02.22.08

I can’t believe how fast February has gone by! In fact, the end of third quarter sneaked up on me so quickly this year that we won’t have time to do the Berlin Conference project.

This week the students created a poster to educate others about a problem in Africa, as well as potential solutions. Topics ranged from deforestation to orphans to education to civil war, and more in between.

Our next test is on Thursday, February 28. It will be a 50 point test. Students were given study guides today, and we will spend next Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday studying in class. As usual, students will also need to spend time studying on their own at home.

02.14.08

Happy Valentine’s Day! And Happy Four Day Weekend!

 This week in geography was mostly spent on listening to presentations for the Exploring Africa project. We started another Africa related activity on Wednesday, based on a video from Discovery Education called “Africa Today”. The video discussed different problems affecting Africa, including education, poverty, disease, and environmental problems. The students will be taking what they learned from the video, and taking action! We will be learning more about the different issues, brainstorming ways we can help, and then creating brochures and posters to educate others about the problems that Africa faces.

 Our next test will be on Thursday, February 28th. I’ll be handing out study guides as we get closer. Have a wonderful weekend!

02.08.08

This week in geography, students continued working on their Africa power point presentations, which were due Thursday. We have been listening to some great power point presentations, and the kids have been enjoying teaching their classmates about their chosen country.

Next week we will finish up the Africa power points, and then start the big project for 3rd quarter, the Berlin Conference. The Berlin Conference of 1884 is when many colonial powers divided up Africa into many of the countries we know today. The kids are going to have a chance to divide up Africa in the way they feel is fair, based on resources, languages, religions, and tribal history, rather than the “greedy acquisitiveness” that the original Berlin Conference embodied.

02.01.08

Happy February! In geography, we’ve started the Exploring Africa project. Project information, such as instructions and rubric, can be found on my LPMS web page. Students are researching a country in Africa of their choosing, and then creating a PowerPoint presentation to teach their classmates about their country. This week was mostly spent on researching information, and next week the students will be creating their PowerPoint. We will start presentations late next week.