Current Events and Study Hall

CNN Student News  As Social Studies students our focus should not only be on studying events from the past, but also on making sense of the news and events taking place all around the world right now. In order to be the responsible citizens and global leaders of tomorrow, we need to be understand the world we live in. Today we will watch a segment of CNN Students News which provides a run-down of some of the key news events shaping the world today. Which news story surprised you? Inspired you? Made you angry? What questions do you have? What do you want to know more about?

Academic Study Hall  In school or college, a study period or "study hall" is a period in which a student may undertake self-directed learning activities, rather than having lessons being taught by a teacher (Source: Wikipedia). Today you have the opportunity to use this period to further your academic success in the best way you see fit. I would strongly suggest using part of this time to completing some of the Social Studies assignment from the past week (which are due tomorrow). Specific suggestions about assignments or activities you may want to work on can be found below:  

1. EdPuzzle: Mesopotamia: From Nomads to Farmers
2. Facts About Sumerian Society
3. The Civilization of Sumer - Cognitive Content Dictionary
4. Silent Reading and Accelerated Reader Testing
5. Assignments that are due soon for other classes (especially Language Arts)
6. Assignments in the Gradebook that are missing or incomplete 
7. Online Mesopotamia Exploration

Homework  Tomorrow is Friday! We have several assignments from the past week that need to be completed and 'turned in' tomorrow Friday, September 25, including: EdPuzzle: Mesopotamia: From Nomads to Farmers, Facts About Sumerian Society, and The Civilization of Sumer - Cognitive Content Dictionary. 

Mesopotamia: The Legend of Gilgamesh

Background on the Story of Gilgamesh  "The story of the god-man Gilgamesh is one of the oldest stories in the world; it was inscribed onto clay tablets over 5,000 years ago in Mesopotamia. There are many versions of the story but the first people who told it were called Sumerians and Gilgamesh was once their king. The people who lived in Mesopotamia discovered many things: irrigation, the wheel, the first codes of law, the 60-minute hour, and most important, writing. Without writing the epic of Gilgamesh would certainly have been lost. The Sumerians, and later other Mesopotamians such as the Akkadians, Babylonians, and Assyrians, wrote the story in cuneiform, the first script in the world." - Ludmila Zeman, Gilgamesh the King 

Read-Aloud: Gilgamesh the King  Today we will be reading together the story Gilgamesh the King, retold and illustrated by Ludmila Zeman. Some consider Gilgamesh to be the world's first literary superhero. As we read, see if you can find any connections or parallels between Gilgamesh and other superheroes you are familiar with.  

The British Museum Website: "Gilgamesh and the Cedar Forest"  Want to explore another tale of Gilgamesh and his adventures? Check out the interactive story of "Gilgamesh and the Cedar Forest" at the British Museum's website here.

Mesopotamia: The Civilization of Sumer (Day 2)

The Civilization of Sumer: Vocabulary Study  Today we are going to be studying the key vocabulary related to the 'Civilization of Sumer,' using the document The Civilization of Sumer - Cognitive Content Dictionary located in your Social Studies Google Classroom. We will be using an excerpt from our Social Studies textbook to help us understand the lesson's key words and concepts.

Video: "Mesopotamia: Crash Course World History"  Watch below as John Green and the Crash Course team explain the big ideas related to the civilization in Mesopotamia.   

Homework  Complete your Civilization of Sumer - Cognitive Content Dictionary, which is due Friday, September 25.  

Mesopotamia: The Civilization of Sumer

The Civilization of Sumer: Guided Reading  Today we will continue to learn about the early Mesopotamian civilization of Sumer. You will read an excerpt from your Social Studies workbook entitled The Civilization of Sumer - Reading, which you can find in your Social Studies Google Classroom. You will also record key information from the selection, using the document Facts About Sumerian Society, is also located in your Social Studies Google Classroom. Read the selection in small groups or individually and record important questions and answers on the document as you go.  

Homework  Complete the Facts About Sumerian Society assignment, which is due Friday, September 25.

The Week in Rap and an Ancient Discovery

Exploration team members navigate the narrow chutes leading to the Dinaledi Chamber of the Rising Star cave in South Africa where fossil elements belonging to H. naledi, a new species of human relative, were discovered.

Flocabulary: The Week in Rap  Many important news events took place this around the world this week. Let's review some of them with our friends at Flocabulary.

Newsela: Scientists Find Fossils of Early Relative of Humans  One of the news events referred to in "The Week in Rap" video by Flocabulary was the recent discovery of new fossils that appear to be of an early human ancestor. Go to your Social Studies Google Classroom and find the link to the article. Let's read it together and then take the quiz. 

Academic Study Hall  In school or college, a study period or "study hall" is a period in which a student may undertake self-directed learning activities, rather than having lessons being taught by a teacher (Source: Wikipedia). Today, if time permits, you have the opportunity to use this period to further your academic success in the best way you see fit. I would strongly suggest using part of this time to completing some of the Social Studies or Language Arts assignments from the past week which were due today, or the assignments, including the EdPuzzle activity, which are due next week.

Mesopotamia with EdPuzzle

Getting Started with EdPuzzle  It's time to sign-up for an exciting online interactive video program:  EDpuzzle. Once you get there, click on "I'm a new student." Then click 'Sign up with Google'. Next, you will be asked to "Add a class." Copy and paste your class code. 4th period students your code is e31VvR. 6th period your code is dwKXVz. Once enrolled, please wait for the rest of your classmates. 

EdPuzzle Video: "Mesopotamia: From Nomads to Farmers"  Today you will be watching a video and answering a series of questions about Mesopotamia. The video will stop periodically and you'll be required to answer a question before being allowed to continue. To be successful, you must pay close attention to the content of the video. If you have your own headphones, please use them. Otherwise, you must listen to your video as quietly as possible.  You can watch the video and answer the questions at your own pace. If you don't finish in class today, please finish for homework outside of class. This assignment will count towards your assessment grade. 

Homework  (1.) Complete the Mesopotamia EdPUzzle activity. Deadline: Friday, September, 26. (2.) Complete and 'turn in' assignments, which are due tomorrow, September 18, which include: Civilization Concept Map, The Fertile Crescent - Cognitive Content Dictionary, and The Fertile Crescent: Main Ideas and Details.

Mesopotamia: The Fertile Crescent (Day 2)

Warm-Up Video  Let's get familiar with today's content by watching the brief video below.  

The Fertile Crescent: Main Idea and Details  Our central task as we read today about Mesopotamia's "Fertile Crescent" is to identify the main ideas and details of key paragraphs and passages from our text. To better understand how to identify main ideas, check our the graphic below.  

The supporting details, on the other hand, serve to support, strengthen, and elaborate upon the main idea.  

In your Social Studies Google Classroom, you will find the document The Fertile Crescent: Main Idea and Supporting Details. With the members of your team, read each passage or paragraph and work to identify the main idea and supporting details. 

Homework  Complete the assignment The Fertile Crescent: Main Idea and Supporting Details, which is due and must be 'turned in' by Friday, September 18.