Ezzard Social Studies and English

SOCIAL STUDIES 


Social Studies Final on Tuesday June 11
World War I, Roaring 20s, Great Depression, World War II, and perhaps a little Cold War
will be on the multiple choice final.  Use your online SS book and notes to review main ideas, names, country information etc.

ANY MAKE UP TESTS OR IMPROVEMENTS MUST BE TURNED IN THE WEEK OF MONDAY JUNE 2 TO FRIDAY JUNE 7TH.

ANYTHING TURNED IN AFTER THAT WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED WITHOUT A PARENT CONTACT EXPLAINING EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCE.  ALL STUDENTS HAVE BEEN REPEATED WARNED IF THEY HAVE BEEN FAILING IN EITHER OF MY CLASSES.  THE VERY LAST WEEK OF SCHOOL CAN BE VERY BUSY AND THE TIME TO PROPERLY ASSESS AND GRADE LATE WORK WILL HAVE PASSED BY THEN.

Why NOT to drop the A-Bombs
Survived Hiroshima and Nagasaki!
Survived Hiroshima and Nagasaki 2
Time Lapse of Atomic Bomb Tests 1945 - 1998

English Final was a writing Prompt 
It is on Wednesday June 5.  We are reviewing essay format to prepare.

ANY MAKE UP TESTS OR IMPROVEMENTS MUST BE TURNED IN THE WEEK OF MONDAY JUNE 2 TO FRIDAY JUNE 7TH.
ANYTHING TURNED IN AFTER THAT WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED WITHOUT A PARENT CONTACT EXPLAINING EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCE.  ALL STUDENTS HAVE BEEN REPEATED WARNED IF THEY HAVE BEEN FAILING IN EITHER OF MY CLASSES.  THE VERY LAST WEEK OF SCHOOL CAN BE VERY BUSY AND THE TIME TO PROPERLY ASSESS AND GRADE LATE WORK WILL HAVE PASSED BY THEN.


LAPTOPS MAY NOT GO HOME AS OF

WEDNESDAY MAY 22

Thursday May 30: Students DEBATE whether or not the A-Bombs were necessary/right to use on Hiroshima and Nagasaki using the posters they developed.

Wednesday May 29: Collect Posters and Watch a Video Clip on Hiroshima

Tuesday May 28: Students use entire class to work on the Propaganda Poster Project

Thursday May 23: Students use the entire class to work on Propaganda Poster Project (see right)
solo or in groups of 2 or 3.

Wednesday May 22: Finished reading Section 5 of Chapter 26 on The end of World War II.
Introduced the Propaganda Poster Project to students.

Code Talkers (Navajo Language)

May 21st: Students encouraged to collect information to support their point of view regarding use of A-Bombs in WWII.



ENGLISH STORY-KIT ASSIGNMENTS AND DUE DATES


DUE COLLECTED MONDAY MAY 20
Story-Kits have been collected 5/20
5/21 :Students edited their paper copies of storykit one last time.  Reading some aloud as time permits.
WARNING: We had 9 days of silent sustained writing.  Students who fell far short of their goal of finishing SHOULD continue to work in Advisory or email/"pendrive" the material home for additional work.  Very short stories will receive partial grade due to lack of sufficient writing sample used to demonstrate proficiency in various areas of style and structure/


Students were issued their STORY-KIT week of 3/18.
HOMEWORK : 
NOTE: STORY-KITS TO BE COLLECTED FOR CREDIT ON THURSDAY 4/11.  Students should be caught up on all the pages we have completed at that time.
3/26: Page 1: Brainstorm Setting Complete
3/27: Page 2: MAP 
3/28: Firedrill held us up.  Discussed Islands.  Try to work on your map just a little more.  Will finish in class on Friday and color.
3/29: Maps should be done and colored by Monday April 1
4/1: Students wrote their paragraphs about their setting today in class.  (Page 3: both sheets)  DUE THURSDAY April 4
4/2 and 4/3 no class due to NWEA testing
4/4: Read our setting paragraphs aloud and did a group brainstorm of a fictional protagonist I named ESPY O'NAGE in order to model the level of detail students will put into their Protagonist brainstorm on page 4.
4/5: Students will brainstorm an interesting Protagonist for their story in-class.  Due completed by Monday 4/8.
4/8: Worked on Drawing the protagonist on PAGE 5
4/9: Finish drawing protagonist and all "catch up" pages 1-5
4/10 Write 3 paragraphs with general description of protagonist's body, clothes & stuff, and personality on page 6.  Include important details.
4/11: Students will discuss the characteristics of the ANTAGONIST on page 7. 
 COLLECT STORY-KIT 4/11
AND GRADED PAGES 1-6 over vacation
4/22: Students got back their story-kits with grades and comments.
4/22: Students worked on their choice of either page 7 or page 8 dealing with brainstorming or drawing their ANTAGONIST for their story.  Should consider how this character will work against the Protagonist in a conflict.  
4/23: Finished pages 1-8 in Story-kit. Students should have designed an antagonist on page 7 using a brainstorm, and on page 8 in a picture with labels. Should complete both pages 7 & 8 for HOMEWORK Tuesday April 23.
4/24: Students will write clear, well-organized paragraphs about their antagonist in class.  
4/25: Worked on understanding pages 9-12
4/26: Students should complete pages 1-12 in storykit(pg 10 if possible) for collection early next week.
4/29: Devoted a class to expectations for writing the Main events:
         1: PAST TENSE VERBS used to write the simple sentences
         2: Each SCENE numbered & written in Chronological Order
         3: Scenes should be CONFLICT DRIVEN.
         4: A LOCATION from your map  chosen for each scene!
         5: use CHARACTER NAMES in EACH main event.
         6: Any flashbacks should be labelled as such.
4/30: Students penciled in their rough draft of main events.
5/1: Students type quality main events (in RED) into a document in their laptops.  Name the document as follows:
         Last Name First Name Storykit Project
5/2: Time to draft Main events Outline (PG 13) 
5/3: Mr Ezzard will COLLECT pages 1-13 with a typed version of the main events printed and inserted in the yellow folder.
5/6 Silent Sustained writing
5/7 Silent Sustained Writing
5/8 No class due to MEA Testing
5/9: Shortened class due to MEQA testing
5/10 Silent Sustained writing on story-Kit.
5/13 - 5/17  Silent Sustained Writing.
5/20: Completed story due for collection

This is a project that should last over a month and will have to be worked on daily beginning next week.  A notice went home for parents to sign making parents aware of the project and it's expectations.  
Notice is due signed by Tuesday March 26.
Late signed notices will be collected for reduced point value.

Friday March 22, 2013 Social Studies and English

Social Studies:Friday March 22, 2013
World War I quiz graded.  
It is reported in Infinite Campus.
We launched into the Roaring 20s with a project.
Project Due Thursday March 28
Students were assigned a personality from the 1920s to create a "Quickshare" Project about.  Students will have Thursday March 21, Friday March 22 and some time in the library on Tuesday March 26 to work on various aspects of the project.
Material below is expected in the Quickshare Project.

***Birth date: 

*** Death Date:

***Age at Death:

*** Where he lived:

*** Famous for:

***Achievements/Interesting Facts:

***Quotes/Samples of Work/Artwork:

***List of Website Address/Website Names used below: 

English: Tuesday March 26, 2013
HOMEWORK 3/26: Page 1: Brainstorm Setting
Students were issued their STORY-KIT.
This is a project that should last over a month and will have to be worked on daily beginning next week.  A notice went home for parents to sign making parents aware of the project and it's expectations.  
Notice is due signed by Tuesday March 26.


Note: Grades for 2nd Trimester close March 15.
All grades as of 3/18 are for the 3rd trimester!

Social Studies: Monday March 18, 2013 
WARNING: TEST BELOW

  

A) I hope to give a World War I Focus Question Test ON MONDAY MARCH 18.  1st grade of new trimester. 

Students should be prepared to answer any focus question we reviewed in class. 

So far we have read Sections I, II, III & IV.  All Done.

B) Propaganda Poster Project was worked on in class Monday March 11. Returned to students with graded Wednesday March 13 
Students may work alone or in pairs.  
All work, done or not, will be submitted/turned in Friday March 8 at the end of class.  
Any students wishing to improve their products may do so before Weds March 13, however if the student worked in a "pair," the improvement is a SOLO responsibility.



Self Practice: EXPLORE THE NEW YORK TRIBUNE FROM THE WAR YEARS 1914-1918.  PRACTICE NAVIGATING PAGES AND COPYING ARTICLES USING THE "CLIP IMAGE" FEATURE.  THIS WILL BETTER PREPARE YOU FOR AN IN-CLASS PROJECT TO BE DONE ON LAPTOPS AFTER VACATION.
SEE LINK BELOW TO ACCESS NEWSPAPER FREE.
Historical Newspaper Search Aid
INTERESTING LINKS BELOW:
World War I Primary Sources (Cool)
Flanders Poetry
Letters etc Primary Source
World War I Letters: Primary Source
Audio, Video and Photos of World War 1
first world war .COM
Class Zone Animations


ENGLISH:Test Prep Monday 3/18, 
Adjective Test Tues 3/19
Beginning a quick unit on UNDERSTANDING ADJECTIVES.  Read a section of John Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath and determined:
A) where the 3rd person omniscient narrator was used
B) What ADJECTIVES he used in the same excerpt.  
See STEINBECK NARRATOR AND ADJECT on Right.
See Adjective Handouts on right as well.  
Covered in Class Thurs 3/14 and Fri 3/15.

January 31, 2013 Social Studies and English Blog

Thursday January 31, 2013
Social Studies:  
CHAPTER 21 TEST on 
MONDAY JANUARY 28!
COLLECTED AND GRADED TRIANGLE SHIRTWAIST FIRE PROJECT.  Grade is in Infinite Campus.  
NOTE Progress Report Grades Close This Friday 1/25
TRIANGLE SHIRTWAIST FIRE PROJECT STARTED 1/15
THE TWO PARAGRAPH LETTER WAS DUE FRIDAY 1/18
WE HAD THURSDAY IN CLASS TO WRAP UP!
SEE LINKS BELOW FOR ADDITIONAL FACTS ETC.
GAVE STUDENTS THE THREE DAY WEEKEND TO IMPROVE WEAK WORK.  COLLECTED UPGRADED TRIANGLE PROJECTS ON TUESDAY 1/22

WEDNESDAY: JAN 23: FINISHED reading section 3 of chapter 21on TEMPERANCE and WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE.  
Learned about CARRY NATION and her AX!

Started Chapter 21 on1/2/2013.  The Progressive Spirit of Reform.
Read Both Sections 1 &2 of Chapter 21 by Jan/9.
Wednesday 1/9: All focus Questions for section 1 covered in class by now.
Discussed the TRIANGLE SHIRTWAIST FIRE in NYC 1911 to prepare for a small upcoming project.  See links below and Project Guidelines off to the right.
Also Discussed what REFORM means and talked about ongoing reform in our government.
Read a handout about Upton Sinclair's book, The Jungle, about the meatpacking industry.
Learned that Upton Sinclair wrote this historical fiction about the meatpackers because he wanted his readers to sympathize with the plight (trouble) of the typical meatpacker and the horrid conditions he worked under.  However, readers often focused on the nasty ingredients he described in the meat and therefore overlooked the workers themselves.  In other words, Upton Sinclair "aimed at the reader's heart, but hit him in  the stomach."

See video clip we watched in class:
Video Clip on Upton Sinclair's The Jungle

Upton Sinclair's The Jungle: Full Text from Project Guttenberg:  FREE
The Jungle Free Full Text

Watch the History Channel Triangle Shirtwaist Fire Video on Youtube Below:
38:50 Triangle Shirtwaist Video

Triangle Shirtwaist Oral History told years later below:
Triangle Shirtwaist Oral History

Triangle Shirtwaist Newspaper: Click Below

Triangle Shirtwaist Newspaper

Triangle Shirtwaist Testimony (Primary Source): Click Below

Triangle Shirtwaist Testimony Primary Source

Triangle Shirtwaist Fire Secondary Source Story
Triangle Shirtwaist Fire Secondary Source Story 

Triangle Shirtwaist Building Today

Newspapers write up some REFORM ideas.
Newspaper with Reform Ideas


ENGLISH: NOUNS TEST MONDAY JAN 28!
WEDNESDAY: JANUARY 23:
 WE ARE NOW 
DISCUSSING NOUNS IN CLASS:  
FAMILY ESSAY GRADES ARE IN INFINITE CAMPUS. 

SINGULAR VS PLURAL
COMMON VS PROPER
CONCRETE VS ABSTRACT
COLLECTIVE VS COMPOUND
POSSESSIVES
APPOSITIVE PHRASES WORKING WITH NOUNS.


Tuesday 1/15: Collected all FAMILY ESSAYS.  Most students turned in complete work, others handed in rough draft that could improve with immediate revision.
Thursday 1/17: Reading some of the completed family essays in class, then moving onto parts of speech: NOUNS.


We are writing a professional essay on FAMILY.  Very specific requirements have been given to students.  750+ words in a five-paragraph essay detailing how your family is UNIQUE, IMPORTANT and how it GUIDES YOU!  We will have most of this week to work on it in class (1/7 - 1/11) and I will collect the finished copy on MONDAY January 14: finished or not.  I expect the five paragraphs turned in on time given the amount of class time we will devote to it.  Students wishing to work outside the classroom may:
A) print a copy daily and take it home to improve by hand.
B) bring home laptop if allowed by school to do so.
C) bring home project daily on pen-drive to work on home comp.
D) work in Advisory, in my room at lunch, or after school so long as the student has a way home.

December 7 2012 SS and English

Social Studies:
Chapter 20: Immigration and Urbanization
Pages 632 - 654
WARNING: Study Chapter 20 Focus Question assessment this Wednesday on questions 1-4.
BRING NOTES DAILY FOR CREDIT...
Always work on answering the focus questions!

Tuesday December 18 we read to the end of section 3. We also got a handout showing the floor-plan of a typical tenement and talked about a variety of diseases easily contracted in these overcrowded buildings such as Cholera, Dysentery, Typhoid and Tuberculosis!

 Last week we also worked on the "Evidence For- Evidence Against"in-class activity.
Check out this website about tenements:
NYC Tenement Museum Online Tour

On Wednesday and Thursday (12/5 & 12/6) we discussed the migration patterns of our family members in class and created a map depicting the regions of the world our ancestors had come from before coming to Biddeford, Maine.  This unscientific exercise was meant to make a student-connection to the chapter we are studying now.  Most students have turned in their research for full credit, though a fair number of students neglected to complete their two-day assignment.  I am collecting late homework work today (12/6) for reduced credit and will call the homes of students who continue to neglect this assignment.

Homework continues to be to study vocabulary, perhaps cut out the flash-cards I provided each student with (also found on the right hand margin of this blog under SS Handouts in 3 parts), and to fill in focus question answers as we go over the work in class. 

ELLIS ISLAND LINK: 
Passenger Lists etc can be found here to have some fun researching family names:
Ellis Island Research Link (basic)
Choose Passenger Search
Use my username and password
MrEzzard
1234567891

Read Upton Sinclair's Novel: The Jungle online for free!
Upton Sinclair's The Jungle

ENGLISH:
Wednesday 12/12, we began working solo or in pairs on writing a dialogue.  Special attention will be paid to punctuation, capitalization, paragraphing and sentence variety.  This in-class project should be turned in on a pen-drive by Monday 12/17

SURPRISE DIALOGUE QUIZ TODAY 12/10: OPEN NOTES
STUDY NAPVACPI POEM FOR ADDITIONAL QUIZ: We retested everyone on this test the following day.  If their grade for Dialogue Test remained less than 10 of 10, then I recommend that they restudy again and schedule a personal retest with me.


At this time we are practicing writing, punctuating, capitalizing and paragraphing DIALOGUE.
Students are getting participation credit for contributing to class practice.  We will be creating passages with dialogues as a project, but the actual rubric has not yet been handed out.

Social Studies And English Information November

Social Studies And English Information December 4
STARTING CHAPTER 20 ON 12/4: IMMIGRATION AND URBANIZATION.
HOMEWORK: HOW DID YOUR FAMILY GET TO MAINE HANDOUT: DUE WEDNESDAY!!! 12/5
Heads Up: Grades for the First Trimester Close Nov 30th
Anybody wishing to retest/improve work for Mr. Ezzard must do so BEFORE Tuesday November 27.
Social Studies: 
CHAPTER 19 FOCUS QUESTION & VOCABULARY TEST COMBINED TO OCCUR MONDAY DECEMBER 3.  
Friday Nov 30, 2012: Read pgs 614 - 627 All of Sections 1-3.
We have finished Chapter 19: Industrialization.  The Chapter 19 STUDY GUIDE has been issued.  If it is lost, a new copy can be obtained by clicking on the Chapter 19 links to the right in this blog AND clicking the printer icon (not "File Print.")  Ongoing Homework is to take detailed notes both in class or at home (or Advisory etc) on the FOCUS QUESTIONS.  We already Completed Focus Questions for SECTION 1, 2 &3.  Students should have some notes on Bell, Edison, Wright Bros and Ford.  Students should know details about each inventor mentioned, but should also take detailed notes on at least one inventor for the 19 Focus Questions Test toward the end of the chapter.  Lastly, please study all the 19 VOCABULARY for upcoming tests.  
Tuesday NOV 20th: we took a Geography Bee Entry Quiz to see who will represent Sugarloaf in the upcoming Geo-Bee.  High scores are still being sorted at this time.  Winners have been notified.

ENGLISH:
SPELLING BEE FRIDAY NOV 30TH TO DETERMINE TEAM SUGARLOAF'S STRONGEST SPELLERS! WINNERS WILL MOVE ON TO THE SCHOOL-WIDE SPELLING BEE!
WE WILL BE STUDYING EACH OF THE PARTS OF SPEECH OVER TIME.  CURRENTLY, WE ARE LEARNING HOW TO WRITE, PUNCTUATE, CAPITALIZE AND PARAGRAPH DIALOGUE.  Students will be getting participation credit as a result of their contributions to an in-class (whole-class) dialogue being written together.
We are studying a basic overview of the 8 parts of speech:
1 Noun
2 Adjective
3 Pronoun
4 Verb
5 Adverb
6 Conjunction
7 Preposition
8 Interjection
There will be several quizzes on the GUIDE TO GOOD ENGLISH POEM found in the English Handouts on the right.  Dates will not be announced, so student should familiarize themselves with the poem starting Wednesday November 15.  First Quiz was on Tuesday Nov 20th.  8 Points, one point for each correctly spelled part of speech in the correct order.  The next quiz will be 4 points for inserting the correct part of speech into a poem in a new order.
See Guide to Good English Poem in the right column of this blog.

Social Studies and English

Both social studies and English Information

Friday November 9:  We worked in groups of 2 in order to look at three primary sources (diary, memoir, letters from Westward Migration Period) and determine who we thought had it the toughest.  Then we cited four examples of hardship to support our claim.
SOCIAL STUDIES CHAPTER 18 FOCUS QUESTIONS 
TEST WAS MONDAY NOVEMBER 5
ANY LATE GERONIMO (GREAT/BAD) DUE FRIDAY NOVEMBER 2 
(Geronimo Paper worth 10 Points)

Tuesday/Wednesday : Nov 6 & 7:  Reading three primary sources about hardships during the migration West.
1: Alvin Coffey: African American slave and diary writer, 1849 Ox train
2: Demas Barnes: Letter writer on an 1865 overland stage
3: Harriet Scott Palmer: 11 year old girl on ox-wagon west in 1852
These documents can be ffound in this blog in right column.
We will be selecting a variety of specific hardships to write about on Thursday November 8 in class. 

Thursday November 1: Finished Chapter 18 Section 1 and 2 and 3 COMPLETE: Up to page 605 in Section 3.  Returned the Train Quiz to students worth 2 points.  Anyone who missed the answer should be able to sketch out a basic map of the railway system in USA in 1870 to reclaim lost credit.   Also 2/3 of Sugarloaf believed that Geronimo was a GREAT MAN based on the movie and 1/3 believed he was a BAD MAN based on the video.  Discussed reasons in class on Tuesday.
Friday November 2: Will brainstorm in groups about hardships andd difficulties suffered by immigrants and pioneers heading out west!

CONTINUE TO ANSWER FOCUS QUESTIONS IN YOUR STUDY GUIDE.  AS WE READ SECTION 3, ANSWERS TO FOCUS QUESTION 1A WILL BE FOUND!

On Thursday, Oct 25, I briefed students on the Geronimo Activity we did on Friday Oct 26.  Basically, students watched a 1 hour 16 minute video on Geronimo and took notes on 4 questions about his life and legacy.  Anyone who was absent can use the link below to watch the video on HULU for free. 
Geronimo Video ONLINE
Anyone who did not watch the video and turn in the worksheet has two options:
1: Watch the video using the link above and answer the Geronimo Questions in the Geronimo Handout.
2: Use the internet (Britannica or other quality websites) to find answers to the four questions in the Geronimo handout.

Recent Summary:  we studied the US map to see how the trains looked in 1870.  They were busy and crowded in the North East, and less crowded in the South.  Then, around Omaha, one single line stretched out to the San Francisco Bay area.  That was known as the Trans Continental railway.  Students should be able to draw a general representation of the lines on the blank map.  They should understand why the trains were distributed in the manner they were.  Basically, North was more industrial and Lincoln was using (and expanding) the train network during the Civil War (1861-1865) to transport troops and supplies.  Also, General Sherman (Union) was actively destroying train tracks in the south.  They called the damaged tracks Sherman Neck Ties.  Anyway, the south was also primarily agricultural and was focused mostly on the growing of cotton, even after the war.  So that is why the North had an elaborate stem of trains and the south had fewer in 1870, just five years after the war.  Then the transcontinental railroad (inspired by Lincoln) stretched out following (generally) the path of the Pony Express.  It was joining the vast mining regions of California and Nevada with the East.  

 PARENTS SHOULD SIGN UP FOR PARENT TEACHER conferences:  See below:

Parent Teacher Confrences are being held on November 6th and November 8th from 

4:00 P.M.-7:30 P.M. To sign up for a conference with your child's teachers/team please click on the link below. 

Sign Up For Student-Led Parent Teacher Conferences

http://www.ptcfast.com/schools/Biddeford_Middle_School

Looking Ahead:  We are reading Chapter 18 about Westward Migration.  In order to better 'immerse' students in that time period, I will show a few choice clips from the movie Dances with Wolves.  My goal there is to show students what transportation was like back in mid 1800's, as well as what the West looked like.  We will also read some diary entries from various travelers in order to see some Primary Sources.
I expect to show a PBS special called Geronimo.  We will be discussing how Native Americans perceived our American Westward Migration.  If you would like to see the trailer or buy it yourself online, see the following link:
PBS Geronimo Video

Example of Resources:

Primary Source: Primary sources are the raw materials of history — original documents and objects which were created at the time under study.

Example of Primary Source: Mary Boykin Chesnut's diary or court transcripts from a KKK hearing in 1869.

Secondary Source: Secondary sources, accounts or interpretations of events created by someone without firsthand experience.

Example off a Secondary Source: Our textbook or a PBS article summarizing KKK.  

For examples of each, see this link:

PBS Jim Crow Stories

The web page is a secondary source considered to be quite accurate, and in that website is a Historical Documents Account on the right.  Those court transcripts about the KKK attacks in 1869 as told by African American witnesses are considered primary sources.  

English:  HW: 
Working on the 8 parts of speech:
Nouns
Adjectives
Pronouns
Verbs
Adverbs
Conjunctions
Prepositions
Interjections
I AM FROM POEM AND PORTRAIT DUE MONDAY NOVEMBER 5
We are working on the "Where I Am From" Poem and Portrait activity in class thorugh Friday Nov 2.  Students are creating a poem and a portrait of themselves that reveal important life-guiding events from their lives.  See handouts.

Homework-Club (renamed: Pro-Active Thursday: PATH) has begun on THURSDAYS after school in One of our Academic Classrooms from 2 to 3:10.  Late bus can take you home.  Catch up on homework with teachers and friends!  We usually have healthy snacks too!

Washington DC Trip Information:

It is best to sign up by November

Should be paid for by February

Fundraisers are available: See Mrs. Potvin!

Both social studies and English Information

CHAPTER 18 VOCAB TEST Friday 10/19/
Test on the Chapter 17 Focus Questions was on Thursday 10/11.  
Returned that test to students Monday 10/15.
Monday October 15: We watched the intro-movie from the Chapter 18 Opening section of the online textbook.  Discussed hardships experienced by cowboys in the Great Plains.  Read start of page 586.
 PARENTS SHOULD SIGN UP FOR PARENT TEACHER conferences:  See below:

Parent Teacher Confrences are being held on November 6th and November 8th from 

4:00 P.M.-7:30 P.M. To sign up for a conference with your child's teachers/team please click on the link below. 

Sign Up For Student-Led Parent Teacher Conferences

http://www.ptcfast.com/schools/Biddeford_Middle_School

Looking Ahead: After the Chapter 17 Focus Questions Test on Thursday we will be introducing Chapter 18 about Westward Migration.  In order to better 'immerse' students in that time period, I will show a few choice clips from the movie Dances with Wolves.  My goal there is to show students what transportation was like back in mid 1800's, as well as what the West looked like.  We will also read some diary entries from various travelers in order to see some Primary Sources.
I expect to show a PBS special called Geronimo.  We will be discussing how Native Americans perceived our American Westward Migration.  If you would like to see the trailer or buy it yourself online, see the following link:
PBS Geronimo Video

Social Studies MAKE-UP: Chapter 17 Vocab Test 9/20: 
WARNING: Running out of time for this retest!
Gave Vocabulary Test was 9/20.  Students scoring less than 10 correct of 14 were asked to restudy for a retest.  Students who are not happy with their scores on the Mary Boykin Chesnut mini-project may correct their weak areas (as shown in the returned rubric) and get the original project and the newer version back to me with my marked up rubric within a week (OCT 9)


LAPTOP TAKE HOME MEETING!
DATE: TUESDAY OCTOBER 23RD
TIMES: 7:30 A.M. OR 5:30 P.M.
PLACE: PAC
CONTACT: MR JACKSON AT:
rjackson@biddschools.org

Example of Resources:

Primary Source: Primary sources are the raw materials of history — original documents and objects which were created at the time under study.

Example of Primary Source: Mary Boykin Chesnut's diary or court transcripts from a KKK hearing in 1869.

Secondary Source: Secondary sources, accounts or interpretations of events created by someone without firsthand experience.

Example off a Secondary Source: Our textbook or a PBS article summarizing KKK.  

For examples of each, see this link:

PBS Jim Crow Stories

The web page is a secondary source considered to be quite accurate, and in that website is a Historical Documents Account on the right.  Those court transcripts about the KKK attacks in 1869 as told by African American witnesses are considered primary sources.  

English:  HW: 
Monday: October 15: working on increasing details in a passage: specifically, our "Action near a Statue passage.  Students writing a passage that has details from the five senses woven seamlessly into some action happening beside a statue. 
CONSIDER WHAT TO INCLUDE IN YOUR ESSAY: TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF."
This essay has been returned on October 9th.  Students may make improvements and show me their new version along side their graded version for an increased score!

For the week of Sept 24 to 28 we've been using strategies like outlining and paragraphing to craft a well constructed five paragraph essay called "All About Me."  Special attention has been focused on the purpose of each paragraph as well as how to "transition" effectively between paragraphs.  Several students have willingly volunteered to project their rough draft on the LCD projector for all to see and analyze.  Special thanks to students who modeled excellent style as well as students who specifically asked for constructive feedback.  On MOnday OCT 1st, we will actually wrap up another group review of an essay and then try our hand at "Self-Grading" based on the rubric that will be used to assess each paragraph in the essay!

Homework-Club (renamed: Pro-Active Thursday: PATH) has begun on THURSDAYS after school in One of our Academic Classrooms from 2 to 3:10.  Late bus can take you home.  Catch up on homework with teachers and friends!  We usually have healthy snacks too!

Washington DC Trip Information:

It is best to sign up by November

Should be paid for by February

Fundraisers are available: See Mrs. Potvin!

Special Note:  The mini project with Mary Boykin Chesnut's diary as seen in link below was collected on Monday 9/24!  The actual assignment is now posted on the right hand side of this blog. Students with incomplete work were given an extra day!  I will grade them starting Tuesday 9/25.

SEE CHESNUT DIARY LINK:
Mary Boykin Chesnut Link: USE HTML File: Full Text

Check out if your ancestors fought in the Civil War!
National Parks Service Database: Search for your family in Civil War
While it is true that not everybody with your last name is related to you, perhaps if they came from Maine, you might be able to research further on your own.  

Review classwork daily for HW.  As we answer focus questions from their study guides in class, students should be writing out the answers either in class or for homework.

STUDY CHAPTER 17 VOCABULARY from study-guide

FOR TEST WEEK OF 17th to 21st.  Actual Date Below:

Test will be on Thursday 9/20.

On Friday September 14 we read pages 552-555 in the online textbook discussing Focus Question #1 and part of #2 from the study-guide.  Also, since the textbook mentioned Mary Boykin Chesnut's diary, we searched for it online!  Found her in Wiki-pedia (quick encyclopedia) and used the links at the bottom of the article to find this authentic copy of her diary!  While Wiki is not safe to use as an ONLY-SOURCE in any research, it is OK to use Wiki as a jumping off point, so long as you verify facts from more authentic sources.  Check out the link we found below and consider clicking the html to get your own copy of her Civil War Diary...for free!
Mary Boykin Chesnut Civil War Diary as an HTML doc

On Thursday September 13th I assigned usernames and passwords for the students' online textbook.  The address is: http://my.hrw.com    Students practiced opening
 the book and navigating the pages.  They saved their username and password in 3 places:  SS notes, on a digital 'sticky note' and in their agendas so they won't forget them.  I asked students to bookmark both this blog address as well as their online textbook address.  The first graded assignment was to show me their dedicated social studies folder or binder complete with the study-guide for chapter 17.