Civil War Time Line: 5th Grade

Students in 5th Grade are working on understanding the chain of events at the beginning of the civil war and in doing so completed a timeline:

- Nov 1860 - Lincoln Elected President of USA
- Dec 20, 1860 - South Carolina secedes
- Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Texas secede
- Feb 4, 1861 - Confederacy formed, Jeff Davis elected president
- March 1861 - Lincoln takes over as president
- April 12, 1861 - Confederates attack Ft. Sumter
- Lincoln Calls for 75,000 volunteers
- North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee and Arkansas join the Confederacy

6th Grade: Latin American Culture

6th Grade students are wrapping up our studies of Latin America. Students were given a study guide to review for a quiz on Thursday:

Latin American Culture: Study Guide

Vocabulary:
Immigrant
Emigrate
Economy
Creole
Goods and Services
Ethnic Group
Communism
Indigenous
Cash Crop
Subsistence Farming


Key Concepts:
Explain the difference between traditional, command and market economies.

Why is the region referred to as Latin America?

Describe the different cultures found in the region?

Latin America is home to what types of ethnic groups?

7th Grade Test

7th Grade students are preparing for their next test which will be given on Monday. Students were given a studyguide on Monday and their will be a test review session on Thursday. Students are to complete their studyguides in preparation for the test and review.

Life in the Sahara: Study Guide
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Vocabulary:

Sahara
Marginal Land
Pastoral Nomads
Desertification
Trade Winds
Drought
Wadis
Deforestation
Shifting Agriculture
"Houses are Graves of the Living"

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Key Concepts:

1. Who are the Tuareg?
2. Describe the traditional life of the Tuareg.
3. How are they affected by the geography of Sahara?
4. How do camels critical to life in the Sahara?
5. How do the Tuareg earn a living?
6. How many people could be affected by desertification?
7. What are the causes of desertification?

• Overgrazing
• Over Cultivation
• Increased Fire Frequency
• Water Impoundment
• Deforestation
• Overdrafting of Groundwater
• Increased soil salinity
• Changes in Climate

6th Grade Country Profile Assignment

6th Grade Boys and Girls have been given a new assignment focusing on the various nations of the Caribbean, Middle America and South America. Each student was assigned a country and using their text books and a 4 page handout on Latin America are to create a 1 page data sheet for their assigned country. Including:

Left Hand Side:
1.Name of Country
2. Map of Country
3. Flag of Country

Right Hand Side:
1. Approximate (relative) location of country
2. Capital of the Country
3. Official Language (and any other dominant languages)
4. Major religions of the country
5. Racial and ethnic groups
6. Economy (Industrial and Agricultural products, Resources and Raw Materials)

Due: Friday, December 5, 2008

7th Grade Mini Quiz

7th Grade Boys and Girls will have a mini quiz (8 terms) on the causes of desertification on Thursday. The terms to be reviewed which students have been discussing since last week include:

1. Overgrazing
2. Over cultivation
3. Increased Fire Frequency
4. Water Impoundment
5. Deforestation
6. Overdrafting of Groundwater
7. Increased Soil Salinity
8. Changes in Climate

5th Grade Makeups

5th Grade Girls will make up their 50 state tests on Thursday and 5th Grade boys will make up their 50 state test on Friday.

I, Dred Scott

As a part of our study of the Civil War, 5th Grade students have been learning about the life of Dred Scott, including an in-class reading of the narrative "I, Dred Scott" which covers the life of Dred Scott a slave who sued for his freedom in a case which eventually reached the US Supreme Court. I will be providing 5th Grade Students with additional resources for extra credit.

There has been tremendous interest amongst 5th graders, particularly insofar as it relates to the issue of slavery, so much so that we have been hard pressed to stay on schedule.

Retest Updates

5th and 7th grade were originally scheduled for retests about a week and a half ago, but due to schedule changes, teacher absences and field trips those schedules have been changed and re-tests will be scheduled after the Thanksgiving holiday

6th Grade Checklist

This next checklist represents the final unit covering our studies of the region of Latin America.

Important News for 6th Grade Students!

After a final review this week, 6th Grade students will take their end of unit test on Latin American History on Thursday of this week. We will continue review in class and students should make certain to review their study guides, which they received last week. Any vocabulary term or concept on the review sheet should be mastered prior to the test.



Also, Next Monday (November 17, 2008) the 6th grade will have a special guest, the Deputy Consul from the Consulate of Argentina here in Atlanta will make a presentation to the girls and boys on the history, culture, people and government of that South American country.

For more information on the Argentine Consulate, please visit the web site below:
http://www.consuladoargentinoatlanta.org/

New Unit Checklists...

5th and 7th Grade Students were issued new Unit Checklists this week covering material they will be working on over the course of the next two weeks leading up until their next unit tests

5th Grade: Introduction to US History

5th Grade Students begin a new unit on US history from 1860 to the present. This unit begins with the Civil War. As such we will be discussing some of the root causes of the Civil War including Slavery, States Rights and other factors. Students will be receiving a new unit organizer this week to cover the materials they will be responsible for during this unit.

Perhaps one of the most discussed subjects will be the issue of slavery. How it came about in America, how it progressed and how it finally ended.

Reminder for 6th Graders

Students have a project due on Monday (Nov 3, 2008). Please see previous entries for further details. These projects are due in class on Monday with presentations shortly to follow.

5th Grade State Test

5th Grade students will finally take their test on the 50 states and their capitals. All students have review guides for each of the 50 states and should review this material in preparation for their test.

Tuesday - 5th Grade Boys
Wednesday - 5th Grade Girls

Information on Class Projects...

6th Grade Students have been assigned a class project on the region of Latin America. The Final project is due on Nov 3, 2008. This project will consist of 3 parts: Written, Oral and Visual.













7th Grade students have also been assigned a class project, which will be due on Nov. 12, 2008. Their projects focus on one of 10 African countries.












5th Grade students will be assigned a project on US History and Geography after their test on the 50 states and their capitals (next Monday and Tuesday)

The tests are coming...the tests are coming...

7th Grade students will be taking a test on Friday. Students were given a study guide today in class. The material on this study guide is REVIEW. All of this material has been covered in detail in class and for homework.

Prior to Friday's test, students should be able to define EACH of the vocabulary words and be able to answer each question in their own words. All vocabulary and questions can be found in the home and classwork that students should have in their notebooks. There will be an in-class review session during Wednesday's class.

The 50 States and their capitals:



5th Grade students will be taking a test covering the 50 states very soon. This test will come the week after Fall Break. In the mean time students should continue to study the states we have covered thus far. Students should be familiar with the states and their capitals.

Calling all speakers

I am working to bring in outside speakers to bring a different perspective to many of teh cultures and regions of the world we are studying.

If any parents have contacts with have extensive familiarity and knowledge of Latin America, Europe, Canada or Australia (6th Grade) and Africa, Middle East and Asia (8th Grade) please let me know, we would be happy to present them to our 6th and 7th grade classes.

5th Grade: Save the Date

Students in the 5th Grade Humanities classes will soon begin working on government and history. We will begin that transition during this unit. The history portion of this class begins with a study of the causes and effects of the Civil War. On November 4th (Election Day) we will have a special guest from the Atlanta History Center who will bring artifacts and discuss the civil war with students. This will not be a one-sided activity. Students will be actively engaged.

I am working to bring other speakers to talk on a variety of issues, included local political leaders, and those who can bring history alive.

New Units:

7th Grade: On Wednesday, students begin a new unit that will focus on the Nile River and the people and nations who draw their lives and livelihood from the River. This unit will focus on a broader understanding of human interaction with their environment as well as scientific concepts like the water cycle and use of hydro electricity.

Unit Checklist: Also beginning with this unit, students will be given a unit checklist with each assignment and activity that will be covered during this 2 and 1/2 week period.


6th Grade: Students will begin a brief unit on the history of independence movements in Latin America and will explore the continued impact on those nations today.

We will also be looking at the various cultures of Latin America.



5th Grade: Students will begin a review of the 50 states, learning both the states, their location on a map, as well as their capitals. For many students this will be review of their primary years social studies classes. Students will be given a review map along with other aides to assist in learning each of the states.

This unit will also focus on the influence of geography and how that has influenced some of the differences in each of the states (particularly between North and South). This unit serves as a segway into the next unit which begins our exploration of US history, beginning with the Civil War.


Outline Map of the USA can be downloaded from the link below:
http://www.eduplace.com/ss/maps/pdf/us_nl.pdf

Current Events

Approximately every other week, students are asked to complete a current events exercise.

This activity is designed to further our knowledge and understanding of the world around us, particularly of the regions of the world which we are currently studying in class.

5th Grade Students are to complete current events on US Geography, History or Culture of the United States

6th Grade Students are to complete current events on Latin America, Canada, Europe, Australia and Oceania

7th Grade Student are to complete current events on Africa, the Middle East and Asia


Guidelines:

1. Identify news source: Newspapers, News Magazine, Internet News Sites (Enclyclopedias and History sites are NOT news sites)
2. Chose an article that relates to the area we are currently studying: If we are studying Latin America, then your articles should cover that region, etc...
3. Students will summarize their article, making sure to answer the following questions in the process: Who/What (Who or what is the article about, describe the events or subject matter), When (When do the events take place), Where (Where does it take place). (4-5 sentences)
   
4. Your Opinion: Use your understanding of the article to describe your feelings of the subject. (2-3 sentences)
   

Humanities Quizzes

7th Grade:

Today 7th grade students will have a quiz on introduction to Africa. This quiz will cover: Physical and Human Geography (Culture), Climate and Vegetation as well as Population.

We will be reviewing this quiz in class and the corrected quiz will be returned later in the week.

On Friday, students will be working on current events (in-class) we will be reviewing the procedures for identifying articles that meet the current event criteria and how to correctly summarize those articles.


5th Grade (Girls):

Girls in 5th grade will have a quiz today on physical geography of the United States and Culture.

We will be reviewing this quiz in class and the corrected quiz will be returned later in the week.


5th Grade (Boys):

Boys in 5th grade will have a review exercise on Thursday in preparation for their quiz on Monday. Students should review their notes and prepare for their quiz on physical geography of the United States and Culture


6th Grade:

Students in 6th grade will have a review exercise on Thursday in preparation for their quiz on Physical Geography of Latin America and the Early civilizations of Aztec, Inca and Maya.