It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Quarter: Test Time!!! December 1, 2014

My goodness, THAT holiday weekend flew by, didn't it???  Here's a little joke for ya:

(Please ignore the lack of apostrophe in the word "here's," denoting a contraction.  The interwebs has plenty of funny, but not so much grammatical correctness!)

Today, all my classes wrapped up our study of the Revolutionary War with a review of what made it possible for such a weak, small, underfunded military force as the Continental Army to defeat a much larger and more powerful military.  Now we are heading into our review for the test you're going to have on content knowledge this Thursday or Friday.

HOMEWORK:  Your homework for the week is to study for your test.  You are getting a handout in class that will list several ways you can prepare, using either "old school" methods or web-based tools.  Your job is to study at least THREE times, for twenty minutes at a time.  If you were not here on the day before Thanksgiving break, your first study session can be to go through your packet and correct your work.

I have made some web-based study guides for you.  They were made on Quizlet, which will allow you to study in several different ways.  Try more than one!!!

Miscellaneous Key Terms - Quizlet
Key People - Quizlet
Rev War Battles - Quizlet

Please note, this is NOT the only information that will be on the test!

Here is a copy of the study options and study session tracker if you lost yours.

If you were NOT in class last Tuesday, and did NOT get a handout to correct your packet, there is link to the correction key on last Tuesday's blog post.

Happy Holiday Tuesday!! November 25, 2014

Hi everyone!  Today was a quiet day, with fewer Team 12'ers in attendance than usual, but that is to be expected on a day before a holiday weekend.  So, without further ado, here is what we did today:

First, we corrected our Revolutionary War packets.  Then, I gave classes the choice between working on their analysis of why the Continental Army was able to win the Revolutionary War or participating in an activity known and beloved as the Holiday Hand Turkey Factstravaganza!!!!

I bet you can guess which one was more popular.

Anyway, if you were not here today, you need to use the correction key below to check your worksheets.  Otherwise, we had no homework - I have enough to do correcting essays over the long weekend as it is!

Hope you all have a wonderful holiday.  Don't eat too much - by which I mean, stop before you actually blow up, okay?

Rev War packet answer key

A TWO DAY WEEK?!? Heck, Yeah!!! November 24, 2014

Hi everyone!
Well, it's been pretty hard for all of us to concentrate, what with visions of turkey dinners dancing in our heads, but we're going to make it happen.  Personally, my very favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal is the sandwich afterward - you know, with cranberry sauce, stuffing, turkey, a little lettuce, some mayo, maybe a smear of gravy - wait, we were talking about something???  Oh yeah.  SCHOOL!

Since we're not done yet, here's the scoop on class activities:

Per 1 - you guys did the recruitment posters that the other classes did last Friday, since we missed you for Student of the Month.

Per 2, 5, and 6 - Today, we started discussing how the weak, understaffed, underfunded Continental Army managed to defeat the world's military superpower of its day.  You had a chance to share your ideas and work with others to expand upon those ideas.  Tomorrow we will finish that process.

Per 7 - you had a work day to complete your packets.

HOMEWORK:  Only per 7 has homework, which is to finish your Rev War packets.  See you tomorrow!

Who Doesn't Love Friday??? November 21, 2014

Hi everyone,
I can tell we are getting close to the end of the month… and a holiday… and a full moon, too, for all I know!  Anyway, here is where we are:

1) I was out yesterday, and you got to experience the excitement of learning via video!  I collected the completed handouts today, so if I didn't see you in class, you need to get that to me soon.  If you were not here yesterday, you win the "I don't have to make work up!!!" lottery!

2) Per 1, 2, 5, and 6 - you guys got a little bit of a break today.  Per 1 had Student of the Month.  Per 2, 5, and 6 did recruitment posters for the Revolutionary War.  You have no homework this weekend.

3) Per 7 finished up the Rev War lecture notes.  If you were not here, you need to watch the online presentation and finish up your notes.  It is linked on a previous blog post from two days ago.

HOMEWORK:  Per 7 - you need to review the American Revolution packet (it has the Don't Tread On Me logo on the front).  Choose TWO assignments you haven't completed yet, and finish those for Monday.  IF 75% OF THE CLASS COMPLETES TWO ASSIGNMENTS THIS WEEKEND, YOU CAN HAVE MONDAY FOR WORK TIME.

Continuing on…November 19, 2014

Hi everyone,
We're mostly done with the lecture, except for a few classes that are wrapping up tomorrow.  Tomorrow we get to experience the excitement of learning via video!!!  What a week!

Below is a link to the online version of the lecture.  It has a voiceover of your very favorite teacher (NO IT'S NOT MR. ZAKIAN!!!).  If you missed part of the lecture, or just want to double-check your notes, here it is:

Link to Prezi

HOMEWORK:  Keep working on the packet!!!  It is due on Friday for everyone except per 7.  It is worth FIFTY POINTS on your classwork grade!!

You Say You Want a Revolution: November 17 and 18, 2014

Hi everyone!

We are moving on from the events that led to the Revolution, and are starting to look at the Revolution itself.  How did such a small, weak, overmatched fighting force manage to defeat the greatest military power of its day?  That is a question well worth pondering!!

We are going to answer this through a couple of different activities.  First, we are going to have a lecture to give you an overview of the war as a whole.  Lectures aren't necessarily fun, but they are something you probably will encounter at some point in your academic career, so we might as well start getting you used to them.

Also, you will be working through the week on a packet of activities.  When we have down time in class, you can work on the packet.  It is also your homework through the week, so if you have study hall or team time and nothing to do, guess what???  You can work on your Social Studies!!!  Many of the activities can be done without the textbook, but you will need the book for some of them.  I've linked all four sections of the textbook below, or you can borrow a loaner from me.

Finally, we are talking today about how to take notes from lecture.  It's not always easy, and you're not always going to capture every last detail the first time through.  We will chat about how to make your note-taking more efficient and how to make sure you capture all the significant information.  As part of that, I put the lecture into an online presentation that is linked below.  If you need to review the lecture, either to capture more notes or just to prepare more fully for our test, you can use the link below.

HOMEWORK:  The packet of activities is due Friday.  DON'T LOSE YOUR PACKET!!  There is a one per customer rule!!!

Links to book sections  below:

Ch 7 Sec 1
Ch 7 Sec 2
Ch 7 Sec 3
Ch 7 Sec 4


Ch 6 Sec 1
Ch 6 Sec 2
Ch 6 Sec 3
Ch 6 Sec 4

Here is a link to the online version of the PowerPoint lecture

Final Words of Wisdom: November 13 and 14, 2014

Hi everyone,
I get the sense that tomorrow is going to be a very busy day, so I'm going to talk about a few things here.  This goes for today and tomorrow, so there will not be a new post on Friday.

HOMEWORK:  Your GRADED DRAFT of your Causes of the Revolution essay is due TOMORROW unless you are in period 7.  Your essay is due MONDAY.

What does this mean?  It means that you should have a complete essay, beginning to end, ready for me to read and grade by 2:10 on Friday.  It should be PROPERLY FORMATTED (see handout linked below) with CITATIONS IN TEXT (see handout below).

How should I submit it?  During class time on Friday, you will have a chance to go to the West Wing and work on your essays.  I'd like it submitted through Google Docs (preferred) or printed and handed in (still very acceptable).  Unless you have special permission from me, I expect it to be typed.

What if I'm not done?  You can expect to see some notation of this in PowerSchool, and it will seriously affect your grade until the work comes in.  If you don't get the essay done within a pretty quick time frame, you will need to stay after school with me to get remedial help.  I guess I know what you're doing this weekend!!!

Here is the information referenced above:

Quotes and Formatting Instructions

Moving Along…November 12, 2014

Boy, it's weird coming to school after a couple of days off, isn't it?  Okay, here we go…

…if you took the past four days off from thinking about the essay, that is something you're going to have to take into account as you continue your work this week.  The graded draft is due for ALL classes EXCEPT per 7 on Friday of this week.

If you copied down the group intro we wrote in class, then your first paragraph is basically covered.  Your last (concluding) paragraph is a restatement of your thesis statement and topic sentences, so no new ideas should be introduced in the conclusion.  If you have your thesis and topic sentences done, then your conclusion should be easy.  That leaves you with the three body paragraphs to do.

If you did NOT work on the essay over the weekend, then, I suggest the following work schedule:

Wednesday night:

• Type up the introduction, using the group intro as your guideline.
• Type up the conclusion by reframing your topic sentences and thesis statement in new words.
• Draft the first BODY PARAGRAPH as thoroughly as possible,
• Type up the topic sentences for body paragraphs 2 and 3.  

Thursday class/study hall/night:

• Draft the second and third body paragraphs.  
• Review the first body paragraph and improve/expand/edit
• Check each paragraph for specific use of evidence and internal citations

Friday class/study hall:

• Review second and third body paragraphs and improve/edit
• Submit via Google Docs or print and hand in by 2:10.

HOMEWORK:  See above or last Friday's blog for suggested work load.  Per 7, please come in tomorrow with TWO pieces of evidence for each body paragraph.  Use the information we gathered in class to help you.

Suggestions From The Teacher - Ignore At Your Own Peril!

Next week, we are moving forward with our studies while you work on your essays independently.  And by "work on your essay independently," I do NOT mean, "wait until Thursday night and panic."  You have a FOUR day weekend, so as much as we all need, want, and could use a little mini-vacation, you do need to continue making forward progress.  Here is a suggested work sequence for you:

Is your thesis drafted?  (99% of you have done this)
              If so, then move on to ----->

Are your topic sentences drafted?  (most of you have done this)
              If so, then move on to ----->

Have you identified 2 to 3 SPECIFIC, DETAILED pieces of evidence (quotes, statistics, concrete details) to support each of your topic sentences?  (many of you are still working on this)
              If so, then you might want to ----->

• Bring your organizer to me for checking

               OR

• Start drafting your body paragraphs

Have you shown me your evidence for approval?  If not, try to conference with me during class next week.  While you are waiting for your conference, you can STILL begin drafting your body paragraphs!  If your organizer is filled out well, most of the hard work is already done! 

For those classes submitting their essays on FRIDAY (per 1, 2, 5, and 6), the following sequence will get you to the finish line:

Monday (or weekend) - set up introduction written in class; write body paragraph #1

Tuesday - write body paragraph #2 and #3

Wednesday - finish body paragraph #3 if needed; draft a conclusion

Thursday - last round of edits and polishing; print essay if you're not going to share it.

Friday - submit essay and relax!

Essays Cont'd: Nov. 6 and 7, 2014

We are continuing to move forward with our essays over the next two days.  Here's the plan:

• If I haven't approved your thesis, make sure I see it and approve of it.
• Once I approve your thesis, review the topic sentences we drafted in class.  If you want to use those, that's great.  If you want to write new ones, have at it.
• Put the thesis and the topic sentences in the green essay organizer.  Make sure I get a chance to review the topic sentences soon.
• Begin identifying CONCRETE, SPECIFIC, DETAILED evidence that help prove your points.  These can be quotes, statistics, dollar amounts, numerical details, etc.  Use your BOOK, the D of I, and your DBQ to find these!!!!
• During this process, try to check in with me so I can make sure you are choosing appropriate evidence.
• Begin drafting your essay.  If you have questions or issues, feel free to share them with me via email, or you always can Google Drive what you have to me so I can review it.

HOMEWORK:  Continue working on your essay.  By now, you SHOULD have a strong thesis statement, well-organized topic sentences for each body paragraph, and at least a few specific details to support each topic sentence.  If you aren't at this point already, work toward getting this done!

Rending Order from Chaos, I Hope: November 5, 2014

Well, we've reached that point in the essay process - the point where we're transitioning from "we're writing an essay and here's what it's going to be about," to, "now it's time to get your ideas down so we can see if you're ready to write the essay."  I always - ALWAYS - think I'm going to break the process down into such concrete, specific steps that everyone will be able to move through the essay together at the same pace, and I am always - ALWAYS - wrong.  Why?  Because writing an essay reflects your personal knowledge and understanding, and that means it's a reflection of you.  With 116 or so of you, there is no WAY all of you are going to be in the same point in the process at the same time.  So I am learning to embrace it and just muddle through.

So where are we?  Well, per 1 & 2 students, almost all of you have had your thesis statements approved.  I need to check in with you about your topic sentences, and you need to find specific evidence for each body paragraph.

Per 5 & 6, you guys worked on thesis statements, and per 6 got to the point where you can start drafting topic sentences.  I want to see topic sentences and thesis statements from you guys soon.

Per 7, you built some model thesis statements today.  Tomorrow I want to see drafts of your thesis statements and topic sentences for approval.

HOMEWORK:  It depends upon which class you are in.
Per 1 & 2 - finish the evidence sheet for TWO of your body paragraphs, putting the info on the green organizer.

Per 5 - fill out draft topic sentences on your green sheets.

Per 6 & 7 - finish drafting a thesis statement if you haven't already, and draft your topic sentences.

More Essay: November 4, 2014

Today is election day!  Remind your parents to go out and exercise the rights that they have as American citizens!!!

In class today, we continued to work on essays.  I want to make sure that you have solid thesis to support and strong ideas to use in your writing, so we are taking our time and working on this slowly.

Per 1 & 2 had thesis statements checked and began drafting intro paragraphs.  Per 1 also reviewed the DBQ packet answers.
Per 5 & 6 framed thesis statements with me and listed information that they should have in their intro paragraphs.
Per 7 finished the process of analyzing the content they want to include in their essays and will begin the thesis process tomorrow.

HOMEWORK:  Per 5 & 6 ONLY - take the info we listed in class and use it to create an introductory paragraph.  Use the thesis you created in class as your last sentence!!!

Talking About A Revolution (Sounds Like An Essay!): November 3, 2014

So do you guys get the musical reference in the blog title?  No?  Go ask your parents…. In fact, I tell you what - the first parent to identify the song reference correctly in the blog comments wins five points for their student to use on a late or missing class assignment!  (Now I can see who's reading this blog, too!)

Okeydoke, on with the show…today, per 1 and 2 reviewed themes and common ideas about the underlying causes of the Revolution.  They completed that task and reviewed my handout on historical essay introductions.

Per 5 and 6 finished reviewing their themes and common ideas, and we did some group work to identify the common themes they saw.  They completed all four major underlying causes.

Per 7 began catching up from missing class last Friday.  Students who are doing the events approach began a graphic organizer.  Students who are doing the causes and justification approach started identifying the underlying causes that led to the Revolution.  As you can see, we had a very busy day today!

HOMEWORK:

Per 1 & 2 - please submit a draft thesis statement ON SEPARATE PAPER for me to check.
Complete the Evidence Analysis worksheet.

Per 5 & 6 - If you are doing the events approach, make sure you have items B, D, and G from the DBQ finished for tomorrow. If you are doing the underlying causes or justification approach, complete the Evidence Analysis worksheet.

Per 7 - see homework from above.  If you don't understand what to do, come in tomorrow with as much done as you can understand and we'll review it tomorrow.