Today in my elective World Affairs Challenge (WAC) the students prepared for the current events portion of the competition.  There are a few great sites we used that I'd like to pass along to the 7/8 students.  If you are in WAC you should add these sites to your favorites!

1.  This site is from the NY Times and gives a daily 5 question quiz on current events.

http://www.nytimes.com/guests/learning/bin/answer.cgi

2.  This site is from knowledge unlimited and it has a weekly current events quiz.

http://www.newscurrents.com/intro/quiz.html

3.  This is a site that some of the students have been using to keep up with current events (thanks Paul Cody's team:)

The Movie the Great Debaters will be released on December 25th.  From the trailors I've seen it appears to be an excellent movie.  I highly recommend that students go to see this movie over the Holiday Break or in the near future.  If you see it and do a 3-4 page type written summary of the historical, social, and moral issues raised you will receive 25 points extra credit for Second Trimester. 

*Note- Extra credit for 2nd and 3rd trimester is open to any film that connects to history!  If you are interested in doing any movie just approve your choice with Ms. Posateri before viewing. 

Enjoy!  Have a good Holida ...

Monday 12/10 - There were some changes to the schedule at the end of last week.  The students needed more time to work on their immigration project so I delayed the Progressive Era Press Conference and had the students present their immigration projects today. 

Tuesday 12/11 - Students started the Progressive Era Thinkers Press Conference Project.  I explained the project expectations and assigned roles.   If you missed class see Ms. Posateri for a group assignment.

Wed. 12/12 - Community Time, Workshop, and WAC

In community my small group will launch the "Birthday in a Box" projec ...

Monday 11/3- Students will continue to work on the Immigration Power Point Project in class.  Groups worked on this last Thursday and Friday in class and should be approximately 95% done by the end of class on Monday. 

Students will be assigned a study sheet for the quiz on Thursday.  Homework is to prepare for the quiz using the study sheet.  The study sheet is posted to the documents section of my blog.

Tuesday 11/4 - Students will have the first 25 minutes of class to complete the Immigration Project slide show and then all groups will present for 5 minutes.

Wed. 11/5-Community/Workshop/Elective

Monday 11/26 - First Day of 2nd Trimester

In class students participated in an activity that simulated working conditions on an assembly line at the Turn of the Century.  All students earned points for participating in the activity.  If you missed class you will not be able to make up this in class simulation. If your absence was excused I will exempt you from this activity, it is not possible to recreate a simulation.  This was the first assignment for 2nd Trimester.

Tuesday 11/27 - Students will debrief the assembly line simulation and will work on Chapter 14 Reading Notes.  Chapter 14 is titled, "Labor's Response to Industrialism."  The essential ...

There were several students absent before Thanksgiving who missed the Wizard of Oz and the Populist Movement assignment.  I've posted the make-up assignment under the documents section of my blog.  This must be turned in by Friday.  There are websites posted on my blog to help find the information.  If you have questions please see me, ask a friend in class, or email me.  Thanks, Ms. Posateri

Below are two events coming up in Denver that can be used as extra credit for Second Trimester:

Nov. 9 - Dec 15th:  The Diary of Anne Frank at the Denver Center for Performing Arts in Denver

http://www.denvercenter.org/page.cfm?id=2

Feb. 27th:  Erin Grunell the Author of Freedom Writers will speak to students to inspire their writing.  The Mizel Museum Website is a great resource for opportunities for Middle and High School Students in the Arts and they offer many different creative programs.

http: ...

Thursday 11/15 - Today in class the students handed in their Chapter 13 homework.  I will only accept late work until Monday 11/19 because at this point I'm closing the grade book for the first trimester. 

Also, today and tomorrow I've changed the plan to include a lesson on the Wizard of Oz.  Over the next two days we will be learning about how the Wizard of Oz is a political allegory for the Populist Movement of the late 19th Century.  Below are two websites that we will be using in class:

www. teachwithmovies.org/samples/wizard-of-oz.html

www.djacobs.org/oz

Friday 11/16 -

Please note the change to the start and due date for Chapter 13's homework.  It was assigned in class on Friday 11/9 and is due in class on Thursday 11/15.  There is an electronic version of this assignment attached to the documents section of my blog.  If you were absent on Friday you are still responsible for the 11/15 due date!

Monday 11/12 - Veterans Day Observed No School

Tuesday 11/13 - There is an alternate schedule due to the 8th Grade field trip to the Career Fair.  See notes below:

Period 2 - Students will have the class period to work on Chapter 13 homework and if they are finished will have a reading on current events.

I have posted an extra credit option for the year under the documents section.  Students can pick any film that connects to American History and write a 3-4 page summary and analysis on it.  The complete instructions are posted in the document.  If you would like to watch a movie that is not on the list please approve it with Ms. Posateri first. 

You have until Monday November 19th to complete the Extra Credit for First Trimester!  Good Luck