Here are some links to handy, general Social Studies research sites:

PBS
Type your topic into the search box to access a wealth of information about tons of topics

The BBC
Type your topic into the search box on the upper right--like PBS, you can trust this site

Mr. Donn's Social Studies site
A great starting point, especially for 5th and 6th grade students

Social Studies for Kids
This is a great place to start a project--but ignore the ads!

Ducksters History for Kids
Click on the icons or use the search bar on the upper right

Google
Endlessly useful, this is everybody's go-to search engine, but always evaluate your hits before accessing them. Aim for credible websites, and avoid commercial ones. Not sure? Ask your teacher or parent.

Use this link to finish filling out the Electoral College Map worksheet

We've got a great year ahead of us!

Here's a quick overview: 5th Grade SS will investigate all things American--our magnificent landscape, our history, and our democratic government.  6th grade will examine what it is to be human, beginning millions of years ago in prehistoric Africa, proceeding to our first civilization in the ancient Middle East, and moving forward into our own era.  7th grade looks at the earliest inhabitants in the western hemisphere, seeking to understand where they came from and how they managed to get here without planes, trains or automobiles, later observes the clash of cultures between those first Americans and the new European colonists, and studies our progression toward freedom and democracy.  8th grade begins the year deconstructing the myth of the American Wild West and continues to explore the developing American character by poring over the many influential decisions we've made on the global stage.

Go Social Studies!

Gr 8 TVA Essay

Following is the schedule for the TVA Constructed Controversy Project:

Research: Fri 3/27, Mon 3/30
Discuss/Debate: Tues 3/31
Essay: Wed 4/1

Essay Q:

Part I
Was the TVA a good idea for America? Which groups of people benefited? Which groups suffered? Did more people benefit or suffer?

Part II (choose one)
If a program is proposed by government today that would be bad for a few thousand Americans but good for millions, would you support it? Why or why not?
OR
If the TVA were proposed today, how could the plan be modified so that the number of people who would suffer would be minimized and the number of people who benefited would be maximized?
OR
Should the government be responsible for providing services to Americans, like affordable electricity or health care, or should government stay out of people's lives? If you don't think the answer is either one or the other, what things do you think the government should provide? Not provide?

Grade 8 TVA Map

Grade 8 Tennessee Valley Authority

Background information about the TVA can be found at:
http://newdeal.feri.org/search_details.cfm?link=http://newdeal.feri.org/tva/tnguide/ch09.htm

the following site describes how African Americans were treated at the outset of the many TVA building projects:
http://newdeal.feri.org/search_details.cfm?link=http://newdeal.feri.org/opp/opp34111.htm

many other articles can be found here:
http://newdeal.feri.org/index.htm

Grade 5 California Gold Rush Web Quest

copy and paste these links as you work through the Web Quest


Part A
http://pbskids.org/wayback/goldrush/goldfever.html

Part B
http://www.measuringworth.com/calculators/compare/

Part C
http://www.ghosttownmuseum.com/

Part D
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/activities/16/popup/ghosttowns/index.html

Part E
http://pbskids.org/wayback/goldrush/journey_oregon.html

Part F
http://pbskids.org/wayback/goldrush/journey_capehorn.html

Part G
http://pbskids.org/wayback/goldrush/journey_panama.html

http://www.anglogold.co.za/subwebs/InformationForInvestors/ReportToSociety06/i/world_map_l.gif

Part H
http://www.kitco.com/charts/livegold.html

Part I
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000303.htm

Part J
http://nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000675.htm

Part K
http://nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001608.htm

http://www.ghosttownmuseum.com/goldpanning.htm

Grade 8 World War I Webquest

Webquest Schedule

• Day 1: Introduction
• Day 2: Mini-lecture--The US Enters the War
• Day 3: Mini-lecture--The Thriving Homefront
• Day 4: Mini-lecture--Trench Warfare: Nasty Business
• Day 5: Mini-lecture--Peace At Last
• Day 6: Research
• Day 7: Research
• Day 8: Research
  

Progressives and Reformers

Progressives and Reformers Webquest

http://www.taconichills.k12.ny.us/webquests/progressives/introduction.html

Schedule:
Fri 11/14 research
Mon 11/17 research
Tues 11/18 research/newsletters
Wed 11/19 newsletters
Fri 11/21 Rallies 1 - 3
Mon 11/24 Rallies 4 - 6
(Newsletters are due on the day of your Rally)

Homestead Strike

log on to this PBS website for info about Andrew Carnegie and the Homestead Strike of 1892:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/carnegie/

Electoral College

excellent websites to use when learning about the Electoral College:


http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/2008/

http://www.hks.harvard.edu/case/3pt/electoral.html

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/election/july-dec00/ec_11-23.html

Tuthankhamun

Start your investigations of King Tut on this website.

http://www.tutankhamun-exhibition.co.uk/index.html

Here are some more useful websites:

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/egypt/
http://homepage.powerup.com.au/~ancient/tut2.htm
http://www.egyptianmuseum.gov.eg/collection_tut.html

immigration webquest

http://sites.lps.org/wq29/

use this link to access the details and links for the webquest.

Remember: Teams do #s 1, 3, and 4 together
Individuals do #2 or #5

class time will be devoted to research through Tuesday 10/21

Portfolios are due on Friday 10/24

grade 6 Mesopotamia wrap-up website

http://www.smithlifescience.com/SSEarlyCivilizations.htm

When you reach the website, scroll down past Day 15 to Computer Day/Virtual Field Trips. Choose a Field Trip. Read the Story, Explore it, and do the Challenge.

HW: in 1 - 3 paragraphs, answer the following Qs---
--What was the Field Trip?
--How did you perform the Trip? (describe the Trip)
--What were the results of your Challenge?

Grade 7 Explorers webquest

http://ele.n-polk.k12.ia.us/WebQuest/eplorers/explorers_index.html

Presentations: Wed., 10/1
Resumes due: Thurs., 10/2

Wounded Knee research

Start Wounded Knee Massacre here:
http://www.pbs.org/search/search_results.html?q=wounded+knee&btnG=GO

grade 6---mesopotamia websites

go to:

http://www.mesopotamia.co.uk/writing/story/page01.html

1. read the lesson

2. go to:

http://www.upennmuseum.com/cuneiform.cgi

3. write your name like an ancient Mesopotamian

4. hand-copy it onto paper (can use colored paper)

We're off to a great first week! Students have shared vacation stories, family events and the like, and are now clearly ready to begin the serious business of learning and study.

I'm delighted that many students have kept up with the election news over the summer. They've posed insightful comments and questions, which have developed into full-group discussions. I encourage you to include your daughters in your own political discussions--the younger girls want to learn, and the older girls want to sharpen their debating and discussion skills. In order for us to keep up with the election news and other current events, we've subscribed to a selection of magazines and newspapers: Gr.5--Time for Kids; Gr.6--Current Events; Gr.7 & Gr.8--the online version of the New York Times. While the NY Times is free to the school (and is accessible from your home computer), TFK and Current Events require a subscription fee, which I'll ask for from each student. Details will follow in the next week or so.

Thank you to all the families who have contributed tissues, towels, and wipes; we have a good supply for cold and flu season!

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