Monday, November 30
Bellringer: Students read the handout below on the climate of Greece and answered the questions at the bottom.
Today we went through a brief introduction of the geography and climate of Greece using the powerpoint below. Students completed the map of Greece below which will be due in class tomorrow.
Today we went through a brief introduction of the geography and climate of Greece using the powerpoint below. Students completed the map of Greece below which will be due in class tomorrow.
greece_climate_001.jpg | |
File Size: | 803 kb |
File Type: | jpg |
greece_map.pdf | |
File Size: | 270 kb |
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greece_intro_map_and_vocab.pptx | |
File Size: | 3263 kb |
File Type: | pptx |
Tuesday, November 24
No bellringer today.
Students were organized into two large groups and we had a class debate based on the historical documents and arguments students created yesterday. Students were assigned a position on the question Was building the great wall of China worth the cost?
Students were organized into two large groups and we had a class debate based on the historical documents and arguments students created yesterday. Students were assigned a position on the question Was building the great wall of China worth the cost?
Monday, November 23
No bellringer today.
Today students read some background information on the great wall of China. Students were put into groups to study an original historical document on the costs and benefits of building the great wall of China. They answered questions based on their document and wrote down how their document could be used to show that building the wall was worth the costs and that building the wall was not worth the costs.
Today students read some background information on the great wall of China. Students were put into groups to study an original historical document on the costs and benefits of building the great wall of China. They answered questions based on their document and wrote down how their document could be used to show that building the wall was worth the costs and that building the wall was not worth the costs.
great_wall_dbq_full_dbq_with_essay_and_go.pdf | |
File Size: | 1306 kb |
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Friday, November 20
Bellringer: none
Students took their ancient China unit test today.
Students took their ancient China unit test today.
Thursday, November 19
Bellringer: Students read two passages below and answered the questions on them.
We reviewed for our China unit test tomorrow. Students should be able to answer the following questions to be prepared:
What were the natural geographic barriers that kept Chinese civilization somewhat isolated?
What is a dynasty? Explain the dynastic cycle and the mandate of heaven.
Describe an invention of the ancient Chinese.
Be prepared to match descriptions of each dynasty with its name- Shang, Zhou, warring states period, Qin, and Han dynasties.
Essay question preparation:
Compare and contrast the writing systems of Mesopotamia, Egypt, and China.
Compare your beliefs to those of the three ancient Chinese philosophies (Confucianism, Legalism, and Daoism). Which do you most agree with?
We reviewed for our China unit test tomorrow. Students should be able to answer the following questions to be prepared:
What were the natural geographic barriers that kept Chinese civilization somewhat isolated?
What is a dynasty? Explain the dynastic cycle and the mandate of heaven.
Describe an invention of the ancient Chinese.
Be prepared to match descriptions of each dynasty with its name- Shang, Zhou, warring states period, Qin, and Han dynasties.
Essay question preparation:
Compare and contrast the writing systems of Mesopotamia, Egypt, and China.
Compare your beliefs to those of the three ancient Chinese philosophies (Confucianism, Legalism, and Daoism). Which do you most agree with?
Wednesday, November 18
Bellringer: Students took the philosophies quiz below to see what their general philosophies are. They tallied their responses. Primarily A answers represent a confucianism philosophy, primary B answers represent a legalist philosophy, and primarily C answers represent a daoism philosophy. Students then took notes using the powerpoint below as we discussed these three major Chinese philosophies. Students were told that one of the essay questions on their unit test will ask them to describe which Chinese philosophy best describes their own outlooks on life. They will need to thoroughly explain each philosophy and tell what aspects of each they agree with or disagree with.
china_philosophies_quiz.docx | |
File Size: | 99 kb |
File Type: | docx |
chinese_schools_of_thought.pptx | |
File Size: | 434 kb |
File Type: | pptx |
Tuesday, November 17
Bellringer: What are the 5 dynasties of ancient China that we are studying? Describe the characteristics of the earliest dynasty.
Today I had a substitute as I attended a Utah compose training. Students worked on completing the dynasties note charts posted yesterday.
Today I had a substitute as I attended a Utah compose training. Students worked on completing the dynasties note charts posted yesterday.
Monday, November 16
Bellringer: What were oracle bones? Compare and contrast the writing systems of Mesopotamia, Egypt, and China.
Today we spent a good chunk of time discussing the bellringer question comparing writing systems in preparation for the Friday China test essay question. Here is a sample answer:
The writing systems of Mesopotamia, Egypt, and China had many similarities and differences. All three writing systems began as pictographs that were simplified over time. Cuneiform pictographs were simplified into wedge-shaped symbols, Egyptian heiroglyphs were pictographs that could represent both words and sounds, and Chinese characters were also pictographs that were modified over time. All three civilizations used writing to create similar texts. Each kept records of goods, trades, and taxes. In Mesopotamia, farmers tracked their crops and cattle; in Egypt, merchants kept written records of their trading partners; and in China, trades along the silk road were recorded. All three civilizations produced myths and religious texts that explained the world around them. The Epic of Gilgamesh in Mesopotamia, stories of the Egyptian gods, and myths about Chinese emperors and dragons were all recorded to help each culture understand life.
While the style of writing and the texts that were written were similar between Mesopotamia, Egypt, and China, each civilization used different materials to create their writing. In Mesopotamia, scribes wrote on clay tablets with a stylus made from a reed. Egyptians also used reeds, but created brushes to write with ink on papyrus. The Chinese used ink and brushes, but wrote on materials like bone, silk, bamboo, and rice paper. While ancient civilizations each created systems of writing based on pictographs to record similar types of texts, each area produced that writing using different materials.
Then, students started the Chinese dynasties note chart below.
Today we spent a good chunk of time discussing the bellringer question comparing writing systems in preparation for the Friday China test essay question. Here is a sample answer:
The writing systems of Mesopotamia, Egypt, and China had many similarities and differences. All three writing systems began as pictographs that were simplified over time. Cuneiform pictographs were simplified into wedge-shaped symbols, Egyptian heiroglyphs were pictographs that could represent both words and sounds, and Chinese characters were also pictographs that were modified over time. All three civilizations used writing to create similar texts. Each kept records of goods, trades, and taxes. In Mesopotamia, farmers tracked their crops and cattle; in Egypt, merchants kept written records of their trading partners; and in China, trades along the silk road were recorded. All three civilizations produced myths and religious texts that explained the world around them. The Epic of Gilgamesh in Mesopotamia, stories of the Egyptian gods, and myths about Chinese emperors and dragons were all recorded to help each culture understand life.
While the style of writing and the texts that were written were similar between Mesopotamia, Egypt, and China, each civilization used different materials to create their writing. In Mesopotamia, scribes wrote on clay tablets with a stylus made from a reed. Egyptians also used reeds, but created brushes to write with ink on papyrus. The Chinese used ink and brushes, but wrote on materials like bone, silk, bamboo, and rice paper. While ancient civilizations each created systems of writing based on pictographs to record similar types of texts, each area produced that writing using different materials.
Then, students started the Chinese dynasties note chart below.
chinese_dynasties_note_chart.pdf | |
File Size: | 476 kb |
File Type: |
Friday, November 11
Bellringer: none
Today students painted their Egyptian death masks.
Today students painted their Egyptian death masks.
Thursday, November 10
Bellringer: none
Today students created their Egyptian death masks.
Today students created their Egyptian death masks.
Wednesday, November 9
Bellringer: none
Today students created their Egyptian death masks.
Today students created their Egyptian death masks.
Tuesday, November 8
Bellringer: none
Today students watched a demonstration on how to create their Egyptian death masks.
Today students watched a demonstration on how to create their Egyptian death masks.
Bellringer: none
Today students learned about ancient Chinese inventions using the information sheets and completing a tic tac toe exercise below. Students were able to earn extra credit if they did a "blackout" and completed all of the activities on the page.
Today students learned about ancient Chinese inventions using the information sheets and completing a tic tac toe exercise below. Students were able to earn extra credit if they did a "blackout" and completed all of the activities on the page.
china_inventions_info.pdf | |
File Size: | 915 kb |
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chinese_inventions_tic_tac_toe.pdf | |
File Size: | 208 kb |
File Type: |
Friday, November 6
Bellringer: After reading the page on dragons, identify the meaning of the symbol of the dragon in ancient China.
The dynastic cycle chart from yesterday was turned in along with this week's bellringers. Today students completed some guided notes on the Shang dynasty by reading pages 150-152 in their Our World books. We watched part of the film clip below on the discovery of oracle bones. Then, students did a simulation in groups. One student came up with a question to ask the oracle, one student wrote on the hard-boiled egg, a third student dropped the egg and interpreted the cracks to determine what the answer was.
The dynastic cycle chart from yesterday was turned in along with this week's bellringers. Today students completed some guided notes on the Shang dynasty by reading pages 150-152 in their Our World books. We watched part of the film clip below on the discovery of oracle bones. Then, students did a simulation in groups. One student came up with a question to ask the oracle, one student wrote on the hard-boiled egg, a third student dropped the egg and interpreted the cracks to determine what the answer was.
the_chinese_dragon.pdf | |
File Size: | 191 kb |
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shang_dynasty_wrkst.pdf | |
File Size: | 1814 kb |
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Thursday, November 5
Bellringer: Identify some of the natural barriers in China. Use your map if needed.
Today students finished filling out their China maps on the geography of China. China maps were turned in. We then learned about the Chinese concept of the dynastic cycle that was used to explain how one dynasty replaced another. Students took notes using the chart below.
Today students finished filling out their China maps on the geography of China. China maps were turned in. We then learned about the Chinese concept of the dynastic cycle that was used to explain how one dynasty replaced another. Students took notes using the chart below.
dynastic_cycle.pdf | |
File Size: | 546 kb |
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bellringers_11-5_to_11-6.pdf | |
File Size: | 213 kb |
File Type: |
Wednesday, November 4
Bellringer: none
Today students were introduced to China. We learned about its geography using the powerpoints below and students filled in each geographic feature on their maps.
Today students were introduced to China. We learned about its geography using the powerpoints below and students filled in each geographic feature on their maps.
china_map_activity.ppt | |
File Size: | 5605 kb |
File Type: | ppt |
china_map_001.jpg | |
File Size: | 515 kb |
File Type: | jpg |
Tuesday, November 3
Bellringer: none.
Today during Powerup students watched the Engineering an Empire film below and completed the worksheet.
Students took their final Egypt unit test in class.
Today during Powerup students watched the Engineering an Empire film below and completed the worksheet.
Students took their final Egypt unit test in class.
engineering_an_empire_china_worksheet.pdf | |
File Size: | 130 kb |
File Type: |
Monday, November 2
Bellringer: Students completed the Ancient Egyptian trade worksheet below.
We went through the worksheet and talked about Egypt's economy. Students went through their student self-assessments and received their ancient Egypt study guides. They will have a TEST tomorrow. Extra credit points will be given for students who turn in complete Egypt notes that they have been taking throughout this Egypt unit.
We went through the worksheet and talked about Egypt's economy. Students went through their student self-assessments and received their ancient Egypt study guides. They will have a TEST tomorrow. Extra credit points will be given for students who turn in complete Egypt notes that they have been taking throughout this Egypt unit.
self_assess_5-_egypt.docx | |
File Size: | 520 kb |
File Type: | docx |
egypt_unit_test_study_guide.pdf | |
File Size: | 114 kb |
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