Weekly Schedule January 14th – January 18th

This is our schedule for the week ending January 18th, 2008. It is important to remember that these schedules are not etched in stone. Our firm belief in adjusting our curriculum to meet the needs of students sometimes causes slight changes. It is important to note that ample time is given in class to complete most assignments. There are occasional projects, spanning a week or more, that will require students to work outside of class. There will be no more than one of these per month. If you have any questions, please contact me at extension 38.

1st Year Social Studies (Period 1 & 3) – This week we will continue studying the Revolutionary War.

Monday: In response to the Declaration of Independence, the British sent the largest force of soldiers, sailors, and warships ever assembled to America to crush the rebellion. The British also hired Hessian soldiers from Germany to help fight the colonists. As we continue our study of the Revolution, students will understand why George Washington made “Victory or Death” his password for crossing the Delaware as the Americans are pushed to the brink. We will also be examining the way the revolution sometimes split families by examining the relationship between Benjamin Franklin and his son William.

Tuesday: Divide and conquer was the strategy of the British. We will follow General Burgoyne's relentless march to split New England, stopped short by the patriot victory at Saratoga.

Wednesday: Valley Forge, 25 miles west of Philadelphia, was the campground of 11,000 troops of George Washington's Continental Army from Dec. 19, 1777, to June 19, 1778. Because of the suffering endured there by the hungry, poorly clothed, and badly housed troops, 2,500 of whom died during the harsh winter, Valley Forge came to symbolize the heroism of the American revolutionaries. Students will come to realize the price paid by our forefathers, and mothers.

Thursday: As the war dragged on, the costs to both sides in terms of casualties and economics began to mount. We will see how the Revolution affected families at home, and learn how the introduction of guerrilla warfare in the South helped the patriots stave off defeat.

2nd Year Social Studies (Period 2 & 4) – We will be studying Ancient Greece.

Monday: Using beautiful live-action photography, combined with architectural reconstructions and ancient works of art, we will take students on a virtual voyage into a long-lost world. Students visit Mycenae, site of the palace of Agamemnon; the ruins of the once great city-state of Corinth; and the great theater and center of medicine at Epidauros. Students explore the ancient temples, gymnasium, and stadium at Olympia, where the first Olympic Games were held in 776 B.C. At Delphi, they discover some of the secrets of this great religious center where, for over 1000 years, Oracles uttered prophesy that shaped the course of civilization. Finally, students visit ancient Athens, the birthplace of democracy, and discover some of the marvelous events that occurred during the "Golden Age". The end of the program examines the conquests of Alexander the Great and the Roman occupation of Greece.

Tuesday: We will be viewing Last Stand of the 300. With factual heft and epic zeal, this informative A&E program chronicles the true story of some 300 Spartan soldiers who held their ground against an onslaught of Persian adversaries -- an event that inspired director Zach Snyder's sleeper hit 300. Digital animation combines with vivid, live-action footage to produce a stirring account of a pivotal battle that would change the course of the Western world.

Wednesday: Alexander the Great’s triumphs over the Persian and Egyptian empires are some of the most spectacular campaigns of conquest and exploration in history. But what inner conflicts drove this great military leader? We will learn the story of a man who assumed power at the age of 22 and died at 33, planning his next expedition across North Africa and Europe.

Thursday: The Western world is built on the wisdom and traditions of the ancient Greeks, who uncovered the fundamental principles that established the basics of modern technology. We will explore their contributions to geometry, astronomy, and physics and take a close-up look at how they applied their knowledge: Thales predicted an eclipse, Pythagoras discovered mathematical correlation between a musical instrument's string length and its tone, Archimedes developed laws of mechanics, and a group of 90 priests made well-informed educated guesses about many things.

Health –

Friday: We will be viewing “Trust Me: Learning to Be Responsible.” Using scenarios typical of middle school experience, each followed by a series of thought-provoking discussion questions, demonstrates that behaving responsibly is an essential key to growing up.