Week in Review

Scroll through the weeks below to see what we have learned each week.

Week 1: September 9 - September 14 

7th Grade:
This week we talked about the role of historians and why it is important to study history. We looked at the different ways we learn about the past. We discussed why reading and analyzing primary sources is more reliable than reading potentially biased secondary sources.

The students were given the opportunity to put into practice what they learned. We did a quick project to analyze documents. Each group of students was given a set of 18 checks written by an imaginary person. They were tasked with reviewing each check, arrange them in chronological order, and build a mini biographical sketch of the check writer based on his history of purchases over the course of his life. As groups, the students wrote mini-biographies of the person that included details that they were able to learn from analyzing the checks he wrote. 

8th Grade:
This week we jumped right into the 8th-grade curriculum as well as incorporated 11th-grade concepts to prepare the students for the Regent's exam in June, The topics we explored this week included:

• Industrial America and the role that science/technology and new inventions played in modernizing the US.

• We learned about the growth of big businesses and reviewed some economic concepts. 

• Key concepts/vocabulary from this week include:

  • • Captains of Industry/Robber Barons

    • Laissez-Faire

    • Capitalism

    • Supply and Demand

    • Social Darwinism

    • Speculation & The Stock Market

    • Monopolies/Trusts

Week 2: September 16 - September 20 

7th Grade:
We missed a couple of classes this week due to Field Days and MAP Testing. This week we began learning about the settling of the colonies in North America. We discussed the British policy of Mercantilism and what attracted them to North America for the formation of new colonies. 

8th Grade:
We missed a couple of classes this week due to Field Day and MAP Testing. We were still able to complete our unit about Robber Barons/Captains of Industry and start looking at some primary source documents related to this  topic. 

Week 3: September 23 - September 27 

7th Grade:
This week we pushed hard and learned about Jamestown, Plymouth, and the Massachusetts Bay Colony. We discussed the hardships the early settlers had to overcome to succeed (weather, food shortages, hostile environment, and conflicts with the indigenous peoples. We finished the week learning about the Salem Witch Trials and the difficulty of being "guilty until proven innocent".

8th Grade:
The 8th graders had a DBQ (Document-Based Questions) test this week. We sent a few days reviewing the background information and practiced analyzing primary sources (Documents and Political Cartoons) to prepare for the exam. 

Week 4: September 30 - October 4 

7th Grade:
Monday we had MAP testing and Thursday and Friday we were off so this was a pretty short week. We concluded our exploration of the early colonies in America (New England, Jamestown, New Amsterdam - later New York, etc).

8th Grade:
Short week this week due to the days off on Thursday and Friday and the MAP testing on Monday. This week we started learning more about the Gilded Age and spent so time discussing the urbanization of America during this time period. 

Week 5: October 7 - October 11 

7th Grade:
We covered a lot this week. We talked about King Philip's war up in New England and then jumped 100 years later to discuss the cause and effects of the French and Indian War (aka the Seven Years War). 7th graders also took their first regents-level short essay assessment comparing and contrasting the colonies of Jamestown and Plymouth. 

8th Grade:
In preparation for next week's walking tour trip to lower Manhattan we reviewed a slide show of the different sites we will be visiting and reviewed the historic events that took place there. We also started our lessons about immigration during the Gilded Age focusing on Push and Pull factors that contributed to the large numbers of immigrants coming to America. 

Week 6: October 15 - October 18 

7th Grade:
Another shortened but busy week. We were off Monday in observance of Columbus Day aka Indigenous Peoples' Day. We reviewed the content that will be on their first regents level multiple-choice test on Thursday. Friday 10/18 we deviated from our current unit to discuss General John Glover, the greatest American hero of all time in honor of John Glover Day (not a real holiday...YET).

8th Grade:
This week we started discussing the arrival of immigrants to NY and their experiences going through Ellis Island. Thursday was our walking tour of lower Manhattan and all of the 8th-graders did a great job and were really mature and responsible during the trip. We visited a bunch of historic sites that they learned about in SS last year and this year.

• Bowling Green - where the statue of King George was ripped down during the revolution. They got to touch the iron fence that had the king's crowns ripped off by the Americans.

• US Customs House

• Castle Clinton - built for the War of 1812

• Standard Oil's headquarters

• Fraunces Tavern

• Stone Street

• Wall Street - first capitol building, site of Washington's inauguration, site on an anarchist bomb during the 1920s, JP Morgan's office building, the NYSE

• Trinity Church - burial site of Alexander Hamilton

• 9/11 Memorial

Week 7 : October 21 - October 25 

7th Grade:
This  week and next our school district is taking part in a city-wide Mock Election for President, Senator, and local Representative. Voting starts Monday so in preparation we spent this week discussing voting, the electoral college, and how presidents are elected. We discussed the various political parties and the different views they hold on various issues. We also discussed "Red States",  "Blue States", "Swing States", "Battleground States" etc. 

We also started talking about the causes of the American Revolution. 

8th Grade:
This  week and next our school district is taking part in a city-wide Mock Election for President, Senator, and local Representative. Voting starts Monday so in preparation we spent this week discussing voting, the electoral college, and how presidents are elected. We discussed the various political parties and the different views they hold on various issues. We also discussed "Red States",  "Blue States", "Swing States", "Battleground States" etc. 

We also finished talking about Ellis Island and the students will be writing an essay next week. 

Week 8 : October 28 - October 31 

7th Grade:
This week we wrapped up our overview of the French and Indian War (aka The Seven Years War). This week also saw us begin to discuss the various actions by the British after the French and Indian War that began to anger the colonies. 

8th Grade:
This week the students wrote a first-personm narrative essay from the perspective of a newly arrived immigrant going through Ellis Island. This was their opportunity to demonstrate everything they learned about immigration during the Gilded Age (push/pull factors, Ellis Island, job prospects, living conditions). 

Week 9 : November 4 - November 9 

7th Grade:
This was a shorter week because there was no school on Tuesday or Thursday.  During this abbreviated week, we were able to continue our discussions of the causes of the American Revolution. We ended the week learning about the "shot hear 'round the world" setting the stage for the upcoming lessons about America's fight for independence. 

8th Grade:
This was a shorter week because there was no school on Tuesday or Thursday. During this shorter week we began examining the Progressive Era and how some of the conditions of the Gilded Age led to the need for reforms. 

Week 10 : November12 - November 15 

7th Grade:
Another shorter week this week, We were off Monday in observance of Veteran's Day. We started learning about the American Revolution this week. We discussed the Olive Branch petition and spent some time analyzing the text of the Declaration of Independence, 

8th Grade:
We were off on Monday this week in observance of Veteran's Day (formerly known as Armistice Day celebrating the end of WW1). This week we focused on the change-makers during the Progressive Era focusing on the muckrakers. We learned about:

• Jacob Riis, How the Other Half Lives, exposing the unsafe, overcrowded tenements 

• Nellie Bly, Ten Days in the Madhouse, exposing the horrific conditions in the Women's Asylum

• Upton Sinclair, The Jungle, exposing the unsanitary conditions of our meat packing industry. 

Week 11 : November18 - November 22 

7th Grade:
This week we finished our close reading and analysis of the Declaration of Independence. We also spent a period on Thursday learning about Franksgiving, the time during the Great Depression when President FDR moved Thanksgiving a week earlier hoping to jumpstart the Christmas shopping season. We finished the week with a Regent's level Short Essay Question assessment. 

8th Grade:
We reviewed and learned some new terms and concepts related to the Progressive Era and learned about some of the policies that were enacted to fight corruption. We also started a discussion to introduce some of the conditions in Europe that lead to World War 1.  We finished the week with a Regent's level  assessment, 

Week 12 : November 25 - November 27 

7th Grade:
Short week. Again. Much of our lessons this week focused on the American Revolution in NY. The Battle of Long Island (John Glover Save #1), the escape from NYC, the Battle of Pell's Point (John Glover save #2), and the Indian Massacre in Woodlawn (the sight that is now known as Indian Field). 

8th Grade:
Short week. Again. This week we learned about the underlying causes of World War 1 (M,A.I.N.) Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism, and Nationalism. We also learned about the immediate cause (The Spark that set off the powder keg) the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary.

Week 13 : December 2 - December 6 

7th Grade:
Once again a short week. My fault this time. COVID. This week we explored some of the hardship our American soldiers endured during the war for independence (Valley Forge, lack of supplies, disease, hunger, etc). 

8th Grade:
Once again a short week. My fault this time. COVID.  This week we examined the homefront during WW1 and some of the propaganda used to garner support for the war. We examined a lot of primary sources, political cartoons. 

Week 14 : December 9 - December 13 

7th Grade:
This week discussed representative democracy and spent a good deal of time reviewing for Friday's exam. 

8th Grade:
This week we spent time discussing the end of WW1, Woodrow Wilson's 14 Point Plan for world peace and reviewed for Friday's exam. 

Week 15 : December 16 - December 20 

7th Grade:
We discussed the end of the American Revolution and the newly independent states' first attempt at a government (The Articles of Confederation) as well as why the Articles failed (lack of a strong federal government), 

8th Grade:
This week we started our unit about the Roaring 20s. We focused on the changes (music, fashion, roles of women, science etc.). We also discussed the role government should play in legislating morality (is it possible? should government legislate morality?) This led to a discussion about prohibition and the Scopes Trial. 

Week 16 : January 2 - January 3

7th Grade:
Happy New Year. Really short week this week once again. This week (2 days) we introduced the US Constitution and how it was born out of the failure of the Articles of Confederation. 

8th Grade:
Happy New Year. Really short week this week once again. This week (2 days) we explored the Dark Side of the Roaring 20s:

• Teapot Dome Scandal

• Anarchists/Red Scare

• Rebirth of the KKK

• The Tulsa Massacre

• Buy Now, Pay Later

Week 17 : January 6 - January 10

7th Grade:
Started our discussion of some of the compromises needed to draft the Constitution. We learned about the disagreement between the Federalists (wanted a strong federal government) and the Anti-Federalists (wanted stronger state governments) and Federalism (Dual-Sovereignty) the sharing of power between the federal and state governments. We began learning about the reason for the Bill of Rights. 

8th Grade:
This week we explored the conditions that set the stage for the Great Depression. We learned about GDP, speculation, how the stock market and banks work, and how easy credit, buying stocks on margin, and speculation set the stage for a stick market crash that ultimately led to a run on the banks and destroyed the economy, 

Week 18: January 13 - January 17

7th Grade:  This week we continued learning about the Bill of Rights. We also took a break from our regular curriculum to discuss Martin Luther King in advance of the MLK holiday. We talked about the end of the Civil War and the laws that were passed that contributed to the segregation in the south that eventually led to the civil rights movement and MLK. 
 

8th Grade:  This week we continued our discussions of FDR's New Deal programs and some of the criticisms about FDR's approach to the problems of the Great Depression. We watched some clips from the Wizard of Oz and examined some of the symbolism in the movie and how it could represent some of the events/ideas of the New Deal.
 

Week 19: January 21 - January 24

7th Grade:  This was another short week. We had off on Monday to honor MLK. There was also some MAP testing and computerized ELA simulation exams. We did make some progress in our Bill of Rights unit. 
 

8th Grade:  Short week this week. We introduced World War Two and discussed how the failures of the League of Nations and Woodrow Wilson's 14 Points contributed to the start of WW2.
 

Week 20: January 27 - January 31

7th Grade: Once again we had a shortened week due to the celebration of Lunar New Year. This week we finished our Bill of Rights discussions and applied what we learned by analyzing real-world scenarios and Supreme Court cases to see how the amendments are applied to real situations. 
 

8th Grade: Once again we had a shortened week due to the celebration of Lunar New Year. This week we looked at maps and analyzed the progression of WW2 in Europe and ended the week learning about Pearl Harbor and America's entrance into the conflict.  

 

Week 21: February 3 - February 7

7th Grade:  This week we learned about Washington's Presidency and the precedents he set during his terms as president.  We talked about the debate between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists, specifically about the creation of a National Bank.  We also spent some time reviewing for next week's midterm exams.
 

8th Grade: Next week is the midterm exam. It is designed to mimic an 11th Grade Regent's exam. The content on the exam will be a mixture of our current unit with questions from content going back to 7th grade. This week we spent a great deal of time reviewing important concepts from 7th grade (Colonies to the Civil War) as well as 8th grade (Reconstruction to our last unit the Great Depression and the New Deal).
 

Week 22: February10 - February 14

7th Grade: This is midterm week. Schedules have been changed in order for the students to be able to dedicate enough time each day for their midterms. We did carve out some time to learn about the end of Washington's presidency and analyze his farewell speech and the advice he gave to America. We briefly introduced the Adams administration. 
 

8th Grade: Abbreviated week due to the midterms. We were able to find enough time to discuss and analyze the role of the Americans at home during WW2 to support the war effort overseas. We looked at dozens of primary source documents related to the Homefront and explored all the different things that people at hoe could do to directly help the war effort. 
 

Week 23: February24 - February 28

7th Grade:  This week we discussed Thomas Jefferson's presidency. We learned about the war against the Barbary pirates, the Embargo Act to address the impressment of American sailors by the British and French, and the Lousiana Purchase. We examined the causes and effects of the Louisiana Purchase and learned about Lewis and Clark's expedition to explore the new territory.  
 

8th Grade: This week students wrote letters from the perspective of people at home during WW2 to soldiers serving the country overseas. In their letters they described the various ways they supported the war effort by their actions. We also began our discussion of FDR's executive order ordering the relocation and internment of Japanese-Americans from California during the war and the role that war hysteria and prejudice played in this decision.
 

Week 24: March 3 - March 7

7th Grade: This week we learned about the election of James Madison and the problems he had to deal with almost immediately. We talked about the Indian Confederacy and the conflicts with Americans. We also discussed the growing tension over the issue of impressments that eventually led to the War of 1812.
 

8th Grade: We spent a lot of time this week learning about the Holocaust, Next Monday we will have a speaker come and speak with all the 8th-grade classes. The speaker will share the experiences of his grandmother who survived Auschwitz.  We learned about the persecution and ultimately the execution of the Jews in Europe. We learned about the Ghettos , Concentration Camps, and Death Camps.
 

Week 25: March 10 - March 14

7th Grade:
 

8th Grade: