18 & 19 December

We started work on the Revolutionary War Theme Park Today.  This will be your test on the Revolutionary War.

I graded your Revolutionary War Packet and your Test Review, but you kept them to use on the test.  If you did not have them today, please bring them back after the break.

Have a good Christmas Break and be safe!

14 & 17 December

Today's starter was to get you ready for your test next time - How is a theme park different from an amusement park?

Your test will be to create a them park with rides and activities that are themed around the American Revolutionary War.

Today we filled in a review sheet to help you to prepare for the test.

12 & 13 December

Today's starter had three parts:  1.  What are the three unalienable rights spoken of in the Declaration of Independence?  2.  Why do governments exist?  3.  Where do governments get their power?

After discussing the starter we finished up the chart on the British and Continental Army strengths and weaknesses.

We played Jeopardy and then began the test review.

10 & 11 December

Today's starter was:  Thomas Jefferson said that people are born with 3 rights - what do you think they are?

We conducted a thought experiment where I asked the class to consider the following scenarios:

• What would Vista Heights be like if there were no school rules?  What would happen?
• What would happen if there were no laws at Vista Heights?
• What would happen if there were no laws in the United States?

We used these three scenarios to begin a discussion about rights and what happens to those rights in a "state of nature."  We then discussed how people would most like likely organize together to protect their rights from being taken away.  In organizing together we give up some of our rights to protect the majority of our rights.  This led to a discussion about the purpose of government.

We then read a large portion of the Declaration of Independence.  We discussed the "unalienable rights" and the purpose of government. 

We answered some questions on the Declaration.

We then looked at the strengths and weaknesses of the British and Continental Armies.

6 & 7 December

Today's starter: What is the purpose of our government?  What does it do?  This is the first of a new set of starters.

We began class with an Encyclopedia Brown mystery - today's was a difficult one.

We discussed the starter - we will look at the main idea of this starter next week when we look at the Declaration of Independence in depth.

We finished watching Johnny Tremain and we corrected and handed in the questions (at least in the A day classes - B day will turn these in next week).

We also recognized Pearl Harbor Day and briefly reviewed the events of December 7, 1941.

4 & 5 December

There was no starter today due to CCRs.

Today we met with the Vista Heights Middle School counselors in the Media Center.  Each student sat down with a counselor or an administrator to discuss their plans for classes at Westlake and options available for college.

Parents, if you were unable to attend, or if you would like more information, please feel free to call the counseling office or visit their webpage.

Because of the CCRs, there was no in-class work that the students are responsible for.  We did watch a video on the contributions of Benjamin Franklin, but there was no graded class work.

30 November & 3 December

Our last starter for this set was: Why are liberty and freedom such powerful motivators?  Why are people willing to die to get them and to keep them?

We turned in our starters.

We filled in information in our cause and effect chart on the intolerable acts.

We handed out a new packet on the Revolutionary War and we took two notes in the packet - on the purpose and actions of the Continental Congress.

We continued watching Johnny Tremain.