Mr. Waxler's Class

Hi,

Last week we wrapped up Colonial Life with a test on Thursday. This week we will move into the causes of the American Revolution and how the colonists reacted to each of those causes.

Homework

Monday 10/31
No Homework ~ Happy Halloween

Tuesday 11/1
Complete Cornell Notes based on reading: Causes of the Revolutionary War

Wednesday 11/2
Complete Colonial Unrest-O-Meter based on today’s lesson

Thursday 11/3
Write newspaper editorial about the Boston Massacre from either a Loyalist perspective or a Patriot perspective
**History Fair: Next checklist item (Thesis Statement) due Friday**

Friday 11/4
No Homework

Share

Hi,

Last week students finished working on their colonial brochure. Of the ones I have printed out so far, I have to say I am quite pleased with the results.

The purpose of the brochure project was for the students to become an expert on 1 of the 13 colonies (founder, economy, geography, government, and people).  However, students will also be responsible for knowing information about the other colonies as well. Therefore, on Tuesday we will do an activity in which students move from station to station examining the student-made brochures from the various colonies.

On Wednesday we will review for Thursday’s test on Colonial Life. On Friday, we will start to move into the causes of the American Revolution.  We will start with the French & Indian War as it is the end of that war that really begins the process of dividing the King and his American Colonies.

Homework

Monday (10/24)
Record Day ~ No School for Students

Tuesday (10/25)
No homework today, however, since the review for the test will take place on a short Wednesday I will hand out the review sheet on Tuesday so students can better prepare for the test. (Review Sheet)

Wednesday (10/26)
Ticket-to-the-Test: This is an optional homework assignment that I give the night before EVERY test. Students are to create their own test questions AND answers (minimum of 10) based on the content of the unit. Those students who create the Ticket-to-the-Test can hand it in BEFORE the test and receive 3 Bonus points on the test

Thursday (10/27)

• Test Today
• No Homework

Friday (10/28)
No Homework

Share

I have decided to push back the due date for the next item on the History Fair Checklist. According to the checklist the 10 research questions are due by this Friday, October 21st. However, I have decided to push it back until Tuesday, October 25th. This will give students the long weekend to work on their questions. Also, those students who complete their brochure project early (due by the end of class this Friday) can then have some class time to work on History Fair.

**Note: The answers to their research questions are not due until next Friday. However, there will not be time in class next week to work on History Fair.

Share

Last week the students started their Colonial Brochure Project.

As I stated last week, the students will be working in-class to create a computer generated brochure on one of the 13 colonies.

Last Friday, most students finished their rough draft on paper and then began to collect pictures on the computer. On Monday, students will finish collecting pictures and then start working on their brochure using one of the many templates provided in the Pages software of iWork. I decided to use Pages over Microsoft Word as it seems to be much more user-friendly. However, if students feel more comfortable with Microsoft they are welcome to use it, especially if they feel they need to work on the project at home and don’t have iWork. By Friday, students should be done with their brochure.

Once the project is complete, the students will use each others brochures to teach each other about the different colonies.

Homework this week will depend on how individual students are proceeding with their project.  For the most part there will not be any homework, unless students start to fall behind. However, since the project is being done on the computer it may be difficult for some students to work on it at home. Students are always welcome to come to my class before school starts. I am at school every day by 8:30.

**History Fair Update**
According the History Fair Checklist each student should have chosen a topic by last Friday. Since there was no school on Friday I will be checking to see that parents have initialed that item on the checklist on Monday.

By Friday, October 21st, the next item on the checklist is due. Students should have written 10 research questions on their topic (who, what, where, when, how, why etc.). These will be guiding questions for their research notes which will be checked the following Friday, October 28th.

Please make sure to keep up with the History Fair Checklist.

Have a great week!

Share

Hello,

This week we will continue our unit on Colonial Life.

On Monday, students will use the notes they have been taking from their “walking tour of the colonies” to write a journal entry as if they just spent a year in Colonial America.

On Tuesday, I have set some time aside to allow students to work on the computers to research History Fair topics.  By Friday, all students must have selected a topic for the History Fair.

On Wednesday, students will begin their first major project of the year…the Colonial Brochure Project.

For this project, the students will be working in-class to create a computer generated brochure on one of the 13 colonies.

Wednesday will be spent explaining the project, learning about their particular colony, and working on a rough draft.  Once the rough draft is complete, the rest of the project will be done using the computers.  By the end of next week students will have completed their computer-generated brochure for their particular colony.

Once the project is complete, students will use their classmate’s brochures to learn about all 13 colonies.

Homework

Monday 10/10
Complete Colonial Journal

Tuesday 10/11
No Homework

Wednesday 10/12
Homework will depend on how individual students are proceeding with their project.

Thursday 10/13
Next item on History Fair checklist must be initialed by Monday (Item #4 – Topic Selection)

Friday 10/14
No School for students

Share

This week we will continue with our unit: Colonial Life.

On Monday we will take a look at how democracy worked within the colonies and on Tuesday we will focus on slavery in the colonies with students learning about the triangle trade and the horrors of the middle passage.  The rest of the week, students will take a “walking tour of the colonies” where they examine pictures and descriptions of various aspects of colonial life.

Next week, students will use their notes from their “walking tour” to write a journal entry as if they just spent a year in Colonial America. This will help lay the foundation for our Colonial Brochure project which we will begin next week as well.  The Colonial Brochure project is an in-class project in which each student will create a computer-generated brochure for one of the 13 colonies.

**History Fair Update:
Please continue to keep up with the History Fair Checklist. By Friday, the first 3 items on the checklist should be completed and initialed by both students and parents.

Homework

Monday 10/3
Complete colonial advertisement

Tuesday 10/4    
Complete primary source reading: Gustavus Vassa Crosses the Atlantic and answer questions 1-8

Wednesday 10/5
No Homework

Thursday 10/6
Next 2 items on History Fair Checklist must be initialed by both student and parent.

Friday 10/7
No Homework

Share

Hi,

Hope everyone is having a great weekend.

After our test early last week we started our next unit on the Age of Exploration focusing mostly on the causes of European exploration as well as many of the explorers of the time, including Christopher Columbus, John Cabot, and Ponce de Leon.

This week will begin with a lesson on Ferdinand Magellan, who many believe to be the greatest navigator of the time. We will also study how joint-stock companies were formed and how the Kings of Europe used mercantilism to increase their profit and power.  By the middle of next week students should be ready for their next exam on the Age of Exploration.

**See Wednesday for History Fair Information**

Homework

Monday 9/19
Answer questions from: The Voyage of Magellan

Tuesday 9/20
No Homework

Wednesday 9/21
*Today: Students will receive their current 1st quarter grade in social studies and revisit their goals set at the beginning of the school year.

**This year History Fair will be mandatory for all advanced classes. Fortunately, the county fair has been pushed back which allows us to have our own History Fair judging at Haile at the beginning of January.  Only the top projects will move on to the county level. This also allows us to work with the Science department to avoid as much overlap as possible. If time allows on Wednesday I will introduce the History Fair theme and handout the History Fair Checklist.

Although, the History Fair is only mandatory for advanced classes, students in all classes will be responsible for the first 8 items on the checklist.  After that, students in the non-advanced classes may decide not to participate, however, there will be built-in incentives for those students to participate.

Thursday 9/22
Complete questions 1-6 from: Mercantilism

Today: Progress Report Day

Friday 9/23
No Homework

Share

Hi,

This week we will wrap our “min-unit” on Native American Cultures with a test on Tuesday.  Wednesday we will start learning about the Age of Exploration.  We will take a look at the causes of European exploration (particularly the connection between the Renaissance and exploring), as well as the effect that European exploration had on various groups of people.  We will also identify a number different European explorers and their role during this time period.

Homework

Monday 9/12
Ticket-to-the-Test: This is an optional homework assignment that I give the night before EVERY test. Students are to create their own test questions AND answers (minimum of 10) based on the content of the unit. Those students who create the Ticket-to-the-Test can hand it in BEFORE the test and receive 3 Bonus points on the test.

Tuesday 9/13
*Test Today: Early Native Americans
*No Homework

Wednesday 9/14
No Homework
**Bring in colored pencils for tomorrow’s class

Thursday 9/15
Color map from packet: The Explorers Game (p. 4D)

• Use four different colors for each of the following countries: Portugal, France, Spain, and England
•  Color each country’s colonial land claim with the same color.  Use the chart on 4B to identify the area that each country explored and claimed.

Friday 9/16
No Homework

Share

This week will start on our next unit: Early Native Americans.  This next unit will be quite short as we will touch upon Native American cultures throughout many of our other units this year.  Actually, much of this unit is really an extension of the first unit on geography as the main focus this week will be on how Native Americans adapted to eight different geographic regions in what is now the United States. It also sets the stage for our next unit on the Age of Exploration as that unit will focus on how European exploration affected various groups of people, particularly the Native Americans.

By Tuesday of next week we should be ready for our second test.  Don’t worry, the class will not simply be test after test, but the first two units just happen to be quite short.

**On Friday, we will spend part of the class period focusing on the terrorist attacks of  9/11/01.  Students will then receive 15 interview questions to interview a person about his or her recollection of September 11, 2001. This person can be a parent, grandparent, teacher etc.

Have a great week!

Homework

Monday 9/5
No School

Tuesday 9/6
Complete worksheet: The First Americans

Wednesday 9/7
Imagine you are a Native American from the specific geographic region you studied in class today.  Write a 1/2 – 1 page journal entry about how you have adapted to your environment.  Your journal entry must be written in the present tense–as if you were there.  Journals must also include:

* The name of the geographic region.

* A description of some of the physical features where you live.

* At least three ways in which you have adapted to your environment.

Do not just list the physical features and adaptations.  Instead, write a creative journal entry that draws from the information learned in class.  Use information from student notes to help you write your journal entry.

Thursday 9/8
Create 1 test question and 1 test answer for each of the geographic regions studied in class today.  Questions must address how Native Americans adapted to the 8 different regions.

Friday 9/9
Interview someone about his or her recollection of September 11th
(Interview Questions)

Share

First of all, I want to thank everyone who signed up for the email notifications.  By working together I believe your child will have the greatest opportunity for success.

However, please understand that the homework and/or content of any given day is subject to change.  During the course of a lesson students may go through material quicker than anticipated or may “dig” deeper into a subject than originally anticipated.  Good teaching involves making adjustments to lesson plans and assignments when necessary.  Feel free to contact me at any time if you ever have any questions.

Well, the first week got off to a great start!

After focusing the first few days on rules, procedures, and expectations we started our first unit with a review of Geography.  On Friday of last week, students created map “puzzle pieces” and questions that will be used to play a game in Monday’s class. The puzzle pieces will be used to create a large classroom political map.

Tuesday and Wednesday we will move onto examining physical maps.  Students will be identifying and labeling the major physical features (both water and land) in the United States.  Thursday will be spent reviewing everything we have done so far in this unit and students will take their first test of the quarter on Friday.

**Reminder: Thursday is Picture Day**

Homework

Monday 8/29
Complete blank political map:  fill in all 50 states.

Tuesday 8/30
Pick any three physical features (water) from today’s lesson that you would like to visit.  Write down one state the physical feature borders or is located in and the latitude and longitude coordinates for each.  Use the physical map on textbook p. RA4 – RA5 for help.

Example: I would like to visit the Great Salt Lake in Utah (41 N, 112 W)

Wednesday 8/31
Pick any three physical features (land) from today’s lesson that you would like to visit.  Write down one state the physical feature borders or is located in and the latitude and longitude coordinates for each.  Use the physical map on textbook p. RA4 – RA5 for help.

Example: I would like to visit Mt McKinley in Alaska (150 W, 61 N)

Thursday 9/1
Ticket-to-the-Test: This is an optional homework assignment that I give the night before EVERY test.  Students are to create their own test questions AND answers (minimum of 10) based on the content of the unit.  Those students who create the Ticket-to-the-Test can hand it in BEFORE the test and receive 3 Bonus points on the test.

Friday 9/2
Test Today ~ No Homework

Share