Thursday, Oct. 30

Today we viewed a brief video about the death of Muhammad. Students then took a quiz on the rise of Islam. With the time remaining students worked on a reading guide for chapter 3, lesson 2. No Homework. 

Wed. Oct. 29

Today students worked on finishing the map of the Middle East or finishing the grid of statistical information about those countries. Quiz tomorrow. Study guide was passed out today. 

Tuesday, Oct. 28

Today I introduced the idea of GDP per capita.  Half  the class worked to fill out a grid of statistical data on modern Middle Eastern countries while the other half finished Monday's map. Tomorrow we'll flip-flop. Period 5 is a little behind and  they will begin the grids tomorrow. I collected packet 1 of the Islam unit yesterday and have rescheduled the quiz for Thursday so I can return packets and create the study guide. 

Monday, Oct. 27

Today I collected the packet 1 from the "Rise of Islam" unit. We watched more of the PBS documentary and students began a map of the Middle East. 

Homework: Identify and correctly number the countries on the Middle East map. 

Quiz Thursday/Study guide forthcoming. 

Thursday Oct. 23, Friday Oct. 24

Thursday: Students watched a section from the PBS documentary Islam: Empire of Faith and answered questions based on the film's content. Period 1 received a writing assignment on Thursday that the other classes will be getting on Friday. I'd like students to write a 4 day diary account of a trip from Mecca to Medina in the year 570. It will be a first hand account written from the perspective of a camel.

Friday: Students watched another segment of the PBS film and answered questions. Students in periods 2, 4B and 5 were given the camel assignment. Packets are due Monday. See grid below for the list of assignments I'll be collecting. There will be a quiz on Wednesday of next week.

1	Daily Appetizers
2	Reading Guide Chapter 3, Lesson 1 Life on the Arabian Peninsula
3	Student Handout 1.1A Deserts/Oases
4	Student Handout 1.1A Coastal Plains/Mts.
5	Islam: Empire of Faith 1/Montheistic Belief Systems
6	Camel Caravan Diary
7	Islam: Empire of Faith 2

Wed. Oct. 22

Today we continued our look at the Arabian Peninsula. Students learned about the coastal plains and the mountains of the Arabian Peninsula. Period 1 began a video about the origins of Islam. Period 5 (a day behind the other classes) did the lesson from Tuesday. No Homework. 

Tuesday, Oct. 21

Today we began a study of the geography of the Arabian Peninsula. Students worked with the student next to them to answer questions (assignment #3, Student Handout 1.1A, Deserts and Oases) about life in ancient Arabia.  I showed them images of the peninsula etc. via a PowerPoint presentation. 

Monday, Oct. 20

Students finished their spoke diagrams and turned them in.  I only saw periods 4 and 5 today and they have a homework assignment for the night: 

Reading Guide

Chapter 3: Lesson 1, 

Life on the Arabian Peninsula. 

It will be due when class begins tomorrow. 

Thursday, Oct. 16 and Friday, Oct. 17

Thursday: Periods 4B and 5 only. Students had the class period to work on the spoke diagrams. Students will have 30 minutes in their next social studies class period to finish and turn in the diagram. 

Friday: Periods 1 and 2 had 30 minutes to complete and turn in their spoke diagram, they were then given a reading guide about the Arabian Peninsula (Chapter 3, Lesson 1). 

Wednesday, Oct. 15

Students in periods 1 and 2 worked on finishing their spoke diagrams. Students will have approximately 35 minutes to finish the spoke diagram on Friday, but it will be due before they leave for the weekend. All told, students were provided 170 minutes in class as well as time at home to work on completing this assignment.

Tuesday, Oct. 14

Students in periods 4B and 5 began working on the "legacy of ancient Rome" spoke diagram. Quiz re-takes are tomorrow during break. Students in period 4B are working on this assignment alone, students will not have partners. 

Friday Oct. 10 and Monday Oct. 13

Friday: I gave a powerpoint lecture about the legacy of Ancient Rome which focused on the 6 main legacies of Ancient Rome. Students will be creating a spoke diagram that combines written and visual elements to illustrate the legacy of Ancient Rome.

Monday: Students worked on the Legacy of Ancient Rome spoke diagram (see directions below).

Guidelines for Creating an Illustrated Spoke Diagram

You and your partner will create an illustrated spoke diagram that illustrates the Legacy of Ancient Rome. An illustrated spoke diagram is a way of organizing information or ideas around a central idea. At the hub of a spoke diagram is the main idea or central topic, around which are spokes that connect carefully arranged key ideas, symbols, and illustrations on a subtopic to a central topic. The central idea or central topic in this case is the Legacy of Ancient Rome.

1. Gather the information you'll include: your text, Legacy of Rome ppt.

2. Brainstorm ideas to include on the diagram. By examining your illustrated spoke diagram the other groups should be able to read it and understand the Legacy of Ancient Rome.

3. Your diagram must include:

Six spokes that represent the 6 important legacies of Ancient Rome

At least three key details describing each aspect in writing.

At least two visual elements- illustrations, symbols, pictures, drawings - that represent the 6 legacies of Ancient Rome.

4. Create a rough draft of the illustrated spoke diagram. This needs to be approved by Mr. Brooks before the group proceeds on the final version.

5. Create your diagram. Work neatly and carefully to create the final version of your spoke diagram. Use color and other creative touches to make the spoke diagram visually appealing.

Thursday, Oct. 9

Today in class students were given assignment #7 (The Legacy of Rome) while others worked on finishing their digital postcards. Packets are due tomorrow.

1.	Daily Appetizers
2.	Reteaching Activity
3.	Byzantium Empire Map AD 565
4.	R. Guide, Chapter 2, Lesson 3 pp. 61-63
5.	The Schism Illustration
6.	Written Postcard from Constantinople
7.	Legacy of Rome Graphic Organizer

Wednesday, Oct. 8

Today students wrote a postcard from ancient Constantinople and continued working on their digital postcards. Packet 4 will be due on Friday. 

Monday, Oct. 5 and Tues. Oct. 6

Monday: Students took the first quiz. Grades will be in as soon as I can grade them. Period 1 grades are already in. Students worked on assignment 4, as well as completing assignments 2 and 3 in class. By this time assignments 2 and 3 should be done. Assignment 2 is a worksheet from the textbook publishing company titled Reteaching Activity from Chapter 2, Lesson 3. Assignment 3 is a map of the Byzantine Empire that I created. 

Tuesday: Students who had completed Assignment 4 began work on a digital postcard from Constantinople as well as a drawing of the Schism of the Catholic Church (Assignment 5, on the back of assignment 4). 

For students in period 5 : assignments 2,3, and 4 are due tomorrow. 

Friday, Oct. 3

We played review Jeopardy for Monday's quiz. The quiz will have a map, and students should be able to identify the Med. Sea, The Atlantic, Rome, Constantinople, Egypt and the two halves of the Roman empire after it was divided. 

Students should know the accomplishments of Augustus C, Julius C, Constantine, Diocletion and Justinian. Students should be able to explain the reasons that led to the fall of Rome, as well as the origins of Christianity that happened under Roman rule. 

Terms to know: Republic, Empire, Emperor, Clovis, Huns, Byzantium (Byzantine Empire), Justinian Code, Circus Maximus, Roman Slavery, Paterfamilia. 

Enjoy your weekend, rainy though it may be!

Thursday, Oct. 2

Today I passed back the graded packets I collected yesterday. Students worked on the digital pictures from Wednesday and/or 2 new assignments. Assignment one is a re-teaching activity on Chapter 2, Lesson 3 and the second assignment is a map of the Byzantine Empire. 

There will be a quiz on Monday on what we've studied so far; the Roman Republic and Empire. 

Wednesday, Oct. 1

Periods 1,2 and 5: 

Some students worked on erasing the background from a picture they took of themselves using our computers. Next week they'll take their image and put it in a digital postcard from Constantinople. While half the class was on the computers, the other half worked on a reading assignment from the book. 

Period 4B: 

We finished the remaining completed presentations on Rome/Roman Culture and watched the famous chariot race scene from Ben Hur. 

I collected packet 3 in all 4 classes.