Chapter 4 - Lesson 3, The Pueblo Culture

Today, discussed the Native Americans that were part of the Pueblo Culture of west Texas. These tribes lived in villages called pueblos and built permanent homes made of adobe bricks. We specifically discussed the Jornada and Tigua tribes.

Notes for this section can be found below:

Practice Quiz, Chapter 4 Vocabulary Builder and Late Work

We started the class period with a practice quiz over Chapter 4 - Lesson 2. There were 10 questions (available to view in the online textbook) that we discussed orally. The class actually seemed to do ok on the quiz but, as it was practice, no grade was taken. These practice self-quizzes are available at the end of every lesson in the online textbook. They are a great study tool.

After the practice quiz, I allowed the students time to work on their Chapter 4 Vocabulary Builder assignment. This assignment is due tomorrow at the beginning of the period.

All late/make-up work in my possession has now been graded. If your student still has failing grades or a 0 it is because I have not received the assignment. Please be vigilant and check your student's grades and make sure they are keeping up. We are quickly approaching the halfway point of the 9 weeks. In addition, the UIL grade check is coming up this Friday. Any student with a grade of less than 70 in any class as of Friday will become academically ineligible for extracurricular activities (sports, band, choir, etc.).

*HOMEWORK ALERT*- The Chapter 4 Vocabulary Builder assignment is due tomorrow at the beginning of the period. Please make sure your student has completed it and has it ready to turn in tomorrow.

Chapter 4 - Lesson 2 Notes Completed, Chapter 4 Vocabulary Builder Assigned

We started class today by wrapping up the notes over the Native American tribes of the Southeast/Gulf Coast Region. The final two tribes discussed were the Coahuiltecan and Atakapan tribes. We discussed diet, lifestyle, types of homes, etc. for each of the tribes. Below are some photos I shared with the class that are relevant to our discussions today.

After we completed the notes, the students were assigned the Chapter 4 Vocabulary Builder worksheet. The worksheet will be due next Tuesday, October 29th.

There is no new homework for the weekend or assignment due on Monday UNLESS late/make-up work is due.

Vocabulary Turned In, Chapter 4 - Lesson 2 Notes Started

The Chapter 4 Vocabulary was due at the beginning of the period today. While most of the students turned in their assignment, far too many did not. Please double check with your student and make sure they did turn in their vocabulary assignment and that they are keeping up with their work.

Once the vocabulary was turned in, we continued with the Chapter 4 notes, this time over Lesson 2 in the online textbook. This lesson jumps forward from the pre-historic Texans and begins discussion the various tribes of Native Americans that called what would become Texas home prior to European settlement. We started with the Southeastern - Gulf Coastal region. The first two tribes discussed were the Caddo and the Karankawa. We will continue tomorrow with the Atakapan and Coahuiltecan tribes. Full notes for the tribes of the  Southeastern - Gulf Coastal region, and a couple of illustrations showing Caddo settlements I shared with the students today,  are below.

Wrapping up Chapter 4 - Lesson 1 Notes, Chapter 4 Vocabulary Due Tomorrow

We spent the first 30 minutes, or so, of class wrapping up our discussion on the notes for Chapter 4 - Lesson 1. The talk today centered around technological developments that played key roles in the improvement of life for stone-age people. The creation of items like the atlatl, bow and arrow, pottery and development of agriculture were discussed at length. We again touched on how dangerous hunting the mega-fauna of the day was for these early people, as shown in the illustration below.

Finally, I gave the kids the last 15 minutes of class to work on their Chapter 4 vocabulary assignment. This assignment is due tomorrow at the beginning of class. The terms and directions for the assignment can be found below in the post from 9/22.

*HOMEWORK ALERT*- Chapter 4 vocabulary due tomorrow at the beginning of class.

Chapter 4 - Lesson 1 Notes, Chapter 4 Vocabulary Assigned

Today, we discussed notes on Chapter 4 - Lesson 1. We discussed how the people who became the first Americans crossed the Bering Land Bridge into what is now Alaska roughly 36,000 years ago and eventually made their way to Texas. We discussed the hunter-gatherer culture, hunting techniques, the mega-fauna early Texans hunted, the development of the atlatl and more. The full notes from the day are below. Please make sure your student finishes up copying anything that was missed.

Also, I assigned a vocabulary assignment for Chapter 4. The assignment is a great way for the students to earn an easy grade and will help them better understand the terminology used in their reading and their notes. The terms and full instructions are located below after the day's notes.

Chapter 4 - The Early People of Texas Introduced

Today, we kicked off Chapter 4 - The Early People of Texas. It is one of my favorite topics covered in the course as it deals with prehistoric civilizations and the various Native American tribes that once made the land that would become Texas their home.

We started today by working on a "What Do You Know Sheet" about the first peoples of Texas. Students were shown a statement about Native American culture and they had to vote to "Agree" or "Disagree" with it. We took a vote by a show of hands and the majority ruled. After we had answered all the questions, I went back and led a discussion on why the statements were true or false.

After the activity, I showed the students a thematic map showing how where the tribes of Texas lived changed from 1500 to the present. Tomorrow we will get into the meat and potatoes of the the first lesson.

All Make-up Work Graded & Entered

All make-up/late work has now been graded and entered into the grade book. Your student's average is now up to date. To see your student's current average (not the week old progress report grade) for my class and any others, follow the steps below:

1. Go to the Killeen ISD website at www.killeenisd.org
2. At the top of the page, click the "Schools" link
3. Click on the link for Eastern Hills Middle School
4. Once on the EHMS home page, click the "Grade Access Center" link in the left margin
5. Enter user name and password
6. Grades should now be available to view

Progress Reports Coming Home Today

Parents/Guardians,

Your student will be bringing home progress reports today. These reports will show the grades your student had as of last Friday, September 11th. In the case of my history students some of these grades are going to be very low. This is due to the high volume of late/make-up work that still needed to be turned in to me at that time. Since last Friday, things have improved considerably for almost all of the students. Many of the 0's and other failing grades have been made up and the averages are now closer to where they need to be. 

If your student's grade is unusually low on the progress report it is likely because late/make-up work had yet to be turned in or graded. I would encourage you to check online and look at the current average. It is a much more accurate number than what you are going to see on that progress report.

Also, I still have a lot of make-up work to grade. I should have it all done by the end of the weekend. Please double check your child's grade online on Sunday evening as everything I have should be entered into the grade book by then. If you still have a question about your student's grade at that point, feel free to contact me.

Test Corrections & Make-up Work

Today, the students got their graded Chapter 2 tests back. Overall, I was pleased as most of the kids made a pretty good grade on this important first Summative grade. I allowed the students to work together in class on their test corrections. Once they finished their corrections I had them turn the tests back in to me. I regraded and awarded the kids partial credit for each question answered. This allowed them the opportunity to raise their grade fairly significantly. Any student that did not finish their test corrections in class was to take their test home and finish them there. The corrections are due at the beginning of class tomorrow (NO EXCEPTIONS). This is not late or make-up work so the normal 10 day window does not apply. Please check with your student and make sure they have their corrections done and ready for class tomorrow.

Also, progress reports are sneaking up and the final deadline on a lot of the Chapter 2 work is fast approaching. Please check with your student and get them to turn in any late/make-up work they owe.

Major Test, Make-up Work and Impending Progress Reports/Contact

The students took their first major test today over Chapter 2 - Natural Texas. For the most part, the grades were good and I was pleased. There were a few students, however, who did not do well and failed the exam. The test is a Summative grade and the Summative average counts as 55% of a students entire grade. A failing grade on a major test can be devastating. Because of that fact, students who received a failing grade need to do their test corrections ASAP in order to get their grade up to passing. Students who failed with a grade below 50 will be sent to The Learning Center here in school tomorrow during my class time in order to begin working on these test corrections. Please encourage your student to complete these test corrections as soon as possible. The sooner the tests are corrected, the sooner that bad grade can change.

I have been inundated with late/make-up work over the last few days. It is good that the students are taking action and making an effort to get caught up. I will need all of you to be patient as I wade through it all and get it graded and recorded. I spent today grading tests so I will be able to start the process of grading the make-up work tomorrow. If the grade book shows a failing grade for your child under a particular assignment but they swear to you they have made it up and turned it in, that may very well be true. Give me a day or two to get caught up and everything should show up in the grade book as it should be. I reminded the kids today that it was unfair of them to have not turned in an assignment they had several days to work on, then take 5-6 more days to finally turn it in late and then be upset that I don't have it graded overnight. Everything will be up to date by the end of the week.

Finally, I will be sending out some emails and making some phone calls over the next few days to the parents/guardians of student who are failing the course, have 0's for assignments, etc. I have tried to give the students ample to time to readjust to the school schedule and get their act together but some are still struggling to do so and may need some additional encouragement  on the home front. There is still plenty of time to get things right but no time to waste. Your help and support is appreciated.

One fun thing, I posted the picture below as a bonus question today for the kids. Any student that was able to correctly identify this animal earned a 5-point bonus on their test. Can any of the parents/guardians out there identify this creepy-looking little guy?

Major Test Tomorrow!

The students will be taking their test over Chapter 2 tomorrow. There will be no time to study tomorrow so make sure they are prepared when they arrive at class.

Some areas the students will DEFINITELY need to know:

1. What a natural resource is and some examples of those found in Texas
2. The two number one exports of Texas
3. The longest river in Texas
4. The difference between Absolute Location and Relative Location
5. The three border rivers
6. The four states that border Texas and the one foreign country that borders Texas
7. The major rivers of Texas (be able to label a map)
8. The major cities of Texas (be able to label a map)
9. The types of extreme weather that occur in Texas
10. The largest city in Texas and the capital city of Texas

If the students are familiar with the terms and concepts above, they should do fine on the test. Remember, the test is a Summative grade and the Summative average counts for 55% of a students total average. STUDY!

Vocabulary Builder, Major Texas Cities & Rivers Maps Due, Poor Grades & Missing Work

Today the students turned in the Chapter 2 Vocabulary Builder assignment, Major Texas Cities Map and Major Texas Rivers Map. The students have had these two assignments since last Thursday which gave them four days to complete them. Unfortunately, many students failed to turn in their work resulting in a grade of 0. There is simply no reason for students not to have had their work having had so much time to complete these assignments.

The test over Chapter 2 will be on Wednesday 9/16. This will be the first Summative test grade. Remember that Summative grades make up 55% of a students total average. This makes it critical for the students to be prepared.

Please make sure you check with your students about their grades. I have far too many students with failing averages right now because of failing to turn in their work. I do not have a single student with a failing average that has turned in all of their work. If your student is failing the course currently, it is because he/she is not turning in their work and receiving a grade of 0. I will be sending out emails and making phone calls about grades starting this week. Official progress reports will be going out in roughly two weeks.

9/11 Remembrance and Commemoration

Friday was a unique day for us at EHMS as it marked the 14^th anniversary of the September 11^th attacks on our country. Our classes were shortened so that we could attend a special program meant to commemorate and remember this terrible day in American history.

I realized a couple of years ago that students of middle school age no longer remembered the events of that day. My students this year were not even born when the attacks took place in 2001. That being the case, I took the opportunity to explain, as best I could, what happened and who was responsible. It was an extremely abbreviated explanation, and overly simplistic, but it gave the kids an idea of what happened and how the events of that day still affect us today. Why did my Mom have to go to Iraq? Why is my Dad in Afghanistan? Why is airport security so tough? All questions whose answers are rooted in the events of September 11, 2001.

I showed the students a video clip of news coverage from that day. The videos showed the planes striking the towers and the towers collapsing. The shock heard in the voices of well-known morning news people like Katie Couric, Bryant Gumbel, etc. seemed to make an impression on the kids. We then attended the program where the students were very well behaved.

*HOMEWORK ALERT* - The Vocabulary Builder, Rivers of Texas map and Major Cities of Texas map assignments are due on Monday morning when the students arrive. Please make sure these assignments are complete and ready to go.

Vocabulary Builder, Major Rivers of TX Map and Major Cities of TX Map Assigned

Today, the students were given a Vocabulary Builder assignment (worksheet) to work on in class. The students were broken up into groups and worked cooperatively on the assignment. Also, the students continued work on labeling and learning the locations of the major rivers and major cities of Texas. The students will need to be able to label a map of the rivers and cities on their test (middle of next week). The students will continue to work on these assignments tomorrow in class. Each assignment will count as a formative daily grade (3 grades total).

Please continue to stay on top of your student's grades and remind them that all failing grades can be made up and brought up to passing (70) if they are turned in within 10 school days of the day the original assignment was posted in the grade book.

Extreme Weather, Blog/Online Textbook Tutorial and Major Rivers of Texas

Today, we started class with a video documenting the F5 Jarrell Tornado that struck the small Central Texas town 20 years ago. The video coincides with our discussing and learning about the climate and types of extreme/severe weather that occurs in Texas. We discussed the differences between a Tornado Watch and a Tornado Warning and stressed the importance of taking tornado drills seriously. We also discussed what to do and where to take shelter should students find themselves in a tornado emergency at home.

After the video and discussion, I went over how to access the blog site and online textbook again. Some students have continued to confuse the blog and textbook sites or have difficulty accessing one or the other. Please review how to log on to the online textbook by viewing the procedures posted on the blog on 9/1.

Once the tutorials on the blog and online textbook were complete, the students broke up into groups and began work on labeling the major rivers, cities and regions of Texas on the maps that were handed out yesterday (see post from 9/8 below). Students will need to know how to label these maps in the near future on their test.

Location and Climate of Texas

Today, we started talking about Texas climate and the factors that affect it. I opened the class with a video presentation about the Galveston Hurricane of 1900, also known as Isaac's Storm. Today marked the 115 year anniversary of the storm and it remains the worst natural disaster to ever strike the United States.

After the video, students took notes on the Location and Climate of Texas (Chapter 2, Lesson 3). Important facts to know are the two factors that most directly influence climate: location and elevation. Students should understand and be able to discuss how the Gulf of Mexico and the elevation of a place affect Texas climate. Also discussed were the various types of severe or extreme weather we see in the Lone Star State. Students should be able to name 4-5 such weather extremes and explain what they are in some depth. Today's notes are below.

Once the day's notes were completed, I gave each student a handout showing the location of the major rivers, cities and regions of Texas. We discussed briefly but will work on them tomorrow in class. The two handouts are below the notes.

Map Activities

On Friday, students took a quiz over the Natural Resources of Texas and turned in the Natural Resources maps they have been working on over the last few days.

Once the quiz was complete and the maps turned in, the students were broken into groups of 3-5 and rotated among 5 stations featuring different kinds of maps. The students had to work cooperatively to answer various questions at each station using the maps provided. The students turned in their answer sheets to me at the end of the activity and will be receiving a formative/daily grade on the activity.

Latitude & Longitude / Natural Resources Map Due Tomorrow / Quiz Tomorrow

Today's lesson centered around lines of latitude and longitude. We discussed which was which, the location of the equator, the location of the prime meridian and practiced plotting locations on a map using coordinates. We will continue practicing with maps tomorrow.

Before starting on our map work, however, we will take the quiz over the Chapter 2/Lesson 2 notes/reading. Notes on this section are attached to the blog post from yesterday (9/2). Originally, this quiz was scheduled for today but it seemed most of the students were not prepared for it so I postponed it until tomorrow.

Also, the Texas Natural Resources Map that was assigned on 9/1 is due tomorrow. Full details on what needs to be on the map are shown below on the blog post from 9/1.

Natural Resource of Texas (Chapter 2 - Lesson 2)

Today, students took a practice quiz over information in their notes (Chapter 2-Lesson 2 in the online text). The practice quiz was intended to show each student whether or not he/she was prepared for a real quiz. Tomorrow, the students will take a real quiz that will count as a formative grade.

The notes from this section were discussed in class after the practice quiz. Items discussed were natural resources of Texas (oil, natural gas, limestone, etc.), water resources (major rivers, lakes, aquifers, etc.), the difference between a natural lake and a reservoir and the 3 rivers that form all or part of a border between Texas and another country or state.

Notes from today are below for any student that needs to catch up.

HOMEWORK ALERT: A real quiz over the natural resources of Texas will be given tomorrow at the beginning of class. BE PREPARED.

Also, the natural resources map assignment is due on Friday 9/4. Be making progress. Details on the map assignment can be seen on the blog post from 9/1.

Online Textbook Access, Chapter 2 Map Assignment & Notes

Today students were given the access information to the online textbook. Students created cards that included the online textbook web address, their user name and their passwords. The user name/password is set up as follows:

User Name : KISDS (student ID #)
Password: 1st three letters of the last name followed by student ID #

These cards are to be glued, taped or stapled to the inside cover of their class folder. This location will provide quick and easy reference for them when they need this information to log into their textbook at home. Please make sure your student has their card and that it gets attached to the inside cover of their folder. I would also encourage parents to log in to the online textbook and do a bit of exploring in order to better be able to help your student later.

Also, the students received a mapping assignment. They are to recreate a map showing the natural resources of Texas and the areas of the state in which they are found. The map is found on page 59 of their text and can also be accessed via the online textbook in Chapter 2 Section 2. It is the second map from the right in the Lesson Resources section on the right side of the page. I have also put a copy below that can be used for reference. Please note, the map key is not included on the image below but is required to be on the map your student turns in to me.



Requirements:

• -  Draw the outline of the state of Texas, the bigger the better. Don’t put a tiny drawing on a large piece of paper. The bigger the outline, the easier it will be to put icons in later on.
  
  
• -  It is not necessary to draw the surrounding states but the Gulf of Mexico should be included.
  
  
• -  Map is to be recreated using the same icons seen in the textbook. A map key or legend is to be included showing what natural resource each icon represent.
  
  
• -  Include the compass showing directionality
  
  
• -  The map should be colored. I prefer colored pencils/map pencils but use what you have.
  
  
• -  Labels in the key should be neat and spelled correctly.
  
  
• -  Basically, if it is on the textbook map, it should be on your map.
  

Due date for the map is tentatively set for Friday 9/4 at the beginning of the period. 

FINALLY, the notes for Lesson 2 need to be copied and placed in the student's folder in the appropriate section. The Lesson 2 notes are below.