Mr. Meharg ~ Team 5-1 Social Studies

The school year is rapidly coming to a close. High expectations will continue for students in their academics and behavior. Thank you for your support and for reminding your child of these expectations.

Space Camp is Friday-Sunday, May 18-20. Students will meet with Ms. Blankenship on Monday, May 14 to go over Space Camp expectations. Students will also receive their Space Camp T-shirts on Monday. Students going to Space Camp are to report to the high school parking lot (across from Central Office) between 5:15 and 5:30 a.m. We will leave promptly for Space Camp at 6:00 a.m. If you have any questions regarding Space Camp, please contact the school office or Ms. Blankenship. Students not attending Space Camp will participate in Space Day activities on Friday, May 18.

It is my goal to have the Westward Movement Unit and Journal graded and returned to students by Thursday, May 17.

The last three days of school will be May 21-23. For Monday, May 21, dismissal will be at the regular time. For Tuesday and Wednesday, May 22 and 23, dismissal will be at 2:00 p.m. Students are expected to attend school for the last three days of the school year.

The following are lesson plans for this week. Lesson plans are always subject to change.

Monday, May 14

1. Conclude discussion on the American Civil War

2. Review for test

HW- Study for test

Tuesday, May 15

1. American Civil War Unit Test

The test will consist of 30 multiple choice items. The test will be worth 120 points.

2. Students will write a letter to next year’s students

Wednesday, May 16

1. Discuss and take notes over key economic vocabulary terms

2. Open-note quiz over economics vocabulary

Thursday, May 17

1. Return and review Civil War Test (subject to change…if not today then it will be returned on Monday)

2. Return and review Westward Movement Unit and Journal (subject to change…if not today then it will be returned on Monday)

3. View part one of class role plays from the school year

Friday, May 18

Space Camp/Space Day

The remaining weeks of school will be very busy with many planned activities and academics that must be covered before the end of the year. High expectations will continue for students in their academics and behavior until the school year ends. Thank you for your support and for reminding your child of these expectations.

Yearbooks will be distributed to students this Wednesday and Thursday, May 2nd and May 3rd. Extra yearbooks are on sale for $40 each (cash only). Information about yearbooks went home with students on Monday.

Team 5-1 will take a field trip next Monday, May 7 to ALLFAM Bowling Alley. Permission slips about the field trip went home with students on Monday. Please sign the permission slip and have your child return the slip to their advisory teacher.

Civil War Day will be held Friday, May 11. More information about this event will be posted on next week’s Edublog.

There will not be an update in Pinnacle this week. There are four grades pending at this time: Westward Movement Unit, Westward Movement Journal, Industrial Revolution homework, and American Civil War vocabulary homework. It will take time to grade the simulation unit and journal. The other two assignments should be returned to students sometime next week.

We are currently studying the American Civil War. To aid in our study, I am showing excerpts from The Blue and the Gray. This is an award-winning mini-series that was made for television and aired on CBS in 1982. With some of the excerpts, there will be some mild, offensive language. This is language that would have been heard on regular broadcast television on CBS in 1982. The Blue and the Gray was filmed entirely on location in Arkansas and features a star-studded cast.

I will be out this Thursday, May 3 for a professional development training.

The following are lesson plans for this week. Lesson plans are always subject to change.

Monday- Wednesday

American Civil War

Thursday, May 3

I will be out this day. Students will read and discuss from the text with the substitute the Indian Removal Act, Trail of Tears, Mexican-American War, and California Gold Rush.

Friday, May 4

American Civil War

A look ahead to next week…Continue with the American Civil War

The remaining weeks of school will be very busy with many planned activities and academics that must be covered before the end of the year. High expectations will continue for students in their academics and behavior until the school year ends. Thank you for your support and for reminding your child of these expectations.

Fifth-grade track and field will be held Tuesday, April 24. Permission slips were due last Friday. Students will need to report to school on Tuesday morning for attendance and ride the bus to Panther Stadium. Parents are welcome to attend track and field. Students will remain in the stands with their team and will be granted a pass to visit the concession stand. Any checkouts for lunch may take place after 11:45 a.m. Students who do not return to track and field after lunch will be counted as a half day absent. Parents may not check out another child other than their own unless written permission has been granted from another child’s parent. Cell phone calls from another parent granting permission for check out will not be accepted. 

Pinnacle will be updated this week with the posting of Monday’s Westward Movement Unit Test. Mid-term grade reports will be sent home this Thursday.

Last week, we concluded the simulation unit to Oregon. Throughout the course of the simulation, students completed trail decisions and wrote reflective journal entries. The simulation unit and reflective journal entries will count for a good portion of the students’ grade for this grading term. These grades will be pending over the next few weeks as it will take time to grade the unit and journal from every student on the team.

We will soon begin our study of the American Civil War. To aid our study, I will be showing excerpts from The Blue and the Gray. This is an award-winning mini-series that was made for television and aired on CBS in 1982. With some of the excerpts, there will be some mild, offensive language. This is language that would have been heard on regular broadcast television (CBS) in 1982. The Blue and the Gray was filmed entirely on location in Arkansas and features a star-studded cast.

The following are lesson plans for this week. Lesson plans are always subject to change.

Monday, April 23

Westward Movement Unit Test

The test will consist of 45 multiple choice questions and will be worth 135 points. Students will have the entire class period to take the test.

Tuesday, April 24

Track and Field (no academic classes)

Wednesday, April 25

1. Conclude discussion of the Industrial Revolution

2. Industrial Revolution exercise (homework if not finished in class)

(It is my plan to have Monday’s test graded by this day)

Thursday, April 26

1. Industrial Revolution exercise due

2. Preview and assign American Civil War vocabulary (due Monday, April 30)

3. Prelude to the American Civil War

HW- vocabulary (due Monday)

Friday, April 27

Continue with Prelude to the American Civil War

Vocabulary homework due Monday, April 30

A look ahead to next week…American Civil War

I apologize for the delay in updating Edublogs for this week.

The remaining weeks of school will be very busy with many planned activities and academics that must be covered before the end of the year. High expectations will continue for students in their academics and behavior until the school year ends. Thank you for your support and for reminding your child of these expectations.

The 5th grade Benchmark Incentive will take place on Wednesday, April 18. Students who are eligible will go bowling (permission slips must have been turned in and students must have fulfilled their obligations regarding the Benchmark contract). We will not have academic classes on Wednesday. On Team 5-1, students will work independently and cooperatively on criteria for water safety.

Fifth-grade track and field will be held next Tuesday, April 24. Information pertaining to track and field went home with students this week. Students will need to report to school on Tuesday morning for attendance and will ride the bus to Panther Stadium. Permission slips must be turned in by this Friday, April 20. If you wish to volunteer for track and field, please submit the volunteer form that was sent home with students this week. Volunteer forms must be turned in by this Thursday, April 19. Time will be needed for required background checks.

There will not be an update in Pinnacle for this week.

The following are lesson plans for this week. Lesson plans are always subject to change.

Monday, April 16

1. Preview rubrics for Westward Movement Simulation Unit and Journal

2. Prepare unit and journal for grading

3. Continue with the Westward  Movement Simulation Unit

Tuesday, April 17

Conclusion of Westward Movement Simulation Unit

Wednesday, April 18

Benchmark Incentive (no academic classes today)

Thursday, April 19

1. Round-table discussion over simulation unit

2. Hand out study guide for Monday’s test
Friday, April 20

1. Review for Westward Movement Unit Test

2. Discuss Battle of the Alamo, Trail of Tears, Mexican-American War, and California Gold Rush

HW- Study for Monday’s test

Monday, April 23

Westward Movement Unit Test

The test will consist of 45 multiple choice questions and will be worth 135 points. Students will have the entire class period to take the test.

This week is benchmark testing week. It is imperative that students arrive to school on time this week. Fifth grade students will be testing all five days of this week. We will rotate to two classes in the afternoons Monday-Thursday. Friday afternoon will be reserved for the 3-2-1-0 incentive party for the third nine weeks to those who qualify.

All regular academic classes will resume next Monday, April 16.

We will be continuing our simulation unit on the Westward  Movement this week. Students will be making choices as a wagon train, completing an interactive unit, and writing reflective journal entries throughout the duration of the simulation. We are also reading a My Dear America book about the Westward Movement to aid in our study. All work with the unit will be done in class and will remain in the classroom.

We will have another pop quiz this week. The pop quiz grade will be posted to Pinnacle by the end of the week. This will be the second grade for the 4th nine weeks.

There will be no school this Friday, April 6.

Benchmark testing will be next week, April 9-13. Students need to get plenty of rest, eat well, and come to school with a positive attitude of doing well on the benchmark exams. It is imperative that students arrive to school on time. Students who are tardy will not be admitted to class for testing until there is a break in the testing session. Any missed tests must be made up during the afternoon. Testing for fifth grade will be all five days of next week. Testing sessions will take place during the morning hours.

The following are lesson plans for this week. Lesson plans are always subject to change.

Monday-Thursday, April 2nd-5th

Westward Movement Simulation Unit

Friday, April 6

Good Friday, No School

I hope everyone had an enjoyable spring break!

We will be continuing our simulation unit on the Westward  Movement over the next few weeks. Students will be making choices as a wagon train, completing an interactive unit, and writing reflective journal entries throughout the duration of the simulation. We will also be reading a My Dear America book about the Westward Movement to aid in our study. All work with the unit will be done in class and will remain in the classroom.

We will have a pop quiz this week. The pop quiz grade will be posted to Pinnacle by the end of the week. This will be the first grade for the 4th nine weeks.

The following are lesson plans for this week. Lesson plans are always subject to change.

Monday-Friday, March 26th- March 30th

Westward Movement Simulation Unit

Kimberly Willis Holt, a noteworthy author, will visit Middle School South this Wednesday, March 7. We are looking forward to Ms. Holt’s visit to our school.

The Third Nine Weeks Grading Period will end on Friday, March 9. Student-led conferences will be held on Tuesday and Thursday, March 13 and 15 from 4:00-7:00 p.m. More information regarding conferences will be sent home with students on Tuesday. Please select three choices for a conference time and send the form back to school with your child. Report cards will be distributed at conferences next week.

Pinnacle will be updated in social studies this week with the posting of the Westward Movement vocabulary homework from last week. The last grade pending for this grading term is the Journey Across the Atlantic writing piece that was completed as a  joint project in social studies and writing earlier in the term.

Over the next few weeks, we will be in a simulation unit on the Westward  Movement. Students will be making choices as a wagon train, completing an interactive unit, and writing reflective journal entries throughout the duration of the simulation. We will also be reading a My Dear America book about the Westward Movement to aid in our study. All work with the unit will be done in class and will remain in the classroom.

The following are lesson plans for this week. Lesson plans are always subject to change.

Monday and Tuesday, March 5 and 6

Westward Movement Simulation Unit

Wednesday, March 7

1. Review vocabulary homework from last week

2. Continue with Westward Movement Simulation Unit

(classes will meet for about 30 minutes today to accommodate the scheduled author visit)

Thursday and Friday, March 8 and 9

Westward  Movement Simulation Unit

A look ahead to next week…continue with simulation unit on the Westward Movement