Congratulations!

You did it!! You survived your first semester of high school and your first final exam week! Now you can relax until January 8th.
For those of you that I won't see in AP Human Geography next semester, I want you to know that you can always come by and see me any time. If you need a place to hang out in the mornings or you need study help or writing help or anything else, please drop by and see me.
I hope you will take the time later this break to "meticognate" about your first semester. What things did you do well and what things do you need to improve upon? It's always good to take the time to reflect on your learning accomplishments and goals. Maybe you should make a few resolutions for next semester.
Also, remember to thank your parents for their support and encouragement. Succeeding in school is usually the result of parents, students, and teachers working together. Remember that!
Have a wonderful break and a very happy holiday season.
Mrs. Carley

One More Day!!

My 4th block class did very well on the final exam. I don't think that anyone did so poorly that it changed their overall grade. Please feel free to stop in before finals begin tomorrow to check on your grade. I don't want to print names but there were nine A's !! I'm proud of all of you for sticking with this difficult course your first semester. I hope to see most of you in AP Human Geography next semester.
Well, I've got a lot to do, but I just wanted to wish all of you luck on the rest of your finals.
Those of you in 1st and 2nd block, I'll see you tomorrow. If you study everything that we reviewed you will do well. If you missed either review day, you may want to call a friend and see if they have notes to share. Follow the study guide and study the maps and you will do fine.
Study hard!! It will be worth it. Bring pencils.
DON'T FORGET YOUR TEXTBOOKS TO TURN IN TOMORROW!!!
Mrs. Carley

Final Week

Five more days--can you believe it??
Bring your supplies for the London gingerbread project tomorrow. Although this should be fun, it is also designed to be a "performance based" assessment of your ability to work in a cooperative group and to show me what you learned about the geography of Londinium.
I hope you have been looking over your study guide for the final exam. We will review in class on Tuesday and Wednesday.
I will do a final journal check tomorrow!!
There are still 3 students who have not turned in a time line. This is a required element of the course. Get it in tomorrow!!
I am working my way through the section assessments, but have not finished yet. I have finished all the timelines.
I stopped in on Friday and saw the first half of the freshmen guys basketball game. I hope you won--you looked good out there, especially on defense. You need a little more shooting practice, though!! How did the girls do??
Enjoy the rest of Sunday!! Don't give up now! Work hard and you can relax in a few days!
See you all tomorrow for fun times in Pre-AP!!
Mrs. Carley

Updates

Tomorrow is the last day I will take any make up work. Also, some of you have tests to make up which are way overdue. You must do those by tomorrow. A couple of you still haven't turned in your timeline. It is a required element of this course. Tomorrow is the deadline for that as well.
Good luck to the basketball teams! We have several students involved in basketball and I think the teams are doing really well.
I hope you are looking forward to our gingerbread building project. Be sure to bring in your part of the supplies.
Have a good evening!
Mrs. Carley

Two weeks left!! Work hard!!

Tomorrow we will discuss London for the last time and you will have a written assessment. Dr. Lynch is putting it together so I'm not sure exactly what it will be like. check your e-mail to see if he sent out a message. Bring your books and be ready to finish the map and questions with your group.
Wednesday is the due date for the Big Timeline. Rome will not be included on the timeline, but Greece must be on the "late Mediterranean" portion. Look on gifted center for a timeline to help you with the dates of all Greece including the Minoan and Mycenean civilizations. The early Mediterranean portion should include Minoa, Phoenicia, and the Hebrew tribes. Check your textbook for dates for the Phoenicians and the Hebrew tribes. Be sure to check the directions for the timeline and be sure to color it and illustrate it with drawings of culture markers.
See you tomorrow!
Mrs. Carley

Thursday Edition

Congratulations! Most of you did quite well on the test today. As we look on to tomorrow and next week here are some important reminders:
Friday, Dec. 7 - Be ready to discuss Sections 2 & 3 of chapter 5
Monday, Dec. 10th - London discussion and assessment-BRING YOUR BOOK!!!
continuation of Classical Greece
Tuesday - Alexander the Great
Wednesday - Hellenistic Greek and influence on western civilization, BIG TIMELINE DUE!!!
Thursday - Rise of Chritianity - chpt. 6, section 3 assessment, 1 - 8
Friday - Rise of Islam - chpt. 10 - section 1 assessment, 1-6
Monday - GINGERBREAD BUILDING DAY!!! Fun, Fun, Fun!!!
Tuesday & Wednesday - review
Thursday - finals for 3rd & 4th
Friday - finals for 1st & 2nd
Plan ahead and dream of the holiday break!
Mrs. Carley

Looking Ahead

Following is a tentative schedule for the next three weeks:
12/3 - Minoans
12/4 - finish Minoans, Phoenicians
12/5 - Begin Mycenae Chpt. 4, sections 1 & 2 assessments due
12/6 - Open book test
12/7 - Archaic Greece, section 3 assessment, Connect to Today-p.141 due
12/10 - last London group discussion, finish map and questions
12/11 - Greco-Persian wars, sections 4 & 5 assessments due
12/12 - Alexander the Great, Hellenistic culture--BIG TIMELINE DUE!!
12/13 & 12/14 - Comparative religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
12/17 - special activity
12/18 & 12/19 - review for final
12/20 - finals for 3rd & 4th block
12/21 - finals for 1st & 2nd block

GET ORGANIZED NOW!!
Plan your study time for the next three weeks. Make out a schedule of due dates, tests, etc. for all your classes. Make sure you have pencils for your finals--most will be on scatron so they can be graded quickly. Don't get behind on daily assignments! Above all, do not waste time especially in class and try not to be absent.
Work hard--your final grades will reflect your effort!
Mrs. Carley

TGIF!!

I have just updated grades. The only thing that is not in your grade is the Persia map. By the way, if you were not in school today, please be sure to hand in the chpt. 3 section assessment and Persia map on Monday. Also, several of you did not hand in the Herodotus DBQ. Check your progress report on I-parent and hand in what you are missing by Monday.
Good luck to the basketball teams today!
Our next unit on the pacing guide will be the Minoans, Myceneans, and Phoenicians. We will start that on Monday. Thursday we will have a unit test on Persia, and the above cultures with a few questions on Mesoamerica.
I know everything is going quickly now, so keep up with your work on a daily basis. You can do it!!
Enjoy your week-end!
Mrs. Carley

Reminders

Tomorrow we will begin with a 30 question map quiz. It will focus on physical features of ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, India, and China. There will not be any cities on the map.
Remember to finish the Persia map and chpt. 3 section assessments by Friday. After the quiz tomorrow we will wrap up Persia and discuss the Hebrew tribes and the rise of Judaism. Please review the corresponding material in the text book so you can contribute to class discussion. You may also want to check out the summary of the major religions in your textbook. I think you can find it yourself!!
Parents, your student should be bringing progress reports home for all classes tomorrow. Also, ask to see the early dismissal release form for exam week and the exam schedule. Be prepared for your student to need lots of extra encouragement and support to finish our their first semester. They will have End of Course tests in some of their classes and final exams in all. They will probably have several other tests, projects, etc. to finish out their semester course work. It may seem like a lot especially to your ninth grader who is not used to this work load, but you will both survive! And then -- a well-deserved two-week break before we start all over again in January.
Please e-mail me with any questions or concerns.
Mrs. Carley

Checking In

Hi everybody! I hope you are all stuffed with turkey, etc. and relaxing. I was disappointed in the media coverage of our Band of Gold appearance in the Chicago parade, but I'm sure you all had fun. Those of us watching only got to see you for about a minute, if that.
Just want to remind you to gear up for the next four weeks of finishing out your first semester. It would be a good idea to get caught up on your timeline or begin reading and doing the section assessments for Persia. (Check your pacing guide for the pages in your text.)
If you haven't been keeping up with the London reading, you should have it finished by December 10th.
Enjoy the rest of your week-end! I'm off to watch the Georgia/Georgia Tech game on TV!
See you Monday.
Mrs. Carley

A Short Week

We have a short week--only Monday and Tuesday. Then we have five days off to relax and celebrate Thanksgiving. Tomorrow we will be having our London discussion so be sure you read up to page 76 and take a look at the questions on gifted center. Also if any of you were planning to turn in make up work or missed work tomorrow is the deadline.
Tuesday is multicultural day and we have a different schedule that day.
See you all tomorrow.
Mrs. Carley

Project Tips

Tomorrow is presentation day for your Mesoamerica Project. Remember that your project is a museum display, not a cutsy collage! Your captions should not only explain the visual, but should also add information on the topic. Check the instruction sheet and make sure you have done everything correctly and included everything in your folder. If you don't document your work, I will assume you didn't do it!
I'm expecting great and fascinating displays. There are no do-overs this time. You have been given multiple instructions, a whole four days of class time, and lots of research help. The rest is up to you!
Also, remember our next London discussion is Monday. Check Gifted Center for a list of questions. Be prepared! You will receive a grade on your discussion.
Looking ahead: Your BIG timeline of civilizations will be due on Wednesday, December 12th. This has been a semester-long project and last week when I checked timelines, some of you hadn't done much. You had better get caught up NOW!!
See you tomorrow.
Mrs. Carley

Monday Madness

We had quite an interesting day today starting on our Mesoamerica Museum project. Parents, please note that this project is due on Friday. The students are getting plenty of class time to work, but they also may have to do some research at home. If you would like to view the assignment, it is located at Gifted Center on our Pre-AP page under Current Assignments. A link to Gifted Center is at the bottom of this page.
The students spent time planning as a group, assigning tasks, and researching today. They are getting information from books as well as on-line sources.
Remember those of you who didn't have the section assessments done for today or your essay re-writes should turn it in tomorrow.
Research hint: click on all the menu choices when you are on a web site. Do not do a dialogue box search!! You will miss information! Also click on embedded links and other related links. There is more than enough information on the web sites we have given you, but you have to look for it!
Have a great afternoon and evening.
Be grateful for our Veterans including those who are currently protecting us in the armed forces all over the world.
See you tomorrow.
Mrs. Carley

Sunday Reminders

Congratulations to our Sprayberry Varsity footbal team for beating Pope and securing a place in the play-offs! This hasn't happened in quite a while so it's exciting!
Congratulations to all of you on winter sports teams and to the band for the honor of playing in the Chicago Thanksgiving parade. We are proud of all of our talented students!
Don't forget that your essay re-writes are due tomorrow! You also should have finished the section 2, 3, 4 assessments from chapter 16 and the lab we worked on.
This week we will focus on Mesoamerica through our cooperative group museum project. We will have time to work on the project during class, but you will also have to do some work outside of class as well, especially printing out pictures in color for the display. The project will be displayed and presented on Friday. Remember that if you are going to be absent that you still need to do your part.
Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!
How about them dawgs!!
See you tomorrow.
Mrs. Carley

Tuesday Updates

We had some "technical difficulties" at school today so your report card grade will not include the biography project or the writing workshop. However, I will be adding those grades so you can see an updated grade in class tomorrow, I hope!
We will have a current event day tomorrow on India and China. If you happen to watch the news or go on-line tonight, see if you can get an article to share with class tomorrow. This is optional, but I'd love to have some articles from you.
Also, have your timeslines, maps, and notebooks ready for checking.
Enjoy the rest of today.
See you tomorrow.
Mrs. Carley

Monday,Monday!

Hey everyone! I hope you all had a great week-end and a good Monday. It started out with our exciting win over Kell on Friday night. It was fun to see many of you dressed up for the Homecoming dance.
A few reminders for Wednesday: I will be checking timelines, maps, and note books so get organized! I would also suggest that you start reading and doing the section 2, 3, 4 assessments for chapter 16. We will be starting the unit on Mesoamerica on Thursday.
I'm working on report card grades. You should be able to see an updated grade report on I-Parent by Tuesday night.
While you enjoy another day off, I'll be stuck in meetings at school, so make me feel better and do some school work!
See you Wednesday!
Mrs. Carley

Happy Homecoming!

Homecoming week has been crazy, but fun. Congratulations to the freshmen for doing such a great job on the 400 hallway!
You have a four day week-end and extra sleep Saturday night to look forward to so I hope you plan to relax and catch up on any work that you've let slide this week.
For Wednesday have your timeline, maps, and notebook organized and ready for checking. some of you would probably do better if you were organized!
Also, you could start working on the Section 2, 3, and 4 assessments for chapter 16. We will begin our new Mesoamerican unit next Thursday.
Report cards come out next week which means we are on the last six weeks of the semester!
Enjoy the long week-end!
Go jackets!!
Mrs. Carley

Happy Halloween!!

I hope you all had a fun evening celebrating Halloween! If you've been keeping up with reading and section assessments, you should only have to do a quick review tonight. The test is 40 multiple choice questions based on the text reading, and two short essays. One essay will be about the affect of individuals on culture in Ancient China. The other essay will be a surprise!
Be sure to bring pencils and pens to class tomorrow.
Wear your super hero stuff tomorrow!
BOO!!!
Mrs. Carley

Tuesday News

We are having fun using our new Interwrite board in the class room. I hope it is helping you to learn! Today we created a Venn diagram comparing Hinduism and Buddhism. Remember to review the graphic organizers we did yesterday as well. I know tomorrow is Halloween, but classes can't stop! You have a nice break next week while I'll be here working! Anyway, please spend time reviewing for our test on Thursday. Check the pacing guide for all of the reading for India and China and Buddhism and Hinduism. You can review by using the section assessments and the interactive vocabulary cards at class zone. Be sure to go over the section assessment on p. 207. I didn't require you to write it out, but you need to know the material in that section on the Han dynasty.
Those of you who owe work, tomorrow is the deadline. Don't get a zero on an assignment that you have had plenty of time to do. Remember that you can get extra help anytime--just see me for an appointment time.
Enjoy the rest of today and this evening.
Remember to wear your class pattern tomorrow which is plaid!!
Mrs. Carley

Homecoming Week

This week is a busy one with many Homecoming activities and class work as well. You will need to plan your time so you can enjoy the fun without getting behind in your classes.
Many of you didn't hand in the section assessments for India or for China. These were not optional assignments. If you expect to do well on the unit test, I suggest you do the assessments. We will have the test on India and China this Wednesday. You need to begin reviewing now. Review the vocabulary, class notes, and the section assessments for each section reading. Check the pacing guide to make sure you have done all the reading.
Don't forget to wear your favorite college stuff tomorrow! Just remember that dress code counts so no hats.
See you bright and early!
Mrs. Carley

Friday Fun

I'm looking forward to your power point presentations on ancient Chinese personalities! Please proof read your script and your power point.
REMEMBER:

• power points are mostly visual - no complete sentences
• all visuals must be pertinent to the time period - no cutsy clip art that has no relevance
• practice your presentation- you should know how to pronounce names
• both group members must present
• double check the instruction sheet
• relate a story or some interesting fact to "hook" your audience when you show the title slide

You will be using our new interwrite board!

Remember to wear your black and gold tomorrow!

Mrs. Carley

Help for China Project

Here is the list of research sites for your project. Remember to follow all the instructions. Your presentations are due on Friday!
Web Sites for China Biography Project
You are required to check all of these web sites. You may not “google” unless you get permission from your teacher. There is more than enough info here including maps and timelines.

http://depts.washington.edu/chinaciv/contents.htm
good source for pictures of artifacts

http://www.ancientcivilizations.co.uk/home_set.html
another good source for pictures and info

http://depts.washington.edu/chinaciv/archae/2fuhmain.htm
site on Lady Hao’s tomb

http://cybersleuth-kids.com/sleuth/History/Ancient_Civilizations/China/
general site with lots of info and pictures

http://www-chaos.umd.edu/history/ancient1.html#xia
general info site – a few pictures of emperors
scroll to bottom for links to timeline and map

http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/china/early_imperial_china/qin.html
another good site – look at links at top of page

http://www-chaos.umd.edu/history/imperial.html
another page that has direct info and links about the First Emperor

http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2002/entries/laozi/
site on the philosopher, Laozi

http://www.confucius.org/main01.htm
site on texts of Confucius

Ö Be sure to check out the links for China on gifted center on our Pre-AP lessons page. There are several links to general information as well as links to the philosophers. Look under China lab, China worksheet, Early China, etc.
Ö Also, there are links to Taoism on the Comparative Religion page at gifted center.


Production Help

http://www.studygs.net/citation/mla.htm
here is a direct link from our Study Guides on gifted center to help with works cited

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/powerpoint/HA102078641033.aspx?pid=CH100668191033
power point help

Also check out our production help on gifted center.

Good Luck!
Mrs. Carley

Looking Ahead

I hope you have all had a great week-end! It started out good for Sprayberry football as they chalked up another win, this time against Wheeler. Way to go Jackets!
I will be in a meeting right across the hall in room 113 during 1st & 2nd block tomorrow. I will come in and get you started on your assignment for the day. I will be back with 4th block in the afternoon.
If you are re-writing your essay, remember it is due tomorrow. We will be starting China tomorrow, so I hope you have wrapped up your unit assignments for India including the map and the timeline.
You should check the pacing guide and begin reading the textbook pages for China.
I hope to be able to pop in and get classes started tomorrow, but please be on your best behavior for the substitute.
Thanks. See you tomorrow!
Mrs. Carley

Thursday Notes

Thank you to all of you who did your homework that was assigned on Monday. I was disappointed at the number of students that did not do the work. Homework is really home learning. I would not assign anything that is just "busy work". We don't have time for busy work! So from now on, I will call assignments that are to be done at home,"home learning" assignments. There is no excuse for anyone not to have completed the work. We are moving on--you are responsible for the content in the book whether we go over it in class or not.
Tomorrow, we will have our second London discussion. We will also have an optional short essay to write for bonus points. Please be prepared for the London discussion.
Good luck to all of our freshman football players and cheerleaders! I'll be anxious to hear about your victory tomorrow!! I wish I could be there, but I have to babysit for my granddaughters.
See you tomorrow. Wear your black and gold!!
Mrs. Carley

Mid-week Notes

We had a great field trip day today! I hope you all saw the artifacts that were on the study guide sheet. I missed seeing some of you and showing you my favorite artifacts-the small cunieform tablets. They are back in the Near Eastern galleries behind the Egyptian exhibit. I hope most of you found them.
Remember, tomorrow you have a three hour advisement and then 3rd block and then early release. Work on the homework assignment if you have extra time in advisement or bring your London book to read.
I'll see you all on Thursday. Practice hard football guys--I hear Alpharetta is tough, but look what Kentucky did to LSU!!
The rest of you who play sports need to give me updates and band too and anything else you do that you'd like to see recognized on this blog.
Have a good Wednesday.
Mrs. Carley

Michael Carlos, Here We Come!

Are you ready for our trip to Emory University tomorrow? Please review the information sheet and the behavior guidelines. Remember, don't take book bags or large purses. Bring $5 - $10 for lunch. Bring a pencil and meet in the commons a little after 9:30 AM. We should be back around 3:00 PM and you will return to your 4th block class.
If you have any work due in classes tomorrow, be sure to turn it in early before we leave. A field trip is not an excuse for not turning your work in on time.
You have a homework assignment due on Thursday: do the chapter assessments on p. 192 &197. Also do Connect to Today on p. 198 & 199.
I'm excited about our trip tomorrow. I hope all of you will catch the excitement of seeing artifacts made by real people hundreds and thousands of year ago!
See you tomorrow!
Mrs. Carley

A Busy Week Ahead

Hey everyone! I hope you are having a great week-end! It started out positively with a BIG win over Lassiter. Go Jackets!!
Tuesday is our field trip. Please make sure to share the information sheet with your parents. Tomorrow we will sign up for groups and go over last minute details. We will also continue our discussion on Hinduism and Buddhism. You will also be getting progress reports tomorrow.
Wednesday is early release and testing day. The only academic class you will have will be 3rd block. I will be giving you a book assignment to do for Thursday. Also, remember to have the first chapter of London read by then.
Enjoy the rest of Sunday!
See you tomorrow.
Mrs. Carley

Are You Reading?

We will have our 2nd London discussion on Friday. Please read through the end of chapter one. You will work on questions within your group and also add places to your map.
Are you ready to "wow" each other and me with your knowledge of Buddhism and Hinduism? I hope so. I'm counting on all of you to contribute to class discussion tomorrow.
Good luck to the freshman football team in their game against Lassiter tomorrow!
See you in class.
Parents: The next progress report will go home on Monday, October 15th.
Mrs. Carley

Calling All Parents!

We are still in need of chaperones for our field trip Tuesday, October 16th. If you could possibly help us out, please e-mail me at:
karen.carley@cobbk12.org
Be sure to check out the exhibits that your student will be seeing by clicking on the link to the Michael Carlos Museum web site at the bottom left hand side of this page.
Thanks!
Mrs. Carley

Sunday Reminders!

Sorry this is so late, but I've been busy all week-end! I've spent a lot of my time grading papers which isn't fun, but someone has to do it.
Anyway, tomorrow we will do the next lab. Both labs will be due on Tuesday. You should be reading your textbook. Check your pacing guide and read a few pages every night. Take notes or summarize or make a concept map either while you read or after to review what you've read. I think you would all agree that it is important to read the textbook.
Please remember to bring in permission forms for our field trip.
Parents: we still need volunteers to help chaperone the trip. Please let me know if you can help out.
You should have the first chapter of London read by Friday. We will have our group discussion then.
See you tomorrow!!
Mrs. Carley

Another Win!!

Congratulations to the football team for another win! And good job cheerleaders doing 28 push-ups!
See you tomorrow.
Mrs. Carley

Check out the Michael Carlos Museum

I have added a link to the Michael Carlos Museum web site on the bottom left-hand side of this page. If you or your parents would like to get an idea of what we will be seeing on our field trip, please click and go! We have received enough money to pay for our buses, so if you haven't paid yet and would like to go, please bring your money and permission in ASAP. We want all of our students to participate, so please get the permission slips in even if the donation is not feasible at this time.
We must have an adult chaperone for each ten students so we need seven parent volunteers. Please contact me if you can assist us by being a chaperone. I promise you won't regret it!!
Have a good evening everyone.
Mrs. Carley

Sunny Sunday

I hope you are all enjoying this great week-end weather!
I just wanted to remind you of a few important things that you should be preparing for this week.
Of course, tomorrow we will be reviewing for our Unit Test on Tuesday. Bring your study guides and be ready to create some questions for review. On Tuesday, we will have a multiple choice and matching test on the vocabulary, important people, and culture markers for both Egypt and the civilizations of Mesopotamia. Because so many of you are still having trouble writing a history essay, we will have some short answer response questions instead of one big essay question. On Wednesday, we will have an essay writing workshop and a current event day.
Hopefully by Thursday, we will be ready to start our next unit on India and China.
Please keep up with your work! It is so much easier to keep up than to make up!
Have a good rest of the week-end. See you tomorrow.
REMEMBER--permission and $ for our field trip!!
Mrs. Carley

Looking Ahead

We will have our big Egypt/Mesopotamia Unit test on Tuesday, Oct. 2nd. Here are some things you should do in preparation:

• Read and take notes on the text (hopefully you've done that already--if not start catching up NOW)
• Review the Unit Study Guides (SIFT sheets)
• Review all notes--including video and project notes
• Finish your timelines for Egypt and Mesopotamia
• Come to class every day, take notes, ask questions, complete work
• Use the activities at Class Zone to help review content

The test will be 40 - 50 multiple choice questions and one essay that you will prepare for on Monday, so be sure you come to class Monday.

DON'T PROCRASTINATE--start reviewing now!!

Remember field trip forms and $.

Mrs.Carley

One More Thing!!

Your re-writes are due tomorrow. Please PROOFREAD and spend time making corrections so you don't have to re-write again. Be sure to have a very specific and relavant thesis statement.
Enjoy the rest of Sunday.
Mrs. Carley

Jacket Power!!

I hope you are all enjoying the week-end after our great victory over Centennial on Friday night!
Don't forget to bring in the field trip permission and $20 donation ASAP. We will send home more detailed information closer to the date of the trip. Also, please ask your parents if any of them would like to chaperone. The Michael Carlos has a rule that each ten students must be accompanied by an adult so we will need help!
Tomorrow we will finish up our culture trait discussion on Mesopotamia. Please be reading the accompanying text and working on your timeline and study guide questions. Remember to visit class zone for additional resources to go along with the text book.
You will notice that I have added a link, Picasso Student Center. This is the Cobb County school web page that is full of information and study help and links to SAT practice for students. There is also a "tab" for parents. Please share this web site with your parents. There is a wealth of helpful information and tools to help you and your family successfully navigate through high school and prepare for college.
See you tomorrow!
Mrs. Carley

Congratulations Football Team!

The freshman football team beat Kell 21 - 10 today! Congratualtions to all you guys and to the cheerleaders too for doing all those push-ups!
I also stopped by to watch fast pitch. They played well, but were up against a tough hitting team and lost. But good job anyway.
Tomorrow we begin our culture trait discussions so be ready. If you didn't have a graphic organizer or visual today, you should have one by tomorrow.
See you all tomorrow!
Go jackets!!
Mrs. Carley

Reminders!!

Tomorrow we will have our Mesopotamian Culture trait discussion. Be sure to have written notes, a graphic organizer or other visual to summarize or illustrate the culture trait, and a simple list of the web sites you used for your information. Your graphic organizer should be neat, colorful, and not on notebook paper!! (computer paper or construction paper is fine)
Tomorrow is the deadline for any make-up work or re-dos on the project. Grades must be completed for report cards by Friday so if you want to get rid of any zeroes you MUST give me the work by tomorrow!!
Parents: your student has field trip information. Please sign the permission and send the $20.00 cash or check (made out to Sprayberry HS) ASAP. Thank you.
Have a good afternoon everybody.
See you tomorrow.
Mrs. Carley

Web Sites for Mesopotamia Culture Traits

Web Sites for Mesopotamia Research

http://eawc.evansville.edu/anthology/hammurabi.htm
Hammurabi’s law code

http://eawc.evansville.edu/nepage.htm
home page links on left side

http://www.ancienttexts.org/library/mesopotamian/hammurabi.html
Hammurabi’s code

http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/medieval/hamframe.htm
more on Hammurabi’s code

http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/MESO/CONTENT1.HTM
links to lots of info

http://www.kidsnewsroom.org/elmer/infoCentral/frameset/civilizations/meso/index.html
links to info on Mesopotamia

http://psd.museum.upenn.edu/epsd/sumerian.html
check out the links within this article

http://www.bartleby.com/67/83.html
some good general info and links

http://history-world.org/sumerian_culture.htm
good info on Sumer

http://www.livius.org/ba-bd/babylon/babylonia.html
Summary of Mesopotamian culture and history

http://historylink101.com/ancient_mesopotamia.htm
good general site – links by category

http://www.shrewsbury-ma.gov/schools/Central/Curriculum/ELEMENTARY/SOCIALSTUDIES/Mesopotamia/ancient_mesopotamia.htm
good info

http://itss229.ed.psu.edu/k-12/edpgs/su96/meso/mesopotamia.html
http://www.kidskonnect.com/content/view/257/27/
fun interactive site/ many links and virtual tours
http://mesopotamia.lib.uchicago.edu/
great site for culture/pictures/artifacts, great for culture trait research
http://www.mesopotamia.co.uk/
interactive museum site
http://www.dia.org/collections/ancient/mesopotamia/mesopotamia.html
interactive museum site
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ht/02/wam/ht02wam.htm
great interactive timeline here—also artifacts

September Saturday

Hey-what a beautiful Saturday we have today. I hope you are out enjoying the great weather.
Here are a few reminders so you will be caught up for Monday. We have finished Egypt and are ready to begin Mesopotamia so make sure that you have worked on all of the unit content for Egypt. You should have done all the textbook reading, the study guide sheet, and the timeline for Egypt. If you are behind on any of that, try to get caught up by Monday.
Monday is National Constitution Day so we will compare our government document with the first ancient law code--the Code of King Hammurabi of Babylon. We will spend half our class time in the lab on both Monday and Tuesday.
Those of you that didn't turn in your booklets and notes on projects, be sure to remember to turn them in on Monday.
Well, I'm watching college football and grading your essay re-writes. I hope to have them ready for you Monday.
Enjoy the rest of the week-end!
Mrs. Carley

Open House Night at Sprayberry

Hey everybody! I'm writing to you while waiting for your parents to come to our class room. I hope you are at home enjoying the evening or, even better, reading the first 23 pages of London!!
Uh -oh have to go! Your parents are here!
Mrs. carley

Re-writes Due Tomorrow!!

Happy Sunday everyone! I hope you are having a great week-end.
Tomorrow your re-writes are due--no exceptions! Be sure to turn them in with the original essay attached.
How are the projects going? Remember that they are due Tuesday. You will have about half the class period tomorrow to work on your projects. The lab will be available to you. The Media center is open at 7:30 AM until 4:00 PM. Your group may need to plan some work time. The projects must be completed and presented on Tuesday. Be sure to go over the instruction sheet and make sure you have done everything and done it correctly.
Remind your parents about Open House on Tuesday, Sept. 11th with PTSA meeting beginning at 6:30 and classroom visitation at 7:00PM. It is a good time to pay class dues, sign up for I-Parent and meet all of your teachers.
See you all tomorrow!
Mrs. Carley

Keep Up!!

I have noticed that the majority of you are not reading your textbook!! You have a pacing guide with the page numbers to go along with each unit. You should be done reading the text for Egypt by now. Remember, you are responsible for all the information in your textbook. I have suggested that you read a section at a time and take notes or mind map the material to help you process what you read. Our "Socratic Seminars" can't happen if no one knows the material!
Keep in touch with your project group and make sure that everyone does their part. You can meet before school in the media center as well as after school in the media center. Remember to give yourselves plenty of time to produce the power point, the brochure, and the works cited page. Don't wait until Monday night!
Manage, organize, plan--use your agenda!
Mrs. Carley

Happy Labor Day!

I hope you are all enjoying the extra long week-end. I also hope you have spent some time doing Pre-AP work. I've spent many hours grading all your papers so everything will be ready for your first progress reports this Friday.
Be sure to check your e-mail later today. Dr. Lynch is going to send out some helpful suggestions for the Egypt museum projects.
We will have some lab time to work on projects tomorrow and then you will get your essays back and we will edit those.
See you Tuesday!
By the way--why is Lucy in the news??
Mrs. Carley

Timeline confusion?

I hope everyone was successful in setting up their timeline! Once you get it set up, the rest is easier. Remember to hand in your take-home review quiz tomorrow. Also be sure to bring your book for the independent study time after viewing Pyramid. On Wednesday we will begin our research in the Media Center for the Egypt project. Be thinking about your cohort groups.
I'm sorry I won't be in class tomorrow. Believe me, I would rather be with all of you then in a meeting with boring adults!
Be cooperative and well-behaved for the sub. See you Wednesday.
Mrs. Carley

Happy Friday!!

If you missed class today, you missed getting the essay choices for Monday and the take-home quiz that will be due Tuesday. Here are the directions for preparing for the in-class essay on Monday:

Pre-AP Pre-history Essay

For your first essay you will choose one of the following questions:

Compare the Neolithic settlements of Catal Huyuk and Jericho. You will want to focus on the architecture and design of the settlements. Why were they so different?
How did tools change from the Paleolithic to the Neolithic Age? Give some specific examples showing the evolution of stone tools.
Compare the hunting gathering life-style of the Paleolithic Age to the sedentary life-style of the Neolithic Revolution. Include advantages and disadvantages of each way of life. Why did the sedentary life-style become predominant?


Reminders:
You must come Monday with your graphic organizer and thesis statement ready. (A graphic organizer is an outline, or a chart, or a mind map--something to help you write your essay.)
Formal essay with a thesis statement
Three paragraphs: introduction, body, conclusion
Third person only (never use I, you, we, us, etc.)
Past tense only – this is a history essay!
No contractions or other “short hand” words
Blue or black ink pen only
Turn in your graphic organizer stapled to your essay.
PROOFREAD!!!!

Have a good week-end everyone! It is supposed to be a little cooler.
Mrs. Carley

Get It Together!

Are you using your Sprayberry planner? If you aren't, you should be. If you haven't received one yet, be sure to ask your advisor tomorrow. Advisement is after 1st period tomorrow.
The cave painting and Catal Huyuk labs are due tomorrow. Also the drawings are due. Remember to write down comparisons between Jericho and Catal Huyuk. We will have a graded class discussion tomorrow to assess how well you did on the labs. You will be able to use the notes you took and answers to the questions during discussion. I hope you've been reading your textbook. I suggest taking notes while you read to help you stay focused.
See you all tomorrow!
Mrs. Carley

Are you ready?

I hope you are having a good week-end and relaxing a bit. Just remember that you should have the book scavenger hunt done for tomorrow. Also, remember to register your e-mail and check out the web sites I showed you. Bring your textbook and your binder to class tomorrow.
Several of you still haven't turned in the forms that needed parent signatures. Take care of that ASAP!!
Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!
If you are in the first period class, you didn't get the book scavenger hunt yet. You will get it in class tomorrow.
Mrs. Carley

Calling all hominids!! Are you confused?

I heard today that some of you were confused with the circle graph for the learning style inventory. So I brought a packet home with me and just finished doing it. The directions were confusing, but I figured it out and will show you my graph in class tomorrow. If you are having trouble with the 'data strip' here is some advice. You will probably only need one strip of boxes. I had a total of 20 checks on my inventory so I only needed a strip that was 20 boxes long. Color the boxes according to the number of checks you had in each section of the inventory. Then cut the strip and form it into a circle. Then place the circle on the circle graph and follow the directions from there. Still confused?? Don't worry--I'll show you in class tomorrow. Just make sure you do both questionaires and fill in the data sheets.
What are the three characteristics of hominds?
See you tomorrow.
Mrs. Carley

Reminders

Remember to turn in the Honor Code, The Computer Use Agreement, and the signature paper ASAP. You should have received your Learning styles packet in class today. It is due this Friday, so start working on it tonight. I can't wait to see how many different types of "smart" we have in our classes and how each of you prefer to learn! I was very impressed with your mental maps of the world. Good job everyone!
Stay cool -- see you tomorrow.
Mrs. Carley

First Day!

Congratualtions 9th graders! You made it through your first day of high school--only 179 left to go! I enjoyed meeting all of you and am excited to hear your paper bag sharing tomorrow. It will be fun for us to learn about each other. Remember to try to use actual objects (artifacts) to tell us about yourself. Share the information sheets with your parents and get them to read and sign everything!!
Check out the websites. See you tomorrow.
Mrs. Carley

Pre-AP Policies and Procedures

Pre-AP world History
Mrs. Carley
karen.carley@cobbk12.org
770 578- 3200, x242

Welcome to Pre-AP World History!
A variety of learning strategies and assessments will be used including lecture, discussion, video, group work, independent study, research, labs, etc., which reflect student-directed learning and a performance based learning environment. Critical writing, reading, and thinking skills will be emphasized according to the school improvement plan.

CLASS PROCEDURES
1. Required supplies:
London by Edward Rutherford (parallel reading requirement)
3-ring binder/paper/dividers
blue or black pens, pencils
textbook: World History, Patterns of Interaction, McDougalLittell
colored pencils
highlighter
spiral notebook for journal
project materials as needed

2. Assignments and makeup work procedures:
Ø It is your responsibility to keep up with assignments and due dates.
Ø Print your first and last name, period, and assignment title in the upper right hand corner of assignments.
Ø Assignments must be ready to turn in upon entering the classroom.
Ø All essay re-writes will be due the Monday following return of the original essay.
Ø Late work may be accepted with a letter grade penalty for each day late. After three days, half credit may be earned. Final deadlines for accepting assignments may be imposed at any time. Point penalties will be awarded according to the point value of the assignment. A completed late work form must be attached to the late assignment. This applies for make-up work as well.
Ø It is your responsibility to make up any class work, quizzes or tests missed because of excused absences. You have 5 school days to make up work upon your return to class unless other arrangements have been made. Long term assignments are due on the day of your return. Sign up on the make-up appointment clipboard.
Ø Field trips, extracurricular activities, family vacations, and unexcused absences or tardiness to school will not be accepted as excuses for late or incomplete work.

CLASS RULES/EXPECTATIONS

Be respectful of adults and peers alike.
Be prepared.
Be informed.
Be organized.
Be engaged.

**Please be familiar with the student handbook. All classroom procedures and policies are subject to the handbook rules. All additional school rules as outlined in the student handbook will be enforced in this classroom.

Mission Trip to Kenya

Some of my students from last year indicated an interest to hear about my trip to Kenya in June. It's difficult to put into words all the amazing experiences, sights, sounds, and people that I encountered on my trip, but I have lots of pictures. So those of you that are curious, stop by after school starts and I' ll be delighted to show you pictures and talk about my trip.

Pre-AP World History Syllabus

• Objective of this class: The goal of this class is to prepare students with skills and information necessary for success in the Advanced Placement World History Class which they will take in the tenth grade.
  
  Scope: The content of this class includes human and physical geography skills, anthropology, and history covering the human record from pre-history through 1000 C. E. There is also a current issues strand associated with each topic studied.
  
  Sequence: Following is the anticipated sequence for topics covered. Units may be added or deleted or the sequence changed as needed. The case studies serve as examples of the basic themes of history and geography. The case studies also illustrate the development of culture in different regions of the world.
  
  The basic theories of physical geography
  The origins and diffusion of hominids
  The origins and diffusion of language
  The origins and diffusion of tools and technology
  The origins and diffusion of agriculture
  The origins and diffusion of religion
  The origins and diffusion of government/political systems
  The origins and diffusion of urbanism and specialization The origins and diffusion of trade
  Case study: Catal Huyuk/Jericho
  Case study: Nile River Valley (Ancient Egypt)
  Case study: Tigris/Euphrates River Valley (Mesopotamia)
  Case study: Indus River Valley (India)
  Case study: Huang He River Valley (China)
  Case study: Mesoamerica
  Case study: Mediterranean Civilization Case Study: Persia
  Case Study: Athens/Sparta (City states)
  Case Study: Alexander the Great (Greek Empire)
  Case Study: Rome and the Empire
  Contemporary issues showing change over time from the specific ancient civilization to its modern day country (concurrent with each case study)