Mrs. Mercure's Class Info

SOCIAL STUDIES - TEAM 7-8C

"30 years from now it won't matter what shoes you wore, how your hair looked, or the jeans you bought. What will matter is what you learned and how you used it.

Important Information for 8B Social Studies class.

Notebooks - Students are required to keep a classroom notebook which will be graded once each quarter. Not only does this help with organization, it is also the most important resource they have as a study guide when they have tests. Please encourage your student to share their notebook with you so that you can see what they are learning about in Social Studies class. These notebooks will be given to the students free of charge each quarter.

Current Events - Every Monday a news topic is assigned and students need to find an article and complete a summary about the topic. This summary should be a minimum of 10 sentences long and should include personal reflection as well. Please be sure to attach the article to the summary. This assignment is due the following Monday.

Students have access to their Social Studies book online. What a wonderful benefit that our district has provided for our students! I know that students will enjoy not having to carry their big heavy book home to complete their homework.

Students on both 8A and 8B are enjoying having a Japanese pen pal this year. Senshu Matsudo Junior High School is the sister school to Lux Middle School. Each school year students send letters and small gifts back and forth during the school year. Then in late June all the Senshu 8th grade students come to Lincoln to take Bright Light or Doane Adventure classes for 5 days and then stay 3 days and nights with Lux students. It is a great experience and opportunity for experiencing another culture that is very different from our own.

Students will begin the school year with a refresher unit on Geography. They will have the opportunity of becoming a History Sleuth and then in class they will take a virtual tour in the American History Musuem in Washington, D.C. The course of study for 8th grade students in Lincoln Public Schools is American History and so we will begin with early cultures and explorers before moving on to the development of the colonies by the English settlers. We will progress through the history of America up until World War I. We also will have two interdisciplinary units with English about the Holocaust and People of Prominence.

At present we are learning all about the Lewis and Clark Expedition, which changed the history of America. Upon completion of their study each student is required to create a 3-Dimensional project from one moment in the journey. Students received a requirement sheet along with a sample grade sheet to help guide their project. These projects are due on Friday, January 11, 2008. Students in Periods 2-3 are also creating ABC booklets which will be sent to Maxey Elementary for enjoyment reading by some of their 5th grade students. These booklets are due on Friday, January 18, 2008.

During second semester students in Social Studies will be involved in two large group projects. One is our People of Prominence Unit and the other is our Holocaust Unit. More information will be coming about each of these.

If you have any questions or concerns please call me at 436-1220 or email kmercure@lps.org

Mrs. Mercure

kmercure@lps.org