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.