Caribbean project 1/8

Today we will be researching Caribbean islands & making cultural brochures to share with other students. You will be working with a partner (randomly chosen), and will have only today in class to research, and the weekend to finish.

Task: 1) Research the Caribbean islands.
2) Take notes on the websites you see
3) Make two brochures with your partner

Roles:
1) Historian - Responsible for brochure sections 2, 4, & 6
2) Artist - Responsible for brochure sections 1, 3, & 5


Here is how you and your partner will create your TWO brochures:
First, fold white paper into three parts.
Fold 1- Flag and name of Country
Fold 2- History of Country (at least FOUR facts)
Fold 3- An artistic scene of area or picture of that country
Fold 4- The biography of a famous person of that country
Fold 5- Map of the country
Fold 6- Travel tips.
(Your brochures should be almost the same, but you must make tw0)

How will it work?

• Today, research for 20-25 minutes.
  
• Then complete your sections on ONE brochure.
  
• Give that brochure to your partner, and take the brochure they completed.
  
• You can now finish your second brochure by using the information you already know.
  
• You can NOT print pictures offline, or print off maps. Everything is by hand! :)
  
• You can NOT type anything to print off & glue on your brochure. It must be by hand!
  
• You CAN type information you want to remember on MS word, but you have to close the document before we leave today.
  

RESEARCH:
As you research the Caribbean islands, we will be using some important links. Here are a few:
*General world atlas site: here
Cuba:
Puerto Rico:
Jamaica
Dominican Republic
Haiti
Trinidad & Tobago * another resource
Barbados -More Barbados

Unit from 12/1-12/17: Mexico!

Our next unit will study Mexico! That is chapter 6 in your textbook (p. 176). 

Our unit formatives and summatives are tentatively set for: 

Quiz: 12/9 Vocab

Quiz: 12/15 Content (summative prep)

Summative: 12/17

*We will also continue to hold quizzes on the U.S. States on 12/3, 12/11, and 12/19!!! Each student MUST know ALL states on the quizzes to "test out" of the quizzes. Keep studying those states. :) 

Learn the 50 states!

Hello wonderful students! 

Here is a link to the website we've been using in class to study our 50 state locations:

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/web_games.htm

I encourage you to use the various games on this site to review the states AND the capitals! We will have a quiz on the 50 states again on Thursday 11/20 & again on Monday 11/24. Remember-- I am not doing this to be "mean"! I am offering you many chances to be successful and pull up your grade! 

Quiz Details: 

11/20: Name the 50 states, and name 10 state's capitals (pick any nine--- you MUST know MD's capital!) 

11/24: Identify the 50 states, and name 20 state's capitals (pick any nineteen-- you MUST know MD's capital!) 

Celebrate Veterans Day!

Veterans Day is an annual American holiday honoring military veterans. Both a federal holiday and a state holiday in all states, it is usually observed on November 11. However, if it occurs on a Sunday then the following Monday is designated for holiday leave, and if it occurs Saturday then either Saturday or Friday may be so designated.[1] It is also celebrated as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day in other parts of the world, falling on November 11, the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I. (Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice.)
The holiday is commonly printed as Veteran's Day or Veterans' Day in calendars and advertisements. While these spellings are grammatically acceptable, the United States government has declared that the attributive (no apostrophe) rather than the possessive case is the official spelling.[2] -wikipedia.org


http://link.history.com/services/link/bcpid1184514323/bctid1184531439

... and the capitals, too!

50 nifty united states

You may have learned this before, but you certainly need to know it now. This is the BARE BONES of instruction on our United States unit-- please be sure that you know all of our wonderful 50 states! :) 

A Day in Mrs. Hopper's classroom...

I thought parents might like to know what goes on in my classroom each day... 

-"Bellringer" -- the first activity is always on the board for students. I use this time to take attendance, resolve questions/concerns, and make last-minute preparations for the lesson. 

-Daily Activities-- these vary by the day and content. 

*Sometimes we have "focus groups", or groups that focus on a topic. Then, the focus groups break up into "study groups"-- groups that have at least one member from each focus group. This allows the students to teach other, and thus, learn at a higher level. 

*Movement-- I like to include music from diverse cultures in my instruction. I have, on occasion, asked the students to get up and dance to the music. Everyone is a willing participant! Movement is a key aspect of education and knowledge retention. Even tapping one's pencil while learning can inspire more concentration and understanding. 

*Partner work -- Students frequently discuss topics with partners. These are usually 2-3 minute activities that allow students to voice opinions and question prior knowledge. 

*Powerpoints

*Notes & notebook organization

*Reading strategies for the historian/geographer

*Written responses to daily topics or news

*Summaries of the day's lesson 

-Summary & closure - Sometimes the summary of the lesson is formal, such as a paragraph or timeline of the class. At other times, we break out the "closure cube" and throw it (gently) from student to student, sharing what we did and what we've learned. 

7th Grade Summative 10/15

The students will have a summative on October 15th. Here are some sites that should help them to review: 

Online edition of their textbook 

Chapter 3 self-check quizzes

An online quiz reviewing continents & oceans 

Students must know: 

*All the continents, oceans, and locations of the Equator & Prime Meridian 

*The compass rose 

*Chapter 3 vocabulary (see their notebooks-- I also provide printed copies as needed) 

*Bellringer questions 

I will provide a review sheet to students on Monday 10/13! 

Schoolhouse Rock-- The Preamble