Grade Portal Update

• All grades have been updated in grade portal (with the exception of period 3A, which will be updated tomorrow).  Please check to see which assignments you are missing so that you can earn half credit for recent missing assignments.

Class Update

• Scholarship Warnings were passed out for all students with a failing grade on Thursday, 9/26 (B-Day) & Friday, 9/27 (A-Day).  These are to be signed by parents/guardians and returned by Monday, 9/30 (B-Day) & Tuesday, 10/1 (A-Day).
• All foldables and recycled tests will be graded and updated in grade portal by this Sunday night (9/29).  (B-Day students that did not finish recycling in class and took home their test will be able to turn in their recycled test on Monday, 9/30)
• B-DAY REMINDER - The "Going All In" citizenship article assignment will be due on Monday, 9/30.  These assignments will be peer-graded, so make sure you follow the rubric!!
• A-DAY REMINDER - The assignment illustrating the 5 duties of American citizens will be due on Tuesday, 10/1.  This is an EASY assignment, so take advantage of the EASY points.  (If you forgot or did not complete your "Going All In" citizenship article assignment that was due on Friday, it will be due for half-credit on Tuesday, 10/1)
• The chapter 3 project directions were handed out on Thursday, 9/26 (B-Day) & Friday, 9/27 (A-Day).  The directions are below, but don't forget that you need to have 3 citizens in mind on Monday & Tuesday in case your top choice is already taken.  This project is worth 100 points.
• The extra credit project is also posted below.  This is OPTIONAL for students in need of extra credit.  It is worth 50 points.
• For some extra credit on a smaller scale, there is a BIG game on Saturday at 12:00pm on ABC.  The final outcome may determine some possible extra points, so check the blog on Sunday!

      ENJOY YOUR WEEKEND!

Chapter 3 - American Citizen Project

Standard: SS.7.C.2.5: Evaluate the roles, rights, and responsibilities of United States citizens, and determine methods of active participation in society, government, and the political system.

This project will introduce students to American heroes, many of whom have acted to exercise, affirm, or preserve their constitutionally guaranteed rights and many others who have simply worked for the common good. Students will research and role-play an American hero. This project has four main parts.

Part 1: Choose an American hero you would like to research and role-play. Each student will give their selection to Mr. Schemer by Monday (9/30-B Day) and Tuesday (10/1-A Day). Students should have at least 3 different people in case their first choice is taken.  I have provided a sample list.

Part 2: Research your American hero. Complete the guided question sheet as you research your hero. Don’t forget to write down your sources. You will create a bibliography to go with your project.

Part 3: An epitaph is a brief literary composition in honor of someone who has died. It usually is on a monument or tombstone. Create an epitaph for your hero (even if they are still alive). Your epitaph should explain why your hero is such a highly regarded American citizen. (Should be at least one page, 12 point font)

Part 4: On the following date, students are going to participate in a role-playing activity. They must dress in appropriate costume and use at least one prop (remember, no weapons).  Students will be having “tea” with other heroes in our class. Students will ask other participants questions and respond to others in kind. Students must be an expert on their hero.  Students will then grade each other on their knowledge of their chosen citizen.

            Tea Date:     A-Day: Monday, October 7^th

                                B-Day: Tuesday, October 8^th

Sample List of Heroes (Students may select citizens not listed with a short explanation [2-3 sentences] on why they are an American hero.)

Andrew Carnegie	Cesar Chavez	Frederick Douglas
Anne Hutchinson	Abraham Lincoln	Dorothea Dix
Fannie Lou Hamer	Thomas Jefferson	Edward R. Murrow
Mary Tsukamoto	Ida B Wells	Harriet Beecher Stowe
Elizabeth Cady Stanton	William Penn	Jackie Robinson
Martin L. King Jr.	Thurgood Marshall	Harriet Tubman
Mary Beth Tinker	Rosa Parks	John F Kennedy Jr.
Henry Ford	Betsy Ross	Barbara Walters
Bill Gates	Eleanor Roosevelt	W.E.B. Dubois
Maya Angelou	Sandra Day O’Connor	Booker T. Washington

Rubric:

Points	Description
10 points	Bibliography: Description of the sources used. This includes all websites. Written in pen.
10 points	Guided worksheet completed. All questions answered in complete sentences.
20 points	Costume. Student is dressed in appropriate costumes of their hero. At least one prop is used to help determine which person the student is representing.
25 points	Epitaph. A epitaph is written about the hero. The epitaph is put on plain paper (no notebook paper). It is typed or written in pen (no pencil or marker). Epitaph is clear of all grammatical errors. Epitaph is easy to understand.
20 points	Student is able to articulate their understanding of their hero. Student is an expert on their person. They answer questions without difficulty.
15 points	Participation in the afternoon tea. Students are engaged and participating with their group. They are asking questions and answering questions.

Chapter 3 Extra Credit Project

Directions:  Choose one of the following extra credit projects below to complete.  Projects will be due on Monday, October 7^th (A-Day) & Tuesday, October 8^th (B-Day).  No late projects will be accepted.  Remember, you must include a bibliography in your project.

1.      Research information on one of the following volunteer groups:

a.      AmeriCorps

b.      Senior Corps

c.       Peace Corps

d.      Learn & Serve America.

Create a brochure to inform and encourage others to volunteer for this organization.  Include at least 7 visuals.

2.      Choose one of the following types of government.

a.      Democracy – Republic

b.      Democracy – Constitutional Monarchy

c.       Authoritarian – Absolute Monarchy

d.      Authoritarian – Dictatorship

e.      Authoritarian – Totalitarianism

Create a poster describing the type of government, living conditions, countries where that type of government is currently in effect, and history of how that type of government came to be.  Your poster board must include at least 7 visuals.

3.      Research your own personal family history through interviewing your parents, grandparents, Uncles, Aunts, or other family members.  Create a poster board explaining how your family came to be American citizens.

What countries can you trace your ancestry back to?  Provide information on the type of government and living conditions in that particular country during the time your family left, as well as the current government and living conditions.  What other regions of the United States did your family originate from?  What factors (economic, climate, etc.) led them to the Southern region?  Include at least 7 visuals.

Points	Title	Description
10	Bibliography	Bibliography is included with the project. Sources are identified in how they are used. Bibliography is written in pen or typed.
20	Content	Content is accurate and correct.  Content is put into student’s own words.  Content is either typed or written in pen.
10	Organization/Presentation	Project is put together as specified in directions. Project is neat and free of errors.  Project is easy to understand.
10	Visuals	Visuals are accurate.  Visuals pertain to the project.  Visuals are clear and easy to see.

 

Class Update

• Unit 1 Test Recycling has been moved to Wednesday, 9/25 (A-Day) and Thursday, 9/26 (B-Day).  Students with below a passing grade of 42 are required to recycle in class.  Students with a passing grade will have the option to recycle in class if they wish.  Recycled tests that are not finished in class will be due on Friday, 9/27 (A-Day) and Monday, 9/30 (B-Day).
• On Wednesday, 9/25 (A-Day) and Thursday, 9/26 (B-Day), we will be working on annotating the article, "Going All In: The Story of Becoming a U.S. Citizen".  Our classwork handout (whether Hari would agree or disagree with the 3 statements using evidence from the article) should be completed by Friday, 9/27 (A-Day) and Monday, 9/30 (B-Day) for peer grading.

Class Update

• All Unit 1 Test scores will have been updated in grade portal by the end of today.  Students with below a 70% (Score of 41 or below) will be given the opportunity to recycle in class on Monday, 9/23 (A-Day) & Tuesday, 9/24 (B-Day).

• Students began working on their foldable classwork assignment in class on Thursday, 9/19 (A-Day) & Friday, 9/20 (B-Day).  For the students that did not finish the assignment in class, it will be due on Monday, 9/23 (A-Day) & Tuesday, 9/24 (B-Day).  The directions to the assignment are listed below.

Different Forms of Government

Directions: After reading Chapter 3, Lesson 4, create a foldable on the section.

1.   Create a foldable.

2.   The first section of the foldable should be the title with at least 2 visuals.

3.   Three sections of the foldable: Representative Democracy, Constitutional Monarchy, & Authoritarianism.

4.   In each section include facts from the book. Each section should have at least 6 facts.  Include the selection of leaders, extent of government power, means of ensuring obedience, and other interesting facts.

5.   Each page/section should have at least 2 visuals.

Rubric:

Points	Content	Visuals	Organization/Appearance
20	At least 6 facts are included for each section. Facts are written in complete sentences. Facts are accurate and correct.	At least 2 visuals are included with each section. Visuals pertain to the section.	Foldable is neat. Foldable is written in pen and is easy to read.  Foldable is easy to understand.
15	Foldable has at least 4 facts. Facts are written in complete sentences. Facts are accurate and correct.	At least 1 visual is included with each section. Visuals pertain to the section.	Foldable is somewhat neat. Foldable in mostly written in pen. Hard to understand some parts of the foldable.
10	Foldable has 2 facts for each section. Most facts are written in complete sentences. Facts are accurate and correct.	At least 1 visual is included on the foldable. Visuals pertain to the section, but did not display much effort.	Foldable is not put together neatly. Only little parts are written in pen. Foldable is hard to understand.