Thursday, December 15, 2016

Study Guide Answers

1.  The Chisholm Train was a cattle trail used to move cattle from Texas to the trailhead in Kansas so that the cattle could be shipped to the north on the railroad.  

2.  The cattle had to be moved to Kansas from Texas because the railroad was in Kansas and the cattle needed to be shipped to the north where there was a great demand.  

3.  Some African Americans moved west after the Civil War because there were not as many Jim Crow Laws/segregation.  They also needed jobs to support their families after they were released from slavery.  

4.  Write the person who is well known for each contribution.  
Improved light bulb - Thomas Edison
Airplane - Wright Brothers
Telephone - Alexander Graham Bell
Agriculture advances and science experiments - George Washington Carver

5.  Innovations at the turn of the century had a significant impact on American life.  People were able to communicate with others that were far away quickly through the use of the telephone.  This allowed many families to be separated and still share information and concerns without a time delay.  The light bulb and the discovery of electricity allowed for more productivity at night.  People were able to stay up later and work in the dark.  (Students can choose to do more than this making connections that make sense)

6.  People migrated to the United States in the late 1800s and early 1900s to find economic opportunities, escape bad conditions including war, famine, and persecution, and generally for a better life.  

7.  People from Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and Asian (Chinese and Japanese) migrated to the US in the late 1800s and early 1900s.  

8.  Most of the immigrants settled in large cities near the immigration station they passed through.  Therefore, there were many immigrant communities in NY City and San Francisco, CA.  Many of the people faced significant challenges because they did not speak English and they had trouble communicating with people.  Others had trouble because they did not know all the rules and laws of their new communities.  There were also issues related to immigrants facing discrimination because of their home country.  People also struggled to meet up with family members who arrived earlier as well as finding a place to live.  
9.  The cause of the Trail of Tears was the passage of the Indian Removal Act.  This act was passed because white Georgians wanted to take the Cherokee's land when gold was discovered.  

10.  The Trail of Tears was a forced migration because the government required the Native Americans to leave their land. 

Friday, December 9, 2016

Study Guides

Here are the science and social studies study guides for Term 3.  Keep in mind that we still have lots of work to do next week, so there will be material that is unfamiliar at this point.

Science Study Guide
Social Studies Study Guide

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Circuit Breaker

We've had a very busy couple of weeks.  Here are some pictures from our visit to the Atlanta History Center and our circuit building inquiry.  I will be out of the classroom tomorrow for a professional learning class.  I look forward to seeing everyone on Friday.  If you need anything, feel free to email me.








Friday, November 18, 2016

Remember When?

Here are some highlights of our work this week.  From cattle drive simulations and fractions to pledge videos and argument writing, students were extremely engaged and busy with inquiring into how innovation and migration are key factors in shaping our world.  Here are some pictures.











Monday, November 14, 2016

What Do Magnets Stick To?

We completed an investigation on Friday and determined that magnets stick to our classroom walls and lots of other places inside our classroom.  Here are some pictures from the work that we did on Friday.








Thursday, November 10, 2016

Reflections

I wanted to let you know that students did a reflection about how they are feeling about the election today in class. 

I asked the students to answer the following question:  The Presidential Election of 2016 was completed on Tuesday, and a winner was announced.  Please describe how you are feeling about the election and why.  

Many of your students have questions and are having trouble expressing their ideas and feelings respectfully to their classmates at appropriate times.  My hope is that they are able to express in writing what they are feeling better than when they speak to each other.  The students have been talking about it all day and I feel like writing about it will help us maintain our focus on our academic needs as well as address our feelings and concerns.  Please let me know if you have any questions. 

Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Field Trip Tomorrow!

Be sure to bring your lunch for our field trip to the Atlanta Symphony tomorrow morning.  Also, if I don't have your permission slip, please send it back in the morning our your student will not be able to go.

We're Going to Be Friends!

Here we are, no one else We walked to school all by ourselves There's dirt on our uniforms From chasing all the ants and worms We clean ...