Hand Bill Project

Students often believe we have had technology forever and were simply able to text or IM any information to our friends with the click of a button.  Besides physically speaking to one another, there was very little way to communicate.  When the printing press was invented it gave writers an outlet to write articles and give their opinions.  Prior to the American Revolution, authors were creating handbills.  These were short, one page newspaper type articles written by the owner of the printing press.  They were often passed from person to person and read in churches or other public places.  Handbills fueled the fire that lead to the Revolutionary War.

The 7th Grade class created these handbills for our American Revolution unit.  Ironically, we used technology to create them.  So to make them look "vintage", the class soaked them in coffee grounds and tea bags, which were items that caused disputes during this era.  This effect caused the paper to look old and weathered.  Their excellent handbills were historically accurate and are a great addition to our hallway full of historical examples and student work.  (Please note you can click on the photos for a closer view)

Pop Culture

Part of the social aspect of Social Studies is to discover the events in our lives that impact the way we speak, act and generally see the world.  One way I compare the present to the past is to discuss America's love of "Pop Culture".  The girls today are in love with Justin Bieber, just as the girls my age would do anything for New Kids on the Block and my mother's generation would scream in agony for missing a Beatles's performance on TV. (Disclaimer:  In NO way do I feel that Justin Bieber nor NKOTB are on the same lyrical and music level of the Beatles).
 

Entertainment has often defined eras of history, including the "Roaring 20's" and "The Hippies" of the 1960s.  From promoting an American agenda to protesting, music and media have had an impact on how we live our lives and define the culture of those eras.  In class and for homework we do a Current Events activity that not only includes recent national and world news, but also includes pop culture.  There is so much happening in regards to social media and technology that it is impossible to get away from it all.  Instead of ignoring it, we embrace it is added in to my daily lessons.

This has been an important component to Social Studies and why it is needed so much in school curriculum.  The pop culture is a great transition into important world and national news.  Since the start of 2011 there have been major national events in Egypt, Libya and Japan as well as numerous others.  We also remembered the one year anniversary of the tragedy in Haiti by having a moment of silence.  Just this week Justin Bieber was in Israel and caused international news for refusing a photo shoot that was seen as a political stunt.  Children may not watch CNN or Fox News when they arrive home at night, but major events are impossible to ignore.  Just logging into any major email account will present students with the news.  I also can not ignore the fact that students see the world different than adults.  They want to help and do the right thing everyday.  It is hard not to get emotional when seeing the impact that images and videos have on students.  It immediately calls them to action and to assist others.  There is nothing more rewarding than that as an educator.

In closure, I often refer to 80s movies or bands in class that had an impact on my life.  I feel it is important to share my life experiences, both good and bad with students.  One movie I loved as a child was Back to the Future.  During one of our free afternoons during Terra Nova testing, the students were able to watch this wonderful movie from 1985.  We can't escape the past, and we shouldn't.  The 80s are still around us....as this 1980's DeLorean I photographed here in Chicago shows us!  Who wants to go back in time?

Giving back to the community

Part of understanding the world around them is to recognize there are people in need not only in the world, but in Chicago as well.  The 7th Grade class created bags of hope for women's shelter here in Chicago.  The students created "Bags of Hope" for those in need.  Each bag was decorated with a message or slogan, such as "HOPE", "LOVE" and "PEACE".  The students added their artistic components and created some wonderful works of art.

The bags, as seen above turned out to be amazing!! The bags were filled with gently used clothing, new baby bottles and new diapers.  Each student added a personal note describing their wishes for those receiving the bags.

Classroom Updates, Report Cards, Cubs & Sox tickets, etc.

A few updates from the Junior High
 
3rd Quarter report cards were sent home today.  They are to be signed and returned no later than Wednesday, April 13, 2011.

There are still Cubs tickets remaining for Wednesday, April 27 at 1:20 pm vs the Rockies.  You can purchase up to 6 tickets per family and they are $3 each.

Additionally, I have order forms for FREE White Sox tickets for high achievers from last quarter.  There are 6 options for games you can attend and there are 2 tickets available for each student.

The volleyball team started off 2-0 this weekend in their first competitive action.  Games are on Saturday afternoons at St. Stans.  Softball starts next week and we still need a few more females to play on the team.  Games are Mondays and Tuesdays after school at Pulaski Park.

4th Quarter Classroom Updates:

8th Grade--The class is currently finishing the Progressive Era and will start the Spanish-American War/Foreign Policy growth next week.  To finish the school year they will complete a World War I unit and also visit the historic Pullman neighborhood on a field trip.

7th Grade--This class has been extremely efficient this school year and will finish the Revolutionary War early next week.  They will then be able to complete the Constitution unit/exam along with the State of IL exam before the school year ends.  This will allow them to cover more topics in 8th grade.

6th Grade--They are completing their newspapers on Ancient Greece at this time.  They will be creating Greek Mythology masks and costumes to perform Readers Theater in class.  The group will finish with Ancient Rome and hopefully the European Transition (Dark Ages & The Renaissance) as well as some African history.

5th Grade--The class is finishing the Growth of America, which covers the Revolution, the Louisiana Purchase, The War of 1812 & the first Industrial Revolution.  We will cover the Civil War as well as the State of Illinois history before the end of the year.

Dominican Reading Group--We are finishing The Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler this week.  Starting the following week the class will be split into Literature Circles and will be reading 3 books.  The books are Park's Quest, The Watsons Go To Birmingham and Snow Treasure.  All 3 books are historical fiction and will cover Social Studies topics as well.  These will be thematic units with about 6-7 students in each group and will work on their individual needs and skills.

Please remember I am available a half an hour everyday before school and usually stay until 5pm every night.  I can help with additional resources for students and also work with them on specific Social Studies skills and note-taking techniques.

Lets finish the school year strong!!
Sincerely,

Mr. Parsons

Traveling to the Fertile Crescent!

The 6th grade class recently studied the origin of our first known civilization, the land of the Fertile Crescent.  During this unit, the class began working on Travel Brochures.  The basis for the brochure was to understand the geography of area, which is located in modern day Iraq.  The region was the first area where people settled, created cities and learned agricultural skills.  No longer did people have to wander and be nomadic searching for food.  Students were able to grasp "The Land Between Two Rivers" working on this project.

The brochure also allowed them to use their creative side artistically and to write about activities the people at this time may have enjoyed.  They added detailed writing components, scale maps and also pictures of people enjoying their time in Mesopotamia.  This class is full of kinesthetic and visual learners, which allowed this project to benefit all learning types.

Math and Social Studies sure do mix!

One major platform for Social Studies is the understanding of how economics are an important factor in any era of history.  The 5th Grade class was able to display their ability to work with money in Social Studies.  As part of the unit on the American Revolution, they learned about the hardships faced by the troops and army regimens during the war.  Battalions often faced profiteering, where merchants charged inflated prices for goods the soliders desperately needed.

Students were given different scenarios where they had the opportunity to purchase multiple goods on a limited budget while using "Continentals", the colonial currency during the Revolutionary War.  They were to decide what their troops needed the most while heading south to the Carolinas after winter.  One group realized they could sell their Winter coats due to being in a warmer climate.  Thus they were able to gain additional money to spend and were able to buy additional supplies.  The class then presented their math problems to the class and presented their spending scenarios while arguing why their plan was the best.  A fun, engaging and real life activity the students thouroughly enjoyed!

Award Recipients, Honor Roll and Contest Winners

Although my homeroom class is somewhat small compared to a typical classroom, their achievements and successes are BIG!!!

Nine out of my eleven students made the High or Second Honor Roll for the 2nd quarter.  They are, from left to right: Bryan Barocio, Jonathan Garcia, Niuyen Garcia, Paul Hayes, Anny Solano, Melissa Hernandez, Nia Curel, Brianna Alvarez and Ashley Aguilar.  Congratulations to these fine students for their hard work achieving great success in the classroom.


The 7th Grade class also had two award winners, the Best Effort and the Peacemaker Award respectively.  The Best Effort Award was presented to Bryan Barocio.  Bryan works hard in and out of school each and every day.  He participates in Math Club and Student Council along with numerous sports teams.  Bryan asks questions for deeper understanding of class material and is able to “think outside of the box”.   He is a model student. One who is well behaved, attentive and does what is asked of him.  Bryan has a great future to look forward to and is a role model for younger students at St. Sylvester School.

The Peacemaker Award was presented to Anny Solano.  Anny first and foremost always has a smile on her face in school.  As they say, smiles are contagious and she always seems to make the students around her excited and happy to be in school.  She displays a positive attitude towards her schoolwork and never says a negative word about an assignment or an exam.  Often times it is difficult to stay positive and happy all day, but Anny is the person who keeps it together for 7^th Grade.  Her positive attitude reflects on her report card as well.  Anny has a wonderful future ahead of her and is a great asset to St. Sylvester School.

Finally, Anny Solano received the award for the middle school for creating a wonderful poster on what school means to her.  She created this wonderful poster and received an award for her work, a free dress down pass for her efforts and the poster was displayed in school for open houses and other weekly events for all to see!