Extra Credit opportunity

I passed out a worksheet today that is worth 24 points of extra credit.  It is due on Monday, the 14th of March.  Some of my students are struggling with finding the correct vocabulary words and I wanted to give them an opportunity to boost their grade.


Also, I have planned for us to take our next common assessment on Thursday, the 17th.  This test will cover chapters 15 through 17 and the vocabulary test for this unit will be Monday, the 21st of March.  On that day, we will move right into the next unit which will be Spirit of Change and Sectional Differences.  My hope is to finish this unit by the first week of April.  Our Spring break is scheduled the second week of April and CATS testing will begin the week we return from Spring break.

The third grade period will end on Thursday, March 17 and report cards should be coming home shortly after that date.

This year is quickly wrapping up!

As always, if you have any questions, email me and I will get back to you.

Back in the Saddle Again

Ms. Shively will be finished this Friday with her student teaching assignment in my classes.  She did a great job teaching the Growth of Democracy.  Today, our students took the common assessment over this unit.  They completed the live score and chapter 14 test yesterday and the vocabulary test for chapters 11-14 on Monday, the 28th of February.  They were given the results of their chapter 14 test today and have the opportunity to correct it for half credit as long as they get in turned in tomorrow, the 3rd of March.

They also were given the results of their vocabulary test.  All students who scored less than 37 out of the 52 points have the chance to complete the vocabulary definitions and pictures in their journal for 80% credit.  If they complete it in the next couple of weeks, they can do it on their own time.  If not, they will lose their upcoming reward day or will need to stay after school.  They can retake the vocabulary test for 100% credit if, after completing their definitions, they stay after school and take it.

Students were given the vocabulary words for Chapters 15-17 today.  There are 24 words for this unit and they must be defined in the boxes set up, beginning on page 42 of their journals.  We will type our portfolio pieces about the Declaration of Independence and do test corrections for the common assessment on Friday, this week.

Introducing, Ms. Shively, Social Studies Student Teacher

Ms. Shively began working with  my students on January 3rd.  She will be taking over my classes once we finish the Constitution unit.  We will spend Monday learning more about our first ten amendments before taking the common assessment.  We also will be taking a test over the chapter 9 vocabulary words in the next few days.  Students should have these words defined on pages 27-34 in their journal.  The Common Assessment will begin tomorrow, Tuesday, the 25th of January.  Ms. Shively will begin her work on the Growth of Democracy with our students on Monday, the 31st of January.  As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please email me.

We have separated from England!

My Social Studies classes are currently finishing their portfolio pieces about the colonial grievances discussed in our Declaration of Independence.  These pieces will be collected on Thursday the 2nd of December.  By Thursday, we will have spent three days writing these rough drafts.  Once I check these drafts, students will rewrite them on the computer to complete their final copy.

We took our common assessment over Chapter 5-7 last Friday which brought us to the end of the Revolutionary War.  We will soon be studying the difficulty our new country had under the Articles of Confederation and how that led to the Constitutional Convention.  We will also be spending quite a bit of time studying our Constitution.  

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and are looking forward to spending Christmas with your family.  As always, please email me if you have any questions or concerns.    

Merry Christmas from my family to yours!

christmas card 2010

Joy Love Story Holiday

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Midterm reports will be going home on November 19th!

My classes are currently working on the events that led to the Revolutionary War.  We will be writing a portfolio piece about the varied colonial reactions to the Stamp Act and students will have the opportunity to rewrite and perform a few of the grievances written in the Declaration of Independence. Also, we will spend a couple of days on the Revolutionary War.  Our common assessment for this unit will cover chapters 5-7 in the History Alive textbook.  I hope to have students take this test before Thanksgiving break, but we may have to wait until after the break.

My students have had the opportunity to be creative through our study of the colonies and as participants of a colonial town meeting designed to sway the neutralists to either the Patriot or Loyalist position.  I've enjoyed their efforts and am looking forward to how they will express themselves in their interpretation of the Declaration of Independence.  I hope you will spend some time asking them about these activities and what they are learning about this wonderful country of ours.

As always, let me know if you have any questions or concerns.