Greetings! I hope everyone had a restful and enjoyable Winter Recess. Last week, not only did we mark President’s Day, but also the beginning of Lent, the Chinese New Year, and the continuation of Black History Month. While February might be a short month, we still manage to pack quite a bit into these 28 days. Well, now that vacation is over, we will be back in full swing with work and activities.
8th Social Studies
Before the break the students worked on a Document Based Question relating to the Progressive Era. The particular DBQ that I chose happened to be from an old U.S. History Regents Exam, and the students did marvelously well. To further reinforce the concepts of the Progressive Era, the students did an art project that related to the African American leaders of the early 1900s. Look for pictures on an upcoming Student Update post from Ms. Lloyd!
This week the students will begin studying how the U.S. became a world power. George Washington warned the country to stay out of foreign affairs unless the U.S. is threatened directly, and it will be interesting for the students to see how well (or poorly) this advice was heeded. In Chapter 20, the students will focus primarily on U.S. influence in the Pacific and in Latin America. We will also be doing an activity on how the media can sometimes influence foreign policy.
8th Math: Pre-Algebra
Before the break, the students finished Module 6, which was the conclusion of Unit 2. The students will do some work reviewing the concepts related to applying the linear equation, before moving into Module 7, which will focus on solving equations. I will also be giving out an extra credit opportunity later this week. I will post more details on the Google Classroom.
8th Religion
This week the students will be studying the great Kings of Israel, David and Solomon. These men were extraordinarily blessed and gifted leaders, but they were also deeply flawed sinners. In addition to reading about their actions as kings, we will also be studying some of the Psalms of David and the Proverbs of his son, Solomon. The memory verse for this week is James 1:5, which may be found on page 73 of the student book. In addition to the regular work, the students will also be given the requirements for the latest religion project. As Career Day will be taking place at the end of March, the students will be asked to research a career of their interest and how someone in this profession can serve God. All of the details will be handed out on Monday in class.