I have to have all grades in by this Thursday. Last week we took a benchmark test, and the grades have gone back to the students. The average score was a B. If a student is interested in pulling up their grade there are some things they can do. I'm available before and after school for students to get help, and several students have taken advantage of that. I can also pull students out of their Connections classes to work on improving their grades.
For the second 9 weeks, we're beginning with some history. For the next 2 weeks we'll be working on 20th century Europe. This week we're studying how World War I helped cause the Russian Revolution and the rise of Nazism in Germany. Next week we'll be begin with the effects of World War II, and from there we'll go on to the creation of the European Union.
Showing posts with label Europe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Europe. Show all posts
Monday, October 12, 2009
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Quiz Tomorrow
We've got a quiz tomorrow over European countries. Students need to know the locations of Spain, Portugal, France, Belgium, Germany, Poland, Italy, Russia, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom. We'll also be reviewing environmental problems in those countries, and continuing to work on how the climate of those countries affects people's lives, including the decision about where to live.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
After introducing some of the history of Spain, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and France last week, we're back to doing more geography this week, though the history is still connected to it. We're working on several related environmental issues.
We've learned about 5 different kinds energy resources. We've mapped their locations, created a table that summarized the resources of the Spain, Portugal, France, the U.K., and Germany, discussed which were used first, and emphasized why they've been used. We've evaluated the good and bad points of using these resources. Today we did some reading and completed some guided notes as a review, and then did some new reading and had a discussion about the benefits and drawbacks of nuclear power, using the accident at Chernobyl as a case study. The review is located here: http://docs.google.com/View?id=dfszq998_46drwggzhf
Tomorrow we'll look at a brief video about Chernobyl after a demonstration of how pollution travels from one place to another. Students will then do some writing about the benefits and drawbacks of different energy resources. If we have time, we'll begin working on the effects of acid rain, which is kind of difficult for the children to understand.
We've learned about 5 different kinds energy resources. We've mapped their locations, created a table that summarized the resources of the Spain, Portugal, France, the U.K., and Germany, discussed which were used first, and emphasized why they've been used. We've evaluated the good and bad points of using these resources. Today we did some reading and completed some guided notes as a review, and then did some new reading and had a discussion about the benefits and drawbacks of nuclear power, using the accident at Chernobyl as a case study. The review is located here: http://docs.google.com/View?id=dfszq998_46drwggzhf
Tomorrow we'll look at a brief video about Chernobyl after a demonstration of how pollution travels from one place to another. Students will then do some writing about the benefits and drawbacks of different energy resources. If we have time, we'll begin working on the effects of acid rain, which is kind of difficult for the children to understand.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Quiz tomorrow + next assignment
We have a quiz tomorrow on European physical features. We took a pre-test today so the students would know exactly how prepared they were and what they needed to study.
If your child says she already knows all of the required physical features and why they are important, please ask her how she did today on the practice quiz. Some of the games at http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/European_Geography.htm do a good job of letting students practice for the water features they need to know, plus additional features for those of you who'd like your child to learn information beyond the standards.
After the quiz tomorrow we'll begin learning about European history. Georgia has decided that our focus is on modern Europe, so we won't be teaching much about Europe before the 1400s. We'll begin with how Europe in 1450 was somewhat isolated geographically, where Europeans wanted to go, why they wanted to go there, and how they planned to get there. As we learn the history we'll also begin learning the countries of Europe.
If your child says she already knows all of the required physical features and why they are important, please ask her how she did today on the practice quiz. Some of the games at http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/European_Geography.htm do a good job of letting students practice for the water features they need to know, plus additional features for those of you who'd like your child to learn information beyond the standards.
After the quiz tomorrow we'll begin learning about European history. Georgia has decided that our focus is on modern Europe, so we won't be teaching much about Europe before the 1400s. We'll begin with how Europe in 1450 was somewhat isolated geographically, where Europeans wanted to go, why they wanted to go there, and how they planned to get there. As we learn the history we'll also begin learning the countries of Europe.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
2nd assignment and grade report
Our second assignment is a bit more challenging than the first. The first assignment required students to learn the locations of continents, including Europe. The second requires them to learn the locations of 11 European physical features: the Rhine river, Danube river, English Channel, Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, Alps mountains, Pyrenees mountains, Ural mountains, European Plain, Iberian Peninsula, and Scandinavian Peninsula. In this second assignment students are also expected to begin understanding why these physical features are important-rivers are used for trade, the European Plain is used for farming, the English Channel somewhat isolates the British islands, the Ural mountains are one dividing line between Europe and Asia, etc... We'll have a grade on this in the middle of this week. If your child has not shown you her graded continents assignment, please ask about it. I've graded all of them, and returned all those except a few without names and one or two others.
The average grade on this first assignment was very high-almost 100-because the students worked very hard. Don't forget that your child can re-do most assignments, including this one, if he makes a low grade.
Rhine map image from
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