Conflicts of the 20th Century: March 7-11

This week we will begin our investigation of WWII. We will discuss the rise of dictators, beginning with Mussolini (Italy), Stalin (USSR), & Hitler (Germany). We will also investigate the rise of militarists in Japan & the Spanish Civil War (and the take-over by Franco) in the years following WWI. As for the dictators, they all made promises to their people, & then found ways of controlling them with absolute power. We will discuss how the dictators came to power & how they maintained power. We will discuss the ideology of fascism as well. All of them used propaganda, censorship, terror, & they worked to eliminate those who spoke out against them. Later in the week we will emphasize our efforts on Hitler & the Nazis, as their actions were a major cause of more conflict. We will also discuss the issue of appeasement & why the nations in Europe allowed these dictators to "get away" with so much before war broke out in 1939.

Click the link below for the Mussolini SAS Webquest! -Student username -away9details

http://www.sascurriculumpathways.com/ProductEntrance/Launch/launch.jsp?unit=600

World History: March 7-11

We will begin the week with a review & then a test on Ancient Rome. For the remainder of the week we will investigate the rise of Islam & its expansion through the Middle East. As Christianity began to dominate most of Europe, Islam spread to the Middle East. We will discuss the effects that Islam had on culture & politics as well. We will also discuss the Byzantine Empire, which was the Eastern portion of the Roman Empire that lasted long after the Western Roman Empire fell. We will discuss the contributions of the Eastern Empire, as well as the mixture of Eastern culture that made it unique & different from the Western Empire. Emphasis will also be placed on Justinian, one of the most famous Byzantine Emperors.

JA 8 B Civics: Feb. 28-Mar. 4

This week we will continue our investigation of the Bill of Rights. The first 10 amendments of the Constitution give us our most basic civil rights & we will discuss each of them in detail. We will also look at why these 10 were chosen & the importance of each. We will examine how they affect our lives on a daily basis, as well as how the Bill of Rights did not originally apply to all Americans; including women, African Americans, & Native Americans. We will investigate how people struggled to earn their civil rights, & how the Constitution has been amended over time to guarantee that all Americans have tose basic liberties. Students will also be given their first projects of the semester this week; details to come!

Conflicts of the 20th Century: Feb. 28-Mar. 4

This week we will finish our investigation of the Great War & by examining the Versailles Peace Conference. We will focus much of our efforts this week on the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, as they would have a lasting impact, & be a root cause for the rise of dictators & WWII. We will discuss what the Allies demanded from Germany & we will discuss the other peace treaties as well. We will discuss the "Big Four," which included Woodrow Wilson (USA), Georges Clemenceau (France), David Lloyd George (G. Britain), & Vittorio Orlando (Italy). These 4 men were the essential decision makers at the Paris Peace Conference & they all had different views on how to deal with Germany. We will look at each of their views in detail. Towards the end of the week we will examine how the map of Europe changed after WWI & how this would create resentment & anger for many of the nations involved.

World History: Feb. 28-Mar. 4

This week we will continue our investigation of the Roman Empire. We will examine how Rome went from republic to the most dominant empire in the world. We will also discuss the lasting impact the Romans left for future generations. We will also examine the emergence of Christianity in the Roman empire, through the works of Jesus & his followers. We will investigate the impact that Christianity had in the empire, especially during Constantine's (low right)reign, when he became the first emperor to convert to the religion & make it legal to practice. Towards the end of the week we will examine how the Roman empire began to decay, & eventually fall at the hands of European tribes.

Click on the link below for the Constantine SAS Activity!

Student Username- away9details

http://www.sascurriculumpathways.com/ProductEntrance/Launch/launch.jsp?unit=178

JA 8 B Civics: Feb. 21-25

This week we will continue our investigation of the principles underlying the US 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!

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

This week we will continue our investigation of the Great War. We will discuss the reason why Russia left the war-due to the 1917 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

World History: Feb. 21-25

This week we will continue our investigation of Ancient Rome. We will emphasize on the transition from republic to empire & our focus will be on the leadership of Julius Caesar. We will discuss how Caesar gained popularity & power in Rome through his military conquests. As the week progresses we will look at the formation of the Roman Empire & the role of Augustus (Octavian) after Caesar's murder, at the hands of members of the Roman senate on the Ides (15th) of March! This week we will also be in the computer lab for a webquest on some of the more influential Roman rulers. The link to the SAS website is below!

Remember, the student username is away9details !

http://www.sascurriculumpathways.com/ProductEntrance/Launch/launch.jsp?unit=584

JA 8 B Civics: Feb. 14-18

This week we will continue looking at the events of the Constitutional Convention in the summer of 1787. We will discuss the Virginia & New Jersey plans, along with the many compromises made during the convention. We will investigate the two groups that formed, the Federalists & the Anti-Federalists. These groups had very different visions for what the new government would look like, & both had good reasons for their opinions. We will discuss these in detail, as they are important philosphical viewpoints about the role of government in a society. We will also discuss the importance of the roles of George Washington & James Madison at the convention as well.

Conflicts of the 20th Century: Feb. 14-18

The week will start off with students presenting their Trench Warfare projects. All students are required to read their Creative Writing Prompts to the rest of the group! After this, 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.

World History: Feb. 14-18

This week we will start off with students presenting their Ancient Greece projects. After this, we will begin our investigation of Ancient Rome. Like the Greeks, the Romans had a major impact on the civilizations that followed. We will discuss the cultural, political, and several other advancements of Ancient Rome. We will begin by looking at the formation of the Roman Republic, & its eventual collapse into the Roman Empire.

JA 8 B Civics: Feb. 7-11

This week we will begin by taking our test on the Roots of American Democracy. Then we will examine the Articles of Confederation. This was the first form of government created after the American Revolution. We will discuss why there were some problems with the Articles, & how they created tensions within the new country. We will investigate the reasons why the Articles of Confederation were indeed a "weak" form of national government, & why there was a need to revise them.

Conflicts of the 20th Century: Feb. 7-11

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 create a stalemate on the Western Front that endured for most of the war. Students will also begin a Trench Warfare creative writing & collage project this week as well!

World History: Feb. 7-11

This week we will continue our investigation of Ancient Greece, the birthplace of Western Civilization. We will discuss the influence the Greeks have had on the world we live in today. We will focus on the contributions made by the Greeks in politics (the creation of Democracy!), philosophy, culture, art, architecture, mathematics, science, & more! We will also be in the lab this week for a Athens vs. Sparta Webquest & then students will begin their Ancient Greece projects!