Mr. Waxler’s Class

Hi,

Hope everyone had a nice weekend.

This week we will move into our next unit of study: Reconstruction of the South.

In this unit students will learn about various laws and events that helped African-Americans move towards full citizenship and equality as well as laws and events that kept African-Americans from achieving full citizenship and equality. We will also learn how and why the Reconstruction Period ended.

This will be a fairly short unit with the students taking a test on the Reconstruction Period early next week.

Have a great week!

Homework

Monday 5/4
No Homework

Tuesday 5/5
Pick 1 term from Presidential Reconstruction and 1 term from Congressional Reconstruction and create a picture (visual representation) for each.

Wednesday 5/6
Complete answer sheet based on Reconstruction outline

Thursday 5/7
No Homework

Friday 5/8
No Homework

Hi,

This week in social studies we will wrap up the major battles and events of our Civil War unit. Monday and Tuesday we will focus on the Battle of Antietam and Wednesday’s lesson will be on the Battle of Gettysburg.  On Thursday, we will go back and finish up our major battles map by focusing on the second half of the war.  Friday’s lesson will focus on the Union’s Anaconda Plan and the effects of the Civil War.  By early next week the students should be ready for their exam on the Civil War.

Have a great week.

Best Wishes,
Adam Waxler

Homework

Monday 4/20
Complete Battle of Antietam journal entry

Tuesday 4/21
No homework

Wednesday 4/22
Students create their own Gettysburg Address (1 paragraph dedication to the fallen soldiers at Gettysburg)

Thursday 4/23
No Homework

Friday 2/24
No Homework

Hi,

Hope everyone had a great week!

This week will continue with our unit on the Civil War.

Prior to spring break the students worked hard on their Civil War Interview project.  By Friday, we were able to complete almost all of the presentations, but we still have a few more to go.  Once the presentations have all been given the students will have a test on all the people from the Civil War era and their views on the important issues of the time.

That test that was originally scheduled for this Monday, but it has been pushed back to Wednesday of this week.  I had originally told the students that since they were allowed to use their notes during this test, having the test on the Monday we return from break shouldn’t be a problem.  However, since we still have a few presentations to go (and since there was a mix-up in the planner/calendar) that test will now be on Wednesday.

For the rest of the week we will learn about Lincoln’s election, the secession of the southern states, the strengths and weaknesses of both sides right before the war starts, as well as some of the major battles and events during the first half of the war.

Friday will be the on our last ePep session with Mrs. Nosal in preparation for high school.

Homework

Monday (4/13)
Read and answer questions handout: The Election of 1860

Tuesday (4/14)
Complete Geography Worksheet: Fort Sumter Falls

Wednesday (4/15)
Test Today: People from the Civil War Era

Thursday (4/16)
No Homework

Friday (4/17)
No Homework

Hi,

Last week in social studies the students worked hard answering questions, writing scripts, and creating posters for their Civil War Interview.  On Monday, students will have one final day to put on any final touches to their poster and script as well as rehearse their lines for the interview.  The presentations will begin on Tuesday and we should be able to get through 3-4 presentations each day.  When all presentations have been given the students will have a test on the people from the Civil War era and their views on the important issues of the time.

Best Wishes,
Adam Waxler

Homework

Monday 3/30
Complete poster and rehearse for “Interview” presentation

Tuesday 3/31
Create 1 test question and answer for each of the people “interviewed” in today’s class.

Wednesday 4/1
No Homework

Thursday 4/2
Pick one person “interviewed” in today’s class and write a half-page letter to that person explaining how you feel about him/her and why.

Friday 4/3
No Homework ~ Enjoy Spring Break !

Hi,

For the next couple of weeks in social studies students will be working on a project I call: The Civil War Interviews.  Students will work in pairs to create an interview with someone from the Civil War era with one student working as the interviewer and the other student acting as the historical figure from the Civil War.

Last Friday, each pair will received their historical person with information to read and questions to answer.  This week, students will work together to create a script for their interview and a poster for their person.  Each poster will contain the historical figure’s picture and a visual representation to show that person’s views on the major causes of the Civil War.

Next week, once students have completed their scripts and posters, each pair will present their interview to the rest of class.  In this way students get a chance to become an expert on one particular person from the Civil War as well as learn about several other people through their classmates’ presentations.

Due to the nature of the project it is difficult to predict the homework assignments for the week.  Homework will be based on how much is completed in class each day.

Best Wishes,
Adam Waxler

Hi,

On Monday, students will take their final FCAT exam for the year!

On Tuesday, we are going to wrap up the first part of our unit on the causes of the Civil War.  We will tie up some loose ends by focusing on “Bleeding Kansas”, the formation of the Republican Party, John Brown, the Dred Scot Supreme Court case, and the Underground Railroad.  Then on Wednesday we will review for Thursday’s test on the Causes of the Civil War.  Thursday’s test will be the last major grade of the third quarter. Following the test we will begin working on our 4th quarter project.

Have a great week!

Homework

Monday (3/16)
FCAT Testing ~ No Homework

Tuesday (3/17)
Read African Americans and the Raid on Harpers Ferry and answer questions 1-5

Wednesday (3/18)
Ticket-to-the-Test: This is an optional homework assignment that I give the night before EVERY test. Students are to create their own test questions AND answers (minimum of 10) based on the content of the unit. Those students who create the Ticket-to-the-Test can hand it in BEFORE the test and receive 3 bonus points on the test.

Thursday (3/19)
Test Today ~ No Homework

Friday (3/20)
No Homework

Hi,

This should be a relatively “light” week in social studies due to FCAT testing on Tuesday and Wednesday.

This week we will continue to focus on one of the main causes of the Civil War…slavery.  On Monday, students will share the articles they wrote as if they were William Lloyd Garrison, the famous Boston abolitionist. We will then spend most of the rest of the week focusing on the 3 major compromises that were created in Congress to determine which states would enter the Union as free states and which would enter as slave states.  The compromises were designed to avoid civil war, but in reality all they did were divide the country even more. On Friday, we will also create a graphic organizer on the causes of the Civil War to help better prepare for the test next week.

Have a great week!

This week we will start our unit on the Civil War & Reconstruction of the South.  The first few weeks of the unit will focus solely on the causes of the Civil War and why the United States divided along sectional lines in the years leading up to the war.

This week, however, will be broken up a bit due the 2-day Dating Violence Workshop that all 8th graders are required to take.

Homework

Monday (3/3)
Periods 1,3,4
Dating Violence Workshop - Part I
No Homework

Periods 5,6,7
Complete worksheet 76B: Sectional Differences

Tuesday (3/4)
Periods 1,3,4
Complete worksheet 76B: Sectional Differences

Periods 5,6,7
Dating Violence Workshop - Part I
No Homework

Wednesday (3/5)
Complete Map Exercise: Slave States and Free States

Thursday (3/6)
Periods 1,3,4
Dating Violence Workshop - Part II
No Homework

Periods 5,6,7
Complete newspaper article from the perspective of William Lloyd Garrison.  Follow directions on worksheet: Slavery and the Abolitionists

Friday (3/6)
Periods 1,3,4
Complete newspaper article from the perspective of William Lloyd Garrison.  Follow directions on worksheet: Slavery and the Abolitionists

Periods 5,6,7
Dating Violence Workshop - Part II
No Homework

Hi,

This week we will focus on the Age of Jackson and the reform movements of the 1830s. We will also do some geography review to prepare for our next unit on the Civil War.  On Friday, students will work again with Diane Nosal on ePep in preparation for high school.

Homework

Monday 2/23
Answer Thought Question #1 in packet: Reform Movements

Tuesday 2/24
Write a 1 page response to the following statement based on today’s activity:
Since the 1800’s women have made little progress towards obtaining equality with men.

**Students can agree or disagree with the statement, but they must support their argument with specific facts from today’s lesson.

Wednesday 2/25
Optional Extra Credit: Letter Cross-Outs

Thursday 2/26
No Homework

Friday 2/27
No Homework

Hi,

Hope everyone enjoyed the long weekend.  This week we will wrap up our unit: Manifest Destiny in a Growing Nation.  On Tuesday and Wednesday we will focus on the Gold Rush of 1849 as well as the Indian Removal Act and Trail of Tears. Thursday we will review for Friday’s test.

Homework

Tuesday 2/17
Write a short journal entry (½-1 page) describing your trip across the country in search of gold in 1849.  Entries should be based on information learned in class while playing the Gold Rush Game.

Wednesday 2/18
Read Literature Worksheet #15: Elizabeth Sullivan, A Story of the Trail of Tears and answer critical thinking questions 1-4

Thursday 2/19
Ticket-to-the-Test: This is an optional homework assignment that I give the night before EVERY test. Students are to create their own test questions AND answers (minimum of 10) based on the content of the unit. Those students who create the Ticket-to-the-Test can hand it in BEFORE the test and receive 3 bonus points on the test.

Friday 2/20
*Test Today: Manifest Destiny in a Growing Nation
*No Homework