Egypt Assessment #1

Today, students took the first assessment regarding Egypt. The second one will be given a few weeks after we come back from the break. Although students appeared to do well, I have not had the time to grade them as of yet.

I spent the last hour going through work that was turned in late and I entered grades for everything that I have into the gradebook. There will be a list of thirty-two students who owe me work posted in my classroom tomorrow along with the assignments they owe. Any assignments not turned in prior to the 'fun activity' will be done in my classroom. That means that students will have to sit out the activity to do their work. Any work (except for special circumstances approved by me before the end of the day tomorrow) will not be accepted.

See you tomorrow!

Extra Credit (Re-Posted) and Quiz (New)

Extra Credit
I am willing to give extra credit points to students who give a presentation on any of the following pre-approved topics (presentations should be between 3-6 minutes) and must be done before the end of the unit.

Places: Lake Nasser, Aswan Dam, Cairo, Alexandria

People: Gamal Abdel Nasser, Muhammed Hosni Mubarak, Mohammed Anwar El-Sadat, Zahi Hawass

If you plan on doing a presentation, bring in an article or biography (which can be printed from the internet) that you read about the topic. Important points should be highlighted and you should have some notes written down. Questions?

Quiz
Vocabulary--
01. Nubia:
02. Delta:
03. Cataract:
04. Silt
05. Nile (River):
06. Pharaoh:
07. Dynasty:
08. Absolute Power:
09. Regent:
Question--
01. Describe the geography of the Nile River Valley and explain how the Nile River has impacted the region.

Upcoming Week

Here we go...

We have three days of school this week and this is what I have planned:

Monday: I have a lot of graded assignments (which I entered in the gradebook earlier today) to return to my students. I want to take some time to review them and discuss the grades with each of my classes. Since we will have a quiz on Tuesday, I want to make sure everyone is well prepared. Although I didn't announce the date in advance, I did tell my classes we would have a quiz before the long break.

Tuesday: We will spend time taking a quiz, which will have one essay question and a few vocabulary terms to define.

Wednesday: We will have short periods on Wednesday. I will be collecting vocabulary sheets 2.2 and 2.3 by the end of the period. I will grade those over the long break and we will review all of the terms when we come back. Students can also use the time to complete their maps of the southern portion of Africa. We will review that when we come back as well and the quiz will be approximately one week after we come back.

If you are able, check your grades online. Make sure you have everything turned in to me, because there are a lot of students who have assignments missing. Once we leave for break, everything will be closed and zeros will be entered. Don't let that happen!!

What Am I Missing?

As you all know, I have 'missed' the last two days of school due to a conference that I am attending. I will be out again tomorrow, but it would make me really happy if you guys posted something that you learned or did while I have been gone...

So, tell me something (in a comment) and let me know what I have been missing!

See you on Monday...

Map Quiz

Well, you have proven me right...

If you study, and work hard, you will do a great job on any map test you take; furthermore, if you don't study, and you don't work hard, you will not do well on a map test. Being in 7th grade means growing academically, being responsible for yourself, and taking the initiative to go after what you want to achieve.

I still have a little more grading to do, but your grades should be entered soon. I expect that you will all be good for Mr. Weiss while I am out; and keep your practical jokes (at my expense) to a minimum. Remember, I am ultimately responsible for your grades... :)

See you next week!!!

Africa Map Prep

Today we spent time practicing for our map quiz which will be given tomorrow. I hope that ALL students brought their maps home so that they can study. There will be fifteen countries on the quiz and students will be expected to be able to identify them with the use of a word bank.

If you would like a blank map, you can print it from my teacher's page located on the Muhlenberg School District Website. Furthermore, you can access the link to a map game to help you prepare on that site as well.

Students will be given class time tomorrow to complete their vocabulary worksheet (3.2) once they have completed the quiz...

Best of luck!

Group Work Session

I took the first few minutes of class today to talk about the map of Egypt that students worked on in class on Wednesday. There was some confusion about the first Nile cataract, Aswan, and Lake Nasser which I think I was able to clear up. Many students turned the map in to me before leaving but others were given until class tomorrow (Friday) to turn it in.

Tomorrow we will take some time to practice the map of Africa in preparation for our quiz on Tuesday of next week. We will also begin the second vocabulary sheet for this unit.

I am willing to give extra credit points to students who give a presentation on any of the following pre-approved topics (presentations should be between 3-6 minutes) and must be done before the end of the unit.

Places:
Lake Nasser
Aswan Dam
Cairo
Alexandria

People:
Gamal Abdel Nasser
Muhammed Hosni Mubarak
Mohammed Anwar El-Sadat
Zahi Hawass

If you plan on doing a presentation, bring in an article or biography (which can be printed from the internet) that you read about the topic. Important points should be highlighted and you should have some notes written down. Questions?

Map of Egypt/Notebook Check

In class today, I took the time to conduct a notebook check. While I met with each student individually, students were working on coloring and labeling a map of Egypt independently. They used the maps in their text to get the information needed. There are a few notebooks that I will check tomorrow before entering the grades. Students will have a little time to work on their maps tomorrow and I will collect them on Friday at the latest.

I will prepare progress reports for all students who have less than an 70% in social studies which will be mailed home by the district.

The Importance of Traditions

In periods 1, 2, and 3, we discussed the importance of traditions in society. We talked about the ancient Egyptian farmers and the ways in which they prepared the land for farming. We also discussed some of the traditions that we practice here in America and the ways in which they are (or are not) important. For the last few minutes of class, I projected the new map (northern Africa) and students were given time to either complete their maps or check their locations.

Periods 6, 7, and 8 were a little bit different. We began by discussing the reading from Friday; in particular, we discussed the importance of the Nile River to the civilization and the ways in which communities developed in ancient Egypt. See my post from yesterday for more details.

Tomorrow (Wednesday) will be spent working independantly on a map assignment while I conduct a notebook check. The criteria is listed below...

QOD (beginning with 10/29/2010): You should have at least 10/16 for full credit.
BDA Notes: You should have the BDA from 12/3/2010.
Maps: You should have the four maps from the year, which are: World Map (Continents), Fertile Crescent Map (colored/labeled), Middle East Map, Africa Map.
Handouts/Notes: You should have three vocabulary sheets, which are: 2.3, 2.4, and 3.1.

Importance of the Nile and Nile Communities

Some of the main points we discussed in class today had to do with the importance of the Nile River to Egypt and the development of civilization in and around the Nile River Valley. Some of the points that came up were:

Importance of the Nile-
1. Source of Water...
2. Rich soil (silt) located on the bottom of the river and along the banks...
3. Religious importance (we will discuss this later)...
4. Source of Food (fish, marine birds, etc.)...
5. Building materials (mud bricks-for shelter)...
6. Transportation (Travel-water taxi)/Trade (goods from Nubia)...

Communities-
1. Most communities developed in and around the Nile Delta...
2. Civilizations benefitted from geographic proximity to both the Nile, Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, and the Desert (which served as protection from foreign invaders).
3. Were largely based on farming (in Egypt) and hunting (in Nubia where there was not as much fertile land)...
4. Trade was also an important part of life (trade with Nubia to the south, Mesopotamian civilizations via the Red Sea, and even Europe via the Mediterranean Sea)...

Students were also given a political map of the northern African countires on which they will be quizzed next week (Tuesday); notebook check will be tomorrow or Wednesday!

BDA: Egypt and the Nile

We spent some time in class today reading from the text. Students should have learned about the geography of Egypt and the Nile as well as some of the communities that flourished in the region. We have talked about how important the Nile River is to the people who live in Egypt. Some have even said that, "Egypt is a gift of the Nile." Without the Nile, there would be no civilization in that part of the world.

Earlier, we learned about the Fertile Crescent and how the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers were important to the people in Mesopotamia. A common theme is developing: People generally need a 'water source' to survive. A water source, such as the Nile, provides people with all of the following: food, water, transportation, a means for trade, fertile soil for growing crops, and can provide a civilization with a natural boundary. Can any of you think of something besides a water source that is important to civilization? Post your thoughts...

The newest set of key terms are: Nubia, Nile, Silt, Cataract, and Delta. If you have any questions about those terms, feel free to post them here...

The Geography of Egypt!

In class today, we took some time to look at Egypt on Google Earth. Students were able to see some of the geographic features which make it unique including the deserts to the east and west of the lush Nile River Valley. It is obvious how important the Nile River is to the region and that is exactly what the first essential question of the unit is all about. Feel free to log on to the wiki and comment on that question as well as the first five vocabulary words.

Tomorrow we will read a bit about the geography of the region from our text and extend the discussion a little further. If you have any questions about Egypt, the Nile, or the Middle East (in general) feel free to post a question on here or ask me in class.

Have a good night!

Back on track...

Finally, we are all on the same page!

All students should have the vocabulary sheet (3.1) completed by the start of class tomorrow. I will be collecting the worksheet tomorrow after reviewing the vocabulary terms.

Today, we began to discuss what we can learn about ancient Egypt from artwork which was left behind. We were able to infer that fish was a big part of their diet, they lived in a hot climate, and were hard workers by looking at a painting. We will continue to look at Egypt from many perspectives as we move on. We will also spend some more time looking at artifacts from Egypt (currency, clothing, games, photographs, etc.).

Remember to check the wiki from time to time. The new vocabulary terms are all posted there as are all of the essential questions for the unit.