Gifted Social Studies Weekly Update
Week of 1/13-1/17
Breaking News
8th Grade Field Trips
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!!
Middle School Model UN General Assembly
Friday, April 3, 2020
Eighth Grade students will travel to the Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield, Illinois, on
Wednesday, April 22, 2020.
What If? Conference
Cortex Innovation Lab
Friday, April 24, 2020
Classroom Happenings
8th Grade Classes
SETTLING AMERICA UNIT
Students are examining the history of Christopher Columbus. Is he a hero or a villain?
Should Columbus Day be abolished as a national holiday?
Students participated in SPAR debates using primary documents to support their claim and form counterclaims.
Students gave and received peer feedback on their letters to President Trump.
Students completed their Principles and Framework of the U.S. Constitution pre-assessment.
MODEL UN AND PODCASTS
50% of our students are interested in participating in the Middle School Model UN General Assembly.
40% of our students are interested in creating 3-12 minute podcasts.
7th Grade Classes
We continued with our “preserving history,” current events, and government activities.
Preserving History: We started talking about the power that comes from recording and passing on history. Next week, students will develop plans for creating their projects. Please continue to support those that still need an idea. I sent an email to parents and guardians earlier this week with more details.
Current Events: Besides watching and reading current events throughout the week, the kids have been introduced to a list of people and terms to help them understand concepts and situations from the news better.
Government: Students will learn about how the government is organized and some more specific details to help them understand current event topics like making laws, the process of impeachment, and presidential elections.
Upcoming Due Dates
7th Grade Due Dates
No due dates set for the
week of January 20 - 24
8th Grade Due Dates
Final Columbus Day Letter Due Thursday, January 16
Other Learning Opportunities
GSS Webpage
If you would like to review a past weekly update, please go to our webpage to catch up on the archived updates.
Contact Us
Mrs. Woodard: woodard.alka@wgmail.org