Canterbury Faire!

Today we enjoyed the all-school Canterbury Faire!

Will's War Discussion & Analysis + Results of WW I + Europe Before & After WW I

Today the Gr8s

• Analyzed and evaluated various aspects of Will's War: Will Bergfeld, Anna Bennett, the American Court System (as seen in Will's War), Rockefeller & the Mine Owners at Ludlow, CO; see GooDoc.
• Took notes on the Results of World War I
• Analyzed two maps showing Europe Before and After World War I

Assignments for Monday

1. Finish the GooDoc on Will's War--The Good & The Bad
2. Do the Map Analysis - Europe Before & After World War I - Write down every change you see that took place in Europe as a result of World War I.
3. Read Ch. 20 in Will's War & post 5 discussion questions.

Major Test - WW I, cont'd

The know-it-all 8th Graders continued working on their WW I Major Test.

Assignment for Thursday

1. Read Ch. 19 in Will's War.
2. Post 5 discussion questions at your blog.

Major Test over WW I + Will's War

Today the 8ths spent most of the period taking the Major Test over World War I

Assignment for Wednesday:

1. Read and come prepared to discuss Ch. 17 & 18 of Will's War.
2. Post 5 discussion questions for each chapter.

Wilson's Fourteen Points + Class Discussion over Versailles Treaty & League of Nations + Major Test Prep

Today our 8th Graders:

• Turned in and discussed the rest of their Analysis of Wilson's Fourteen Points
• Discussed the extent to which the Treaty of Versailles and failure of the United States to ratify it and join the League of Nations helped cause World War II
• Studied for tomorrow's Major Test over World War I

Assignment for Tuesday: Major Test over World War I - See study tips here.

WW I, cont'd + Wilson's 14 Points + Major Test Prep + Treaty of Versailles & the League of Nations

Today our 8ths:

• Discussed and evaluated Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points
• Reviewed briefly for Tuesday's Major Test over World War I
• Viewed and took notes on videos related to the Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations

Assignments

For Monday
1. Read Ch. 15 & 16 in Will's War and post 5 discussion questions per chapter at your blog..
2.  Finish the Analysis of Wilson's 14 Points - You may collaborate.
3. Watch at least 1 hour of videos on the Versailles Conference and the Treaty of Versailles. Then answer the question, "To what extent did the Treaty of Versailles and the United States' failure to sign it help cause World War II?" Write at least two good paragraphs answering the question.

World War I - Treaty of Versailles (3:07) - WatchMojo
The Treaty of Versailles and its Consequences (8:35) - Anthony Kemmer
Treaty of Versailles Documentary (38:33) - BBC Two
The Treaty of Versailles (c. 58:51 mins.) - BBC Four

For Tuesday - Major Test over World War I - Study these:

• A Brief Summary of World War I - both sides of the page
• Learn the map showing the Allies and Central Powers
• Study the Online History Textbook pages about WW I
• America in the First World War
1. Farewell to Isolation
2. Over There
3. Over Here
4. The Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations
• Be able to identify the pictures of soldiers, weapons, etc.
• Be able to identify the cartoons we studied: Causes of WW I, U. S. Neutrality, etc. 
• Be able to discuss arguments for and against U. S. entry into World War I
• Be able to evaluate the AEF's contribution to the Allied victory
• Be able to evaluate the Wilson's 14 Points, the U.S. Senate's decision not to ratify the Treaty of Versailles or join the League of Nations.

Heroism During World War I + Wilson's 14 Points + Spelling Vocabulary

Today the Gr8s:

Discussed the questions of what makes someone a hero and which was more a hero: Will Bergfeld (in Will's War) or Sgt. Alvin C. York
Began an analysis of President Wilson's 14 Points

Assignments For Friday
1. Finish the Analysis of Wilson's 14 Points.

• Do at least 7 of the 14 Points.
• You may collaborate.

2. Spelling/Vocab Quiz (See Monday's post for the list of words. Be able to:

• Spell the words correctly.
• Write the definitions from memory.
• Use each word correctly in a sentence.
• Look at a picture and tell which vocabulary word the picture illustrates.

Student Versions of "Over There" + Doughboy Hero Sgt. York

Today the 8th Graders:

• Read and sang one another's versions of "Over There"
• Read and discussed Sgt. Alvin C. York, one of the most famous American heroes of World War I
• Related what they were reading to what we have learned about the A.E.F. and World War I (e.g., York fought in the St. Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne Offensives)
• Began watching an excerpt of the Movie - Sgt. York

Assignments

For Thursday

1. Finish watching the excerpt of the Movie - Sgt. York.
2. Read Ch. 13 & 14 of Will's War and post 5 questions per chapter at your blog.

For Friday - Spelling/Vocabulary Quiz over words from Ch. VI & VII of Will's War. See list at class blog post of 10/19/15.

"Over There" Analysis + Will's War Discussion + "Over There Rewrite"

Today our Grade 8's:

• Analyzed the AEF's favorite marching song, "Over There," by George M. Cohan
• Focused on emotional appeals in the song: every son of liberty, daddy, sweetheart, flag, mother, etc.
• Analyzed the tone of the song
• Experimented with writing the song to a mournful tune
• Discussed what Will Bergfeld in Will's War would have thought of the song
• Began rewriting the song from Bergfeld's point of view

Assignments
For Wednesday
1. Finish rewriting "Over There" from Will Bergfeld's p.o.v.
2. Read Ch. 11 & 12 in Will's War and post 3 discussion questions per chapter.

For Friday - Spelling/Vocabulary Quiz over words from Ch. VI & VII of Will's War

Vocabulary from Will's War + The AEF on the Western Front + Battle of Cantigny

Today our 8th Graders

• Were introduced to this week's Vocabulary Words (see below under Assignments)
• Reviewed the major Allied offensives in which the AEF fought on the Western Front during World War I
• Viewed & periodically paused to discuss the C-SPAN video on the Battle of Cantigny

Assignments

For Tuesday

1. Watch and take notes on the rest of the C-SPAN video on the Battle of Cantigny
2. Read Will's War, Ch. 8, 9, & 10 and post 3 questions per chapter at your blog.
3. Read the lyrics to the song, "Over There," and circle every emotional appeal Cohan uses to get American boys to become doughboys. Click here to hear.

For Friday - Vocabulary Quiz – Ch. VI & VII – Will’s War

1. ornate – with elaborate or excessive decoration
2. forebears – ancestors
3. in lieu of – in place of; instead of
4. cholera – an acute and often fatal intestinal disease that produces severe diarrhea, vomiting, dehydration, & gastric pain
5. plundering – robbing or stealing
6. devout – very religious
7. lavished – gave or spent generously or to excess
8. abundant – plentiful               
9. soiree – an evening party, especially in somebody’s home
10. railed – complained or protested bitterly
11. deplorable – extremely unacceptable; worthy of severe condemnation
12. tyrant – an absolute ruler who exercises power cruelly and unjustly

World War I Submarine & Aerial Warfare + The A.E.F. & Allied Victory

Today the 8th Graders:

• Viewed and analyzed the sections in "Arming the Earth" on submarine and aerial warfare during World War I
• Began analyzing two maps showing the main offensives in which the American Expeditionary Force fought on the Western Front during World War I

Assignments for Monday.
1. Finish analyzing the two maps on the A.E.F.

• Number off the 6 offensives in chronological order on the map
• Gather information online on the 6 offensives and write notes out to the side of each

2. Read Ch. 6 & 7 in Will's War and post 3 discussion questions for each at your blog.

World War I, cont'd + Will's War, Ch. 3, 4, & 5

Today our 8th Graders:

• Discussed Chapters 3 & 4 of Will's War.
• Began reading the longish Ch. 5, to be finished by tomorrow.
• 
  

Assignments for Friday

1. Read the intro and Roman numeral I of the History section of the Wikipedia article on the Industrial Workers of the World ("Wobblies").
2. Read Ch. 5 of Will's World and post 5 discussion questions at your blog.

World War I Debate on U. S. Entry

Today the 8th Graders did an excellent job of debating the question, "Should the United States have fought in World War I?" They went in depth, clashed vigorously, and made effective use of the information they have been gathering and organizing.

Assignment for Thursday
1. Read here & here on U.S. military involvement in World War I. Read each page twice.
2. Look back over Ch. 3 & 4 in Will's War and come to class prepared to discuss them.

Crash Course on WW I, Will's War Ch. 1 & 2, Debate Prep

Today the 8th Graders:

• Reviewed the Crash Course Video on the U. S. in WW I
• Discussed the Prologue, Ch. 1, and Ch. 2 of Will's War
• Continued preparing for tomorrow's debate on the question, "Should the United States have entered World War I?"

Assignments for Wednesday
1. Have your Pro|Con Debate Notes ready to use and turn in.
2. Read and come prepared to discuss Ch. 3 & 4 of Will's War.

All Quiet, cont'd + Crash Course on U. S. & WW I + Debate Prep on U. S. Entry

Today the 8ths:

• Viewed & discussed the next 15-20 minutes of the movie, All Quiet on the Western Front
• Viewed & discussed the first 7 minutes of the Crash Course Video on the U. S. & WW I
• Continued analyzing documents to prepare for next Wednesday's Debate on the question, "Should the United States have entered World War I?"
• Students are to prepare a Pro/Con Chart of the information they've been examining. - Due Wednesday, 10/14

Assignment for Tuesday - Have a wonderful 3-Day Weekend!

Today the Gr8 8s:

• Read one another's Trench Stories on World War I
• Reread the paragraph on U. S. Neutrality during WW I
• Were divided into teams for a mini-debate on the question, "Should the United States have entered World War I?"
• Began analyzing a packet on reasons for U. S. entry into WW I

Assignment for Friday

1. Finish the packet on reasons for U. S. entry into WW I
2. Review the first 19 pages of Will's War for class discussion tomorrow.

World War I: "Arming the Earth" Video + Discussion of Discrimination During Wartime + Trench Story + Will's War

Today the Grade 8s:

• Increased their understanding of WW I trench warfare by viewing part of the video, "Arming the Earth,"  from the Bill Moyers series, A Walk Through the Twentieth Century.
• Discussed with the Grade 6s & 7s the question, "Should U. S. citizens with foreign surnames from countries against whom we are fighting be discriminated against in time of war?"
• Continued writing their Trench Story
• Began reading Janice Woods Windle's Will's War, the story of discrimination against German Texans during World War I

Assignments for Thursday
1. Trench Story is due.

• At least 1000 words
• 12-point Times New Roman font
• Double spaced
• 1.5-inch margins

2. Will's War

• Finish filling out the Pre-Will's War Chart.
• Read through pp. 1-19 in Will's War.
• Write and post at least 3 discussion questions for each chapter

Trench Warfare + All Quiet + Trench Story

Today the Grade Eighters:

• Continued analyzing diagrams & pictures showing trench warfare on the Western Front in World War I - This is what the American doughboys would encounter when they finally arrived "Over There" in 1917.
• Viewed the first few minutes of the movie, All Quiet on the Western Front, noting the brutality of trench warfare and how, by favoring the defense, it led to the 3.5-year stalemate on the Western Front
• Began writing their 1000-word (minimum) Trench Story, creatively and realistically applying what they are learning about trench warfare.

Assignment for Wednesday - Continue working on your Trench Story. - Due Thursday.

Review of Causes of WW I + Opening Action on Western Front + Trench Warfare

Click above, here, and here for enlarged views.

Today the 8ths:

• Reviewed the causes of WW I
• Looked at the opening action on the Western Front
• Analyzed the German Schlieffen Plan-Before & During
• Read through and examined diagrams in a packet on Trench Warfare on the Western Front
• Students were asked to absorb as much of the information on trench warfare as they could, as they will soon be writing a Trench Story describing an attack on a trench system during WW I
• Found additional information, including videos, online illustrating and explaining trench warfare

Assignments for Tuesday -

1. Continue finding and reading and absorbing information on trench warfare on the Western Front
2. Be thinking about possible approaches to the trench story you will soon be writing.

Quiz over Brief Summary of WW I + Cartoon Analysis over Causes of WW I

Today our 8th Graders:

• Took the Quiz over the Br. Summary of World War I
• Analyzed Cartoons on the Causes of WW I

Assignments for Monday:  Finish Cartoon Analysis on Causes of WW I

Crash Course Vids + Silent Debate on the Causes of World War I

Today the Great 8's:

• Viewed, periodically stopping to discuss, two Crash Course Videos on the Causes of World War I

• Held a Silent Debate on the question, "What was the most important cause of World War I?"

Assignment for Friday: Quiz over both sides of A Brief Summary of World War I

1. Learn all the textual material (words).
2. Learn the symbols at the top of p. 1.
3. Learn the opposing sides (Allies vs. Central Powers) on the map, plus what the other pictures show on the back of the handout.