JA 8 B Civics: Feb. 18-22

This week we will continue our investigation of the principles underlying the U.S. Constitution. We will discuss the concepts of checks & balances, as well as the separation of powers between the different branches of government. Click the image above for an awesome chart on the system of checks & balances! Students will take the Ch. 3 Test this week as well. After testing, we will begin our discussion of the Bill of Rights, which are the first 10 amendments to the Constitution. The Bill of Rights are the basic individual freedoms that most of us take for granted, but they were not part of the original Constitution. The anti-federalists argued to get these amendments put into the Constitution. Emphasis for this week will be on the 1st amendment!

U.S. History: Feb. 18-22

This week we will continue looking at the young United States, with an emphasis on George Washington's leadership as our first president, as well as the challenges that the new nation faced early on. We will then shift our focus to the period of Western Expansion after the Louisiana Purchase by President Thomas Jefferson, which created massive changes for the United States. We will also discuss the causes and consequences of the War of 1812.

Conflicts of the 20th Century: Feb. 18-22

This week we will continue our investigation of the Great War. We will discuss the reasons why Russia left the war due to the  Russian Revolution at the hands of Vladimir Lenin & the Bolsheviks. This being one of the most important political moments of the 20th century. This communist revolution in Russia (USSR) would forever change the world & will be an issue that played a role in future conflicts. We will also investigate the reasons why the United States decided to join the Allied forces late in the war, after trying to remain neutral in the "European conflict."

Click the link below for our Webquest on the US involvement of WWI!


Remember, the student username for SAS is: away9details

http://www.sascurriculumpathways.com/ProductEntrance/Launch/launch.jsp?unit=611

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!

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

JA 8 B Civics: Feb. 11-15

This week we will continue our investigation of the American government under the Articles of Confederation after the revolutionary war. We will discuss the problems that existed in the Articles & the reasons why they needed to be changed. As we look at the debates between the framers, we will investigate the reasons why the Articles constrained the national government's power; which basically made it inoperable. As the week progresses, we will discuss the events surrounding the Constitutional Convention and the decisions that were made there in the summer of 1787.

U.S. History: Feb. 11-15

This week we will finish up our investigation of the American Revolution and shift our focus to the first years of our new nation. We will discuss the Articles of Confederation, which was our first Constitution & a failure. We will discuss the reasons why the Articles created, as well as the reasons they did not work to maintain cooperation of the new United States. Finally, we will move to the Philadelphia Convention, held to "fix" the Articles of Confederation.

Conflicts of the 20th Century: Feb. 11-15

The week will start off with students working on their group projects. Presentations will take place on Thursday!  Also, we will continue to look at some of the major battles on the Western Front, including Ypres, Verdun, & the Battle of the Somme. This battle included the debut of the tank in warfare & was one of the bloodiest battles ever fought. Towards the end of the week we will discuss the impact of the war on the Middle East, & the impact of the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire & creation of new nations in the Middle East.

JA 8 B Civics: Feb. 4-8

This week we will begin our investigation of the American government under the Articles of Confederation after the Revolutionary War. We will discuss the problems that existed in the Articles & the reasons why they needed to be changed. As we look at the debates between the framers, we will investigate the reasons why the Articles constrained the national government's power; which basically made it inoperable. As the week progresses, we will discuss the arguments between the Federalists & the Anti-Federalists.

U.S. History: Feb. 4-8

This week we will continue investigating the causes of the American Revolution by discussing the events that led up to it. Aside from the numerous taxes that were being placed on the colonists, there were also large number of British troops within the major cities that were restricting basic liberties. One of the major events we will discuss is the Boston Massacre, which became a turning point in the call for independence for the colonists. Later in the week we will begin to investigate the early battles of the revolution.

Conflicts of the 20th Century: Feb. 4-8

This week we will continue our investigation of the Western Front of WWI. We will discuss the brutality of the trenches that soldiers had to endure. Students will read primary source documents from WWI troops that describe the horrible conditions. We will examine how trench warfare created a stalemate on the Western Front that endured for most of the war. Also, we will begin to examine the new weapons used during WWI.