Homework
Wed., May 4
Civil War Movie Project:  Instructions and group assignments have been posted to this page

 

 Wednesday, April 13:  To avoid confusion or disappointment, there will be no Lenten Meal tomorrow.  With testing, a competing 8th grade feast, and some other factors, it just isn't workable.  It has been a great experience this year, with many delicious new treats from around that word.

 

Tues. April 5

US History: 

• Read Text pp. 310-316.  Be prepared to discuss the following reform movements:  Transcendentalism, Temperance, Public Education, Reforming Prisons, Utopian Communities
• Still looking for help, see below!!
  

HelpWanted

Catholic Relief Services Simple Lenten Meals

 I am specifically looking for some cooking help this week.  As you know, our DFE team will be here this week.  I will not have time to cook for Thursday’s lunch.  About 25-30 studentscome for this lunch and they are quite enthusiastic.   We have had 3 delicious and easy meals so far—a beans and rice dish from Haiti, a sour soup from Indonesia, and a stew from Senegal.

As luck would have it, this week’s recipe, a soup with corn cakes from Honduras, is a bit more labor intensive.  Buy it can easily be divided into two jobs.  The recipes are on a sheet that your student received at the beginning of lent, and they can be found at the Catholic Relief Services website.

http://orb.crs.org/resources/recipes/

My request is for help from four parents, two to make corn cakes (each to double the recipe provided) and two to make the soup (each to double the recipe provided).  I think this will make the task much less cumbersome. I would ask that the soup be delivered in a crock pot (mine can be used by one) and the corn cakes in a microwavable container.

I would like to extend my special thanks to parent chefs to date: Regelbrugge, Jerakis, Gately, Lowenkron. All have been huge hits!!  And thanks, as well, to Mrs. Farrar, who made a generous financial contribution to keep us in disposable bowls and cutlery for the duration of Lent. 

I have set up a sheet for this on Signupgenius.com.  The link is listed in and earlier posting and the password is “Lenten.”  But feel free to just respond to me directly. 

Thank you, as always, for your help!

Nancy McBride

Lenten Meals

I am again hosting Lenten meals, using recipes suggested bythe Catholic Relief Services Operation Rice Bowl.    We began last Thursday with Riz National, aHaitian dish.  We will continue to sharea simple meal on Thursdays throughout Lent. If you would be interested in contributing a meal, you may go to a signupsheet listed at SignUp Genius.   Thislink will get you to our page:  http://www.signupgenius.com/go/lenten27

The password is “Lenten.”

The recipes are on the Calendar that was sent home, or youmay find them online if you search for Catholic Relief Services (or CRS) Lentenrecipes. 

Fri, Mar 18

Map/Territorial Expansion project due on Tuesday, March 22

Wed, Mar 16

Lenten Meal:  Tomorrow interested students will share Riz National, a Haitian Red Beans and Rice dish.  Feel free to bring additional lunch even if you want to participate in the Lenten meal.  I will post a sign-up sheet if you would like to make a dish in a future week. 

 
Wikipedia assignment.  There was an assignment for last night to pick something of interest from the reading and look it up on Wikipedia; read a article; and write up a few sentences on something new that you learned.  MANY of you merely summarized the information in  your text.  That was not the assignment.  You may re-do the assignment and turn it in tomorrow for full credit.
Territorial Expansion of the US  Map assignment due on Tuesday, Mar. 22.

Thurs, Mar 3

Test on chapter 6 will be Wednesday, March 9.  Be sure to prepare study guide/outline for Tuesday's Class.

Tuesday, Feb 21

POTUS Projects are due on Friday.  No more class time will be available for this project.  Please be sure that you are referring to the instruction in completing this assignment.  Remember, the purpose of the project is to learn what life was like in the new American country though a look at the presidents; it is not a biography project.  Accordingly, at least 50% of the information should be about issues facing the country and achievements during the terms of the presidency.  

Wednesday, Feb 16

• Text, read Ch 6, Section 4, complete guided reading,
• FOR FRIDAY:  write essay suggested by question 6 on p. 223, the basic sources of conflict between Native Americans and Americans of European descent.  The essay is to be on loose leaf or typed (typing not required, always appreciated!).  Do not write in journal, and if you do, DO NOT rip page out of journal.
  
• also, FOR FRIDAY, be sure that you come prepared to use the class period to work on the POTUS assignment.  You do not need a lot of information, but you need a few basic sources to answer the questions posed for each POTUS.
• on Friday, I will look at your guided reading packet for sections 1-4 and the five main ideas that you wrote regarding Jefferson in the West.
  

Tuesday, Feb 15

• Text, read Chapter 6, Section 3, complete guided reading sheet for Section 3; write 5 main ideas for Jefferson in the West
• POTUS assignment; locate research material so that you can make good use of class time on Friday

Friday, Feb. 11

• Text:  Finish reading Chapter 6, Section 2; complete guided reading sheet for Section 2 (in orange packet); you should also complete the guided reading sheet for Section 1.
• POTUS assignment.  In groups, we will complete presentations of the first seven presidents of the United States.

1. Due to uncivilized behavior surrounding the opportunity to select your group, groups have been assigned by me based mostly on seating groups, with tweaking to accommodate the extra group; we have six seating groups and seven presidents
2. The assignments are posted to this page.  (Note: these are not the assignments that Mrs. Taylor gave you after the aforementioned uncivilized behavior.  Please be sure to check)
3. The assignment directions have been posted to this page as well.
4. NOTE:  The in-class work date of Friday, February 18, has been restored.  Mrs. R assures me that you will be in History class that day.  
5. NOTE:  It is very important that you come to class that day prepared to work on your presentation.  Please go to the library or find materials in my classroom.  You may use one internet source, but you must use at least one text source as well. 
   

For Tuesday, Feb 8:

Test on Chapter 5 and the Constitution

Homework

It's an ice storm!  This will give you a little extra time to work on your essays that will still be due tomorrow.  I wanted to let you know that I am available by email to answer any questions that you may have.  If you need to use school resources to produce a typed copy, you may present a handwritten copy tomorrow and work on getting it typed as soon as possible at school. 

Christmas Break

Merry Christmas!  I do not lightly seek to burden your family’s holiday time, but it will really help to get a little jump on the Constitution before we tackle this topic on return from break. 

Every student is receiving his or her own pocket copy of the US Constitution.  Take a moment to admire its brevity and its longevity.  I would like the students to read it—enough to get that Articles I, II, and III set up the three branches of our national government—the Legislative, Executive and Judicial, in that order-- and to see what they can make of some of the other provisions. 

I also have a small set of books about the process of writing the Constitution.  I am sending these home with ten students and ask that they read the book over the break. I hope that this exposure to the “story” will create some context for the more abstract topics that we will address.   We can then cycle the books through the rest of the class after break. Have a blessed and peaceful holiday!

 Friday, December 17

I have attached the student prepared study guide to this page.  Please use it only so far as it is helpful. I am not vouching for the accuracy or thoroughness of the outline.  Good luck.

Thursday, December 16

There is a test on Chapter 4 on Tuesday, December 21.  We do not have class on Monday, so tomorrow is the only day for in-class review.  You were grouped on Tuesday into study groups to produce study guides on assigned sections with the goal of putting these together to share as a class.  For me to work with these and put it together for you, I must receive it as an attachment to an email addressed to me or you must save it on the computer on the S drive, 7th grade, social studies.  At this point, it must be done as an email.  If I receive the outlines tonight, I will put them together and distribute them.  If I do not receive all 5 sections, there will be no study guide.  To date, I have only received the outline for section 5. 
In any event, please come to class tomorrow ready to review for the test on Tuesday.

Tuesday, November 30

1. Declaration of Independence Worksheet
2. Book Report is due on Thursday.  Several of you have lost the directions and rubric, so the sheet is reprinted here for your review. It is also attached as a file.  Please note that turning in the rubric with the assignment is worth 10 points.   I did not specify typing, but Part 1 should be typed by all.  Part 2 probably will not be typed.  I would expect that you would type a report of this nature without being told.  However, if this is unexpected on your part and you require extra time, you may submit it in handwriting on the date due and typed (without further changes) by Friday, December 3. If you choose to submit it in handwritten form, be aware that the same standards for neatness and presentation will be applied.

 Select a novel set in colonialAmerica during the period 1500-1780. There are many excellent choices and I would be glad to makesuggestions.  This is to be a fictionselection, and it must be in the time period specified. It must be before orduring the American Revolution.

PART 1:  (everyone)

Write a feature article (with a headline) that tells the story of the book as it might be found on the front page of a newspaper in the town where the story takes place.  The feature article must summarize the book,not just one event in the book.  Be sureto set the story in the historical context depicted in the book.  Write five to seven paragraphs.  (Your paragraphs should be five to seven sentences)

Format:  Write a headline for your story.  Put your “byline” under the headline.  Put the title and author of the book at the very end of your article.

            e.g., Boy Survives Maine Wilderness

                                    by

                        Sam Seventh Grader

                 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

            XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

            XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

            XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

            XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX,etc.

                                                The Sign of the Beaver

                                                            by

                                                Elizabeth George Speare

 

PART 2:  Choose any TWO (2)

Produce 2 other items related to the novel that might be ina newspaper of the day.

• Write an editorial (opinion piece) about some matter addressed in the book.
• Draw a political cartoon about something addressed in the book.
• Make a drawing that goes with your feature article.  (Use black and white only.)  Put a caption under your drawing.  (Words describing the picture)
• Make a drawing and caption to show some other event that happened in the book.
• Create a comic strip (3 or 4 panels)
• Make up an ad for something that was in the story (or something that could have been in the story)
• Write a short article about some other event or about a person in the book and something that he or she did
• Write an incident or police report of something that happened in the story.
• Make up some classified ads that might be in the paper
• You choose!

Be NEAT and C R E AT  I V E.  Be sure to reflect how theevents told in the novel relate to what we are studying about history. 

Historical Fiction Book Report

_____/10         Selection of novel set in colonial American during period 1500-1776

_____/90         Part I (summary)

                        ___/70     Ideasand Content

·        Responsive toassignment, 5-7 paragraph summary, written as feature article with headline andbyline

·        Developed ideasor observations in a complete way

___/10     Writing

·        Organization(introduction, logical sequencing, effective transitions)

·        Style (voice,word choice, grammar)

____/10    Presentation

·        Neat

·        Evidence ofcareful proofreading

______/60       Part II: (two items related tothe novel that might be in a newspaper of the day)

                         ___ /30           Item1

                         ___ /30           Item2

______/10       Work is neat

______/10       Work is creative

______/10       Reflect or show how events told in the novel relate to our study of the history of the time.

______/10       Turn this rubric in with final report

            _____/200

Tuesday, November 9

Test tomorrow on The Growth of the English Colonies

Wednesday, November 3

Write two letters showing different perspectives on education for African American slaves during the colonial per the handout provided in class.  This is to be done on paper to hand in.  You are encouraged, but not required, to type! 

Wed., Oct. 27

Foldable detailing characteristics of the three colonial regions due tomorrow:  New England colonies; Middle colonies; Southern colonies.  From your reading in the text ( pp 74-87) and from class discussions, prepare a list of distinctive aspects of the three regions.  You should consider the categories in the file attached (colony notes)  You may not have information for each and every category.  Organize your thoughts and notes under three flaps labeled New England Colonies, Middle Colonies, Southern Colonies.  Put a relevant drawing or symbol (yours, not an internet printout!) on the cover of each section.  This is not a research project, but you are free to consider other sources.  To make the foldable, fold a piece of construction almost in half the long way.  The fold should bring the top sheet to about 1/2" above the bottom edge, so that there is a space to write your regions.  The flaps should be cut at the 1/3 and 2/3 marks.  This is hard to describe, so it was demonstrated in class with an example hung on your classroom bulletin board Tuesday. 

Thurs., Oct 21. 

• Review Section 1, pp. 70-75.  Go over class notes, text summary, guided reading.  Identify any questions you may have about this topic.
• Read Section 2, Life in Colonial America, pp. 77-82.  Preview with text summary, read the section, respond to guided reading questions.  How did race, gender, and race affect one's place in colonial American society?  What were some trades and occupations?  What was education like?  Who got an education?  
• Make sure you have completed a rewrite of one essay from your test last week.  I did not have time to collect those in class on Thursday; I will do so on Tuesday.
• Test corrections for extra credit are due on Tuesday.  Remember to write the question in a complete sentence that incorporates the question and answer from the test.  You must do it in this format to get extra credit. 
  

Tues., October 5.  King Phillip's War, pp 56-57 in the text; write an essay to respond to question No. 7 on p 57.  Essay due tomorrow, 10/6

Welcome to the study of US History I

Having resolved some technical difficulties with Schoolnotes, I am ready to begin posting to this site.  We have had a great start with our introduction to the Atlantic World, 1600.  You have written a prayer for our country for our opening class prayer.  Those shared to date have been beautiful.   We have considered the Native American world, Europe, and Africa prior to 1500.  I will assign your Native American projects tomorrow. 

During the course of this year, we will investigate the growth of our nation up to and including the Civil War and Reconstruction.  I look forward to this most enjoyable study.

Homework

Wednesday, Sept. 8

Finish reading, Ch. 1, sec. 3 The World of West Africans; answer questions 1-6 on p. 21

Computer Use--Accepable Use Form.  It is important that you return this form to Mrs. Berrigan so that we can use the classroom computers for your upcoming Native American project. Please be sure to return this form tomorrow.  Thank you.

7th Grade History

US History to 1877 Curriculum Goals

Students will study the history of the U.S. inchronological sequence from pre-Columbian times until 1877 and learn about change and continuity in our history. Students will also continue to learn fundamental concepts in civics,economics, and geography.

 First quarter objectives

History: 

• How early cultures developed in North America, locating where American Indians settled and how they used their environment to obtain food, clothing, and shelter.
• European exploration in North America and West Africa, motivations, obstacles, and accomplishments of the Spanish, French, Portuguese, and English explorations; cultural interactions between Europeans and American Indians that led to cooperation and conflict; location and characteristics of West African societies and the origins of the slave trade.
• Factors that shaped colonial America, religious and economic events that led to colonization of America, comparing and contrasting life in the New England, Mid-Atlantic, and Southern colonies, understanding colonial life from different perspectives, and identifying political and economic relationships between the colonies and Europe.

Skills: 

• integrate writing skills; identify and interpret primary and secondary source documents

• interpret ideas and events from different perspectives

Geography: 

• locate and describe the geographic regions of North America

• locate and identify the water features important to the early history of the United States