Federalism Crosswords

Crossword puzzle study guides on federalism:

http://www.paulblankenship.com/federalism

http://www.paulblankenship.com/federalism-2

Constitution Crosswords

A couple of crossword puzzle study guides on the Constitution:

http://www.paulblankenship.com/constitution

http://www.paulblankenship.com/constitution-2

Test 2.2: Executive Branch on Friday

I will test you over the executive branch on Friday. See the crossword puzzle study guide posted last Friday.

Test 2.1: Legislative Branch

I have decided to limit Test 2.1 to just the legislative branch. I will test you on the executive branch on Friday, on Test 2.2.

Weekly Preview

Monday
Bellringer: Israel & Judah
American government review
Test review crosswords (see previous post)

Tuesday
Bellringer: Cimmerian
Test 2.1 on American government
American government review

Wednesday
Bellringer: Scythian
American government review

Thursday
Bellringer: Media
American government review
RESEARCH PAPER DUE IN ALL CLASSES, INCLUDING 6TH PERIOD (bring before class, give them to me, do not just leave them at my door)
Field trip to Career Center

Friday
Bellringer: Persian/a.k.a. Ancient Iran
American government review
Quiz on bellringers

Grades Updated

Although you do not have many points from the first week of the grading period, I have uploaded your grades from the quiz and pop quiz given this week. Your first major test is Tuesday (see the previous post for study guides).

Study Guide Crossword Puzzles: Legislative & Executive Branches

So far I have written the following crossword puzzles to review American government:

• Legislative Branch Crossword Puzzle #1
• Legislative Branch Crossword Puzzle #2
• Executive Branch Crossword Puzzle #1

Study Guide & Grade Update Later Tonight

I'll post a study guide and update grades later tonight.

Habeas Corpus

Bellringers on World History

The pretest administered at the beginning of the school year indicated a strong need for world history review. I have assigned readings on world history. Many students read these articles and are making good grades on the quizzes. Some students seem more challenged by the quizzes.

To help you review world history, I am requiring that students making less than a "B" on a quiz mind map the articles for the following week. I will show you your grades on today's quiz on Wednesday and let you know if you are assigned to make mind maps this week. Mind maps are a great study technique (one that I use when taking classes) -- I think that they will help many of you excel on the quizzes! Flash cards on the dates, people, and events would probably help. I am assigning reading on world history in place of textbook reading assignments. I will check your mind maps daily starting on Thursday. Those making "B" or above are excused from making mind maps but are encouraged to keep up the good work.

The Research Paper

The research paper is due on 30 October 2008. You must bring separate copies for English and Social Studies or your paper will be late in one of your classes.

Students in previous years lost points for failing to check their papers against my rubric. Do you have the correct number of sources, types or sources, and a primary source? Please read the directions and the rubric provided during the first week of school and be certain that your paper meets the requirements of the rubric.

Governmental Powers

Weekly Preview

Monday
Bellringer: Babylon & Babylonia
American government review video

Tuesday
Bellringer: Hammurabi & the Code of Hammurabi
Quiz on Bellringers: Akkad, Amorites, Lagash, and Sargon
American government review video

Wednesday
Bellringer: Assyria, Nineveh, and Sennacherib
Oktoberfest
American government review video

Thursday
Bellringer: Mitanni
American government review video

Friday
Bellringer: Aramaean
American government video
Test 2.1 -- on American government review videos (rescheduled to next Tuesday)

Quiz Game for the Geography Unit Test

Here is the review game we played in class on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Geography Unit Test is Thursday of this week.

http://www.paulblankenship.com/quizgamegeounittest.html

Quiz Game Online

I decided to post the quiz game for test 1.6 online. This is the test you will take tomorrow. We played the game today -- I am posting this for students who were absent.
http://www.paulblankenship.com/game16.html

GLE #62 Timeline: Partial Example

I made a partial example of the GLE #62 timeline. Follow the instructions I provided in class. Your timeline covers the 1600s.

Reminders: Upcoming Due Dates

About four weeks ago I assigned my students to complete a timeline on the 1600s and a take-home test. The take-home test may be completed in a cooperative manner but each student is responsible for the answers marked on his or her test.

The take-home test involves interpreting a set of timelines. These are available here:
http://delicious.com/louisianastudies/takehometestgle63

The timeline is a simple assignment. You only need FIVE events EACH from the English colonies that would later become the United States and Louisiana. Since very little recorded history happened in what would later become Louisiana you may include events in French Canada, such as exploration of the Mississippi River and the establishment of the fur trade in French Canada as events that lead to the colonization of Louisiana. You do not have to give a detailed explanation of the events -- just list them next to the correct year on the timeline. You do NOT have to do the timelines for the 18th, 19th, or 20th centuries yet, though you are welcome to work ahead. Don't make the assignment more complicated than it is. Keep it simple!

If you lost your copies please download them from the iDisk. Instructions on iDisk use have been given in class and posted on this blog.

The XYZ Affair

Last Chance for Extra Credit is Monday

The last chance to turn in extra-credit work is Monday. You may not have more that 2% of your grade from extra-credit. See:
http://delicious.com/louisianastudies/extracredit

Weekly Preview

Monday
Bellringer: 7 Facts on Amorite
Test Review -- Test 1.6, GLEs 12-17 and review
GLE #16

Tuesday
Bellringer: 7 Facts on Lagash
Test 1.6, GLEs 12-17 and review
Due: 1600s timeline and take-home test assigned 4 weeks ago

Wednesday
Bellringer: 7 Facts on Sargon
Geography Unit Test Review

Thursday
Bellringer: 7 Facts on Babylon and Babylonia
Geography Unit Test (200 pts.) -- review of geography GLEs covered this grading period

Friday
Bellringer: 7 Facts on Hammurabi and the Code of Hammurabi
GLE #18
Acadiana East -- GLEs 2 & 4

Study Guide for Test 1.5 on Friday

The text of the review game that we played in class Monday is posted here:
http://www.paulblankenship.com/test15studyguide.txt

James K. Polk Rocks

Changes to Our Usual Schedule and Due Dates

No test on Tuesday. Ms. Pomeroy's two-day field trip and the Explore Test on Thursday make a test impractical until the end of the week. I will provide your review on Monday because it is the only other day I will see all of you. Study your notes on the review game between Monday and Friday. I still plan to give you a quiz on the bellringers on Friday. The due date for the 1600s timeline and the take-home test is now Tuesday, 14 October 2008 (that gives you an extra weekend to finish the assignments). Since these are major assignments I will accept each late at a 50% per day deduction of points.

Bellringers: Early Mesopotamia

Monday -- Sumer
Tuesday -- Hittite
Wednesday -- Erech (also known as Uruk)
Thursday -- Gilgamesh
Friday -- Akkad

Quiz on Friday -- covers Poverty Point, Sumer, Hittite, Erech, and Gilgamesh.

Reminder: World History Quiz Tomorrow

As seen on the board and course calendar, we have a world history quiz on Friday. The quiz covers the bellringers discussed on Monday through Thursday.

Art Map Due Tomorrow

The Art Map is due tomorrow. The late penalty is 25% per day. I originally said 50% per day but I have changed my mind. This applies ONLY to the Art Map Project and not to any other project or assignment. The assignment was made near the beginning of school. I will check my email around 6:00 p.m. tonight for any last minute questions, though I took a considerable amount of time answering questions in class today. I wish you all good luck and hope everyone does well on the project!