Week of 2/26 - 3/2

In this full five-day week of Social Studies, we will be working to wrap up our studies of Chapter 12, on the Early Societies of West Africa.  To start the week, we will review the chapter with a study guide, then we will have our final test on Wednesday. 

At the end of the week, students will work on an artistic project that will show how small communities of families in West Africa developed into great kingdoms.  They will create small picture books that explain (in terms a 3rd grader can understand) why and how some communities grew and developed.

Here is a breakdown of the week's agenda:

• Monday 2/26
• Ch. 12 Study Guide
• Tuesday 2/27
• Finish Ch. 12 Study Guide
• Practice Vocabulary (Quizlet)
• Some students may begin children's book project
• Wednesday 2/28
• Ch. 12 Final Test
• Study Guide due today
• Thursday 3/1
• Everyone begin work on Children's Book Project
• Finish Rough Draft, if not done already (Rough draft is Processing 12 in reading notes - we actually started this last week and was due on Monday)
• Begin Final Draft - use grading rubric as guide while working
• Friday 3/2
• Continue work on Children's Book Project

Week of 2/20 - 2/22

This short week in social studies, we will be finishing the chapter 12 reading notes, then do a little bit of review.  Here is the breakdown for the week, as I see it...

• Monday - NO SCHOOL
• Tuesday
• Ch. 12 Reading Notes: 12.4 - 12.5
• Wednesday
• Ch. 12 Processing
• Thursday
• Ch. 12 Kahoot Review
• Friday - NO SCHOOL

Week of 2/12 - 2/16

This week in social studies, we will start out the week with wrapping up the Africa geography challenge from last week, then beginning our study of the vocabulary in chapter 12: Early Societies of West Africa.  Students will work independently to take C-notes on important terms from the chapter, using an online learning site called Quizlet (Link on the right side of this page).  They will be given 12 words, then use the site to get (and practice) the definitions of each word.  Students will then write original sentences that use the words correctly, and draw simple pictures to illustrate them. 

This week, students will also begin reading Chapter 12 and taking reading notes on the chapter.

Here is a breakdown of the week:

• Monday
• Finish Geography Challenge (due at end of class)
•  Begin Ch. 12 Vocab C-Notes (use Quizlet.com for definitions)
• Tuesday
• Finish Vocab C-Notes (due Friday 2/16)
• Wednesday
• Student-Led Conference Portfolio (in-class only)
• Begin Ch. 12 Reading Notes
• Preview 12
• Thursday - Friday: 
• Continue Ch. 12 Reading Notes
• Vocab C-Notes DUE today

Week of 2/5 - 2/9

This week in social studies, we will start off with three days to finish the Samurai and Tea Master Comic Project.  The final draft of that project will be due Friday 2/9, so if they don't finish in class, they will have a couple days to finish it for homework.

At the end of the week, we will be shifting gears (and continents!) entirely to begin our study of Western Africa at the time of the middle ages.  We will be starting with a geography challenge, in which students will familiarize themselves with the location, and how the geography affected the people that lived there.

Here is our weekly breakdown:

• Monday - Tuesday - Wednesday
• Work on Samurai and Tea Master Comic Strip
• Final project due Friday 2/9
• Thursday - Friday
• Western Africa Geography Challenge
• Geo challenge due Monday 2/12

Geo Challenge Questions: