Discussion of Ch. 6 & 7 of The Call of the Wild + Continued Prep for Mini-Debate over Causes of WW I

Today the 8th Graders:

• Discussed the last two chapters of The Call of the Wild, focusing on its characteristics as parable, fable, and allegory.
• Continued preparing for the mini-debate over the Causes of World War I
• Hadn't as much time as usual due to half the class being gone for school publicity photos

Assignments

For Thursday - Mini-Debate over MANIA: Causes of World War I (Click for a chart I worked up several years ago over the causes, modified slightly today.)

For Friday - Quiz over A Brief Summary of World War I

Brief Summary of WW I + Causes of WW I

M-A-N-I-A

Today the Eighths:

• Finished reading and discussing the Brief Summary of World War I - Quiz over this on Friday
• Chose a cause of World War I and took notes from an American History textbook in preparation for a mini-debate tomorrow over the question: What was the most important cause of World War I?

Assignment for Wednesday

1. Review Ch. 6 & 7 in The Call of the Wild and come prepared to discuss it.
2. Be prepared for the mini-debate over the Causes of World War I.

World War I + The Call of the Wild, Ch. VII

Today our 8ths:

1. Began our study of World War I

• Examined a map showing the Allied Powers vs. Central Powers + the main fronts of WW I
• Examined drawings & pictures of German, French, British, and American troops during WW I
• Noted how their uniforms can help us distinguish one country's troops from another's
• Noted how the uniforms, especially headgear, changed as a result of trench warfare in WW I

• Learned nicknames of some of the nations' troops: Poilu (French), Doughboy (American), Tommy (British), Hun (pejorative nickname given by Allies to German soldiers)
• Began reading A Brief Summary of World War I
• Discussed & analyzed cartoons about MANIA, the 5 Main Causes of WW I: 
• Militarism
• Alliances
• Nationalism
• Imperialism
• Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary

2. Began reading Ch. VII of The Call of the Wild

Assignment for Tuesday - The Call of the Wild

1. Finish reading Ch. VII
2. Write 5 discussion questions and post them at your blog.
3. Finish the My Map on Buck's Itinerary
4. Finish the sheet on Events That Change Buck.- The final copy is due Tuesday, 9/29.

WW I Resources

• PBS Site - The Great War & the Shaping of the 20th Centry
• First World War.com
• World War I: The American Legacy

The Call of the Wild, Ch. V + Critiquing Imperialism Cartoons

Today our Grade 8s:

• Discussed Ch. V of The Call of the Wild, beginning with a student's question: Why did Jack London make the chapter so gruesome?
• Explored the literary genre called Naturalism and identified some of its themes and practices in The Call of the Wild.
• Looked at student blogs to see 
• what it looked like when a heavy individual jumped from a pier onto a light sheet of ice (memories of Charles, Hal, Mercedes, and the pooches crashing through thin ice and disappearing into the Yukon)
• where we might find clothing and supplies should we want to trek up to the Klondike/Yukon (click here, here, and here)
• where we might go to have a team of huskies pull us in an authentic, tired, tourist sled
• Did an exercise called Critiquing Imperialism Cartoons, showing how a pro-imperialist and an anti-imperialist might view two cartoons on U. S. overseas expansion.

Assignment for Monday -
Finish Critiquing Imperialism Cartoons.
Read Ch. VI of The Call of the Wild and post 5 discussion questions at your blog.

Have a great weekend, young huskies!!

Post-Debate Review + Class Discussion TCOTW + Play on Spanish-American War

Today the Great 8ths:

• Discussed yesterday's Imperialism Debate
• Discussed Ch. IV of London's The Call of the Wild
• Were reminded to stay current on the Google My Maps on Buck's Itinerary in The Call of the Wild and the GooDoc on Events that Change Buck
• Read the play The Case of the Spanish-American War and began filling out a Chart on the Causes of the Spanish-American War.

Assignment for Friday -

1. Finish reading the Span-Am War play and filling out the Chart on the Causes of the Spanish-American War.
2. Read Ch. V in The Call of the Wild and post 5 discussion questions at your blog.
3. Continue updating the Google My Maps on Buck's Itinerary and GooDoc on Events that Change Buck.

Imperialism Debate + The Call of the Wild Reading, My Map, Buck Changes

Today the 8th Graders:

• Debated strongly and effectively the question, "Was it right for the United States to carry out a policy of overseas imperialism." Great job, students!
• Read Ch. IV of The Call of the Wild and worked on their My Map & Buck Changes Google Docs.

Assignments for Thursday

1. Read Ch. IV of The Call of the Wild, post 5 discussion questions at your blog, and come prepared to discuss Ch. IV.
2. Be caught up on your The Call of the Wild My Map and Buck Changes documents.

The Call of the Wild, Ch. 2 & 3 + Imp Deb Prep

Will the real Buck please stand up?

Today the 8th Graders:

• Discussed Ch. II & III of Jack London's The Call of the Wild
• Took notes in preparation for tomorrow's debate: Was it right for the United States to carry out a policy of overseas imperialism?

Assignment for Wednesday - Imperialism Debate
1. Have all your notes taken & handy for use during the debate.

• A Brief Summary of U. S. Overseas Imperialism
• Primary Sources Packet
• Online Textbook
• Cartoons (optional)

2. Have an illustrated PPT Presentation ready showing your 5 Main Arguments (You may show more than 5.)

3. Come prepared to clash!

Crash Course Vid (fin.) + "The White Man's Burden" + Map on World-Wide Imperialism + Deb Prep from Online U. S. History Textbook

Today our 8ths:

• Finished watching the Crash Course Video on U. S. Imperialism
• Read and analyzed part of the poem by Rudyard Kipling, "The White Man's Burden"
• Examined maps showing that many countries were imperializing world-wide during the late 19th/early 20th Centuries - MH PPT - Imperialism
• Took Debate Prep Notes from an Online U. S. History Textbook:
• 44.  Seeking Empire - Overseas Imperialism
• .               Early Stirrings
• a.             Hawaiian Annexation
• b.             "Remember the Maine!"
• c.             The Spanish-American War 1898 and Its Consequences
• d.             The Roosevelt Corollary and Latin America
• e.             Reaching to Asia
• f.              The Panama Canal 

Assignments for Tuesday
1. Continue preparing for Wednesday's Imperialism Debate: Was it right for the United States to carry out a policy of overseas imperialism?

• Continue taking Deb Prep Notes from the Online U. S. History Textbook.
• Continue analyzing "The White Man's Burden."

2. Read and come prepared to discuss Ch. III of The Call of the Wild. (You do not have to write discussion questions over this chapter.)

Imperialism Quiz + Imp Deb Pre + Crash Course Imp Vid + Cartoons on Imperialism + Primary Sources on Imperialism Debate + The Call of the Wild

Today the 8ths:

• Took a Quiz over A Brief Summary of U. S. Overseas Imperialism
• Continued taking Debate Prep Notes from the Brief Summary
• Watched the Crash Course Video - American Imperialism

• Examined cartoons on U. S. Overseas Imperialism
• Began highlighting Pro-Imp & Anti-Imp primary sources on U. S. Overseas Imperialism
• Continued two assignments on Jack London's The Call of the Wild
• Events That Changed Buck - through Ch. 2
• My Map of Buck's Itinerary - through Ch. 2

Assignments for Monday

• Have the Events That Changed Buck and My Map of Buck's Itinerary completed
• Continue preparing for the ImpDeb
• Have a great weekend!

My Maps & GooDoc: The Call of the Wild + Brief Summary of U. S. Overseas Imperialism + Map Quiz U. S. Overseas Imperialism

Today our 8th graders:

• Showed their My Maps and Events That Changed Buck Goo Doc about The Call of the Wild
• Read more of A Brief Summary of U. S. Overseas Imperialism & took Debate Notes from it
• Took the Map Quiz: U. S. Overseas Imperialism
• Read Ch. 2 of The Call of the Wild & wrote discussion questions, continued their My Maps & Events That Change Buck learning activities

Assignments for Friday
1. Quiz - A Brief Summary of U. S. Overseas Imperialism
2. The Call of the Wild

• Read Ch. II: The Law of Club and Fang
• Write 5 discussion questions and post them to your blog.
• Continue adding to My Maps on TCOTW.
• Continue adding to Events That Change Buck in TCOTW.

The Call of the Wild + U. S. Overseas Imperialism

Today the Gr8s worked on

The Call of the Wild

• Discussed their hypotheses over the Chapter Titles in The Call of the Wild
• Began a Google "My Map" on the geographical places mentioned in TCOTW - Instructions here.
• Began a compilation of the events that caused Buck to change during the course of the novel

U. S. Overseas Imperialism

• Examined briefly the Map of U. S. Overseas Imperialism

Assignments for Thursday

1. Map Quiz - U. S. Overseas Imperialism - Study this, this, and this
2. My Map on The Call of the Wild - Include all the places mentioned in Ch. I - Wingboy, share yours with Jay and share it with him. You may work on this together.
3. Fill out Events That Change Buck as seen in Ch. I of The Call of the Wild - Check your Gmail for the invite (if you haven't already). You may work on this together. Color code which of you does what.

Pros & Cons of Imperialism - Began Debate Prep - A Brief Summary of U. S. Overseas Imperialism/Maps - Began The Call of the Wild

The 8ths today:

• Examined one another's lists of the pros and cons of imperialism - view them here and here.
• Chose sides for next week's Imperialism Debate: Was it right for the United States to carry out a policy of overseas imperialism?
• Began reading A Brief Summary of U. S. Overseas Imperialism, coordinating the reading with the maps shown on 2 Phases of U. S. Expansion

Assignments

For Wednesday
1. Be studying for the map quiz over U. S. Overseas Imperialism, postponed until Thursday.

• Use the Answer Sheet for the map quiz to help you prepare. We will also do some practice in class on Wednesday.

2. Do the following for the Jack London novel, The Call of the Wild. I'm personally liking this version better, but use the one you prefer.

• Look at the Chapter Titles on p. 3 and speculate what each chapter might be about. Post your speculations at your blog.
• Read Ch. I: Into the Primitive by Wednesday & post 5 discussion questions at your blog. Be sure to include a picture and a link.
• This Vocabulary List could be helpful as you read.

For Thursday - Map Quiz over U. S. Overseas Imperialism

Quotations About History + U. S. Overseas Imperialism

Today the Gr8s:

• Discussed some of the Quotations About History they analyzed on Friday
• Began our brief study of U. S. Overseas Imperialism
• Answered Pro/Con the following question: "Is it right for one country to take over another country and rule them without their permission?"

Assignments for Tuesday
1. Finish "My Opinion About Imperialism" and post it to your blog.
2. Read and study: (We will discuss these on Tuesday and have a Quiz over "2 Phases" on Wednesday and "A Brief Summary" on Thursday.

• 2 Phases of U. S. Expansion
• A Brief Summary of U. S. Overseas Imperialism 
• Answer Sheet - Map Test - U. S. Overseas Imperialism

Possible History Courses or Book Titles + Quotations About History

Today the Grade 8s:

• Examined one another's Possible History Courses or Book Titles
• Analyzed a list of History Courses at UT-Austin, looking for SMERFCAPS, geographical areas, and time periods; this list from 2007 was a bit easier than the Fall 2015 list.
• Discussed and analyzed some interesting Quotations About History
• Began doing a written analysis under the title, Quotations About History: Thought & Discussion - Due Monday

Assignments for Monday

1. Timeline Quiz - U. S. History 1900-The Present - Study this and use this.
2. Finish and post to your blog, with a picture and links the Quotations About History: Thought & Discussion

Overview of U. S. History + What is History?: "In Space + Possible History Courses or Book Titles

Students:

• Briefly discussed the Timeline of U. S. History 1900-Present they will be quizzed over on Monday
• Studied the Timeline w/ Brief Descriptions of Time Periods of U. S. History - 1865-Present
• Finished reading the What is History? packet on "'In Space: The Planet Earth'"
• Devised tripartite names for Possible History Courses or Book Titles

Assignment for Friday: Finish and post at your blog the Possible History Courses or Book Titles.

8-Pic Chronology Game + Timeline of U. S. History 1900-Present

Today the Grade 8s:

• Worked on the 8-Pic Chronology Game
• Took a diagnostic (non-graded) quiz over the Blank TL U.S. History 1900-Present and checked themselves using the TL U.S. History 1900-Present.

Assignments -

For Thursday - Finish the 8-Pic Chronology Game

For Monday - Timeline Quiz
Blank TL U.S. History 1900-Present
TL U.S. History 1900-Present

8-Pic Chronology Game + Mentoring Grades 6/7 in Timeline Game

Today the 8th Grader Present:

• Began the 8-Pic Chronology Game
• Helped mentor the 6th/7th Graders in playing the Timeline American History Game

Assignment - Finish the 8-Pic Chronology Game

Sharing the Pictorial History + Discussion of Clarke Story + Timeline Card Game

Today the 8th Graders:

• Began sharing their Pictorial History of a SMERFCAPS
• Discussed the Arthur Clarke Short Story, "If Ever I Forget Thee, O Earth"
• Played several rounds of the Timeline American History Game

Assignments - None except:

Have a great 89-hour Labor Day Weekend!

CAC Field Trip + Pictorial History + Clarke Short Story

Today our Grade 8ers:

• Attended a performance at the CAC
• Barely got home in time to work on their Pictorial History of a SMERFCAPS
• Read some from Arthur E. Clarke's "If I Forget Thee, O Earth"

Assignments for Friday

1. Have the Pictorial History of _(SMERFCAPS)__, 1900-Present completed and posted at your blog.
2. Read Arthur Clarke's short story "If I Forget Thee, O Earth." Write 5 questions for discussion on Friday. Post your 5 questions at the blog.

Wednesday, 9/2/15

Today our 8th Graders:

• Continued working on their Pictorial History of _(SMERFCAPS)__, 1900-Present.
• Did a pre-reading activity with the following instructions: Write an essay or short story answering the question: "What would it be like to be on another planet and witness the destruction of earth?"

Assignments for Friday

1. Have the Pictorial History of _(SMERFCAPS)__, 1900-Present completed and posted at your blog.
2. Read Arthur Clarke's short story "If I Forget Thee, O Earth." Write 5 questions for discussion on Friday.

Pictorial History of an Aspect of History (SMERFCAPS)

Today the 8th grade students continued working on their Pictorial History of _(SMERFCAPS)__, 1900-Present and made good progress. They also helped the Grades 6/7 when needed.

Assignment for Wednesday: Continue working on your Pictorial History, which is due to be posted on your blog by classtime on Thursday.