Gateway Gecko Social Studies News

Back in the Habit

2008-02-20T13:45:00.000-08:00

Hi all...

Obviously, Gecko Social Studies News has been on a bit of hiatus.

Look forward to seeing some new features on this blog besides homework assignments, including:

1) student shout-outs
2) news about various high schools in Phoenix
3) recaps of field trips and other school events.

The Weekly Plan: January 22

2008-01-22T05:37:00.000-08:00

Hi all. Here's what we're looking forward to this week:

TUESDAY: We're learning about different types of people in the Reconstruction South. We'll examine the role of carpetbaggers and scalawags.

WEDNESDAY: We're learning about the famous Supreme Court decision Plessy v. Ferguson and how that case helped end Reconstruction.

THURSDAY: We're learning about Jim Crow Laws that robbed African Americans of their 14th amendment rights for almost 100 years.

FRIDAY: We are reviewing for a test that we'll be taking on Monday.

January 10 Homework

2008-01-09T18:43:00.000-08:00

Study your notes from Monday through Thursday.

You *might* be getting a multiple choice quiz on the first week of our Reconstruction Unit tomorrow....

If you did well on the mid-week quiz, then consider this another chance to rock out. If you did less well than you'd like, please consider this your redemption.

January 9 Homework: Black Codes

2008-01-08T18:47:00.000-08:00

Write a one-paragraph editorial about the Black Codes from one of the perspectives we studied in class today.

An editorial is an opinion piece that is written in a newspaper. You should take a stance (I think the Black Codes are good/bad/fair/unfair/just/unjust/healthy/unhealthy because....) and provide at least three reasons for your opinion.

NOTE: Today, the idea of Black Codes would be (and SHOULD be) very, very offensive. However, this assignment allows you to write about the Black Codes from the perspective of a rich, white farmer from the South.

YOU ARE ALLOWED, AND ENCOURAGED, TO WRITE FROM A PERSPECTIVE YOU DISAGREE WITH.

January 8 Homework: Freedmen's Bureau

2008-01-07T16:41:00.001-08:00

Pretend that you are an employee of the Freedmen’s Bureau. It’s your job to advertise the Bureau to freed slaves.

Make a poster about the services that the Bureau offers including words and pictures!

The best poster will earn a dollar to use at the Clark Country Store!

January 7 Homework

2008-01-06T16:41:00.000-08:00

Write a paragraph to answer this question:

The 13th Amendment ended slavery. What else do you think the federal government could have done to help freed slaves begin their new lives?

Please come up with at least three things!

Quarter 3 Calendar

2008-01-05T18:42:00.000-08:00

Welcome back seventh graders!

We've got a really exciting quarter planned in Rm. 503. Having finished our unit about the Civil War, we'll start to learn about how the United States healed the wounds that were caused by the North fighting the South. Here's the schedule, kiddos:

January 7-25: Reconstruction

We'll learn about how the U.S.A. reunified after the Civil War. We'll also learn about laws that were passed that were supposed to give former slave full citizenship. Finally, we'll learn about the rise of the Klu Klux Klan and how racism persisted in the United States well after slavery was outlawed.

January 28-February 15: The United States Becomes a World Power

We'll learn now about how the U.S. transformed from a small country to a world power. We'll study the experience of immigrants who came to the U.S. from Italy, Ireland, Russia, and Mexico. We'll learn about U.S. involvement in major world conflicts. Finally, we'll learn about people in the United States who recognized the changing times, and worked to make their country a better place.

February 18-March 4: The Great Depression

When we study the Great Depression, we'll learn about one of the biggest tragedies in our country's history. Millions of people lost all their life savings and suffered through extreme poverty. We'll learn about what the U.S. government did to help its citizens rebuild their lives and how those programs continue to matter in our world today.

Welcome

2007-12-10T17:05:00.000-08:00

This space is for students and parents in Mr. Clark's social studies class.

I plan to update the "Posts" section of the blog at least twice a week, in order to keep everybody informed of the going-ons in Gateway Elementary School Room 503.

The comments section is for questions, concerns, and shout-outs that students or parents may have.

I encourage you to use this blog as a resource to you in your quest to learn more about the history and culture of the United States and the world!