Students in sixth and seventh grade prepared carefully for an assessment to show their understanding of the four river civilizations. They’re now learning about groups of people who served to connect the river civilizations, such as the Phoenicians, Minoans, and the Persians. As we move into the unit on empires and visionaries, students will begin to see glimpses of the modern world in the ancient eras.
Students in eighth grade finished up their essays last week. Each student was tasked with making an argument that wove the four river civilizations together. They took time last Monday to peer review essays, and they used their class time well in this process to complete research, hone their writing skills, ask questions about Chicago formatting, and develop their thesis statements.
Eighth grade students also met individually with Mrs. Smith, 8th grade mentor, to discuss progress in classes, feedback on essays, and career aspirations. The eighth grade class traditionally completes a job shadowing experience in the spring semester, so starting the conversation early regarding future hopes is helpful to provide direction. Although some students have pretty clear ideas of what they want to do for a career, others are undecided and exploring! It’s made for lots of good conversations in the past few days.
Eighth grade is now beginning a unit on early empires, after having completed a web quest related to the Persians. This time period is full of rich stories to help flesh out the how and the why of rulers and empires.
