Cartographer's Challenge

In an effort to review commonly used geography terms students are creating maps using twenty features of their choice. Students are working in pairs (one student in Elise's room is paired with a student from Sarah's class) to create lands with themes based on their particular interest. We have countries and islands shaped like musical notes, cars, game boards, sports fields etc. Look for their master pieces at conferences!

Heading South...Again.

Students finished up their essays on their favorite tour stops of the southeast. Students also spent time gathering and reviewing their work to add to their portfolios. Students will meet with their social studies teacher this week to review the work and make sure all important documents have been included. Tomorrow we will return to the southeast. The remainder of the week will be spent learning about the effects of geography on life in the southeast.

Welcome Back From Mid-Winter Break.

This week students are reviewing their homework assignments and polishing them up before we add them to portfolio's. Students were also introduced to the five paragraph essay. Wait! We know what you are thinking, that sounds like a language arts assignment. We are introducing this form to the students with the hopes they will use it in future writing assignments for social studies. This tool is not to replace any of the writing styles that the students have learned thus far with Ayisha and Chris. Next week we will continue our studies of the southeast.

Happy Birthday, Abe! & Day 3

Today marks the bicentennial birthday of Abraham Lincoln. Today also marks the 100th anniversary of the NAACP. After a brief discussion of these two events, students embarked on their third and final day of our tour of the southeast. We learned about the importance of oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico and cotton plantations in Natchez, Mississippi. Our last stop of the day took us to the Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery, Alabama. After our tour, classes discussed their view of the Civil Rights Movement during the 1950's-60's to now. Students then wrote poems about Civil Rights in America. Below are pictures from the boat/bus.

Students aboard the Southeast Express

Listening to our tour guide and taking notes.


A view from the tour bus.



Here a group of students play the Jamestown Survival Game. 1 out of every 8 people survived life in Jamestown after their arrival. As you can see here, the statistics are the same.

Day 2

Day two began with a bus ride from Jamestown to Appalachia. While in the Appalachian Mountains we learned about the importance of the land and how it is used for coal mining. We also heard some music from this area. Did you know that Bluegrass music is from this region? From the mountains, we continued on our bus ride to Memphis. While in Memphis we discovered the Mississippi Delta region and also heard Delta Blues music. Students discovered that this music was originally written by slaves to represent their feelings while working on the plantations. We arrived at our last stop of the day via the Mississippi River. Students enjoyed the ride on a river boat. We stopped in New Orleans, here students visited the French Quarter they learned about Dixieland Jazz, Cajun music, and Cajun culture. Students finished out the trip by listening to more of the four styles of music and guessing which type of music they heard. Our last leg of the trip will be completed tomorrow!

It's a Boat, It's a Bus, It's the Southeast Express!

Students this week are studying the geography of the southeastern states. Our first leg of the trip was completed by traveling on a fishing vessel. We stopped at Everglades National Park, there we learned that there are over 300 different species of birds. Continuing north we stopped by the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral. Our last stop for the day was in Jamestown Virginia. There we learned about the first settlers in Jamestown and their struggles to survive. Students participated in the Jamestown Survival Game. Students learned that one in eight people survived their first year in Jamestown. Next stop, Appalachia!

The Verdict is in!

Members of the jury, have you reached a unanimous decision in the case of the State of Michigan Vs. Hansel and Gretel Schmidt?

To the charge of aggravated battery, Hansel Schmidt is:
1st block: Not Guilty
2nd block: Not Guilty
4th block: Not Guilty
5th block: Not Guilty
6th block: Guilty; 20 hours of Community Service

To the charge of criminal mischief, Hansel Schmidt is:
1st block: Not Guilty
2nd block: Not Guilty
4th block: Not Guilty
5th block: Not Guilty
6th block: Guilty; 20 hours of Community Service

To the charge of petit theft (petty theft), Hansel Schmidt is:
1st block: Not Guilty
2nd block: Guilty; Hansel Schmidt must work for Malvinia Crueller for two weeks in her shop.
4th block: Not Guilty
5th block: Not Guilty
6th block: Guilty; 20 hours of Community Service

To the charge of aggravated battery, Gretel Schmidt is:
1st block: Not Guilty
2nd block: Not Guilty
4th block: Not Guilty
5th block: Not Guilty
6th block: Not Guilty

To the charge of criminal mischief, Gretel Schmidt is:
1st block: Guilty
2nd block: Not Guilty
4th block: Not Guilty
5th block: Not Guilty
6th block: Not Guilty

To the charge of petit theft (petty theft), Gretel Schmidt is:
1st block: Guilty
2nd block: Not Guilty
4th block: Not Guilty
5th block: Not Guilty
6th block: Not Guilty

So say we all: members of the jury
Dated in Hexville, Salem County, Michigan, this 4th day of February, in the year 2009.