Greetings all!
As we wind down our 3rd week, here's a bit of what we've been up to in Social Studies.
6th Grade:
Sixth graders to a spin at being history detectives (archaeologists, historians, geographers) as our classroom turned into a "cave" in order to explore ancient cave paintings and tools, make hypotheses about their
purpose, and compare our ideas with those of professional social
scientists. They've also been spending some time in the computer lab typing, editing, and revising Place Papers--this class LOVES to write, and making deep connections to our favorite place through narrative provides a lens to explore other cultures and the importance of their place.
7th Grade:
In addition to our "cave walk," the seventh graders also began initial study
of early hominids, making informational posters and presenting to the
class about Australopithecus Afarensis, Homo Habilis, Homo Erectus, Homo
Sapiens Neanderthalenis, and Homo Sapiens Sapiens. Specifically, students looked at what characteristics each early hominid group had and hypothesized about why those characteristics would be advantageous.
8th Grade:
Eighth graders have been continuing to closely read varying narratives and primary documents associated with significant events in the history of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. We'll continue to use this case study to further read, critique, and analyze texts from competing narratives and explore how narratives shape beliefs about legitimacy of actions taken by various nations.
All classes are also completing various forms of Current Events (6th graders are completing brief informal summary speeches, 7th graders are reading and responding to choice articles, and 8th graders are going more in-depth to specific news stories selected by me). As the year progresses, current events will continue to be an emphasis for all grades while the type work completed around current events will evolve as we progress.
Have a great weekend!
~Mr. Radich
