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

9th Grade: Oliver Cromwell Documents Link

Hey 9th graders:

Here is the link you can use to start your investigation into Oliver Cromwell!

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/civilwar/g6/

Please remember that your assignment is to work together to come up with a report on Oliver Cromwell for future historians to use. This report may be in any format (paper, brochure, poster, PowerPoint, etc) but it MUST include:

• Who Cromwell was
• What he thought of himself (use the docs)
• What other people thought of him (use the docs)
• Your assessment of what kind of ruler he was (good, bad, ugly, etc)

Also remember that I will be factoring into your grade how well you work with your partner AND how wisely you use your in-class worktime, so please be aware of your actions over the next few days.

This report will be due on Monday, November 7.

6th Grade: Mayan Script Link + Codices Information

Hello 6th grade:

Please remember that your Maya packet is due in class on Friday, along with your codex assignment.

Use this link to help you use the Mayan script in your codex:
http://www.ancientscripts.com/maya.html

Use these links to learn more about the codices and see pictures:
http://www.lakelandschools.us/lh/bgriffin/Library/mesoam.htm
http://www.mayadiscovery.com/ing/history/codices.htm

Don't forget you will also have a mini-Maya quiz on Friday, as well!! Check the blog Thursday night for a study guide.

KF