Mountains
Atlantic Ocean
Delaware River
Potomac River
Roanoke

Tribes: use the empty box at the bottom of the map to create a key for the five tribes
Wampanoag
Delaware
Powhatan
Iroquois
Narraganset

Answer the following questions:
1.  Based on your map, which tribes would the Plymouth colony be most likely to come into contact?
2.  The Jamestown settlement?
3.  Which tribes lived near the Appalachian Mountains?
4.  In which present-day states would you find Roanoke, Jamestown, and Plymouth?

Monday, October 3, 2011

The Columbian Exchange

Today students will study the Columbian Exchange.  The assignment can be found in the textbook on pages 56-59.
Food Crops:  pg. 56-57  Answer Geography Skills questions #1-5
Livestock:  Pg 58-59   Answer Geography Skills questions #1-3 (pg. 58), and Geography Skills questions #1-2 (pg. 59)

These ten questions are due tomorrow at the beginning of the period.

Friday, September 30, 2011

The Counselors are Here

In the month of October, all 8th graders will travel to Ottumwa to visit Indian Hills Community College.  This event is called "Career Day".  You will have the opportunity to see and experience some of the great programs that are offered.  In preparation for Career Day, the Counselors will walk you through an interest survey.  You will complete it online and it will give us an idea of the types of careers you are interested in.
When the Counselors leave, you may finish the Jamestown Archaeology Google document with your group.  If you have finished the Google doc, you may finish the online activities from Tuesday or go to Tween Tribune to read news articles.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Jamestown Archaeology

Today, you will look at some archaeological evidence concerning the economy of Jamestown and the local Native American tribes.  Click on the worksheet link below.  One member of your group should create a Google document, share it with all group members (don't forget me!), then copy and paste the worksheet to the document for all members to work on.
Do not split up the work- You are to go over each part of the worksheet together and discuss possible answers. 

If you finish early, go back to yesterday's blog and finish the two Jamestown games.



Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Jamestown

Today in class, you have two games to play and an article to read. 

History Globe:  Jamestown Adventure

National Geographic: On the Trail with John Smith




Jamestown: First English Colony in America



On This Site
American History Glossary
The First European Settlements in America
Colonial Times
Explorers had been landing in America for some time before English settlers arrived in what is now Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607. But it was in that spot on the James River that English colonization began and with it, the history of America.

James I was king of England at that time, and he had granted approval for a group of businesspeople to settle in this new land. They were part of the Virginia Company, and they got the go-ahead in 1606. By December of that year, the expedition was ready.
In all, 214 people set sail for America. They reached it on May 14, 1607. Very soon after they landed, the English found themselves under attack from Algonquins, a Native American tribe who had been living in that area for some time and who didn't exactly welcome new settlers. The English managed to drive off the attackers, who came back every now and then. The English, however, were there to stay.
Under the leadership of Captain John Smith, the English built a fort and other buildings designed to protect their new colony. They also found friendly Native Americans, like Powhatan, who was willing to trade with them.
The terrible winter of 1609 convinced most of the settlers to abandon their new life, however. Only 60 of the 214 settlers survived this harsh winter, which was also hard on Powhatan's tribe and other neighboring Native Americans.
(It is this Powhatan, also, whose daughter Pocahontas eventually married John Rolfe.)
One of the main crops grown by the English settlers was tobacco, which they sold to Native Americans and to people back in England, beginning in 1612. Tobacco became a very popular crop because it was easy to grow and because it brought in so much money.
Once the money started flowing in regularly, the Jamestown colony grew, as did other settlements in Virginia and in other states along the eastern seaboard.
America's first elected assembly, the House of Burgesses, met in Jamestown for the first time on July 30, 1619. This group boasted many famous members through the years, including Patrick Henry, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson.
The year 1619 also saw another significant development: the first arrival of black workers on boats from Africa. These men and women were originally indentured servants, who worked a plot of land for a few years and then got to keep the land as owners. (The slave trade didn't get into full swing in this part of America until the 1680s.)
Jamestown was also the capital of Virginia and remained so until 1698. 

This article is from a site called   "Social Studies for Kids".  The article can be found online at http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/articles/ushistory/jamestown.htmhe

Monday, September 26, 2011

The Lost Colony of Roanoke

Read the story of the lost colony

 The Lost Colony Quiz

Roanoke Island Hangman

Writing Project:  Use a Google doc and share with me!

Choose one of the following theories below about what happened to the Roanoke settlers that you believe best explains what happened to them. Write a paragraph that describes why you think this explanation is the best one.
Theories
1. They left Roanoke Island and went to live with the Native Americans.
2. They left Roanoke Island and went to live in some other place.
3. They made boats out of wood, left Roanoke Island and were lost at sea.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

The Big Test

Today you will have an opportunity to show what you know.  The test will cover the Aztec, Maya, and Inca civilizations, as well as the Spanish conquistadors who conquered them.

Click here to take the test!

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Conquering Mesoamerica


Today we learn of the Spanish Conquistadors who conquered the Aztec and

Inca civilizations.  The hand-out received in class is below, as well as a link to the notes taken in class.  If you missed class, copy off the hand-out, complete it and turn it in.  If you like, you can copy it to a google doc and share with me.

Class hand-out                                                                 

                                                                                                       
ppt notes from class                                                

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
    Pizarro and Atalhualpa
       

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

The Inca Indians

Today we will finish the Mesoamerican "big three".
Having already looked at the Maya and Aztecs, we will focus on the South American Inca civilization.
Click here for Inca notes

Remember to keep good notes.  They can be used on the test Friday, and you will hand them in after the test for 5pts.

Monday, September 19, 2011

Exploring North America

This week:  Why did Europeans explore, and how did they do it?
Like space explorers in 20th century, European explorers used state of the art technology to travel the ocean. 
Today we will begin with Christopher Columbus and by the end of the week we will have studied the New World empire of Spain.
Maya ppt. notes

Aztec ppt. notes

Saturday, September 17, 2011

The Politics of Jobs

This week we watched a good portion of the September 7th Republican debate, as well as President Obama's speech to promote the American Jobs Act.  At this point, you should have a pretty clear picture of Republican economic policy vs. Democratic economic policy. 
We have also learned a few new economic terms:
        inflation
        scarce
        free market
        free enterprise
        entrepreneur
Now you are ready to take the quiz!  Go to the following link:
       
Good luck!  I know you will do well

Friday, September 2, 2011

The Big Story!

At this point, you have researched one Pre-Columbian Native American tribe and have created a poster to represent the geographical, economical, political and social aspects of that tribe.

Now you are ready to write a story about any tribe you like.

Here's how it works:

You are a time traveler.  Travel back in time to come in contact with one Pre-Columbian Native American tribe.  Remember, you are not writing a report, it's a story!  You get to decide what the encounter will be like- good or bad.  Include all of the information that you know about that tribe.  Use the posters around the room for ideas.


Scoring Guide:  Your story should
1) include a Pre-Columbian Native American tribe and a time traveler.
2) include conflict and resolution - remember, it is a story.
3) have specific facts and details about the tribe you chose to write about.
4) be easy to understand- it makes sense.
5) be finished and turned in on time- the beginning of the period Tuesday.

Good luck!  I can't wait to read your stories.




 

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Pre-Columbian Native Americans

We tend to think of American history beginning with the first voyage of Christopher Columbus to the New World in 1492.  In reality, it was not a new world, in fact people had been living there for thousands of years.  Many civilizations had sprouted and thrived in fertile North America.

Our first area of study in 8th grade social studies features Pre-Columbian Native American civilizations.  We will study the geographic, economic, social and political aspects of several tribes from the different culture areas. 

Welcome Back!!

Welcome to 8th Grade Social Studies

Friday, May 20, 2011

Finish Assignments

Things to do:
1.  Finish the webquest
2.  Finish Chapter 20 vocabulary
3.  Take the formative assessment quiz
4.  Watch this video  Separate but Equal?

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Finish the Webquest

Finish the webquest assignment from yesterday.  When finished, take the formative assessment quiz by clicking on the following link:  Formative Assessment Quiz

If you have not finished the vocabulary, now is a good time to finish.  It is due tomorrow.

When finished, you may play these Java Games:   http://www.quia.com/jg/1969077.html

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Reconstruction Webquest

  Find a partner, copy questions to a Google Doc, answer the  questions , share with me

I. Policies Regarding Reconstruction

A. Describe Lincoln’s plan for reconstruction of the
    South.

B. What opposition did he face?
C. What happened to Lincoln?

http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/history/A0860645.html

D. In what way was Johnson’s plan for
     reconstruction different 
from Lincoln’s?

http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/history/A0860646.html

E. How did the Radical Republicans respond to Johnson’s policies?

F. What reason did Congress give for impeaching Johnson?

http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=509

  
II. Struggles of the Freedmen
htubman.gif (8378 bytes)A. Once the slaves were free, what were some of the problems faced (read "Condition of the Former Slaves.")?

http://www.civilwarhome.com/freedmen.htm

B. What were the Black Codes?

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USASblackcodes.htm

C. What were the Jim Crow Laws?

D. Give some examples.

http://www.nps.gov/malu/forteachers/jim_crow_laws.htm

E. Why was the first Ku Klux Klan formed?

F. In what ways did the members frighten and abuse African Americans?

http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/history/A0859144.html

 

 

III. Amendments 13, 14, and 15

A.  What was the purpose of the 15th amendment?
B.  What groups of people are excluded from the 15th amendment

http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html#Am13

 C. Using geography and political affiliations tell who
      was most in favor of the 13th Amendment. 
      Explain. 

http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h127.html

 

D. Describe one of the earliest attempts to abolish slavery and explain why it was unsuccessful.

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/jan31.html

 E. How did the 14th Amendment attempt to guarantee the freedoms of African Americans?

F. Why was the 14th Amendment unsuccessful in guaranteeing equal rights to
    African Americans born in the United States?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_codes_in_the_USA


 

IV.   Segregation

A.  Describe the circumstances behind Plessy v.  Ferguson

B. What was the court’s decision? 
Plessy v Ferguson 

C. What Supreme Court decision reversed Plessy V. Ferguson? 
Court case 

D. What did the court say about the concept of "separate but equal?"

 
Discussion Question:
Is it possible to legislate equality?  Use at least 2 examples from your study of Reconstruction in your answer.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Reconstruction Vocabulary

We are in the home stretch for the eighth grade social studies curriculum.  The last historic era we will study is Reconstruction.  Today, students will study the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, take a pre-test (link to pre-test at the bottom of today's blog entry), and complete the list of vocabulary words and terms found below:


Jim Crow Laws
13th Amendment
14th Amendment
15th Amendment
sharecropping
Civil Rights Act of 1866
literacy test
Ku Klux Klan
Radical Republicans
segregation
carpetbaggers
poll tax
grandfather clause
Andrew Johnson
Ten Percent Plan
Freedmen's Bureau
Plessy vs. Ferguson (1896)
Compromise of 1877
Reconstruction Acts
Black Codes
Hiram Revels

Reconstruction Pre-Test 

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Review for the Civil War test

Finish reviewing for the test today.

Items on the test include:

Union
Confederacy
Bombing of Fort Sumter
First Battle of Bull Run
secession
Robert E. Lee
Ulysses S. Grant
Jefferson Davis
Abraham Lincoln
Battle of Antietam
Battle of Gettysburg
Seige of Vicksburg
Gettysburg Address
54th Massachusetts Infantry
Pickett's Charge
border states
Sherman's March
Emancipation Proclamation
Appomattox Courthouse
suspension of habeas corpus

Monday, May 9, 2011

Gettysburg Address Animated


Gettysburg Address from Adam Gault on Vimeo.

Today, you will re-write the Gettysburg Address in your own words.  When finished, create an acrostic poem from these letters:  GETTYSBURG ADDRESS
It may help to look at the wordle below

Wordle: Gettysburg Address

Four-Score and Seven Years Ago

Perhaps the most famous speech given by an American president, the Gettysburg Address was delivered by Abraham Lincoln several months following the famed 3-day battle.  Lincoln arrived in Gettysburg by train the day before the event, spent the night at the Wills house on the town square instead of at a hotel, and delivered his short speech for dedication of the Solders' National Cemetery on November 19, 1863.

 Before Lincoln gave the Gettysburg address, Edward Everett gave a long speech. He droned on for 2 hours comparing the Civil War soldiers to Greek gods. In comparison, Lincoln's speech lasted only 2 minutes. Because it was very short compared to the other speaker, there was silence from the audience afterward. Some said it was because they were not sure that he was done, but others said that the crowd was in awe of what was said. His speech was brief, to the point, and poetic yet understandable. It is a classic piece with famous lines now recognized by people worldwide.


Below is a copy of the text:

Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that "all men are created equal."

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived, and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of it, as a final resting place for those who died here, that the nation might live. This we may, in all propriety do. But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow, this ground -- The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have hallowed it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here; while it can never forget what they did here.
It is rather for us, the living, we here be dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that, from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here, gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve these dead shall not have died in vain; that the nation, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people by the people for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Lincoln's speech puts the Civil War in perspective as a test of the success of the American Revolution. The nation founded on equality was in the midst of a war to determine whether such a nation could continue to exist. He said that they were gathered to formally dedicate ground hallowed by the men, American citizens, who died there, but his speech turned the event into a rededication of the living to the war effort to preserve a nation of freedom.