I'm not 100% sure that we have a blog post tonight, so I'll do one anyways. Yesterday, we had no school due to the hurricane. I worked on the integrated project a little bit at home. Today, we worked on our integrated projects. Jess and I are doing a board game and had to draw Pompey's statue for it. We chose to skillfully rearrange his toga so he wasn't naked. I commented that Pompey was so sassy that he ripped off his toga.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Friday, October 26, 2012
10/25 - 10/26 Class Update
Yesterday, we had a quiz on the preamble of the Declaration of Independence. After that, we started talking about battles during the Revolutionary War and took notes on them. Then we got very off-topic. We talked about the weather, which resulted in Mr Boyle saying that there are people dying in Jamaica dying because of the "Franken-storm" and we're excited for it. It's true. We had a earthquake last week, but it wasn't that big. It just "jiggled a little."
Today, we had a test. It was supposed to be out of 80 points but there were only 75 points available on it. I counted. Jess says that Mr Boyle is being sneaky. I don't like tests. They make me sad. That is all.
Today, we had a test. It was supposed to be out of 80 points but there were only 75 points available on it. I counted. Jess says that Mr Boyle is being sneaky. I don't like tests. They make me sad. That is all.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
10/23 - 10/24 Class Update
Yesterday, we did a Battles of the American Revolution QR Scavenger Hunt. We ran around the square on the first floor (foreign language hall, science hall, history hall, and the hallway leading to the cafeteria) looking for pieces of paper with a QR code taped to the wall. Each of the QR codes linked to a question or hint to determine what battle from the American Revolution each one was.
Today, we watched a video on art of the American Revolution. One of the artists that was mentioned was John Singleton Copley, the person I did my Revolutionary Replica on. I already knew most of what was said about the two paintings he did because of this, but I still learned things about him and the other artists. John Singleton Copley, John Trumbull, Emanuel Luetze, and Grant Wood all used triangles/arranging the subjects in triangles in their works. I hadn't noticed that before it was said.
(Mr Boyle, if you see this before school tomorrow, DON'T FORGET THE MONSTERS INC DVD!!)
Today, we watched a video on art of the American Revolution. One of the artists that was mentioned was John Singleton Copley, the person I did my Revolutionary Replica on. I already knew most of what was said about the two paintings he did because of this, but I still learned things about him and the other artists. John Singleton Copley, John Trumbull, Emanuel Luetze, and Grant Wood all used triangles/arranging the subjects in triangles in their works. I hadn't noticed that before it was said.
(Mr Boyle, if you see this before school tomorrow, DON'T FORGET THE MONSTERS INC DVD!!)
Friday, October 19, 2012
10/18 - 10/19 Class Update
Yesterday, we had a sub. We wrote an essay on "The Crisis, Number I." by Thomas Paine. I never actually finished my essay because the sub talked for somewhere between 15 minutes and half an hour about how "inspired" the document made her and the history behind it. She wouldn't let us take them home to finish, but she let the other class do that. She also wrote the quote that we were answering the question on wrong and I didn't catch it until today. She wrote, "These are the times that try new men's souls," instead of "These are the times that try men's souls." Not sure how I didn't catch that, considering the fact that I underlined it in the document...
Today, we learned about the Battle of Trenton/Princeton and the Battle for New York. We watched the animation on these two battles at http://www.revolutionarywaranimated.com/. As far as the Battle for New York, I thought it was smart of George Washington to relocate the colonist militia while the British soldiers were sleeping and on Christmas Day. It definitely kept the colonists safer, if not giving them an advantage. We also talked about the essay we wrote yesterday. I agreed that these still are the "times that try men's souls." Thomas Paine never actually said that this was due to the battles of the Revolutionary War. The colonists were in a rough economic situation due to the British taxing them, just like today (though ours isn't because of the British).
Today, we learned about the Battle of Trenton/Princeton and the Battle for New York. We watched the animation on these two battles at http://www.revolutionarywaranimated.com/. As far as the Battle for New York, I thought it was smart of George Washington to relocate the colonist militia while the British soldiers were sleeping and on Christmas Day. It definitely kept the colonists safer, if not giving them an advantage. We also talked about the essay we wrote yesterday. I agreed that these still are the "times that try men's souls." Thomas Paine never actually said that this was due to the battles of the Revolutionary War. The colonists were in a rough economic situation due to the British taxing them, just like today (though ours isn't because of the British).
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
10/16 - 10/17 Class Update
Yesterday, we read the Declaration of Independence in groups (as per usual). In these groups, we were assigned a section of the document to summarize- the introduction, preamble, indictment, indictment (cont'd), denunciation, conclusion, and signatures (we didn't do the signatures- everyone already knows what signatures are and that John Hancock's is the biggest and most legible). My group was the biggest (yay technical issues!) and therefore got both parts of the indictment. This section points out things the king did wrong, like not passing laws or allowing them to be created, interfering with the colony's military, the Intolerable Acts, so on and so forth.
Today, we got into different groups and shared our information on the sections of the Declaration of Independence we did yesterday so we would all have it. We also had a class discussion about the government that all boiled down to the importance of voting. The social contract is when we give up certain controls to the government so that they ensure others don't take away our natural rights (life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness). This means that we (meaning anyone over 18 who is registered to vote!) should vote for the person who they feels better protects their natural rights, depending on what issues ensure their happiness. As a 16 year old who can't vote for 2 more years, I could petition the government and write a letter to President Obama and/or Governor Romney about how their bickering on last night's debate was unacceptable, if I chose to. A point that was made was that there's no one forcing you to stay in the country- if you don't like it, you can go somewhere else where you prefer their government. Like the weather, many people complain about the government but don't do anything to change it- their vote could ultimately help change it for the better. If you don't vote, then you allowed the government to be the way it is.
Today, we got into different groups and shared our information on the sections of the Declaration of Independence we did yesterday so we would all have it. We also had a class discussion about the government that all boiled down to the importance of voting. The social contract is when we give up certain controls to the government so that they ensure others don't take away our natural rights (life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness). This means that we (meaning anyone over 18 who is registered to vote!) should vote for the person who they feels better protects their natural rights, depending on what issues ensure their happiness. As a 16 year old who can't vote for 2 more years, I could petition the government and write a letter to President Obama and/or Governor Romney about how their bickering on last night's debate was unacceptable, if I chose to. A point that was made was that there's no one forcing you to stay in the country- if you don't like it, you can go somewhere else where you prefer their government. Like the weather, many people complain about the government but don't do anything to change it- their vote could ultimately help change it for the better. If you don't vote, then you allowed the government to be the way it is.
Monday, October 15, 2012
10/12 & 10/15 Class Update
On Friday, we were all given a document for either the Olive Branch Petition, Common Sense, or Plain Truth. In groups determined by which document we had, we found the main ideas of each document and important facts. We were then split into another set of groups where we taught each other about the document we had. I'm sure there were inconsistencies with the information from group to group, like what one person found to be important and another didn't think it was important so they didn't share it, but we all got the main ideas for each document.
Today, we presented our Revolutionary Replica "guests." For the record- never ever use orange (or yellow, for that matter) markers for skin. It may work out well for colored pencil, but marker makes your person look like they belong on some form of Jersey Shore in the 1760's. It's not pretty and now my guy looks like he belongs in the back of someone's closet or the trash can. Anyways, I had John Singleton Copley, which I pronounced wrong every time I said his name in my VoiceThread (which is in the previous post). Apparently 'Copley' doesn't have the 'oh' sound, it's more of an 'ahh.' He was an artist in the New England colonies before the American Revolution.
Lesson learned- I know about the Olive Branch Petition, Common Sense, and Plain Truth. And not to use orange markers for skin. Unless I'm drawing Snooki. That's the only case where it's acceptable.
Today, we presented our Revolutionary Replica "guests." For the record- never ever use orange (or yellow, for that matter) markers for skin. It may work out well for colored pencil, but marker makes your person look like they belong on some form of Jersey Shore in the 1760's. It's not pretty and now my guy looks like he belongs in the back of someone's closet or the trash can. Anyways, I had John Singleton Copley, which I pronounced wrong every time I said his name in my VoiceThread (which is in the previous post). Apparently 'Copley' doesn't have the 'oh' sound, it's more of an 'ahh.' He was an artist in the New England colonies before the American Revolution.
Lesson learned- I know about the Olive Branch Petition, Common Sense, and Plain Truth. And not to use orange markers for skin. Unless I'm drawing Snooki. That's the only case where it's acceptable.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Revolutionary Replica VoiceThread
(If my voice sounds weird, it's because I'm getting sick)
Edit: Also, ignore the fact that I pronounced Copley's name wrong. Whoops.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
10/9 - 10/10 Class Update
Yesterday, in attempt to determine who fired the "shot heard 'round the world" in the Battle of Lexington and Concord, we looked at six different sources from different people who recorded the event. First, we watched a TedTalk on how reliable an eyewitness source really is. It was determined that your mind fills in a lot of information or groups it together. The speaker identified this with September 11th, 2001. He said that he, along with many others, could swear that the second Twin Tower fell within an hour or two of the first, but this isn't true- it fell almost a day later. This related to the documents that we looked at by helping us determine if they were reliable or not. All of which were decidedly not reliable, mostly due to being written up to a week later, being biased, and/or not actually seeing the event occur.
Today, we looked at both this and this animation to learn about the more about the Battles of Lexington and Concord and the Battles of Bunker/Breed's Hills. After this, we created search stories on the two battles (which will be posted once it finally loads!).
Today, we looked at both this and this animation to learn about the more about the Battles of Lexington and Concord and the Battles of Bunker/Breed's Hills. After this, we created search stories on the two battles (which will be posted once it finally loads!).
Friday, October 5, 2012
10/4 - 10/5 Class Update
Yesterday, we did an EdCafé on the events before the American Revolution that paved the road to the colonists' independence. This one wasn't as successful as the previous EdCafé we did. No one really knew enough about each event to discuss their opinions- instead, we all worked on just getting the facts. I think it would've been more successful if we had been taught the information as a class, even if it's just the bare minimum to be able to form an opinion on the event, and then the leaders of the EdCafé received additional information to discuss. I had the Boston Massacre/Townshend Acts. In my discussion, I was only able to ask a few questions that didn't relate to the information I gave to the rest of the group, like, "Based on the word 'massacre' in the name of the Boston Massacre, how many people do you think were killed?" I asked if anyone thought they would've had the same reaction as various people involved, but I didn't get any conclusive answers because no one knew the information well enough to form an opinion.
Today, we got more information on the events from the EdCafés we did yesterday. We also read the poem Paul Revere's Ride by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. In pairs, we wrote our own poem in a similar style but using historically accurate information. With most of the information we received on Paul Revere and the real story, I found that I remembered a lot of information from 5th grade, but not well enough that I could randomly spurt out facts about it without prompting it.
Today, we got more information on the events from the EdCafés we did yesterday. We also read the poem Paul Revere's Ride by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. In pairs, we wrote our own poem in a similar style but using historically accurate information. With most of the information we received on Paul Revere and the real story, I found that I remembered a lot of information from 5th grade, but not well enough that I could randomly spurt out facts about it without prompting it.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
10/2 - 10/3 Class Update
Yesterday in history, we read about George Washington and the French and Indian War. My group never actually got past the first page... (we liked Governor Robert Dinwiddie's name too much). However, from what Mr. Boyle told us, we found out that the British ultimately won but King George III made some decisions that the colonists didn't like too much and made them angry about being ruled from 3000 miles away.
Today, we worked on our Google Presentations on our EdCafe topics. My group started getting frustrated at how many times we had to refresh the page- automatic saving isn't a good thing as far as working on school computers goes. We each worked on two of the six sections from our event profiles. I liked how we worked on a group presentation, but I don't think Google Drive is the best choice for doing it at school. It took us a long time to type one word, and we ultimately ended up writing everything in Microsoft Word and copy and pasting it into the presentation, which still took a long time but slightly less.
Today, we worked on our Google Presentations on our EdCafe topics. My group started getting frustrated at how many times we had to refresh the page- automatic saving isn't a good thing as far as working on school computers goes. We each worked on two of the six sections from our event profiles. I liked how we worked on a group presentation, but I don't think Google Drive is the best choice for doing it at school. It took us a long time to type one word, and we ultimately ended up writing everything in Microsoft Word and copy and pasting it into the presentation, which still took a long time but slightly less.
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