Overview of 1970s + Arab-Israeli Conflict + The Outsiders

See enlarged views here & here.

Today the 8th Graders:

• During an overview of the 1970s, students expressed an interest in the 1978 Camp David Accords and consequently explored background information on the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict.
• Discussed Ch. 8 of The Outsiders.

Assignments for Wednesday

1. Read Ch. 9 & 10 of The Outsiders.
2. Read these sections on the 1970s from the Online History Textbook (Clicky clicky.)

• Triangular Diplomacy: U.S., USSR, and China
• Undoing a President
• The Sickened Economy

Making Sense of the Sixties - Final Episode + Essay on MSotS + Ch. 8 of the Outsiders

Today the 8th Graders:

• Watched and discussed the final episode of Making Sense of the Sixties
• Began writing an essay on the series - Suggestions for Essay
• Participated, if they wanted, with the 6th/7th Graders in the Last Frontier Role Play
• Began reading Ch. 8 of The Outsiders

Assignments for Monday

1. Finish reading Ch. 8 of The Outsiders
2. Finish your Essay on Making Sense of the Sixties

Making Sense of the Sixties - 1969/70 + The Outsiders

Today the Grade 8s: Viewed and discussed Ep. 9 of Making Sense of the Sixties, focusing on 1969 & 1970

Assignment for Friday: Read Ch. 7 of The Outsiders.

Making Sense of the Sixties: 1968 + Discussion of Ch. 5 of The Outsiders

On this day, the 8th Graders:

• Watched Episode 9 of Making Sense of the Sixties, focusing on the year 1968
• Held an insightful discussion of Ch. 5 of The Outsiders

Assignment for Thursday: Read Ch. 6 of The Outsiders.

Making Sense of the Sixties - Vietnam + The Outsiders-Ch. 5

Today the 8th Graders:

• Viewed and discussed the episode from Making Sense of the Sixties called Vietnam Touched Off a Firestorm
• Began reading Ch. 5 of S. E. Hinton - The Outsiders

Assignment for Wednesday - Finish reading Ch. 5 of The Outsiders.

Grandparents Day Celebration + Outsiders Ch. 3

Today the 8th Graders:

• Celebrated Grandparents Day
• Began reading Ch. 3 of The Outsiders

Assignment for Monday: Finish reading Ch. 3 of The Outsiders

Discussion of Ch. 1 of The Outsiders + Primary Sources from The Vietnam War

Today the 8th Graders:

• Discussed Ch. 1 of The Outsiders
• Viewed a student's grandfather's primary sources from the Vietnam War
• Began reading Ch. 2 of The Outsiders

Assignment for Friday: Finish reading Ch. 2 of The Outsiders

Basic Info on Vietnam War + Discussion of Online Textbook Pages + Began The Outsiders

Today the 8th Graders:

• Finished taking notes on basic information about the Vietnam War
• Discussed various aspects of last night's reading of Vietnam War pages at the Online American History site
• Began reading Ch. 1 of S. E. Hinton - The Outsiders

Assignment for Thursday: Finish reading Ch. 1 of S. E. Hinton - The Outsiders

Making Sense of the Sixties
6. How the Sixties Changed America
7. Vietnam Touched Off a Firestorm
8. Americans Were Furious in 1968
9. How Vietnam Affected America in 1968
10. They Never Forgot the 1960s

Discussion of A Separate Peace + Vietnam War Overview

Today the 8ths:

• Had perhaps our final discussion of A Separate Peace; the students shared excellent insights; the character diagram below is interesting, despite the misspelling of the novel's title; I was going to show it to you earlier, but it would have spoiled a couple of key plot developments.
• Began taking notes on basic information about the Vietnam War
• Began reading a packet of timelines, summaries, and clashing points of view about the Vietnam War

Assignment for Tuesday: Finish reading (a couple of times each) the two timelines, the summary, and the maps of the Vietnam War. We will continue our overview of the war tomorrow.

Making Sense of the Sixties-Part 4 + A Separate Peace-Ch. 6 & 7

Today the 8th Graders:

• Watched & discussed Making Sense of the Sixties-Part 4

• Began reading Ch. 6 & 7 of John Knowles's A Separate Peace

Assignment for Thursday: Finish reading Ch. 6 & 7 of ASP and come prepared to discuss it.

A Separate Peace: Discussion of Ch. 4 & 5 + Reading Ch. 6

Today the 8th Graders:

• Had an excellent discussion of Ch. 4 & 5 of A Separate Peace
• Did silent reading of Ch. 6 of A Separate Peace

Assignment for Wednesday: Finish reading Ch. 6 of ASP.

A Separate Peace Discussion + Reading A Separate Peace, Ch. 4 & 5

Today the Gr8s:

• Held an in-depth discussion of Ch. 1-3 of John Knowles' A Separate Peace
• Began reading Ch. 4 & 5 of ASP

Assignments for Tuesday

1. Finish reading Ch. 4 & 5 of A Separate Peace
2. Happy Easter & enjoy your 4-day weekend!

Today the Eighths:

• Filled out & discussed a "Conformity Survey" based on personal insights and insights derived from the video Making Sense of the Sixties-Seeds of the Sixties.
• Began reading Ch. 1 of John Knowles, A Separate Peace.

Assignments for Tuesday

1. Finish the Conformity Survey. Use The 1950s-Online U.S. Textbook Pages-Part 1 and the Seeds of the Sixties video to job your memory.
2. Finish reading Ch. 1 of John Knowles, A Separate Peace.

Hiroshima Discussion + Seeds of the Sixties, Pt. 2

Today the Eighths:

• Discussed Ch. II of John Hersey's Hiroshima
• Viewed, pausing periodically to discuss the second installment of Making Sense of the Sixties-Seeds of the Sixties (were planted in the 1950s)
• Began reading Ch. III of Hiroshima

Assignment for Thursday: Read and be ready to discuss Ch. III of Hiroshima

Vocab Quiz Br. Summ. CW 2 + Making Sense + Hersey's Hiroshima

Today the 8ths:

• Did some last-minute studying for the Vocab Quiz
• Took the Vocab Quiz-Brief Summary of the Cold War - Part 2
• Watched some more of Part 1 of the PBS series, Making Sense of the Sixties: Seeds of the Sixties (were sown in the 1950s)
• Did an activity called Speculating on Chapter Titles in John Hersey's Hiroshima
• Began reading John Hersey's 1946 book, Hiroshima

Assignment for Tuesday: Finish Chapter 1 of Hiroshima - "A Noiseless Flash"

Vision/Hearing Screening + Time Line + 1984 + Truman Domestic Policy + McCarthyism

Today the 8th Graders:

• Had their vision & hearing screened
• Examined a Time Line of U. S. History Since World War II, focusing on:
• The Cold War
• The interplay between the Cold War and domestic politics
• McCarthyism
• Korean War
• Vietnam War
• Briefly discussed 1984
• Began reading the pages on the online U. S. history textbook on Truman's Domestic Policy ("Domestic Challenges") & McCarthyism

Assignments for Friday

1. Finish reading "Domestic Challenges" & "McCarthyism."
2. Review Ch. 1 & 2 in 1984 discussion and possible pop quiz.

Korean War Documentary + Orwell's 1984

Today the 8th Graders:

• Watched, pausing to discuss, this Korean War Documentary
• Began reading Ch. 2 of Orwell's 1984
• 
  

Assignment for Thursday

1. Finish watching the Korean War Documentary
2. Finish reading Ch. 2 of Orwell's 1984 and come prepared to discuss it.

Korean War Videos

• Korean War in Colour (Documentary) - 1:25:05
• History Channel Documentaries HD Korean War Documentary BBC 2015 - 1:21:58
• Korean War: Fire and Ice - Part 1 of 4 - 44:21

Korean War + Orwell's 1984

Today the 8th Graders:

• Shared analyses of the 4-map sequence on the Korean War
• Supplemented the color 4-map sequence with information from another sequence. Both are found on this PPT, Two 4-Map Korean War Sequences.
• Read a summary and began reading a 1997 Newsweek article on the Korean War
• Began reading Chapter 1 of George Orwell - 1984

Assignments for Wednesday

1. Finish reading the packet on the Korean War including the 1997 Newsweek article.
2. Read and come prepared to discuss Chapter 1 of 1984.

Results of WW II + Code Talker

See other useful Cold War maps here.

Today the 8ths:

• Took notes and examined maps and pictures on Results of World War II
• Read as much as they could of Ch. 23-26 in Code Talker

Assignment for Monday: Read and come to class prepared to discuss Ch. 23-26 in Code Talker.

WW II Video, cont'd + A-Bomb Debate

Today the 8ths:

• Watched the WW II in Color video from right after D-Day to Okinawa
• Continued the Atomic Bomb Debate, today doing it online

Assignment for Wednesday -

1. Finish the A-Bomb Online Debate by the time you arrive for class
2. Read and come prepared to discuss Ch. 12-14 in Code Talker