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.