Chapter 4 - Lesson 2 Continued, Notes with Holes

Due to my having to attend a day long meeting yesterday, we are a little behind in our work on Chapter 4 and need to play catch up. I will need the students to copy or print out the notes on Chapter 4 - Lesson 2 below.

You will notice a change in the format. I am trying the "notes with holes" technique. Basically, the students will need to listen to/read their text (online or hard copy) and fill in the blanks on the notes.
The notes can be printed or copied but the blanks will need to be filled in by the student.

The notes are below:

Practice Quiz, Chapter 4 - Lesson 2 Notes, Make-up Work

We started the class period with a practice quiz over Chapter 4 - Lesson 1. There were 10 questions (available to view in the online textbook) that we discussed orally. The class actually seemed to do ok on the quiz but, as it was practice, no grade was taken. These practice self-quizzes are available at the end of every lesson in the online textbook. They are a great study tool.

After the practice quiz, we briefly discussed the first Native Americans and how they arrived on the continent via the Bering Land Bridge. From there we went on to discuss the European powers that raced to the New World to make claims on the land and resources found there before just beginning to discuss the American Revolution. Notes on this lesson will be posted on the blog tomorrow.

All late/make-up work in my possession has now been graded. If your student still has failing grades or a 0 it is because I have not received the assignment. Please be vigilant and check your student's grades and make sure they are keeping up. We are quickly approaching the halfway point of the 9 weeks.

Chapter 4 - Lesson 1 Notes Continued, Physical/Political GeoQuiz Turned In

We opened class today with a quick discussion on some of the natural hazards people face and live with in the different regions of the U.S. I explained that we live on the extreme southern edge of the Great Plains region which is plagued with tornadoes during the spring and summer. I showed a video which documents the F5 tornado that struck Jarrell, TX (only 25 miles south of Harker Heights) 20 years ago.

After the video, and a brief discussion on what to do in case of a tornado, we moved on with the remainder of the notes covering the regions of the U.S. (Chapter 4 - Lesson 1).

The students also turned in their Chapter 4 GeoQuiz assignment they have been working on the last couple of days. The grades for this assignment have now been posted in the grade book.

The students do not have any new homework for this weekend UNLESS they owe me make-up or late work.

Chapter 4 GeoQuiz Turned In and Chapter 4 - Lesson 1 Notes

The Chapter 4 GeoQuiz assignment was due today at the beginning of class. While most of the students turned in this assignment, far too many did not. Please double check with your student and make sure they turned in their GeoQuiz and that they are keeping up wit their work.

After the GeoQuiz was turned in, we continued the Chapter 4 - Lesson 1 notes. Specifically, we started to discuss the regions of the Unites States. I stared by showing the students a video made by a teacher laying out the regions on a map and then moved on to actually jotting down and discussing the regions. The video I showed the kids is below,  in case you are interested. The full notes for the regions of the U.S can be found below the video.

   

Wrapping Up Notes, Turning in Vocabulary and Political/Physical GeoQuiz Assigned

Today, the Chapter 4 vocabulary assignment was due at the beginning of the period. I realized pretty quickly that many students had not completed it and decided to give them an additional 10-15 minutes to work on it before taking it up.

After taking up the vocabulary, we finished up our discussion on the notes over Chapter 4 - Lesson 1 which covered large/important bodies of water and waterways in the United States (Great Lakes, Mississippi River, Atlantic and Pacific Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, etc.). The complete notes for this section can be found below embedded in the post from yesterday.

Finally, I assigned a Political/Physical GeoQuiz. This assignment basically consists of two maps and the student is to locate critical features and places located in North America. I feel it will be beneficial for the kids to have a knowledge of where these places are located as we continue to discuss the United States and North America. The GeoQuiz is due tomorrow at the beginning of class.

*HOMEWORK ALERT*- The Political/Physical GeoQuiz assignment is due at the beginning of class tomorrow.

Chapter 4 - Lesson 1 (The United States), Vocabulary Due Tomorrow

Today, we started our work on the North America Unit. We started with the United States. Today's notes discussed how the abundance of water was critical to the growth of the U.S. We touched on the importance of access to the oceans for trade, the Great Lakes and how they were formed, the Mississippi River system and some of the major western lakes. Today's notes are located below. Please make sure your student gets them completely copied and adds any details missed in class.

*HOMEWORK ALERT*- The Chapter 4 Vocabulary assignment is due tomorrow at the beginning of class. Please make sure your student has the assignment completed and ready to turn in as this is a chance to earn a good grade fairly easily. The vocabulary assignment and instructions can be found on the post from yesterday.

North America Unit Introduced, Chapter 4 Vocabulary Assigned

Today, I introduced the North America Unit to the students. We watched a short presentation featuring landscapes, cityscapes and other physical and man-made features in North America. I stopped the video and had the kids examine clues in each photo which might hint at their location on the North American Continent. We then took a look at various thematic maps of North America. I wanted to familiarize the students with the countries on the continent, the resources found there, the areas that are the most populous and the general climate.

I assigned the Chapter 4 Vocabulary Terms to the students. The terms and full instructions are below. Vocabulary is due on Wednesday, 9/22 at the beginning of the period.