Continue to follow your final exam study plan from home. Remember, you may not work on any of the exam planning or writing tasks from home. Please do not work on planning concepts in the blue packet or writing (or even opening) your final exam google doc from home.

You should be on pace to finish the blue packet by the end of class on Friday at the latest. Many students finished or came very close to finishing in class today, which is one day ahead of the due date.

We set up the exam google doc so that students could jump right into the writing process as soon as they finish the blue packet and all 11 steps on the checklist.

Follow Finals Study Plan from home.

Do not work on any items on the directions checklists (concept planning, putting sticky notes in resources, writing information in the blue packet, etc.). These tasks are only to be worked on at school.

Independent work on exam planning

None today

Complete the green "study plan" sheet for finals. It would be smart for these two tasks to appear on your plan to accomplish from home:

1) Reread all materials from your "IMPORTANT RESOURCES FROM AFRICA UNIT" packet in your red folder.

2) Go back through blog posts since spring break and compile any missing downloads - powerpoints, handouts, etc.

Introduced Final Exam Process

Study Plan for Finals

Today in class, we passed out the letter to your parents for final exams and explained how the social studies final will work. Then, we took our final quiz of the year over South Africa.

If you would like to be as prepared as possible to begin the finals process on Monday, spend some time this weekend ORGANIZING your Africa materials in your binder. Do not throw anything away.

Don't forget to show this letter to your parents:

1) Come prepared on Thursday to role-play in the simulation we introduced today.

2) Study for our LAST QUIZ OF THE YEAR on Friday! Study questions below. Please note that #3 (and to a lesser extent #4) will be much easier to answer after our class meets on Thursday. Otherwise, you have the resources you need to prepare.

Study Questions for South Africa Quiz

1. Know the key terms from the apartheid terms HW.
2. For each of these questions, refer to the notes from the class discussion and the reading. Give some specific details to explain as thoroughly as you can.
1. What is apartheid?
2. What happened under apartheid in South Africa?
3. How did apartheid end?
3. What was the Truth and Reconciliation Commission? How could someone get amnesty through the TRC?
4. What decision would you make in the case of the soldiers and officers we role-played in class? Explain your decision.

-Discussed Homework - key terms and apartheid reading

-Introduced simulation - South Africa after Apartheid

Simulation introduction

1) After finishing the reading from class today, complete the Apartheid Terms Worksheet. Follow the directions at the top of the page.

2) We will have a South Africa quiz on Friday.

-Returned Debate grades and gave time to update blue grade tracking sheet

-Watched short video on history of apartheid

-Partner read-aloud on "Introduction to Apartheid"

Reading: Introduction to Apartheid

Homework: Apartheid key terms worksheet

Check your email for a brief survey about our schedule this year. This will help tremendously for you to respond. Thank you.

Debate day!

None today.

Complete "Debate Prep Worksheet" given in class today. On the back of the sheet, remember that part of your homework is to think of three cross-examination questions.

Big team check-in about speeches

Debate Prep Worksheet (both teams are on the document- make sure you get the correct one for your team)

-Complete a draft of your initial speech by tomorrow - follow format directions at the top of page 4 in the packet.

-Check-in with team - state of research

-Finished up research

-Planned 3 main points

-Began writing speech

None today

Try to complete your work on locating 3 articles and taking notes on pages 7, 8, and 9 by Thursday. Follow these rules:

1) At home, do not work for more than 45 minutes. If you haven't finished by that point, stop.

2) Work independently without help from parents or others.

3) For articles found on google or other search engines, remember to evaluate whether the source is reliable before using it as an article.

-Directions

-Discussion of good research questions and individual approval of each student's research questions

-Time to work on research

None today

-If you are in Social Studies C or Social Studies E and are in Latin, go to the "Downloads" section below for your assignment.

-EVERYONE ELSE: Complete your three research questions before your class meets on Tuesday or Wednesday. Please do not start looking for articles yet, as we will complete most research in class.

Introduced Debate

Handout for debate

ASSIGNMENT FOR STUDENTS MISSING WEDNESDAY FOR LATIN TRIP (other students who are absent could follow the same guidelines not to get too far behind...)

None- enjoy the weekend

-Research assignment and discussion about historical pattern for African countries

None today

Finish reading and annotating packet

-Finished movie/Discussed challenging stereotypes in Africa

-Began reading and annotating "Africa Since the Age of Independence"

Reading Packet - Africa Since the Age of Independence

Welcome back from our challenging learning experience of the Heifer Ranch trip! I hope you enjoyed rest in your own bed and delicious meals lovingly prepared at home as much as I did upon returning.

Today in class, we processed the trip and watched more of the Sahel documentary we began last week. There is no homework assigned today.

Prepare for quiz tomorrow over colonialism in Africa. Use study questions to prepare (available for download on previous post).

-Reviewed packing list for Heifer Field Trip

-Reviewed content for quiz tomorrow in whole class discussion

Review Powerpoint

We will have our next quiz on FRIDAY over the reading/discussion of the "Colonialism in Africa" handout. Study questions are posted below under downloads.

-reviewed important information for the Heifer field trip

-used discussion questions you did for HW last night to discuss important ideas about the reading

-worked in small groups - made presentations about the main, most important ideas from the reading

Study questions for Colonialism in Africa Quiz:

1) Any medicines you need for the field trip, including over the counter medicines or medicines you only take as needed, should be turned in to Mrs. Christiansen by tomorrow by a parent.

2) After finishing your careful reading and annotating of the "Colonialism in Africa" packet, brainstorm 5 discussion questions that follow the guidelines on the half-sheet provided in class today.

Reminders

Brief notes

Partner reading

Begin HW

Historical Pattern for colonialism in Africa

Reading: Colonialism in Africa

HW: Discussion Questions Brainstorm

Email me with the answer to this question by 7:00 AM on Tuesday, April 10, for one bonus point:

Which ruler set up a colony in the area of the Congo River basin?

Be prepared for Thursday when we will have in class writing prompts. The exact prompts are below. These are meant to be brief ways of showing your understanding of the main ideas of our discussion. The writing will be open-note and open-resource - meaning you can create any resources you want that will help you make the best use of the time.

Pick three of the five prompts. For each prompt, write a full, detailed paragraph (5 quality sentences minimum) that includes specific supporting details to show you understand. While you may use your resources, you should write your own original explanation rather than using phrases from notes or readings.

1. Many Africans went from a normal life in their rural villages to a slave port on the coast headed for the "New World." Explain how most of these Africans were captured into slavery.
2. What was the "Middle Passage?" Give some details to explain this journey.
3. Explain the idea of Triangular Trade. How was this a cycle that kept itself going?
4. Explain what life was like for enslaved Africans working on sugar plantations.
5. Many people consider the transatlantic slave trade to be one of the worst human tragedies in world history. Explain some reasons why this event is so important.

Finish reading and annotating the reading packet. For each paragraph, underline crucial information and give a 1-sentence summary in the margin.

-Began discussion of Transatlantic Slave Trade

-Time to begin reading/annotating

Reading Packet

Powerpoint: Transatlantic Slave Trade