Prehistory Preview

Today we took a look at section two of chapter one in our text. We are starting to think more about prehistory. Tomorrow we will begin a more in-depth look at the following topics: 'inventing' fire, the Stone Age, early farming, and the domestication of plants and animals.

Tomorrow we will have a special guest teacher. Mr. Weiss, a good friend of mine and fellow teacher, will be filling in for me as I have the funeral of a family member that I must attend. Mr. Weiss is somewhat of an amateur archaeologist himself and has been credited with finding several interesting Civil War era artifacts. I trust that my students will be well-behaved and treat Mr. Weiss with the respect he deserves.

Since I will not be in class tomorrow, I will be sure to post a discussion question that can be commented on here. Check back after school tomorrow! Have a great weekend and I hope you all have done well on the continents/oceans map quiz...

The Smokin' Gun

House-Today we had a one-hour delay schedule which allowed us time to meet as a house and create a house banner. My house used a variety of artistic images and photographs to decorate our banner. Although we did not have enough time to finish, I am happy with the progress that we made.

In social studies class, we finished discussing the new vocabulary by talking about evidence. Evidence is the 'proof' that scientists (and social scientists) use to make predictions and answer questions about the past. We spoke about the role evidence can play in a trial and compared that to artifacts which help us to understand prehistory. After all, prehistory is the time before written records were kept; without evidence we wouldn't know anything!

Tomorrow we will spend the period completing a BDA Reading Activity in groups. Friday will be the date of our first map quiz. By this point, maps should all be labeled and all students should be able to identify the continents and oceans.

What would you NEED to survive?

Question of the Day: Make a list of 5 to 10 things that you would need to survive. We discussed this topic as a class and determined the following would be most important: food, water, fire, wood or stone for tools/weapons, and shelter. We discussed this topic to set up for learning about the stone age. I want students to understand what is really needed for survival and separate that from needs and wants. It is important to realize that there are many 'things' that we all think we need, but really aren't all that important. If you can think of something else that you NEED, please feel free to post and explain!

Vocabulary: I collected the Chapter 1, Section 2, vocabulary sheets and we discussed the meanings/uses of the following words: hominid, domesticate, nomad, and stone age. We will finish discussing vocabulary words tomorrow and then move on to reading the section. Students should be able to distinguish the three 'parts' of the stone age from one another by the end of the week.

Don't forget to study for the map quiz---FRIDAY!

Vocabulary Work Session

Wow! It was hot in my room today. I want to thank everyone for working hard despite the terrible conditions. Today was primarily used for a group work session. Students were to complete their vocabulary sheet (Chapter 1, Section 2) and identify all of the continents and oceans on their world maps. Students will take a quiz on Friday pertaining to the map. Although there is no homework for my class, students should be studying!

Additional copies of the map may be downloaded from my teacher's page.

Footprints

Were there people on Earth 3.5 million years ago? Today, we looked at a picture of a rock which has been estimated at more than 3 million years old. The coolest thing of all was the footprints. Who made them? How did they last this long? What can we tell about the 'hominid' who made them?

We discussed all of the clues left behind and used the rock as yet another example of how geography and history are related.

I also distributed the second vocab sheet of the year which pertains to chapter one, section two, of the text. The key terms are: hominid, domesticate, nomad, evidence, farming, and Stone Age. Students were given about twenty minutes of class time to work with their groups on both that and their first map. We will pick up there on Monday.

MAP QUIZ NUMBER ONE (CONTINENTS/OCEANS) WILL BE NEXT FRIDAY!!

Geography at Home

The first part of class today was dedicated to making connections between geography and the community. Students were given time to think and write about the ways that geography affects their community. We talked about topics like: climate, migration (movement), language (culture), and even the types of food we eat! I think we all truly were able to recognize the importance of geography on our own lives.

I also distributed the first 'practice' map which will be quizzed toward the end of next week (Thursday or Friday). All students should be able to identify the following continents and bodies of water: North America, South America, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia, Antarctica, Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Arctic Ocean, and Southern Ocean. I think it is very important that students become geographically literate while studying world history. It will help them be able to make connections and see the importance of events that have shaped the history of the world.

Discussion Question #2

What is more important - 1. the feelings/traditions of people (Native Americans for example), or 2. the science that shapes history?

Answer the question by commenting on the blog and use specific examples. Feel free to discuss the 'Kennewick Man' here, or any other examples that you can think of with regard to the topic. Remember, this is opinion based! There are no right or wrong answers...

Enjoy!

Kennewick Man

We watched a really cool video in class today (periods 1, 2, and 3 only). It featured the discovery of the 'Kennewick Man' who has been dated at nearly 9,000 years old. It has changed the viewpoint of many in terms of immigration/migration to the United States. There is a lot of controversy surrounding this and we had a really good discussion. I will post the focus question under a seperate post later today in an attempt to help extend that conversation.

Important Topics Discussed: Archaeology, Anthropolicy, Carbon 14 Dating, Migration, and Tradition.

Have a great rest of the day!

The Relationship between Geography and History

Geography is the study of the Earth's surface and the processes that shape it.

History is the study of the recorded past.

Geography impacts history because the processes that shape the Earth cause changes which are then recorded. Examples could be global warming, natural disasters, the water cycle, or physical changes (such as earthquakes and volcanoes).

I will require the students to write a one paragraph essay about this topic within the next few weeks.

In class, we also talked about the blog some and how the blog could be useful if someone is absent, has a 'burning' question, or wants to review.

Any questions or comments?

Oral Traditions and Chapter 1, Section 1

Today we began by discussing the importance of oral traditions to various different cultures. I wanted the students to see that we (residents of the United States) typically view oral traditions differently than residents of other countries around the world. For instance, countries with low literacy rates, or longer histories than the United States, may place a greater value on oral traditions simply because that is all that they have. We don't often think of ourselves as being a 'young' country, but in the grand scheme of things we are very young. This influences our viewpoints on a lot of things.

We also spent some time reading chapter one, section one, of the text. Students were to preview pages 6 to 9, write three questions in anticipation of the reading, and begin a group discussion about the material. We will pick up there tomorrow!

Discussion Question #1

The question came up in class today: Is it human nature to judge people based on their looks or the clothes that they wear? Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Share your thoughts and comments here... Feel free to share your experiences!

What does human nature mean anyway?

Otzi Discussion/Video

Today we read about Otzi, otherwise known as the Ice Man. We also watched a short 6 or 7 minute video showing his remains and the artifacts found with him. We had an interesting discussion about him based on those remains and listened to some theories about who he was and what he was doing at the time of his death. We were also able to watch the scientists perform an archaeological experiment.

We also spent some time discussing the before, during, and after reading strategy which will be used in this class. We will use this for the first time on Monday. I decided to alter my plans a little bit because I felt it made more sense to talk about the Ice Man first.

Finally, we talked about notebook checks. I will look at students notebooks from time to time (my goal is twice a quarter) and I will focus on the following contents: Questions of the Day, BDA Reading Notes, Maps, and Notes/Handouts. All students should have a notebook/binder in which they keep everything organized by date.

Archeaology

Today we began class by making a list of the 'things' an archaeologist would be interested in examining. Some of the following were answers given in class: bones, bodies, pottery, tools, artwork, textiles, structures (like buildings and houses), and toys. The purpose of archaeology is to learn about people (from the past) based on what they have left behind. To help see how it works, I distributed a few items to the students and we imagined that we were archaeologists and found the items. They were simple items, like: traffic cones, a track baton, pencils, a small stone pyramid, and a tennis ball. It was interesting how we looked at these items and were able to find all kinds of uses and potential purposes. Archaeology involves a lot of guess-work but in some cases it is all that we have to learn about the past. We also took some time to look at some of the bags students brought with for their English bag speeches (those who have Mr. Bezler) and we were able to see what we could learn about individuals based on the items they had with them.

Tomorrow we will begin our first in class reading assignment in groups. Make sure that you have your books!

Community

Today, we talked about the word community as an introduction to class. A community is a a group of people (or a population) who live in the same area and share a common interest. We talked about what makes a community, how communities have changed over time, and we even described our own communities. Although almost everyone had a slightly different definition, in the end they were all the same.

We also discussed the design of the class. There will be vocabulary exercises which I created to help student understand new terms as opposed to memorizing and forgetting after a test. We will also have reading activities which will be done using the BDA reading strategy (before, during, and after reading) and projects along the way.

The words we discussed today were: history, pre-history, and archeologist. All students should understand the meaning of those three words at this point.

First Vocabulary Assignment

Today, students were given their first vocabulary assignment for the year. They were provided a 'table' with three columns and several rows. In the first column the vocabulary terms are listed. The terms are to be defined in the second column and 'applied' in the third. They were permitted to work in small groups today.

Before they were given the assignment, we discussed the meaning of the word 'migration.' All students should have defined that term in their social studies notebooks. We also discussed my rules for working in groups: 1. Be Quiet (students should be speaking in an appropriate tone), 2. Be Respectful (no making fun of anyone or disrespectful language), 3. Be on task (stay focused on the assignment), and Stop and Go (those are the commands that I use to communicate with the class during a group assignment).

Tomorrow, students will be given a little time to complete their vocabulary assignment and then we will begin our vocabulary discussion.

Migration!

The term migration came up in class today. Here is a definition that I found online:

Human migration is physical movement by humans from one area to another, sometimes over long distances or in large groups. The movement of populations in modern times has continued under the form of both voluntary migration within one's region, country, or beyond, and involuntary migration (which includes the slave trade, Human traffic in human beings and ethnic cleansing). People who migrate are called migrants or more specifically, emigrants, immigrants, or settlers, depending on historical setting, circumstances and perspective.

What are your comments? Is there anything that you don't agree with in this definition? Are you confused? Give me feedback...

Masters of the Map

Today in class, we began with a MAP MASTER activity (page 5) as our question of the day. Students needed to analyze a map titled: The Migration of Early Humans. We specifically talked about the importance of the map title, map key, and any captions that accompany the map. The title helps you to see what it is you are looking at, the key helps you to determine the meaning of symbols and colors, and the caption gives you a little bit of background.

Quizzes were returned to students today and we discussed the format for our vocabulary assignments.

5 Themes of Social Studies Quiz

Today, students took a five question quiz about the five themes of social studies. Most students finished it in a minute or less. Is that a good sign or a bad sign? Grades will be in the gradebook and returned to students Monday morning.

Before taking the quiz, we talked about my test taking rules and expectations. I expect students to sit quietly with their eyes on their own paper at all times. That is simple enough, and I think everyone understood.

Last, we had a simple classroom meeting which gave us the opportunity to share our middle school experiences after the first two weeks of school. We will have classroom meetings regularly this year and this one was for practice. I will update everyone on classroom meetings as the year goes on.

Cave Painting

In class today we looked at a photograph of a cave painting (pages 4 and 5 of the text) and made some inferences. Inferences are like educated guesses that we make, using logic, based on what we know. We were able to see the photograph through the eyes of a geographer, political scientist, behavioral scientist, historian, and even as an economist. This helped us to reinforce the definitions that we made for the new social studies vocabulary. I hope you are all ready for the quiz tomorrow!

It was really nice to meet all of the parents at open house tonight. Even though it is a late night for me, I really appreciating meeting your parents and interacting with them. Even though I was a little bit nervous, everything went well and they all seemed really nice...

Introducing Blogs!

In class today, we had a class discussion about blogs. Some students had an understanding of blogs before class, but all should have understood by the end of class today. A blog is simply an online (web) log of information about a particular topic. On this blog, you will find information pertaining to social studies class. We also talked about the uses of blogs and the main use we discussed was communication. Communication is key to learning and therefore this blog is very important.

We also discussed the definitions we wrote on Tuesday and students were to copy them into their social studies notebooks. There will be a very short quiz on those five terms on Friday of this week!

What is social studies?

In class today, we spent a great deal of time thinking and talking about the components of social studies. I shared that there are five 'themes,' or categories, of social studies. They are: History, Geography, Political Science, Economics, and Behavioral Science. In the form of a group activity, we defined these five terms. I compiled the definitions recorded by all six periods and came up with the following:

History: The study of all recorded events from the past .

Geography: The study of Earth and its processes along with the ways in which people interact with it.

Political Science: The study of the principles and conduct of government and politics.

Economics: The study of trade, money, and building a country’s strength by trade and industry, as well as the distribution and consumption of goods and wealth.

Behavioral Science: The study of people and the way they behave mentally and socially, as well as their interactions with others.

Welcome to a new year at the middle school!

I will be using this blog to communicate with students and parents outside of the traditional classroom. I encourage that questions and comments about the information shared be posted to the blog as a comment. The goals are to include everyone in my classes and create a greater community of learning. I will post regularly throughout the year so check back frequently!

Thanks,
Mr. Winand