Correctives + Vietnam: Overview, cont'd + Timeline + Online Textbook

Today the 8ths:

• Did correctives on their JFK/LBJ Quiz
• Continued their overview of the Vietnam War
• Viewed Vietnam War-5 min. summary-From America in 20th Century Series

• Began reading the following pages of the Online History Textbook:
• The Vietnam War
• Early Involvement
• Years of Escalation: 1965-68
• The Tet Offensive
• The Antiwar Movement
• Years of Withdrawal

Assignment for Wednesday: Finish reading the Vietnam pages listed above.

For Future Reference:

• Vietnam: Chronicle of a War - 1981CBS News Documentary-1:28:15
• The Vietnam War - An American Experience - 11-part PBS Series--Outstanding In-Depth Series

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.

Graph/Timeline of Business Cycle 1913-45 + Simulation Situation (Handout 43)

Today the Grade 8s:

• Reviewed the Graph/Timeline of the Business Cycle 1913-45, focusing specifically on the Bull Market of 1929, the Stock Market Crash of 1929, and the approach of President Herbert Hoover in dealing with the Great Depression
• Did Handout 43, which set up a simulation situation in which they imagined themselves to be President Franklin D. Roosevelt coming into office in March 1932 and choosing from 10 policy options submitted by his advisers for dealing with the Depression.
• Ranked the 10 options in order of imagined effectiveness
• Wrote a paragraph stating and defending their own policy

Assignments

For Friday - Finish Handout 43: What Should Be Done About the Depression.

For Tue, 12/1- Quiz over "Brief Descriptions of the Great Depression and New Deal"

Phases of the Business Cycle + Graph/Timeline on Business Activity 1913-1945 + Stock Prices in 1929 & 1932

Today our 8th Graders:

• Learned the 4 Main Phases of the Business Cycle: Prosperity--Recession--Recovery--Depression
• Analyzed a graph/timeline showing The Business Cycle 1913-1945
• Wrote what they noticed about economic development in the USA during the years indicated
• Color coded the graph/timeline by time period
• Analyzed a handout showing stock prices in 1929 and 1932

Assignments

For Wednesday

1. Read and study "Brief Descriptions of the Great Depression and New Deal - Quiz Thursday
2. Try to do the handout on the Stock Market Crash; it shows what happened to stock prices in the Crash of 1929 and then how they were by 1932, three years into the Great Depression.

• As we were running out of time today, give it a try (especially if Mrs. Holbrooke was able to assist you) and if you can't quite get the hang of it, we'll work on it in class on Wednesday and make it due Thursday.

For Thursday - Quiz over "Brief Descriptions of the Great Depression and New Deal"

Illustrations of Brief Summary of the 20s + Timeline of Twenties Presidents + Quiz Prep

Assignment for Friday -
1. Study well for the Quiz over

• A Brief Summary of the Roaring 20s - words & pictures
• Timeline of Twenties Presidents (names of presies, dates of their administration, nicknames)

2. Have your GooSlides Illustrating the Brief Summary of the Roaring 20s ready for grading. Studying it should help you on the Quiz, too!

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

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

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.

What is History? + "The Past" + Chronology + Time Periods of U. S. History 1900-Present

Click to enlarge.

Today our 8th Graders:

• Got back their SMERFCAPS  Quizzes from Friday and received congratulations for doing exceptionally well
• Read p. 2 of What is History?
• Discussed the concepts of chronological order & time periods
• Did a simple chronology problem
• Brainstormed the time periods of U. S. History from 1900-the present
• Put those periods in chronological order
• Identified them on a Timeline of U. S. History from the beginning to the present
• Received a Timeline of U. S. History 1900-Present & compared it with their brainstormings
• Began working on a Pictorial History of ___, 1900-Present

Assignment for Tuesday - Have pictures and explanations filled in for at least 3 of the decades on the Pictorial History of _(SMERFCAPS)__, 1900-Present or this one.

If you want to start studying for the Timeline Quiz, here's a Blank TL U.S. History 1900-Present.

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!