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The Future is YOURS

Winter Vacation is Upon Us

Students, we have reached Winter Break. I hope you enjoy your days of vacation and have a chance to relax. I hope the break is a good one for you, one that you will get the most out of. School will resume of course, but take your mind off school and studies for the next week and just be a kid and fun. However, before you totally put your mind on "vacation mode," I would like to take this opportunity to reflect a bit on the first half of sixth grade. It seems like just yesterday we all arrived here for our first day of school back in August. Time does fly, but in the past semester, I feel we have accomplished much. We have studied four ancient worlds: Stone Age, Mesopotamia, Egypt, and China. We were able to win $850 for our Scrapbook project. Ancient Quest was published, you traveled the Silk Road, you learned how to blog, you completed your freedom project, you learned new things, you tried to survive a day in the Stone Age, you met Johnny Rawten, and you chose your character for the Wax Museum. We had WSG t-shirts, giveaways, and videos. Overall, I feel like you have done a great job working hard and having a great attitude. Keep in mind, grades are not everything. The type of person you are is what is most important. Be respectful. Be courteous. Be smart. Be nice. Be honorable. Be tough. Keep working hard and strive to be the best person possible. What can you do to have a positive affect on the world? On your country? On your town? On your family? Think about it and be Great. Have a wonderful Winter Vacation.

-Mr. Klumper

Ancient Quest Giveaway

The FIRST person to post the correct answer to this question wins the book: Ancient Quest. Good Luck!
Question: What is the DATE of the Black Team WAX MUSEUM for this school year?

(Hint: The answer is somewhere on Water for Sixth Grade)

Google Tricks

Want to see some fun Google tricks? Check out this video for a few examples. Fun for the whole family.

The Scare

WSG Live!: Ancient China

Ancient China came and went in what seemed like a blink of an eye (that means it went by really fast.) Here we are, at the end of ancient China, preparing to take the test. And with that test, comes WSG Live! This is our fourth ancient world that we have visited so far, which means this will be our fourth WSG Live! event. I am once again excited to blog with all of you in real-time and help you study for your test. Despite the fact that it is an open-note test, you MUST study. You will not have enough time to look up every answer in your notes. WSG Live! is poised to be another blockbuster event, as we share, discuss, and review ancient China together.
I hope to see you there!
WSG Live! Ancient China: Wednesday: 8:00--8:30 p.m.

Student Created Study Guide: Ancient China

Do you want a study guide for the test? Do you want something that you can look at and use to help you get ready for the test? Well, you are in luck because I am going to give you exactly what you want--a study guide. However, I am not going to be making the study guide because if I'm doing the work of making the study guide, then I am doing the learning/reviewing myself, which doesn't make sense because I'm not the one taking the test. So, you will be making the study guide. This is our first "student created study guide" of the school year and it is going to help you get prepared for our Ancient China test. You will be posting questions, then responding to a classmate's questions. Alright, let's get to it...



For our student created study guide, I want you to use the following notes/topics:
1. China Vocab Packet
2. Land of Differences
3. Great Wall of China
4. Dynasties of China
5. Map of China
6. Silk Road
With these topics, you need to post ONE question from EACH topic, which equals 6 TOTAL questions.
Question type: you can use multiple choice, short answer, and true/false. Use a variety of question types. If you use multiple choice, the choices need to be labeled A, B, C, D and they need to make sense.
Student Follow-Up
Today after school through Wednesday night, you need to look at the long list of questions and select ONE classmate to respond to with the answers to their questions.
Follow-Up Example:
"Dear ________,
1. (answer)
2. (answer)
and so on....

Questions in class blogging.
Follow-up outside of school.

Shi Huangdi: Insane Monster or Progressive Visionary?

In ancient China, the land was ruled by dynasties. One of those dynasties, the third one overall, was called the Qin dynasty. The Qin dynasty was established by Shi Huangdi, who united China and became the first emperor of China. Shi Huangdi is perhaps the most well-known ancient Chinese emperor. Why is he so well-known? Well, that is for us to decide. Some people call Shi Huangdi a insane monster who used fear and brutality to rule his people. Others, call him a progressive visionary who established key features to China that continue to shape China today. Today, we are going to look at both sides of the arguement and decide for ourselves whether we think Shi Huangdi is a hero or a villian.
Shi Huangid: Insane Monster or Progressive Visionary?

Task: Use the link above to help you decide what you think about Shi Huangdi. The link will provide you both sides of the arguement, and its up to you to decide what is more important. In your comment, I want you to state in ALL CAPS your decision. "Hero" or "Villain" Then, explain your position in 3-4 sentences. Do NOT just say "I think he is a villian cause he did bad stuff." Give me specifics. Think about your response and give me a good, well thought out answer.

In-Class Blogging.

Terra Cotta Army

Terra Cotta on Prezi

Navy SEAL David Rutherford

WSG Giveaway: Bracelets from China!

All you have to do is be one of the first 9 students to translate the word above and post a comment of the CORRECT word in English.

Use this link to help you translate: Chinese Translation

GOOD LUCK!

Silk Road: Student Scenarios

Students, the Silk Road adventure has begun. I hope you are all still surviving. As you discovered in class, there are many different scenarios for this game. Anything and everything happened to the Silk Road travelers in ancient China. Harsh climate, thieves, warriors, things breaking...it all happened. Thursday, I put you through many different scenarios that I came up with. Now, it's your turn. On this post, comment with a Silk Road game scenario of your own. That's right, now it's your turn to create the scenarios. I will pick a few of them and we will complete our silk road adventure Friday with the student scenarios. Like all of my scenarios, make sure you create a scenario where you either gain points or lose points. Think about the ones I read to you. Be Creative!!!

Task: Create your own scenarios for the Silk Road game. If you are lucky, I just might pick yours!

DUE: Friday before school.

The Silk Road Adventure Begins!

The time has come for the Silk Road Adventure. The silk road was a major trade route for people in ancient China. They would use this route to bring silk into Europe to get the things they needed. Nobody else in the world had the silk worm. Only China, which put China in a great position. They would bring silk into Europe, where there was a high demand, and trade it for things they needed. The trip was made by many people, but it was a very difficult trip and many people did not survive. You must use your head and do a good job of making decisions, otherwise you may find yourself in a bad situation. You need to plan for the unexpected. Anything and everything will be coming your way when you embark on your trip on Thursday. When you begin shopping, a few helpful things to keep in mind: there's a great chance one of your camels will die, so perhaps you better buy an extra one. Trips of this length can be quite dangerous, but they can be also quite boring, so plan for that. Don't allow yourself to get bored. The Silk Road was a dangerous place, full of bandits and thieves. With that in mind, it would be a great idea to buy plenty of silk, for without it, its impossible to win.

Twitter Alert! I will be at my daughters music concert tonight twitting helpful tips or clues on how to win the silk road game. So tune it, because those tweets will soon vanish, like your chances of winning if you don't see them.

Good Luck on the Silk Road Adventure. Be Confident. I hope you all survive. (but I doubt you will.)

Website Launch: Accept the Quest

Today, I am launching my new website that is devoted to "Ancient Quest." This is a website that I built to inform others about this book and the opportunity to implement it in their classroom. I thought perhaps others would like to use it in their 6th grade classroom. I feel that it is a good supplemental reading item in any ancient civilization class. This website provides many things that enables people to get a good idea of what "Ancient Quest" is all about. On the site, people will find a synopsis of the book, brief summary of all the chapters, a "look inside" to get an example of what its like, and a description of how the book aligns to 6th grade standards. The website address is: http://acceptthequest.blogspot.com

Accept the Quest now....

I Travel the Silk Road

Johnny has discovered fire, invented farming, and mummified the Pharaoh Khufu. Now, he travels to the far east in search of his 4th golden coin. In this world, Johnny will travel the 4,000 mile Silk Road, desperately trying to reach the end for that is where the golden coin awaits. This task will prove to be the most daunting yet, with dangers around every corner from nature and his own friends.

Read: 5. I Travel the Silk Road
Questions for I Travel the Silk Road

Ancient Chinese Inventions in Action

A Video from Assisi, Italy...

I am excited, once again, to post a video from our friends in Italy. Check out what they tell us about school uniforms. Also, a couple other teachers have joined in. Students, look closely because during the video, if you look at the smartboard behind the students, you will see Water for Sixth Grade. Post a comment if you want. We will be making another video to send them soon.

Welcome to Ancient China

Try our slideshow maker at Animoto.

Ladies and gentleman, I would like to welcome you to ancient China. For this ancient world, we will be traveling to the far East, in search of knowledge about many different topics. We will learn about the landscape of China, the Dynasties that shaped this great civilization, inventions that still impact our world today, and finally the Silk Road, a journey that will test you physically and mentally. This three week unit will go fast, so buckle up and get focused.
Task: To start the ancient China Unit, I would like you to explore the Internet for ancient China information. I have provided a list of links for you to use on the side of WSG. Browse through one site or all the sites. It is up to you. Post a comment telling me something you learned about ancient China from the sites I've provided. Good Luck.
DUE: Friday, December 9th, 2011. Midnight.

Italy Beyond the Classroom: Q and A

Hello, again, to our friends in Assisi, Italy. We enjoyed the video and seeing what our new friends look like. We hope you enjoyed ours. We hope to trade more videos and pictures in the near future. Since the last time we corresponded, we have thought up some questions that we would like to ask you. Being that most of us will never get to Italy, this is our chance to talk to people living in Italy and learn about what life is like there. We study Ancient Rome in March, so this is also a good opportunity to get started with that. If you would be able to answer some of our questions, that would be awesome. We are anxiously awaiting your replies so we can learn about your country. Thank you very much. We all appreciate it a lot. Post your comments on this blog post.

Questions:

What are some common foods in Italy?

What is the most popular sport in Italy?

What do you do for fun when you are not in school?

Do you play video games? What games do you like to play? Are the video games in English?

What are some popular Christmas traditions in Italy?

What are some popular tv shows and movies?

What is school like in Italy? What are some subjects you learn about?

What holiday’s do you celebrate?

What is the weather like? Does it snow?

Is there anything else you would like to tell us about? (Rome, Colosseum, etc…)

Thank you again for participating!!!

Transition Day: Scrapbook Design Studio

This day has finally arrived. It is the Transition Day for our Scrapbooking the Ancient World Project. So far, the folders have offered their services as our temporary scrapbooks. We all had our fingers crossed that I would win the grant for the binders. Luckily, I won the grant so we are now able to retire the folders and transition to the binders. Today, for our transition day, our goal is to get all of our scrapbook materials out of our folders and into our binders. However, that is not our main goal. Our main goal today is to design our covers for the binders. We will be using the computer which will allow us to design a sharp looking cover, something you can be proud of. We need to take advantage of our computer day today being that we don't get them very often. So, work hard and concentrate to get your cover done before class is over. Once your cover is done, then you can work on getting everything transferred to the binders, complete requirements, etc. To help you with your cover design, I have provided a link for you. Follow this link VERY CLOSELY because there are some very important things on it that you need to be aware of.
Use this Link: Cover Design Studio

Animal Mummies!

Ancient Mummy Animals on Prezi

If the PREZI is NOT working, click "Ancient Mummy Animals" right above this sentence to view it from Prezi.com. Thank you.
Ancient Egypt is so fascinating, I have decided to linger in this ancient world a bit longer. This week, as we transition our scaprbook project into the binders, we are going to take this opportunity to learn about one more interesting aspect of ancient Egypt: Animal Mummies. The above prezi will guide you through a brief presentation about animal mummies in Ancient Egypt. This excellent prezi was produced by my #1 assistant, who did a great job.
Task: Navigate through the animal prezi above and post a comment telling me 3 things that you learned. That's it. Make sure you get this done. If prezi doesn't work at your house, then use a computer at school. You have 5 days to figure out how to get to a computer that works, so make it happen. Five days is plenty of time.
DUE: Friday, December 2nd. Midnight.
Points: 20 points.

We have a big month ahead of us. Let's get focused.

Isabel Sings....

A song for you to enjoy on this Thanksgiving Day.

WSG Live! Ancient Egypt

Buckle Up and Hold On because WSG Live! is back. This is the third round of WSG Live! and we will be focusing on ancient Egypt. Each time we do WSG Live! it gets bigger and better. For round 3 with Ancient Egypt, we are once again going to set some goals. Goal #1: 50 students participating. Goal #2: 1,000 comments. Yes, that's right. You read that correctly, it does say 1,000 comments. I have never ever seen a blog post with 1,000 comments in any blog I have ever seen. Let's make history, folks. And, at the same time, review for our ancient Egypt test. Once again, WSG will provide you the opportunity to study with the TEACHER the night before a test, a unique opportunity if you think about it. I will ask you questions, help you review, explain things, all in an attempt to help you be as prepared as possible. You, as the student, can also ask questions, answer my questions, simply state information, or just read and watch the action. Take advantage of this opportunity. Get prepared. Be responsible. Good Luck and I will see you at 8:00 sharp.

WSG Live! Ancient Egypt Time Window: 8:00-8:30.

Test over Ancient Egypt: November 23rd, 2011.

Egyptian Glogster: Creativity

As we approach the end of our Ancient Egypt unit, it is time to use the information we have gathered throughout the unit. With your Egyptian Glog, you will be able to show your fellow classmates your creative side and also be able to see what your classmates have come up with. Together, we will be able to help each other review. This Glog activity will be done individually, which will allow you total control on all decision making. This is your chance to dominate Glogster.
Helpful Links:
Glogster
Usernames

Task: Create a glog of Ancient Egypt. Your goal is to cover the five main topics of this unit. You may also include other things if you would like. Use information, captions, and pictures. Design your glog in a creative way.
Topics of Ancient Egypt:
1. Nile River
2. Mummification
3. Pyramids
4. Gods/Goddesses
5. Daily Life
6. "I Perform Mummification"

White Shirt Production: Look Like an Egyptian

Look Like an Egyptian 2010 from Dan Klumper on Vimeo.

What did the Egyptians look like? What make-up did they use? Well, the Egyptians had a very distinct look. In this video, I am going to help you remember that distinct look by putting on a demonstration. Keep in mind, I am not good at applying make-up. You do not have to comment to this post, but you obviously can if you want. What is the distinct look of the Egyptians? This video is going to show you what they actually look like. If you are in the Commenting mood, then post a comment telling me what the distinct look is.
White Shirt Production: Look Like an Egyptian.

Egyptian Freedom: Show ME What YOU Know

This project is going to give you freedom. In my opinion, too often teachers just tell you what to do. I am not going to do that. Instead, I am going to ASK you what you want to do. I want to give you, the student, the freedom and the opportunity to be creative. I often say that you are not elementary kids. I mean that, which also means I am not going to treat you like it. With that said, I believe you are old enough to have choices in school. I am going to give you the choice of what project you want to do. Why? Because everybody is good at something. Not everyone is good at writing papers, or giving speeches, or making videos or making power points. But, everybody is good at something and I want to bring out those talents. Your task is simple: Show me what you know about Ancient Egypt. How you do that is totally up to you. Just remember, you MUST thoroughly explain at least 3 of the 5 topics we have learned about in Social Studies. For whatever 3 topics you choose, you must tell me about everything. You can also include other pieces of information if you would like. You will have the opportunity to present these projects so produce something you can be proud of. This is your chance to show everybody your talents.

Some Helpful Links:
Five Topics of our Ancient Egypt Unit
Project Ideas to get you started

DUE: November 22nd, 2011. In Class
Points: 60 points (20 points for thoroughly explaining each topic)

An American Introduction to our Friends in Italy

To our new friends from Italy: Watch the video above to catch a glimpse of what kids in Brandon, SD USA look like. We are all very excited to show you this video and continue our sharing.

Mummification In-Depth

Explore a Mummy on Prezi

Mummification is a fascinating (and gross) ritual of the ancient Egyptians. Ancient Egypt wasn't the only civilization to mummify their dead, but the process in which they did it was very elaborate. Mummification was a very important aspect to their religion and belief of the afterlife. Without preserving the body, their soul would not be able to travel to the Afterlife and gain eternity. Where did these mummies go? In the pyramids. The pyramids were not worship centers or just cool monuments, they were tombs for the mummy and all the other items buried with it. In class, we talked about the steps of mummification but with this prezi, we are going to extend our mummification learning a little further by going in-depth. This mummification prezi will teach you about a few other details about mummification. All you have to do is tell me what you learned from it. The information contained in this prezi will be on the test.

Task: Go through the "Mummification In-Depth" Prezi and tell me three things that you learned.

DUE: Friday, November 11th, 2011. Midnight.

POINTS: 20 completion points.

WATER FOR SIXTH GRADE GIVEAWAY!

Do you want to dig up a mummy? Well, here is your chance to win the Egyptian Mummy Excavation Kit. All you have to do to win is be the FIRST to decode these hieroglyphics and post a comment with the answer answer. What does that say?
Use this Hieroglyphics Translator Link to help you decode the message. Good Luck!
P.S. After you attempt to win the contest, complete the Mummy Prezi assignment. Thank you.

Hello to our new Friends from Assisi, Italy

Water for Sixth Grade is proud to welcome the students from Assisi, Italy. In our "Beyond the Classroom" project, our first connection takes us across the Atlantic to Assisi, Italy, about 2 hours away from Rome. We are very excited about this opportunity to connect with kids in a different country to learn about their school, culture, and life. The video above is the beginning of this connection. The students from Italy made a video saying hello to us. Now, it is our job to post a comment to them saying hello back to them. After you welcome them to Water for Sixth Grade, please tell them a little bit about yourself like what you like to do or anything else you like to share. In the near future, we will also make a video for them but for now, welcome them with a comment.

To the students of Assisi, Italy: We are very thankful that you are willing to participate. We look forward to getting to know you!

Ancient Quest: "I Perform Mummification"

So far, Johnny is succeeding in his Ancient Quest. He has discovered fire for the people of the Stone Age and invented farming for the Mesopotamians. However, Johnny will be pushed to the limit in his next harrowing task of performing mummification in ancient Egypt. Will he do it correctly? Or, will he fail and be stuck in this ancient world forever? Read, as Johnny attempts to mummify the Pharaoh Khufu.
Read: "I Perform Mummification"

Conquering Ancient Egypt Together

Egypt is a place of many different topics. It is a place where intrigue and mystique reach an all-time high, especially compared to our two previous units: Stone Age and Mesopotamia. True, those places were important for the development of mankind, but Ancient Egypt fascinates people to this day. It is a place where the seemingly impossible occurred. Its where the pyramids were built, where mummification was performed, where the Nile was used. It is a place that we need to conquer, and to do that, we are going to work together. Your task for this blog post is to help your social studies class "piece" together ancient Egypt. To try to conquer ancient Egypt by yourself would be too daunting, but together, we can achieve our goal. At the conclusion of this activity, we will have produced a great document of ancient Egypt knowledge. You will be able to read other comments to learn more about the other topics.

You will be given a number in class. Use that number to figure out what topic you are responsible for with the "assignments link."

Research: In your notebook, research your topic. Use the websites we have gathered to help you find the information you need. Write down information in your notes, then post consise, well-written comment on the blog.

Details: Your comment needs to be 1 paragraph. Your comment needs to start out with this: "My topic is ..............." Then you proceed by telling us stuff about it.

Points: 20 points. In order to achieve 20 points, your comment needs to be formatted correctly AND be at least 5 sentences.

DUE DATE: Friday, November 4th, 2011. Midnight.

WSG Welcomes Chamberlain, SD

As the creator and owner of Water for Sixth Grade, I would like to personally welcome the 6th graders of Mrs. Neuharth's class from Chamberlain, SD to our blog. We are happy and honored that you are with us in this long distance collaboration. Students of Chamberlain, thank Mrs. Neuharth for accepting my invitation and for participating in this collaboration. You are lucky to have a teacher like her. To my students, sometimes we get locked in our own world and put blinders on to what else is out there. For this unique blog opportunity, we are going to "connect" to the 6th graders of Chamberlain, SD and learn together about Ancient Egypt. Water for Sixth Grade is a powerful tool, and this is yet another example of what can be done with blogging. As we begin our Ancient Egypt unit, we are going to have some help from the 6th graders from Chamberlain because they have already completed this very fascinating ancient world.

Details for Chamberlain students: You will begin this online collaboration by using the knowledge Mrs. Neuharth has taught you about Ancient Egypt by posting questions to Water for Sixth Grade for my students in Brandon. You are going to help us get introduced to ancient Egypt with these questions because my students will then search for the answers either on the internet or through books and post the answers when they find them. So make sure you check back to see if they answered your questions correctly. Please ask questions about the main items from Egypt, using topics such as Nile River, Pyramids, Daily Life, Mummification, Gods/Goddesses, Pharaohs, etc.

IMPORTANT: When you post your question about ancient Egypt, sign your name like this:"Chamberlain (Full first name, last initial)"

Details for Brandon students: You will wait for the Chamberlain students to post questions for us about ancient Egypt. Once questions have been posted, research the internet or in books to find the answers to their questions. When/if you find the answers, comment back to that person with what you think the answer is. This will help us get introduced to Egypt by forcing us to search and discover.

IMPORTANT: When you post your responses to the Chamberlain students, sign your name like this: "Brandon (FUll First Name, Last Initial)"

As we begin our first long distance collaboration, make sure you get involved. Take advantage of this unique opportunity. Alright, Lets do this.

An Internet "Harvest": Egyptian Websites

We are just hours away from entering the fascinating world of Ancient Egypt. While we anxiously await the start of our next unit, lets get prepared by getting in the Ancient Egypt mindset. This place is loaded with fascinating things like the sphynx, mummification, Nile River, and religion. It is a place that witnessed the building of the most amazing project in the history of our world, the pyramids. It is a place that once you enter, you don't want to leave until you've learned as much as possible. For the next two days, while we get started with Ancient Egypt, I want you to scour the internet for great ancient Egypt websites. Before you run to Google and start searching, some things you need to know. First, you can search for broad sites about Egypt by simply searching "ancient Egypt" or, you can get more specific and search for sites about certain things like pyramids or mummification. Our goal is to create a solid list of interesting Egyptian websites. I also want you to search for Ancient Egypt games or online activities. Search for YouTube videos that we could share and watch, search for cool pictures.

Some websites might not offer very good information.

Use this guide to help you:

.com sites: anyone can have these websites. Some info might not be good.

.gov sites: these sites would be produced by a government agency and should be good.

.edu sites: these sites are produced by colleges or educational agencies so they are good sites

.net sites: these sites are also trustworthy sites

Task: Search the internet for great Ancient Egypt websites. Search for informational sites, videos, pictures, online games and activities. When you find one you want to share, post a comment with the Link AND a short description of what the site is and why you think its good.

WSG Live! Mesopotamia

Water for Sixth Grade Live! is back and better than ever. With the overwhelming success of the first edition of WSG Live!, I have decided to once again offer this very unique opportunity. I want to do everything in my power to help you study and prepare for your Mesopotamia test. To do that, I am going to use my most powerful tool: Water for Sixth Grade. Being in my class, you have the advantage of opportunities like this, so please, take advantage and get yourself ready! It's like I am actually at your house with you helping you study, but only if you participate. Once again, I will remove "comment moderation" which will allow us to blog to each other instantly. No waiting for comment approval. Last time, we discovered that this is a very fast paced thing, so when you sit down at your computer, buckle up because its going to be a 30 minute frenzy of activity and blogging. To see the new comments, simply post a comment yourself or just click the refresh button on your internet. I will remove "comment moderation" at 7:30 sharp, so get ready to go. I hope to see each and every one of you tonight, on "Water for Sixth Grade Live! Mesopotamia."

Time Window:

7:30 p.m.-8:00 p.m.

Mesopotamia Test: Friday, October 28th, 2011.

Ultimate Student Collaboration: Prezi Mesopotamia

Ultimate Online Student Collaboration on Prezi

This week, we have a unique opportunity to work together to produce a dynamite product. Picture this: 130 students working together on the same piece of poster board. What do you see? Well, if you are like me, you would see a lot of chaos. It would be way too crowded, not enough room for people to work, people complaining that they aren't getting a turn, just overall not a good situation. So, lets avoid the chaos but still work together. To do that, we shall turn to Prezi. I have attached a Prezi to this post AND the link for YOU to edit it. That's right, the Mesopotamia review Prezi is a clean slate, waiting for you people to work on it and turn it into a dynamic review tool. You can work on this in school or outside of school. All you need is the internet. Multiple people can work on this at the same time. Whatever you add to the Prezi, include your first name and last initial so we all know where the info came from. Add information, add pictures, you could even add a YouTube video about Mesopotamia. The possibilities are endless. Can't figure out how to do it? That's okay, just try your best and if you still can't figure it out, see me at school. This is not a grade, but my hopes would be that we all participate and make this a quality product.

Add to this Prezi (then click "Edit Prezi")

Task: Add Mesopotamia information to the Prezi. Use your notes to get information. Add pictures of all the major things from Mesopotamia such as Ziggurats, Rivers, Cuneiform, wheel, irrigation, etc.

Review Tool Product.

Educating Andy: Mesopotamia

To start the second quarter off in a good way, I thought it would be a good idea to offer some extra credit if you would please help me educate my friend Andy, who is terribly inept when it comes to Mesopotamia knowledge. Luckily, we have been studying Mesopotamia for the last four weeks, so we have plenty of knowledge to share with him. I'm sure Andy is sitting in his dorm room right now at college with absolutely no idea what is going on. We might not be able to help him with his overall life, but at least we can teach him about Mesopotamia.

Task: To gain extra credit for Social Studies, educate Andy about Mesopotamia by telling him 5 things about this ancient world. In order to get the extra credit, you must have your comment posted by Midnight on Thursday. Also, to gain extra credit, you MUST tell him 5 things in a list format. (use 1. 2. etc.)

Good Luck and Thank you for helping me out.

Wax Museum: It Begins...

Faithful WSG bloggers, I would like to introduce to you a project like no other you will complete during your time in the Middle School. It is called the "Wax Museum: People of the Past" and it will happen on April 24th, 2012. This is the Wax Museum's third year, and its going to be bigger and better than ever due in large part to you, the student, who actually makes this project what it is. With this project, not only will your life change, but the lives of the people you will affect in April. There are many reasons for this project: researching, writing, reading, speaking, performing, and making a difference. You will select a famous person of the past, research them, write a paper about them, and then become that person in April for our Wax Museum Performance. During the big night, you will be positioned throughout the school and give a speech whenever someone walks up to you and drop coins in your bucket. You will never give your speech in front of a huge crowd. But, you will give your speech multiple times in front of smaller crowds of about 4-5 people. What happens to the coins dropped in your bucket? It is all gathered together and donated to a charity that we choose in class. Last year, it was the Make-A-Wish with a grand total of $4,200. The big night is in April, but time will go by fast, so make sure you are working hard on this project. It will be a night you will never forget. Trust me. Check the "Wax Museum" link above for all your Wax Museum information and announcements.

Hammurabi's Code: Fair or Cruel?

We have discussed Hammurabi's Code in class. We talked about the need for laws, what it would be like in our world without laws and the type of laws Hammurabi came up with. While listening to some of the laws, you probably thought one of two things: 1. it's fair or 2. its cruel. Well, for today's blog post, you will be sharing your thoughts and opinions on whether you think Hammurabi's Code was fair or too cruel. A link is attached that will give you a brief overview of Hammurabi's Code and give you some examples of a few laws. The link will also give you reasons for both sides of the argument. Hammurabi brought order and stability to the lawless people of Mesopotamia, but was it too cruel? Let the debate begin...

Hammurabi's Code: Fair or too Cruel?

Task: After reading through the link, post a comment on whether you think Hammurabi's Code is fair or too cruel. Make sure you explain why you believe the way you do. Do NOT simply say, "I think Hammurabi's Code is too cruel because it's not fair." You need to share specific reasons that support your beliefs. MINIMUM of 5 sentences. Anything shorter than this would not do a good job explaining your beliefs.

In-Class blogging.

Stone Age Super Specie Vs. Mesopotamia Warrior

In our second edition of "Deadliest Warrior," we have the Stone Age Super Specie taking on the Mesopotamian Warrior in a match to see who is the ultimate warrior. For the Stone Age, we have combined the neanderthal and the Cro-Magnon to make the Stone Age Super Specie. This super specie will face off against the Mesopotamian warrior, who will introduce new weapons into the battle. For this edition of "Deadliest Warrior," you will be the ones writing the scenarios, not me. After you have written down all the items for both sides in your packet, post a comment with a scenario. After these comments have been posted, we can read them and try to figure out who would win each scenario. What would happen if these two people faced off? We are about to find out.
Stone Age Super Specie Vs. Mesopotamian Warrior

This blog post is a three part activity: 1. write down the lists in your packet. 2. Post a comment with a scenario that you made up between the Stone Age super specie and the Mesopotamian Warrior. 3. Read through the comments, pick one or two, and post another comment about who you think would win that particular scenario.


IMPORTANT: Like we did with the Stone Age Deadliest Warrior, the scenarios do not have to all be battles/fighting. Be creative.






In-Class blogging. Optional.

Weird State Laws of the USA

Hammurabi's Code is quite harsh. One might even say its "weird." However, be careful about rushing to judgement on Hammurabi's Code being too weird because right here in our country, the good ol' USA, we have some weird laws as well. How weird? Well, very weird. A few of them were shared in class but to take this a step further, a link has been attached to this blog post for you to browse to read about all of them. These are actual state laws in our country. This is not a joke or made up. Your task? Simple. Pick out the one "Weird State Law" that you think is the funniest, weirdest, or most interesting. Share your thoughts. Luckily, most of these state laws are no longer enforced. But, they are still on the books as actual laws.
Weird State Laws

Task #1: Read through "Weird State Laws" and post your favorite one.

Task #2: Answer this question: What would the USA be like if these laws were still enforced?

Completion Blogging. Do it. Thank you.

I don't think students are told this enough, so let me take this opportunity to say it: "You matter. You are important. You are valuable."

People of Mesopotamia

People of Mesopotamia on Prezi

Unlike the Stone Age, in which the only famous person was Otzi the Iceman, Mesopotamia had a lot more famous people. With this prezi, you are going to get introduced to four of them. Each of the four people above is unique in their own way, so advance through the Prezi and discover what these people are famous for. After you have learned about all four people, there will be a Grand Finale! so make sure you advance to that. It is a music video that has a very 'catchy' tune.
Task: Advance through the Prezi, watch the video, then post a comment with the answers to the five questions at the end.

Completion Task. Do it.

Chapter 3: I Invent Farming

Johnny passed the Stone Age world by discovering how to control and use fire effectively. For that, the lives of the Stone Age people will never be the same. They now possess fire, which gives them the ultimate weapon and power. Johnny earned his first golden coin, now he will go after #2 in Mesopotamia. The people in Mesopotamia are struggling to farm in a desert. With each failed harvest, they become more and more desperate. Though they have the mighty Tigris and Euphrates, they are unable to use it to their advantage. Read as Johnny enters Mesopotamia and tries to help these people.
Johnny has one coin. He is 7 coins away from the Tiger...

Read: Chapter 3: I Invent Farming

Ultimate Mesopotamia Scavenger Hunt

Mesopotamia Info Scavenger Hunt on Prezi

Welcome to the World of Mesopotamia. Today, you will be traveling around the Fertile Crescent, or Mesopotamia, to learn about this wondrous place. Your travel tool today is a Prezi, posted above. You need to click through the Prezi and complete the tasks in your NOTEBOOK. Do NOT, I repeat, do NOT lose your notebook sheets because the information gained from this project will be valuable for other projects and for the test. It is stuff you need to know about this ancient civilization. All work today will be done in your notebook. Label your notebook section: "Mesopotamia Scavenger Hunt Prezi" and in your notebook, be sure to label each section. Write in COMPLETE SENTENCES so you can use this information later without having the Prezi.

Your final task for this blog post, which will come after you complete the Prezi, will be to post a COMMENT right here telling me about five things you learned throughout the "adventure."

You will use these sites during the Prezi:

MAP OF MESOPOTAMIA

MR. DONN'S MESOPOTAMIA

BRITISH MUSEUM

So, in summary:

1. Go through the Prezi with your Notebook.

2. Post a comment of 1 paragraph (five sentences) of things you learned.

On Tuesday, you will have a chance to continue working on this, so it is not something you have to do over the weekend.

Your notebook will be checked for completion on: Friday, October 14th in class.

Your comment will be check for completion on: Friday, October 14th at Midnight.

Good Luck. I know you will do great.

The Fabulous Four

Mesopotamia, being the first civilization of the world, had the unique opportunity to invent many things. A lot of "firsts" occurred in Mesopotamia, which you will see in this third White Shirt Production called: "The Fabulous Four." What you will be watching is NOT how the inventions actually came to be, but, it will show you how important each one is. All four inventions of the Fabulous Four are used everyday in our world. For this video, you have 3 tasks. See below.

Task #1: What are the four "fabulous" inventions? Explain how the video showed the importance of money, wheel, and irrigation. For writing, what was the "secret message"?

Task #2: Which of the four inventions do you think is the MOST important in our world?

Task #3: What would the world be like without these inventions?

In-Class blogging.

Congratulations!

I would like to congratulate Hannah on having her idea of "Ancient Quest" get selected for my new book title. I appreciate all of the efforts of everyone. There were many, many good ideas, but I could only choose one. So, once again, Congratulations to Hannah!

Scrapbooking the Ancient World

Students, we are about to embark on a major project. This project is called "Scrap-booking the Ancient World" and it's going to be epic. In the past, I have always followed the same format: study an ancient civilization, take a test, throw away all the material, go to next ancient civilization, take a test, throw everything away, move on to next place, etc, etc, etc. I do not like that method because at the end of the year, we open up our social studies folder and have nothing. I want to do something to help you learn and remember all the important things we study during our time together. At the end of the year, I want you to have something that you can look through and see all the things we have studied. That, my friends, is your Ancient World Scrapbook. In class, I covered the basic requirements that you need to have in your Ancient World Scrapbook. However, you need to know that this is YOUR scrapbook. You need to help it reach its potential and to do that, you need to add extra things. Make your scrapbook cool. Make it something you can be proud of. Be creative, be imaginative, be a thinker. With this blog post, I will include the BASIC Requirements you need for this project, as well as some ideas for "Extra" things. I also want YOUR help in coming up with other "Extra" ideas for students. So, post a comment with ideas that you have of other "Extra" items that we could use or make to put in our scrapbook to make it as cool as possible. I can't wait to see what we come up with for these Scrapbooks. Rock this project, people!

Scrapbooking the Ancient World Project Details

EXTRA Ideas:

-I Series Stories
-Glogster print-outs
-Pictures printed off the internet
-Word Collages from Unit
-Wordles
- Interesting Facts

POST A COMMENT WITH YOUR IDEAS OF OTHER "EXTRA" ITEMS. THANK YOU.

I Need a Book Title. Please Help...

Hello Students. Glad the weekend is over and we are back to school. I hope to see you and your parents at conferences so I can tell them how cool I think you all are. Anyway, I need your help. As you know, we are reading stories this year from the "I Series." This is a book I wrote to help you learn about major things in each unit we study. Johnny Rawten is the main character once again as he goes on another adventure to the ancient worlds. This time, however, is different as Johnny must complete a specific task in each world. Doing so will free the Tiger he killed in the Colosseum when he was a 6th grader. Failing at his tasks results in getting stuck in that ancient world for all eternity. Okay, lets get to the part where I need help. I have a few ideas but I want to hear from you because I think you are creative and smart. I need some suggestions as to what I should name the book? This is your chance to be a part of my book. If your book title gets picked, your name will go into the book, giving you credit for coming up with the book title. When thinking up ideas for a title, think about what the book is about overall, and what he's trying to do. I anxious await your ideas...

I am finalizing the book this week, so it will be ready for publication soon. I will select a title in 2 days.

Water for Sixth Grade LIVE: Stone Age Review

For the first time ever, Water for Sixth Grade is going Live. Why, you ask? Because I want to help you. I want to do whatever I can to help you prepare for your Stone Age test. "WSG Live" is a new feature that allows me to help you study without actually being with you. With this post, we will be able to review, discuss, and practice together. I will ask you some questions, you can ask each other questions, or ask me. I will be sitting at my computer helping you review. I will be taking off comment moderation which will allow your comments to go right to the blog, so we can see them and have a smooth discussion. You will not have to wait for your comments to be approved. You simply have to refresh your screen and continue messaging. Remember, to publish a comment, click "Name/URL" and type: 3Dan K. (Class period, first name, last initial).
The time window for this new feature is:
8:00 p.m.--8:30 p.m.

Stone Age Test: Friday, September 30th, 2011.

Let's GLOG about the Stone Age!

We have been blogging since school began. I think you have all done a good job with it. We will continue to blog until this school year is over, right up to the last day. Blogging and Water for Sixth Grade is our main tool to help us learn and review. Today, however, we are going to switch the "B" with a "G" and do some GLOGGING. What is glogging, you ask? Well, simply put, it is a Virtual Poster. Instead of giving each of you a big poster paper and getting out our colored pencils and markers, we will be making a poster on the Internet, which provides us some big advantages. Today, you will be making a Stone Age Glog to help us review for our test on FRIDAY. Glogging is quite simple and I am confident will we pick up on it quite quickly. There are some things you need to be aware of, so pay attention.

Go to Glogster to "log In" to begin making your Stone Age Glog.

Usernames for each class period

Task: With your partner, create a glog about the Stone Age. This is a review project, so show me what you know and what you've learned.

Material you can use:

Guided Notes for Lesson 1 and 2

Otzi the Iceman

I Discovered Fire

Before We Ruled the Earth

Vocabulary Packet
Deadliest Warrior: Neanderthal Vs. Cro-Magnon
Cave Art

"Educating Andy"

I would like to introduce you to a very good friend of mine named "Andy." Andy is not very bright when it comes to Ancient Civilization. He is also seriously lacking any common sense skills. Andy has been feeling down in the dumps lately because he doesn't know anything about anything. Recently, we had a conversation:

Andy: "Gosh, I just feel dumb lately."

Mr. Klumper: "You aren't dumb, Andy, you just don't know anything."

So, I told him I could help him at least learn about ancient civilizations. For this, I am turning to you, my intelligent 6th graders to help educate Andy. We will be trying to educate Andy all year about the ancient worlds we learn about. The first ancient civilization we will teach Andy about is the Stone Age. I told Andy we would teach him about the Stone Age first, and he got really excited and made a bunch of neanderthal noises. So, it is now up to you to Educate Andy.
Here are a few possible topics to teach him about: Otzi the Iceman, Deadliest Warrior: Neanderthal Vs. Cro-Magnon, Cave art, Hunters/Gatherers Notes, Early Farmers Notes, Vocabulary words from your packet, I Discovered Fire, Before We Ruled the Earth..., You Are There, and anything else you would like to tell him.

Task: In order to receive extra credit for social studies, you need to post a comment with 5 pieces of information that we covered throughout the Stone Age unit.

Since you are blogging to a real person, it would be good to start by saying hello to him.
DUE: Extra Credit window closes Thursday night at Midnight.
Extra Credit: 10 points available depending on the quality of your post.

Stone Age Animals

I want to teach you about some Stone Age animals. Because of the movie "Ice Age," some prehistoric animals are more common than others. Animals such as the Mammoth and Sabre Tooth cat are two examples. Even the sloth, made famous by "Sid" is now a lot more well-known. However, there are other prehistoric animals that I would like you to learn about, in addition to the more common ones above. (Not dinosaurs). So, I have attached a website for you to read that gives short descriptions of 5 Stone Age aniamls: Mammoth, Mastodon, Sabre Tooth, Cave Lion, and the Megatherium. Wouldn't it be cool if these animals still roamed the earth today? Well, they don't, but we can still learn about them and imagine what it would be like if they were. Imagination. Use it.

Task: Using this website on Stone Age animals, tell me one thing you learned about each of the five animals listed.

Example: "1. Sabre Tooth Tiger: I learned that......."

DUE: Friday, September 23rd. Midnight.

Points: 5 Points for each animal you do=Total: 25 points.

Water for Sixth Grade T-Shirt

Ladies and gentleman, you have a very rare opportunity. For the first time EVER, Water for Sixth Grade T-shirts are available to you. Perhaps you didn't even know WSG T-shirts existed, but they do, and you have the opportunity to get one this week. In the past, these t-shirts have only been given away to one student per month. Now, the t-shirts are available to anyone who wants one. I think it would be awesome to see a bunch of 6th graders walking the halls of this school proudly displaying the site we use to learn about Social Studies and Life. You do NOT have to get a t-shirt, but you can if you want. Whether you get a t-shirt or not has no effect on your grade whatsoever. The t-shirt will be displayed in class, but the picture I have attached to this post shows what the logo will be. I have seen the shirts and they look very sharp. (WAY better than last years' shirt). If you would like to get a T-shirt, fill out the order form and include your size and $6 for the shirt. That's it. For only $6, you could have a Water for Sixth Grade t-shirt.

T-Shirt Order form DUE Friday, September 23rd, 2011.

Cost: $6

Order Form

Discovering Otzi the Iceman

It is time to search for Otzi. Today, you will be joining me as I enter the Alps in search for Otzi the Iceman. Otzi, who happens to be the oldest body ever found, is an extremely important "artifact" because he can teach us so much about what life was like when he roamed the Earth. We can study his weapons, tools, and clothing. We can also study his bones to get an idea of what people looked like. Otzi is truely an amazing discovery. However, today, you will watch as I search for Otzi and discover all the artifacts that were found with his body. The story of Otzi doesn't end there, however, because Otzi the Iceman did not die of natural causes. Was he murdered? Did he die in battle? Was he sick? You will read the evidence and try to solve the oldest mystery in the world.

Task #1: Using the Otzi PowerPoint, fill out your guided notes in your Otzi Packet. This will be done together, but you can follow along on your own screen.

Task #2: Watch the Video "Discoverying Otzi" and watch as the body and artifacts are discovered. In your Otzi packet, record all the artifacts found and why they are important.

Task #3: Sketch a scene of the area in which Otzi was discovered in. Try to place the items in the correct spot based on where they were found.

Task #4: Read the possible theories on how Otzi died. Post a comment telling me what you think caused Otzi's death and why.
Theory #1: Hypothermia
Theory #2: Robbery
Theory #3: Assassination
Theory #4: Died in battle

In-Class blogging. There will be material about Otzi on the test.

Stone Age: You Are There

Today you have a unique opportunity. Today you will experience the Stone Age. You will not be reading about it, you will not be watching a video about it, you will not be doing worksheets about it, and you will not be listening to me talk about it. True, those are all ways you can learn about something, but today, you will be learning about the Stone Age by actually going there. That's right. You will warp back in time and spend one day in the Stone Age. While you are there, you have two goals: Learn about this wild and uncivilized place and survive. Throughout your day in the Stone Age, you will have to make decisions on what you are going to do. The decisions you make will have consequences-some good, some bad. But it is up to you to make them, and deal with the outcome. With that said, let's get on to our task below...

Task #1: Play the game "Stone Age: You Are There." Throughout your experience, you will record your journey on your "score sheet." Keep track of your decisions, consequences and point total. At the end, ask yourself, "How did my day in the Stone Age go?" then tell me about it on your sheet. YOU MUST USE COMPLETE SENTENCES.BONUS QUESTIONS: (post a comment with your answers. In-class activity. You may have to go back and find the answers in the game) 
1. List 3 animals from this game.
2. What is found in caves that helps us learn about the Stone Age?
3. What is the best method of hunting the Irish Elk?
4. What tool is most effective in cutting through rough animal hide?
5. Describe a neanderthal. (3 things).

Task #2: Replay the game making different decisions. Fill out another score sheet.
Task #3: Read about the Stone Age. With these two links: Mr. Donn's Early Humans and Prehistoric Humans at Kidspast.