7th Grade: The students started the 3rd quarter with a quick review of the Reconstruction Unit covered before break. This was followed by two days completing the standards for the 1866 -1877 time period. Currently, the classes are in the midst of the Industrial Revolution. In this Unit students will focus on the rapid change from agriculture to industry and how this impacted the United States both at home and abroad. More specifically, students will gain an understanding of how industrialization impacted the growth of cities, immigration, political policies, and people such as John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie who led the Industrial movement in the United States. In addition, students will gain knowledge on the concept of monopolies and why they are illegal in this country. Industrialization will lead to the next Unit on Imperialism. As a class we will study the race of first world countries to gain territories around the to aid in the progress of these nations. With new territories comes increased power, access to resources, and the many other things we will study. I am excited for this quarter and look forward to what the students bring to the classroom both in discussion and material.
8th Grade: The students are continuing the Unit on Government. We started the quarter with a review of the material covered before break and quickly moved to the new material needed to be covered. One recent class activity required students to work in groups with each group responsible for one core principle that is the foundation of the United States Constitution. The groups consisted of Limited Government, Separation of Powers, Popular Sovereignty, Checks and Balances, and Federalism. Each group had to demonstrate mastery of their principle by teaching to the class what the principle means and how it functions in the United States Government. Currently, the students are focusing on an in depth study of the Executive Branch. This includes everything from the duties of the President to the function of the Electoral College. As a class we still have a some topics to cover in government before we move to our next Unit. Great start to the 3rd Quarter!
