Sociology

Last week we started a unit on Sociology. Due to time constraints (5 1/2 days to be exact) I am focusing the unit on family. Today we talked about different types of families as well as decision making in a family. We will use all of this information for the remainder of the school year as we watch and compare different families.

The families we compare will be fictional, from TV. Yes, for the last week of school my students get to watch TV. However, as they watch they will be required to identify the type of family and answer some basic sociology questions about the family. All of the sheets the students complete will be turned in for credit. It will be the last grade of the year.

Psychology!

This week we have started studying psychology. This unit offers a very basic introduction to some of the concepts of psych. So far we have talked mostly about personality and the things that affect it. The students have made a personality profile showing me all about themselves.

Today and tomorrow we will be looking at different types of personality tests. Today we talked about analyzing signatures. The students have to analyze their own signature, two friend's signatures and two adult signatures. This assignment is due Friday.

Slacker

Oh my have I been slacking! The three of you out there that read this are probably wondering where the heck I have been. Well, I'm back.

Since my last post we have completed a whole unit on economics. We talked about scarcity and decision making, supply and demand and three different kinds of economies (command, market and traditional). The highlight of the unit was when the students had to pretend they were stranded on an island. They were forced to make decisions about how problems would be solved and what type of economy they had.

We had a partner test on Friday 4-23 to wrap up the economic unit.

This week we have started Psychology, one of my favorite units! There is an assignment coming up where the students will have to create a personality profile. These will be due Monday for 5th and 6th hour, Tuesday for 2nd and 3rd hour.

Research Project

For the past week the kids have been researching a decade of their choice. They were required to find information from the 50-90's in four categories; people, events, entertainment/fun and inventions. Each student was required to individual research for their decade. This research was due Monday. The students were given 20 points for having their research done, they will also be graded on this research later this week.

This week we have been working on the group project.
1. A poster with 10 pictures and 10 facts about the decade
2. A quiz with 10 questions about the poster and an answer key.

These projects are due at the end of the hour tomorrow.

The plan is that I will hang the posters around the room and the kids will take the quizzes by finding the information on the posters.

Great Depression

This week we have been focusing on the 1930's. Specifically the causes of the Great Depression and the New Deal of President Roosevelt. We were even able to find references to the Great Depression in "Song if the South" by Alabama.

There has also been discussion almost daily about the Olympics. (If I fall asleep the night before, the kids keep me informed!)

Just a reminder that the history interview is due Monday for 2nd and 3rd hour.

Have a good weekend!!

The Great Depression

Today we wrapped up the 1920's. Tomorrow we will move into the great depression and the 1930's. We have also been discussing the Olympics and some Olympic history.

In second grade I was sitting in the library at St. Mary's School in Sister Joseph Marie's reading class when Mr. Doyle came into the library and turned on the TV. On it was the news report about the Challenger space shuttle exploding. I can also remember seeing Mary Lou Retton stick the landing on her final vault to win a gold medal in the Olympics. The most recent historical event ingrained in my mind is the day 9/11 happened. I was teaching 5th grade and my students were at gym, a colleague came over and told me to turn on the TV. Each of these events are something I will never forget and I am hoping to help the students in my class see how history really does affect all of our lives.

In order to do this I am asking each student to interview someone over 40 years old (not their parents) about what they remember from history. They have a list of possible questions to use and a worksheet to complete after the interview. My hope is that these interviews will get them talking with someone other than you about what history is and what it really means.

For 2nd and 3rd hour this assignment is due Feb 22.

For 5th and 6th hour this assignment is due March 1.

Roaring Twenties

This week we are focusing on the Roaring 20's! So far we have gone over some basic information about events and people of the decade. Things like, prohibition, the stock market crash, jazz music, Amelia Earhart, Louis Armstrong, Babe Ruth, and Charles Lindbergh. Tomorrow and Friday we will go more in depth on prohibition as well as the stock market crash.

US History

Our next unit is US History. We cover A LOT of history in a short period of time. The way it works is that we talk in terms of decades. We started last week with 1900-1910 and are continuing this week with 1910-1920. For each decade we discuss what happened overall, then we go in depth on a few major events. (Last week it was immigration and the Model T.)

I have hopes of the kids doing a family history, but right now it's only in my head...I'll try to get it out and on paper sometime this week! (But, I'm not making any promises.)

If your child is in my 5th or 6th hour they will be having Mr. Quirk Becker (or Mr. QB) for the next few weeks. I'm excited to have someone with fresh, new ideas working in my classroom!

PS - I will be serving my civic duty the next two weeks...yep, jury duty! So, if your child mentions that I'm gone for a few days, that's probably why.

Half way there!

Alright, 3rd quarter is here and that means the school year is half over. Hard to believe isn't it! Today we cleaned out our folders to start totally fresh for our next unit.

Over the next few weeks we will be discussing US history. This unit covers the 1900-1999. (I know, that's a lot of history!) What I do to make it more manageable is break things down by the decade. We started today with 1900-1910 and we just try to hit the major highlights.

The students do have an informal assignment for tonight. I'd like them to talk to you about when your family came to the US and share any stories you might have.

End of second quarter

Friday is the last day of second quarter. (Although, most of the middle schoolers are going skiing or swimming, so I suppose we could say Thursday.) Here is a list of what the students need to turn in before end of the quarter.

Careers Assignments:

-Task One, I Make it Happen, Task Five

-Career Interview

-O'Net internet test results printed

-Two jobs printed

-3 extras (things we have done in class, but did not hand in)

-Career outline

-Career brochure / book

**Most of this has already been turned in, the outline and brochure are due tomorrow. We have been working on these in class for the past few days.**

Careers Unit

We have been working on our careers unit for the past week. So far the students have worked in class on a few interest surveys to see what type of career they might be interested in. They also have an online assignment which needs to be completed in a study hall, after school or at home. This is an online survey which will tell them what areas they are successful in and what careers might be a good fit for them. They need to print their test results and choose two careers to print as well. These are due Monday.

It is very important that they have this information Monday because we will be using it next week to create an outline and project.

The students have a pink sheet of paper with all the instructions for the online test.

Awesome Projects

Here are some pictures of the DC projects. They were awesome!!

Government

Yesterday each of the students received a grade report, on this report were any missing assignments for the government unit. If a student has any missing assignments they are due today by 2:50. Anything not turned in by then will become a zero.

When we return from break we will be starting our career unit.

Enjoy your holidays!

WOW!

Wow - That is all I can say - Wow!

I have a room full of projects and they look amazing! They are detailed, neatly done and so creative. Thank you for helping your child do such excellent work. I hope you had fun.

I will post pictures soon.

Finally Friday

Well, it's finally Friday! Today the students took an open note test on government and Washington DC.

Washington DC projects are due Monday. I've already had several projects come in and they look great! I will be posting pictures next week.

On Monday and Tuesday we will be watching a movie. This will be an opportunity for any students with missing work to complete it before the break.

Reminder

White House packets are due tomorrow!!

DC projects are due Monday, December 21.

Government

Today we paired up and shared our questions and word finds from Friday. Then we watched a short video about the three branches of government. Well, some hours did, unfortunately technology and I are no longer friends after today!

White House packets are due Thursday. These are worth 91 points.

DC projects are due Monday, Dec 21.

Government

This week we have continued discussing the White House and Washington DC. Today we specifically talked about the three branches of government, who is in charge and each of their jobs. The students were given an assignment to write ten questions and create a word search with their answers. They were given time in class to work on this and it is due Monday.

Don't forget the Washington DC project is due Monday, Dec 21st. See here for more information.

Washington DC Project

Today we talked about the Washington DC project. Here are the details...

1. Research the monument you have chosen and find at least ten facts about it. These facts will be turned in with your project.

2. Create an authentic three dimensional replica of the monument. Grading will be based on authenticity, neatness, stability and overall creativity.

3. Attach your facts to your project and turn it in.

Projects are due Monday, December 21.

Here are a few examples of last years projects;

We will be going to the library next week for research and planning, but I wanted to get the instructions out since December can be a busy month for everyone.

Welcome Back

OK - I know we've only been off for two extra days, but for some reason it feels like forever since I've been with the kids!

Today we started working on our government unit. As I told one of my classes today, I have a lot in my brain to sort out for this unit and how it's going to look. (To which one of my students replied, "You could just erase all of it!")

So today we discussed what the kids already know about government. We then moved on to some information about the White House. (The project for this unit has not been assigned yet, so there's no need to get all crafty right away!) We started a crossword puzzle today in class, it's due tomorrow.