Greece Chapter Questions

You can find an updated list of the Greece chapter questions here.

Mr. G

China [Social Studies]

I'm going to stay on top of keeping our classroom blog updated with what we're currently learning about.

This week, we're starting a unit studying China. Students did an activity today in class to build background knowledge. I'll take a picture of the timeline they created and post it tomorrow.

We'll be studying different dynasties and the religions in China.

-Mr. G

Snow Day Resources

I don't know how many of you will check our blog today on your day off, but I'd like to get some conversation going.

A few questions for you:

• Any big snow day plans? It's not really a day for sledding. I don't even know if sixth graders go sledding. If you think you're too old to go sledding, shame on you.
• What projects can you get a head start on? You can use these links to start researching your Egypt projects for Social Studies. You can also use these links to search and build background knowledge.
  
• If you want to play some brain games, you can use Mr. Kaechele's Delicious Links. I'm also starting to get a list going.
• We will be doing 3 for 3 peer revising tomorrow on your opinion essays. Today would be a great day to have your parents or siblings check out your essay. Pull them in with your title. Bring up some schema with your introduction. Make sure your reasons are not restated opinions and that your facts are facts. Your conclusion should have a call to action. What do you want us to do after reading your essay? Go see the movie, buy a PS3 or change the world!? Here is the link to the rubric.

I'll be around the computer most of the day, so feel free to post any questions or comments you have. 

-Mr. G

Social Studies -- Spiral Questioning

Today in Social Studies, we did some spiral questioning with two pictures of technology from Mesopotamia: a levee and a wheel.

Students discussed and shared based on these questions:

• What do you see? Observation
  
• What inferences can you make? Analysis
  
• How does this technology compare to the technology we use now? Evaluation

Students then created a list of how we use wheels today. Then, they took one of those ways and took away the wheels. Their assignment for tonight was to draw a picture of the new wheel-less technology and write a paragraph describing it.

Social Studies Vocabulary Quiz Monday / Catal Huyuk Project Due Tuesday

Use your crossword puzzles to study for your vocabulary tests over Chapter 1.

Also, spend some quality time working on your Catal Huyuk projects that are due on Tuesday.

Word maps on Culture and Geography

If you're preparing digital slides for your Family Roots Project...

...with tools such as PowerPoint or Google Docs, please send the completed set of slides to:

WMSfamilyproject@drop.io

This will help me keep the students presentations separate from the rest of my emails.

Thanks!
Mr. Goerend

Family Project research sites

Use these sites to help you research for the Family Project in Social Studies.

World Almanac for Kids

KidRex (Kid-friendly Google Search)

InfoPlease Countries of the World

FactMonster

Almanac4Kids

Social Studies test tomorrow!

It should be in your students' planners, but if not, there is a Social Studies test tomorrow. Studies can use the study guide we checked over in class today to study.

Scribble Maps

Today we did an activity in Social Studies using a wall map and the website Scribblemaps on the LCD projector. Students discussed two locations: their favorite they've traveled to, and their dream destination. On the wall map, students put a blue sticky on the place they want to visit and an orange sticky where they've been. On our Scribblemap, I put a blue placemarker where students want to go and a yellow one where they've been (orange wasn't an option.)

Toward the end of the period, students shared that they learned about their classmates and also about where places are on the map. Success!

Here is a picture of the wall map:




Here is the interactive Scribblemap. You can drag it around to see the whole world, zoom in with the + and - in the upper left, and click on the placemarkers to see the first names of the kids.