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Pride and Basketball

Big year coming up in 7th Grade Social Studies, so let's begin our year with a fun combination of pride in our nation, and my love of basketball (turn your volume up!):

Test

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Project Progress

With one week from our due date (Friday, May 30) and 160 minutes of class time remaining, let's talk about some things that will help us complete these projects as efficiently as possible:

1. Have we all broken into smaller groups of 2 or 3 and taken responsibility for at least 1 building? This has proven very effective in the 3 or 4 classes that have implemented this strategy, so we're all going to. (in hindsight, this might have been a good way to start!)

2. Exchange phone numbers, sn's, e-mails whatever - get together this weekend for a couple hours and work together. Not alone, together!

3. Bring materials home if you need to. I'll do all the cutting for you, as usual, but feel free to bring anything home if you'd like to.

4. Backgrounds and Layouts should be complete by end of class Friday.

5. Each building's green "profile sheet" should be in the hands of that group, complete with correct pictures, correct measurements, and correct blueprints/designs.

Project Updates

Well, so far, so... so. Mixed progess throughout the classes. Some are doing fantastic (5th Period!), some need a complete restructuring, as will happen tomorrow. I want to make sure a few points are clear as we have 9 days left to work:

1. The final due Date is now Friday, May 30th. I gave an extra day because I'm nice :)
2. We need to talk nicely to each other. I know we get frustrated with the work habits or ideas of our peers, but we all need to be polite. You attract more flies with honey than vinegar, so try it. Kill 'em with kindness!
3. Each class' cityscape should have a maximum of 3 items purchased. For example, trees, cars, or boats. I don't expect you all to make the boats, so you may buy them. But only 3. Otherwise, scale is thrown off and your parents spend too much money.
4. Each student can now earn 10 points per day based on behavior and productivity. Unproductive students lose points. I started doing that today, so look at the gradebook daily to see what your child did in class.
5. Measure twice, cut once. Heck, measure 3 times and cut once!
6. Please, please, please - no knives or anything sharp. You can't bring them to school, and will get in trouble if you do.
7. Each class should build at least 10 buildings (except 6th period - they should do 7-8). The more the merrier, of course.

2008 Chicago Project Draft

All done! This is what we've got:

7th Period (1st pick)
Sears Tower
Trump Tower
333 North Wacker
Marshall Field's Building
Wrigley
Old Water Tower
Chicago Theatre
NBC Tower
Xerox Tower
Arquitectonica
AT&T Center
1 South Wacker
Onterie (Ontario) Center

5th Period (2nd pick)
Aqua
John Hancock Building
Smurfit-Stone Building
Old Water Tower
Marshall Field's Building
Spertus
Lake Point Tower
RR Donnelly Building
Waldorf-Astoria
Grant Park
900 North Michigan
1 South Wacker
Alder Planetarium
Citygroup Center
Citadel Center

8th Period (3rd pick)
311 South Wacker
John Hancock Building
Aon Center
Arquitectonica
CNA
Streeter
IBM
Carson Pirie Scott
Chicago Board of Trade
NBC Tower
RR Donnelly
200 North Riverside
United Center
Alder Planetarium
Grant Park 3

2nd Period (4th pick)
Spire
Smufit-Stone
333 North Wacker
CNA
Canyon Ranch
Tribune Tower
NBC Tower
Museum of Science and Industry
Pinnacle
Elysian
Tides
Lake Point Tower
Carson Pirie Scott
Waldorf-Astoria
Grant Park 3


4th Period (5th pick)
Spire
Aon Center
Trump Tower
Sears Tower
Wrigley Building
Soldier Field
Marina City
2 Prudential Plaza
AT&T Corporation
IBM Building
Musuem of Science and Industry
Elysian
311 South Wacker
Chicago Board of Trade

6th Period (last pick)
2 Prudential Plaza
Tribune Tower
900 North Michigan
Aqua
Chicago Theatre
Marina City
Canyon Ranch
Tides
Chicago Theatre
Waterview Tower
Millenium Park
Canyon Ranch
Grant Park Tower 4
US Cellular Field
Spertus

New Chicago Skyline

Here's a couple nice photos. The first is the new skyline, should those that are proposed and under construction continue their paths to completion. The second is the new skyline at night with the Spire drawn in.

Chicago Project - Tasks 1 & 2

Task One (Monday's HW):
Select your project project theme, background, perspective, and details. Students should come to their committees with an idea of what their "cityscape" is trying to show, and why they've chosen their particular items. Please note the slideshow below for SPECIFIC names of details. Students need to come prepared.

Task Two:
Each class needs to select (and rank) 20 items they wish to build. After Wednesday's Field Trip, classes will select those buildings they wish to build. Please refer to the Class Description for more specifics and categories to consider.

Chicago Project Introduction

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This is a fantastic video of Chicago's newest (future) landmark... the Chicago Spire (coming in 2011). It's a computer generated video, as the Spire obviously isn't complete yet, but still gives a great impression of the Spire's details. Also, it places a CG Spire into the Chicago Skyline - one the most beautiful skylines in the world.

It takes 5-10 minutes to load, and takes about 4-5 minutes long to watch. You'll also need quicktime to watch it. Enjoy!

Constitution Test Part 2 - Study This:

Tomorrow's final portion of the test will be 50 questions, covering these topics:

*Bill of Rights
*Amendment Process
*How a Bill Becomes a Law
*Judicial Branch
*Checks and Balances

And, some sample questions:
1. How many Amendments have actually been ratified?
27
2. At events like the State of the Union, the (blank) is the person who is hidden away in the event of an emergency.
Designated Survivor
3. Who is the leader of the Supreme Court?
Chief Justice
4. Is it possible to win the Presidency without actually getting the most votes?
Yes
5. In a Presidential Election, who breaks a tie?
House of Representatives
6. What kind of representation reflects the New Jersey Plan, giving power to the smaller states?
Equal Representation
7. What was the name of the “solution” to the slave population problem during the Constitutional Convention?
3/5ths Compromise
8. True/False: it is illegal to burn a flag.
False
9. How did the British Influence our Constitution?
Making sure ALL people follow laws.
10. The most prestigious chamber of Congress is led by the (blank) ?
Vice President (President Pro Tempore is 2nd, but usually leads b/c the VP has other things to do)

Constitution Test Clarifications

As lots of people are asking the same questions, maybe I can do some clarifying right now:

*50 Questions each day (Wednesday: 24 Questions on the Articles, Principles and Goals of the Preamble. 26 Questions on the Responsibilities and Duties of the 3 branches. )

*ALL Multiple Choice, matching, True/False, etc. NO ESSAYS.

*I'll do my best to have this graded ASAP. The aides are great at helping with this, so hopefully we can get it done quickly for the students.

Study Sessions - 5/7, 5/8

Anyone is welcome IF YOU'VE SIGNGED UP. With such great turnout, I can take all comers. I need people to sign up, and if you have, honor it and show up. You're welcome anytime between 7:15-7:45. Come when you can!

Field Trip Permission Slips Due 5/7

Please be sure to turn these in... you can't go if I don't get them!

If I get them by Wednesday, you get 5 points extra credit on the Constitution Test.

Homework for 5/5

Students should finish their (red) Take Home Quiz for tomorrow. They had ample class time, so it should already be done.

Before School Study - 5/6, 7:15-7:45

As the title of this post suggests, I'll be available in my room for some before school studying that anyone might need. I'll take all students interested, unless my room becomes too crowded.

See you tomorrow!

Constitution Sample Questions

Here's your first bunch of questions. See if you can get the answers. We'll discuss during our morning study session on Tuesday.

Have a lovely day :)

1. What is a “State of Nature?”
2. What is it called when somebody “gives permission” for another to do something?
3. What is a Social Contract?
4. Which part of the Constitution serves as its introduction, setting up the goals in it?
5. Which Goal deals with giving all people freedom and liberty?
6. Our military executing an attack against a group which has hurt us is called (which Preamble goal):
7. The preparation a vaccine to prevent an epidemic in America is an example of:
8. Which Goal of the Preamble would police officers arresting a suspect be called?
9. Which Goal is represented when states give up their different currencies for one American dollar system (like we have today)?
10. Which Article gives Powers to the Legislative Branch?

Notes from Class - 4/30 & 5/6

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Great Example of Sportsmanship

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/columns/story?columnist=hays_graham&id=3372631&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab5pos1

"The first pitch I took, it was a strike. And then I really don't remember where the home run pitch was at all; [I] just remember hitting it, and I knew it was out."

Prior to the pitch she sent over the center-field fence, she had just three hits in 34 at-bats this season. And in that respect, her hitting heroics would have made for a pleasing, if familiar, story line on their own: an unsung player steps up in one of her final games and lifts her team's postseason chances.

But it was what happened after an overly excited Tucholsky missed first base on her home run trot and reversed direction to tag the bag that proved unforgettable.

"I'm coaching third and I'm high-fiving the other two runners that came by -- then all of a sudden, I look up, and I'm like, 'Where's Sara?' And I look over, and she's in a heap beyond first base."

While she was doubling back to tag first base, Tucholsky's right knee gave out. The two runners who had been on base already had crossed home plate, leaving her the only offensive player on the field of play, even as she lay crumpled in the dirt a few feet from first base and a long way from home plate. First-base coach Shannon Prochaska -- Tucholsky's teammate for three seasons and the only voice she later remembered hearing in the ensuing conversation -- checked to see whether she could crawl back to the base under her own power.

As Knox explained, "It went through my mind, I thought, 'If I touch her, she's going to kill me.' It's her only home run in four years. I didn't want to take that from her, but at the same time, I was worried about her."

Umpires confirmed that the only option available under the rules was to replace Tucholsky at first base with a pinch runner and have the hit recorded as a two-run single instead of a three-run home run. Any assistance from coaches or trainers while she was an active runner would result in an out. So without any choice, Knox prepared to make the substitution, taking both the run and the memory from Tucholsky.

"And right then," Knox said, "I heard, 'Excuse me, would it be OK if we carried her around and she touched each bag?'"

If an opponent, on the losing side of a big time game, can see the big picture, shouldn't we all? Sports below the professional ranks isn't about winning and losing - it's about making us better people. They get it up in Washington.

Homework - April 29

Students need to complete their "Checks and Balances" worksheet.

And please note the typo - the third column should read "Keeping," not "keep." Sorry!

Notes from Class, April 28

These notes will cover Article 3 of the Constitution.

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And this image will review the checks and balances in place in our government.