Test Day

8th graders completed their last major written assessment in social studies today!!  They also turned in their ISNs for the final evaluation of the year. Now – I am officially buried in papers!

Tomorrow, students need to bring their textbooks and something to write with, as we begin our “CIA training” and chapter 39. We will be able to learn about NATO – impeccable timing considering the summit going on in Chicago this weekend, and the military actions taken by the United States and the Soviet Union during the 1950′s.

HOMEWORK: No homework for tomorrow, but keep working on the decades project. Presentations begin next Thursday!

Decades Day

Yesterday was a fun filled period, watching the FCDA movie, “Duck and Cover” and then practicing the 1950′s drill. We had some interesting conversations about the differences growing up in the 1950s as compared to the 2000′s.  Classes finished reviewing the materials from chapter 40 and now have all the information needed for the test on Thursday.  Be sure to focus on the notes in your ISN rather than re-reading the textbook.

Today, decade groups had the opportunity to work together and coordinate the development of their presentation.  I was also able to check in with each student to determine how their research is progressing and to verify the sources being used are reliable and appropriate. Students that did not demonstrate enough effort were given the warning, if they do not produce better notes and information by next Wednesday they will be pulled from the group. In the event that happens, those students will be required to present independently.

HOMEWORK: STUDY FOR TEST TOMORROW on chapters 38 and 40, prepare ISN for its final evaluation – ISNs will be taken from you on Thursday.

Duck and Cover

As we continue to make our way through the “Red Scare,” students began learning about the ways Americans prepared for a nuclear disaster. After watching the public service announcement that aired in the 1950′s, students practiced their own “duck and cover” drill

During class we also reviewed the cases of Alger Hiss and Ethel and Julius Rosenberg. Both cases involved Americans who were spying for the Soviet Union. Next week we will be learning some of the techniques used to transfer top secret information between countries. Should be entertaining as we get closer to the end of the school year.

Students are also expected to continue working on their decade topics. Our next decades day is this Wednesday. Notes will be checked and groups will be asked about presentation progress.

HOMEWORK: Please read chapter 40 section 3 and complete the step notes as indicated on the ISN guide.

UPCOMING: There will be a test on the Cold War this Thursday and ISNs will be collected for the final evaluation of the year at the end of the week.

The Dot Game and Step Notes

Boy did we have fun in class yesterday playing the Dot Game!  All classes had a blast trying to figure out who was lying and who was telling the truth, during a game that made connections to the 1950′s Red Scare.  Every student was up and engaged in not only the game, but the discussions that followed. We were able to make the connection from our feelings in class to what it might have been like to fear a communist infiltrator in society.

As last night’s homework – I had passed out the chapter 40 ISN guide and asked students to complete the 14 vocabulary words for today.

Today, we reviewed those vocabulary terms and learned how to take “step notes” while beginning to read chapter.

HOMEWORK: Over the weekend, please finish reading chapter 40 section 2 and complete the remaining “steps” for Monday.

Wow…It Worked!

Well, I am happy that my first attempt at an online quiz went off without any major problems.  I did learn about its pitfalls from the students and will definitely be investigating further to find other software or apps could prevent the issues students reported.  After the quiz was completed, students were given class time to research their Decade’s project topic.  I was pleased to see how much students had done already

HOMEWORK: Please make sure you complete the online reading challenge before Wednesday night and continue researching your Decade topic.

Challenge #2 and #3

Classes were able to finish the discussion concerning Greece and Turkey today, understanding why the US was concerned with communism spreading through that area of the world.  We then moved on to the last challenge concerning the rebuilding of post-war Europe. The Marshall Plan and Molotov Plan were compared and contrasted through response group interactions.

HOMEWORK: Complete reading of chapter 38 and finish the remaining questions in the ISN. Complete the online reading challenge for chapter 38 – HINT-you will see these questions again on a quiz

Cold War Challenges #1 and #2

Once again, sorry for not posting yesterday…must be memory loss may!

Yesterday, classes had a great time comparing the United States and the Soviet Union in 1946. We were able to get a comprehensive understanding of the differences between collectivism and capitalism.  We even had time for the first Challenge Activity – what to do about controlling the development of nuclear weapons.  Students were grouped in threes and presented with 4 options to chose from. They then had to explain their group’s decision and listen to everyone’s opinion. The homework was to finish reading chapter 38 section 3 and answer the remaining 2 questions in the ISN.

Today, we were able to move into Challenge Activity #2 – Greece and Turkey.  We actually listened to 5 minutes of Winston Churchill’s “Iron Curtain” speech given here in the United States.  Once again students were able to discuss and challenge each other about the best way to contain communism. The Truman Doctrine, the Molotov Plan, and Marshall plan were all part of the discussion.

HOMEWORK: Please finish reading chapter 38 section 4 and finish the remaining questions in your ISN.

Starting Chapter 38 and the Decades Project!

Class time today was divided between reviewing the chapter 38 vocabulary and receiving the Decade’s assignments.

HOMEWORK: Please read chapter 38 sections 1 and 2, then follow the ISN note-taking instructions to answer the 3 questions about 38.2, using 2 different colored pens.

Understanding the Cold War – Terms

Yesterday and today were dedicated to understanding the terminology used while discussing the Cold War. It is important for students to understand that there was never any actual combat between U.S. forces and Soviet forces. We discussed the spectrum of ideologies between capitalism, socialism, and communism.  During a social studies skill builder exercise, students used illustrations and quotes to get a better understanding of several vocabulary terms.

Due to MAP testing this afternoon, periods 8 and 9 were interrupted.

HOMEWORK: FOR ALL CLASSES – please complete the 17 vocabulary terms on the first page of the chapter 38 ISN guide for Wednesday.