"If you are what you should be, you will set the whole world ablaze."
Saint Catherine of Sienna
Mr. Chris Sorrell
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Junior High Social Studies & 7th Grade English
As always, Room 12 is home to a wide variety of
discussions of things past, present, and future.
Our 8th grade Social Studies classes are currently
investigating the development of urban life in America at the beginning
of the 20th century. Three issues are paramount to our
understanding of not only turn-of-the-century American life but
contemporary America as well. The first is our discussion of the
beginnings of the labor movement. Students are discussing the
sweatshops that
were so common in American cities at the dawn of the
20th century and all too common throughout the world today. The
second issue we are examining is the birth of corporations and the
American stock market. Soon we will begin a stock market
simulation that will last the entire academic year. Students will
be “given” $100,000 and will buy and sell stocks at current prices.
We will track the growth of each student portfolio each week. It
should be a lot of fun and put our math skills to work as well. The
third issue we are focusing on in the next few weeks is the amazing wave
of immigration to the United States beginning around 1880. Each of
these issues is as central to our lives today as they were 100 years
ago.
The 7th grade Social Studies classes are tackling early
American cultures, the first European explorers to the new world, and
the earliest settlements.
We recently completed a look at the Olmec, Aztec, Mayan, and Incan
civilizations, and are currently tracing the explorations of Columbus,
Magellan, Balboa and others. This was the very beginning of the
global age that we live in today. Soon we will investigate St.
Augustine, Roanoke, Jamestown and other early American settlements.
The 6th grade Social Studies classes are completing
a review of basic geography skills like longitude and latitude, and
introducing the elements of culture. These elements will be
critical to our exploration throughout the year or various ancient world
cultures from Egypt to China to Africa to Rome and many others. We
also take the time every day to discuss our own culture and customs, and
how those customs vary from one world region to another. We have
learned that cultures, customs and legacies can even vary from student
to student. This understanding is critical as our world grows
smaller and smaller with technology, and cultural awareness and
understanding becomes so very important.
This year I am also teaching 7th grade English. We are
concentrating on grammar and the construction of short essays. Our
latest writing prompt deals with constructing a 5 to 6 paragraph
narrative detailing a trip or journey the author has taken. Many
of the students have decided to detail their trip to Marmon Valley Farm
last week. It’s a week full of tales of horseback riding,
campfires and long bus rides. Everyone’s story is full of such
vivid details and memories, and the classroom is full of energy and
excitement. For me, this has been a fun assignment to lead.
Soon I will post a more formal syllabus for the month of November.
I do however want to keep “reporting” on the activities and points of
emphasis for each of my classes. I hope parents and grandparents
take the opportunity to discuss with your kids some of the issues I’ve
mentioned here in my “teacher’s journal.” Talking with your
children about the issues they examine in school reinforces and
motivates them. Already one student shared that she and her father
had a discussion of Christopher Columbus and his reputation in American
History. That sort of discussion between parents and children is
wonderful for kids, and for parents, too. It is why I teach.
