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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 the Oregon Trail. 
    • Part Three: The students took some time to update a Canva presentation they created called "My American Story." They will be making updates to this presentation throughout the quarter and will use it to create a video detailing American history as they see it. 
    • Part Four: This portion of the assignment was the only graded part. The students selected an essential question that they will be answering throughout our study of American history and then applied what they've learned in the first three parts to their answer for the question. 
  • My American Story Website Updates: The students also updated their website called "My American Story." They will be using this website to keep track of everything we learn throughout the year and will have a portfolio of sorts when the year is finished. 

Next Week:

  • Content Check-in #5: The students will take the fifth content check-in of the year on Friday, December 13. We will continue to play small review games in class and the students can use the review games on the Google Classroom in the Classroom Resources section to study on their own at home if they'd like. 
  • The California Gold Rush: The students will spend most of next week learning about the gold rush that took place in California in the mid-19th century. We will watch parts of America the Story of Us: Westward and the work for this activity will closely mirror the work the students did for the trails west. 

Accelerated Social Studies (Period 3): 

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 the Oregon Trail. 
    • Part Three: The students took some time to update a Canva presentation they created called "My American Story." They will be making updates to this presentation throughout the quarter and will use it to create a video detailing American history as they see it. 
    • Part Four: This portion of the assignment was the only graded part. The students selected an essential question that they will be answering throughout our study of American history and then applied what they've learned in the first three parts to their answer for the question. 
  • The California Gold Rush: The students also spent time learning about the gold rush that took place in California in the mid-19th century. We watched parts of America the Story of Us: Westward and the work for this activity closely mirrored the work the students did for the trails west. 
  • My American Story Website Updates: The students also updated their website called "My American Story." They will be using this website to keep track of everything we learn throughout the year and will have a portfolio of sorts when the year is finished. 

Next Week:

  • Content Check-in #5: The students will take the fifth content check-in of the year on Wednesday, December 11. We will continue to play small review games in class and the students can use the review games on the Google Classroom in the Classroom Resources section to study on their own at home if they'd like.
  • The Transcontinental Railroad: The students will take some time to investigate the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad in the final Google Doc about groups that went west. They will continue to answer guided research questions, add to their "My American Story" Canva and then answer an essential question. 
  • My American Story Video: The students will make their final additions to their "My American Story" Cavna presentation this week and will then record their videos to help them make sense of the story of Manifest Destiny in America.

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