Summertime...

Thank you for a wonderful school year! You have been so supportive of this group of students over the past year. I encourage you to continue watching, reading, or listening to the news with your child. We become lifelong learners through continued awareness of the world around us. See you in the fall:)

Final Renaissance Project...

Students are assigned a project for their Renaissance and Reformation unit in place of a final test. There are a variety of project ideas that they have been introduced. Students will be required to present their project during the week of June 7th-11th.

No More Homework!

Last week was the final week of homework for the rest of the year. Students are still allowed to turn in the last two homework assignments that were assigned for these final 6-weeks.

Medieval Feast!

To celebrate the end of our Medieval Unit we will be having a medieval feast. Only students who are passing my class will be allowed to take part in this feast. Slips have gone home with a list of appropriate food items. Afterall, they didn't eat Cheetos back then:) This is a reward for a 6-week term of hard work! Way to go classes!

Welcome Back!

Welcome back from Spring Break!



History Alive is a new curriculum that I am introducing into my class for the next two 6-week periods. We will be using it for our studies of Medieval Europe and The Renaissance. Students will learn using a variety of methods including experimental exercises, problem solving group work, and visual discoveries. Hopefully this will appeal to some of those students who have previously struggled with interest in Social Studies:)

Hiroshima and Nagasaki

We are viewing a video describing the use of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This leads into the discussion about Japan's role in banning nuclear weapons. It also opens up the discussion of the moral issues in using nuclear weapons. Interesting issues to be discussed at home when students are doing their News H.W. and reading about continued nuclear research.

Japan Project

Requirements: You and a partner will present a three (3) minute presentation on an aspect of Japanese history, culture and life, or the changing Japan.
You will need:
-6 slide PowerPoint or Smart Notebook presentation (include bibliography!)
-Some sort of prop (ie. Skit, dance, poster, dress, model, etc….)
-3 questions to ask students at the end of your presentation
Two tips in making this the best presentation EVER!
1) Remember to practice your presentation ahead of time so that you can follow Ms. Weis’ speaking guide!
2.) Slides in presentation must include plenty of information and images. Cover and bibliography count into the 6 slide minimum



Good Luck!

China Project

This project can be done in place of the test that we will be taking on January 28th. Students aren't responsible for doing both the test and the project.

China Board Game Design Project

The mission: Create an instructional board game. You are required to produce a game with pieces, cards, rules, and a board. Use one of your favorite games to help you design a template for playing your game.

You will need to include the following information:

-The name of the game
-Educational objective (what you want the players to get from the game)
-Time required to play game
-If similar to another game, which game?
-Appropriate age levels
-The rules
-The board
-Fifteen different concepts learned from our ‘China in the Middle Ages’ unit (ex. reuniting of China, printing process, China’s trade and conquest, etc…)

You can find materials for making your game around your house (with parent’s permission), at a craft store, out in the community, and from Ms. Weis. Many pizza stores will donate a box, which you can use for both the board, and the container to put all your pieces in!


Reminder: This is to be an instructional game that shows your knowledge of the ‘China in the Middle Ages’ unit from our JAT book.

Due dates: All projects will be due on Thursday, January 28th.