Letter

4845 136th Ave.

Hamilton, MI 49419

December 11, 2014

Dear ,

My classmates and I have been working hard this week learning about Christmas holidays and traditions around the world.  We have created a Christmas tree that represents the country (or holiday) of  __________.  (Explain big ideas your learned)

UNICEF is an organization that _________________________________________________. We would like to raise money for them because __________.

We would like to invite you to come to Hamilton Middle School’s library on December 15-17, during school hours, to look at all the trees the seventh grade social studies classes have made.  We will be having a silent auction for the trees. Please consider bidding on a tree that you like.  All the money collected will be donated to UNICEF.  

Sincerely,

Weeks of December 8- 15, 2014

UNICEF Christmas Around the World Project

Name(s): ________________________

Country: _______________________________

Tasks: You and your partner are going to design and create a Christmas tree that depicts the culture of your assigned country.  You will then write an invitation to a community member inviting them to come bid on your tree. This invitation will also explain what UNICEF is and why we need to raise money for them. We will then hold a silent auction of your tree, and the money raised will go to UNICEF.

Your design needs to include all the following information to earn a 3:

1.    Map showing where in the world your country is located

2.    The Flag of your country

3.    The Language spoken in your country and how to say Merry Christmas in that language

4.    The religion that the majority of the people practice

5.    Your country’s version of Santa

6.    Major traditions for the ‘Christmas’ holiday

7.    Foods associated with this country at this time of year

8.    Decorations associated with this holiday

9.    A present must be created to represent the countries relationship to the US. (For example: Brazil's present to US could be a Soccer ball because soccer is such an important sport to their culture and they hosted the World Cup this year).

Your design needs to include all of the above plus one of the following to get a 4:

A visual presentation /representation showing either traditional music, food or dress with an explanation of the cultural/historical significance to the culture of your country. You will present this to the class.

Dates:

Begin brainstorming December 5

Tree done and displayed, letters sent by December 12

Silent Auction December 15-17

Collect money and write a Thank You letter December 17-19

Presentations of music, food, or dress December 15-19

Standards:

G.2.2   Describe the human characteristics of places.

P4.2 Act constructively to further the public good.

Resources:

*These can also be found at http://hms7socialstudies2014-2015.blogspot.com

UNICEF video:

http://www.ispot.tv/ad/76Ut/unicef-no-child

What is UNICEF?

http://www.unicef.org/about/who/index_faq.htm

Websites:

http://www.whychristmas.com/cultures/

http://www.santas.net/aroundtheworld.htm

http://people.howstuffworks.com/culture-traditions/holidays-christmas/christmas-traditions-around-the-world-ga.htm

http://www.the-north-pole.com/around/

http://www.history.com/topics/christmas/christmas-traditions-worldwide

Week of December 1, 2014

The week of December 1-5

Monday: CNN Student News, review vocab, Create assessment tool including a review of Paleolithic era.

Tuesday: Share good news, Review vocab, put finishing touches on project

Wednesday: Geo Bee daily quiz, Peer review Present, Vocab Quiz, Work on review sheet for Paleolithic/neolithic test n Friday

Thursday: Share good news, article of the week, Present to sixth grade

Friday: Cnn Student News, test over Neolithic and Paleolithic

Week of November 24, 2014

The week of Nov. 24-28

Monday: Catch-up from last weeks snow days :) CNN Student News, Show the beginning development of a more advanced civilization (rules/laws-gov., specialized jobs, trade-econ, writing, religion, surplus of food, defense system)

Tuesday: Share good news,Work time from Monday, Turkey-Trot

Wednesday: PD

Thursday-Friday: THANKSGIVING VACATION

Week of November 17, 2014

The week of Nov. 17

Monday- CNN Student News, new vocab, Intro to Neolithic era: launch, groups, brainstorm need to know list.

Tuesday- Share good news,Decide on lesson plan, build application and make map showing the locations of the agricultural revolution, including an explanation of development of agriculture and domestication (Lisa share ppt).

Wednesday- Geoguessr.com, Create another map showing first pastoralists, timeline showing dates of first farmers.

Thursday- Share good news, article of the week,  Research and show the day in the life of a Neolithic farmer and pastoralist (farming, domestication of plants, animals, tools, etc.)

Friday: CNN Student news, vocab quiz, Continue work from Thursday.

Week of November 10

The week of Nov. 10

Monday- 2 presentations, new vocab., practice presentation and finish up lesson

Tuesday- 2 presentations, practice with a peer group for feedback and revise as needed. Create an exit ticket/assessment for the 6th grade students.

Wednesday- 2 presentations, Present to 6th graders in our classrooms

Thursday- 2 presentations, Paleolithic review game

Friday- 2 presentations, vocab. quiz, Paleolithic Quiz

Standards:

Geography standard 4.3 : describe patterns, processes and functions of human settlements.

World Standard 1.1: Describe the spread of people in the world in Era 1.

World Standard 2:1: Describe the characteristics of early world civilizations and pastoral beliefs.

Skill: Creating and Teaching a lesson.

Week of November 3, 2014

The week of Nov. 3

Monday-- clean folders, 2 presentations, Launch Stone Age- Era Project, You Tube video, groups of 3, brainstorm Need to Know List as small group and then as a whole, new vocab., brainstorm how you’ll teach your lesson- list possibilities, work on application for lesson, watch map of Human Migration (Bradshaw Foundation)

Tuesday- research and fill in note sheet for the standards they have to teach- get map, timeline showing dates of first people migrating

Wednesday- 2 presentations, research life of a Paleolithic person- family, shelter, tools, weapons, language

Thursday-  2 presentations, Article of the week with questions (Imagination, and learning, around prehistoric campfires), research life of a Paleolithic person

Friday- 2 presentations, show adaptations of humans to 3 biomes- PowerPoint

Standards:

Geography standard 4.3 : describe patterns, processes and functions of human settlements.

World Standard 1.1: Describe the spread of people in the world in Era 1.

World Standard 2:1: Describe the characteristics of early world civilizations and pastoral beliefs.

Skill: Creating and Teaching a lesson.

Week of October 28, 2014

The week of Oct. 27

Monday- CNN Student News, Finish Documents on Hammurabi, present documentaries

Tuesday-  Share good news,Present documentaries, write Hammurabi essay (in Class)

Wednesday- Present documentaries, write Hammurabi (in class)

Thursday and Friday- No School

Standard:

H.1.2: Use historical inquiry and analysis to study the past
G.6.1 Capstone projects require the student to use geography, history, economics, and government to inquire about major contemporary and historical issues and events linked to the world outside the classroom.

Skill:

Writing a persuasive paragraph

Week of October 20, 2014

The week of Oct. 20:

Monday- Work on documentary

Tuesday- Work on documentary

Wednesday- Work on documentary

Thursday- Present, Background essay of Hammurabi Data Based Writing,Analyzing a historical Document ( Doc C for Hammurabi- laws)

Friday- Present, Analyzing a historical Document ( Doc D,E for Hammurabi- laws)

Standard:

H.1.2: Use historical inquiry and analysis to study the past
G.6.1 Capstone projects require the student to use geography, history, economics, and government to inquire about major contemporary and historical issues and events linked to the world outside the classroom.

Skill:

Writing a persuasive paragraph

Week of October 13, 2014

The week of Oct. 13:

Monday-  Show a documentary, work on documentary project and research

Tuesday- Share good news, work on documentary project and research, map styles scavenger hunt

Wednesday- Handout and go over review sheet for test on Friday, draw world map, research project

Thursday-Draw world map, review, work on project, HOMEWORK- STUDY

Friday- CNN Student News, overall TEST over Unit 1

Week of October 6

The week of Oct. 6:

Monday- CNN Student News, Evaluate history textbook,  advantages and disadvantages to ONLY using a text book- make T chart, Challenging the Power and Authority of the History textbook handout, review 11 vocab words for test on Friday (Historical event, Framing the problem, time/temporal frame, BCE, CE, Spatial Scale, Narrative, Historical account, Social Institutions, Sourcing, Primary and Secondary Sources,

Tuesday- Share good news, quiz each other on vocab., Article- Textbook Account of the Battle of Lexington and answer questions, model historical thinking using Doc. A Barker (use Pg. 3-4 of lesson plan), do Doc. B with the class- Examining a Primary Source

Wednesday- Geoguesser, quiz each other on vocab., http://historicalthinkingmatters.org/why/  watch video, write reflection, Fish bowl conversation (handout and rubric) or web

Thursday- Explore testing in the morning, Share good news, review vocab., brainstorm interests/ model, What is a documentary? Show 2 or 3 clips of documentaries, show 2 examples of writing history- sequential/ chronological summary of event, timeline, map, pick 2 historical accounts and summarize, primary and secondary sources, pictures, show examples of documentaries- any topic. Check out devices for the week.

Friday- CNN Student News, vocab. quiz (write definitions of 11 vocab. words they’ll use in their project), research project, discuss slide requirements

 Standards:

H1.1: Use Historical conceptual devices to organize and study the past.

H1.2: Use Historical inquiry and analysis to study the past.

H1.4: Use Historical concepts, patterns, and themes to study the past.

Week of September 29

The week of Sept. 29:

Monday- CNN Student News, new vocabulary 45- 54, eras- go over and do activity

Tuesday- Share good news, quiz each other on vocab., Lesson 9- Maps, challenges with using new and old maps, Earth’s Geography handout, Is Europe a continent?, topography of the earth map- shows elevations, circle continents groups of three and with map scales handout/activity, discuss, new groups Analyzing Historical Maps handout / activity. Exit note: What challenges do historians face in using maps created in the past?

Wednesday- Geoguesser, quiz each other on vocab.,Finish work from yesterday, begin Previewing your textbook, textbook scavenger hunt- share out and discuss

Thursday- Share good news, article of the week, quiz each other on vocab., small groups from previewing textbooks and handout Comparing history and science venn diagram, have students compare Venn Diagram with another student not in their group- discuss. What are problems with textbooks and sources?

Friday- CNN Student News, vocab. quiz over 45-54

Standards:

7 H 1:4: Use Historical concepts, patterns, and themes to study the past

7 G1,2: Use spatial thinking to study the past

7 H1: Use historical conceptual devices to organize and study history.

7 H1.2.1: Explain why historians use a variety of sources to understand the past.

7 H1.2.4, 7 H1.4.3: Compare, evaluate, and analyze competing historical perspectives.

Skill:

Use historical processes to analyze events/accounts in History.

Use historical processes to analyze events/accounts in History.