Weekly Schedule October 27 – October 30

All Classes

On Saturday March 4th, 1797 the world witnessed an event that was, at the time, unique. On that day the leadership of a nation peacefully transferred hands: George Washington left and John Adams became president. Since April 30th, 1789 forty-two different men have held the office of president (Grover Cleveland was elected twice, not consecutively #22 and #24). On November 4th, 2008 we will once again exercise our right to select a new president. Each day leading up to the election we will be examining different aspects of the process, the candidates, and the issues we face as a nation. Many people are saying that this is the most important presidential election in a generation; respectfully, I disagree. Every election is critical to the future of our country.

Monday:

Assignment Due: None

Topic: How America is governed – The American system of government, begun as an experiment in liberty and democracy in 1776, has proven to be remarkably resilient and adaptable.
While often categorized as a democracy, the United States is more accurately defined as a constitutional federal republic. What does this mean? “Constitutional” refers to the fact that government in the United States is based on a Constitution which is the supreme law of the United States. The Constitution not only provides the framework for how the federal and state governments are structured, but also places significant limits on their powers.“Federal” means that there is both a national government and governments of the 50 states.
A “republic” is a form of government in which the people hold power, but elect representatives to exercise that power.

Assignment: Through readings and class discussions students will understand the nature of our government, its structure, duties of the president, and the requirements to hold the office.

Tuesday:

Assignment Due: None

Topic: What are the qualities of a great president? Our history has been filled with successful presidents and some, less so. The men that have held the office have had various degrees of education, experience, and ability. Some were vocal, powerful, individual leaders; while others worked to build a consensus; some were generals, some were businessmen, and one was even an actor!

Assignment: Students will research the qualities of past presidents and develop a “profile” of what qualities they look for in a president.

Wednesday:

Assignment Due: None

Topic: What are the issues facing America today? The economy, the war in Iraq, immigration, terrorism, gas prices, education, and health care are just some of the issues that Americans are concerned about in this election. Voters must be educated regarding the nature of these issues, their history, and how they will affect our future.

Assignment: Students will be assigned an issue that they must research and will then relate the information they gathered to the class.

Thursday:

Assignment Due:

Topic: Now that students have learned what the president’s job is, the requirements of the office, the qualities they think a president should have, and the issues being discussed it is time to see how the candidates measure up.

Assignment: Students will research the candidates and begin to decide who they think should be president.

Health –

Friday:

Assignment Due: None

Topic: Fire Safety with Mr. Gonzalez from the Lake Havasu Fire Department.

Assignment: None

Weekly Schedule October 20 – October 24

1st Year Social Studies

Monday:

Assignment Due: People of the Northwest Coast

Topic: Exploring the World - The Age of Exploration Begins - This program provides an historical introduction to the great Age of Exploration, which began nearly 600 years ago. Through animated maps and colorful live-action images from around the world, students learn how people lived in the year 1400. They discover how new inventions helped make world exploration possible. They learn how Europe's trade with Asia was conducted and discover how constraints on that trade helped give rise to the Age of Exploration.

Assignment: Exploration Timeline, 10-23 / Worksheet, Due 10-21 / Quiz

Tuesday:

Assignment Due: The Age of Exploration Begins Worksheet

Topic: Exploring the World - Christopher Columbus and the New World - This program examines the life of one of history's most important and controversial figures - Christopher Columbus. Through beautiful photography, students visit important historical sites in Spain, and share in the fear and excitement of Columbus's first voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. Columbus's historical role as the found of Spain's first colony in the New World and as the discoverer of the first reliable sea routes across the Atlantic are also presented.

Assignment: Worksheet, Due 10-22/ Quiz

Wednesday:

Assignment Due: Christopher Columbus and the New World Worksheet

Topic: Exploring the World - Spanish Explorers of North America - This program looks at the accomplishments of the first Europeans to explore lands that are today in the United States of America between the years 1513 and 1543. The Spanish explorers came to find gold, claim new lands for their king, and covert native people to the Christian faith. This fascinating program was filmed on location at de Leon, Narvaez, Cabeza de Vaca, DeSoto, Coronado, and Cabrillo.

Assignment: Worksheet, Due 10-23 / Quiz

Thursday:

Assignment Due: Spanish Explorers of North America Worksheet

Topic: Exploring the World - The English Come to America - Jamestown and Plymouth - This program takes a look at the first English settlements in America: Jamestown and Plymouth. By viewing this program students will find out who the colonists were, from where they came, why they came, how they crossed the ocean, and the things they did to create settlements in the American wilderness.

Assignment: Worksheet, Due 10-27 / Quiz

2nd Year Social Studies

Monday:

Assignment Due: None

Topic: This week we will be studying Mesopotamia. There will be several assignments: a timeline for Mesopotamia, an outline of the Mesopotamian civilization, and a poster that will be created by groups during class. Each day there will be a short video about different aspects of the Mesopotamian civilization.

Assignment: Mesopotamian Timeline, Due 10-23 / Mesopotamian Civilization Outline, Due 10-23 / Poster, Due 10-23

Tuesday:

Assignment Due: None

Topic: Mesopotamia - From Nomads to Farmers - Explore the agricultural practices and technological devices that led to the rise of civilization in Mesopotamia. Meet the nomadic people who became farmers. And see how they established city-states, developed specialized work skills, and advanced organized religion.

Assignment: Quiz / Continue working on: Mesopotamian Timeline, Mesopotamia Civilization Outline, and Poster

Wednesday:

Assignment Due: None

Topic: Mesopotamia - The Development of Written Language - In the area between the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers, the Sumerians developed a written language. Examine how they carved cuneiform characters into clay tablets and then explore Sumerian myths.

Assignment: Quiz / Continue working on: Mesopotamian Timeline, Mesopotamia Civilization Outline, and Poster

Thursday:

Assignment Due: Mesopotamian Timeline, Mesopotamia Civilization Outline, and Poster

Topic: Mesopotamia - Trade Routes and Transportation - For the Sumerians, the Tigris River served as an important early trade route. See how they traveled by river and overland to trade with India and Egypt. Then examine how technological advances, such as the cart, facilitated transporting people and goods.

Assignment: Tablet Project Due November 6th

Health –

Friday:

Assignment Due: None

Topic: Respect: Give It, Get It - Uses scenarios close to young children's experiences, peer hosts, and lively songs to help students gain an understanding of the importance of respect and empathy in their lives. The program illustrates the problems that arise from disrespecting other people's property and feelings. Focusing on developing self-awareness and compassion, the presentation makes it clear that when students show respect for the rights and needs of others, they increase their own self-respect. There will be a quiz.

Assignment: None

Weekly Schedule October 13 – October 17

1st Year Social Studies

Monday:

Assignment Due: None

Topic: Native Americans: People of the Forest - Dense forests, streams, mirror lakes, and waterfalls were home to the Iroquois, the Cherokee, the Ojibwa, and others. The typical life of these Eastern Woodland Indians is seen through an Ojibwa family. They hunted deer and other game animals in the forest; fished and trapped in the rivers and lakes; and made their homes from what the forest provided them. The men and women had their separate chores to perform, and it was not always easy to do what was expected. In the video, Little Flower is a young girl who experiences the frustration of being allowed to do "only" women's work – cooking, sewing, basket making – but she really wants to hunt, fish, and trap. Final video segments portray the great changes brought about by the introduction of Europeans to Native American lands, as well as the mistreatment of Native Americans by the government.

Assignment: Timeline Exercise, Due 10-14 / Worksheet, Due 10-14 / Quiz

Tuesday:

Assignment Due: Timeline Exercise, Native Americans: People of the Forest Worksheet

Topic: Native Americans: People of the Plains - The Crow, Arapaho, and Sioux---these and others were the tribes of the plains. They were nomadic tribes that hunted the buffalo, which provided food, clothing, and building materials for their homes, tools, and weapons. Following a Sioux family, we see what happens during the day---hunting, cooking, preparing a teepee, and play activities. The men provided food and protection for the family, and, therefore, were responsible for weapons and hunting. The women and girls were responsible for cooking, making clothing, and setting up the teepee.

Assignment: Worksheet, Due 10-15

Wednesday:

Assignment Due: Native Americans: People of the Plains Worksheet

Topic: Native Americans: People of the Desert - An authentic recreation of an Anasazi cliff dwelling village shows how these ancestors of the modern Southwest tribes adapted to their environment. Their lifestyle and cultural development are seen through the everyday experiences of an Indian family. The father and son provide weapons, hunt for food, and trade with other tribes. The mother and daughter prepare food, make clothes, and create pottery for dishes. Examples of their weapons, tools, pottery, and art are shown. The Anasazi achieved the highest level of cultural development in the Southwest and were among the first farmers, growing corn and beans.

Assignment: Worksheet, Due 10-16 / Quiz

Thursday:

Assignment Due: Native Americans: People of the Desert Worksheet

Topic: Native Americans: People of the Northwest Coast - These people of the coast have many names: Tlinget, Haida, Salish, Tsimshian. Different names and different languages, yet they share a common background of survival along the rugged coastlines and dense forests. The coastal Indians fished the rivers and streams, hunted and trapped in the forest, built long houses from cedar and carved many intricate items such as totem poles and masks. This video provides a portrait of these people in their day to day lives.

Assignment: Worksheet, Due 10-20 / Quiz

2nd Year Social Studies

Monday:

Assignment Due: None

Topic: China Introduction: This week we will be studying Ancient China. There will be several assignments: a generic timeline that students will create in Microsoft Excel, a specific timeline for China, an outline of the Chinese civilization, and a poster that will be created by groups during class. Each day there will be a short video about different aspects of the Chinese civilizations.

Assignment: Timeline Exercise, Due 10-14 / China Timeline, Due 10-17 / China Civilization Outline, Due 10-17 / Poster, Due 10-16

Tuesday:

Assignment Due: Timeline Exercise

Topic: China: From Past to Present: Geography, Traditional Religions, and Beliefs - This series consists of three programs that can be used for grades five through nine. Each program is fifteen minutes long and has a five-question video quiz. The content of this valuable resource is firmly rooted in national educational standards. The series was filmed in various locations in China and Nepal, as well as in the United States. It offers a fascinating look at the long history, varied geography, and amazing civilization of the world’s largest nation. This program examines the following topics: Geography, neighboring countries, language, population, Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, and Traditional Beliefs (yin and yang, feng shui, tai chi, the Eight Trigrams, the I Ching)

Assignment: Quiz / Continue working on: China Timeline, China Civilization Outline, and Poster

Wednesday:

Assignment Due: None

Topic: China: From Past to Present: Life in the Ancient Capital Cities - This series consists of three programs that can be used for grades five through nine. Each program is fifteen minutes long and has a five-question video quiz. The content of this valuable resource is firmly rooted in national educational standards. The series was filmed in various locations in China and Nepal, as well as in the United States. It offers a fascinating look at the long history, varied geography, and amazing civilization of the world’s largest nation. This program examines life in China’s ancient capital cities of Xian and Beijing. The following topics are presented: City Defenses, Towers, and Neighborhoods, Traditional Food and Markets, The Emperors of China, and The Forbidden City.
Assignment: Quiz / Continue working on: China Timeline, China Civilization Outline, and Poster

Thursday:

Assignment Due: Poster

Topic: China: From Past to Present: The Silk Road, the Great Wall, Changes in Government - This series consists of three programs that can be used for grades five through nine. Each program is fifteen minutes long and has a five-question video quiz. The content of this valuable resource is firmly rooted in national educational standards. The series was filmed in various locations in China and Nepal, as well as in the United States. It offers a fascinating look at the long history, varied geography, and amazing civilization of the world’s largest nation. This program examines the following topics: The Silk Road, The Great Wall, and Dynasties, Colonialism, and Communism.

Assignment: None

Health

Friday:

Assignment Due: None

Topic: Respect: Give It, Get It - Uses scenarios close to young children's experiences, peer hosts, and lively songs to help students gain an understanding of the importance of respect and empathy in their lives. The program illustrates the problems that arise from disrespecting other people's property and feelings. Focusing on developing self-awareness and compassion, the presentation makes it clear that when students show respect for the rights and needs of others, they increase their own self-respect. There will be a quiz.

Assignment: None