Welcome to Gr.8 Social Studies.  In this course we will study World History and all the mysteries within!

Today we discussed how this course will run and started with an introductory activity; personal timelines.

Assignment: Students are to hand in their exit slips from class responding to the question "What is History?" 

click the links below to download a copy of the class syllabus from today

12.09.05 social studies gr 8 syllabus.doc

Today we worked on personal timelines.  Students interviewed each other and created timelines based on the lives of their class partners. 

Assignment: Interview a partner about the important events in their lives.  Take the important events and create an original timeline including all the major events.

Remember: Student projects will be assessed based on...

-Accuracy of information

-Cleanliness and accuracy of the timeline

-Including all the important information for each event

-The overall look of the timeline is clear to the audience (easy to understand)

click the link below for a copy of the sample timeline

12.09.05 sample timeline.docx

Today we observed some of the reasons to study history.  They are outlined in the textbook on pages 8-11.  This activity will be great practice for students to learn how information can be harvested from sources. 

Assignment: Students are to answer the questions in the assignment (link below).  Students are reminded that an intelligent answer should be in their own words.  This shows that they not only found the information in the textbook but that they also understand it.

Click the link below for a copy of the questions.

12.09.19 text intro.pdf

Today we discussed how different people have different perspective (ways of seeing the world).  The big concept today is World Views.  Everyone has a way to see the world.  What factors affect the way they see it?

Assignment: Students are asked to complete an exit slip in respon se to "How do the examples from class today illustrate world views?".  Students are to choose one of the examples from class today to respond to.  In their exit slip they must identify the activity and then explain how it relates to different world views across the planet.

click the links below to view some of the examples from class.

12.09.19 blm - blind men and the elephant.pdf

12.09.19 Perspectives - world view.pptx

Today we talked about the possible origins of life.  Out course mainly discusses world history (or as I like to call it "the history of us").  Theories of how life began is the beginning of the story.

Remember: a theory is not a fact; it is a belief based on observed evidence.

Today we discussed some of the popular theories of the origin of life on planet Earth.  We watched the rest of the video "Greatest Discoveries with Bill Nye: The Origin and Evolution"

Assignment: Students are to complete an exit slip that argues the theories of the origin of life.  To do this they must use the title "Origins of Life" for their exit slip.  Then they need to label two parts.  In part one they state a theory and argue why they think it may be true.  In part two they state a theory and argue why they think it may not be true.  This is a research assignment, and so, their answers must discuss at least 2 points found in an online resource to support their answer.

Notes: Students took notes covering the basic theories of the origin of life

click the link below to see the document that sparked todays discussion

12.09.27 how did life start - various theories.docx

Current Events: The Hockey Lockout

We read a news a article about the NHL lockout. Students were asked to read the article and highlight what they felt were the most important points.  Based on this we created notes on the board that students copied to their Gr. 8 Social Studies notes section. 

Purpose: This exercise is designed to hone student skills in reading, collecting information, and processing information based on current events.

Assignment: This assignment has two parts

1)Students are to read the article, take notes, and then complete the questions associated with the article (on the back of the handout). 

2)Students must also complete an exit slip along with the article "Hockey or Not".  In this exit slip they must share the main points of the article.

Today we discussed some of the vocabulary of early human history.  We talked about how words are created from Latin.

Assignment: Students were asked to complete a handout about decoding words using latin meanings.  

Notes: Students  took some notes on the meanings of words.  We copied some definitions from the board (which are great for studying for next week`s quiz)

click on the link below to see the paper we took the notes from (note: see the highlighted ones)

12.10.05 vocabulary early humans.pdf

Today in class we studied for our quiz on Friday.  Students played a game of Jeopardy created especially for this quiz.  Students are encouraged to use the powerpoint included in the link below to help them prepare for the quiz on Friday.

Jeopardy study help.ppt  

Today we have a quiz on the vocabulary of early human history.   

Students are reading about early people and completing questions beased on the textbook.

Assignment: read pages 28-31 of the textbook and complete the related questions the Early People. 

click the link below for a copy of the assignment

12.10.12 The Early Peoples.docx

Today we discussed Cro Magnon humans.  We read pages 34-37 in the textbook.

Notes: We took notes on pages 34-37 in the textbook.  Be sure to have those in your notes.

Assignment: Students are to copy down the questions on Cro Magnon humans and complete them for Thurs. Oct. 18 

Tues. Oct. 23

Today we discussed historical inaccuracies and then applied our knowledge to some cartoon related to early humans.

Assignment: Students are to study the cartoon and complete the assignment handed out in class.

Today students observed an article on the tainted beef recall and discussed how it may affect them (trickle down).

Assignment: Students are to complete the questions related to the weekly news assignment.

Today we talked about the Mesolithic and Neolithic humans (post Ice-age).  We read pages 38-42, took some notes, and started working on some related questions.

Notes: Students took notes on pages 38-42 today (don't forget to have those in your notes)

Assignment: Students are to complete the questions that go along with pages 38-42 and the notes given in class

Today we discussed an international concern dealing with rebels in Congo.  We read the weekly news together, discussed the subject, and then students had time to complete the questions related to the article.

Assignment: Students are to complete the questions related to the article and hand them in. 

Today we all created possible questions that could be on the quiz on THurs.

see all the student questions here

Today we discussed some aspects of early societies and how they were different from the hunter/gatherer villages of the past. 

Assignment: Students need to complete the questions for pages 50-51 dealing with early societies and civilizations

Download the assignment here 

Weely News - An 

Inconvenient 

Hurricane

Today we discussed some of the efffect of the Hurricane that recently cut through the Atlantic Ocean and on into the United States. 

Students were split into groups to highlight the most important info in their sections.  We then highlighted together and answered the questions on the back.

Assignment: students are to highlight the most important information in the article and then answer the related questions.

Today we watched a video that introduced students to the early Sumerian civilization of Mesopotamia.  Students worked together and discussed questions related to the video.

Assignment: Students are to complete the questions related to the video

Students have been discussing how inventions such as the wheel, the plow, the stylus, and many more changed the lives of humans forever.  

Assignment: Students are to write a journal entry responding to the following question: "How have inventions improved the lives of humans?".  Students are reminded that these entries are to be in their response journals and should be no shorter than half a page in length.

Notes: Students had a discussion about how inventions have impacted human lives.  They are to have the mind-map from that discussion copied into the notes section of their binders. 

Today students watched a video about the trade and transport of Mesopotamia.  Students discussed related questions deciding what each of them were worth in the assessment.

Assignment: Students are to complete the questions related to the video and hand them in prior to Tues. (questions available in class)

Students are studying the structure of the civilization of Mesopotamia. 

Assignment: Students are to complete the fill-in-the-blanks sections related to pages 57-61 of the textbook. (questions available in class)

Today students discussed how where a village is placed can make the difference of whether it will survive or not.  Students discussed what a village needs to survive and how to place village so it will be successful.

Assignment: Students are to complete the decide places to place a village on the map and complete the questions in the assignment.

Notes: Students are to have a copy of the mindmap discussed in class (we wrote it down together on the board).  If you missed class get this from your classmate.

Today students watched a video related to the development of written language in Mesopotamia.  We paused the video often to discuss points related to the critical thinking questions related to the video.  

Assignment: Students are to complete the critical thinking questions related to the video.

Notes: Students are to read the definitions of the vocabulary related to written language in Mesopotamia.  Students are reminded that they are to write the definitions in their own words in the notes section of their binders. 

Today students studied the ancient alphabet used in cuneiform (Mesopotamian writing).  

Assignment: Students are to study the cuneiform alphabet.  Then they are to write two things on an exit slip: 1) their name 2) one law that they think might have been written in Mesopotamia.

download a copy of the assignment handed out in class here

Students are reminded that they have a quiz on Mesopotamia coming up on Monday.  Students are reminded that it is critical to study all assignments they have written since the previous quiz in order to be ready.

Want some study help?  Try downloading and playing the jeopardy game made just for this quiz

Today we talked about the legacy of Mesopotamia.  They invented incredible items such as the wheen, the plow, irrigation, and many more.  These innovations allowed them to become an amazing civilization with many lasting effects.

Assignments: Students are to write at least half a page responding to the question "What is the legacy of Mesopotamia?".

Notes: Students are to have a copy of the mindmap created in class in the notes section of the binder.  Students who missed class must ensure they download the picture of the mindmap and copy it into their notes.

Today students asked themselves "What do I know about Egypt?".  They created a KWL chart about Egypt in preparation for the upcoming unit.  

Assignment: Students are to complete the vocabulary task connected to Egypt by creating definitions in their own words

Notes: Students are to have a copy of the KWL chart in the notes section of their binder. 

Mesopotamia

/Egypt 

Today we compared some of the aspects of Mesopotamia and Egypt such as boats, travel, and farming.  We discussed how the two compared to each other and took some notes from p.80-81 of the text.  Students created some notes about boats and travel and answered some qestions.  Then we made notes in a T-chart comparing Mesopotamian and Egyptian farming.

Assignment: Students are to complete the chart and questions on Egyptian boats and also complete a Venn diagram comparing Mesopotamian and Egyptian farming.

Students were assigned to read sections of their text about Egyption art, government, and social structure (pages 73-74, and 79).  In class we discussed these sections and took notes together.  Then students were given the opportunity to try out their newfound note-taking skills by taking notes on an article called "Bast - The Cat Goddess".

Assignment: Students are to read the article "Bast - The Cat Goddess" and take notes (in proper note-taking format) to be handed in alongside all recent notes from class.

Notes: Students are expected to have notes on pages 73-74, 79, and the article about Bast within their notes. (Egypt Notes #1)

Due  Mon. Dec. 17

-Notes are being handed in today (Thurs. Dec. 13)

Students watched a video in class called "Ancient Egypt - The Gift of the Nile".  We discussed the content of the video and students have some questions related.

Assignment: Students are to complete the related questions and puzzle for the film watched in class.  Students who may have missed the video are responsible to view it on their own time in order to catch up for missed work.  They are reminded that the video can be found on the shared drive at school at shared=>Ewert=>Social Studies Gr. 8 

During our flield trip last week students went on a scavenger hunt to identify artifacts of ancient civilizations that refelct the common aspects/qualities of civilizations.  In this assignment students will create a brochure about egypt showing similar artifacts.

Assignment: Students are to work individually or in partners to create brochures that reflect the common aspects of civilizations in the Egyptian culture.  Students are reminded to read the assignment carefully in order to be successful at achieving the outcomes of this assignment.

Students are reminded that they are expected to be responsible for remembering their own due dates.  To help you with this Mr. E has posted a handy calendar for writing down all your due dates.  

Print out a copy for yourself by clicking this link.

Today we talked about the previous leader of N. Korea (Kim Jong-il) and his successor Kim Jong-un.  It has been one year since the passign of Kim Jong-il and the policies of N. Korea are still suspected by the international community. 

Assignment: Students are to read the article and complete the related questions on the back.

Take a look at the dictatorship chart used for the class discussion

If you have lost your copy of the assignment you can download a new copy by clicking this link.

Students are working on paphmlets for Egypt.  They are expected to follow all the criteria of the assignment in this link.  We have reviewed the assignment in class and students are being given several class periods to work on it as well.   

This pamphlet assignment will help them to be prepared for their test coming up on Tues. Jan. 22

Fri. Jan. 18 

Students have a test on Egypt coming up soon and so today we took down some notes from the text (based on pages 76-79, and 82).  Students are going to use the knowledge from the text and these notes to answer the questions that will be used in our study game next week.

Assignment: Students are being given one page of cards with questions to complete for a study game for next week.  They are to put their initials on the top of each card.  On the back they are to find the correct answer for the question.  Then they hand in their notes from today with the sheet of question cards attached.

*the sheets of question cards are available in class only (so please ask Mr. E for a copy if you missed class)

Notes: Students are to ensure they have a copy of all the notes from todays class.  They are to be handed in with their sheet of question cards. (Egypt Notes #2)

Don't forget the original notes on Egypt taken before Xmas.

Students had a substitute teacher today that watched and discussed a video on ancient Egypt.  Students created a mindmap on how religious beliefs affected Egyptian burial and some additional notes related to the video.  

Students are reminded that notes such as these are very handy for study purposes (and there is a test on Egypt coming up soon Jan. 22, and a semester 1 exam on Jan. 30)

Notes:  

Click here for a copy of the notes and mindmap

Students are reminded that there is a test coming up on all the information we have  covered about Egypt.  Students will be given some time to study during class, but most of their study time is expected to be done on their own. 

Effective studying includes:

-reviewing the notest aken in class

-reviewing all assignments during the unit

-thinking about what types of questions would be on the test

-quizzing themselves and each other to prepare

Tues. Jan. 22

Create-an-Exam 

Assignment

Students have a semester final exam coming up covering everything from the first Semester of school.  This is a very large task and it will require them to prepare! To help students prepare they are going to create practice exams.  They will do this be reviewing all their past materials and creating questions of their own.  

Assignment: Students are to create a practice semester final exam complete with sections such as "true and false", "fill-in'the-blank", "multiple choice", and also short and long answer questions.  This will help them to think critically about their course material and generate some of their own questions that they think are likely to be on the exam.

*Remember: You have access to the answer keys of the previous tests at shared=>Ewert=>Social StudiesGr.8=>test answer keys

Download a summary checklist of all the assignments and notes from semester one

Download the create an exam assignment

Download the Exam Template (students use this to create their practice exams)

Students are going to write their first Semester Final Exam.  This exam period is 2.25 hours in length (1:15-3:30 pm) and the content will cover all materials learned in Gr. 8 SS since the beginning of the school year.  

Students are highly advised to study in preparation for this exam as it will make up a considerable portion of their overall assessment for Semester 1.