The week of September 21st marked several firsts for the 2015-2016 school year. The entire eighth grade went on their first field trip of the school year to the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium. In addition several new apps were introduced this week and students participated in their first historical cold case investigation of the school year! Monday: Students completed the Google Earth Explorer Map Activity in class on Monday. Students used a new app called Quizizz as well. This game-based review is similar to Kahoot, but with a few differences. Students used Quizizz to review for the Section 2-1 & 2-2 Quiz. Check out the Quizizz Review here to see how well you know the Age of Exploration. Tuesday: Students completed the Section 2-1 & 2-2 Quiz today on eBackpack. I was very impressed with the results of this quiz. Nice job everyone! Following the quiz, students familiarized themselves with several vocabulary terms from the Age of Exploration and completed an activity on cause/effect relationships. Language Arts topics are often integrated within American History class to provide students with extra practices for both sets of content. Wednesday: Zoo Day! Team 8-1 & Team 8-2 traveled to the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium today for a lesson on biodiversity. Students were introduced to several biological concepts by zoologists and got up close and personal with a few animals. The kinkajou, bearded dragon, and hissing cockroach were shown off to students during a presentation. The rest of the day consisted of students viewing the amazing animals that the Pittsburgh Zoo showcases. I hope everyone had fun and thank you to the parents who chaperoned the trip! To see pictures from the zoo, check out Ms. Betz’s Twitter page @MsBetzLA8… she took some amazing photos! Thursday: Students were introduced to two conquistadors today, Hernan Cortes and Francisco Pizarro. Students navigated through a Wikispace activity and completed an assessment on eBackpack. To view more about these two conquistadors, please click on this link to the Wikispace. Friday: Friday marked the first historical col case investigation in American History class. Throughout the year, students will work as investigators to try to solve “cold cases” from history. Friday’s cold case focused on Francisco Pizarro and his conquering of the Inca Empire. Students were introduced to the case, people of interest, and began analyzing evidence through the Ed Puzzle App. This app allows teachers to create/edit videos and add different assessments and other features to videos To view the introduction in Ed Puzzle, click here.. Students finished Friday’s class by making predictions through a Post-It Note Activity. We’ll be back on the case Monday! Discover History Monday: Students were introduced to the Lesiglative Branch of our government. Students used a resource known as Congress in a Flash to investigate the similarities and differences between the House of Representatives and the Senate. Tuesday: Students continued to learn about the Legislative Branch, specifically the powers of the Legislative Branch. Students created Pic Collages on the three most important powers of the Legislative Branch. Be sure to check out Haley Kuehner’s pic collage in the images below. Wednesday: Field Trip to the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium Thursday: Students worked in groups to continue their investigation of the Legislative Branch. Students worked on a Web-Quest that focuses on law-making and also introduced students to their local representatives and state senators. You can access the web-quest at this link. Friday: Friday marked the law-making simulation. Students were asked to think of a school rule that they would like to see added or changed. As a class, we began to put these bills through the law making process. The bills were drafted and sent to committee on Friday. On Monday, a floor debate will occur and a vote will determine which bills are sent to Mrs. Martel
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The week of September 14th was yet another very busy and exciting week in American and Discover History class! This week introduced students to several major historical events such as the Renaissance and the Age of Exploration. Not only were students introduced to technologies of the 1400s-1500s, but they also became real-life explorers! A special thanks to all of the parents who attended the Family Technology Night on Thursday Night!
American History: Monday: Students were introduced to one of the most famous explorers in history… Marco Polo. The Thinking Routine, Zoom In was also used in class today. The Renaissance was also a topic of discussion and students learned the connection between the Renaissance and the Age of Exploration. Finally, students investigated “new technologies” of the Age of Exploration”. These included the compass, astrolabe, Three-Masted Caravel, and several other important innovations. Please check out the Near Pod Presentation for more information! Tuesday: In 1492… Columbus sailed the Ocean Blue. This rhyme has been taught to students for as long as I can remember. What do we really know about Christopher Columbus? I used one of my favorite books, Lies My Teacher Told Me, to provide another perspective of Christopher Columbus. Students read about the darker side of Christopher Columbus and Spanish colonization of the Caribbean. Students then used the Verso App to debate the historical significance of Christopher Columbus, if Columbus should be regarded as a hero or villain, and if we should still celebrate Columbus Day. Please look at this link from the History Channel on the Christopher Columbus controversy. Wednesday: Wednesday marked the day that several famous Portuguese & Spanish explorers were the topic of class. Explorers such as Bartholomeau Dias and Vasco de Gama were put on full display. Prince Henry the Navigator and his School of Navigation were also topics that students explored. The Prezi Presentation for this lesson can be found here. Students were also introduced to Hartnett’s Treasure Hunt Extravaganza! Thursday: Students became explorers on Thursday! Using a Garmin GPS, students located clues that were hidden throughout the outside of Elizabeth Forward Middle School. I was so impressed with each and every student during this activity. Students worked in cooperative groups and located ten hidden clues… Not to mention that all of the GPS devices made it back in one piece! I believe students learn history by immersing themselves in historical events and simulations. I hope the students learned more about the Age of Exploration by participating in the activity and more importantly I hope everyone had fun! Friday: The Vikings were first topic of Friday’s lesson. Students were introduced to Leif Eriksson and several important Viking voyages. Students also were shown a brief video clip of bizarre Viking rituals. Other explorers such as Columbus, Amerigo Vespucci, and Ferdinand Magellan were also discussed in class. Friday concluded with students using the Google Earth App to illustrate the routes of several key explorers. Friday also marked the due day of the New Technologies Pic Collage assignment. Students not only impressed with their creative Pic Collages, but some students used Flipagram, Key Note, and Adobe Voice. I was very impressed with the work that the students submitted! Discover History: Monday: Students were introduced to the first ten amendments, or the Bill of Rights on Monday. Students used Emojis to rewrite the Bill of Rights. The creativity of each student was on full display during this assignment! Tuesday: Students participated in a Kahoot Review to prepare for the Road to the Constitution Quiz. The Kahoot consisted of 20 questions, and was very competitive. Congratulations to Tahlon for winning the Kahoot! Wednesday: Students successfully completed the Road to the Constitution Quiz on Wednesday. Each student did a great job on the 20-question quiz that consisted of a matching section and multiple-choice questions. Thursday & Friday: To conclude the Road to the Constitution Unit, students played the Do I Have a Right game from iCivics. In this game, students act as Constitutional Lawyers and use their knowledge of the Bill of Rights and the seventeen other amendments of the Constitution to win court cases. You can give the game a try by clicking on this link! The week of September 7th brought Labor Day, NWEA Testing, and the first Chapter test in American History class. Needless to say, this past week was very busy! A special shout out to all of the students for completing the NWEA tests in Language Arts, Math, and Science. Before I give a breakdown of what occurred in American History & Discover History class, I would like to say that I was very impressed with Chapter One: The First American Test scores and Foldable Projects. It was obvious that many students took advantage of the variety of study tools provided. The Foldables were also very extraordinary. The artwork and creativity of many students was on full display! American History: Tuesday: Students participated in a QR Code Walk that focused on the early Native American groups of North America. The QR Code Walk was based on a wikispace that was created that incorporated text, images, and videos. The wikispace can be found here. Wednesday: Wednesday marked the first Kahoot of the school year! Kahoot is a game-based website that allows students to use their iPads to answer multiple-choice questions. To gain a better understanding or to try out the Chapter One Kahoot, click on the link. Thursday: Today marked the first chapter test of the school year. Students took the chapter test on eBackpack. As I stated above, I was very impressed with the scores and foldable projects that were turned in! Nice work everyone! Friday: Today marked the 14th year anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks. Students had a discussion of what it means to be a hero and were introduced to a bonus assignment. The bonus assignment can be found on eBackpack and includes writing a letter or creating a piece of art that shows appreciation for heroes of the Elizabeth Forward area. Class concluded with students viewing a portion of the documentary called 102 Minutes that Changed America. Discover History: Tuesday: Students completed their Anatomy of the Constitution assignment. This assignment focused on the Preamble and different articles of the Constitution. Wednesday: Students began to investigate the Constitution further by beginning a web-quest of the Constitution and its significance. The web-quest was created by iCivics, a website that focuses on reinvigorating civic learning through interactive and engaging learning resources. Thursday: Students continued to work on the Constitution web-quest. Specifically, students focused on the three-branches of government that are described within the Constitution. Friday: Students watched a special CNN Student News that focused on September 11th. The special focused on the new memorial built at Shanksville, Pennsylvania and provided an inside look at the 9/11 Memorial in New York City. We then had a discussion about the importance of these memorials and debated if the story of the terrorist should be included within the 9/11 Memorial in New York City. This past week in Room 212 saw temperatures reach the upper 80s and the introduction to the first Americans. Before I provide a breakdown of what happened in Room 212, I have to say that I am very impressed with the students throughout the week. It sometimes felt pretty unbearable due to the heat, but the students were still enthusiastic! This week began with a conversation and activity on PBS Learning Media and concluded with the design of the Chapter One Foldable. In American History Class:
Monday: Students began to explore the origins of humans. Specifically students focused on human migration to North & South America. Students used the PBS Learning Media Website and an interactive map to trace the migration of early humans. Students concluded that early humans traveled to North American via a land bridge or by boat on the "kelp highway". The following link is to the interactive map used by students throughout the lesson. Tuesday: Students used a new app to Room 212 called Verso. Verso allows students to have discussions with one another and promotes collaboration. Students worked together to answer essential questions pertaining to the first Americans. The Verso website can be found here if you would like to check it out. Wednesday: It was really nice to meet all of the parents at EFMS Open House! Open House saw a nice turn out and I look forward to working with everyone throughout the 2015-2016 school year. Due to the half-day schedule, students were introduced to the Chapter One Foldable Project. Thursday: The Olmec, Maya, Aztec, and Inca were introduced on Thursday. Students used a thinking routine promoted by Harvard University called "See-Think-Wonder" to analyze Mayan Hieroglyphics. The Prezi Presentation that I used for Thursday's lesson can be found here. Friday: Students used eBackpack to compare/contrast the accomplishments of the Olmec, Maya, and Aztec civilizations. Students applied their learning to add several new aspects to their Chapter One Foldable Project, including migration routes, locations of civilizations, and the sites of early Native American mound sites. This past week was also very busy in Discover History Class! Students began to analyze the formation of the U.S. Constitution. Specifically: Monday: Students used the iCivics resource known as "Hey King Get Off Our Back!" to review British acts and taxes that angered the American colonists. Tuesday: The topic was the Declaration of Independence! Students participated in a competition to see if they could correctly fill in the blanks to the opening lines of the Declaration of Independence. Wednesday: Before analyzing the actual U.S. Constitution, students were introduced to the "big ideas" that lay the foundations for this vital document. Students worked together to determine the importance of rights, due process, rule of law, self-government, and limited government. Thursday: Students created a foldable on the several major influences to the U.S. Constitution. These would include: Magna Carta, Mayflower Compact, English Bill of Rights, Cato's Letters, and Common Sense. Friday: It was an anatomy lesson in Discover History. Students began to dissect the U.S. Constitution into parts and examine these parts in detail. Well done to all of the students this past week! Please be sure to check out the Leadership Bulletin Board in the 8th grade hallway. The bulletin board is interactive, so be sure to have a QR Code reader, Aurasma App, and Verso App downloaded on your iPad to join the discussion! Have a great Labor Day Weekend! |
Mr. Steve Hartnett
Mr. Hartnett will update the Room 212 Blog with classroom updates on a regular basis. Be sure to follow me on Twitter @ MrHartnett212 Archives
July 2019
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