Hello to one and all! Over the next two weeks, we will be wrapping up our units of study to begin reviewing for final exams, but for now, we are still covering new material in my classes. Here are the updates for this week:
8th Social Studies
This week we are learning about the events and policies that challenged the United States during the Cold War era. After studying the seemingly idyllic civilian life of the 1950s, the students will be learning about the Korean War and McCarthyism. At the end of this week, we will be studying how the Cold War began to, “heat up,” with events such as the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Bay of Pigs invasion. The last chapter test will be on Thursday, May 23rd. The study guide will be posted in next week’s class notes.
7th Social Studies
This week in seventh grade social studies, we are mixing things up with the students working on group research projects on select topics from Chapter 11: The Industrial Revolution. The topics include changes in transportation (railroads, the Erie Canal), inventions (the cotton gin, the factory system), and life under slavery. This will lead directly into the split between north and south in the Civil War. The students will begin presenting their projects on Monday, May 20th. This will count as their last chapter test grade.
8th Religion
In eighth grade religion, we are continuing to study the period of the captivity of Judah and Israel. We will begin the week by studying Esther, and how God used her circumstances to save her people from annihilation. We will then go on to study the prophecies in the book of Ezra, and how the people eventually returned from exile. There are no tests or quizzes this week.