Mr. Ewing's History Classes

Drafts of the Columbus essay were due for these blocks.  Final versions of the essays are due on 10/17 for Blocks A, B, & C, and 10/18 for Blocks D & E. In class students did a CSI style investigation of the mystery of the Roanoke colony.  They had to analyze clues to develop their own hypothesis.  For homework - Students need to write 10 journal/diary entries as though they were a colonist in Roanoke.  You can use the clues from class today to help you develop these entries.

Today in class we learned about the Vikings!  We looked at three interpretations from Hollywood and analyzed the differences.  We then read about the Vikings, examining their way of life.  Students were asked to closely read the article, annotating as they read.  They then had to summarize the article.  Lastly, they were asked to use text evidence to explain if they would like to live as a Viking (why/why not?) Homework: complete classwork if not finished and continue to work on the Columbus essay draft.  Columbus essay drafts are due: 9/27 Block A, 9/30 Blocks B, C, & D, 10/1 Block E

Today we examined claims by historians that centuries before Columbus sailed from Spain in search of Asia, African sailors reached "the New World".  Using a variety of historical evidence including an entry in Columbus' own journal, some historians believe that Africa "discovered" the Americas long before Europe. Students were asked to read and annotate a historical reading and answer a series of questions using text evidence to support their claims.  Homework - finish the class reading/questions if not already completed.  Continue to work on the Columbus essay.  Drafts are due 9/27 for A Block, 9/30 for B, C, & D Blocks and 10/1 for E Block

Today we looked at the Codex Nuttal - a Meso-American collection of pictograms - pictures that tell a story.  We explored the use of pictograms in society today (emoji).  Students were asked to examine two panels of the Codex Nuttal and do the following: summarize each image, identify any common elements between the two images, and write what they believe the story is for each image. Homework: Draw a series of pictograms of tonight's dinner.

Today we finished our exploration of Native American tribes before the arrival of the Europeans and took an open note quiz on the same topic.  The first quarter essay on Columbus was passed out.  Tonight for homework you should start to read the Columbus packet and work on the T chart at the front of the packet.  The dates for the Columbus essay are as follows: Block A: Draft due 9/27, Final version due 10/17 Block B: Draft due 9/30, Final version due 10/17 Block C: Draft due 9/30, Final version due 10/17 Block D: Draft due 9/30, Final version due 10/18 Block E: Draft due 10/1, Final version due 10/18

Today in class we learned about the navigational methods of the Polynesian people.  Students read and annotated and answered a few short comprehension questions.  Students were then given a reading on the Inca and asked to read and annotate that as well.

Today we looked at what history is and how to write about it.  This included words, phrases and the proper tense to use. Homework: In a page or more, write a summary of one historical event you learned about in 7th grade.

Today we practiced annotation skills using two recent news articles.  The first was an article on Snapchat.  The second article covers the rise in Internet addition in South Korea.  Students were asked to read, annotate and summarize both articles.  The South Korea article was to be finished for homework if not completed in class.

Today, you played the role of an archeologist/anthropologist examining cave paintings from pre-Columbian peoples.  In a well developed response, what were the difficulties you faced in today's activity? What would have helped you to answer the questions?

Write a history of your life.  This should be about one page