Happy Holidays!

To all my 6th graders, 7th graders, 8th graders, and 9th graders and their families...

I wish to you all a wonderful and safe holiday weekend! I hope you have a wonderful time with friends, family, or the other special people in your life!

Happy Day!
KF

7th Grade: Half-of-the-World and Map Scale Quiz

Hey 7th graders:

Please remember that you have your Half-of-the-World and Map Scale Quiz tomorrow during class! Be sure to study the locations of all the countries we have studied so far (Americas, Europe, Russia and the Republics.)

You might also want to brush up on your map scale skills with an atlas at home!

Remember you can't use notes on the quiz tomorrow because it's an identification and skills quiz!

Let me know if you have questions!
KF

8th Grade: Ancient Rome Review Questions (+Answers)

Hey 8th graders:

I hope you have fun on your field trip tomorrow morning, but please remember that you have a quiz in my class tomorrow afternoon!!

->As always, you may have 1 page of notes (front side only) out on your desk during the quiz. Please do bring these notes with you--remember it has been proven that those with notes do better than those without!<-

Here are your review questions (+answers)

1. Describe one of the founding stories of Rome. (Latins found cities on hill, eventually they grow together as a city; Greek soldier makes treaty with Latins and marries Latin King's daughter; Romulus and Remus being raised by a wolf, Romulus kills Remus and founds Rome)

2. How many Etruscan kings were there in Rome? (3—7 kings total)

3. Were the Roman kings good or bad and why? (depends-last one was so bad he was removed from power)

4. Was the founder of Rome Latin, Etruscan, or Sabine? (Latin)

5. Name one of the important geographical formations of Rome and explain why it was important. (Palatine Hill, Tiber River, Mediterranean Sea, Italian Peninsula, Alps Mountains, Sicily/Corsica/other islands--importance varies with formation)

6. Why did Rome have the perfect location? (top of a hill, near river, not a coastal city so could not be influenced by outside ideas, etc)

7. What was the first government of Rome? (Monarchy)

8. What was the forum and what was its importance? (meeting area, market place, hangout)

9. What does the word republic mean? (Thing of the people)

10. Who were the patricians? (upper class)

11. Who were the plebeians? (lower class)

12. Who were the consuls? (2 elected members of the senate, one was in charge of army, one in charge of the government/senate)

13. What was the government of the patricians called and what was their governmental role? (Senate, made laws that affected everyone, elected consuls, dictators)

14. What was the government of the plebeians called and what was their governmental role? (Tribune, made laws that affected plebs and vetoed senate laws that affected plebs)

15. What was different about dictators in Ancient Rome? (were elected, served for 6 months only)

16. How did Senators get their job? (inherited)

17. How did members of the tribune get their job? (elected)

18. What were the laws of Rome called and where were they located? (12 Tablets, forum)

19. What was a legion? (basic military unit of 5,000 footsoldiers)

20. What was Rome’s second government? (Republic)

21. How many Punic Wars did we talk about in class? (3)

22. Explain what happened in the Punic Wars (1-Carthaginians attacked, Rome wins, 2-Hannibal comes by land with elephants, Rome wins, 3-Rome attacks Carthage, decimates the city)

23. Explain the importance and death of Julius Caesar (was a senator elected dictator, his policies led to fall of Republic, was killed (possibly) to save republic, etc-specifics!)

24. What was the third government of Rome? (Empire)

25. Who was the first emperor of Rome? (Octavian/Augustus)

26. What is a triumvirate? (ruling group of 3)

27. Who made up the 2^nd triumvirate and what happened to it? (Octavian, Antony, Lepidus—Lepidus died, Octavian and Antony fought, Octavian won, became first emperor)

28. Explain Cleopatra of Egypt’s role in Roman history (relationships with important leaders)

29. Explain the social problems of Ancient Rome (poor have high rent, small homes, bread and circuses, Rich were distracted by entertainments)

30. How did the rise of Christianity cause the decline of Rome? (many, many reasons--use your notes!)

31. What does Pax Romana mean and what was it? (Roman peace, 200 year span of peace followed by 50-year period of war)

32. What group of people eventually caused the fall of Rome and why? (Germans—were hired to fight for Rome, but turned on them and fought with the Visigoths)

33. Who was Constantine? (first Christian Roman Emperor)

34. Give one military, one political, and one social reason for the “fall” of Rome

35. Describe Rome’s policy toward different religions

36. Why were the Romans able to conquer Italy and the Mediterranean world?

37. Do you think the Roman Republic owed its success more to its form of government or its army, and why?

38. How did the Roman Army change over time? (initially all had to be a part, were very loyal to Rome, then became loyal to men, then didn’t have enough so had to hire out)

39. Name and describe how one Roman achievement affects your life today. (varies)

40. Be sure you have read over your four notes pages!!!

Happy studying!
KF

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like...Winter Break! (Week of December 12-15)

(Season's) Greetings!

Can you feel it? I think it's...Winter Break, just around the corner! In fact, just in case you'd forgotten, Winter Break begins this Friday, December 16! (But please don't forget to return to school on Wednesday, January 4!)

But before we get to that point, we have to get through all the major events coming up during this four-day week!

Here are some general announcements you need to know:

CHRISTMAS SUPPORT STAFF BASKETS: As a tradition at Discovery School, we are starting our drive for the support personnel holiday baskets. Please bring these items to your homeroom teacher no later than Tuesday, December 13.

Pre Kinder and 6^th grade students 1 5-lb bag of beans

Kinder and 7^th grade students 1 5 lb bag of rice

1^st grade and 8^th grade students 1 5-lb bag of sugar

2^nd grade and 9^th grade students 1 bottle or 2 bags of oil, 2 boxes of margarine, OR 3 lbs of lard

3^rd grade and 10^th grade students 1 4lb-bag of MASECA

4^th grade and 11^th grade students 3 lbs of spaghetti (six packages) OR 1 bag of coffee

5^th grade and 12^th grade students 4 packages of tomato paste

SEMESTER EXAMS FOR GRADES 9 - 12
The schedule is as follows:

	Monday, December 12	Tuesday, December 13	Wednesday, December 14
8:00 – 10:00	Math	Social Studies	Science
	LUNCH	LUNCH	LUNCH
10:30 – 12:30	Spanish	Language Arts

Thursday, November 15 is exam revision day.

Grades 6 - 8 have regular school from 8:00 - 3:00.
High school students (grades 9-12) may leave with their parents/drivers after their second exam; however they must request a dismissal pass from Ms. Carolina or Ms. Gloria.
If a student wishes to leave with another student, he/she needs to bring a note in advance from parents.

SONGFEST: A reminder that Discovery School's winter musical event is this Thursday night from 6:00-8:00 PM. Please double-check with your student's homeroom teacher for the time they need to arrive for the event. (9th grade, let's meet at 5:30 to practice the play one more time).

FOOD SALE DURING SONGFEST: The Juniors and Seniors will be selling food and baked goods before Songfest, Thursday, December 15. Please bring money to support this fundraiser.


And here are some specifics:
6th grade: I hope you have your projects ready, because they are due for presentations on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday! On Thursday you will have a geography game day.
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7th grade: Monday and Tuesday will be computer lab days during which you will be practicing for your "Half of the Whole World" Quiz, which will be held Wednesday, December 14. Thursday will be a geography game day.
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8th grade: Monday will be a review game day, and Tuesday, December 13 will be your Ancient Rome Quiz. Wednesday and Thursday will be semester review days in anticipation of the Semester Exams you will have after Second Semester.
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9th grade: Good luck on your finals this week! Remember to study hard and review those connections for your Social Studies quiz on Tuesday! Thursday is revision day (if you need it). You can do it!
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I hope everyone has a wonderful week!
KF

7th Grade: Russia and the Republics Quiz...

Hey 7th graders:

I apologize that I did not get these up sooner, but in all honesty, if you did a good job yesterday of taking notes you probably won't need this information.

As I said in class, your quiz is going to ask you to find similarities and differences in the elements of the project; things like religion, physical features, crops, natural resources, etc will be fair game for the quiz.

Remember the 11 countries you will be asked to identify are:
Russia
Kazakhstan
Uzbekistan
Kyrgyzstan
Tajikistan
Turkmenistan
Azerbaijan
Armenia
Georgia
Belarus
Ukraine

Happy studying!
KF

6th Grade: American Indian Research Links

Hey 6th graders:

Here are some links you can use to do your research!

http://www.learner.org/interactives/historymap/indians.html This is the one I told you to start with...just click the link below the map and hit the "next" button until it's talking about the region you are researching!

http://bigorrin.org/ This is a site most of you have found, and found to be awesome!

Here are a few others I found:

http://www.ahsd25.k12.il.us/curriculum/nativeamericans/index.html

http://www.native-languages.org/kids.htm

http://www.historyonthenet.com/Native_Americans/tribes.htm

http://www.lib.washington.edu/subject/history/tm/native.html

If you find any other great websites be sure to e-mail them to me so I can put the links up on this page!

Happy Researching!
KF

7th Grade: Homework Assignment

Well, in a strange turn of events the 7th graders have a homework assignment this evening.

Please be sure that pages 47-48 in the Lake Bikal packet are completed before class time tomorrow.

Thanks!
KF

The Week Before the Week...Week of December 5-9

Hello again, everyone...

As always, I hope your weekend was happy and restful...mine was very busy, as I am getting ready for the end of the semester! (By the way, in case you were wondering...it's next THURSDAY!!!)

With that in mind, please be sure you are checking engrade and the blog to keep track of the assignments your students have, and how well they do on them. A low Semester 1 score will be a factor at the end of the year, so let's help everyone sprint to the finish and end with the highest scores possible!

In order to gain those high scores we must do some work. Here's what's going on in room #4 this week:

6th grade: I have paired you up this week for a team project on the Native American tribes of North America. You will work on this project in the computer lab on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday this week. On Tuesday we will have another assignment in class, and on Thursday you will want to bring your project supplies to work on your project in the classroom.
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7th grade: This is the last week you will be working on Russia and the Republics. You will have a Human-Environment Interaction study in class on Monday-Wednesday, and Thursday will be a review day. Your Russia and the Republics Quiz will be Friday, December 9.
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8th grade: Monday-Wednesday you will examine the character and actions of various important Ancient Romans by participating in a play and trial about "Who killed Mark Antony?" (the Roman, not the singer). On Thursday you will examine the accomplishments of the Romans, and Friday you will learn about the "Fall" of Rome. For your reference, your Ancient Rome Quiz will be Tuesday, December 12. (If you are planning to be gone the last week of the quarter you need to make arrangements to take your quiz before you go or you will have an incomplete semester grade.)
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9th grade: It's review week! You made it! On Monday and Tuesday, as promised, I will give you time to work on your Songfest play. On Wednesday we will play a "connections" game, and on Thursday and Friday you will have class time to work on your study guide. Your final exam will be from 8:00-10:00 on Tuesday, December 12.
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Keep working hard students! You CAN do it!!

Have a great week!
KF

6th Grade: Inca Review Questions

Hello 6th graders:

Here are some things you should think about before your Inca quiz tomorrow...

-all bolded words on pages 1-2 of the packet
-the quipu system of writing and mathematics
-the actions of the Inca government
-the end of the Inca empire
-similarities and differences between the Maya, the Aztec, and the Inca

Happy studying! :)
KF

9th Grade: Revolutions Quiz "Things to Consider..."

Hey 9th graders:

I had a really fun time being "stumped" in class this morning (haha!) I hope you are not stumped on tomorrow's test (although I know you will not if you come knowing the following information):

-Actions of Oliver Cromwell during his “rule” in England and whether he was good or bad

-Causes of the French Revolution (5)

-Formation of, changes made by, and final action of the National Assembly (Rev. Gov’t #1) in France

-Makeup of, problems facing and end of the Legislative Assembly (Rev. Gov’t #2)

-Causes and effects of the Reign of Terror and who was involved

-Actions of Napoleon during his “rule” in France and whether he was good or bad

-The social classes present in Colonial and Revolutionary Latin America

-Leaders and major events of revolutions in Latin America (Haiti, Venezuela, Colombia, Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, Paraguay, Mexico, Brazil)

-Similarities and differences between the US “Declaration of Independence” and France’s “Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen”

-Positive and negative effects of the Industrial Revolution in England and the United States

-Actions and reasons of people/groups who supported and disliked the Industrial Revolution (Luddites, Reformers, Children, Cottagers, etc)

-Match the different Revolutions with the Beatles “Revolution” songs (#1=violent, #2=laid back, #3=crazy)

-Connections between the US, French and Latin American Revolutions

Please remember that you may each bring a one-page (front side only) notes page to class for use on the quiz!

Happy Studying!
KF

Only 28 Shopping Days Left (and 15 more school days)! Week of November 28-December 2!

Hello everyone!

I hope you all had a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving weekend, full of family, friends, food, and fun (or at least just were able to relax and get ready for the 3-week sprint to the finish of Semester 1!)

My Thanksgiving was great, starting with the 9th grade Thanksgiving meal on Wednesday, and then my quick trip to the Copán Ruinas with my parents and Chris!















Just a reminder, this Wednesday, November 30, is a half day due to a teacher work day. We will be running a PM schedule (classes 4-7) and will be dismissing the students at 11:45 that day. Please be prompt in picking your student up from school.

We have just three short weeks until the end of the Semester, so be ready to work hard and do your best!

6th grade: You will finish working on your Inca packet this week! You will do page 5 on Monday, pg 6 on Tuesday, and pages 7-8 on Wednesday-Thursday. The packet and any "Extra Extra" work will be due on Friday. The Inca Mini-Quiz will also be on Friday, December 2! (and hooray, no more packets!)
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7th grade: Hopefully you used your time in the lab well last week, because it is presentation week!! Monday and Thursday you will work in the textbooks, and Tuesday and Friday you will give your presentations to the class. Your Russia and the Republics quiz will be on Friday, December 9, and your "Half-of-the-World" map quiz will be Wednesday, December 14! There will be no class on Wednesday, November 30 due to the teacher work day.
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8th grade: This is going to be a very busy week for you, so be ready! on Monday and Tuesday you will look at the geography of Ancient Rome's arch rival, Carthage! On Wednesday and Thursday you will will at the military organization and changes in government in Ancient Rome, and on Friday you will start on a two-day activity about Mark Antony (the Roman, not the singer).
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9th grade: This is your last week of direct instruction before your first round of 9th grade Semester Exams! You will use some primary resources to learn about the Industrial Revolution in England and the United States on Monday and Tuesday, will not have class on Wednesday due to the teacher work day, will review on Thursday, and will have your Enlightenment and Revolutions Quiz on Friday, December 2!
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So hopefully you can all find something to look forward to this week...I know I have!

Sprint to the finish!
KF

Be Thankful...Week of November 21-25

Hello everyone:

I am posting this a bit early because I have a very busy weekend ahead: today and tomorrow are the Discovery Teacher's Workshop (nice job today, choir students!). Also, my parents are coming into town tomorrow! Because of this, I will be absent on Monday and Tuesday. Students, please be on your best behavior and continue to work as hard for the sub as you do for me!

Also, please remember that there is only school Monday-Wednesday this week due to the Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday. I hope you all enjoy your long weekend.

9th graders: Please don't forget that we are having our Thanksgiving meal during lunch on Wednesday, November 23! You will be given a note on Monday or Tuesday to remind you about what you signed up to bring. If you have any questions or concerns, send me an e-mail since I won't be at school.

Here's what you will be doing with the sub on Monday-Tuesday and on Wednesday with me:

6th grade: You will be continuing to work on your Ancient Inca packet. You should have pages 1-2 completed already, and on Monday-Tuesday you will be working on page 4 in class. This will require you to read an article about the Incan palace Machu Picchu and answer questions based on the reading. If you finish early you can start to work on the "Extra Extra" pages at the end of the packet. On Wednesday we will work on pages 3 and 5.
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7th grade: Monday and Tuesday will be spent in the computer lab so you can work on your country projects. You may also play country games. I would suggest this link as the best of the country games: http://www.maps.com/games/quiz-russia.aspx. If you have trouble staying on topic, or if the Internet is down, you will have an assignment out of the book. Otherwise, enjoy your computer lab time and USE YOUR TIME WISELY PLEASE. You will not have any other days in the computer lab until after your presentations! On Wednesday I will present my Russia project.
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8th grade: You will be spending your class time completing a Seek-and-Find activity using information about the first 7 kings of Ancient Rome. Please be sure you spend at least the first 25 minutes of Monday's class reading about these kings (the sub will have the papers for you) and take your time to answer the questions correctly. You may also finish your map/primary source activity. Both worksheets will be due on Wednesday when I return. Please be sure to use your class time wisely and make good decisions about how you behave for the sub. Thank you for your cooperation and hard work in advance. When I return on Wednesday we will have an introductory PowerPoint on the geography of Rome in the library.
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9th grade: Remember all those connections you made between the different Revolutions and the Enlightenment last week? On Monday and Tuesday you are going to pull those connections together in a French Revolution and Enlightenment DBQ. Please read all instructions and the rubric carefully so you don't lose points for silly mistakes. Write down any questions you have so I can answer them on Wednesday when I return. We will have some Q and A time on Wednesday, and then will watch another Horrible Histories movie about the Industrial Revolution!
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I am so thankful for the wonderful students, parents, and staff at Discovery School! Thank you so much for being a shining part of my life!

I hope you all have a wonderful week and give thanks for all your blessings and joys!
KF

6th Grade: Aztec Quiz Study Guide

Hello again 6th grade!

I completely forgot until just now that you also have your Aztec Mini-Quiz tomorrow!!

Be sure you know the following things before tomorrow's quiz (and don't forget to bring a notes page, front-side only please!)

-information about the Aztec capital (name, geography, etc)
-information about the Aztec leader Montezuma, including how he died
-similarities and differences between the Aztec and Maya culture (remember your 7 elements)
-the two meanings of Aztec writing
-the importance of human sacrifice to the Aztecs

Let me know if you have questions!

Happy Studying, and don't forget all the work that is due tomorrow!
KF

6th Grade: Assignments due Wednesday, November 16

Hey 6th graders:

Just a reminder that you have some assignments due tomorrow:

1) Aztec Packet (remember that we skipped page 9!)
2) Aztec Language (your 10 words + your partner's 10 words)
3) Aztec Creation story book (that tiny one I made you)
4) Your 10 reasons from today's debate

Ms. Regina said you did a nice job in your debate today...way to go! :~)

See you tomorrow! :)
KF

8th Grade: Ancient Greece Review Questions

Hello 8th graders:

I hope you enjoyed the review game today...here are some things to consider as you prepare for your quiz tomorrow:

-You should know some information about the Persian Kings (Darius, Xerxes and Cyrus) and the Macedonian King (Alexander), and be able to back up your opinion about how "great" they were.
-Detailed information about both Sparta and Athens
-Name and give information about at least one other city-state (Olympus=Olympics, Corinth=Oligarchy, Thebes, Troy, Thespia, etc)
-Understand how geography affected the Ancient Greeks
-Know the reasons why Ancient Greece was not a united country
-Define city-state
-Evaluate the historical accuracy of the movie "The 300 Spartans"
-Explain how ancient Greek innovations or "firsts" affect your life today
-Be able to explain how elements of the Ancient Greek projects affect your life today:

Religion
Mythology
Literature
Arts
Sports
Warfare
Women
Architecture
Philosophy (8B only)
Government
Education (8B only)

Please remember you may have one page (front-side only) of notes, but that you may not copy and paste this page to use during the quiz.

Happy studying!
KF

7th Grade: Geography of Europe Quiz Review

Hey 7th graders:

Here is a list of countries you should be able to identify on tomorrow's quiz:

Albania

Andorra

Austria

Belgium

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bulgaria

Croatia

Czech Republic

Denmark

Estonia

Finland

France

Germany

Greece

Hungary

Iceland

Ireland

Italy

Latvia

Liechtenstein

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Macedonia

Malta

Moldova

Monaco

Netherlands

Norway

Poland

Portugal

Romania

San Marino

Slovakia

Slovenia

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

United Kingdom

Vatican City

Yugoslavia (Serbia)

You should also be able to draw connections between different countries and different areas of Europe (for example, if two countries have the same language or the same type of money) as well as be able to explain the differences in the countries and areas (for example, physical geography characteristics or ethnic population makeup). Understanding trends in both the Human and Physical geography of Europe (ie: the front page of your packets) will also be helpful!

Please remember you may have one page (front-side only) of notes, but that you may not copy and paste this page to use during the quiz.

Happy studying!
KF

6th Grade: Who Killed Montezuma II Activity

Hello 6th graders:

Please remember that tomorrow in class you will be defending your side´s opinion about who killed the Aztec king Montezuma II.

Remember that the sides are:
-The Aztecs killed their own leader by stoning him
-The Spanish killed Montezuma II by stabbing him

Each student needs to bring their list of 10 Reasons about who killed Montezuma II to class tomorrow. (You can find these reasons using Internet searches or books you may have at home.)You will use these reasons tomorrow in our in-class debate.

Remember that the winners get a prize and the losers get a penalty, so make sure your reasons are good ones!!!

Here are some search terms you can use to help you:
¨Death of Montezuma II¨
¨Did the Spanish kill Montezuma II¨
¨Did the Aztecs kills Montezuma II¨
¨How did Montezuma II die¨
(Remember also that Montezuma can be spelled Moctezuma as well!)

Happy Hunting!
KF

ALSO: Don´t forget to bring your masks and mummies for Ms. Campbell!

Teacher's Workshop Week: Week of November 14-18

Hello again everyone:

Last week was great fun, especially in 6th grade when you all worked together to make your Aztec Temple! Way to go!



















Also, did anyone else see the TWO rainbows we had over Discovery on Friday? Here's a shot I got of one of them:


I hope you had a wonderful weekend, and are ready for the (short) week ahead!

-Please remember that due to the 10th Annual Discovery Teacher's Workshop, there will be No School this Friday, November 18.

-This Friday is also midterm! Grades will be sent home later in the month.

Here's what's happening in Room 4 this week:
6th grade: We will finish the Aztec packet this week, and you will have your Aztec Mini Quiz on Wednesday, November 16 (please note this is different than what I said last week--I chose to change it after it became apparent students needed one more day of in-class work last week). We will begin the Inca packet (last one!) on Thursday.
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7th grade: Remember that you will have your European geography review on Monday and your European Geography and Country Identification Quiz on Tuesday, November 15. You will begin studying the geography and countries of Russia and the Republics on Wednesday and Thursday.

Reminder: European Human Geography packet due Monday!

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8th grade: You will finish your Ancient Greece unit this week, with a review game on Monday and your Ancient Greece Quiz on Tuesday, November 15. You will begin looking at the geography and founding of Ancient Rome on Wednesday and Thursday.

Reminder: Athens and Sparta Venn Diagram, Greek Top 10 and Alexander's Great-o-Meter assignments due Monday!

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9th grade: You will continue looking at various revolutions this week, beginning with the end of the French Revolution and the short reign of Napoleon Bonaparte. At the end of the week you will hop the pond and spend time looking at the domino-effect Latin American Revolutions.

Reminder: Declaration of Independence documents assignment due Monday!

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I hope you all enjoy your nice long weekend!!

KF

8th Grade: Assignments Due Monday!

Hey 8th graders:

Just a reminder on the three assignments that are due on Monday:

1) Athens vs. Sparta Venn Diagram
-Remember that you need to have 5 pieces of information for each part of the Venn Diagram: 5 things about just Athens, 5 things about just Sparta, and 5 things they have in common (assigned over a week ago!)

2) Top-10 Greek "Firsts" List
-Create a ranked list (from 1-10) of the 10 Best Greek Firsts (inventions, ideas, actions, etc). Write 2+ sentences about each thing, explaining either why you ranked them that way or what they were (assigned on Thursday)

3) Alexander's Great-O-Meter
-Read about Alexander the Great and decide how "Great" you think he was. Represent this with some sort of visual (gas gauge, thermometer, etc). Then explain in a 5+ sentence paragraph why you feel that way. Remember, there is no wrong answer for this except not to do the assignment. If you think he was lame, it's ok to say that...just because history has labeled him as "Great" doesn't mean you have to agree! (But you do have to give good reasons why you disagree, hence the 5-sentence paragraph!)

If you have questions shoot me an e-mail or comment below!

Remember we'll review on Monday and your Ancient Greece Quiz is on Tuesday!!! :-D

KF

7th Grade: European Country Flag Project

Hello 7th graders:

Today we are going to work on a fun project to reproduce one European flag!

Remember that this is your assignment:

1) Draw/cut out/paint/somehow recreate the flag of a European country of your choice, faithfully reproducing it (be sure to pay attention to the dimensions of the flag!!)

2) Write a short (5+ sentence) history of the flag. Include things like the year the flag was adopted (started to be used by the country), why the colors or designs on the flag were chosen, what other flags influenced the flag for your country, etc.

Here are some websites you can use to do this project.
http://flagspot.net/flags/eu-eun.html A good website! Scroll down until you see the name of the country you are researching, then click on the link to get information about their flag!
http://www.world-free-printable-flags.com/flags-history.html Again, scroll down until you see the name of the country you are researching, then click on the link to get information about their flag! If you click on the Flag Coloring link there are some printable/colorable versions of your flags for those hard-to-draw elements!
http://www.worldflags101.com/ Another great website with a TON of information!
You may also do a web search for "History of (Country Name) Flag"

Have fun!
KF

Another 5-day Week! Week of November 7-12

Hello again everyone!

I hope you had a nice weekend, and that you are refreshed and ready for another 5-day week!

6th grade: This week you will begin looking at the culture of the Ancient Aztec people, beginning with an overview of Aztec culture. You will also look at how the Aztec wrote, how the Aztec explained the creation of the world, Aztec architecture, etc...it's going to be a fun week! :) BTW, you will have an Aztec mini-quiz (very similar to the Maya mini-quiz from last week) next Tuesday, November 15.
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7th grade: You are almost done with the European Geography unit! On Monday you will have your final textbook assignment for this unit, (yay!) and on Tuesday you will watch presentations on Eastern Europe. Wednesday you will work on your Human Geography packets and Thursday we will have a fun in-class art project! Friday will be your last day in the lab to play European country games. Your European geography quiz will be next Tuesday, November 15. Also, don't forget your Physical Geography packet is due Monday!
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8th grade: Monday will be you final day to work on your Greek Life Projects. You will present them to the class on Tuesday and Wednesday, so BE READY!!! Students who do not have these projects completed and ready to present will spend every lunch with me in detention until it is done. Thursday and Friday you will spend time learning about Alexander the Great and Ancient Macedonia. Your Ancient Persia, Greece, and Macedonia quiz will be next Tuesday, November 15.
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9th grade: During the next week you will follow the Revolution path from England (Monday) to the United States (Tuesday) to France (Wednesday-Friday). Monday will be a reading and notes day, and on Tuesday you will look at the Declaration of Independence and some of the Enlightenment documents that inspired it. Wednesday and Friday will be PowerPoint days, and Thursday will be another document day as you look at the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (it's French).
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I hope you all have a wonderful week!
KF

6th Grade: Maya Review Questions

Hey 6th graders:

Here are some things that YOU SHOULD KNOW for your quiz tomorrow:

-the 7 Elements of Mayan culture
-4 levels of Mayan society
-what the Maya Twins story was about
-the five theories of how the Maya civilization declined

If you now those things, you will be GOLDEN for the Maya Mini-Quiz tomorrow :)

Happy studying! :)
KF

PS: Don't forget that your Maya packet (+codex) is due tomorrow in class!!! :)

8th Grade: Ancient Greece Project Links

Hello 8th graders:

Here are some links to get you started with your research...these are by no means the only websites/resources you can use, but they are a good place to begin!

http://greece.mrdonn.org/ A good general resource with links for education, religion, myths, Olympics, wars, you name it. Probably best for all of you to start here!
http://www.ancientgreece.com/s/Main_Page/ Another excellent source with information on most of your project topics. Another must-visit site for this project!
http://www.chiddingstone.kent.sch.uk/homework/Greece.html Yet another excellent resource with multiple uses!
http://www.crystalinks.com/greece.html Many links with headings you will appreciate. Also check this Greek culture link: http://www.crystalinks.com/greekculture.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/ancient_greeks/ This is a site for kids but still has good information. Plus, it's put out by the BBC so you know it's legit!
http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/greeks/ Another kids' site that has lots of good information.
http://www.ancientgreece.co.uk/menu.html This is an interactive website from the British Museum, a large museum in London that has many Greek Artifacts!

Hopefully this gets you well on your way to answering your questions and completing your project! If you are struggling to answer a certain question, please don't hesitate to ask and I will help you find a good site to use to answer that question!

Remember to avoid sites like Wikipedia, Answers.com, Yahoo! questions, or other similar questionable sites. Remember also that I will not accept your project without a works cited page!!

Here is the rubric I will be using to grade you:

Element	Expectations	Points
Use of class time	On task during class time	____/10
Activity sheet	Completed, on time, typed, correct information	____/20
Collage	Topic as title (ie: Art in Ancient Greece)	____/2
	2 little-known facts included	____/8
	Explains and shows relation to modern society	____/20
	4 color images	____/12
	Neatness/creativity	____/8
Presentation	Thoroughly explain all elements of project	____/20
Works cited		Yes / No
Total		____/100

The rubric is also available (along with the questions for the projects should you lose your copy) on engrade!

Happy researching!
KF