Cyber Day IV

A Cyber Day today?  Gosh!  Who saw this coming?  (Um... I did.)

As we discussed yesterday, your Cyber Day assignment is to discover the wonder and splendor of ancient Greek architecture.  Find three terrific examples of ancient Greek buildings, post pictures of them, and write a short paragraph about each one.  Feel free to mention details like when and where they were built, what style they were built in, what materials were used to build them, what architectural details were included, and why the Greeks built these particular structures.

I have included some good sites for you to use.  However, you are required to write in your own words.  You all received the guidelines from Mr. Powell about doing your own work on Cyber Day assignments.  This means you don't copy other people's work, and you don't cut and paste from websites.  Read, learn, then tell me what you learned.

Some good sources (although you are free to use others):

• Ancient History 
• Ancient Greece
• Metropolitan Museum of Art
• History World
• Famous Historic Buildings

Post this assignment to your blog today, before midnight.  It's worth 20 points.  Late penalties will apply.  Write well, with a lot of detail, and you will receive a good grade.  Do a crummy job, receive a crummy grade.

We shall see how much snow falls, and how it impacts school tomorrow.  All three sections should be prepared to check my blog tomorrow if we have another Cyber Day.

Have a great day, and I'll see you... eventually!

March is coming in like a lion

Weather disruptions seem to be the name of the game this semester.  And with a weather forecast like this, it's easy to see us having another Cyber Day tomorrow.

So, if the Weather Service is on target, Sections 3 and 4 should be ready for their Cyber assignment tomorrow morning.  And, if we really get clobbered with some major accumulation, all three sections should keep their eyes on this blog Friday.

Have fun shoveling!

Greece - at the middle of the earth

A full day of school.  Ya don't see that every day...

Section and 4 and Section 6 were introduced to Greece today. 

The focus was on geography,
and how Greece's culture was shaped by its mountainous terrain,

its position on the water, and its location on the Mediterranean Sea.

A Google Earth's-eye view of Greece

ANOTHER Cyber Day

Since only Sections 3 and 6 meet today, they are the only ones REQUIRED to do this Cyber Day assignment.  Section 4, feel free to check it out and get a jump on things.

Cyber Day Assignment

Today we begin to study ancient Greece.  Go to the Google Slides titled (Ancient) Greece is the Word.  Take notes and answer questions on the first seven slides.  Post these notes to your blog.  Earn a maximum of 20 points by being thorough and detailed.  Earn far fewer points if you are lazy and do slapdash, minimal work.  Earn zero points if you don't do it.  I leave it to you to get this unit off to a good, strong start.  This assignment is due at midnight tonight.

Thanks, and enjoy your Cyber Day!

and now, a pep talk from Mr. Schick

Okay, it's been a crazy few weeks in West Civ.  Some highlights (and lowlights)...

We missed a ton of classes (Feb 10 - snow, Feb 13 - faculty retreat, Feb 16 - holiday, Feb 17 - Cyber Day, Feb 20 - Cyber Day II, Feb 26 - Cyber Day III), yet we still managed to complete a unit on ancient Egypt.  We tested on that unit yesterday, and here are your class averages.

• Section 3: 72%
• Section 4: 87%
• Section 6: 79%

Section 4 has a well-deserved reputation for being involved, energetic, and engaged in the discussions.  They take notes in the notebooks, and do a good job transferring the notes to their blogs.  Is this why they do so well on tests?  Of course it is.  Section 6 has shown a lot of improvement in the way they conduct themselves in class, which accounts for their grades going up since last semester.  Section 3's class average has dropped considerably, which is certainly due to near constant chatting and whispering - sometimes from one side of the room to the other.  Actually, Section 3 has more than twice as many kids failing right now than in the other two sections put together.  I try to teach the same way in all of my classes.  But I feel genuinely bad for students who are trying to do well, yet have a hard time concentrating because of all the distractions, and seeing their teacher lose his train of thought because of a handful of kids who don't care.

Is everybody in Section 3 failing?  Of course not.  Most of the class is doing their best.  But it's like dropping just a few drops of vinegar into a glass of water - the whole drink ends up tasting nasty.

Ask any kid who transferred into Section 4, and they'll tell you how much more fun class is, how much they are learning, and how their grades have improved.  And the only difference is how those students interact with their teacher.  

It's in your hands.

Rant over.

Side note - it's always interesting to hear how much you hated the Pyramid Challenge, but as I read your blogs, I see your frustration often accompanied by a sense of accomplishment at finally completing it.  Also, please check your grades and note that everyone who completed it received either an A or a B.  I was using the "threat" of a C or a zero to try to motivate you to work hard, and work as a team.  If you think that was too much pressure, keep in mind that I am trying to get you ready for SATs and ACTs (now, that's pressure!)

Next week we move from Egypt to ancient Greece.  Enjoy your weekend!

Cyber Day! (again) - UPDATED

Cyber Day.  Seriously.

As I mentioned in class and/or in yesterday's blog, we will have a test on ancient Egypt tomorrow (Friday).  Your Cyber Day assignment is to write five good questions that you might expect me to put on the test, and post them on your blog.  Do not write True/False questions.  If you write multiple choice questions, include at least four options, and make sure you designate the correct answer (highlight it, put it in bold, etc.).  

This assignment is worth 20 points.  It is due by midnight tonight.  This also counts as today's blog entry.

UPDATE:  This assignment is just for Sections 3 and 4.  Section 6 does not meet on Thursdays; therefore, Section 6 doesn't have to do this assignment. (You can if you think it will help you be ready for tomorrow, but it is not required.)

Yum!

After you are done shoveling or playing in the snow, may I recommend a nice warm treat, like hot chocolate, or maybe some pinto beans.

The Pyramid Challenge, and the upcoming test

From  to  !

If you successfully constructed your digital pyramid, congratulations!

If you did it on your own, without unauthorized assistance, you get even more credit for completing the assignment while retaining your integrity.

The test on Ancient Egypt will be given on Friday.

If you want to be prepared for this test, you should review the material in my Prezi and in my "From Prehistory to Civilization" PowerPoint.  It wouldn't hurt to take the Pyramid Challenge again, either.