"All mankind is divided into three classes: those that are immovable, those that are movable, and those that move." Ben Franklin

http://thehistoricfoodie.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/chimneycorner_jclark.jpg

Dear Families--

You may have noticed that the communication and style of our blog has changed. More and more I'm trying to use it as a teaching directory--and a way to provide you with the information and activities your child is experiencing each day. It's good to know what's going on here and to see how your child's education is evolving in a "21st Century" classroom.

Showing students how to access information is easier said than done. My goal is to help them develop the skills and mindset to independently explore resources, glean information from primary text, and develop the curiosity and motivation that exemplifies true learning. Moving forward, we will move through a plethora of self-directed activities and experiences designed to pique their interests.

SOCIAL STUDIES FOR THIS WEEK:

What was it like in colonial times? I'm always interested in what everyday life was like for people. As this video reveals, very few folks dressed in the fancy clothes we associate with colonial America. Click here to see how most of us would have dressed for a typical day.

This week we'll share our information about colonial trades. (Be looking for an informational bulletin board that describes many of the trades and crafts of colonial America.) We'll complete a quick review of American colonies (test), then embark on an adventure to learn about the French and Indian War.

WANT TO STUDY? (say "YES!"--the test is Thursday, for Pete's sake!)) Check out the "13 Colonies" links to the left of this blog entry.

~

LANGUAGE ARTS FOR THIS WEEK:

Both classes are finishing up their "Hero" PowerPoints in Language Arts. The children have been given the freedom to develop these PowerPoints in unique and expressive ways as they work toward quality. I hope you have had the opportunity to view these projects and offer feedback to your child. The syllabus I provided was a step-by-step guide for them and you—did you find it helpful?

Students in 5/6 are required to provide me with a written copy of their research before the end of the week. It’ll be good to wrap things up before spring break.

~

GRADE 6 BOOK PROJECT FOR WEEK OF APRIL 15: Students will fill in an online book review template using the link below. They will then cut and paste the summary part of the review onto another sheet of paper to include in an artistic display.

Click here to download the document: bookreview_elementary-download.doc

~

That should just about do it for the week. I hope you all have a chance to relax and enjoy your family next week. Be safe; I'll see you all soon.

And again, thanks for all you do--

Teri

P.S. Hey kids: If you have a few minutes with nothing to do, you might be interested in reading a cool web-comic / colonial mystery called "Written in Bone: The Secret in the Cellar." It's located here. For those of you who do and can answer a few easy questions when you get back, there's 10 humongous bonus points in it for you! SUCH a deal!

P.P.S. -- Here's the last thing you'll need to do for Digital Wish. Please take this Student Post-Deployment Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/student2012post

"Hard times don't create heroes. It is during the hard times when the 'hero' within us is revealed." -- Bob Riley

http://ettc.lrhsd.org/archives/13colo2.jpg

Welcome families--
This week we'll travel back in time and explore how people made a living in colonial America. This will involve two activities. Here is a copy of what I gave to the kids:

Part 1:

We will investigate colonial trades through virtual tours of living history museums and through primary sources containing personal accounts of colonial apprentices.

For this activity, your tasks will be to:

Read about becoming an apprentice:

Benjamin Franklin, “How I Became a Printer in Philadelphia (old fashioned language!)

More information about becoming an apprentice (modern language)

This is interesting, too!

“I Was Sure of Getting a Trade”: John Fitch’s Long Journey Towards Becoming an Artisan

. . .And answer the following questions: (These should be carefully thought-out, complete responses)

1. What was life like for colonial apprentices and other youth?

2. When did young people have to choose a trade?

3. How do the lives of colonial apprentices compare/contrast to your own?

Part 2:

We’re going to learn about the many trades practiced in colonial America, the process of becoming an artisan, and the role of artisans in colonial society.

For this activity, your task will be to:

• Choose a trade and become that person. Research your trade, using the questions [on the next page] to guide you. The answers will then be written in paragraph form.
• Create a mini-poster that includes the name of your trade and an illustration.
• Present your information to the class.

The information and poster will create an impressive bulletin board display in the hallway, so the emphasis is on creating a product that is PRESENTATION QUALITY!

TO DIRECT YOUR RESEARCH:

1. Your trade is__________

2. Describe your trade in detail.

3. What are the tools of your trade, and where do you get them?

4. What are the required skills of your trade?

5. Do you need to be an apprentice for your job? If so, for how long? What process do you go through to become the master of your craft?

MINI-POSTER DIRECTIONS

On an 8 ½ X 11 piece of art paper, write the name of your trade in large, decorative letters. Then draw a picture that exemplifies your trade. (For example, if I was a broom maker, I’d draw a [colonial-style] broom on my paper.) Fill the space, and use bold colors; small pictures or letters don’t show up well on a display.

Your mini-poster (8 ½ X 11) and write-up will be matted.

and glued onto a 12 X 18 piece of construction paper for our hallway display.

Here is a list of colonial trades (certainly not a complete one!) Click on the links to begin your research. (I do hope you look beyond this one site for your information. There's lots out there!

• Apothecary-Pharmacist
• Architect
• Baker
• Basketmaker
• Blacksmith/Farrier
• Brickmaker
• Broom Maker
• Cabinetmaker
• Carpenter
• Chandler
• Chandler
• Cooper
• Doctor
• Glassblower
• Gunsmith and Founder
• Harnessmaker and Saddler
• Innkeepter/Tavern Owner
• Leather Working
• Miller
• Milliner
• Hatter
• Papermaker
• Peddler
• Pewterer
• Potter
• Printer and Binder
• Shipbuilder
• Shoemaker
• Silversmith
• Soap Making
• Tailor
• Weaver
• Wheelwright
• Whitesmith
• Wigmaker

HOW INTERESTED ARE YOU IN LEARNING MORE?
THESE ARE REALLY WORTH LOOKING AT:

http://colonialjobspathfinder.wikispaces.com/file/view/look---.gif

• Dictionary of trades and occupations -- JUST in case you didn't think there was anything going on in Colonial America...
• Kid Info--Colonial Life Pretty much anything you want to learn about colonial life can be found here; this is an excellent, very rich site to explore!

• Colonial Diseases
• What Colonial Schools Were Like--Hard Benches
• School
• Index of many trades to look through for more information
• Colonial Trades and Slideshows--useful information for project
• Tradesmen in Colonial America--more information about many of the trades
• Slavery in the colonies--interactive--Must see! Must read!
• Magic Lens Interactive Reading Primary Documents—Slavery This is just SO INTERESTING!

~IN OTHER AREAS~

LANGUAGE ARTS, both classes:

I'm hoping to have students complete their "Hero" PowerPoints and present them to the class this week, which will conclude our unit. Have your child show you the rubric which will be used to their project. They've used it as a guide for their work.

6th grade: Spelling and DOL, Unit 22 -- due Friday.

I hope your evening is a pleasant one.

Teri

Writing, to me, is simply thinking through my fingers. --Isaac Asimov

http://chemistry.berea.edu/lobo2/using/cite/citing.gif

CITE THOSE SOURCES

To create bibliographies for your Heroes PowerPoint, click here. This wonderful free site is called

FYI: I modified the steps for creating a bibliography and will go over them in class tomorrow. Be sure you have all your information (url addresses, etc.) ready to go.

Just know that you will only be working with the following two icons on Citation Wizard:

Click on the icon for whichever kind of source you used and fill in all appropriate information. (Notice that some items have asterisks next to them. They must be filled in before an entry can be created.)

OTHER NEWS AND ASSIGNMENTS

Grade 6 is going to VUHS tomorrow, April 5, from 12:15--1:45. They will eat lunch before departing. What a great opportunity to get a glimpse of the wonderful band and chorus programs awaiting them!

SOCIAL STUDIES:

Today, Grade 6 completed a graphic organizer titled, "Colony Profiles." This was a great exercise in finding information from multiple sources. Students learned also that not all sources necessarily agree. That's history for you! Here again are the websites we used. (Please note that the first one could not be accessed at school; I'm getting that fixed. We used my computer and the overhead for today.) This assignment is due Friday, April 6. Grade 5 will work on this tomorrow.

Colony Profiles: Learn about how each colony was established.

American Colonies

Another Map Interactive that might be helpful.

Chart of the 13 Colonies--good, quick information

When Colonies Were Founded

Original Inhabitants of Colonies

You can find out about important people here.

13 Colonies Village and Trades--Find out what a colonial town was like.

LANGUAGE ARTS:

Both classes continue to work on Heroes PowerPoints. I'm concerned that some students, particularly 5th graders, are not where they should be at this point. Please know that there is ample time and support in class for ALL learners. We'll work on Bibliographies on Thursday, and then students should be finishing up in preparation for presenting next week. Ask to see the project guidelines I provided to each of them.

Grade 6 is working on Unit 21 in Spelling and DOL (Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics). Test on Friday!

READING:

GRADE 6: Our reading is all over the place. If it's not our reading group books, it's informational text of one sort or another. Lots of overlapping projects these days.

DANGER, DANGER!! Grade 6 has a book project that is due NO LATER THAN Friday.

Have a restful, peaceful, quiet, relaxing, soothing, enjoyable evening, everyone.

Teri

Determine never to be idle...It is wonderful how much may be done if we are always doing. --Thomas Jefferson

http://www.personal.psu.edu/cjm402/New%20England%20Colonies_files/image008.jpg

Welcome to April, Everyone--

What do you consider to be the truest harbingers of spring? Here are a few of mine:

Seed catalogs piling up on my kitchen table, a profusion of sap buckets on maple trees, skunks waddling their way out of hibernation, little clumps of green pushing up through the mulch and scattered leaves by the stone wall, early morning bird song, Daylight Savings Time, the rising cacophony of peepers and wood frogs, Canada geese honking their way to their summer feeding grounds, electric-yellow forsythia, up-to-your-axles mud, and, last but not least, coats and scarves flung with wild abandon across the playground as children clamor to shed themselves of all vestiges of winter.

But I digress. . .

Here is a working list of what to expect this week:

SOCIAL STUDIES:

LINKS FOR MONDAY'S ASSIGNMENT (GRADE 6) AND TUESDAY'S ASSIGNMENT (GRADE 5):

Regions: Find out about which colonies are in each region. Also, get information about climate/geography, religion, and economy.

Regions--What were the geographic regions of the 13 colonies? Find out about the environment, natural resources, and religions of these regions.

~

13 Colonies Scavenger Hunt, An Independent Assignment, is due no later than Friday,April 6. (All necessary paperwork will be provided.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

LINKS FOR WEDNESDAY/THURSDAY ASSIGNMENT (I'll provide the graphic organizer for this assignment.)

Colony Profiles: Learn about how each colony was established.

American Colonies

Another Map Interactive that might be helpful.

Chart of the 13 Colonies--good, quick information

When Colonies Were Founded

Original Inhabitants of Colonies

You can find out about important people here.

13 Colonies Village and Trades--Find out what a colonial town was like.

LANGUAGE ARTS:

Both classes continue to work on Heroes PowerPoints. We'll work on Bibliographies this week, and then students should be finishing up in preparation for presenting next week. Ask to see the project guidelines I provided to each of them.

Grade 6 is also on Unit 21 in Spelling and DOL (Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics). The copier was down this morning, so Day 1 was not completed. I'll give everyone ample time tomorrow to get caught up.

READING:

All reading groups are either done with or nearing completion of their most current books. All necessary paperwork must be turned in ASAP.

Grade 6 has a book project that is due NO LATER THAN Friday.

It's getting late; time to head home. . . Have a great evening, families.
Teri