The Outsiders

For the next 3 weeks, we'll be reading The Outsiders in class.  Students will keep a journal and write summaries and reflections, vocabulary, predictions, and more. They'll also discuss themes and cite evidence in the book when explaining themselves.
We'll have a couple quizzes along the way and finish with a small project.

Colonies Comparison

Compare and Contrast 2 Colonial Regions in 18th Century America OR 
English and French Colonies/Territories in 18th Century America Due Friday, November 20th
**SUMMATIVE**

-Design a Chart or Some Template for Comparison
-Include a few pictures that represent some ideas you write
-Use a Venn Diagram, something like below, or create something unique yourself
-Government, Religion, Population, Geographic Areas, Economies, Relationship w/ Natives, etc
-FINAL COPY FORM

Persuasive Essay

Hooray, we are starting our persuasive essay.
Here are a couple quick reminders:

Outline is due Tuesday, November 17th
Essay is due Wednesday, December 2nd (this might slightly change)

We Shall Remain - Social Studies

For the next few days, we're watching the PBS series - "We Shall Remain" and having an ongoing discussion about it in class. Students are expected to watch the entire episode 1 - "After the Mayflower" and complete the video notes/questions. Here is a link to the videos online if a student misses a day or two.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/weshallremain/the_films/episode_1_trailer
 After watching the trailer, click on "Browse More Video" when it pops up. Then select the appropriate episode.

This Week in Language Arts

We'll be covering the basics of a solid 8th grade essay this week. We'll review formatting, thesis sentences, and topic sentences. A link that covers the basics - http://public.wsu.edu/~campbelld/topic.htm We'll go into more detail in class, so take good notes!

Speeches Friday!!

Make sure to have your note cards ready Thursday so you can practice your speech before Friday. Remember, the key to this speech is keeping your audience engaged and getting across some good information for 90 seconds.

Region Project Instructions

Or Click this link for a more printer friendly version.

2014-2015 Class Pictures

Research Paper Time!

We are now one week into our month-long research paper. 
As you're researching your topic, remember this: a research paper is not a report because it has a narrative, driven by change, causes and effects.  If you don't focus on those important pieces of the puzzle, then your paper is just a report.

Basic Info:
Minimum 10 Sources
.gov | .edu | .org (not wiki), or books are the best sources of information
ONLY 3 .com sources allowed

Notes Check Dates: Wednesday, January 14; Friday, January 16
First Rough Draft Check: Friday, January 23rd

RESEARCH PAPERS!

There are four topics from which you have to choose regarding our papers.  They are the following:

1. The College Experience - How has college access changed from WWII through today?

2. Women's Role in Modern Society - How has women's role in society progressed and changed since WWII?

3. Technology in Sports - How has technology changed sports over the last 50 years?

4. The Panama Canal - How has the Panama Canal changed international trade?

Please see your handout sheet or ask Mr. Gallagher for more detailed information regarding focusing your paper.