The Geography of South Asia and CNN Student News

 Today's Focus Question  How did the geography affect life in India?

Video: Geography and Climate of India  Watch the short video below about the geography and climate of India below and then be prepared to share something you learned today. 

    

CNN Student News and Current Event Mapping  As we watch CNN Student News today, identify one or two news stories that you can pinpoint geographically and place on the Current Event layer of your Social Studies World Map via Google Maps. 

Washington, D.C.; the Persian Gulf; South Carolina; and the University of Southern California were all featured in today's segment. After pinning at least one of these places on your map, consider the most important question: What happened here? You should include a title for the event, the date(s) the event took place, a brief summary of what happened, and include an appropriate photo or video.

Ancient India: The Geography of South Asia

The Indian Subcontinent 

 Today's Focus Question  How did the geography affect life in India?

Introduction to the Geography of South Asia: Writing Warm-Up  Study the image above. What do you see? What do you notice about the geography of this part of the world? What geologic features are apparent? What do imagine the climate  to be like there? Share your observations on the Google Form here. 

The Geography of South Asia: Vocabulary Study  Today we start a new unit on the early civilizations of India. We will begin by learning about the geography of this part of the world, and today we will specifically study some of the key vocabulary related is geography, using the document The Geography of South Asia - Cognitive Content Dictionary, which can be found in your Social Studies Google Classroom. We will be using an excerpt from our Social Studies textbook, which has been placed in your Social Studies Google Classroom as well (and which you can also find here), to help us understand the lesson's key words and concepts. Some images have also been posted below to help you conceptualize these new terms.
  

The Indian subcontinent is very large.

The Himalaya mountains are a natural barrier separating India from China.

The blue lines represent the Indus river system.

Watsonville is home to a lot of fertile land.

Monsoons bring wet winds in the summer and dry winds in the winter. 

                     
Homework  Complete The Geography of South Asia - Cognitive Content Dictionary, which will be due on Friday, January 15. 

CNN Student News and BrainPop Gaming

CNN Student News and Current Event Mapping  As we watch CNN Student News today, identify one or two news stories that you can pinpoint geographically and place on the Current Event layer of your Social Studies World Map via Google Maps. 

Paris, France; Kathmandu, Nepal; Turkey; Syria; the French Alps; Cuba; Iran; and Great Britain were all featured in today's segment. After pinning at least one of these places on your map, consider the most important question: What happened here? You should include a title for the event, the date(s) the event took place, a brief summary of what happened, and include an appropriate photo or video.

Taking Care of Business Time  Today is the last day of your 2nd quarter of middle school! It's the last the day to turn in missing or incomplete assignments. It's the last day to take A.R. tests and earn points towards your reading goal. It's the last day to do whatever needs to be done to get your grades up.

You may use this portion of class today to silent read and take A.R. tests. You may also use this time to review your grades and assignments on School Loop and figure how to dedicate your energy during these last moments of the 2nd quarter. Additionally, consider messaging teachers if you have questions or need to inform them of anything related to your assignments or grades.    
Computer Game Reward Time If you all of your assignments and your grades are in good standing, you should be celebrated and rewarded. Congratulations! You have earned 'Computer Game Reward Time'. Head on over to BrainPop and choose from the assortment of high-interest educational games, including those featured below. Or if you choose you may continue to working on Google mapping.

Mapping the Present and the Past

CNN Student News and Current Event Mapping  As we watch CNN Student News today, identify one or two news stories that you can pinpoint geographically and place on the Current Event layer of your Social Studies World Map via Google Maps. 

Washington, D.C.; Boston, Massachusetts; Van, Texas; Wimberly and San Marcos, Texas; Charleston and Columbia, South Carolina; Mexico's west coast; mountainous region of Poland; and Six Flags in Georgia were all featured in today's segment. After pinning at least one of these places on your map, consider the most important question: What happened here? You should include a title for the event, the date(s) the event took place, a brief summary of what happened, and include an appropriate photo or video.

Mapping More Hebrew History  Last week we started to map some of the earliest locations and travel routes related to ancient Hebrew History, including Abraham's journey from Mesopotamia to the "promised land" of Caanan, the move to Egypt to escape famine, and the subsequent Exodus, in which Moses led the Hebrews out of Egypt to the Sinai Peninsula. If you would like to continue working on this aspect of the Ancient History layer of your Social Studies World Map, consider revisiting this blog post with guidelines and pertinent information.

This week we also learned about what happened to the Hebrews or Israelites after they resettled in Canaan and about their ultimate exile from their homeland. Many different locations could be pinned on your map, including but not limited to Jerusalem, Babylon, ad the Persian capital Susa.  

What happened at these locations? You should include a title for the event, the date(s) the event took place, a brief summary of what happened, and include an appropriate photo or video. Next, try using the 'Draw a line' function on your Google Map to show the routes of the journeys into exile and the return from exile. Several maps from your Social Studies textbook have been provided below to support you in this activity. You may also refer to the excerpt from your textbook here for more information about this place.s   

Homework  Tomorrow, Friday, December 18, is the last day of the quarter and the following assignments must be completed and 'turned in' in order to have a chance to receive full credit: Spread of Judaism - Cognitive Content Dictioanry and Spread of Judaism - Notetaking Study Guide.

The Ancient Hebrews and Judaism Final Assessment

Final Assessment: The Ancient Hebrews and Judaism  The time has come to demonstrate what you have learned about the Ancient Hebrews and the religion of Judaism one last time. You can find your quiz here. I will read each question and answer set aloud to you. I will then provide you with as much time as you need to complete the quiz, including the short response paragraph. Good luck!  

The Ancient Hebrews: The Spread of Judaism (Day 2)

The Diaspora of Jews followed the laws and rituals of Judaism wherever they were.

 Today's Focus Question  How did the influence of Judaism spread across time and place? 

The Spread of Judaism: Reading and Notetaking  Today we will continue to learn about the spread of Judaism, with a special focus on the time of judges and kings, the Diaspora, and the legacy of Judaism. You will be taking notes on these important ideas using the Spread of Judaism - Notetaking Study Guide, which can be found in your Social Studies Google Classroom. You have two different sources available to locate pertinent information. You may utilize the relevant section of your Social Studies textbook here, and/or you may reference the excerpt from your Social Studies workbook below. 

Judges could inspire an army of volunteers. 

The time of judges came to an end when a warrior named Saul become king. 

After King Solomon's death, the kingdom of Israel was split into two parts.

After being conquered, many Jews were sent into exile.

The synagogue allowed Jews to practice their religion wherever they were in the world. 

Yohann ben Zaccai was important for helping to preserve Jewish teaching and learning. 

Judaism introduced the idea of one God to the world. 

Homework  Complete the assignment Spread of Judaism - Notetaking Study Guide, which along with The Spread of Judaism - Cognitive Content Dictionary, will be due on Friday, December 18.