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

Hello 8th Grade Families!

For the Biography Bottle Project were are working on, each student will need a 2 liter bottle. They will use this bottle to create a likeness of the person they are researching. If your student could please bring in a 2 liter bottle by next Tuesday, January 16th it would be much appreciated. If for some reason you are not able to get a 2 liter bottle, please let me know.

Sincerely,

Mr. Rowan

Greetings 8th Grade Families!

This quarter students will focus on the Civil War; what caused it, Lincoln, the war and famous people that played a part in this important American history. Students will begin by choosing a researching one of these important people and creating a biography PowerPoint presentation. The research will be broken up into three assignments: childhood and early life, adult life, and accomplishments. When the research is complete, we will review and discuss what makes a good PowerPoint as well as practice public speaking before students present their research to the class. 

Please email with any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Mr. Rowan

Greetings 8th Grade Families!

This final week before break, students will be returning to where they started the quarter by looking at the painting American Progress by John Gast. They will use the details and subject matter of the painting to describe Manifest Destiny and explain how the painting relates to different parts of Westward Expansion. 

Monday students will draft a written response and play a Kahoot. On Tuesday, students will write a final draft of their response and take a short quiz.

Please email with any questions you have.

Sincerely,

Mr. Rowan

Greetings 8th Grade Families!

 

This week in Social Studies we will be putting the final piece of the Westward Expansion puzzle into place. Students will learning about the causes and effects of the Mexican-American War and answer the question: Was the Mexican-American War justified. 

We will have MAPS testing this week.

Students will have a final test on Westward Expansion on Tuesday and Wednesday, December 12-13.

 

If you haven't done so already, make sure you sign up for Winter Conferences. You should have received a link from Mrs. Haworth on Friday.

 

Feel free to email with any questions or concerns.

 

Sincerely, 

Mr. Rowan

Greetings 8th Grade Families!

This week students will look at ways Native American tribes rebuilt after being removed from their native homelands. We will focus on the Cherokee for this case study. Students will then complete a Nearpod video about Andrew Jackson in History vs. Andrew Jackson. We will look at evidence that he was a hero and a villain. Students will then participate in mini-debates with their classmates arguing one side or the other.

We will then turn to Texas and investigate how this one-time-territory of Mexico became a Republic and then became part of the United States. We will complete Part E of our Map Project and look at primary and secondary sources that look reveal the causes of this conflict between American immigrants and the Mexican government. 

Please email with any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Mr. Rowan

Greetings 8th Grade Social Studies Families!

This week students will finish their investigation into how different Native American tribes resisted removal from their original homelands. We will then look at ways these different tribes rebuilt and reestablished their cultures and traditions in the new lands they were moved to. 

We will then begin looking at the Texas Revolution and how the spread of slavery led to this conflict with Mexico.

If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know.

Sincerely,

Mr. Rowan

Greetings 8th Grade Families!

This week students will be focusing on Lewis and Clark and the Louisiana Purchase. First students will use Google Maps to follow Lewis and Clark's journey. For each stop along the way, students will be able read, look at pictures and watch videos to learn about what happened and to see what the area looks like today. Of the 14 stops, students will be asked to write at least 7 journal entries from the perspective of Lewis, Clark, Sacagawea or from one of the Native Americans they encountered on their expedition. 

Next, students will be asked the question: What did Lewis and Clark discover? We will then watch the video View from the Shore which will provide Native American perspectives on Lewis and Clark's expedition.  

Please don't hesitate to email with questions or comments.

Sincerely,

Mr. Rowan

Greetings 8th grade families!

As we begin our second quarter, students will be learning about how the United States grew from 13 colonies to 50 states. We will begin by analyzing the painting American Progress by John Gast. We will also start our Growth of Us Map Project where students will look at how each section of the United States was acquired, important people and events, what current states came out of these acquisitions and who the winners and losers were. Finally we will look at the Louisiana Purchase and follow the path of Lewis and Clark using google maps where students will write journal entries for each stop.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to email me.

Sincerely,

Mr. Rowan

Greetings 8th Grade Social Studies Families!

 

This week students learn about the compromises made as the Constitution was being drafted that relate to representation and slavery. Students will then translate the lines of the Preamble to learn about what kind of country the Founders envisioned. Students will get to explore the country today and see how close we are to these original ideas. Finally, students will be asked why are there three branches, what are their responsibilities and how do these separation of powers keep each other in check.

Please email with any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Mr. Rowan