As Halloween approaches, the students of Team 8-1 were faced with a very scary issue this week: a chapter test! Students were also introduced to several new iPad applications and used the SMALLab to participate in a class vs. class showdown! I have to say that I was very pleased with the results of Friday’s exam! Well done everyone! The Judicial Branch was the topic of discussion in Discover History class, with students acting as lawyers on Friday! Great job everyone, and I hope you are ready for the Salem Witch Trials investigation this upcoming week! American History: Monday: Students were introduced to two new formative assessment tools during Monday’s class. First students were divided into two teams for the Socrative Space Race! Socrative is an iPad application that provides teachers with real-time feedback. I am sure that students have used the Socrative app before, but the Space Race feature appeared to be new to most students. The Space Race feature divides students into teams and students race against one another by answering questions. In most classes, students decided to race against one another as unicorns. The unicorns move across the screen as students answer questions correctly. It felt as if I was watching the Kentucky Derby as students willed their unicorns to the finish line! At the end of class, students used the Quizalize platform to review key concepts from Chapter Three. The Quizalize platform is also is a team game, and allows students to review content through multiple choice and unscrambling answers. The Quizalize platform is much like the Quizizz platform that has been used, but it was very entertaining to watch students work together in teams! Well done everyone! To view a Quizalize used in class, please click on this link. Tuesday: Students channeled their inner elementary school self to create a map of the early North American colonies. Students worked within their groups to correctly label each colony. Students then correctly categorized each colony as a New England, Middle, or Southern colony. Students then placed a product from each colony on their map, and finally color-coded their map. This map will come in handy for Friday’s exam, and it was a nice change of pace from technology integration within each lesson. Wednesday: Wednesday marked the first visit of the 2015-2016 school year to the SMALLab! Students competed against one another in a game of memory that focused on vocabulary terms from Chapter Three! Students worked in pairs and each class period kept track of the total matches made within the allotted time. Congratulations to Period Two for winning the SMALLab competition! Please be sure to check out the photos below to see some of the action from Wednesday’s activity! Thursday: Students participated in the Chapter Three Review Extravaganza! Students utilized the Kahoot platform to review key concepts from Chapter Three. Congratulations to each winner of the Kahoot! In addition, students participated in the Quizalize review to prepare for their Chapter Three exam. Students were asked several questions via Quizalize to gage their preparedness for Friday’s exam. One great feature of the Quizalize platform is that the teacher is alerted to students who are struggling and the teacher can address the content that the student may need extra help with. To prepare for Friday’s exam, students were provided with a study guide on eBackpack, two Brain Rushes, the links to the Kahoot & Quizalize games, and all of the class presentations and Near Pod slides. Friday: Friday was test day in American History! Students took the forty-question assessment on eBackpack and the results were very promising. I was very impressed by the overall results on this assessment. Following the exam, students took a survey on American History class and my performance. In addition, students download the Salem Witch Trials iBook for next week. If you missed out on the survey, you can take it by clicking on this link! If you did not score as well as you would have liked on Friday’s exam, please see me and we’ll develop a strategy for the next exam. In addition, I stay for tutoring every Thursday from 3:30-5:00! Discover History: Monday: Students in Discover History used Kahoot to review for the Executive Branch Quiz. Students were asked questions on content such as presidential powers, executive departments, and presidential history! To play this Kahoot, please click on this link. Tuesday: Students completed the Executive Branch quiz. I was once again very pleased with the results of this quiz! The quiz consisted of matching, multiple choice, and correctly identifying the executive departments! Excellent work everyone! Wednesday: Today marked the introduction to the Judicial Branch! Judge Judy and several other famous TV judges were discussed with a few laughs here and there. Students were introduced to the different levels of the Judicial Branch. Students discerned the difference between trial and appellate courts and the difference between criminal and civil court cases. Students used the Courts in a Nutshell resource from iCivics to introduce themselves to the Judicial Branch. Thursday: Students participated in a great discussion on the meaning of the word “Fair”. A video created by the Fair Voters Project was used that describes the role of the Judicial Branch in determining what is fair. Former Surpeme Court Justice, Sandra Day O’Connor narrates the video, and provides great examples of the power of the Judicial Branch. Students then correctly identified the meaning of impartiality and how it applies to the Judicial Branch through a Verso discussion. Friday: Students used the iCivics website to simulate a courtroom experience! Students played the Argument Wars game to put their argument skills to the test. Students picked court cases from a list of landmark cases and tried their best to win the case. I am pretty convinced that we have a few future lawyers in Elizabeth Forward! Monday marks the last day of this rotation and I must say I am so impressed with this group of students! I hope that you enjoyed your time in Discover History and keep watching Carl Azuz!
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Thanksgiving came early in American History class. Students investigated the origins of the holiday and came to their own conclusions about Turkey Day. The week of October 12th also saw the introduction to the Patriot’s Pen Essay Contest and the formation of colonial America. In Discover History class, students were on the campaign trail! The mock election was held and the results will be announced on Monday. American History: Monday: Students investigated the New England Colonies through the Near Pod application. The Puritans and Separatists were the topic of much discussion on Monday, and individuals like Rodger Williams were also examined for their contribution to the formation of the New England Colonies. Check out the Near Pod Presentation here. Tuesday: The Patriot’s Pen Essay was introduced to each 8th grader on Tuesday. This year’s theme is What Freedom Means To Me. Students participated in a pre-writing strategy to begin the writing process. In addition, students watched two short video clips to help inspire the creative process. All of the information for the Patriot’s Pen Essay can be found on eBackpack. I will be working with Ms. Betz to help those students interested in entering the writing contest. Feel free to watch the What Freedom Means to Me video. Wednesday: Happy Turkey Day! Students investigated the history behind the Pilgrims and the Thanksgiving Holiday. Students were given a PDF written by a colleague who works for the historical society in Philadelphia and myself. Students were shocked to hear about the story of Squanto, the Pilgrims as grave robbers, and the Pequot Massacre. I argue that teaching the “good” and the “bad” sides of the Pilgrims demonstrates the complicated relationship they shared with the Native Americans. Conflict is part of the Thanksgiving story and could help us all grow more tolerant and accepting of others. Thursday: William Penn and the founding of Pennsylvania were at the center of Thursday’s lesson. Students explored the founding of the Middle Colonies and the reasons behind their creation. Students also used a new feature on the Near Pod application that allows students to go on virtual field trips. As a class, we ventured to Time Square to investigate why Manhattan Island was sought after in early colonial America. Friday: Students participated in a QR Code Gallery Walk on the Southern colonies on Friday. Students moved to five different stations, brainstormed ideas to a photo, and then scanned a QR Code to a Wikispace. Students were introduced to life in the Southern Colonies, men like James Olgethorpe, and Bacon's Rebellion. Check out the wikispace that was used in class here! Discover History: Monday: Monday marked the beginning of the mock presidential election in Discover History class. Students were broken down into two political parties (the Orange & Purple Parties), created slogans, developed key attributes, and began the primary election process. Students used the Pic Collage application to created posters for their candidacy. Tuesday: Students finalized their Pic Collage posters and shared the posters with the class via the Apple TV. Students then voted for an individual within their own political party to represent their party in the presidential election. Congratulations to Tahlon and Cody for being selected as the two candidates! Wednesday: Students discussed the best way to campaign for their presidential candidate. Students then began to create a variety of different media to support their candidate. I was very impressed by the use of different iPad applications that the students used to support their candidate! Flipagram, iMovie, Haiku Deck, and several other applications were on full display during the mock election. Thursday: Students finalized their campaign on Thursday. Several videos were created by the students that displayed their full creative talents. Students showed their artistic abilities by creating posters and banners for their candidates as well. Friday: Students showed off to the class the different media that was created to support their candidate. Students watched several video advertisements and then were shown different posters, banners, and other items used for the campaign. At the end of class, students submitted their final votes for President of Discover History Class. The results of the vote will be announced on Monday! Great job everyone! Students became real-life historians during the week of October 5th! Students were introduced to the Jamestown colony, analyzed the first primary sources of the year, and investigated another historical mystery 425 years in the making! Students also used a resource from the Library of Congress to analyze several primary sources this week. Many childhood memories were also “ruined” after several myths of Pocahontas were exposed. *A special shout out to my Olweus Group for great teamwork in your challenge this week! Also thank you to those who made me the Abraham Lincoln poster, cookies, and chocolate! I am so privileged to have such great students! American History: Monday: Students were introduced to the early English settlements in North America. Topics such as the defeat of the Spanish Armada and rivalries between England and Spain sparked discussion within class. The Jamestown Colony was a popular topic during Monday’s class. Students examined the hardships faced by many of the colonists and also investigated several myths of Pocahontas. To view the Prezi Presentation for Monday’s class, please click on this link. Tuesday: Happy Primary Source Day! Students were introduced to what a primary source is and the differences between primary and secondary sources. An excellent video created by Shmoop was used to introduce primary sources. Students then used the Educreations App to discern between primary and secondary sources. A source was described on the board, and students needed to decide if the source was primary or secondary. Students then used the Library of Congress Document Analysis Tool to analyze a primary source. Finally, students read the Starving Time written by John Smith in 1624. Students were very intrigued by Smith’s account of attempted cannibalism by some of the Jamestown colonist during their time of struggle. Wednesday: Students were once again on the historical mystery case! This missing persons case focused on the Lost colony of Roanoke. Students were introduced to the case and were given their case file via eBackpack. Students then used the Ed Puzzle app to become more familiar with the Lost Colony of Roanoke. Within their investigation teams, students selected possible theories and began to research their theories on what happened to the Roanoke Colony. I adapted a wikispace for students to aid in their investigation. Thursday: I was at a Technology Committee Meeting today, but students were still on the case! I recorded today’s lesson on the Ed Puzzle App due to by absence. Within the Ed Puzzle video, students listened to a video of me analyzing a primary source from John White, a leader of the Roanoke Colony. Students also used a map created by John White to piece together evidence from the Lost Colony of Roanoke. Students continued to collaborate with one another to develop a final answer of what happened to the Lost Colony of Roanoke. Friday: Friday marked the day that students began to analyze their own writing in American History Class. Before students began to compose their final ideas on that happened to the Roanoke Colony, each class critiqued two writing samples from previous assignments. Students identified the importance of being specific, using evidence to back up claims, and rereading their writing for mistakes. Students then began to compose their final explanations to what happened to the Roanoke Colony. I apologize that these have not been graded yet… I promise that I will have these graded in the very near future! Discover History: Monday: Monday marked the beginning of the Executive Branch Unit. Students were given three tasks list that contained different responsibilities of the President. Students marked these items easiest to hardest to gain an better understanding of the responsibilities of the President. Students also read different portions of Article II of the Constitution to find out more on the powers of the Executive Branch. Tuesday: Students were introduced to the other members of the Executive Branch: the Vice President and the Executive Departments. Students investigated the duties of the Vice President and looked at the different roles of each of the Executive Departments. Wednesday: Foreign versus Domestic Policy was the focus of today’s class. First, students described the differences between foreign and domestic policy. Students described the importance of foreign aid, military use, and treaty making. Students then were given different scenarios and identified these as foreign or domestic policies. Thursday: Students took a second look at the Executive Departments and the President’s Cabinet. Students looked at specific departments such as the Department of Defense and the Treasury, to gain a better understanding of what these departments actually do. Friday: Students had the opportunity to act as the President of the United States. Using the game Executive Command from iCivics, students were voted into the White House and became the leader of the United Sates of America. Students were forced to deal with different foreign and domestic challenges that would face the President. Some students were even forced to go to war with other nations! To play this very engaging game, please click on this link. A sHappy October everyone! The week of September 28th was yet another very busy and entertaining week in American & Discover History class. The week consisted of the closing of a 483-year historical cold case, the Protestant Reformation, the Chapter Two Exam, and the celebration known as German Culture Day. Monday: Students finalized with their investigation teams their theories concerning the demise of the Inca Empire. The majority of the investigation team concluded that the Spaniards led by the Conquistador Francisco Pizarro held several advantages that the Inca were not aware of. The Spaniards possessed primitive guns, which the Inca had never seen before. The Spaniards also had steel weapons that were much stronger than the bronze weapons of the Inca. Finally, the Spaniards brought diseases such as Small Pox that decimated the Inca population. Students used the Ed Puzzle App and worked in their investigation teams to write a well-thought conclusion on the historical cold case. Tuesday: Students were introduced to the Protestant Reformation in class. Historical figures such as Martin Luther and King Henry VIII were at the forefront of the class. Students reenacted the practice of selling indulgences to gain a better understanding of why men like Martin Luther wanted to break away from the Catholic Church. Students were also very interested in the story of King Henry VIII and his six wives. Tuesday’s class concluded with several explorers who searched for the Northwest Passage. John Cabot, Jacques Cartier, and Henry Hudson were highlighted during Tuesday’s class. Please check out the presentation that was used in class here. Wednesday: Wednesday marked the MEGA Review for the Chapter Two Exam. Students participated in three different reviews to prepare for the Chapter Two Exam. First students completed an explorer review on eBackpack. Students then utilized the game-based platform known as Quizizz to review vocabulary terms. Finally, students participated in a Kahoot Review that assessed the student’s recall of key concepts from Chapter Two. Thursday: Today marked the second the exam in American History Class. The exam was completed on eBackpack and I was very impressed with the results. Nice job everyone! If you are unhappy with your exam scores, please see me so we can work together to improve your next exam score. In addition, after school tutoring will begin this upcoming week (every Tuesday & Thursday). Friday: Happy German Culture Day! Today marked the first culture day of the 2015-2016 school year. Mr. Englert and I were in our German lederhosens and with the help of Mrs. Como the entire 8th grade hallway was decorated with black, red, and gold streamers and balloons. Class began with a discussion on the Vero App on culture and diversity. Students created their own definitions for these two terms and shared ways on how to gain a better understanding of culture and diversity. Students participated in a Kahoot that focused on different aspects of German culture. The Kahoot consisted of questions pertaining to German geography, language, history, food, sports, and other aspects of German culture. Finally, students played the German game known as topfschlagen. An explanation of topfschlagen can be found here. A special thank you to Taylor M. from 5th period for making German cookies for the class! Discover History: Monday: Monday marked the floor-debate and vote in the law-making process. Students presented their bills to the class and then defended their positions against their peers. I have to say that everyone did a great job in this simulation! The final vote concluded that the bill concerning cell-phone use in school was sent to Mrs. Martell for review. No word yet if this bill will be created into a new school rule. Tuesday: Students participated in a review for a quiz on the Legislative Branch. Students worked with a peer to complete a review on eBackpack and participated in a Kahoot Review as well. You can access the Kahoot review here. Wednesday: Students successfully completed their quiz on the Legislative Branch. The quiz consisted of multiple choice, sequencing questions, true/false, and a portion that asked students to deduce between the Senate & House of Representatives. Once again I was very impressed by the results of this quiz! Thursday-Friday: To conclude our unit on the Legislative Branch, students played two games from iCivcs. On Thursday, students played Represent Me, in which students role-play as a candidate up for reelection in either the House of Representatives or Senate. On Friday, students played the game known as Law-Craft. In this game, students have to gain support in the House of Representatives or the Senate for a new bill. Both of these games can be found here. |
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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