JA 8 B Civics: May 13-17

This week we continue our investigation of the American legal system. We will examine some of our legal rights & responsibilities. We will examine the rights we are entitled to if we are arrested, as well as the rights we are entitled to during a trial. We will also examine the history of how the American legal system & our laws developed over time. We will also discuss the steps in the trial process & the similarities & differences between civil & criminal law.

U.S. History: May 13-17

This week we will finish our investigation of WWII, then we will begin discussing the post-war world. We will investigate the Yalta Conference and the division of Germany; a major event leading to the beginning of the Cold War. We will discuss the early years of the Cold War as well as the anxiety created by the possible use of atomic and nuclear bombs. We will also investigate the use of propaganda by the United States as a way to battle against communism. We will discuss the emergence of the United States & the Soviet Union as superpowers, and how their influence shaped global politics for years to come.

Conflicts of the 20th Century: May 13-17

This week we will begin our investigation of the Cold War. We will discuss what the Allies decided to do with Germany, now that the war was over. It would be divided up among the Allied powers. After the world was left ravaged by WWII, two nations would emerge as superpowers that would fight for global dominance; the United States & the Soviet Union. The ideologies would face off, Democracy vs. Communism. We will investigate the West's distrust of the Soviets towards the end of WWII as well as the fear that Soviet communism would spread throughout Europe. This week we will examine the causes & consequences of the Korean War as well.

JA 8 B Civics: May 6-10

This week we will continue our investigation of the Judicial Branch. We will discuss the duties of the court system in our country, as well as how they are organized from the Supreme Court all the way down to local courts. We will also discuss the impact that Supreme Court decisions have had on Americans through Constitutional changes that have happened due to the Court's rulings. Once again, we will also focus on checks and balances and the role it plays between the 3 branches of government.

U.S. History: May 6-10

This week we will look at some of the turning points in WWII for the Allies. We will examine the effects of the war on the homefront, as the U.S. would become the "Arsenal of Democracy."  We will then discuss the D-Day invasion to liberate Europe from the Nazis, the Soviet invasion of Berlin from the East, & we will discuss the brutal Pacific theater that looked like it had no end in sight, until the most secret weapon of the war was used not once, but twice. We will discuss the "causes & consequences" of the use of atomic bombs on Japan. Although it put an end to the war, it also created an entire new age: The Cold War.

Conflicts of the 20th Century: May 6-10

This week we will investigate the discovery of the Nazi concentration camps as the Allied troops marched their way into Nazi Germany & would eventually force them to surrender. Then we will also investigate the Allied victory in the Pacific. After the fall of the Nazis, the Allies were still battling the Japanese in brutal combat. We will discuss the use of firebombing in major Japanese cities like Tokyo, as well as the creation of a secret weapon that would change the world forever after it was used to essentially end the war; the atomic bomb!

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. Click on the green image below to go to the website and register!




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

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

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

JA 8 B Civics: Apr. 29-May 3

This week we will finish up our discussion of the Executive Branch. We will discuss the President's role in foreign policy as Chief Diplomat & Commander in Chief. We will also discuss the role of the other 2 branches in the foreign policy process, through checks and balances. We will also be testing on this chapter this week, & your Chapter 7 packet is due. Later in the week we will move on to the Judicial Branch. We will focus our efforts on the duties of the court system in our nation, beginning with the most powerful court in the U.S.; the Supreme Court. We will begin with a discussion of "What is Equal Justice Under Law?"

U.S. History: Apr. 29-May 3

This week we will complete our investigation of FDR’s attempts to end the depression under his New Deal

programs, and then we will begin our discussion of the causes of WWII in Europe through the rise of dictators, a worldwide depression, and a shift in political ideologies. We will look at how the United States, still dealing with the Great Depression, tried to remain neutral in another European conflict. We will then look at the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the event that brought the United States into WWII.

Conflicts of the 20th Century: Apr. 29-May 3

This week we will continue our investigation of WWII after the success of Operation Overlord. We will discuss the liberation of France, as this was a significant event in the war. After pushing the Nazis out of France, the Allied knew the next step would be to invade Germany. We will examine how the American and British troops faced off against the Nazis from the west, as we will discuss the Battle of the Bulge- Hitler's last gamble offensive against the Allies. Then we will investigate the Soviet invasion from the east and the take-over of Berlin. As the Allies surrounded Germany, Hitler would commit suicide, leaving the Third Reich without a leader. We will discuss the Nazi surrender, as well as what Allied troops would find on their way to Germany- the concentration camps that would reveal the horrors of Hitler's "Final Solution."

JA 8 B Civics: April 22-26

This week we will continue our investigation of the Executive Branch of government. We will discuss the duties & powers of the President & Vice
President, as well as what other members of the Executive Branch do on a daily basis to help make government run smoothly. We will also cover checks & balances & the role they play for the president. We will also discuss why the Constitution does not grant as many specific powers to the President as it does to the Congress. Why did the framers do this? We will examine how presidential power has grown over the course of our nation's history from Washington to Obama.

U.S. History: April 22-26

This week we will continue looking at the U.S. involvement during WWI, as well as the effect on the
homefront during the war. Finally, we will examine President Wilson's role in trying to create an everlasting peace, through his 14 points. Then we will move on to the Roaring Twenties and the Stock Market Crash that followed. We will discuss what caused the crash, after almost a decade of growth and prosperity.

Conflicts of the 20th Century: April 22-26

This week much of our efforts will be focused on the WWII  projects. You have had time to complete independent research on your topics, and now you will hopefully be prepared to put it all together. Towards the end of the week we will investigate the Day of Days- D-Day! We will discuss the importance of General Eisenhower's role in the invasion and the beginnings of liberation of Nazi controlled Europe. We will discuss the liberation of France, as this was a significant event in the war. After pushing the Nazis out of France, the Allied knew the next step would be to invade Germany.

JA 8 B Civics: April 15-19

JA students will be taking AIMS this week, so be sure to eat a good breakfast and get enough sleep! This

week we will conclude our investigation of the Legislative branch & begin the Executive branch. We will discuss the qualifications for becoming President, the many roles & duties of the President  as well as the Executive branch departments. We will also look closely at how exactly the President is elected; through a complicated system called the Electoral College. We will also investigate the role that checks & balances through Presidential vetoes and judicial appointments.