8th Grade Homework

8th Grade Social Studies  Current assignments above line.  Running list below. 
Take time to notice, think, wonder. How will you make the most of your new school?

5/28 Take ten minutes tops to revise your thesis statement before your read your book. Return both tomorrow.

5/16 Prepare for the Reconstruction assessment tomorrow. I can discuss the historic routes of current events/issues.

5/9 If you ran out of time to complete your response to the DuBois quote, please finish by Monday.

4/25 Read your assigned situation/question. Then read the various perspectives on the issue. Highlight those arguments with which you agree, or write your own opinion below.

4/11 Causes of the Civil War & Map Assessment April 23.

4/9 Causes of the Civil War Summative Assessment coming up. Review Sectionalism chart and map.  See previous posts for details.

4/8 Review your Sectionalism chart in your journal. Practice labeling the Confederate and Union States via learning links.

4/2 Use the Civil War learning links to practice labeling the Confederate and Union states.

3/25 Use the learning links to test your knowledge of U.S. geography.

3/19 Use the feedback and rubric to guide your revisions to your anti-slavery
piece.  Complete the form documenting your progress on writing a clear and concise thesis statement.  Both due Friday.

3/14 See you at the lasagna dinner.

3/12 Read the Hartford Courant article, " Students Urge Plastic Bag Ban". Share your news coverage by clicking this link to the Channel 8 broadcast.

3/8 Permission slips back tomorrow please!!! Complete your letters to the environment committee if you opt to support SB 1003.

2/28 Essay refuting Hammond due by end of class Friday.

2/27 What is the strongest evidence you can offer Mr. Hammond as you refute his support of slavery?

2/25 How did the Eli Whitney's cotton gin impact the institution of slavery?

2/15 How is your understanding of the factors that supported slavery growing?  How could one enslave another?

2/13 Tell someone how geography influenced economic development and regional interests in the U.S.

2/8 Talk to the grown-ups in your life about your desire to raise awareness about the environmental costs of single-use plastic bags. 

2/5 Look at the list of current proposed bills for CT shared with you via google docs.  Which proposal(s) do you think Representative Horn and Senator Miner should support?  What are the most important reasons for a plastic bag ban? The strongest evidence?  Be prepared to talk about this with Representative Horn and the accompanying journalists who plan to cover the event for the newspapers. As Greta Thunberg says, "We don't need hope, we need action."  

2/4 Final rounds of our investment simulation tomorrow, as well as preparation for Representative Horn's visit.  Review the google docs we created on the geographic regions, and plastic bag bans.

1/28  Review the geography and economic activities of the New England, Middle, Southern and Frontier regions of the original 13 British colonies.  Why?  You can't make wise investments without knowledge. (This activity is helping us explore the question: What role might geography have played in the U.S. Civil War?

1/23 Can you remember the names and locations of the 5 Great Lakes? Might this statement help? Sue made her eat onions.

1/18 How does geography affect your life?

1/14 What question and answer did you find most interesting in today's preliminary round of the Geo Bee?

1/10 Review the early political parties chart to ready yourself for the family feud.

1/7 Use feedback to revise your journal work.

12/18 Debrief the Day Without Rights simulation. Due Thursday
  1. Briefly summarize the document that protects the freedoms and rights of every American (Bill of Rights)
  2. Give an overview of the Day Without Rights simulation.
    • Who was involved? When? Why? How
    • What specific rights were denied to you? Give examples
  3. In what ways did the simulation shift your understanding of the role the Bill of Rights plays in your daily life?
  4. What would it be like to live in a world where basic civil rights were non-existent?
12/17 Day Without Rights tomorrow.  Wear blue jeans, plain white shirt, sneakers.  No cosmetics or accessories. 
Read the news article.  Explain (in writing) which right(s) is/are being challenged and which amendment protects that civil right.

12/11 Tell someone several reasons Eleanor Roosevelt is notable.

12/10  Complete the Bill of Rights identification sheet.  Begin work on the TOP TEN REASONS CT SHOULD BAN SINGLE USE BAGS doc. 

12/7 Discuss the constitutional case studies we examined in class.  How can we best balance individual rights and the "greater good"?
Make sure your household knows about the changes in Thursday's field trip.

12/4  Ask an adult in charge to sign your Hyde Park permission slip and the "Day Without Rights" simulation slip if you have not already. Which amendments do you think are most important?

11/30  Discuss the "Day Without Rights" simulation with a grown-up in charge.  Return the doubly signed permission slip.

11/29 Read the news article. In writing, identify the branch of government which had its power checked, how, and which branch did the checking. Include the level of government and a the gist of the story. 

11/28 Look for examples of the system of checks and balances in the news.

11/19 Open the newspapers to a page with an article on President Trump. Skim article to get the gist.

11/8 Share your plastic bag ban lobbying letter with me in time for me to read it and give you feedback so that you can submit a letter ready to mail on Wednesday 

11/6 Who will win the election?

11/2 Reflect on your preparation and performance on today's assessment.  What steps did you take to meet with success? What targets were challenging?  What next steps will you take?

10/26 Assessment on branches and levels of government November 2.  Use your journal and digital links to practice, practice, practice.

10/23 Tell someone at home the basic steps in passing a law.

10/16 Gather props, digital and hard copy visuals for your section of the music video.
10/16 Come to class ready to complete your explanatory summary of the Great Compromise.

10/10 Can you chart the levels and branches of government?

10/5 Gather any props, digital images or clips you may need to produce our Preamble Rap.   Tell

CONTEST OPTION.  Visit the Veterans of Foreign War website for information on the patriotism essay.

10/3 Read, code and identify which powers have given the states the right to pass various laws. Due Thursday

10/1 Tell someone at home how the authors of the Constitution divided political power.

9/25 Read, code and respond the the plastic bag ban editorial. Due Thursday.  Find a red, white or blue shirt you'd like to stencil for our music video. Ask about material for our footprint sign.

9/18 Use the feedback you
received today to guide your
preparation for the summative assessment on the Preamble to the Constitution​ this Friday.

9/7 Reread our class notes on plastic bags: environmental impact and bans.  Optional: memorize the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution.