Monthly calendars and Rancho Website

• Students will receive monthly calendars with tentative assignments, test and due dates.
• Students will receive 25 bonus points for turning them in signed by their parents the last day of the month or the first day of the new month.
• Mrs. Gee’s Rancho Website will reflect the more current or up to date calendars, schedules and due dates

 

Daily Activities:

Daily Journal writes: Students will copy from the Monthly Power point  Presentations

• An historic event on that day (Supplemental and reinforcement of the ancient events with explanation)
• Quote (Explanation of the quote as it applies to the historic event, writing assignment or a topic from Literature)
• Prompt for a Quick write (10-15 minutes start of each Core or Split period)

 

Binder reminder

• List all daily assignments and homework assignments which are posted on the board, on the monthly calendar handed out and on the Mrs. Gee’s Humanities website.
• Assignments made during the day will usually need to be completed as homework

 

 This is a tentative schedule and subject to change.

Literature/ English

Writing/English

1.        Family Interviews # 1: A parent, grandparent or guardian on their Junior High Years

2.        An essay on The Importance of Attending Back to School Night (first 5 paragraph essay- final draft must be signed by parent as invitation/ reminder to attend)

3.        Grammar pretest and weekly review of grammar

4.        Family interviews (x3) begun.  First due in December at the end of the 1^st trimester

5.        Practice friendly and business letter formats

 

Literature

1. “A Crush” short story, activity with teachers
2. “Serial Garden” short story and activity with cereal boxes/ commercials
3. Literary Theme of the Month: Newspaper clippings that demonstrate the theme of the month
4. Ray Bradbury: short stories and movie adaptations (October before Halloween)
5. Novel: Shadow Spinner (September to October) and Anne of Byzantium and I, Juan de Pareja (November to December)
6. Read and act out “Taming of the Shrew” by Shakespeare before Winter break
7. VEP (Vocabulary Enrichment Program or SAT words) and Word Masters each trimester
8. Extended Reading Activity: Each trimester students may select from a specific genre and list of authors a novel to read and do a visual or oral report to share with the class. First Trimester: Mystery

 

Social Sciences:

1. Outlining chapters, learn a format to use the entire year, outline with teacher first trimester 
2. Teacher made tests to practice a variety of test taking skills (short answer, fill in the blank, short essay, and tricky multiple choice)
3. Students outline with the teacher to learn speed outlining, can retake any history test (during lunch, can bring in lunch) during the first trimester
4. Each chapter graph contributions of civilization 
5. Essays: Contributions of the Ancient Arabs, and Contributions of the Great African Civilizations
6. Simulations: Ships Across the Desert (pilgrims crossing the desert from Damascus to reach Mecca- activity driven ) and the Great Civilizations of Africa (city states build information and points to a trivia game – see attached)
7. Complete Chapter 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8
8. Begin National History Day projects at the end of September or beginning of October

 

Writing/ English

1. Complete the last family interviews 2 and 3 for end of the year keepsake book
2. Grammar review weekly
3. Persuasive Essay review: 3 rough drafts written and peer edited in class and one chosen as final
4. “Writing with Flourish” fancy style of writing, practice with more complex sentences and content with short writing exercises
5. VEP (Vocabulary Enrichment Program or SAT words) and WordMasters each trimester

 

Literature

1. Folktales and Fables packet: students will read the 8 folktales and fables from lit book, answer questions, research their own from their own country, and write one of their own (see attached)
2. Literary Theme of the Month 
3. Read Jackaroo and complete lit guide
4. Extended Reading Activity: Science Fiction
5. Fantasy Literature Book: Selection of Short Stories on Fantasy to be read in class

 

Social Sciences:

1. Read and complete Chapters 9,10,11, and 12.   Students will receive focus questions to write outlines to study for tests. 
2. Research for “Meeting of the Minds” begun but not due until the end of March and presentation in April or May
3. Simulations: Warlords of Japan, Medieval Guilds and The Plague 
4. Students outline on their own this trimester, can retake only 2 tests (during lunch, can bring in lunch)
5. Compare history to the movie of “A Man for All Seasons”, must present differences in a media presentation (power point, magazine, or banner); possible theme: History verses Hollywood (Next year maybe on another historical based movie)
6. Catapult challenge: volunteer groups to make small catapult and wall for competition with other teams

 

Writing/ English

1.  Finalize family history notebooks (3 family interviews, my first day at Rancho, parent interview in junior high, peer interview, and my reflections on a year in junior high) due before the end of the year
2. Writing mystery short stories
3. VEP (Vocabulary Enrichment Program or SAT words) and Word Masters each trimester
4. Stanford 9 and Writing Assessment tests

 

Literature

1.        Read and do a media presentation the last week of school for Fahrenheit 451

2.        Research Poetry and present a research notebook and power point, Poetry in Motion

3.        Extended Reading Activity: Classic fiction

 

Social Sciences:

1. Medieval Games: catapult challenge and demonstration, jousting over water, nerf bow and arrow and more (1 period on site field trip)
2. Complete chapters 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and the first 2 lessons of 18
3. Students will receive focus questions to write optional outlines to study for tests.  Students will read and work in groups to “Report out” the most important information on the lessons before a test.
4. Students will hold “The Meeting of the Minds” banquet and each give a brief speech about their person. (2 period on site field trip)
5. Rancho Renaissance Faire at the Open House
6. Online magazine: Great minds of the Enlightenment (research with quotes, one page)
7. Simulations: Explorers on Trial (Natives of the Americas and Africa take the European Explorers to trial seeking damages and restitution for conquering their lands)

 

 

1. Shadow Spinner by Susan Fletcher
2.  Anna of Byzantium by  Tracy Barrett
3. I, Juan de Pareja by Elizabeth Barton de Trevino
4. Jackaroo by Cynthia Voight
5. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury