Week of 10/14
6th Grade: This week, the 6th-grade students will build on their ability to analyze and describe the connections between social structure, government, and religion in ancient Sumer by now exploring arts, technology, and writing. Students will discuss how every society we study this year shares key characteristics, including social structure, government, religion, arts, technology, and writing, and how sometimes these characteristics are similar between societies, while at other times they are vastly different. Understanding this concept will help students develop a more open mindset when learning about cultures and people different from their own. Students will also deepen their understanding of social class by analyzing primary source artifacts from ancient Sumer, allowing them to explain the interactions between different social classes. Lastly, students will begin discussing how communities evolve into empires, laying the foundation for our upcoming study of the four major empires of Mesopotamia.
7th Grade: This week, the 7th-grade students will wrap up Unit #1: America Before and After Colonization with a summative test on Wednesday, 10/16. Students received the study guide for the test on Friday, 10/11, and will have two in-class study days on 10/14 and 10/15. The test will cover key concepts, including European vs. Indigenous groups, Mercantilism and the Navigation Acts, the Triangular Trade, and Social Class & Government. Afterward, students can look forward to our next unit, Unit #2: Pre-Revolution in the Colonies, which is packed with simulations and a mock trial!
8th Grade: This week, the 8th-grade students will wrap up their study of Andrew Jackson. They will choose one of the key battles during Jackson's presidency, such as Jackson vs. the Nullification Crisis or Jackson vs. the Bank of the United States, and create a "fight card" to explain the fundamental concepts of these conflicts visually. This activity will help students gain a deeper understanding of Jackson's major political battles in a creative way. Students will also discuss their assigned roles for the upcoming Andrew Jackson mock trial, which is now scheduled for 10/23.
