We’re just finishing our study of ancient Rome and will focus on Christianity and the Byzantine Empire when we return in January.

I want to wish you all a restful holiday and a Happy New!

During this week we will be preparing for Pompeii Day, to be held on December 11th and 12th. Students will be engaged in a simulation of what happened to Pompeii on that fateful day in A.D. 79 based on what they have learned and explored in class.  They will be reading and completing activities in  “Nothing Last Forever“.  The focus of this booklet is on women of Pompeii.  We will also be reading The Buried City of Pompeii by Shelley Tanaka.

Some sites to visit about Pompeii:

1.  http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/archaeology/sites/europe/pompeii.html

2.  http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/pompeii/pliny/pliny.html

3.  http://www.fieldmuseum.org/pompeii/

Roman Names:

Choose a Roman name for yourself for Pompeii Day. roman-names-list.pdf

Photo:  http://willows95988.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/04/25/pompeii.jpg (cast of a man praying/protecting himself from the eruption)

Social Studies focus:  Students are writing their expository essay on Rome and putting the final touches on their Rome projects (see Rome project page). Both are due on Wednesday, November 26.  They will present their project to their classmates on Wednesday and Thursday.

Writing Focus:  How to write an expository essay. Students will be given the Six Traits rubic for expository essays.

 Due date for this week:  Rome project due on Wednesday

Photo:  Roma Colosseo - Rome
http://www.flickr.com/photos/10607820@N02/2102342503

Grammar Focus:  Daily Oral Language with Rome twist.

Social Studies Focus:  Research on Rome (see Rome project page)

Vocabulary Focus:  No vocabulary lesson this week

Writing Focus:  Continue with sentence fluency

Grammar focus:  Sentence fluency using Sentence Composing

Social Studies:  Debating whether expanding hurt or helped the Roman Republic.  Position paper due next Monday, November 17th; begin research project (due November 21)

Vocabulary focus:  Lesson 25 of Vocabulary For Achievement

Quiz Friday:  Lesson 25 of Vocabulary For Achievement.

Grammar Focus:   Grammar focus:  Daily Oral language corrections on punctuation (dialogue, commas, periods, semicolons), RO, CS, and spelling using information on Rome as a jumping off point

Social Studies Focus:  Julius Caesar, life of a soldier, Etruscan and Greek influences on Rome

Vocabulary Focus:  Lesson 23 of Vocabulary for Achievement (-graph  and -gram)

Writing Focus:  Sentence Fluency; Write a letter from the perspective of a Roman soldier to his parents

Grammar focus:  Daily Oral language corrections on punctuation (dialogue, commas, periods, semicolons), RO, CS, and spelling

Social Studies focus:  Latin prefixes, introductory video on Rome, struggle for power  between patricians and plebeians

Vocabulary focus:  Lesson 22 of Vocabulary For Achievement (-philia and -phobia)

 Quiz Friday:   Lesson 22 of Vocabulary For Achievement and maps of ancient Rome and modern Europe

Grammar focus:  Daily Oral Language

Social Studies focus:  maps of ancient Rome and modern Europe, introductory video of Rome

Vocabulary focus:  Vocabulary notecards from “Rules of the Game” and Lesson 1 of Vocabulary for Achievement, pp. 3-6

Quiz:  Comma splices, Run-ons, fragments, punctuation on Wednesday, Sept. 17

Grammar focus:  run-ons,  fragments and comma splices

Social Studies focus: Personal narratives.  Students are currently editing their completed personal narratives. The focus is voice and organization.  Look for these postings soon.

Literature focus:  Short stories.  We are continuing to read Jack’s Black Book by Jack Gantos aloud while reading a number of short stories including “Rules of the Games” by Amy Tan, and “Never Fitting In” by Nereida Roman amongst others.

 Quiz of the week:  Vocabulary for Achievement Lesson 8 and “Samatha’s Story” vocabulary words

Welcome to Humanities 7. Homework is posted on the Weekly Plan page.

Week of November 24th:

Social Studies focus:  Students are writing their expository essay on Rome and putting the final touches on their Rome projects (see Rome project page). Both are due on Wednesday, November 26.  They will present their project to their classmates on Wednesday and Thursday.

Writing Focus:  How to write an expository essay. Students will be given the Six Traits rubic for expository essays

 Due date for this week:  Rome project due on Wednesday

Week of November 17th:

 Grammar Focus:  Daily Oral Language with Rome twist.

Social Studies Focus:  Research on Rome (see Rome project page)

Vocabulary Focus:  No vocabulary lesson this week

Writing Focus:  Continue with sentence fluency

Week of November 10th:

Grammar focus:  Sentence fluency using Sentence Composing

Social Studies:  Debating whether expanding hurt or helped the Roman Republic.  Position paper due next Monday, November 17th; begin research project (due November 21)

Vocabulary focus:  Lesson 25 of Vocabulary For Achievement

 Quiz Friday:  Lesson 25 of Vocabulary For Achievement.

Week of Oct. 20th

Grammar Focus:   Grammar focus:  Daily Oral language corrections on punctuation (dialogue, commas, periods, semicolons), RO, CS, and spelling using information on Rome as a jumping off point

Social Studies Focus:  Julius Caesar, life of a soldier, Etruscan and Greek influences on Rome

Vocabulary Focus:  Lesson 23 of Vocabulary for Achievement (-graph  and -gram)

Writing Focus:  Sentence Fluency; Write a letter from the perspective of a Roman soldier to his parents

Week of October 13

Grammar focus:  Daily Oral language corrections on punctuation (dialogue, commas, periods, semicolons), RO, CS, and spelling

Social Studies focus:  Latin prefixes, introductory video on Rome, struggle for power  between patricians and plebeians

Vocabulary focus:  Lesson 22 of Vocabulary For Achievement (-philia and -phobia)

 Quiz Friday:   Lesson 22 of Vocabulary For Achievement and maps of ancient Rome and modern Europe

Week of September 15

Grammar focus:  Daily Oral Language

Social Studies focus:  maps of ancient Rome and modern Europe, introductory video of Rome

Vocabulary focus:  Vocabulary notecards from “Rules of the Game” and Lesson 1 of Vocabulary for Achievement, pp. 3-6

Quiz:  Comma splices, Run-ons, fragments, punctuation on Wednesday, Sept. 17

Week of September 8, 2008:

Grammar focus:  run-ons,  fragments and comma splices

Social Studies focus: Personal narratives.  Students are currently editing their completed personal narratives. The focus is voice and organization.  Look for these postings soon.

Literature focus:  Short stories.  We are continuing to read Jack’s Black Book by Jack Gantos aloud while reading a number of short stories including “Rules of the Games” by Amy Tan, and “Never Fitting In” by Nereida Roman amongst others.

 Quiz of the week:  Vocabulary for Achievement Lesson 8 and “Samatha’s Story” vocabulary words