Final Week

Dear Parents,

One final update for Social Studies. Thank you very much for a wonderful and incredibly supportive year. This past week was a delight as students once again had an opportunity to shine. Presentations were suprising and many far exceeded my expectations.

One class has already taken the final (7C) and I appreciated both how prepared they were and how dedicated they were in taking their time to completely apply themseles on each question. Several students used the full two hours. I am still in the process of grading and the results look great.

Thank you again for a fabulous year and best wishes for a healthy, restful, and just plain enjoyable summer.


In Full Appreciation,
Matt Piercy
7th Grade Social Studies

Last Week of Classes

Dear Parents,

How excited I already am for next week! From the projects I've seen, it is going to be both a lot of fun and very informative. Several creative approaches are being taken. Many students did a fine job of balancing their time and are finished with the project, this weekend they just need to practice for their presentation. Other students have more to do this weekend. The plan was to use the entire week in class for working on projects and I was a little surprised that some students are concluding the week without having yet begun their project. The internet and planning their itinerary seemingly "consumed" them. In this case, a lot more work will need to be done this weekend. You might ask you son/daughter to show you their project (not just their itinerary, if they haven't already shown you). What I have emphasized in class, is that the presentation should leave the audience feeling like they have a pretty solid understanding of how the city is and also what a visitor can find there. Again, I know the presentations are going to be excellent.

The presentation days are as follows:
7A=Monday and Tuesday next week
7B=Monday and Wednesday next week
7C= Tuesday and Wednesday next week

I have discussed with all classes what to anticipate for the final. A note card can be used. As well, a study guide has been provided. I encourage students to begin studying ASAP and I also suggest studying/reviewing a little each night rather than for hours the last night or two. The final exam schedule for Social Studies is as follows:
7A=Tuesday, May 20th
7B=Tuesday, May 20th
7C=Friday, May 16th (next week!)

That's it for this week. I really do appreciate the support you all continuously provide.


Most Kindly,
Matt Piercy
7th Grade Social Studies

Week of May 5th

Dear Parents,
This past week, students very successfully showed they knew where countries were across the European continent. At this point in the year, I’ve given students a bit more space and I have trusted their diligence and responsibility to research outside of class. In my conversations with students and in several of their lengthy notes, I’ve been able to see how serious many have been in accepting the challenge to be an “expert” on their city. What follows is a detailed listing of the next steps in this exciting end-of-year project.

All in all, there really are 3 distinct steps in this project’s process.
1. research (for over a week now)
2. virtually visit by typing up a detailed itinerary + create a meaningful project (next week)
*project materials are expected to be in class every day and preparedness / use of
class time will be figured in the final grade
3. practice presentation and share your project for 2-3 minutes with the class
Presentation days are: 7A=May 12th and 13th (Monday and Tuesday)
7B=May 12th and 14th (Monday and Wednesday)
7C=May 13th and 14th (Tuesday and Wednesday)

The following was discussed in class but if there are questions, I encourage students to ask, ask, ask. I really want this to be a rewarding experience for each of them.

In last week's update, I shared the first two steps. Here are the next steps:
3rd Step: Plan a vacation to the city. You now should know the place well and at this point, virtually visit! Find out airlines and how much the fares are from Hawaii. Is there a better time to travel there (cost? season?)
PLAN YOUR WHOLE ITINERARY
--hotels (dates you will stay, cost, etc.)
--rent a car, train travel, bus, walking, taxi, etc.
(cost and getting tickets)
--where will you go? What will you see? Why? (costs?)

4th Step: Create a project so you can take us there. Will photo shop play a part? It could.

Your #1 job is to create something to teach us about what you have “experienced.”

Your 2nd job is to convince us why we should go. How will you persuade us? (no bribery :-))
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A few ideas that you may wish to use are below although the list of possibilities is limitless:

--power point --video --posters
--song --dressing up --food
--brochures --skit/play

THE CLASS SHOULD FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE GONE ONCE YOU HAVE SHARED

PLAN ON A 2-3 MINUTE PRESENTATION OF WHAT YOU HAVE CREATED TO TAKE US TO YOUR CITY

MUST HAVE MATERIALS EVERY DAY AT SCHOOL. PART OF YOUR GRADE IS BASED ON HOW WELL YOU WORK AT SCHOOL

Last, the following sheet is printed on yellow paper and every student should have it in their binder. It is the form we will use to evaluate the research, project, and presentation on the last days.



NAME ________________
European Project Evaluations

What were you most proud of in your project? _________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

If we began this project tomorrow, what would you make sure you did differently? Explain.

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

Your overall effort: (please circle the number)

Research 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Project 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Preparation for presentation 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10


Effectiveness of teaching:
(did we learn a lot from you?) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10


How convincing do you feel you were? 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10


What were your favorite 3 presentations? (student names)

1. _________________________

2. _________________________

3. _________________________


Now that you know a lot about various European cities, what would be the two places you were convinced to visit? Why?

1. __________________ ___________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________


2. __________________ ___________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________


--PLEASE STAPLE YOUR ITINERARY TO THIS PAGE--
Should be typed and include:
--flight
--ground transportation (rental car, taxi, train, subway, bus, foot)
--hotels
--places you visit

Please also include the cost of each and what companies you chose :-)



Thank you very much for taking the time to understand what we are doing. Your teamwork with me and with your child really does make a big difference. If there are any questions, please let me know.


Most Kindly,
Matt Piercy
7th Grade Social Studies

Week of April 28th

Dear Seventh Grade Parents,

Last night's performance was very well attended. I don't know about you, but I honestly had tears in my eyes. How proud I am of each child and how extraordinary it was to watch them shine. What a wonderful bunch!

Students have known for nearly a week now about the Europe/Russia map quiz. I've encouraged students to study in a multiple of ways (ilike2learn.com , spelling on backs, spelling in the sand, mnemonic devices, etc.). Monday, 7C will take the quiz and on Tuesday, 7A and 7B. A fun way you might study with your son/daughter is ask questions like, "What country is just west of Sweden?" Or, "What country is in between France, Germany, Italy, and Austria?"

This past week, the first two steps of the final "Europe/Russia End of Year Project" were discussed. The directions were as follows:

1st Step: Pick a city
PARIS ROME LONDON MADRID MOSCOW
*See me if you have an idea of another city you feel strongly about studying

2nd Step: Research this place completely. What is there? How is the culture? Climate? Economy? What is there to see/do there? The history? Etc., etc.

BECOME AN EXPERT ON YOUR CITY!!!

*Yes, you may have a partner in this project.

For the bulk of this week, we will be researching in class. I also expect a lot of investigative work to be done outside of class. I am encouraging students to REALLY get into this final project and that they come to know the city so well, it's as if they have physically visited.

I am intentionally holding off on describing the project portion of this assignment until latter in the week. Not for the sake of suspense but rather for the necessity of students thoroughly "getting to know" the city they have elected. Pictures are not important in this first phase. Information...information...and more information. Your help in supporting this and maybe just checking in with your child about what they are learning and still need to find out, will be very beneficial.

That's it for this week. Time is certainly getting compressed but I am sure students, parents, and teachers alike will delight in the remainder of this wonderful 7th grade year.

As always, please ask if there are any questions. And, thank you for you all that you continue to do.


Kindly,
Matt Piercy
7th Grade Social Studies

Week of April 21st

Dear Parents,

Thank you everyone who took time to be interviewed by your child with respect to the war in Iraq. I very much enjoyed reading the wide variety of responses and plan to have student who wish to volunteer, share these responses and ideas for how things may be made different. A lot can be learned from both your ideas and opinions. A point I have carefully impressed upon students is that so many of the problems we are confronted with, are human created. Thus, they can be "human solved." Inspiration to have a larger world vision and also grow up with the skills, passion, and will to lead with integrity has also been at the forefront of each unit of study. I must say, as the year winds down and remain even more optomistic. The last few weeks, classes have continually amazed me by both their hight level of maturity and interest in the subject. So, once again I congratulate the 7th graders!

This week, we will jump right in to our final theme. This will take us to Europe and Russia. A little background knowledge will be explored and geography will be at the start of our focus. Students will hopefully be challenged with spelling and knowing the location of the various European countries. In addition, the last large project will be explained in detail. I think students are going to really enjoy this one as it allows for an exceptional degree of creativity. More on this next week, however you might expect for your son/daughter to begin researching by week's end.

As always, I remain gracious for your support.


Kindly,
Matt Piercy
7th Grade Social Studies

Week of April 14th

(A few examples of the tiles students created)

Dear Parents,
I came home today (without leaving school) excited to share how impressed I was by the amazing discussion one class participated in this morning. Though the subject (specifically the conflict in Palestine and Israel) can be quite complex and not pleasant, students did such a fine job engaging completely. Their questions and how well they listened to and built off each other's comments really did have me in awe.

Another class, began a trivia review on the Middle East. Their obvious motivation and how they worked together to help each other was also commendable. The third class? I didn't have the pleasure to see them today but they too, continue to march to a similar and very impressive beat. I guess what I am saying is, "It is going to be hard to say good-bye to the seventh graders." Their passion for learning really is a lot of fun to be around and makes me happy to be their guide.

In the coming week, we will not be meeting but just a couple times. Our plans are to finish up the Middle East. There are several "loose ends." As students are aware, there will not be a final on the Middle East and West Asia but material from this region will be included on the final. To help students better prepare, specifics will also be added to the Final Study Guide.

For the final month of classes, students can expect to be studying Europe and Russia. Those who care to get a head start might want to peruse the mini-text as we will be using this in class.

That's it for this week. Please give your son/daughter a gentle pat on the back as truly, what I saw today and most recently really is pleasing.

Have a wonderful weekend!


Kindly,
Matt Piercy
7th Grade Social Studies

Week of April 7th

Dear Parents,

Our power point presentations are over and I really was impressed. If you haven't seen your son/daughter's show, you might ask them to either show you it or tell you about it. It was not only obvious that they learned a lot about their two specific countries, but also evident was how hard so many worked in preparing for their presentations. Please ask your son/daughter about how they did overall and if their were specific areas they know they can focus on in future projects and presentations. Rubrics were returned this week.

This week we also watched the first segment of a a video students are really enjoying. It pleases me to see how intrigued they are. After our book quiz at the beginning of the week (Monday=7A and 7B and Tuesday=7C), we will continue the video. As mentioned last week, the "follow along" sheets will be collected when we are finished, including the little bit of research for a few of the questions. I am expecting the responses to demonstrate students' full thought and expression.

Next week we also will be doing a review of the country presentations with a fun cooperative trivia game. Students' notes will come in handy and will be collected with their game sheet. As well, we will discuss a few hot issues (Palestine/Israel and War in Iraq) of the region and I plan to send students home with interview questions. These interview questions will be compiled from students during our discussions.

Should be another fun week! Thank you.



Kindly,
Matt Piercy
7th Grade Social Studies

Week of March 31st

Welcome back from Spring Break! As hard as it is for me to believe, we are into the 4th quarter. Before the break, we did our best to squeeze in all the Middle East powerpoint presentations but not everyone had the chance to present. Several students will be giving their presentation this week. Tomorrow, I will speak to classes about the order of who still gets to present. If your son/daughter is on the following list, I recommend they look over their slideshow and practice their presentation a few more times so they are fresh for Tuesday (7B and 7C) and Wednesday (7A).
7A
Lauren
Justin
Zeke

7B
Nina
Peter
Camille
Tsukasa

7C
Juan
Kyle
Kawai
Andrew
Emily
Tessa
Lucas

At the conclusion of the presentations, we will have a a little trivia review game and note sharing session. Additionally this week, we will begin watching an extremely informative, easy to follow, and fun video on the Middle Eastern countries. Students will be given a handout I made that coincides with the movie. Most of the questions can be answered in class as we watch but a few questions were intentionally written so students would extend what they were seeing by doing a little research. This extension will need to be finished for homework.

Also this week, on Thursday students will have the choice to either work in teams or with a partner. The assignment will be to carefully read the National Geographic West Asia mini-text. This is supplementary material as it enlarges our more specific region of focus. A quiz will be given which will test how well students comprehended what was read. I will be available for questions but also part of working with another student(s) is to provide the opportunity for students to help each other. As well, students will have several days to read and take notes so it largely comes down to being responsible for what is read. I also plan to encourage students to take notes and hopefully some will even outline. What is not able to be read in class on Thursday will be homework for Thursday night and over the weekend as the quiz will be given on the following dates: Monday (7A and 7B) Tuesday (7C)


Well, this wraps it up for this week. My appreciation continues for the support you provide at home. Again, welcome back to school!


Kindly,
Matt Piercy
7th Grade Social Studies

Week of March 10th

Dear Parents,

WOW! I've seen just a few student's Power Point presentations and I am very impressed. I congratulate their efforts. If you have not seen the work your son/daughter has created, I encourage you to ask them over the weekend. They may even wish to practice with you. In the coming week, our class time will be dedicated to students getting up in front of their peers and teaching the countries they researched. Their Power Points will serve as a helpful tool as they teach (and do not just read). This past week, we discussed in class what will contribute to successful presentations. Students all have the rubric and their only homework is to practice, practice, practice. During the presentations, the rest of the class will be an "inviting" audience and will also be responsible to take notes.

In the coming week, I also am expecting students to finish their Arabic tiles. I hope to have a photo taken of these by Thursday. Again, my feeling was one of "Wow." I look forward to sharing with you the results of both this week's presentations, as well as a photo of the wonderful art that our very own, Cindy Yarawamai, was so kind to integrate (thank you Cindy!).

As always, I welcome your questions. Otherwise, have a delightful weekend, week ahead, and Spring Break with your son/daughter.



Kindly,
Matt Piercy
7th Grade Social Studies

Week of March 3rd

Dear Parents,
This past week in class, we engaged in some wonderful discussions based on the value of thinking critically as well as the incredible history of the Middle East. We are working on note taking skills, specifically with respect to drawing out main ideas and organizing facts. Many students have been very active in our discussions and this is always appreciated. In the coming week, we will conclude with this "background work".

A map quiz at the beginning of the next week. As students are accustomed, labeling and spelling each country correctly is important. The quiz is on the following dates:
7B and 7C = Monday
7A= Tuesday

Also in the coming week, we will discuss verbal presentation skills and a rubric on how the Country Presentations will be assessed will be gone over in class. Mrs. Kaniho has reported that students are working diligently and that their creativity and level of committment is leading to many very wonderful projects. I am eager to see them! As students are aware, the Power Points will serve as a visual and help guide both the presenter and the class as the countries are being shared. The due dates for the Power Points are:
7C = Tuesday
7A and 7B= Wednesday

Last, we are fortunate this coming week to have a little surprise. You might ask your son/daughter later in the week how the art integrated project went. Pictures are sure to follow on the blog.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please ask. Have a splendid weekend!


Kindly,
Matt Piercy
7th Grade Social Studies

Week of February 25th

Dear Parents,

Old news first. Before Theme Week, students took a final test on South America. The test was returned this week and as I told each class, I was impressed with how much they demonstrated they knew on the test. The average score was an 84%. Please ask your son/daughter to see the test.

This week, we jumped right in to a study of a new region of the world--the Middle East. From the initial day, it was clear several students remembered prior bits and pieces they have learned from years past, especiallly last year. Many gaps and a much broader understanding is certain to result in our studies. As you may well be aware, an introductory research project was outlined (please see below) and your child is in the midst of learning as much as they can about the two countries they chose. Everyone should be working on this research over the weekend. After the research is gathered, Mrs. Kaniho will be working creatively with classes in designing Power Point presentations that will be shared in Social Studies class. Should be a lot of fun!

I'll leave you with a few questions that excited me and show how capable your children are of critical thinking. I think it also exhibits how so many of them wonder and want to understand more. Have a wonderful weekend. A few questions asked the opening day were:
--"How are the economies different in the Middle East and how are they different from other regions (North and South America)?"
--"How do they get water if they don’t have access to it?"
--"Jesus was born in the Middle East, right?" "So, why aren't most of the people in the Middle East Christians?"

Pretty powerful stuff--economics, utilization of resources, and religion. Again, have an wonderufl weekend. Thanks for taking time to read this.


Kindly,
Matt

MIDDLE EAST POWER POINT

STEP ONE=RESEARCH

Pick 2 Middle Eastern countries from the list below and research them:
IRAQ..............IRAN............ SAUDI ARABIA
TURKEY ....... CYPRUS ........ ISRAEL
LEBANON......YEMEN ......... OMAN
QATAR...........BAHRAIN......UNITED ARAB EMIRATE
KUWAIT.........JORDAN.......SYRIA

WHILE RESEARCHING, TAKE NOTES. THE MINIMUM IS THAT YOU MUST FILL IN THE GRAPHIC ORGANIZER I PROVIDE (green sheet)

----------------------------------------------------------
STEP TWO=Make a Power point production.

Creatively introduce and teach this topic. I recommend you begin with your introduction/title and then show each of the following.

Be creative! The minimum is that you include all the information listed below. How you will teach this in your Power point will be different. I hope!
GEOGRAPHY
Where is the Middle East and what countries make up this region? These countries should be the fifteen from our introductory mapping/scramble.

Then, introduce/show the two countries you will be focusing your Power point on.

POPULATION
Who lives there? Or, what ethnicities are in each country?
How many people live there?
*More than just numbers, compare populations.

ECONOMY
How do people earn a living? How much do they earn (GDP)?
What are the most important natural resources in the country?
Where are these resources?

CULTURE
Three major religions are home to this area.
What are these religions?
Give a minimum of 3 bullets for what each religion is about.
What are people’s religion in each of your countries? (percentages)

Find out and show/explain at least 5 different cultural facts for each of your countries. (this can be a picture and an explanation for each culture)
Ideas include: music, dance, sports, language, traditions, food,
celebrations, etc.

CURRENT EVENTS
What is BIG news in the two countries you are studying? Include two current events news articles + at least 3 bulleted points that summarize the article.
----------------------------------------------------------
Please do your best to select creative images. Images that you don’t think other students will use.

ONLY PUT A FEW WORDS ON EACH SLIDE!!!

Please also use sound/music that best fits your presentation. I am thinking music from the region.

Also, make sure you cite where images and information comes from.

Week of February 4th

Dear Parents,

While walking out of Kaloko today, it was exciting to hear two students contemplate their dreams of the future. Both would like to travel through South America and write a book. As I told them, I hope they do. I'd surely buy whatever they wrote!

This past week, several students impressed me with what they learned and demonstrated in their journal research work. In addition, many of the collages were very artistically created. I so much appreciate student dedication and effort. Later next week you might ask your son/daughter to show you their journal (7C already has been given their critiqued work back)

Wednesday and Thursday of this past week, students successfully created outlines of the journal topics researched (Oil, Carnival, and the Galapagos). These outlines were incredibly thorough and the process we went through appeared very useful. On Monday, any missing pieces will be given to students and their creations should prove helpful in preparing for the next test. Test?

This coming week, we will wrap up our South America study. On Monday, a comprehensive review sheet will be provided to students. We will discuss this page in class, in preparation for Friday's final test. As well, this week, I look forward to further explanatory/discussion lessons on several topics we've touched on (Machu Pichu, Nazca Lines, and Thor Heyerdahl). We also will be watching a few short videos (Galapagos, Carnival, and Hugo Chavez) to support what is already known.

If there are questions, please let me know. I continually am thankful for all the support provided of Social Studies. Thank you!


Kindly,
Matt Piercy
7th Grade Social Studies

Week of January 28th

Dear Parents,
First off, thank you so much for the wonderful feedback I've already received regarding the "How the Inca Fell" retelling homework. If you haven't heard the story from your child yet, their assignment is to retell the story they heard in class about how the Inca Empire fell (7B will be assigned this at the start of next week). The more detail, the better :-) Students have done exceptionally well conceptualizing and understanding the many factors that contribute to a stable empire, as well as acknowledging the various strands that lead to an empire's vulnerability and eventual descent. I've enjoyed the exceptionally high level of interest and participation.

This past week, a quiz was given that checked how carefully students read and comprehended the small National Geographic text. Several days were given to complete the assignment and prepare for the quiz. Grades were a little surprising as students were spread across the board. Overall, the 7th grade average was just that, "average" (a "C") . You may want to ask your son or daughter to see their quiz (these will be returned at the beginning of next week). I am hopeful any mistakes or "holes" in understanding what was read, will be corrected.

We have launched into a mini- research project to build on a few topics the text touched upon. There is an opportunity for choice in this project, however one component it to creatively construct a collage. Students now have a pretty good idea of what a collage is (after their South American Map Collages). As well, in each class, we have discussed what makes a good collage. A few notes I shared follow.

The word "collage" is comes from French and translates to mean, "to paste." A few ideas to keep in mind when making a collage include:

* Layering images upon each other helps the effect (use glue)

* Symbols, pictures of the person, drawings, words, newsprint--computer images, magazine cut-outs, drawings all will help. Mixing as much of these together can create a more inviting piece.

* Ultimately--THE GOAL IS CRAFT A MESSAGE OR FEELING THAT ANSWERS THE QUESTION--"Who is Evo Morales?" or "Who is Hugo Chavez?"

So, we've begun our research and will continue with this into next week. Due dates are: 7C=Tuesday 7A=Wednesday 7B=Wednesday

Looking over and talking with your son/daughter about this project could be very helpful.

Additionally, next week more will be explored in class discussions and pictures shown relating to two mysteries landmarks--Machu Pichu and the Nazca Lines. Students have shown a lot of intrigue in both topics and I am hopeful the curiosity and enormous potential of the ancients will continue.

On Friday, the 1st of February, the 7th grade will be visiting Kaloko fishponds. A wonderful connection can be made between this sacred place "right down the road" and the many sites we have seen in South America. The character, spirit, and mystic will all be touched upon in a discussion we will share in Social Studies class (so that explains the menehune at the top of the page :-) This should "prime" the students so their interest will be even greater the day of our trip.

As always, if there are any questions, please let me know. Thank you very much and enjoy the weekend!


With Warmth,
Matt Piercy
7th Grade Social Studies

Week of January 21st

This past week, students did a fine job researching and completing their cultural myth projects. Many new cultures and stories were learned about. Being able to identify similarities between stories also was highlighted. Similarities though the stories were often told thousands of years ago and thousands of miles apart from each other. The purpose of such stories was best summarized as:

Because the creation of the universe has made people curious for thousands of years, stories of “how it all began” were told to try and give answers to the BIG questions--how did the world come to be? And, why are humans here? People want to explain phenomenon (things that can be seen) and the unknown. Their stories of
“how it all began” help give a reason to the mysteries, no matter how bizarre and unrealistic the stories may be to us now. Every religion and every culture in the world seems to have its own story of “how it all began”. Often times, there are many similarities.

This week, the high point is sure to be when the story of "How the Inca Fell" is told. A power point will be shown and much discussion is sure to ensue. Students will be listening intently as well as taking notes. Their assignment will be to retell with as many details as possible, the complete story to a parent or other adult. Your assistance with this will be most appreciated.

Additionally this week, students will have a reading assignment as well as research topics that will be investigated more later on in the week. Topics include but are not limited to the following: Who is Hugo Chavez?
Who is Evo Morales?
Oil in Venezuela and its importance?
Brazilian Carnival--how does it compare to other culture's carnival celebrations?
Sustainable and Unsustainable resources in South America
Tourism in the Galapagos Islands

Last, you may have seen the following as it commonly has been passed around in chain e-mails. I shared it with students to emphasize not only the magnificence of the brain but also the last line--"the human mind does not read every letter by itself, but the word as a whole." From the beginning of the year and throughout, I will continue to stress the importance of the whole and connectedness. I thought this was a fun connection to this.

"Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe."

May everyone have a wonderful week and if there are any questions, as always I encourage your asking. Thank you so much.


Kindly,
Matt Piercy
7th Grade Social Studies

Week of January 14th

Dear Parents,

What a wonderful first week back! Students returned recharged and obviously happy to be back at school. This energy is a pleasure to share. We picked up this week where we left off before the break, learning more about South America. A component of our World Cultures course is history and this week and in the coming week, much emphasis is being placed on history.

At the start of this past week, we began with an exceptional BBC production titled, "Wild South America." This video highlighted the diversity of both the land and wildlife of the continent. Many students were awestruck seeing and learning how South America is a land of great extremes. With the Amazon, it hosts the greatest river system in the world, though on the other side of the Andes mountains, Atacama is the driest desert in the world. Appreciation for this diversity was a large reason why I wanted students to view this.

Also this week students shared in reading one version of the Hawaiian story of "how it all began". You might ask your son/daughter to retell you this story, as well you might enjoy hearing about the in-class demonstration of Kane throwing the calabash :-) The Hawaiian story was later compared with the Inca version of "how it all began." Students then worked hard to create their own creative versions. The point being that stories have been told throughout time, stories that help explain why human beings are here, how we came to be, and what our purpose is. In doing so, such stories not only helped explain but also created a sense of security.

In addition to being introduced to the Inca story, students have begun to learn more about the Inca civilization and the grandeur of their empire. Moreover, I am glad to hear students begin to question the enormous range of possibilities of advanced civilization that preceded the Inca. In the coming week, we will be viewing and discussing a video titled, "Lost Civilization--Inca." A lot more knowledge will be learned about who exactly the Inca were, who some "key players" were, and what were a few factors that led to the Inca's demise. What follows here is a list of a few objectives that students understand are expected.

Objectives:
--Where, what, and how are the countries and the land of South America?
--Who were the Inca?
--What evidence is there that the Inca and civilizations before the Inca were advanced?
--What are factors that contribute often times to the rise and fall of civilizations? (Are you able to reference the Inca specifically?)
--How do humans, resources, and geography affect each in South America? Also, how have they historically?


Last, one assignment students will have this week will require a little research. In an effort to expand their world view but also help make connections, students will be asked to choose a culture (from a list) and learn about their stories of "how it all began." It should be rather eye-opening for students to see how many similarities there are cross culturally. In addition to the research, there will be a very specific writing component. It would be helpful if you check in with your child sometime after Tuesday regarding this assignment.

As always, thank you so very much for your continued support. Have an enjoyable remainder of the weekend.


Kindly,
Matt Piercy
7th Grade Social Studies