4° Marden - Social Studies 8-26-27 Assignments
- Instructor
- Jack Marden
- Term
- 2026-2027 Academic Term
- Department
- Social Studies
- Description
-
Upcoming Assignments
Due:
20. Spirit of America Part 3
If you were absent, please log in to the game, complete Part 3 & Epilogue, and fill out the documents attached here.
We will complete the Document Analysis activity in class together.
We will complete the Document Analysis activity in class together.
Due:
18. Inquiry Research Project: Second Settlers
I'm posting this now for anyone that wants to start looking through the documents. We will go over all of this together in class. Write down any questions you think of.
When conducting your research, make sure you are focusing on the 16th-17th centuries (1500s-1600s) along the East Coast of the modern US. Do not include information after 1750.
Be very careful about how you depict Native Americans. If you are using visuals showing a specific group, make sure the image is an accurate and respectful representation of them. For example, do not use images of the Hopi or Navajo when talking about the Powhatan people.
If you have any questions about this project, please fill out the form "IRP Questions About the Project". I will attach a spreadsheet where you can see the questions others have asked, and my answers/responses.
When conducting your research, make sure you are focusing on the 16th-17th centuries (1500s-1600s) along the East Coast of the modern US. Do not include information after 1750.
Be very careful about how you depict Native Americans. If you are using visuals showing a specific group, make sure the image is an accurate and respectful representation of them. For example, do not use images of the Hopi or Navajo when talking about the Powhatan people.
If you have any questions about this project, please fill out the form "IRP Questions About the Project". I will attach a spreadsheet where you can see the questions others have asked, and my answers/responses.
Past Assignments
Due:
21. Mapping the "New" World
Use the two maps to think about how European colonists viewed the land and the people of the Americas.
Due:
19. Pocahontas & Jamestown
This is an in class assignment. I will provide printed copies for you to work on. If you're absent, please review the assignment, do what you can, and email me or get a Flex pass if you have any questions.
If you find anything that helps with your research, save it in your notes!
If you find anything that helps with your research, save it in your notes!
Due:
17. Inquiry Research Question
Please complete this short form so I can gather & organize the questions you came up with for your projects. Then I can help connect you with other students & resources related to your focus & topic.
Due:
15. Spirit of a Nation Part 2
1. Decision Tracker
2. Mission Reflection
3. Document Analysis
Complete this when there's extra time in class, or at home & in Flex.
2. Mission Reflection
3. Document Analysis
Complete this when there's extra time in class, or at home & in Flex.
Due:
16. Indigenous Nations Research Poster
Begin researching your group's assigned Nation on Wednesday and Friday.
Due:
14. 25th Anniversary of 9/11
If absent:
First, follow along with the presentation in the slides.
Next, sign in to Newsela through Clever. Find the short video, then the article assigned about 9/11. Complete both, including any quiz or writing prompt.
If you'd like to explore more, check out the Nat Geo link.
First, follow along with the presentation in the slides.
Next, sign in to Newsela through Clever. Find the short video, then the article assigned about 9/11. Complete both, including any quiz or writing prompt.
If you'd like to explore more, check out the Nat Geo link.
Due:
13. Spirit of a Nation Part 1
We will use this "choose-your-own-adventure" style program to help us with our unit's essential learning question:
What was life like for Native Americans in the Eastern part of the continent when Europeans arrived?
and our yearlong question:
What does it mean to be an American?
Perhaps it also can help you with your independent research questions!
Today, log in and begin playing Part 1. As you play, complete the Decision Tracker. When you're finished, complete the Mission Reflection. Lastly, we will complete the Document Analysis.
When playing Part 1, consider these questions to help you fill out your Decision Tracker:
Why are you making that choice?
Is this the choice you yourselves would make or that you think an Apalachee boy in the 1500s would make?
How might Oclati’s gender, culture, age, and other aspects of his identity shape the choices students make for him?
What happened as a result of the decision?
What might Nicki wonder, in the present day, about Apalachee culture and values as she imagines Oclati making that decision?
These are in-class assignments, not to be done at home unless instructed to.
These will be added to your notebook.
What was life like for Native Americans in the Eastern part of the continent when Europeans arrived?
and our yearlong question:
What does it mean to be an American?
Perhaps it also can help you with your independent research questions!
Today, log in and begin playing Part 1. As you play, complete the Decision Tracker. When you're finished, complete the Mission Reflection. Lastly, we will complete the Document Analysis.
When playing Part 1, consider these questions to help you fill out your Decision Tracker:
Why are you making that choice?
Is this the choice you yourselves would make or that you think an Apalachee boy in the 1500s would make?
How might Oclati’s gender, culture, age, and other aspects of his identity shape the choices students make for him?
What happened as a result of the decision?
What might Nicki wonder, in the present day, about Apalachee culture and values as she imagines Oclati making that decision?
These are in-class assignments, not to be done at home unless instructed to.
These will be added to your notebook.
Due:
11. Review Historical Thinking Skills
Last year, you learned about how to think like an historian. You learned about Worldview (Historical Perspectives), Sourcing, Historical Significance, the GEPS, and more. We will still be using those skills this year, so we need to review and make sure you remember and understand what they are and how they work.
On Friday 9/4 we will have a quiz on these topics. You can make a 1 page (front/back) EBS with your name on it for the quiz. You can use the attached resources, find youtube videos, find other websites that cover these skills, or try to ask AI. But a word of caution! Make sure you find credible sources!
The quiz covers these topics:
Worldview
Historiography
Historical Significance
Sourcing
GEPS
On Friday 9/4 we will have a quiz on these topics. You can make a 1 page (front/back) EBS with your name on it for the quiz. You can use the attached resources, find youtube videos, find other websites that cover these skills, or try to ask AI. But a word of caution! Make sure you find credible sources!
The quiz covers these topics:
Worldview
Historiography
Historical Significance
Sourcing
GEPS
Due:
9. Making Effective Slides: Meet your Classmates!
We will first discuss this in class and begin to interview our partners. With any extra time you can begin to make your slides in class. Anything unfinished is homework.
You can make slides using Canva and upload them to this post as well. If your partner wants to text or email you photos of them, that is ok, but not required.
Review the techniques for making Effective Slides. Then look at the "Meet My Partner" slides for instructions on making your own set of slides.
You can make slides using Canva and upload them to this post as well. If your partner wants to text or email you photos of them, that is ok, but not required.
Review the techniques for making Effective Slides. Then look at the "Meet My Partner" slides for instructions on making your own set of slides.
Due:
10. Yearlong Question
Create a title/heading for your notes that reads "10. Yearlong Question".
When we have notebook checks, I will give you a rubric so you can see if you have everything you need to have. If you have all the required elements, you can get up to 90%. If you want to get 90+%, I need to see that you really invested in learning & understanding the topics we studied by personalizing your notes and adding elements that help you deeply grasp the concepts & skills.
Here's what that could look like:
- adding your own "extra" notes, thoughts, definitions or questions that you think of or feel like you want to remember
- adding drawings or symbols that help you make sense of the notes
- color coding, highlighting, labeling, boxing or other strategies of drawing your own attention to different ideas
- a well organized, clear structure that make it easy for you to navigate and find information later
When we have notebook checks, I will give you a rubric so you can see if you have everything you need to have. If you have all the required elements, you can get up to 90%. If you want to get 90+%, I need to see that you really invested in learning & understanding the topics we studied by personalizing your notes and adding elements that help you deeply grasp the concepts & skills.
Here's what that could look like:
- adding your own "extra" notes, thoughts, definitions or questions that you think of or feel like you want to remember
- adding drawings or symbols that help you make sense of the notes
- color coding, highlighting, labeling, boxing or other strategies of drawing your own attention to different ideas
- a well organized, clear structure that make it easy for you to navigate and find information later
Due:
5. Syllabus
We will review the syllabus together in class. Then you need to explain it to your family at home. Finally, you and your grown up need to sign that you have reviewed and understand the syllabus.
Due:
8. Absence Quiz
It's not worth points! Just see how well you know what to do when you're absent. Keep taking this until you get 100%.
Due:
7. How Learning Works
If absent:
Review these slides.
Grab a piece of paper and title them "7. How Learning Works"
Write notes about what you've learned, any important words or phrases, what is challenging to understand or any questions that you have
Review these slides.
Grab a piece of paper and title them "7. How Learning Works"
Write notes about what you've learned, any important words or phrases, what is challenging to understand or any questions that you have
Due:
4. Get to Know You Survey
Please complete this survey as soon as you can so I can start to learn more about you!
Worth 5 Process Points for completion.
Worth 5 Process Points for completion.
Due:
3. Social Studies Benchmark
This is an exam we give at the start and end of every year at Fisher in your Social Studies classes.
IT DOES NOT COUNT FOR A GRADE.
All 6th, 7th & 8th graders take this test. It doesn't affect anything and no one outside of the Social Studies teachers can see the results. We are looking for patterns, trends and growth from 6th grade to 8th grade in the Historical Thinking Skills that we practice in Social Studies.
We learn some skills in 6th grade, introduce new ones in 7th grade, and practice 8th grade more in 8th grade, so it's ok if you feel like you're not sure how to answer some of these questions right now. Just do your best!
IT DOES NOT COUNT FOR A GRADE.
All 6th, 7th & 8th graders take this test. It doesn't affect anything and no one outside of the Social Studies teachers can see the results. We are looking for patterns, trends and growth from 6th grade to 8th grade in the Historical Thinking Skills that we practice in Social Studies.
We learn some skills in 6th grade, introduce new ones in 7th grade, and practice 8th grade more in 8th grade, so it's ok if you feel like you're not sure how to answer some of these questions right now. Just do your best!