Wow! We are already halfway through the school year. What a long and fun trip it has been, huh? We had a quiz on the first day of school to see how well y'all knew the world, the United States, and other random facts of geography/history. We learned about the 13 colonies, why they were settled, how the settlers at Jamestown ate each other during the Starving Time! We tried to sail the seas and understand what was necessary to bring with us on our journey across the vast Atlantic Ocean. We examined race-based slavery in the colonies as we watched clips from a video depicting the infamous Middle Passage, and then learned the roles of slaves in the colonies and new nation. We headed on the road to an American Revolution where the colonists were taxed, burned tax collectors in effigy, tarred and feathered Loyalists, watched HBO's John Adams, and History Channel's The Revolution as we prepared for the Second Continental Congress. We video chatted with EIGHT, yes EIGHT, different schools at our annual Second Continental Congress! We read the Constitution, celebrated Constitution Day with a scavenger hunt, went on the Lewis and Clark Expedition where y'all encountered the Teton Sioux. We've studied Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, J.Q. Adams, and my beloved Andrew Jackson!
We've had one heck of a first half of the year, and we have much to do when we return from Winter Break! We'll re-enact the Seneca Falls Women's Convention, examine the different groups that headed West int he 1830s-1840s, learn how the nation slowly divided over the issue of slavery, which led to Civil War. We'll have a scavenger hunt for the Civil War, where you'll meet a solider who's pitched a tent in between battles. We'll examine the Gilded Age and look at how the wealthiest men in the WORLD changed American history using technology and $$$$$. We have a President Research Paper, a National Parks or Great Americans Project, the Fave Five cumulative project, a final exam, and a dozen or so more Presidential Projects...
I wish you a WONDERFUL Winter Break, Happy Chanukah, and have a fantastic time relaxing with your friends, family, and anyone else you choose to spend time with this break. I look forward to having a terrific second half of the year, and Be Good!
Best,
Mr. Barry
