Dr. Swartzbaugh, 7th grade social studies: January 2011

Monday, January 31, 2011

This week!

Parent-teacher conferences are this week!
Half day of school on Thursday and Friday!
Don't forget Chores for Change!

We are finishing up our very challenging DBQ work this week. A SECOND rough draft is due tomorrow (Tuesday) and the FINAL draft is due Wednesday. I have been SO impressed with the work the students have been doing on this essay! Great job!

This week's syllabus is HERE!

The notes for the DBQ essay format are HERE!

Monday, January 24, 2011

This week!

Welcome back after ANOTHER three day weekend for you guys!

As you all know, we are deep in the thick of the season of illness. Please keep washing your hands with soap and water (try to sing "Happy Birthday" at least once while you are washing!) And use tissue, and please, please, stay home if you are sick! Get rest and fluids!

PLEASE return your Parent-Teacher conference forms ASAP! The forms are green, and came home over a week ago. If you need another one, just email any member of our team! Thanks!

This week we are doing a Document-Based Question. This is an essay assignment based on your interpretation of a set of primary documents. If you've lost your packet, click HERE for the first two pages (overview and timeline) and HERE for the DBQ packet.

This week's syllabus is here!

I hope you all have a great week!

Dr. Swartzbaugh

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Weekly Syllabus 1/18/11

Please return your conference forms ASAP!
Don't forget about Chores for Change!

Weekly syllabus 1/18/11

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Weekly Syllabus 1/10/11 and Announcements

Please click on link below to view this week's syllabus. Quiz tomorrow on the War of 1812! Study your double C chart! There is homework due on Wednesday and Friday.
Weekly Syllabus 1/10/11

Announcements and reminders: This week is MAP testing--please make sure you bring a book to read to testing on Monday and Tuesday morning.

Parent-teacher conference forms will be coming home this week. Please make sure your parents look at these forms and bring them back to me as soon as possible!

Don't forget! Chores for Change is still happening! Be sure to ask your parents if you can perform a few extra chores around the house in order to raise a few dollars for the orphanages in Haiti. If you want to share more with your parents, show them the youtube video on this blog: http://haitiexchangeofhope.blogspot.com/
Also, don't forget to consider forming a dodgeball team! I am happy to sponsor the first group of students who asks me! This is a fundraiser for the Make-a-Wish Foundation.

Have a great week!

Monday, January 3, 2011

Welcome Back!

Happy New Year! Welcome back to school!

Students and Parents! PLEASE check all supplies for school this week and purchase new supplies. I have completely run out of pens and pencils! I seem to be giving out more and more each day. Please check to see that you still have pages left in your Social Studies spiral notebook (or paper in your binder, if that is what you use)!

Below is this week's syllabus! Just click on the link!!! There is homework on Wednesday!

Weekly Syllabus 1.3.11

Have a great week!

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)

Weekly Syllabus--archive

Dr. Swartzbaugh

7-1 Social Studies

Weekly syllabus

Monday, September 13/Tuesday September 14 (MAP Testing)

In class:

Begin work on classroom timeline

Review Ch 5, Sec 1-3

Homework:

Choose a different act from last week, and choose one of the following:

Draw a cartoon protesting one of the three acts mentioned in this section—full page, in color

OR

Write a one paragraph protest speech against one of the three acts mentioned in this section (5-8 sentences long minimum)

Wednesday September 15

In class:

Discuss Protest Methods

Skits about Road to Revolution

Curriculum Night Tonight @ 6:30! Please Remind Your Parents!

Homework:

None

Thursday, September 16

In class: Visual analysis of primary text –Boston Massacre

Continue work on classroom timeline

Homework:

Pretend you are a teenager living in Boston at the time of the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party. First, decide if you are a Loyalist or a Patriot. Second, choose if you wish to write about the Boston Massacre OR the Boston Tea Party. Once you’ve decided, write a letter to a friend (at least 2 paragraphs) describing the event from your point of view. Talk about how you feel about the events taking place. Be sure to include 3-5 specific facts about the event in your letter.

Friday, September 17

Continue visual analysis of primary text –Boston Massacre

Homework:

none

Tuesday, September 7

In class:

Complete generating classroom rules

Sign and post classroom rules

Homework:

none

Wednesday September 8

In class:

KCN on road to revolution

Individually

Pairs

Homework:

Read Chapter 5, section 1 “Trouble on the Frontier”

Choose One:

Interpretation of “Join or Die” image on p. 141

What was Benjamin Franklin’s message to colonists in this cartoon?

Create a time line of events described in section 1.

Put 3-5 events on a time line

Thursday, September 9

In class: Visual analysis of primary text—Join or Die

What would you have drawn to give the colonies the same message Ben Franklin was trying to depict.

Start chronology

Homework:

Read Chapter 5, section 2

Choose one:

Draw a cartoon protesting one of the three acts mentioned in this section

OR

Write a one paragraph protest speech against one of the three acts mentioned in this section.

Friday, September 10

Visual analysis of primary text –Boston Massacre

Homework:

Read Chapter 5, section 3

Read “Life at the Time: A Spirit of Protest” very carefully (pp. 154-155). If you were a colonists at that time, which method of protest would you choose and why? Respond by writing at least 5-8 sentences.

Monday, August 30

In class:

Who chose what you wore to school today? Do you have the right to wear whatever you want?

Why/why not?

Case Study: French Law concerning religious garb in public schools

Homework:

1. Label one spiral notebook with permanent marker: on the cover write your first and last name, and write social studies (if you prefer to use a 3-ring binder instead of a spiral notebook, you may. Just be sure that you have one binder that is just for social studies)

2. Label one 2-pocket folder with permanent marker: on the cover write your first and last name, and write “social studies”

3. Make sure you have a safe place for your history book at home! Be ready to tell me where you are going to be keeping it!

Tuesday, August 31

In class:

Introduction of Harkness Table

Alphabet Game

Video about French Law

Homework:

1. Explain the French Law to an adult at home

2. Write 3 questions you have about the French Law. One of your three questions must start with “why.”

Wednesday September 1

In class:

Harkness Table about French Law

Homework:

In your social studies spiral notebook, write one paragraph responding to the question:

What would you do if a law was passed in the U.S. that meant that you were no longer allowed to practice your religion, or celebrate an important holiday?

Thursday, September 2

In class:

Generating rights for our classroom

Homework:

In your social studies spiral notebook, list three rights that you think children everywhere should have in schools. For each right, include a few sentences explaining why you think that right is important for students.

Friday, September 3

Complete generating classroom rules

Sign and post classroom rules

Homework: none

A little about me

I have been teaching for over 15 years. At first, I taught college students. For the past 5 years, I taught high school students in social studies and language arts. I have two kids, a 7th grader and a freshman in high school. I also have a dog named Scout! When I'm not at work or hanging out with my kids, I love love love to read, go running, and travel. Some of the best books I've read recently include The Hunger Games, Chasing Fire and the Harry Potter series. A few things I wish I could do more often include going to Cubs games and attending musicals such as Wicked and Billy Elliot!

Dr. Swartzbaugh, 7th grade social studies

Monday, January 31, 2011

This week!

Monday, January 24, 2011

This week!

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Weekly Syllabus 1/18/11

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Weekly Syllabus 1/10/11 and Announcements

Monday, January 3, 2011

Welcome Back!

Short video on Jamestown

King George sings his own version of Viva la Vida