7th Grade GSS Weekly Update
Week of 2/3-2/7
Classroom Happenings
Preserving History: Please check in with your student on the progress of this assignment. Even though all parts of the assignment are due on Friday 2/21, there are some students who have said they may need an extension due to the timing of events related to their topic. (i.e., visiting a person they will interview or a related event is scheduled in early March.) I will give students an extension if they have a note from home explaining why the extension is needed. Procrastination is not one of those reasons. I ask parents and guardians to support me with reinforcing good work habits. Students who have unexcused late work will receive a small deduction of points. It will make the point that their work should be done on time without hurting their grade too much.
Government: This was the perfect week to finish up Impeachment! The students learned about previous impeachments of Andrew Johnson (1868) and Bill Clinton (1998), the preparation to impeach Richard Nixon (1973), and then applied the concepts to the impeachment of Donald Trump.
Black History Month: Next week, students will begin looking at the last half of the 20th Century by examining ways that people bring about social change. Even though the Civil Rights movement isn’t the only social change people worked for in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, it’s a great place to start. Our driving question will be How do people effectively bring about social change? By focusing on that question, we can look at important lives like Medgar Evers, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, and John Lewis and the important work they did to bring about change.
Contact: As always, let me know if you have questions about class or concerns I should be aware of. The easiest way to reach me is by email.
Upcoming Due Dates
Current Events: A report form is due Monday 2/10. The topic should be related to Impeachment or Election.
(I am absent on Friday 2/7, the original due date so it is extended to Monday.)
Preserving History: Bibliography check on Thursday. Students should have some primary sources about their topic and some secondary sources that explain the historical context of their topic.
Preserving History: Final projects are due on Friday 2/21.
Other Learning Opportunities
Course Overview
GSS Webpage
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