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?