Fertile Crescent

We are about to shift our focus from Prehistory to the Fertile Crescent.  We will also begin our exploration of both political and physical maps.  In class tomorrow, you will be given a political map of the Middle East on which you will have to identify several countries.  Once completed, you will be given a blank physical map of the region with a specific set of directions.  It is very important that you take your time with these maps and pay close attention to detail.  With regard to the political map, you will be given a quiz to check for understanding.  With regard to the physical map, you will be graded based on your accuracy.


For those of you who actually look at the blog, I am attaching samples of each map that I created.  Using the same resources that you have, and the same supplies, this is what I was able to do.  Your maps should look like mine (although they may be slightly different).  Let me know what you think. 

By the way, if you are reading this, please leave me a comment.

Story Time

Unfortunately, it looks like I will be out a bit longer.  I apologize in advance for my absence, but the doctor will not allow me to return to school until this virus runs its course.  In the meantime, I have decided to share with you a story that I wrote which will serve as a model for your assignment tomorrow.  Let me know what you think!

Joshier and Sabrina were two of the most famous archaeologists to ever explore the vast Sahara Desert; they have been credited with many glorious discoveries.  Although they don’t always see eye-to-eye, their adulation of history has brought them together for their most recent exploration.  They came face-to-face with their most ferocious competitors, and ancient civilization experts, Drs. Tevin and Alivia Boston.  The Bostons have roamed the desert with valor, led by nomadic tribesmen who have guided them with domesticated camels to many remote sites and helped them to make myriad of significant discoveries.

                According to oral tradition, the western part of the desert was once populated with various social classes.  The upper class was made up of the elite leaders who were treated as royalty.  The most famous were King Jake and Queen Phoebe whose sons Sal and Taylor were highly sought-after by the ladies.  The Garls were invigorated leaders and made sure to take care of the lower class as they were passionate about every member of their kingdom.  The middle class was made up of skilled artisans including basket-weavers, potters, and crafters among others.  The poor worked hard as well and contributed to society in other ways. 

                Although the geography was harsh, its citizens were able to survive thanks to a vast network of canals which allowed them to irrigate their land; however the vast desert was no place for a thriving civilization.  Despite their ingenuity, the once thriving civilization perished some time ago when they could no longer compromise.  Their infrastructure was destroyed by rioting citizens, the centralized government was over-thrown when the nobles could no longer keep the people nourished, social classes warred as the elite took control of the valuable resources and camaraderie waned , written language became antiquated as people no longer had time to keep records, and the people lost faith in their organized religion.

                The rivaling archaeological teams raced to make discoveries but each group encountered disaster after disaster.  Wicked winds raged, violent storms flashed all around them, and food became scarce.  It appeared that all hope was lost when a lowly intern noticed an interesting figure in the distance.  Instead of notifying the others, intern Avery rushed off with much jubilation and discovered a group of mummified bodies.  These hominids were very old and helped to shed some light on prehistoric times.  These Stone Age people were previously unknown and their discovery led Avery to great heights among modern-day archeologists.  Today, Avery works hand-in-hand with Zahi Hawass one of the foremost experts in Egyptology and he has no empathy for his former teammates.  Avery and Hawass have filled museums with a surplus of artifacts over the years and rose to great fame as they toured the world.  Unfortunately, the teams of Joshier and Sabrina and Dr. and Dr. Boston were pushed deep into the shadows forever.

Footprints from the Past

For the question of the day, my students took a look at some ancient footprints and told me about all of the information they could learn from them.  For instance:  The height of the person, the weight of the person, the direction they were traveling, the speed at which they were traveling, along with many other things.

Students also began to explore nine new vocabulary terms.  They began to complete graphic organizers in class today and they will continue that tomorrow.  We will also be reading sections 2 and 3 (Chapter 1) in the text beginning tomorrow.

My goal is to have an assessment sometime toward the middle of next week.  I think Wednesday may be the day, but I will keep you posted!

Before, During, and After Reading

Today, students worked on reading the text via a newly introduced strategy.  I will be reviewing their work over the next few days and give them feedback. 

Tomorrow we will be looking a little deeper at the Ice Man.

Reading and Social Studies

QOD:  Look at the photo on pages five and six of your text (cave painting).  What do you think it means or signifies?  (Students are writing at least two complete sentences and will work up to full paragraphs as the year goes on.)

Iceman - Today in class, I introduced the 'Ice Man' as a case study for looking at the jobs of archaeologists and anthropologists.  We spoke about this briefly with the intention of giving the students a bit of background information.  We will watch a video (about 20 minutes) which will tell us more on Thursday; students will then write a summary of the film. 

BDA - I also introduced the Before, During, and After reading strategy to each of my classes.  I gave several examples of how students can become engaged in the text and read with purpose.  It is also an excellent way to take notes when reading a nonfiction text.  This is a strategy that we will employ throughout the year to encourage meaningful reading and accurate note-taking.  Students will be working on this in class tomorrow as they are guided through the process step-by-step.  

Have a great night!

Presidential Election

QOD:  What do you know about the upcoming Presidential election?  If you aren't sure, what would you like to know about the election?

We spent most of the period discussing the upcoming election.  We discussed the role of the Electoral College as well as voting and legislation in American Government.  Today was used to discuss a very important current event and I was amazed at the interest level of the students and their insights.  I hope that we can spend more time discussing the events that are impacting our lives today as the year goes on.

Aside from that, please understand that my own political opinions are never discussed in class.  The students do most of the talking and I merely guide them along.  When asked a question, I give a factual answer free of opinion.

Remember, Fridays are for current events!

Timelines

QOD: What is the difference between a physical and cultural anthropologist?

Some students struggled with this question, but we spent a fair amount of time reviewing the concept and I am confident that students have a solid understanding.

A physical anthropologist will focus on the body of man. They would be interested in examining remains of those deceased as well as studying the way that the body functions. On the other hand, a cultural anthropologist would be more interested in the way that people behave in terms of tradition, religion, family life, and other cultural aspects of mankind.

We ended with a discussion of timelines and that will be further introduced in class tomorrow when students create their own timelines.

Anthropology

QOD:  Why are oral traditions an important part of history?

After discussing the QOD, the students were taught the differences between cultural and physical anthropology.  Students were able to play the part by examining an object and writing/presenting observations (functions, symbols, etc.) and connecting the item to one of the five components of civilization.