Mr. Seeberg's Classpage
Week of Nov 2
FORENSICS ALERT:
As you’re probably aware, St. Mary’s was one of the first schools to offer a grade school forensic program more than 20 years ago.
parents strongly believe in the program and have seen the huge benefit this program has had in preparing our children for public speaking in high school and beyond.
We’re very grateful to Home and School for sponsoring this opportunity for the kids.
Last year, numbers were slightly up in the junior high, and a small but talented team represented St. Mary’s in the outside meets, nearly all qualifying for the state forensic meet.
We were hoping we could once again count on participation in the upcoming in-house junior high meet, the John M. Hochhaus Memorial Meet, to your homeroom students. The meet is Friday, November 13, 6 – 9:30, at St. Mary’s.
Registration forms were distributed at Back to School day, and are also available at stmaryeg.org under “school” and “forensics.”
There are two incentives this year.
As always, we’re awarding a pizza party to the class with the highest participation. (Mrs Biernat is last year’s winner and the defending champion, with Mrs. Keller a close second.)
NEW THIS YEAR is the Early Bird Special.
All forms received before
October 2nd
qualify for a raffle to win an ITunes gift card.
Four cards will be given away.
So encourage your kids to register by October 2nd to be entered in the raffle.
COMPUTER NOTE:
Jr. High kids (and parents):
There is an expectation that you bring your homework to school ready to turn in on the day it is due. Your assignment should be printed at home. We understand that things can go wrong. If your home printer is not working or is out of ink, ask your parents to e-mail the teacher or send a note. You will then be allowed to print at school.
Grade 6:
Grade 6 will be studying Geography this year with a textbook called "The World and It's People"
Currently, the 6th Graders are learning:
Ch. 3 The World's People
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What answers would you plug as examples for each aspect of culture? Make sure your answers are uniquely of the United States.X
2. Now, write examples that are specific to Wisconsin.X
3. Now, write examples that are specific to SMV.X
4. Why is the world's population growing rapidly?
5. Why is the birthrate relatively low in the United States?
6. Why is Las Vegas the fastest growing city in the United States? Why are more people, in general, moving to cities?
7. The populations of Netherlands and Romania are about the same, but their population density is very different. Explain.
8. If you moved to another country, what would they call you there? What would we call you?
9. Whay have populations in areas of Asia, Africa, and Latin America doubled about every 25 years?
10. Describe the differences between renewable and nonrenewable resources.X
11. Why isn't money typically used in a Traditional Economy?
12. The US is a Market economy. How is that different from a "communist", or Command Economy?X
13. What kind of economy do most countries follow?X
14. What is meant by the "Third World"? What are the "Second" and "First" worlds?
15. How has technology changed the world?
16. How has interdependence led to globalization?
GREEK WRITING PROJECT
Although the Greek city-states of Athens and Sparta were only about 100 miles apart, they grew up very differently.
Imagine you could go back in time as a reporter in Greece at the time of the Persian Wars (about 500 B.C.).
Your task is to write a newspaper article that has two goals:
1.
In your article, describe the organization of the city-states of Sparta and Athens and the different governments of Sparta and Athens.
2. Also in your article, decide which city-state you would prefer to live in and explain the most important reasons why you made that choice.
SPECIFICS:
- Be sure to use
the following words in your article: polis, acropolis, agora, aristocrats, perioeci, oligarchy, helots, democratic, constitution, defensive league
- Follow the 6 Traits Rubric in your writing (Ideas, Organization, Voice, Word Choice, Sentence Fluency, & Conventions).
- Include a bibliography with at least four (4) sources, two (2) of which must be books.
- Your bibliography must be in correct MLA form.
- Length: 1-2 pages.
Use 12pt. Times New Roman, double-spaced with 1” margins for your paper.
- Include a title page.
ROUGH DRAFT DUE: Thursday, November 12th
FINAL DRAFT DUE:
Wednesday, November 18th
Grade 7 is studying world history this year with a textbook called "Human Heritage." We will start with prehistory and work towards the present-day.
Currently, the 7th graders are learning:
CH 10 The City-States of Greece 700 B.C. - 335 B.C.
1. Why was the polis the geographical and political center of Greek life? X
2. How did the Greeks use the agora? X
3. What was life like in the city-states of Athens and Sparta? X
4. What surrounded the polis? X
5. How did geography effect the growth of city-states? X
6. What rights and duties did citizens have?
7. Were the requirements for citizenship in early Greece fair? Why of why not?
8. Create a Venn Diagram to compare Sparta and Athens. X
9. Create a web diagram that shows the structure of ancient Spartan society. Include aristocrats, helots, perioeci, the Assembly, and the Council of Elders.
10. Why were unhealthy Spartan babies treated so cruelly?
11. How did the lifestyles of Spartan women differ from other Greek women?
12. Why did Sparta try to prevent change?
13. How was Sparta similar to other Greek city-states? How was it different?
14.Why did Sparta remain a poor farming society?
15. What idea does a democratic government uphold?
16. What political reforms did Cleisthenes introduce to Athens? What about Pericles? Why do you think some people of Athens may have objected to the title of "first citizen" for Pericles? Explain.
17. How did the Persian Wars affect Greece?
18. Why was the Battle of Marathon important for Greece?
19. How did Athens control other city-states?
20. What were some of the causes and effects of the Peloponnesian War?
21. What might happen to a community as a result of a long war? Why?
Grade 8 is studying world history this year with a textbook called "American Journey."
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Declaration of Independence X
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Ch. 7 A More Perfect Union
1. Why did some state governments choose to have a bicameral legislature?
2. What kind of central government did the new United States want to have?
3. Did the Articles of Confederation favor strong states or a strong central government? Why?
4. What powers did the new central government, Congress, have?
5. What was the Northwest Ordinance and what effect do you it had on Native Americans?
6. How did the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation contribute to the instability of the new nation?
7. How did Congress deal with the western lands won in the American Revolution?
8. Summarize the strngths and weaknesses of the Confederation government.
9. How did Shay's Rebellion expose a serious weakness of the Articles of Confederation?
10. Why did Southern states support slavery?
11. Why did James Madison and Alexander Hamilton call for a Constitutional Convention in 1787?
12. How were the Virginia Plan and New Jersey Plan different?
13. How did the Great Compromise join the Virginia and New Jersey plans?
14. What decision was made to count the slave population?
15. Who refused to sign the Constitution? Explain why.
16. How does Wisconsin fit into our country's idea of federalism?
17. Draw a diagram of our Three Branches of Government. List who is part of each branch and list their duties. X
18. Those who supported the Constitution were known as Federalists. But, according to the Antifederalists, why was the Bill of Rights necessary for the Constitution to be passed?
19. Why was the support of Virginia and New York vital to ratifying the Constitution?
20. Why did the framers of the Constitution believe there needed to be a system of checks and balances? X
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GEOGRAPHY: GRADE 6
WORLD HISTORY: GRADE 7 
US HISTORY: GRADE 8 
