Today, Danny and I read about and discussed the difference between natural and manmade things. He made a list of items he found in his classroom and around the school, placing them into specific categories. We finished the session with a hunt outside for additional ideas.

Today Jayne and I talked about the difference between natural and manmade things. She made a list of items she found in her classroom and around the school, placing them into specific categories. We finished the session with a hunt outside for additional ideas.

Arianna identified and analyzed primary and secondary sources. She also compared and contrasted primary and secondary sources.

We are working on completing Chapter 1 of text in preparation for a test on Thursday. I reviewed the concept of federalism with Charlie ,and we took turns reading the portion of the text that explains federalism . We discussed limits on the power of the federal and state government under this principal. Next, I had Charlie write in his notebook the attributes of American government such as majority rule, free elections, individual freedoms, and rule of law. We defined and discussed these terms and distinguished our system from authoritarian systems , such as Russia. For homework, Charlie is to copy into his notebook a chart from the text that compares and contrasts the characteristics of democratic governments and authoritarian dictatorships. As Charlie did well with the activities, this exercise should help Charlie remember the material.

We began the lesson with a current event review on CNN for Kids. Elle than began making her own U.S. map to label, color and display as a point of reference for her room.

I reviewed with Charlie the activities I assigned as homework that dealt with criteria for citizenship and naturalization. Charlie did a very good job on this assignment which included reviewing the written material on the activities. We then discussed the Supreme Court's reasoning in the Dred Scott case and how the 14th amendment overruled that decision. I then told Charlie about two pending cases where non -citizens are seeking redress in the US Supreme Court for cross border shootings by ICE agents explaining how citizenship can still in some cases impact the right to sue for constitutional violations. We then reviewed the functions of government generally,and Charlie placed in his notebook the broad functions of government and some specific ways the broad functions are carried out such as: Keep Order-pass and enforce laws; Provide Services-public health ,police protection. I informed Charlie there will be a test on Thursday on Ch 1 and 2 of the text.For homework ,I assigned as reading pages 29-31 of the textbook.

The goal of this lesson was to get Kate acquainted with the U.S. and world maps by beginning to search for places in an atlas and labeling their correct location on both maps (blank maps provided for Kate). This will likely take more than one class period as we allotted some time for current events, too.

Today we learned about cultural vs. national identity. We learned about
an Indian physicist named Vandana Shiva. She is a champion for sustainability - using farmland and farming techniques in a way that will increase production of crops. We also discussed the difference between physical and cultural boundaries. Finally, we learned about an early settler in North America in the mid 1600s. Her name was Lady Deborah Moody and she was the only woman to settle a colony in the new world - part of what is today Brooklyn.

Danny did a lesson on making observations today. He did a mystery touch bag where he used only his sense of touch to try and figure out what an object was. He watched a BrainPop Jr. video on how and why scientists make observations. He scored 100% on the BrainPop Jr. quiz.

We continued our discussion of legal citizenship by defining : aliens, resident aliens, non resident aliens, and illegal aliens. Charlie actively offered ideas on how the government could curb the problem of legal aliens overstaying their visas.Charlie encountered some difficulty with one portion of the homework worksheets that required he identify qualifications for naturalization. We reviewed those criteria again . We then charted in Charlie's notebook the responsibilities and legal duties of citizens distinguishing the voluntary nature of the former as opposed to the legal obligations imposed by the latter. We next will discuss what legal rights citizens might have that noncitizens may not . In that regard, we again reviewed the timeline of constitutional amendments conferring voting rights on African -Americans, women, and 18 year olds. For homework, Charlie is to complete certain portions of the activities on citizenship and correct any prior incorrect responses on his prior assignment. I was very pleased with Charlie's classwork today as he was actively engaged in a number of discussions.