Sunday, November 30, 2008

The Home Stretch

Okay everyone, I am sure you are as "excited" as I am to be back to school and through with lazy days, food, and family fun but we have much to do and little time to do it, so snap out of your turkey daze and lets get on track for a great December!
We are now rounding the corner and as they say in the Derby "and down the stretch they come!" We are 15 school days from Semester's end. There are many of you who are on track for a great semester grade. "Bravo!" Others are struggling a bit. If you fall into the second category, please come after school for tutoring on Wednesday's from 3:30-4:30. My UK observer has been gracious enough to spend her time catching people up and giving partial credit for missed assignments. We will begin this week discussing the last unit of the semester (Imperialism/Foreign Policy in the early 20th century). We are still discussing the four Presidents (McKinley, T. Roosevelt, Taft, and Wilson), but we are looking at their foreign policy rather than the domestic reforms of the Progressive Era. Now for this weeks agenda.

Day 6 Agenda Tuesday Dec. 2

No Journal

* Progressive Era Open Response Question (you will be allowed to use your notebook for this one
* Read Chapter 10 and complete Chapter 10.1 and 10.2 guided reading pages (outlines America's growing thirst for an empire)
Homework (finish Chapter 10.1 and 2 if not completed in class)

Day 7 Agenda Thursday Dec 4

* Homework Check 10.1-10.2

*Journal: Interpreting Political Cartoons
* Lecture/Discussion of American Imperialism at the turn of the 20th Century
* Assessment: Students will create a piece of yellow journalism of an event discussed within the lecture
Homework (10.3 and 10.4 due next Wednesday)

Have a great week!

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Thanksgiving Break is here!

Hello everyone,

We all have been working very hard the last few weeks. I am sure you are as happy as I am for a few days of stuffing ourselves silly with food and vegging out on the couch watching football and holiday movies. I have been shopping like a mad woman in the past few days to prevent the post-Thanksgiving rush to the stores where we become crazy enough to herd around like a bunch of cattle bumping into strangers for ten dollars off a portable dvd player! I hope you use your time to rest up for the last few weeks of school (because it will be busy). We just finished up presenting our Progressive Era Presidents and are now turning our attention to a review of the Progressive Era. I have decided not to give you a test for this unit, but rather to complete an open response and a review. We will formally assess this unit as well as the foreign policy unit on the final exam. Where has the time gone?



Agenda Day 5 Tuesday, November 25



*No Journal today, just debriefing of the Presentations on Friday

*Students will watch the video entitled "The Presidents" McKinley -Wilson and answer questions

*Students will complete a review page of the Progressive Era

Have a safe and restful break,

Mrs. Coleman

Thursday, November 13, 2008

The Progressive Era in Full Swing Mode

Hello everyone,
We are in the midst of a very quick but informative unit on Progressivism in United States History. We are seeing a "reigning in" of the laissez faire business and political practices of the Gilded Age and a rise in voter involvement in day to day issues, a rise in the political and educational power of women, as well as the return of the "bully pulpit" and a rise in the power of the Executive branch of government, ushered in by good old Teddy Roosevelt. Here is the agenda for the week of November 17-21.

Day 2 Agenda

Monday, November 17

We return to the computer lab on this day. (Room 134)
* Journal: "When it comes to life in general, is it better to have the "courage of your convictions", or is it better to be flexible and able to compromise. Explain your position
*Review Web quest and Debrief
*Complete research on assigned President to prepare for character collage presentation.
*Note* At least 1/2 of information on your President must come from the library book truck

Day 3 Agenda

Wednesday, November 19

Groups will meet in our room to begin work on Collage Presentations
* Journal: Interpret political cartoon on page 319 in our textbook and discuss
* Groups will discuss findings, decide important information on "their" President and prepare their presentations for the remainder of the test
Presentations will begin on Friday!

Day 5 Agenda

Friday, November 21

*Presidential Gallery Presentations Begin
Students will take notes on the three Progressive Era Presidents and ask presenters questions about their President.
* Students will watch "The Presidents" and begin work on the video guide.;

Have a great week!
Mrs. Coleman

Sunday, November 9, 2008

November10-14 Agenda

Hello students,
You worked feverishly to finish Chapter 8 so that the Gilded Age would be successfully completed last week. Bravo! We will be leaving that period this week to focus more on the Progressive Era, or the era of reforms in government and business. We will witness Presidents taking back power for the executive branch as well. This is the unit of one of my favorite Presidents, Teddy Roosevelt. You might not know this, but the Teddy Bear is named for him.

November 11 Agenda

Review for Gilded Age Test
Turn in Open Response Question (about Gilded Age cities)
Open Note Gilded Age Test
Chapter 9.1 and 9.2 in workbook when finished with test

*Note* A2 will be going to the library for 45 minutes to watch a Veteran's Day program. As a result, this class will not take a Gilded Age test, rather they will be turning in their puzzle and Open Response in place of a test grade.
After the program, we will return to class, turn in our paperwork, and work on Chapter 9 bookwork.

November 13

Day 1 Agenda

*Note*We will meet in the computer lab on this day (134)
Short Lecture over Goals of the Progressive Movement
Complete Progressive Era Web quest
Debrief Web quest

Have a great week!
Mrs. Coleman



Saturday, November 1, 2008

Halloween at LHS

Hello all,

I thought you might like to see some of the silly and creative outfits worn by fellow students on Friday. I always marvel at your enthusiasm and creativity on the last day of October each year.
Just click on the speaker microphone to listen to the "spooky music" and enjoy!





Tyler calls himself a biker (I said he looked like the Uni bomber, but I am not sure if many of you remember him).




In the hall I caught a pair dressed as bacon and eggs!



Toni "vants to suck your blood"!




John Lennon entered the building (again, I thought he looked more like Freddy Mercury but I don't know how many of you even know who he is...) Boy, I am getting OLD!





We all felt a little safer with Superman in our midst today!



Liberty looks so cute in her "bunny costume" with a twist!


Lydia was all "gothed out" for Halloween, complete with the painted face.


Cameo and Ashlea came as a butterfly and a Cheetah Girl!





I thought no Halloween photo collection would be complete without my own little one dressed up as a ghost (she later found out it was a Casper mask after I showed her some old Casper the Friendly Ghost cartoons from YouTube).
Thanks for making Halloween so fun!
See ya,
Mrs. C.