Mar. 28, 29 and 30

March 28, 29 and 30: Students have been working on creating their digital maps of a medieval manor. Packets will be due on Friday. Here is a list so far:

2. Reading Guide 9.1, pp. 291-293
3. Europe Map: Water and Mountains
4. Dark Ages I (dvd questions)
5. Dark Ages II
6. Dark Ages III
7. Reading Guide 9.1, pp. 293-297
8. What is Feudalism fill-ins
9. The Manor Questions
10. Medieval Castle Crossword Puzzle

March 25

Students completed "fill-in-the-blanks" notes today as I explained the feudal system. Next week we'll begin creating a digital map of a medieval manor using photoshop. There is no homework this weekend, but students should have completed both reading guides by now. You might want to check them and make sure.

1. Reading Guide 9.1 pp. 291-293
2. Reading Guide 9.1 part II pp. 293-297

March 24

We discussed the failure of Justinian in re-uniting the Roman Empire. We watched a short dvd segment about the role of monks/monasteries in the Middle Ages. Students were given a second reading guide (pp. 293-297) which will be due tomorrow.

March 17, 18, 21, 22 and 23

March 17: Students worked on completing an illustrated simile about the spread of Chinese influence in Asia.

March 18: Review Jeopardy.

March 21: Japan Unit Test

March 22: Intro to Feudal Europe. A short dvd segment about the fall of Rome and a map of the Geographic features of Europe. No Homework.

March 23: Reviewed map. Short dvd segment about Clovis (Frankish King), and Justinian's attempt to re-unite the Roman Empire. Students were given a reading guide (pp. 291-293) it is homework, and will be due tomorrow.

March 26

Today I stamped the reading guide (which was homework) and collected any class illustration/descriptions that students had not previously turned in. I discussed the Tokugawa Shogunate and the importance of Tokugawa Ieyasu while students filled in a note sheet. We watched a short, 6 minute clip about him and prepared for the test by doing a matching activity.

Additions to the packet:

12. The Rise of a Military Society
13. Matching

March 15

Today students finished the illustration/written descriptio of a class from feudal Japan. I assigned a reading guide as homework (chapter 8, pp. 257-260). It is due tomorrow. The Japan packet will be due on Monday, and the unit test will on Monday as well (see study guide below):

Japan Unit Test: Study Guide

Know the following terms. Remember, note cards count as extra credit.
Shogun, Regent , Shinto, Embassy
Prince Shotoku , Buddhism, Confucianism, Zen
Noh, Kabuki, Haiku, The Tale of Genji
Daimyo, Samurai, Bushido
Tokugawa Shogunate, Proximity, 17 Article Constitution

On a map of Asia be able to label:
Japan, China, N. Korea, S. Korea
Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushi
Tokyo, Mt. Fuji, Sea of Japan, 38th Parallel
Yellow Sea

Short answer paragraph questions to expect:
1. How did Prince Shotoku change Japanese culture and government? Be specific.
2. Be able to correctly label and explain the Japanese Caste Positions (Social Pyramid).
3. Be able to explain the lifestyle and responsibilities of the samurai. Be sure to understand the concept of “bushido.”
4. Understand the relationship between Shogun and Daimyo. Specifically the importance of Tokugawa Ieyasu.
5. Explain how Japan’s proximity to China helped shape Japanese culture.

March 9, 10, and 14

March 9: Students watched a 35 minute selection from the film "The Last Samurai." As they watched the film they listed 10 aspects of samurai culture that were illustrated in the film. After the film, students worked on a paragraph that explained what Algren (Tom Cruise) learned as he spent time in the village.

March 10: We discussed class in feudal Japan. Students took notes. We began an assignment in which students will create an illustration/written description of a class from feudal Japan. Using internet and print resources, students will answer questions about the class they were assigned over the next few class periods.

Monday, March 14: Students worked on the Feudal Classes in Japan assignment. We discussed the devestation in Japan. Packets will now be due next Monday. Our unit test will also be next Monday. I'll pass out study guides tomorrow, and will post the information here. New things in the packet:

8. R. Guide Chapter 8, Lesson 2 pp. 257-260 (I'll pass out tomorrow)
9. Feudal Japan Notes (fill-ins)
10. Feudal Pyramid
11. Japanese Feudal Society

Mar. 4, 7 and 8

March 4: Students continued to work on the mock Prince Shotoku movie poster/write-up.
March 7: Students continued to work on the mock Prince Shotoku movie poster/write-up.
March 8: By now the mock poster and write should be done. I collected them today. We began to talk about the Samurai class of Japan (students watched a short segment of a PBS documentary and answered questions) and did a vocabulary word study of the word "proximity." Packets will be due on Friday - here is a list so far:
1. Creation Myth Questions
2. E/SE Asia Map (complete at home)
3. Japanese Geography Notes
4. Japanese Geography Map (complete at home)
5. Prince Shotoku Questions
6. He Cuts His Belly
7. Vocab Word Study: Proximity

Mar 1, 2 and 3

I had jury duty on both Tuesday and Wednesday and was out of the classroom.
Mar. 1: A discussion of 16 geographic features of Japan. Students are to illustrate and label the 16 features.
Mar. 2: Students read about Prince Shotoku, answered questions about the reading, and worked on their geographic features map (this should now be completed at home).
Mar. 3: Students began working on a mock movie ad for a fictional film based on the life of Prince Shotoku using Photoshop.