Current Events Ideas

From time to time I will post some ideas for students to use for their CURRENT EVENTS mini-projects.
Remember that 8th graders are to complete TWELVE of these and 7th graders SIX before October 3.

Below are a list of articles about MAJOR EVENTS taking place across the world, as well as some SMALLER STORIES that seem interesting. Just make sure you follow the guidelines for your current events mini-projects. Just click on the topic.

Europe's Population Drop

Democratic Convention

Zimbabwe

Pakistan

Iraq

Afghanistan

FOOD and Lunch Trays

Iran

Russia & Georgia

This list is by no means complete! Find whatever is happening out there in your world!
Locally, Regionally, Nationally, or Internationally...just KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON!

Updates on Downloads

If there is an activity from class that you do not see on the website, let me know and I'll get it uploaded. I try to get everything uploaded to the pages, but sometimes there will be an over site...so just ask me about it, or email me and I'll get it uploaded.

Nashville Dragon Boat Festival

The opening ceremony was a CHINESE LION DANCE performed by the CHINESE ARTS ALLIANCE OF NASHVILLE. It was a mix of adults and children who have learned to perform the LION DANCE. It was very nice to see this performed down by the Cumberland River under the the shadow of the Titans stadium, and the Shelby Street Bridge.

Dragon Boat Festival is one of the most popular Chinese festivals which is traditionally celebrated on the 5th of the fifth month of the Chinese lunar calendar. The popular theory of the origin of the festival is that it was derived from the activities of commemorating a great patriot poet, Qu Yuan. Today the Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated all over the world and not necessarily together with the Double Fifth Day observance.

A Chinese Opportunity

Here is a great opportunity to experience Chinese culture, right here in Nashville!

Nashville Dragon Boat Festival

August 23 2008

8:30 am at River Front Park Opening Ceremony - Lion Dance

More information here

http://www.chineseartsalliance.org/index.php?page=coming

If you attend and bring back or email a photo or something from this event, you will get 3 PORTFOLIO PASSES!

Hope you take advantage of this opportunity!

Mini-Projects for IBO

A few comments about the 7th and 8th grade Current Events Summary Project and the 7th gradeNational Geographic Projects.

8th graders are to have 12 CURRENT EVENTS SUMMARIES completed by Friday, October 3.
7th graders are to have 6 CURRENT EVENTS SUMMARIES and 6 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PROJECTS completed by Friday, October 3.

8th graders should plan to turn in two of each week between now and the deadline.

7th graders should plan to turn in two projects (mixed however you choose to do them...2 of each a week, or 1 of each per week)

Here is a suggestion. Look at your syllabus and find the nights that you don't have homework, or very much homework for Social Studies class, and then do one of those projects as your homework for that night. Use your syllabus to help you come up with a game plan for completing these outside assignments. Remember the word for you this year is ORGANIZATION, ORGANIZATION, ORGANIZATION! So use that syllabus to help you get organized.

A great resource to help with the NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC project can be found here

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/archives . There are SEVERAL years of back issues online here. You may need to look around the site for the maps needed for your project, if you don't see them included with the online back issues.

This 9 weeks these projects will be evaluated using the HUMANITIES CRITERION D: Organization and Presentation rubric. These will be evaluated by a different RUBRIC each 9 weeks period.

GREAT WALL VIDEO

Well, I took a little time today to go through some of my video from the trip. I put together a clip from the climb up the GREAT WALL OF CHINA. It was truely amazing, but a nice workout...as you can tell from the heavy breathing! haha.

A Note for 7th Graders

Seventh graders when you go to the class website HERE on the 7th grade syllabus for the first (9 weeks period) you will see that the homework assignment for August 12 is "Chapter 1 and 2 Summary."

You will find these on the INTERACTIVE READER that you will need to download from the class web page (under DOWNLOADS). The summaries are at the BEGINNING of each new chapter.

So Chapter 1 is the CHAPTER SUMMARY found on page 1 and Chapter 2 is found on page 8 of the Interactive Reader.

So, anytime you see CHAPTER SUMMARY you know it is in the INTERACTIVE READER.

Hope this helps.

Get Ready for Monday!

Lockers are scheduled to be assigned on Monday through homeroom/1st period.

Textbooks will be given out on Tuesday.

Be sure to check the supply list on my JT MOORE web page and have those things with you on Monday, ready to start.

8th Grade IBO classes will have a review quiz on Monday! Yup...we are hitting the ground running. So refresh yourself on what you learned in my class last year.

Beringia, various Native American groups, the Renaissance, the Printing Press, the Greeks, the Romans, the Crusades, Africa, Marco Polo, Islam...Columbus...the impact of Trade....any of those ring a bell? They should.

7th Grade IBO classes will spend a little time with NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC. What better place to start our study of the world?

8th Grade non-IBO classes will have a brief pre-test to see what they have retained from their past couple of years in their social studies classes.

Things are moving along pretty fast for the teachers as we get ready for you guys to arrive on Monday. I'm looking forward to seeing all my kids from last year and anticipating the new bunch of kids coming into 7th grade! We are going to learn a LOT of history and geography...all kinds of really cool things...so GET READY!

See you Monday!