Tag Archives: Spring Break

Spring Break

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Well, here we are at last friends.  Spring Break has arrived.  I was so frazzled when I got home, I seriously thought about passing out for the entire weekend.  But I’m not going to.  I’m going to get started on my writing and try to get something done today.

I haven’t gotten any writing done during the last four days, but I have been looking through projects that I’ve started and never got back to– some of which I had forgotten.  I might just post the pieces that I have written, since I don’t think I’ll ever do anything really with them.  There are what I thought (at least at the time I wrote them) some good concepts.  Here’s a sample:

The Olympian gods awake suddenly on an alien world, unaware of how the arrived, and are pitted against similarly powered alien gods.

Famous people appear in “purgatory” after their death, where they fight a war.  The two main characters are Albert Einstein and gunfighter Clay Allison (no relation).

A young woman is kidnapped and held hostage, but is helped by a mysterious “ghost” who has a very limited ability to interact with the real world, but seems to know all about her.

I don’t know.  Any of them sound interesting to anyone out there?

Finished with the Yearbook

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One of the drains on my time has definitely been my work as advisor of our school yearbook.  It’s taken all my spare time at school (which is not much anyway) and has taken a huge amount of my out of school time.    But now it’s done!  For good or ill, the thing is finished.  I can catch up on my grading and planning at school and catch up on my writing (hopefully) at home.

In addition, next week is Spring Break– Free at last, free at last (with respect to Dr. King).  I haven’t looked forward to a week so much since– well, ever.  As I write this, my little log book tells me that I should have 310 more pages written so far this year than I have.  That’s more than a whole book!  I’ll let you know where I am at the end of spring break.

Spring Break Coming

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I looked at the calendar today and noticed that it is only about a month until Spring Break arrives.  I’m looking forward to using the time to get caught up on my writing– and you know… my sanity.

My paper work has just gotten crazy in the past two years.  There are lesson plans, IEPs (Individual Education Plans), 504 plans (for students with medical issues), weekly writing prompts that must be turned in, writing samples that must be turned in, primary sources that must be turned in… and don’t forget that good old stand-by: Attendance, which despite the fact that it is taken on computer has to be replicated on paper to meet Nevada State law, which is stuck in the Dark Ages.

For those of you who haven’t been in school for a while and who may have never seen a lesson plan, here are a couple of mine.

 

Lesson One

U.S. History – 9.1 – Students will describe the annexation of Alaska and Hawaii by utilizing one of the big 11 social studies skills.

Introduction:  Today we continue our unit on American Imperialism.

Warm Up: Examine the maps on page 651.  According to the two maps, in which area did more fighting take place.  What evidence did you find to support your answer?

Daily Review: Review Beveridge’s speech.

Daily Objectives: See Below.

Student Friendly Objective: Describe expansion of US power overseas at the turn of the twentieth century.

Essential Question: How did the closing of the American Frontier impact U.S. oversees policies?

School-wide vocabulary: consistent, deduce, event, exhibit, prove

Define each of the terms students will encounter (whole class):  annexatiion, sphere’s of influence, Open Door Policy

Concept and Skill Development Application

The teacher will guide the students through a Think/Write/Discuss interactive lecture using the Smartboard.

A. Introductory/Motivational Question: Why do some countries try to rule and control other countries?  Students will write a 2-minute response.

B. After slide three (of five): Clarifying Question: Was American expansion fair to Japan?  Hawaii?  China?  Students will write a short response; sharing some questions aloud.

C. After slide 5: Reflective Question: How does American expansion at the beginning of the twentieth century compare with America’s role in the world today?  Students will write a two minute response.

Guided / Independent Practice

See above.

Homework: None.

Closure: Compare and contrast Beveridge’s imperialism of the 20th and 21st centuries.

Ticket out the door: What was one important issue addressed by reformers of the Progressive Era?  (From the review.)

Long Term Review: Students will review their notebooks, including their two foldable study guides.

Related Standards/Objectives:

  • 9.1 – Students will describe the annexation of Alaska and Hawaii by utilizing one of the big 11 social studies skills. [H4]
  • 9.2 – Students will analyze the political and social impact of the Panama Canal by utilizing one of the big 11 social studies skills. [H3.[6-8].14]
  • 9.3 – Students will identify Latin American nations that play a significant role in United States foreign policy and examine how we interacted including the Spanish American War by utilizing one of the big 11 social studies skills. [C16.[6-8].3, C16.[6-8].4]
  • 9.4 – Students will critique the influence of the media in forming public opinion through yellow journalism by utilizing one of the big 11 social studies skills. [C15.[6-8].4]

 

Lesson Two

U.S. History – 9.1 – Students will describe the annexation of Alaska and Hawaii by utilizing one of the big 11 social studies skills.

Introduction:  Today we complete our unit on American Imperialism.

Warm Up: Read the profile of Jovita Idar on page 660.  Write a summary of what you’ve read and answer the question “Who benefited most of Jovita Ivar’s efforts?  What evidence did you find to support your answer?

Daily Review: Review notes from the interactive lecture.

Daily Objectives: See Below.

Student Friendly Objective: Describe expansion of US power overseas at the turn of the twentieth century.

Essential Question: How did the closing of the American Frontier impact U.S. oversees policies?

School-wide vocabulary: consistent, deduce, event, exhibit, prove

Define each of the terms students will encounter (whole class):  isthmus, anarchy, dollar diplomacy

Concept and Skill Development Application

Students will view “Bring Me the Pictures and I’ll Bring You the War” video clip (10 mins).  They will answer the following study questions from the video: What two newspaper owners were in competition?  Why did Frederick Remington not want to stay in Cuba?  Who were the Rough Riders?

Students will work in groups to find information from their textbooks on the following topics: The Maine, The Rough Riders, The Panama Canal, The Roosevelt Corollary, Dollar Diplomacy, Moral Diplomacy, Francisco Pancho Villa.  Groups will orally present their finding to the class.

Guided / Independent Practice

See above.

Homework: None.

Closure: Summarize the Spanish American War.

Ticket out the door: What is Yellow Journalism.

Long Term Review: Students will review their notebooks, including their two foldable study guides.

Related Standards/Objectives:

  • 9.1 – Students will describe the annexation of Alaska and Hawaii by utilizing one of the big 11 social studies skills. [H4]
  • 9.2 – Students will analyze the political and social impact of the Panama Canal by utilizing one of the big 11 social studies skills. [H3.[6-8].14]
  • 9.3 – Students will identify Latin American nations that play a significant role in United States foreign policy and examine how we interacted including the Spanish American War by utilizing one of the big 11 social studies skills. [C16.[6-8].3, C16.[6-8].4]
  • 9.4 – Students will critique the influence of the media in forming public opinion through yellow journalism by utilizing one of the big 11 social studies skills. [C15.[6-8].4]