Sixth Grade Homework

Sixth Graders!

Remember that you need to finish your homework tonight. You need to ask three adults (or high schoolers) these questions: Should we study history? Why or why not? You need to write down at least three sentences for each person you ask along with telling me who you ask.

If you have your notebook for my class already (due Friday for credit!) put the assignment in there. If not, please hold on to it and put it in your notebook when you get one.

I will check your notebook for this assignment on Friday.

Current Events Presentation on Voting Rights

This activity is designed to introduce and encourage students to become aware of current issues in the community, state, nation, and world. You will search for original current event articles a few times this semester and give mini-presentations. Some possible topics you may research include: political figures, elections, campaigns, political crises, major court cases, major crime investigations, civil rights issues, famine or natural disasters, developments in science and technology, business and finance, health breakthroughs or disease outbreaks. Stories centered on sports and entertainment are not acceptable for this assignment.

This current event presentation must be about current voting rights or vote suppression. You may search newspapers, news magazines, or news-oriented websites.


Your presentation should compare your chosen topic to the vote suppression that happened during the Reconstruction era.

Once you find an article, you must do the following:

• Include the article in your document after the summary and the bibliographical citation.  (5 points)
• Include a short summary of the article. Summary must be neatly written or typed. Summary must include (5 points):
• Who and what the article is about
• Where, when, and why
• Implications for the community, state, country, or world
• Whether and how it affects you
• How it relates to any current class discussions
• Include bibliographic citation (on summary page) in the following formats (5 points):
• Newspaper article: Author's last name, first name. "Article Title." Newspaper name Date: page number.
• (example) Brubaker, Bill. "New Health Center Targets County's Uninsured Patients." Washington Post 24 May 2007: LZ01.
• Magazine article: Author(s). "Title of Article." Title of Periodical Day Month Year: pages.
• (example) Poniewozik, James. "TV Makes a Too-Close Call." Time 20 Nov. 2000: 70-71.
• Website article: Author's last name, first name. "Article Title." Name of online publication. (Date posted). Date accessed. <Complete URL>.
• (example) Bernstein, Mark. "10 Tips on Writing the Living Web." A List Apart: For People Who Make Websites. (16 Aug. 2002). 4 May 2006 <http://alistapart.com/articles/writeliving>.

Your spoken presentation needs to include the information in your summary. Your presentation needs to be at least sixty seconds long, and should have a strong beginning and a solid ending. Practice good eye contact and volume to get the best grade.

Eighth Grade Work

Eighth graders need to write a paragraph in response to the Louisiana Literacy Test we "took" today. You might explain how it would have felt to face this barrier to voting. You might discuss how this test was used. You might add in your reaction to finding this test is from 1964, and not from the 1860s.

Write the paragraph in your composition book.

Eighth Grade Test on Friday

The test will cover from the election of 1860 (who ran, what were their positions, what were the results?) to the assassination of President Lincoln in 1865 (by whom, how, why, where, and with what effect?)

General topics on the test will include the strategies and goals of both the USA and the CSA; their capitals, strengths, and weaknesses. Battles covered will include Fort Sumter, First Battle of Bull Run/Manassas, Shiloh/Pittsburg Landing, Antietam/Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, Sherman's March to the Sea, and the close of the war at Appomattox.

People covered on the test include President Lincoln, President Davis, General Grant, General McClellan, General Lee, General "Stonewall" Jackson, and General Sherman.

Students will be allowed to have one side of a piece of paper (written, not typed) for notes. The test will be this Friday.

Sixth Grade Homework

Students read the You Decide! in our textbook on whether Confucianism was a good solution to the problems that Confucius' society faced. Then they answered questions one and three. Three must be an essay of at least three paragraphs and use quotes and modern-day examples.

Sixth Grade Homework

We're still learning about the philosophies of China and East Asia (Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, and Legalism.) Today we reviewed all four, and learned a bit more about Legalism. Our homework, though, is to make our own Yin-Yang design and represent the Taoist "unity of opposites" with fifteen pairs of opposites inside the Yin-Yang.

Please use color! Remember that the opposites are not always good/bad. Other examples could be: stillness/motion or night/day.

Due tomorrow!

Eighth Grade Homework

Students read this blog post by a historian arguing that Sherman's March to the Sea was not a war crime. Read it, then answer these questions.

1. What did Sherman ask Hood for help in? How did Hood respond? What was Sherman's response to Hood? Does this correspondence affect whether the March was a war crime? Why?
2. What reason did Halleck say justified Sherman's foraging?
3. What reasons does the writer give for her position? Do you agree with her?

Periods one and two, due tomorrow. Periods five and six, due Friday.

Sixth Grade Work for Monday, April 7th

Today in class, the quizzes on Zoroastrianism and the worksheet and illustrated booklets for the Odyssey were returned.

We also discussed Confucianism and watched a short video and took notes. The video (we watched about the first six minutes) is below:






We then reread pages 287-289 and answered the two questions below. I will collect the answers tomorrow in class for credit.

* Confucius' followers compiled a book of his teachings. What is it called?
* Why do you think people in government didn't like his ideas at first?

Eighth Grade Work for Monday, April 7

Today in class we discussed the upcoming presentation. Also, make sure you have placed the finished pdfs from the Fredericksburg assignment in your assignment folder. There should be four maps, and one set of questions.

There is no homework, other than continuing to prepare your presentation for this Friday.

Sixth Grade Odyssey Work, Wednesday, April 2nd

I will collect the Odyssey illustrated books and worksheets this Friday.

After the stop of Calypso, students should read this passage here to see Odysseus arrive home in Ithaca. Although the story continues, we will have to leave our hero here. Ithaca will be the final stop in the booklets and on the worksheet.

Sixth Grade Classwork and Homework

We are still working on the Odyssey in class. Remember to use Ms Carranza's site!

In class we answered the five questions about the sirens. I checked them off in class, but we will discuss the answers tomorrow. Tonight, you need to finish the readings and answer the last six questions about Helios, Charybdis, and Calypso.

Your illustrated books and Stops worksheet will be collected on Wednesday.

Eighth Grade Work, Monday, March 31

No homework tonight.

In class, we looked at the Battle of Fredericksburg. We'll continue this tomorrow and also discuss the presentation you will be making, using the work you did on your Civil War General paper.

Eighth Grade Civil War Extra Credit!

Enjoy your Spring Break, students!

Many of you asked about the possibility of extra credit over Spring Break. I don't often offer extra credit, but I'm making an exception.

The Civil War has inspired many movies and documentaries; some are excellent, others less so. Many of these films are available on YouTube, Netflix, and at your local public library. For extra credit, choose two films, watch them, and write a critical review. If they are R-rated, you need to include a signed permission slip from your parents.

Your critical review should be at least three paragraphs. One paragraph (at least) should summarize and give a general overview of the movies. Another paragraph should be your discussion of what you learned about the Civil War from the movies, comparing and contrasting one with the other. Finally, a paragraph (at least one) should be your review of the two: what did you like, what did you not like, and why?

Drop the review in your assignment folder with the title, "MOVIE REVIEW-EXTRA CREDIT."

Wikipedia has a partial list of Civil War movies and documentaries on this link.

Sixth Grade Quiz on Zoroastrianism

A reminder that sixth graders will have a short quiz tomorrow on Zoroastrianism. What should they know?

+That it was founded by Zoroaster (also known as Zarathustra)
+That the religion is a monotheistic one
+That their one true god is Ahura Mazda, described as The Creator, The Lord of Light, and Source of All That is Good
+That Ahura Mazda is opposed by Angra Mainyu, also called Ahriman—who is the Source of All That is Bad, a Liar, and Destroyer of the Good
+Zoroastrians believe that at the end of time Ahura Mazda will defeat Angra Mainyu once and for all
+To Zoroastrians, fire is a powerful symbol of purity. Water is also a symbol of purity. Both are used in Fire Temples, where Zoroastrians worship.

+The Faravahar (seen above) is a symbol used by both Zoroastrians and Iranians
+The man symbolizes the soul; he is an older man to symbolize wisdom
+In one hand he holds a ring, symbolizing faith; the other points forwards and upwards, symbolizing a life lived in the right directions
+A ring encircles his lower body and stands for the eternality of the soul
+Each wing has three rows of feathers, reminders of 'Good Thoughts, Good Words, and Good Deeds'
+Below are three rows of feathers, 'Bad Thoughts, Bad Words, and Bad Deeds' that the man must rise above
+Ribbons point in each direction, symbolizing the choice between right and wrong that one always faces

What's a Cover/Title Page?

If you go to this page, you'll see a great example of a cover or title page. You don't need to have the name of the school, but you do need a name for your paper which includes the name of your general. You must also include the due date, the class name (and period), my name, and your name.

Do not include a picture on your cover or title page.

Generals of The Civil War Paper

This Friday, March 21st, you will turn in the written portion of your Civil War Project. To earn a good grade on this paper, you must:

• Include a cover page with:
• title (including name of your general)
• your name
• my name
• class and period
• due date
• A well-written biographical essay (of at least five paragraphs) with introductory paragraph, body paragraphs, and concluding paragraph
• Your essay must include biographical information, such as:
• birth date
• birthplace
• personal life (married? children? educated? jobs?)
• date of death
• place of death
• cause of death
• What was their pre-war life like?
• What side did they fight for and why?
• What battles did they fight in, and to what result?
• If they survived, what was their post-war life like?
• What accomplishments make them memorable?
• What makes them interesting?
• Bibliography

 Although this is not a Language Arts class, I expect that you will write a paper with minimal errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation. If such errors interrupt the flow of your paper, or are noticeably excessive, your grade will be affected.

Do not merely answer the above questions all in a row and expect a high grade. You need to craft your information into an essay that flows from an introduction through the body and into a conclusion.

Eighth Grade Work on Lead-up to Civil War

Today we discussed the shots fired on Fort Sumter starting the Civil War.  Remember that you need to make a list of the strengths and weakness (or advantages and disadvantages) of both the North (The Union, or USA) and the South (The Confederacy, or CSA) Then you need to choose one item from your list and write a paragraph response on why you think it is the most important factor.

Do this in your composition book, please. I will check for it tomorrow.

Sixth Grade Presentation Project on Middle, New, and Kingdom of Kush

We've been learning about the Middle and New Kingdoms of Egypt and the Kingdom of Kush in class. Recently we've started looking at how to make our Keynote presentations even better. Our current project is to combine both.

Students have been given a skeleton of a Keynote slideshow with ten slides. Students may not change the theme, but they may add text to slides, or change the order. Students must add ten slides of their own and prepare a presentation on the three Kingdoms that lasts between two and five minutes. They may discuss the pharoahs, the religious changes, similarities and differences, etc.

Students will be graded on the following

• is their presentation between two and five minutes?
• are there at least twenty slides in the presentation? (ten from the starter and ten added)
• is there only one point on each slide? (per our class discussion on good presentations—the only exception can be introductory and summary slides)
• is there only one image per slide?
• is the image pixelated or watermarked?
• is there a structure to the presentation?
• is the student giving a meaningful presentation? (per our class discussion)

The slideshow and presentation is due on next Thursday, February 27th.

YOUR Lincoln-Douglas Debate Newspaper Article

Continuing on from our last assignment, you now need to synthesize information from the recollections and the articles you read about the Galesburg debate between Lincoln and Douglas and create your own front-page newspaper article.

Remember the language and tone used in the articles and write it as if you yourself were there and were reporting on the event. It should be at least 350 words. Remember the positions of the candidates on the issue of slavery. They may come in handy in writing your article.

Those who add an appropriate drawing or illustration might get extra credit. This is due Tuesday.

Eighth Grade Work on Lincoln-Douglas Debates

In class we watched this short video introducing the Lincoln-Douglas Debates. Then students chose small groups (no more than four) and opened a shared google document.

Students went to this page and used the linked resources there for the following.

Section One: using transcripts of the two news articles (Galesburg Democrat and Chicago Press and Tribune) linked:

• Compare and contrast the articles. How are they alike and how are they different from one another?
• Compare the articles to modern day news sources. How does the tone compare? Would modern news portray the debaters similarly?
• Finally, do you think debates like this are valuable? Why or why not?

Section Two: using the three recollections linked:

• How valuable should historians consider these recollection?
• When were they written?
• Should that matter to historians? Why or why not?

Eighth Grade Work - The Road to Civil War

In your composition book, you should have the answers to the following questions:

• When did the Mexican-American War end?
• What treaty ended the war? What did the USA gain?
• Who were the three major candidates in the Election of 1848? What were the electoral college and popular vote results?
• What issue did the third party (not the Whigs or the Democrats) run on?
• Who were the candidates in the Election of 1852? What were the electoral college and popular vote results?

Then you were to read Section One of Chapter Twelve and answer questions one, two, four, and five from the Section Review. I'll check for all tomorrow.

This Week's Current Events Assignment

Here are answers to the most common questions about this week's current events assignment.

When is it due?
You are presenting on Friday. Your written portion is also due in your assignment folder before class starts on Friday.

How long does the spoken part need to be?
To get a passing grade, it needs to be between one minute and two minutes long.

What does the topic need to be on?
This time, any appropriate topic from the past month!

Do we have to do a written summary again?
Yes.

Do we need to highlight terms?
Not this time. You're welcome.

What do we need to do?
You need to have a written summary of your article and the bibliographic citation. You also need to copy-paste the article after the summary and citation.

What format does the citation need to be in?

• Website article: Author's last name, first name. "Article Title." Name of online publication. (Date posted). Date accessed. <Complete URL>.

Can you give an example?

• Bernstein, Mark. "10 Tips on Writing the Living Web." A List Apart: For People Who Make Websites. (16 Aug. 2002). 4 May 2006 <http://alistapart.com/articles/writeliving>.

Mexican-American War Site in Temecula!

Here is a short wkpd article on The Temecula Massacre, part of the Mexican-American War.

And here is a longer article, and here an article from the Native perspective.

And here you can find the actual cemetery site (near Temecula Parkway and Apis Road)

Remember that if you go to the cemetery site and take pictures as evidence, I will give you extra credit. This offer expires on February 14th!

Eighth Grade Work on Missouri Compromise

Good work today on reading and interpreting the short documents on Texas Independence. We'll be doing more work of this kind this semester.

Today, you read page 536 in the textbook on Henry Clay's attempt to settle the slavery question and admit Missouri into the Union. Remember that to do this, Maine was admitted as a free state (to preserve the balance) and the line formed by Missouri's southern border became the determining line in the future for which new states would allow slavery and which ones would not. Then in class you downloaded this pdf here You'll find this interactive map useful in answering the questions. When you have completed it, drop it into your student assignment folder.

Chapter Nine, Section Three Questions

Students: Read section three of chapter nine (on slavery) and answer these three questions: 1. What kind of culture did slaves create in America? Give examples. 2. What were the ways African-Americans resisted slavery? 3. How did southern whites try to prevent slave rebellions? Why were they worried? Due tomorrow.

Slideshow on Basics of Hinduism

Eighth Grade Work on Andrew Jackson

Today we discussed the Election of 1824 and the Election of 1828. For homework, students should read Chapter Ten, Section One and answer the following questions:

• What is the spoils system? What is good about it, and what is bad about it?
• How did Jackson expand democracy?
• What is nullification? What is secession?
• Find a modern example (from 2012 to 2013) of an American politician arguing for nullification or secession.

Answers can be written in the composition book, or in a pages/google doc and dropped in the assignment folder.