Debra Csehill

Blizzard Bags:

Winter 2018

We may not need to use blizzard bags this year. If we do, more info will be given.

Middle School Social Studies:

 History Website:
 
We are using the site called, History Alive! 
If you have Internet access at home, you can log-in at www.teachtci.com
Your child will need to enter my email address, their username, and password. Drop-down boxes will show lessons (chapters) and sections (parts of the chapters) we are reading in class. At the bottom of each section, there is an Interactive Student Notebook. Questions in this section help review the material. At the end of each lesson (chapter), there is a Summary of all the sections. On the top bar, you will find the Lesson Game. This is a game to help review the main points of each chapter.  
 
Our 6th grade class: 
       Social Studies: 
During the first nine weeks, we will focus on such topics as: Map Skills and Finding Latitude/Longitude. We will be concluding this topic at the end of September and then we'll move on to Places and Regions. In this unit, we will focus on how regions are determined, classified, and compared by using various criteria such as landforms, climate, population, culture, and economics. Then we will move into the variations among the physical environments within the Eastern Hemisphere and how they influence human activities. We will also discuss how these activities can alter the physical environment. During all of this, we will also use Historical Thinking Skills by being able to arrange the events that happened from earliest times (BC or BCE) to more modern times (AD or CE). We will disucss Civic Participation by looking at different perspectives on a topic by the sources that are used. Sources could be both primary and secondary. We will examine the sources and discuss the accuracy of each. During this time, we will utilize study packets because the history site that we use does not go into the depth we need to examine these topics in a thorough manner. 
The rest of the school year, 6th grade will focus on the theme of Regions and People of the Eastern Hemisphere. We will study the geographic features, early history, cultural development and economic change in areas such as Africa, Asia, and Europe. We will study a civilization's government, cultures, and economy, as well as the geographic region where they settled. Regional characteristics, movement of the people, products and ideas, and their cultural diversity all help the students to understand other civilizations, as well as comparing those to their own. 
By the end of the year, we will study economics.  Students will develop thier understanding of the role of consumers, the interaction of markets, resources, and competition. 
 
 
 Our 7th grade class:
      World History:
The 7th grade will be studying Ancient Greece during the first nine weeks. From the Geography and Settlement of the country to the development of various types of government in its early times. Then we will discuss Greece's two major city-states of Athens and Sparta. Through Nearpod lessons, we will see the similarities and differences of these two city-states. We will discuss the roles of men and women, their views on Government, Education, the plight of slaves, and the development of the arts. All of this influenced countries from long ago to our own country today. We will make connections as we study Greek architecture, art, music, literature, religion, and drama. The Greeks also helped to create physical games such as the Olympics as well as great math, science, and philosophy developments. 
Another civilization we will be studying is Ancient Rome. Students will see how Ancient Greece influenced the Romans in many aspects of their lives. After the fall of the Roman Empire, we will focus on the similarities and differences of the Eastern and Western parts. We will continue through the Medieval times and continue to global exploration. Students will be able to compare and contrast how these historic events are shaped by geographical, social, cultural, economic, and political factors. Students will develop their inderstanding of how ideas and events from the past have helped to shape the world today.  
      
Our 8th grade classes: 
      American History:
The 8th grade classes took a Pre-Assessment before starting into the material for this school year. The preassessment questions helped me to see if students knew about any information we would be discussing throughout the school year. Towards the end of the year, they will take the same test again to measure how much growth they have made in this course. Students will know the results in late Spring.                                              
 
We will begin the first nine weeks talking about the natives of North America and the regions where they settled. After, we discussed the brave men who became the first European Explorers to venture away from their shores. After Spain reached North America, other European countries followed them here. Students should be able to explain who else arrived, their reasons for coming, and the outcomes to not only their lives but the lives of the Native Americans. We will then focus on the original English colonies to see how they changed this country. Students should be able to describe the struggles, the triumphs, the reasons for what was happening to this growing settlement of European groups and how they shaped our newly forming country. Right now, we are talking about the three regions the colonies chose to settle in. There were differences in geography, climate, weather, and resources. Students should be able to share their ideas, views, and evidence for the settlements and the reasons for the colonization of North America.
From there, we will complete a chronological view of the development of North America into the United States of America. Students will examine how these historic events are shaped by the geography, social, cultural, economic, and political factors.  
 

Keeping Track of Grades:

The following is the numerical scale used by the Board of Education Policy:
  • A = 92-100%
  • B = 82-91%
  • C = 72-81%
  • D = 62-71%
  • F = Below 61%

A student's grade is the accumulation of points on all assignments inlcuding:  homework, quizzes, tests, daily classwork, projects, research assignments, or individual assignments. All work must be turned in to receive a grade. A student is responsible for all work when absent. If there are any questions, please let me know as soon as possible. I am willing to work with each student to insure all work is completed by the end of each nine weeks.

Room 401 News:

Textbooks:

This year for Geography, World History and American History, we will be using the website, "teachtci" instead of an actual textbook in class. Each student has created a log-in and password. We will use the Smartboard as well as the chromebooks to read and discuss the material. We will also use the chromebooks to review chapters and complete activities that will be saved. Students can log-in at home too.

Along with teachtci, we will use additional resources such as Scholastic news, National Geographic, the newspaper, and world events from the evening news. We use such sites as Nearpod and Quizizz, for examples. Nearpod has material to use as resource information not found at the History Alive site. Quizizz is a site to gauge students growth in knowledge by taking pre- and post- assessments of the material we cover. I would also like to utilize some of the famous paintings, buildings, and statues to help your child round out their social studies education.

A Month of History!

Monthly News

 These are some important dates for September: More +

Who Said That?

 " Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, 'What! You too! I thought I was the only one'." C.S.Lewis

Share a Joke:

Q: Why did the skeleton go to the prom alone? 
A: Because he couldn't find any "body" to go with! 
 
Q: Where do ghosts take their boats? 
A: To the Eerie Canal !
 
Q: What type of monster loves dance music?
A: The Boogieman!
 
Q: What do you call a spirit who gets too close to a campfire?
A: A toasty ghosty! 
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