Welcome Back!

Hi everyone. I hope you have had an awesome Summer and are ready to begin your final year of Elementary School! As an 8th grader you will have more responsibility at school and home. That is a good thing :-)
I am looking forward to meeting everyone and getting the school year under way.
We will have a student teacher with us until December. Ms.Reilly is her name and I know already she is a great teacher!
Remember to have a good attitude and come prepared.
See everyone soon!

Week of May 31, 2011

I hope everyone enjoyed our long weekend! We have a variety of activities this week. There is no homework, just classwork.
Make sure you bring your history books back to school as soon as possible. If they are not returned, you will be charged for them!

School is not over until Monday, June 6th after Graduation!

Expect to participate in classroom discussions and activities.
Locker clean-out will be this week so be prepared with a bag of some sort to take your things home.

Update to 5/23 post

Just a reminder to follow up what was said in class. Everyone needs to turn in their yellow Constitution packet before the test on Thursday.

All History books need to be returned to me as soon as possible. No later than June 2nd!!


No current events or geography homework!

Classwork for the week of
May 23, 2011

There is NO homework this week! We will be using class-time to get ready for the Illinois State Constitution test. The test will be on Thursday, May 26th.
There is trivia however and it will be due on Friday, May 27th.

Trivia

The opposite sides of a die will always add up to what number?

Homework and Classwork for the week of
May 16, 2011
Classwork

We will continue our study of the 1960's this week. We'll read from our supplemental book, watch a dvd or two, and have partner activities. A few things we'll cover this week are: Women, Space, Viet Nam, and Cesar Chavez. Thursday is a 'dress-up' day and music appreciation. Come dressed in 1960's clothing and get extra credit! We have a visit from O.P.R.F. this Friday from 9:30-11:30.

Homework

Current event due 5/17
Movie notes-10 things you find interesting-due 5/19
Geography-Spain and Portugal due 5/19**This is Thursday

Trivia

What is the name given to a piece of rock that makes it through the Earth's atmosphere and reaches land? This is due 5/20 REMEMBER YOU NEED TWO SOLID PARAGRAPHS AND IT NEEDS TO BE WRITTEN IN YOUR OWN WORDS FOR CREDIT!

Addition to homework

Everyone needs to read pages 874-879 in their social studies book and write a 2-3 paragraph opinion on the reading. This is due 5/12

Classwork and Homework for the week of
May 9, 2011

Classwork

We begin our study of the 1960's this week. Civil Rights is the main focus the next few days. We will read from our history text and supplemental books in class. We have some hands-on activities, a few news clips to watch, and a guest speaker on Friday, May 13th.

Homework

Current event due 5/10
Geography-Reading Facts etc. due 5/13

Trivia

In what city did the British and Americans sign the peace treaty officially ending the Revolutionary War? Due 5/13
DON'T FORGET THAT LATE WORK IS ONLY ACCEPTED UNTIL FRIDAY OF THE WEEK IT IS DUE!

Homework and Classwork for the week of
May 2, 2011

Classwork

We will explore the Korean War this week through a variety of activities. A dvd, The Forgotten War, will be watched on Tuesday and students will need to have at least 10 items of interest recorded. This will be due at the end of class. They will work in groups on Wednesday taking the role of several leaders in an activity, What Would You Do? We will read from our history book and our supplemental texts as well.

Homework

Current event due 5/3
Geography due 5/6

Trivia

In which constellation can the North Star be found? Remember you need two solid paragraphs! Due 5/6

Homework and Classwork for the week of
April 25, 2011

Classwork

We will spend a couple of days learning about Gerda Weissmann and her journey through the Holocaust. We will watch the documentary film, One Survivor Remembers, and discuss the incredible strength she had to survive her years of captivity. It is a story of hope and how many people managed to make it through this horrible period in our World's history.
We will begin Chapter 25 in our History books and explore the 1950's. Students need to read pages in their book and be ready for class discussion. Pages 842-847 must be read before Thursday. We will also have readings from our supplementary book, All The People.
We will have two classroom activities dealing with McCarthy. The work that does not get completed in class, will become homework.

Homework

Current Event due 4/26
Discussion questions from movie due 4/29
Decade of Fear and Pro/Con will be due at the end of class. If these assignments are not completed, they will be due the next day.

Trivia

In two paragraphs answer the following question:
Nato's headquarters is located where? Due 4/29

ALL MISSING ASSIGNMENTS FROM THE FIRST PART OF THIS TRIMESTER ARE DUE BY FRIDAY 4/29. I WILL NOT ACCEPT ANY WORK FROM THE FIRST PART OF TRIMESTER THREE AFTER PROGRESS REPORTS GO HOME.

Homework and Classwork for the week of
April 18, 2011

Classwork

We have a station activity for the three days of school this week. Students will rotate between stations. Each station has an activity they need to complete. Students will then write 3-4 facts they learned from each station and write a brief reflection of their experience. This is due on Monday, 4/25.

THERE IS NO HOMEWORK OR TRIVIA THIS WEEK

Homework and Classwork for the week of
April 11, 2011

Classwork

We will explore Pearl Harbor and the horror of that day and our involvement in the Pacific. Japanese Americans and internment camps will be discussed, and we will decided for ourselves if dropping the Atomic Bomb was a good thing or not. We will also have small group work that will focus on the heroic life of Hannah Szenes and her fight to help save the Jews of Hungary. We will use our supplemental book, War, Peace and All That Jazz, and see some news reels of Pearl Harbor and the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Homework

5 paragraph compare/contrast essay due 4/11

Current event due 4/12
Atomic Bomb-Pro/Con due 4/13* Changed to 4/14
Chapter note-taking packet due 4/13
Geography-Airline distance- due4/15

QUIZ # 4 IS WEDNESDAY, 4/13 PACKET DUE AT END OF QUIZ

Trivia

What was a "Dandy horse"? Two, full paragraphs. Due 4/15

Classwork and Homework for the week of
April 4, 2011
Welcome back from Spring Break. I hope everyone enjoyed some time away from school and we are all re-energized for the last few months of school!!

Classwork

We will be discussing the war and it's impact here at home and overseas. We will read from War,Peace, and All That Jazz, watch actual film footage of the Normandy invasion, and watch the first 15 minutes of Saving Private Ryan on Friday. Don't forget your signed permission slip must be turned in by Thursday or you WILL not be able to watch the film. There will be an essay comparing the actual footage to Hollywood's interpretation.
Keep working on the chapter packet. Quiz 3 is Tuesday!

Homework

Current event due 4/5
Signed permission slip due a.s.a.p. no later than 4/7
Geography-Alaskan Population due 4/8
Essay due 4/11

Trivia

What was Memorial Day originally called? Remember, you need two full paragraphs! due 4/8

Homework and Classwork for the week of
March 21, 2011
Classwork

We have our first quiz on section 1 of our Note-taking packet, quiz two is Thursday. We will be reading from our support text, War, Peace and All That Jazz, and teaching three important aspects of WWII to our classmates. We will present our material on Wednesday.

Homework

Current event due 3/22
Geography-Time Around the World due THURSDAY 3/24

Trivia

In music, what word means "growing louder"? due 3/25

Spring Break begins at 3:30 Friday, March 25. We will have a current event due on Tues. 4/5!!

Classwork and Homework for the week of
March 14, 2011
Classwork

We will begin our WWII unit this week. We will explore many aspects of the war from life at home to the major battles being fought in Europe and the Pacific. Students will have a chapter note-taking packet to work on every week. We will have weekly quizzes, movies, group assignments, and writing activities. We will have a compare/contrast activity dealing with the landing on Omaha Beach. More details to come regarding this.
This week we get our basic foundation built with information leading up to the conflict. We have a modified schedule Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, because of Literacy Week activities.

Homework

Current Event due 3/15
Geography-Touring Mexico, due 3/18

Trivia

What is the name of the famous photographer, born in San Francisco, who developed an interest in conservation and became an official photographer for the Sierra Club in 1928? Don't forget you need two paragraphs.

NOW THAT WE ARE IN THE THIRD AND FINAL TRIMESTER, BE AWARE THAT THE ACCEPTANCE OF LATE WORK HAS CHANGED. PLEASE READ OVER THE SYLLABUS FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.

Homework and Classwork for the week of
March 7, 2011

Classwork

We will finish our unit on the 1930's this week. We have two in class activities to work on. On Tuesday we will work in groups on the New Deal. Wednesday has us working on a Dust Bowl activity. Thursday and Friday we will watch the Hollywood film, Kit Kittredge.

Homework

NO HOMEWORK THIS WEEK

We will be back to our regular homework schedule on 3/15 with our Current Event.

Update
2/28/2011

We are changing things around a bit to accommodate our crazy schedule!

First, the chapter note-taking packet will be due March 11, 2011

We will watch the film, Kit Kittredge, in class March 10th and 11th. This is an excellent film depicting life in America during the 1930's.

We will NOT have any homework the week of March 7, 2011 for those students who have ISAT make-up tests.

Homework and Classwork for the week of
February, 28, 2011

NO HOMEWORK DURING ISAT WEEK!!

We will continue working on the Great Depression and the 1930's during class time this week.
We will watch film footage from this era and have some partner activities.
The chapter note-taking packet will be due on Friday, March 4, 2011.

Mr. Gertler is no longer with us as student teacher.

Homework and Classwork for the week of
February 21,2011
Classwork

Mr. Gertler will be introducing a mini unit on the Great Depression. We will have in class activities to help us understand what occurred during this era and bridging to our current state of affairs.

Homework

Current event is due 2/22

Geography-Rainfall in Africa 2/25

Trivia

In two paragraphs answer this question:
Where was horror-film star, Bela Lugosi born?

ANY LATE ASSIGNMENTS ARE DUE BY FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2011 FOR PARTIAL
CREDIT. THE TRIMESTER ENDS MARCH 4, 2011!

ISAT TESTING BEGINS MONDAY, FEBRUARY 28TH!

Homework and Classwork for the week of
February 14, 2011

Classwork

We will be finishing up our mini unit on the 1920's! We have two writing activities, The Teapot Dome and Prohibition, which we will work on in class Monday and Tuesday. We will be exchanging our crossword puzzles on Wed. Our open-packet/open note quiz is Thursday, and we will have our culminating event Friday by dressing up as Flappers or in 20's style suits!! The dress-up is good for a current event pass :-) It is not required.

Homework

Current Event due 2/15
Crossword-15 clues and answer key-due 2/16
Notes from reading and video due 2/17
Geography-Major rivers of Western Europe-due 2/18

Trivia

In two paragraphs, answer the following question. Due 2/18
What was the name of the 1960's group of students, formed by Mao-Tse-Tung, that attacked anyone or anything they thought might be anti-communist?

Homework and Classwork for the week of
February 7, 2011
Classwork

We are actually going to begin that 1920's unit this week!! We will read from our support sources, text, and some supplemental handouts. We will watch a segment of a dvd dealing with the rise of Jazz and the global impact it had.

Homework

Current Event due 2/8
Geography-The Mississippi Valley due 2/11

Trivia

In two solid paragraphs, answer the following. Due 2/11

At what constant speed does the cable that pulls San Francisco's famous cable cars move, in miles per hour?

Announcements

As of this writing, I am not sure how we will handle Spring conferences. I am confident the District will be sending news along shortly.
I would like to welcome Richard Gertler to our classroom. He is fulfilling his student teaching requirements and will be with us until mid May.

Homework and Classwork for the week of
January 31, 2011

DUE TO CONFERENCES AND HALF DAYS, THERE IS NO HOMEWORK THIS WEEK!!

We will be reading from our supplemental text, War, Peace, and All That Jazz, about life after the war.

We will begin the Roaring 1920's the week of February 7th. A current event will be due on February 8th so keep that in mind.

Spring is just around the corner :-)

Homework and Classwork for the week of
January 24, 2011
Classwork

We will finish up our mini unit on the Armenian Genocide this week and discuss the Armistice.
We are heading into the Roaring 1920's soon which is sure to be fun!!

Homework

Current event is due 1/25
Geography-Important water passages:Mediterranean Sea, is due 1/28
Chapter 21 Note-taking packet is due 1/28-all parts

Trivia

Who led the Solidarity Trade union in the 1980's which demanded better working conditions for Polish workers?

IMPORTANT REMINDERS

Missing assignments from the beginning of the trimester will NOT be accepted. All work assigned from 1/25 until the end of the 2nd trimester will be accepted for partial credit.
Portfolio conferences will be held February 3rd and 4th.

Homework and Classwork for the week of
January 17, 2011
Classwork

We will be watching actual film footage of WWI in class this week and discussing what life was like for folks at home. We will explore and discuss the Armenian Genocide and the global impact that event still has for us today.

Homework

Current event due 1/18
Geography-The Atlantic Coast due 1/21
Students need to finish working on their chapter 21 note-taking packet. It will be due 1/28!!

ALL MISSING WORK MUST BE TURNED IN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. I NEED ALL MISSING ASSIGNMENTS BEFORE PROGRESS REPORTS GO HOME.
Trivia

The Thinker was one of several works created by a famed sculptor in 1882. What is this sculptors name?

Classwork and Homework for the week of
January 10, 2011
Classwork

We will begin our unit on the Great War after we have a short open-packet quiz on chapter 20. An information packet will be handed out that outlines the details of this war. Chapter 21 note-taking packet will be passed out and reviewed as well. ALL parts of this packet will need to be answered! There will be several open packet quizzes during our study of this unit. We will be reading from our text, as well as our supplemental text, Age of Extremes.

Homework

Current event due 1/11-recall this is two paragraphs of opinion. The article must accompany the work.
Geography-Determining elevation- is due 1/14
Everyone will need to work on their note-taking packet for chapter 21 AT HOME! This will be due when we finish the chapter. As of now, that looks like the 1/21/11. More details to come as we progress with classwork.

Trivia

In two, solid, paragraphs, answer the following. This is due 1/14
Who is the only U.S. president to have won a Pulitzer prize?

PROGRESS REPORTS GO HOME THE END OF JANUARY. RECALL THE LATE WORK PROCEDURE AND REVIEW IF NECESSARY IN YOUR SYLLABUS!

January 3, 2011
Welcome Back!

We will begin our pre Great War unit this week. Chapter 20 will be discussed and reviewed in class.
There is a note-taking packet that students will work on in-class this week. It will be due Friday, January 7 , 2011.

NO HOMEWORK THIS WEEK!