Skip to main content

Friday, January 6, 2023

 Welcome: 

Welcome back! I hope you had a wonderful holiday and are off to a happy and healthy new year. As we turn the calendar to 2023 it's also time to really start thinking about next year for our students (I know, it seems insane). Teachers are finalizing their initial course recommendations for the students for next year (this can change) and the students will be taking time to pick electives over the next few days. 


I actually showed two videos this week--one on Tuesday when we returned and one on Friday as we ended the week. Tuesday's video goes back to one of my favorite content creators--Prince EA. The video is all about helping to set goals and make this year your best year yet. Following in that theme was Friday's video--"I will teach you to become LIMITLESS" by Swami Sarvapriyananda. Both videos are great reminders for us to dream big and push past what we think is possible in life. 

This Past Week: 

  • Tuesday: We eased our way back into the "school thing" today. The students finished up the Common Craft videos and group/self-evaluations that they started before the break. They were also given time to work on an assignment called #033-January Reflection which forced them to think about their past year and what they hope to do this upcoming year. 
  • Wednesday: We shifted our focus today and started to look at the Indian Removal Act of 1830, the ensuing Supreme Court Case, and the Trail of Tears. The students used #034-Indian Removal and the Trail of Tears to guide their learning of the content.  
  • Thursday: The students finished taking notes in #034 today and completed two different Blooket review games to ensure they understood the process by which the Cherokee and other "civilized tribes" were removed from lands east of the Mississippi River and sent to lands west of it. 
  • Friday: Today was all about making sense of the content we discussed over the past few weeks. After taking a Quizizz to make sure the students understood the content they were given class today to create either a 1-minute video explaining the Indian Removal Act and the Supreme Court case or they could create an infographic about the Trail of Tears. 
Next Week: 
We'll continue our investigation of the treatment of the various Native American tribes by the United States government in the 1800s this week as we seek to answer the question "Should the US pay reparations to Native American tribes?" Here are some of the topics that will be discussed this week in both my accelerated & regular social studies classes:
  • Treaties that were signed 
  • Life on reservations 
  • Violence at Sand Creek, Little Bighorn Valley & Wounded Knee Cree. 
  • Additionally, the students will watch a video about the variety of electives offered to them next year at the high school. 





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Week 16: Decemberr 9, 2024

Welcome:  This week we welcome the students back from Thanksgiving break and to the month of December! It was a busy week in homeroom as we had a second-step lesson on Wednesday and clubs on Thursday. We've also been busy collecting items for Operation Giving Tree--donations will be accepted through December 11, so please think about helping if you can.  Social Studies (Periods 2, 6, 7 and 8):  This Past Week: #22-Trails West Google Doc: Most of the week was centered on this Google Doc. The students completed four parts to help them gain a better understanding of the lengths to which Americans went in order to survive and thrive in the West in the 19th century.  Part One:  This was a simple chart about the trails that went west that the students completed using content burst videos recorded by Miss Boyd (the Orange Team social studies teacher).  Part Two:  The students then answered a series of questions to help serve as guided research about life on ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Week Eight: October 14-18, 2024

Welcome:  Just like that, we are into the middle of October and more than halfway done the first quarter! The students started the annual fundraiser this past week and went wild over rubber ducks and possible trips to Citizens Bank Park. Next week marks the beginning of the Make a Difference Day collection--the students will be collecting canned goods, paper products, and personal hygiene products to donate to the Coventry Food Pantry to support local families.  I've been listening to a lot of Ryan Holiday and his Daily Stoic podcast lately and he has been on a moment mori kick. Momento mori  is the idea that everything must die, it although it sounds morbid, is a great reminder for us to live our lives to the fullest. This reminded me of one of my favorite clips from the movie Dead Poets Society-- we didn't have time to watch it on Friday so we'll start the week with it on Monday.  This Past Week:  Three Branches Mastery Grid: The students spent most of the wee...
Post a Comment
Read more

Week Nine: October 21-25

Welcome This week we continued to collect for the North Coventry Food Pantry as a school for the annual Make A Difference Day drive. The students can continue to bring in canned goods, paper products, and personal hygiene products throughout the week. This is an outstanding drive since everything stays right here in this community.  This Past Week:  Social Studies (Periods 2, 6, 7 and 8)  #38-Three Branches Infographic:  This assignment is designed as a culminating project where students synthesize their understanding of the three branches of government. After thoroughly investigating the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, students created an infographic that serves as a quick reference for key information. This includes the primary responsibilities of each branch, additional roles they perform, and the specific requirements for serving in each branch. The infographic offers a visual summary that students can use for future reference in understanding the ...
Post a Comment
Read more