Greetings 8th Grade Families!

 

The Civil War reenactment was a success! Thanks for everyone who helped make this possible. I'm sure there were lots of stories to be told about the day. If any of you who were there took pictures, I will be sending out a link so that phots can be uploaded and shared with the community.

 

This coming week we will begin by looking at the complicated history of the Confederate battle flag (known as the stars and bars) and a lot of times is confused as being the official flag of the Confederate States of America. It has symbolized many things over the years. Students will be introduced to the history of the flag as well as multiple perspectives about the meaning and importance of this flag. We will then have a debate about whether or not the Confederate battle still has a place in today's society.

 

We will also read a story about a commando group from WW II who got thrown back in time to the middle of the Civil War. We will discuss the ethical dilemmas of finding yourself as a soldier near a the Battle of Franklin where you know the history, you have family who died in the Civil War...what do you do?

 

Please email with any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Mr. Rowan

 

Greetings 8th Grade Families!

 

The first three weeks back from April students will be taking their CMAS and Spring MAPS tests. This week 8th graders will take the CMAS Science test on Tuesday morning and Wednesday morning and afternoon. They will also be taking the Reading and Math MAPS tests on Thursday and Friday morning.

We ask that students do their best to get a good amount of sleep each night, they have a good breakfast and are present at school during testing. 

When students do meet for Social Studies, we will be focusing on the Battle of Antietam and how the Union victory at Antietam gave President Lincoln the confidence to release the Emancipation Proclamation which freed the enslaved population in the states that had seceded and it allowed Black men to enlist and fight for the Union.

I emailed a permission form for the Civil War Reenactment on Friday. If you haven't signed that yet, please do so at your convenience. 

Friday, April 19th: Training and outfitting for the Civil War Reenactment at Westgate. 

Friday, April 26th: The Civil War Reenactment at Chatfield State Park.

Please email with any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Mr. Rowan

 

Greetings 8th Grade Families!

This week students will be preparing for the Civil War Reenactment Fundraiser. Students will joint groups to create an evening where our community can gather to learn about the Civil War and support the 8th grade students.

 

Civil War Fundraiser Event: Thursday, March 21^st from 6-8:00 pm at Westgate High School

Students will work together to create a fundraiser for the Civil War Reenactment (Friday, April 26^th) where they will be reenacting the battle of Antietam as part of their unit on the Civil War. There will be a buffet of Civil War Era foods as well as various activities that teach guest about the Civil War. In the past we have had a movie theater, museum, photo booth, silent auction, song, skits and games. We generally look to raise $50 per student to help cover the cost of the reenactment. Because this is a fundraiser, I’m asking all students to attend and participate. Please let me know if there are any conflicts. All family, friends, and Westgate community members are welcome to attend. There is not a price to enter, rather people can leave donations, buy tickets to the movie theater, bid on the silent auction, etc. We will accept cards, cash, or checks.

For the Civil War Era Buffett, each student will be given a recipe of a dish that would have been made during the 1800s. I will make sure each student has their recipe by Friday of this week so that you will have the weekend to look it over and prepare the ingredients. If it is not possible for you to make this dish, that’s ok. Please email me and we can discuss other options.

On the day of the event, students will stay after school to help set up and I’m asking students stay after to help clean up and put the High School Pod back together. If your student is not able to attend the fundraiser, I will need an email from you explaining the circumstances.

Important Dates

• Thursday March 21^st: Fundraiser from 6-8 at Westgate High School. Students will stay after school to help set up for the fundraiser and I ask that they stay and help clean up the high school POD and get it ready for school the next day.
• Friday, April 19^th: Civil War Reenactment training from 9-3 at Westgate (students need to be at school to be trained and outfitted)
• Friday, April 26^th: Civil War Reenactment at Chatfield State Park from 8-3. Students will leave on a bus from Westgate and return between 2-3pm.

Please email me with any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Mr. Rowan

Greetings 8th Grade Families!

This week students will be looking at the advantages and disadvantages of the North and South as the Civil War began. We will then start to look at the battles of the Civil War. To kick this off, we will revisit which chess pieces students thought their biography characters would be and come up with the 16 chess pieces for our 8th grade A  vs. C class chess match. We will then switch gears as we start to prepare for the Civil War Reenactment Fundraiser which will take place on Thursday, March 21st. 

I wanted to remind you that on Wednesday the 8th grade students will be going on a field trip to the History Colorado Museum where they will learn about the Native American tribes of Colorado. Remember that on Wednesday students will need a sack lunch that does not need microwaved.

Please email me with any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Mr. Rowan

Greetings 8th Grade Families!

This week students will finish up their mini unit on the life of a t-shirt by learning about shipping and the role shipping containers have played in global trade. Finally students will analyze the costs of the Planet Money t-shirt including monetary, human and environmental costs. Finally students will decide if globalization helps lift people up out of poverty or takes advantage of people already living in poverty. 

By the end of the week students will begin digging into the causes of the Civil War as they analyze the secession documents of the southern states that seceded. By doing this students can understand what those states were thinking and why they wanted to leave the United States and form their own country. 

Please email with any questions or concerns.

Sincerely, 

Mr. Rowan

Greetings 8th Grade Parents,

Students will finish their studies of slavery and the Second Middle Passage by finishing the Podcast When Cotton was King. We will then look at the modern cotton industry by following the life of a cotton t-shirt from the cotton fields of Texas to Bangladesh back again to the US on a shipping container. Students will learn about the economic concepts of specialization, trade, globalization, profit, and the life of the workers on each step of the way.

Please email with any questions or comments.

Sincerely,

Mr. Rowan

Greetings 8th Grade Families!

This week students will finish presenting their biography projects to the class. When students are finished we will look at the effects the Cotton Gin had on the increase in cotton productions, which led to the increase in the enslaved population of the US. We will also look at the economics behind both the cotton industry and the institution of slavery. We will then take a look at the current cotton industry as we learn about international trade, globalization and specialization.

Please email with any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Mr. Rowan

Greetings 8th Grade Families!

This week students will put the final touches on their biography PowerPoint presentations. They will create their bibliography and decide which chess piece their person would be based on what they did during their lifetime. Students will then spend the rest of the week presenting their PowerPoints and taking notes on student presentations.

Please email with any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Mr. Rowan

Greetings 8th Grade Families!

This week students will be creating their biography bottle characters. Student will be taking their 2-liter bottle and using their research, creating a likeness of the person they researched. We will start with attaching the Styrofoam ball as the head. Students will then paint the head and add hair, eyes and face. Student will then use felt, fabric, buttons, etc. to create the body and clothes for their character. Ultimately, students will need to determine what chess piece their character would be based on what they did before, during and/or after the Civil War. We will use these Bottle Characters to battle each other in a game of chess on a 6' x 12' chess board painted like the North and South during the Civil War.

Please email with any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Mr. Rowan