We've reached the end of the third quarter. Our students have been working hard to learn about the world around them. The fourth quarter will bring us closer to home as we are currently studying the United States and Canada. Some examples of the fine work completed last quarter are included below.
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In accordance with the state-mandated curriculum, students are learning about the major world religions associated with South and Southeast Asia: Buddhism and Hinduism. Last week, they learned about the basic beliefs, history, and spread of Buddhism. This week, students will be doing an inquiry-based project on Hinduism. They also just completed Trade Research projects that required them to investigate where our clothing, shoes, and electronics come from. Expect a test on economics, South Asia, and Southeast Asia, including these two religions, soon. This is an excellent opportunity to discuss values, respect, and interdependence with your child.
This week, we took a railway journey to India with Brian Thompson the narrator of Great Railway Journeys of the World: India. We have also been learning about the geography and economies of South and South East Asia. Students have completed Economics ABCs booklets and mini-projects on the issue of sweatshops. We will continue to blend our studies of economics with regional studies as we travel forward.
We are finishing up our unit on East Asia this week by learning about North and South Korea. Then we will be focusing in on economics before we head west to the Indian subcontinent.
My thanks to the Center for Japanese Studies at the University of Michigan for providing a wide variety of artifacts to liven up our study of Japan. On December 15th, several students participated in the National Geographic Bee. I am very proud of everyone who participated. Our winner was eighth grader Kiah Schneider.
As we finish up our East Asia unit, we will be learning more about modern life in Japan, China and the Koreas. We are looking forward to receiving a special package of Japanese artifacts from the University of Michigan to help enrich our learning. I am looking forward to an exciting new year! As always, please e-mail me at the address in the sidebar if you have questions, concerns, or special knowledge or experiences related to the regions we study that you would like to share with the class. As we begin our study of Asia, some of you may be interested in enrichment opportunities. Look for the National Geographic Geography Bee at Portland Middle School to be happening in December. Also, check out the Confucius Institute at MSU's website for podcasts, blogs, and other resources on Chinese language and culture at http://confucius.msu.edu/resources.htm.
Classical Athens and Han China: How great are the differences? Our seventh grade students are exploring this question as we begin our unit on Asia with this document-based question (DBQ) essay. This week, our focus has been on analyzing historic documents, organizing information, and writing our thesis statements comparing these two cultures that influenced our American society in important ways.
This week, students will be voting on a winner for our Australia Sketch Map Contest. We will also wrap up our study of this region. While the first few units have been short, the Australia test will be our first large test. Please help your child prepare.
As we travel on to Asia, Africa, and North America, our focus will shift to include much more ancient history. Thanks to one of our fabulous middle school parents, Portland Middle School will be offering a Geography Club. Students will partake in games, computers, fun and competition. The club meets on Thursdays from 2:30-3:30 and will host a National Geographic Bee in December.
The parent sponsor is a former teacher who formerly lived and taught in a small village in Alaska. Encourage your young geographer to check it out. (Open to grades Our studies have blown us across the sea to Australia and the Pacific Islands. Students will be able to identify various regions within Australia and the Pacific Islands, identify unique plant and animal life, and explain human-environment interactions by the end of the unit. They should also know characteristics of lands in the Southern Hemisphere. (You can see that we are focusing on Regions - one of the Five Themes of Geography.) In addition, students will further refine their spatial and mapping skills by making sketch maps of this region.
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April 2010
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