JA 8 B Civics: Jan. 28-Feb.1

This week we continue our discussion of the English roots of American democracy & then we will examine some of the major events that played a role in the development of the American system of government. We will look at the causes & effects of the American Revolution, and we will discuss the role of Thomas Paine's "Common Sense" as well as taking a close look  at the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration is one of the most important documents in history; and we will examine why.

U.S. History: Jan. 28-Feb. 1

This week we will continue our discussion of English dominance in the American colonies & we will begin to see limits on the freedoms of those who lived there. We will examine the causes & effects of the legislation, as well as the actions by some of the colonists that created the "need" for independence from England. It must be made known that not all colonists wanted independence; many were known as "loyalists." We will examine the arguments of both sides this week as we look at some of the limits on freedom; such as the Proclamation of 1763, the Sugar Act, and the Stamp Act.

Conflicts of the 20th Century: Jan. 28-Feb. 1

This week we will investigate how nations began to declare war on each other after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. We will investigate how the alliance system made what could have been a "small" war into the Great War. The map at left shows Germany's war plan to invade France. We will begin to discuss the first battles of WWI, including the Battle of Liege, the Battle of Lorraine, & the First Battle of the Marne. We will also be in the computer lab this week so that students can complete a Weapons of WWI Webquest!

http://firstworldwar.com/weaponry/index.htm

Wall St. Warriors ENRICHMENT

Welcome to your new enrichment class! Click on the green image below to join our group contest! You will need to register with an e-mail address and create your own account password.



Password to join our private class contest:   telesis

Click on the following links to become more acquainted with some basic vocabulary, trading strategies, and other helpful hints!

http://www.howthemarketworks.com/stock-market-articles/

http://money.cnn.com/investing/

http://money.cnn.com/data/markets/

http://beginnersinvest.about.com/cs/investinglessons/a/aaless1intro.htm

http://www.moneyinstructor.com/investing.asp

MLK Day 2013

On Monday, we do not have school in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2013. Check out his famous "I Have A Dream" speech below!

JA 8 B Civics: Jan. 21-25

This week we will begin our investigation of the roots of American Democracy. We will examine our English heritage & how it has influenced our form of government. We will also discuss some of the history of the English colonies & the unrest that erupted into the American Revolution. We will discuss how the founders looked to the past for ideas about how to govern.

U.S. History: Jan. 21-25

This week we will continue our research into the European empires of the Americas. We will place our emphasis on the British colonies and the eventual seeds of unrest in the colonies. Why did people in the colonies desire self-rule? What actions did the British take that were upsetting to the colonists? We will discuss these issues and more during the week. Later in the week we will begin our investigation of the struggle for independence and the American Revolution.

Conflicts of the 20th Century: Jan. 21-25

This week we will continue to investigate the long-term causes of WWI. Students will be assigned an extensive reading assignment with questions to respond to. We will discuss the "Long Fuse" reading as a group as well. We will break down the MAIN causes of WWI:





-Militarism- A strong build-up of military/arms

-Alliances- Friendships between nations for mutual benefit and  promises to defend one another

-Imperialism- The desire to create empires and expand
                                              
-Nationalism- Strong to extreme patriotism/pride in your country.

Towards the end of the week we will investigate the "spark" that ignited the First World War:
The assassination of Franz Ferdinand on June 28, 1914 at the hands of Gavrilo Princip and the Black Hand Gang.

Welcome to the 2nd Semester of the 2012-2013 School Year!

Welcome to your new classes! In all of my classes we will start off by going over class rules and procedures. This week students will take Pre-tests, and receive their textbooks for the semester. Specific class information is as follows:

Conflicts of the 20th Century: We will begin by discussing the importance of studying global conflicts as well as the causes & consequences of conflict. We will discuss how conflicts have shaped the world we live in today, & how they will shape the future. A major theme in this course will be what can be done ( or could have been done) to prevent conflicts. We will begin by looking at the state of the world at the turn of the 20th century, & how a long chain of events led to the First World War.

U.S. History:  This week we will begin examining the European empires of the Americas & we will see how the British began to dominate the New World as the Spanish began to falter. We will discuss how the English colonies developed on the Atlantic coast of the United States & the major impact this would have on the creation of the United States & the influence of British culture in America.

JA 8 Civics:  We will begin by discussing the importance of good citizenship, why we have laws, & where our laws come from. We will discuss the diversity of America & the roots of our Democratic government. Some of this should be review from your history classes!

ALL CLASSES: Jan. 7-11

I hope everyone has had an enjoyable and relaxing Winter Break. This is the final week of the semester, which means students will be taking Post-Tests and turning in their textbooks by the end of the week. In the first part of the week in all classes we will reflect on the semester and review for the Post-Test, which will count towards final grading. While reflecting on what we have learned, we will also discuss some current events, as well as the effects that these events will have on our future. I wish everyone luck as we finish out our first semester!