Picture ID-The Outsiders + Discussion of Ch. 9 & 10 of The Outsiders

Today the lads of the 8th:

• Applied what they have been reading by doing a Picture ID-The Outsiders
• Discussed Ch. 9 & 10 of The Outsiders

Assignments for Thursday
1. Finish Picture ID-The Outsiders
2. Read the final two chapters of The Outsiders

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!

Seeds of the Sixties + Hiroshima Discussion

Today the 8th Graders:

• Finished viewing the first half of Making Sense of the Sixties: Seeds of the Sixties (were sown in the 1950s)
• Discussed Ch. 1 of John Hersey's Hiroshima

Assignment for Wednesday: Read Ch. 2 of Hiroshima.

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.

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.

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!

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!

Review to 1914 + SMERFCAPS Review + Class Discussion of Asimov's "The Fun They Had"

Today our eighthies:

• Analyzed a Timeline of American History
• Placed Post-Its of their 5 most important people in American History onto a wall-mounted Timeline of American History
• Reviewed the SMERFCAPS, 9 major categories of historical study
• Discussed  with the sixth and seventh graders the Isaac Asimov story, "The Fun They Had" - Notes typed by two students during the discussion can be read by clicking here.

Assignments: None

Thank you, guys, for an excellent beginning to the school year. I appreciate the way you've participated in class learning activities while also helping the sixth and seventh graders get oriented to using the computers on a regular basis. Have a great first weekend of 2015-16!