This week we studied 4 ancient African civilizations, the Egyptians, Kush, Mali, and Ghana Empires. We looked at how physical land features such as rivers provided key trade routes that allowed each of these civiliations to rise and flourish. We also looked at common economic, social, and political characteristics of these civilizations.
12
Oct
week 6
04
Oct
week 5
This week we took a detailed look at how the African people can adapt and modify their climatic regions to make the areas more comfortable to live in. We also made predications about other possible ways to adapt and modify, in both rural and urban settings. The students with African nations for their Where in the World project turned in their scripts for their videos, which will be recorded in the next two weeks, before being added to our GoogleEarth project. summary wk of Sept 28
28
Sep
week 4
This week we completed our first notebook, and took a quiz, both on the completed introduction unit. We then started in on Africa, and examined the major climatic regions of Africa. We’ve also been practicing using latitude and longitude to identify locations. (Due to a technical issue, we have no student video for this week)
20
Sep
Week 3
Time is flying by! This week we finished our introduction unit, with a look at the 5 themes of geography, and the themes of cultures. Following a quiz and the collection of our first notebook, next week we will start in on our study of the Africa region. week 3 summary
13
Sep
Week 2
Another week of World Cultures learned! This past week continued the reveiw of social scientists, with a focus on how artifacts and ecofacts are used differently by each type of scientist. We also watched President Obama’s speech to the students of America, and established an academic goal to acheive this year. Students picked their country for the “Where in the Wolrd” GoogleEarth project. This week we have our first student video summary.
07
Sep
First week
We’ve completed our first week of World Cultures! This week we reviewed culture and cultural diffusion. We looked at the components that make up culture, and reviewed which components came from the three regions studied last year in 6th grade. We also reviewed classroom expectations, so that everyone is successful this year. View a video summary here.
This coming week will begin the video blogs by students, and the GoogleEarth project.
Parents, please remember that Back to School night is Wednesday, from 6:30-8:45. And football fans, remember to root for your teams this weekend. Extra credit to those Eagles fans (especially if you’re surviving the Vick backlash!)
23
Aug
Almost time!
One more week, and then the fun begins! Are you ready?
24
Jul
welcome
Having a good summer? I am, and I have some great things planned for the new school year. We’ll be keeping a class blog here with updates of activities, assignments, and summaries of what we have learned each week. Check back periodically to see what’s new in class!
