Happy Holidays!

Hi All,

As we wrap up 2010, the 8th grade is putting the final touches on their state geography crossword puzzles, and the 7th grade will be finishing their puzzles soon after we return from winter break. NO HOMEWORK IN CULTURAL STUDIES OVER BREAK.

I hope everyone has a very happy holiday season!

State Geography Crosswords for the 7th Grade

Hi All,

Here are the requirements for the 7th grade state geography puzzles. We should have all of our clues and answers finalized by the end of class on Friday



State Geography Crossword Requirements

You must include at least 15 clues and answers

You need to include at least the minimum number indicated for each geographic theme below:
1 Absolute location (This should be the state capital or a VERY major city.)
2 Relative location
2 Physical place
2 Cultural place
2 Human-environment interaction
2 Movement
2 Region
AND
At least 2 more clues and answers of your choosing.

ADDITIONAL GUIDELINES
*The answers need to be challenging, but solvable, and they must be related to important information about your state.
* The clues and answers cannot include the actual names of the themes (i.e. location, place, human-environment interaction, movement, or region)
* Please keep a list of your sources.
* Spelling is very important!

The website that we will use to construct the puzzles:
http://puzzlemaker.discoveryeducation.com/CrissCrossSetupForm.asp

Wrapping up 2010

Hi All,

Almost to winter break, and we continue to work on our geography skills.

7th GRADE
We have wrapped up our views of the Geography of California, and will be moving onto developing our state geography crossword puzzles. Currently there is no homework. More details in class tomorrow on the puzzles.....

8TH GRADE
We are wrapping up our puzzles and doing each others' to refine them. We will compile these into a book of puzzles after the winter break.

We have also begun processing a mysterious historical document for which we are creating headlines.

Currently, no homework.

8th Grade Plan

Hi 8th Grade,

The plan for class today:

1. Share your five answers and clues that you did for homework with a classmate. Critique each other's work to make sure that the answers and clues meet the requirements. Improve them as needed.

2. Use laptops #17 and higher to continue your research and development of answers and clues.
YOU MUST FINISH YOUR ANSWERS AND CLUES FOR HOMEWORK FOR THURSDAY, 12/9.

3. We will enter our answers and clues into the online puzzlemaker on Thursday in class.

HERE IS A REMINDER OF THE REQUIREMENTS:
State Geography Crossword Requirements
* You must include at least 15 clues and answers
* You need to include at least the minimum number indicated for each geographic theme below:
1 Absolute location
2 Relative location
2 Physical place
2 Cultural place
2 Human-environment interaction
2 Movement
2 Region
AND
At least 2 more clues and answers of your choosing.

*The answers need to be challenging, but solvable, and they must be related to important information about your state.
*Spelling is very important!

More Geography

Hi All,

7TH GRADE
HOMEWORK FOR MONDAY, 12/6
COMPLETE YOUR WORK ON THE FIVE THEMES OF GEOGRAPHY AND CALIFORNIA:
1 example of absolute location
2 examples of relative location for the state
2 cultural examples of place (cultural characteristics)
2 physical examples of place (natural characteristics)
2 examples of human-environment interaction
2 examples of movement
2 examples of how California is part of a larger region.

8TH GRADE
HOMEWORK FOR MONDAY, 12/6
CREATE THE FIRST FIVE CLUES AND ANSWERS FOR YOUR STATE CROSSWORD PUZZLE.

Geographers Advance!

Hi All,

Lots of geographic work is happening!

7TH GRADE
The 7th grade continues to work on developing initial understanding of the five themes of geography. So far, we have worked closely with the themes of location, place, and human-environment interaction, using examples for Berkeley as relevant references. We will continue tomorrow with the themes of movement and region.

8TH GRADE
The 8th grade has been doing some more advanced application of the five themes of geography, including developing their overall group perceptions of California Geography, and playing some online games about regions and locations in the United States. Tomorrow, they will be selecting the states that they will be researching to develop crossword puzzles before holiday break. We will compile the products into a book of crossword puzzles on various states' geography.

Geography!

Hi All,

We are at slightly different points with the 7th and 8th grades, but all are into the exciting geographic realm!

7TH GRADE
HOMEWORK FOR FRIDAY, 11/19
WITHOUT DOING ANY RESEARCH - BASED ONLY ON YOUR CURRENT KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING - PLEASE WRITE A DEFINITION OF "GEOGRAPHY."

8TH GRADE
HOMEWORK FOR FRIDAY, 11/19
COMPLETE YOUR WORK ON THE FIVE THEMES OF GEOGRAPHY AND CALIFORNIA:
1 example of absolute location
3 examples of relative location for the state
3 cultural examples of place (cultural characteristics)
3 physical examples of place (natural characteristics)
3 examples of human-environment interaction
3 examples of movement
3 examples of how California is part of a larger region.

Monday, we will all explore different perspectives on Thanksgiving.

States, Geography, and Thanksgiving

Hi All,

7TH GRADE
We have been reading the completed state projects. HOMEWORK FOR WEDNESDAY: IDENTIFY THREE (3) TOPICS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH IN A CLASSMATE'S PAPER, AND THREE (3) IN YOUR OWN.

We will begin our studies of geography in class on Wednesday, and will investigate various perspectives on Thanksgiving next Monday.

8TH GRADE
We are already well into our review of the five themes of geography. This work will continue on Thursday and Friday. Currently there is no homework due.

Next Monday, we will be investigating various perspectives on Thanksgiving.

7th Grade Homework for Friday

Hi All,

HOMEWORK DUE FRIDAY, 11/12. Please complete the "Other History" section of your state project by the beginning of class on Friday.

Other History

_____ Indigenous history

_____ Was it ever colonized by another nation before it was part of the U.S.?

_____ Was it ever a slave state?



This is the third section after "State Overview" and "Eight Cultural Traits." It should be typed up, but does not need to be printed. We will be researching and completing "The Environment" section in class on Friday. Completed paper will be printed out and in-hand by the beginning of class on Monday.

After the Conferences.....

Hi All,

I hope conferences were useful and productive for all of you!

In Cultural Studies, we continue to make progress as we move further into November...

7TH AND 8TH GRADE
This week, we spent some time reading a two-page overview of The Trail of Tears. We practiced highlighting and developing summarizing skills. These skills are especially important in the state research that the students are engaged in. At this age, it is challenging to read a piece of writing, identify the main ideas, and integrate them in one's own words into a research paper. Developing this skill to move beyond paraphrasing or (GASP!) the temptation to plagiarize, is essential in their middle school education.

Additionally, this episode in relations between European Americans and Native Americans will help to set the table for some diverse perspectives on Thanksgiving that we will be exploring in the next two weeks.

7TH GRADE
You have all typed up your research on the "state overview" and "eight traits of culture" related to your assigned state by now. Today, we will continue our work on the state research paper. Here is where we are taking it:
After you complete your state research, you will be sharing your work with one other student. You will both be identifying important points about your state that are ideal for further cultural, geographic, and historical research.
As you wrap up the paper, we will also begin exploring Thanksgiving and various perspectives that people have on this holiday.

8TH GRADE
You have all completed your state paper by now. You will be sharing your work with one other student. You will both be identifying important points about your state that are ideal for further cultural, geographic, and historical research.
As you wrap up this work, we will also begin exploring Thanksgiving and various perspectives that people have on this holiday.

Hey 7th Grade

Hi All,

Here is where we need to be:

HOMEWORK, DUE FRIDAY, 10/29, COMPLETE YOUR IDENTITY PAPER. IT NEEDS TO BE PRINTED AND READY TO HAND IN, WITH ALL OF YOUR OTHER IDENTITY WORK STAPLED TO IT.

DUE MONDAY, 11/1, COMPLETE THE "EIGHT CULTURAL TRAITS" ON YOUR STATE PROJECT.
Eight Cultural Traits

_____ Common Languages

_____ Common Arts

_____ Dominant Religions

_____ State Government structure and important people

_____ Economy – common jobs and career fields

_____ Social Groups – ethnicities, economic groups, other common groups

_____ History – Important historical people and events that shaped the state’s culture

_____ Daily Life – What do people commonly do there?

Crossing the Line Prompts

Hi All,

In composing your identity paper, it may be helpful to reflect on your responses to these prompts from our "Crossing the Line" activity.

Cross the Line if........
you are male
you are female
you are not from Berkeley
you feel that your home is Berkeley
you are Christian
you are Muslim
you are Jewish
you are some other religion
you are atheist or agnostic
you have ever felt embarrassed about how much money your family makes
you have been made fun of at school
you ever feel unsafe at school
you have ever hit another person
you have ever verbally harassed another person or called them a bad name
you have committed any type of crime
you feel like you are not good enough
you feel like nobody knows what you are going through
you consider yourself to be in a minority group
you are a person of color
you know little about you cultural heritage
you feel that you do not fit into most stereotypes of your race or culture
you have felt uncomfortable bout a joke related to your race or ethnicity
you feel that people of other races often misunderstand you
your closest friend is of a different ethnicity or nationality than you
you have felt that you would choose to be a different ethnicity
you wish that you were someone else
you feel lonely
you come from a family of four or more children
you are an only child
you are proud to be an American
your parents are of two different ethnicities or nationalities
your parents have either divorced, separated, or never married
you have cried at least once in the last month.

Current Homework

Hi All,

As we continue to work on simultaneous home and class projects, here is the update:

7th Grade
In class, we are working to compile all of the cool identity info from our recent works into one comprehensive paper.
HOMEWORK: FOR WEDNESDAY, 10/27, COMPLETE THE "STATE OVERVIEW" SECTION OF YOUR STATE PROJECT.
State Overview

_____ When, Why, how, and by whom was the state established?

_____ State flag and symbolism

_____ State nickname and motto

_____ Population

_____ Relative land area (How does it compare to California? California is 155,959 square miles [census.gov]).

_____ Relative location

_____ State Capital and other major cities

_____ Popular attractions


8th Grade
In class, we are working to compile all of the cool identity info from our recent works into one comprehensive paper.
HOMEWORK: FOR THURSDAY, 10/28, COMPLETE THE "EIGHT CULTURAL TRAITS" SECTION OF YOUR STATE PROJECT.
Eight Cultural Traits

_____ Common Languages

_____ Common Arts

_____ Dominant Religions

_____ State Government structure and important people

_____ Economy – common jobs and career fields

_____ Social Groups – ethnicities, economic groups, other common groups

_____ History – Important historical people and events that shaped the state’s culture

_____ Daily Life – What do people commonly do there?

Some work this weekend...

Hi All,

Please note the homework for the different classes due this coming Monday:

7th Grade
Between Friday's class and homework, please put in 30 minutes of time compiling your Identity Classwork paper. Please see the criteria on the previous blog entry.

8th Grade
Identity paper will only be classwork
Your homework for Monday is to complete the research and writing of the STATE OVERVIEW section ONLY for your state project. Those items are:

State Overview

_____ When, Why, how, and by whom was the state established?

_____ State flag and symbolism

_____ State nickname and motto

_____ Population

_____ Relative land area (How does it compare to California? California is 155,959 square miles [census.gov]).

_____ Relative location

_____ State Capital and other major cities

_____ Popular attractions

Please cite your sources, and make sure that they are reliable (i.e state websites, state historical societies, and NO Wikipedia please)

Identity Classwork

Hi All,

As we discussed yesterday, we will be focused on compiling out identity work in class during the next week to write comprehensive pieces about who we are. Here are the details:


Identity Classwork

You will be using five items of your previous work to compile a more comprehensive piece about who you are:
• Both identity writings
• Identity chart
• Recollection of, and reflections on, “Crossing the Line”
• MY CULTURE worksheet and your cultural traits

Suggested format:
• Introduce yourself
• The Details
o Identity writings, Identity chart, Crossing the Line, My Culture
• Conclude with the big take away points about who you are and who you aspire to be.

This work will be:
• Typed 12-point conventional font
• 1.5 - double-spaced
• Probably 2-3 pages in length

This work will be completed in class by Thursday, 10/28.

Culture in the United States and Ourselves

Hi All,

As we continue our cultural studies, here's where we are:

8TH GRADE
Last week, we refreshed our memories of the definition of CULTURE as: "The way of life of people who share similar customs and beliefs." We also reminded ourselves that the eight traits of culture are: Language, Arts, Religion, Government, Economy, Social Groups, History, and Daily Life. You each identified - and shared - three examples of each cultural trait related to the United States' culture. We will add these to the list from the 7th grade to compile a collection of our perceptions of culture in the U.S.

In class today, we completed the "MY CULTURE" worksheet on the most meaningful and relevant examples of cultural traits in your life.

NO HOMEWORK TONIGHT.

7TH GRADE
Last Friday, we defined CULTURE as: "The way of life of people who share similar customs and beliefs." We also began looking at the eight traits of culture: Language, Arts, Religion, Government, Economy, Social Groups, History, and Daily Life.

This week, we will be identifying - and sharing - three examples of each cultural trait related to the United States' culture. We will add these to the list from the 8th grade to compile a collection of our perceptions of culture in the U.S.

FOR HOMEWORK, DUE WEDNESDAY, 10/20, COMPLETE THE "CULTURE IN THE UNITED STATES" WORKSHEET.

Hey 8th graders.....

Hi All,

Hope you are having a great long weekend.

8TH GRADE HOMEWORK, DUE THURSDAY, 10/14, COMPLETE THE "CULTURE IN THE UNITED STATES" WORKSHEET.

We will share and compile our answers in class. This will serve as a starting point in our cultural investigations of the United States.

Hey 7th graders......

Hi All,

In 7th grade CS class today, you shared your responses to others' identity charts, and you engaged in a "see, think, wonder" about that image I gave you.

FOR HOMEWORK, 7TH GRADE, DUE WEDNESDAY, 10/13, ON THAT IMAGE FROM CLASS, LABEL AS MANY CULTURAL AND NATURAL FEATURES AS YOU CAN WITHOUT ANY HELP FROM OTHERS, THE INTERNET, OR ANYTHING ELSE.

Have a great long weekend!

Identity and Crossing the Line

Hi All,

Continuing our work on identity, we have been writing about ourselves, constructing identity charts, and sharing this information with one another. On Monday, the students engaged in a profound activity called Crossing the Line.

In this activity, students moved from one side of the room to another depending on whether certain statements describe them. These statements addressed things such as religion, ethnicity, social experiences at school, etc. Students did a really great job of controlling their interactions to maintain a silent, respectful, and safe environment in which they could express themselves. An effective debrief allowed students to share their feelings, reflect on some of the prompts, offer clarification about their interpretations and responses if they wanted to, and to provide feedback on the effectiveness of this activity in enhancing our understanding of one another in the TBS community. This activity was done in confidence, and I was struck how seriously all of the middle schoolers took it.

Identity and North America

Depending on your grade, you are either continuing your identity work, or answering wonders about North America.

7th graders, nice work developing your identity charts, sharing them in small groups, and filling in your reflection tables on what you heard from others. Next week, we will ask clarifying questions of one another based on what we heard and learned today. YOUR ONLY HOMEWORK IS TO ORGANIZE YOUR BINDER, AND FINSH ANY IDENTITY CHART WORK YOU MAY NOT HAVE FINISHED IN CLASS.

8th graders, sorry I missed you in class. You worked with Zaq on a "see, think, wonder" routine with a physical map of North America. You then identified whatever natural and cultural features you could. FOR HOMEWORK, DUE MONDAY, 10/4, ANSWER ONE OF YOUR WONDERS FROM THE NORTH AMERICA MAP.

FYI, the four sections in your binder should be:
Classwork
Homework
Notes/Handouts
Projects/Quizzes/Tests


Have a great weekend!

Identity Chart Reflections

Hi All,

We remain at different stages between the 7th and 8th grades as we explore our identities.

7th graders will continue work on their identity charts in class on Wednesday. 8th graders shared their identities in small groups today, and reflected on what they heard from each of their peers:
1. What was the most surprising thing about.....?
2. What is something you have in common with.......?
3. What is the coolest thing you heard about.....?
4. What is one thing you want to ask.......?

No homework for either grade tonight.

Identity Chart Categories

Hi All,

To begin this week, we are at slightly different points in the 7th and 8th grades in exploring our identities.

For the 7th grade, we will be asking clarifying questions to one another based on the five key words that you all chose to express about yourselves. We will then be moving into developing more elaborate identity charts about yourselves. NO HOMEWORK.

For the 8th grade, FOR HOMEWORK, DUE MONDAY, 9/27, you are to complete your identity charts using at least 13 of the following 24 categories:

Identity chart categories
1. Religion
2. Economic status
3. Future aspirations
4. Language(s)
5. Family
6. Friends
7. Social groups
8. Arts
9. Political beliefs
10. Your history
11. Activities
12. Birth
13. Ethnicity/nationality
14. Education
15. Gender
16. Age
17. Likes
18. Dislikes
19. Diet
20. Physical traits
21. Personality
22. Location
23. Role models
24. Learning styles

One dollar wonders and course description

Hi All,

Thank you for sharing your one-dollar wonders in class yesterday. The 8th graders also received their course descriptions and the 7th graders will receive theirs tomorrow.

The homework is:
8th grade: Get your course descriptions read and signed by a parent by Thursday, September 16th.

7th grade: You will receive your course descriptions in class on Wednesday. Get them read and signed by a parent by Friday, September 17th.

By the end of the week, we will be looking at identity as we begin to explore the effects that individuals can have on others.

Green Backs

Hi All,

Impressive seeing, thinking, and wondering using the dollar bill today.

For homework, due Monday, September 13th, choose one of your wonders and answer it. This should be written in your notebook. We will share our discoveries to help each other understand the symbolism and value of the dollar bill more deeply.

Community Agreements

Congratulations to the 6th,7th, and 8th graders for developing this year's community agreements. The following agreements were ratified yesterday afternoon by all of the students in the middle school.

We agree to......
* Respect ourselves and the community.
* Be open-minded, responsible, and positively engaged.
* Try our BEST.
Behave
Exceed expectations
Succeed
Take risks


These are the agreements that will help to guide us all as we strive for success this school year.

Welcome to an exciting new year!

Hi All,

Welcome to the 2010-11 Cultural Studies Blog for the 7th and 8th grades.

In this first week, we are discussing contracts and social contracts, while developing our middle school community agreements. These agreements, developed through a consensus process, will lay the foundation for individual and community success during the school year. I encourage students to share this process with their parents.

I have decided to jump right into the development of these agreements, and will orient the students to the year's throughlines, content units, and learning goals next week. Stay tuned for those details......