Rain Forest Conference

We will hold the conference Monday and Tuesday, 12/4&5.


Grade Breakdown (Major Grade)

20 points - Individual: Your personal responses to the proposals on 5G are thorough, specific and reflect the interests of your group.

10 points - Group: Group Banner has a large, clear name of interest group, catchy and appropriate slogan, visual symbol

15 points - Individual: First draft of your group introduction* for the conference

25 points - Group: participation in the conference: each group presents a united voice that represents the interests and goals of their particular group; discussions are respectful and backed up with logical reasons and legitimate facts. Each member of the group participates in the discussion.

30 points - Individual: Specific, thoughtful reflection on the conference and your learning



*Introduction should include:

• which interest group you represent
• who you think is to blame for the conflict in the rain-forest
• how you think the rain-forest should be used
• what the elements (slogan, symbol) of your banner represent

Wrapping up the First Semester!

Reminders:

• We do not have final exams this semester because of Harvey.
• We do have classes and learning going on until the 15th.
• The 15th is a 12:30 dismissal day.  We are having the Europe map quiz that day.
• If you don't plan to be here on the 15th, you need to take the map quiz before you leave so I can finalize your 2nd Nine Weeks grade.
• We will continue our Europe Cultural Region Unit when we return in January, but you do not have any work to do for Social Studies over the break!  :)

Major Dates:
12/4-5 - Rain Forest Conference - major grade
12/15 - European Map Quiz  (12:30 dismissal)
12/15-1/2 Student Holiday!
1/3 - Students return for the 3rd Nine Weeks

Noodle Tools Directions

Noodle Tools!

1. Go to the SBISD Library Resources Page (IRMS)

2. Click on Databases

3. Scroll down to SECONDARY (middle school and high school are secondary)

4. Click on Noodle Tools

• IF you created an account in 5^th grade, you can still use that log in.
• IF you have never used, create a new account.  
• DO NOT use the G Suite option – our system is closed and does not interact with open Google Docs. 
• When it asks for part of your phone number this is just for helping you recover forgotten passwords.  You can use your own or your folk’s number.

Once you get signed in...

5. Look for the GREEN button that says +New Project and click on it

6. Title it whatever your holiday is.

7. Select MLA and JUNIOR for style and level.

8. At the top of the next page to pop up, select SOURCES from the buttons.

9. Click on the GREEN +create new citation  button 

• (Do this each time you use a new source – so one entry for each web page or book or map or whatever you use.)
• Follow the instructions for entering the information for each source you used.  
• After you have entered all your sources, You can download it and print it.  Again, do not export to Google Docs because our system is not linked to this.

Tips:

• Put ALL your sources on the same project – don’t keep creating a new project for each source – just a new source/entry.
• You put in as much information as you have – leave anything you don’t have blank.
• Always use the most recent date you can find.

Latin America Unit Test Review

Latin America Unit Test Review

Maps: The exact same things I told you might be on the MAP QUIZ, may be on the test. 

Indigenous People and Colonization: study pages 20-23, 27, and 30 in your ISN.  (This includes the booklet in the pocket.)

Panama Canal: study pages 28-29 in your ISN along with the political cartoon packet.

Cuba: study page 32 in your ISN and the review sheet (only two questions on this). 

Demographics: Be familiar with the terms on page 26 in your ISN and ready to look for trends and infer information from demographic information you are given on the test (we did some of these on page 27 in your ISN).

Monday we will do a practice map for review.  Tuesday, you will get a review/practice sheet for the other sections of the text. The test is Friday. J  Then, a nice, long week break with no homework or assignments or tests to study for! 

GT Social Studies Extra Credit Opportunity

GT Social Studies Extra Credit Opportunity for the Second Nine Weeks

On Halloween, Mrs. Connor introduced you to several fall “remembrance of the dead” holidays from around the world.  For extra credit this nine weeks, you may do a mini-research project on a winter holiday.  The final product will be displayed for the classes to read.  You may add up to 10 points on your lowest quiz or mini-project grade with successful completion of this extra credit.  It is due by B.O.C. on November 28. I do not take late extra credit.  You may turn it in early.

You may do this electronically or by hand, but all of the following needs to be on ONE SIDE of a normal size (8 ½ x 11) piece of printer paper:

·         Name of the holiday

·         2-3 pictures that represent the holiday (these may be photographs, hand-drawn, electronically drawn, whatever, but be sure to give credit to the artist or photographer

·         A small map projection with key and a title showing where in the world this holiday is traditionally celebrated

·         An original, brief explanation of the holiday: who celebrates it, why they celebrate it, how they celebrate it, super-important facts/tidbits

On the BACK of the paper OR on a separate sheet of paper – create a Works Consulted* page.  This is how you will document all the sources you used to create the holiday information sheet.  You will use MLA format.  I suggest you use the district-provided Noodle Tools for easy formatting.  There are other sites out there that will help you cite your sources, but they are generally not as good and/or free to you, but you may use any resources you have access to.

Only one person per period may do the same winter holiday.  I will do this on a first-request, first-approved basis.  Please send to me via email (Jennifer.connor@SpringBranchISD.com) your TOP 3 requests.  Make sure your first and last name and period are in the body of the email.  I will reply to your email with your approved topic. I will follow the time stamps of the emails.  You MAY request to do a holiday that is not on this list – in fact, that would be great so that I can expand the list!  Please send me the name of the holiday, so I can look it up before I approve it.

Boxing Day

Christmas

Dongzhi Festival

Eid Al Adha, the Festival of the Sacrifice

Hanukkah

Kwanzaa

Lunar New Year

Maha Shivaratri

Mardi Gras

Mauna Agyaras

St. Lucia Day

Three Kings Day

Tu Bishvat/Tu B'Shevat

Western New Year

Winter Solstice

Rubric

______(1) title of holiday is correct, capitalized and easy to read

______(1) pictures reflect the spirit of the holiday

______(2) map has a title and key and clearly shows where the holiday is celebrated in the world

______(4) paragraph is original – not taken from another source – you consulted SEVERAL sources                   to read about the holiday then summarized the information into your own words

______(2) all non-original pictures are cited, each source you read about the holiday is cited in MLA                   format – you may get points for the other sections if the Works Consulted page is not in                       the correct format, BUT you cannot get any points at all if it is missing altogether.  *

* please see the Noodle Tools Instructions post for detailed directions. :)