Hello, all!
I hope you had a restful and enjoyable holiday. I traveled to Iowa to visit my immediate family and my mother's side.
When we start back tomorrow, here's where we'll be heading, content-wise:
7th:
We will spend about a week, week-and-a-half, learning about the U.S. entry into WW1 and the Russian Revolution, which occurred in the midst of Russia's participation in WW1. We will finish our read-aloud/listen-and-draw of the book War Game, and then begin reading together from The Truth About Sparrows; this latter novel will pre-empt our study of the Great Depression, which will take place next quarter.
Along with our study of the Russian Revolution I have a readers' theater piece; we'll probably read some excerpts of the novel The Kitchen Boy, and I'm (even as I type this) currently previewing an older British film entitled Nicholas & Alexandra; my tentative plan is to have the students do some background reading and research about the Russian Revolution and then to watch the film and analyze it for historic accuracies and inaccuracies (this is dependent upon my assessment of the film by its end, however). This assignment actually relates to what we're studying in 8th grade, as well, so I am tentatively planning to do these same lessons with 8th grade.
8th:
Coming up for 8th graders is the film, Gandhi, starring Ben Kingsley. Then we'll move into our study of Apartheid in South Africa and the leadership of Nelson Mandela; I have a really great new graphic novel about the life and work of Nelson Mandela that we'll use in some capacity.
We'll also work on finishing up with reading and analyzing the classic novel, Animal Farm; the students seem really into this story! It's a great, manageable introduction to the concepts of allegory, metaphor, symbolism, and analogy. I think we need to pause for a bit in our reading and solidify our understanding of the characters and plot-line of the story; I'm planning to have the students get into small groups to act out a chapter of the book so far; they'll also have the choice to draw it out in storyboard form, create a puppet show, or build key scenes from the chapter they are assigned out of Legos and/or Play-doh. Should be fun.
Both grade levels will have some in-class work time to do credible internet research on the country of their choosing for their independent research project; we'll be breaking the research down into what I call The 10 Categories: Business, Transportation, Socialization, Environment, Education, Technology, Recreation, Government, Religion, Fine Arts. Both grade levels will also begin new 4-Source Comparison Packets for their respective units of study.
Please remember that homework assignments and due dates are posted on my class Twitter account: @MsHoodsHoodlums @twitter.com.
If you have any questions, concerns, or constructive feedback, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Thanks!
Ms. Hood
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Friday, November 18, 2011
Midterm again!
Hello, Paideia families!
Here we are again at Midterm! I am always taken by surprise :)
This week we had a good experience with our student teacher from St. Mary's University-- we wish him well as he completes his teaching degree and strikes out on his own!
Here's what we've been up to:
7th:This week we discussed the "during war" part of WW1. Students wrote letters or diary entries from the perspective of a soldier off at the front, which are currently displayed on my bulletin board in the hallway. We used different graphic organizers to gather basic information about living conditions for soldiers during the war, as well as important events of the war; we compared, contrasted, and reacted to poetry written by WW1 poets. We also learned a bit about the technological advancements in weaponry that came out of WW1; students worked in small groups to make models of tanks, U-boats, Howitzers, zeppelins, machine guns (and more) out of Plah-doh, Legos, construction paper, or by sketching; students then presented their models to th class and discussed advantages, disadvantages, and the impact each weapon had on the war. Students also tested over countries in Eastern Europe.
Next week we will finish up learning about the "during the war" part of this unit and then discuss the Russian Revolution and U.S. entry into WW1 after Thanksgiving break.
8th:This week 8th graders learned more specifically about the life and work of Mahatma Gandhi. Students used basic graphic organizers and teacher-selected websites to record introductory information, and completed short answer response questions as they watched a documentary about Gandhi and his role in the Indian Independence movement. Students did a great job creating (fake) Facebook Profile pages for Gandhi! These will be displayed in our hallway.
Next week we will do a simulation activity recreating the Indian National Congress and also read on in Animal Farm, which the students seem eager to continue on in; after Thanksgiving we will watch the film, Gandhi, and then move on to discuss the Apartheid system in South Africa and Nelson Mandela's role in toppling that system.
Look for midterm grades shortly before Thanksgiving, and I hope to see you at the 80s dance tonight!
Have a nice weekend!
-Ms. Hood
Here we are again at Midterm! I am always taken by surprise :)
This week we had a good experience with our student teacher from St. Mary's University-- we wish him well as he completes his teaching degree and strikes out on his own!
Here's what we've been up to:
7th:This week we discussed the "during war" part of WW1. Students wrote letters or diary entries from the perspective of a soldier off at the front, which are currently displayed on my bulletin board in the hallway. We used different graphic organizers to gather basic information about living conditions for soldiers during the war, as well as important events of the war; we compared, contrasted, and reacted to poetry written by WW1 poets. We also learned a bit about the technological advancements in weaponry that came out of WW1; students worked in small groups to make models of tanks, U-boats, Howitzers, zeppelins, machine guns (and more) out of Plah-doh, Legos, construction paper, or by sketching; students then presented their models to th class and discussed advantages, disadvantages, and the impact each weapon had on the war. Students also tested over countries in Eastern Europe.
Next week we will finish up learning about the "during the war" part of this unit and then discuss the Russian Revolution and U.S. entry into WW1 after Thanksgiving break.
8th:This week 8th graders learned more specifically about the life and work of Mahatma Gandhi. Students used basic graphic organizers and teacher-selected websites to record introductory information, and completed short answer response questions as they watched a documentary about Gandhi and his role in the Indian Independence movement. Students did a great job creating (fake) Facebook Profile pages for Gandhi! These will be displayed in our hallway.
Next week we will do a simulation activity recreating the Indian National Congress and also read on in Animal Farm, which the students seem eager to continue on in; after Thanksgiving we will watch the film, Gandhi, and then move on to discuss the Apartheid system in South Africa and Nelson Mandela's role in toppling that system.
Look for midterm grades shortly before Thanksgiving, and I hope to see you at the 80s dance tonight!
Have a nice weekend!
-Ms. Hood
Friday, November 11, 2011
Veterans' Day
Hello, Paideia families!
Here's what's been going on lately in Social Studies:
7th grade:
We continue our study of WW1; students now know about the five main causes of The Great War, and even have a slick way to remember them (ask your 7th grader about MANIA)! We've been studying the concepts of militarism, alliances, nationalism, and imperialism, and have been considering how physical and political geography is affected by and in turn affects war. The MN State Social Studies Standard we are working on right now is, "I. U.S. History; H. World Wars and the Emergence of Modern America; the student will demonstrate knowledge of the political, geographical, cultural, social, and economic forces shaping the modern United States."
We analyzed some historic political cartoons on the subject of imperialism, and I was so pleased at how engaged my students were in that discussion! Next week we are moving away from the background and causes of the war and will be learning more about the war itself-- conditions for the soldiers, inventions that came out of the war, etc. It was timely that Veterans' Day happened in the midst of this unit, since the observance began as Armistice Day in honor of the end of WW1! Thanks to all our vets, past and present, and their loved ones!!
Next week we'll be reading some poems that came out of WW1, as well as some WW1 literature; we'll also be listening to some songs from and about the war.
7th graders have a "Letter Home" assignment due on Monday, and a map quiz over countries in Eastern Europe next Wednesday.
8th grade:
In 8th grade this week we've continued to build background knowledge about India, Pakistan, the British Empire, Gandhi and Nehru. We used some great websites from the BBC to complete graphic organizers (e.g. Venn Diagram) with topics such as "Hinduism and Islam"; having an understanding of the religious and cultural exchange and conflict is a necessary part of understanding the Indian Independence Movement and subsequent Partition.
Students did a fabulous job analyzing political cartoons about imperialism/colonialism and Social Darwinism; we read about The Scramble for Africa and discussed the concept of Spheres of Influence in China; next week we'll listen to some History Tunes (corny but informative!) about Imperialism and The Monroe Doctrine.
8th graders also had a lesson this Wednesday on Informational/Non-fiction Text Study Skills, including pre-reading the questions, skimming and scanning for key terms, and re-reading sections of text for comprehension.
Next week we'll be reading on in Animal Farm and continuing our discussions on stereotyping, imperialism, the British Empire, and the Indian Independence Movement; students will also pretest over the world map as it appeared under European colonial rule.
The MN State Social Studies Standard we are currently working on in 8th grade is: "III. World History; G. Western Civilizations; the student will demonstrate knowledge of the rise of colonialism and its effects worldwide; 1. Students will examine the effects of imperialism on colonial societies of the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries."
8th graders have a homework packet over stereotyping and imperialism due on Monday.
Please be reminded that next week we will be hosting another student teacher from St. Mary's University; his name is Mr. MacLean and he'll be with us for one week. Please join me in welcoming Mr. MacLean!
If you have any questions, concerns, or constructive feedback, please feel free to contact me.
Enjoy the weekend!
Thanks,
Ms. Hood
Here's what's been going on lately in Social Studies:
7th grade:
We continue our study of WW1; students now know about the five main causes of The Great War, and even have a slick way to remember them (ask your 7th grader about MANIA)! We've been studying the concepts of militarism, alliances, nationalism, and imperialism, and have been considering how physical and political geography is affected by and in turn affects war. The MN State Social Studies Standard we are working on right now is, "I. U.S. History; H. World Wars and the Emergence of Modern America; the student will demonstrate knowledge of the political, geographical, cultural, social, and economic forces shaping the modern United States."
We analyzed some historic political cartoons on the subject of imperialism, and I was so pleased at how engaged my students were in that discussion! Next week we are moving away from the background and causes of the war and will be learning more about the war itself-- conditions for the soldiers, inventions that came out of the war, etc. It was timely that Veterans' Day happened in the midst of this unit, since the observance began as Armistice Day in honor of the end of WW1! Thanks to all our vets, past and present, and their loved ones!!
Next week we'll be reading some poems that came out of WW1, as well as some WW1 literature; we'll also be listening to some songs from and about the war.
7th graders have a "Letter Home" assignment due on Monday, and a map quiz over countries in Eastern Europe next Wednesday.
8th grade:
In 8th grade this week we've continued to build background knowledge about India, Pakistan, the British Empire, Gandhi and Nehru. We used some great websites from the BBC to complete graphic organizers (e.g. Venn Diagram) with topics such as "Hinduism and Islam"; having an understanding of the religious and cultural exchange and conflict is a necessary part of understanding the Indian Independence Movement and subsequent Partition.
Students did a fabulous job analyzing political cartoons about imperialism/colonialism and Social Darwinism; we read about The Scramble for Africa and discussed the concept of Spheres of Influence in China; next week we'll listen to some History Tunes (corny but informative!) about Imperialism and The Monroe Doctrine.
8th graders also had a lesson this Wednesday on Informational/Non-fiction Text Study Skills, including pre-reading the questions, skimming and scanning for key terms, and re-reading sections of text for comprehension.
Next week we'll be reading on in Animal Farm and continuing our discussions on stereotyping, imperialism, the British Empire, and the Indian Independence Movement; students will also pretest over the world map as it appeared under European colonial rule.
The MN State Social Studies Standard we are currently working on in 8th grade is: "III. World History; G. Western Civilizations; the student will demonstrate knowledge of the rise of colonialism and its effects worldwide; 1. Students will examine the effects of imperialism on colonial societies of the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries."
8th graders have a homework packet over stereotyping and imperialism due on Monday.
Please be reminded that next week we will be hosting another student teacher from St. Mary's University; his name is Mr. MacLean and he'll be with us for one week. Please join me in welcoming Mr. MacLean!
If you have any questions, concerns, or constructive feedback, please feel free to contact me.
Enjoy the weekend!
Thanks,
Ms. Hood
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Week 2, Q2!
Hello!
Gosh, with break in the mix it's been awhile now since I made a new post!
Happy belated Halloween!
Here's what's been going on in Social Studies so far this quarter:
7th Grade:
We have been learning about World War 1/The Great War; right now we are still learning about the causes of the war, which were Imperialism, Nationalism, Militarism, and Alliances. We've been writing journal entries each day about each one of the four main causes in turn, thinking about the advantages and disadvantages of each attitude/policy (e.g. What are some positive outcomes of "nationalism"? Negative outcomes?) Students have been working on a listen-and-draw activity where I read small sections of the textbook while they draw what they hear; then they have time to verbally share with each other what they have drawn, and to write captions describing each little sketch. Students have also introduced themselves to the topic by exploring the PBS website, The Great War, and completing some graphic organizers.
Along with this, students are now testing over countries in Eastern Europe; because of the larger number of countries in this region, and the students' general unfamiliarity with them, I have broken the region into two, eleven-point quizzes.
We've also been listening to some instrumental interpretations of WW1, particularly the soundtrack to the documentary, The Great War, and the soundtrack to the Minnesota-based original stage play, All Is Calm.
Later this week and next week we'll start looking at some digital archives of sheet music (primary source documents) from the WW1 era, as well as some WW1 poetry.
8th Grade:
We started off the quarter last week by learning some of the basics of capitalism and communism; students watched online tutorials from Khan Academy and took some basic notes about the major tenants of each paradigm. This will come in handy as we continue to read through the novel, Animal Farm, which we began together in class yesterday. Students also created graphics to explain the major tenants and then used each other's drawings to play a game of Charades acting out the same themes.
Today in class 8th graders did a truly FABULOUS and impressive job analyzing two well-known political cartoons depicting European imperialism in Africa and China. I wish you all could have witnessed the high-level of observations, analysis, and discussion that my students created in class! I was so pleased.
For the next few weeks we'll be studying the decline of European imperialism, looking especially at the British Empire and independence movements in India (i.e. Gandhi) and South Africa (i.e. Nelson Mandela). Students will become familiar with terms such as The Salt March, and Apartheid.
Many 7th & 8th grade students took advantage of the extra credit reading opportunity, and both grade levels have had a few class periods of work time on their independent country research projects.
Hope to see you at Family Night this Thursday!
Thanks,
Ms. Hood
Gosh, with break in the mix it's been awhile now since I made a new post!
Happy belated Halloween!
Here's what's been going on in Social Studies so far this quarter:
7th Grade:
We have been learning about World War 1/The Great War; right now we are still learning about the causes of the war, which were Imperialism, Nationalism, Militarism, and Alliances. We've been writing journal entries each day about each one of the four main causes in turn, thinking about the advantages and disadvantages of each attitude/policy (e.g. What are some positive outcomes of "nationalism"? Negative outcomes?) Students have been working on a listen-and-draw activity where I read small sections of the textbook while they draw what they hear; then they have time to verbally share with each other what they have drawn, and to write captions describing each little sketch. Students have also introduced themselves to the topic by exploring the PBS website, The Great War, and completing some graphic organizers.
Along with this, students are now testing over countries in Eastern Europe; because of the larger number of countries in this region, and the students' general unfamiliarity with them, I have broken the region into two, eleven-point quizzes.
We've also been listening to some instrumental interpretations of WW1, particularly the soundtrack to the documentary, The Great War, and the soundtrack to the Minnesota-based original stage play, All Is Calm.
Later this week and next week we'll start looking at some digital archives of sheet music (primary source documents) from the WW1 era, as well as some WW1 poetry.
8th Grade:
We started off the quarter last week by learning some of the basics of capitalism and communism; students watched online tutorials from Khan Academy and took some basic notes about the major tenants of each paradigm. This will come in handy as we continue to read through the novel, Animal Farm, which we began together in class yesterday. Students also created graphics to explain the major tenants and then used each other's drawings to play a game of Charades acting out the same themes.
Today in class 8th graders did a truly FABULOUS and impressive job analyzing two well-known political cartoons depicting European imperialism in Africa and China. I wish you all could have witnessed the high-level of observations, analysis, and discussion that my students created in class! I was so pleased.
For the next few weeks we'll be studying the decline of European imperialism, looking especially at the British Empire and independence movements in India (i.e. Gandhi) and South Africa (i.e. Nelson Mandela). Students will become familiar with terms such as The Salt March, and Apartheid.
Many 7th & 8th grade students took advantage of the extra credit reading opportunity, and both grade levels have had a few class periods of work time on their independent country research projects.
Hope to see you at Family Night this Thursday!
Thanks,
Ms. Hood
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