Creating an American Government

Students in the STAR Cluster are starting to look at establishing an American Government, first with the Articles of Confederation, and then moving into The U.S. Constitution and its principles. This is Chapter 7 in the American Journey textbooks that many of the students have at home. As we go through the unit they will be making many connections to their lives today as we talk about rights, liberties, and freedoms. We hope to activate their civic minds not only in regards to history, but as a means of connecting with the world around them today.

Welcome Mrs. Nicholson

Mrs. Nicholson starts a 7 week student teaching experience in our classroom this week. She is working on her Masters Degree at St. John Fisher College and is looking forward to working with Wilson Scholars as she develops her teaching practice. Students have graciously welcomed her so far, and we all look forward to growing and learning together over the next few weeks.

Don't forget that the American Revolution projects are due on 3/13 with the Unit test to coincide with the unit completion.

Next up--creating the American Government--trials and tribulations lead to lasting success. Who knew it was so important to fail in order to later succeed.

American Revolution Unit

We are currently working on the American Revolution unit (Chapter 6 in the American Journey textbook) and students are currently 2 weeks into a 3 week project. They are self-directed their learning through a series of activites, some choosen by me and others of their own creation and choice. Their project allows them to look at the facts of the colonists journey towards independence, while doing further exploration of the aspects that most interest them. They can then show their creativity and individual strengths by completing assignments that review the material but are determined by each student. The project will be due on Friday 3/13, at which time the students will be assessed on the unit to insure their understanding. The test for Harvard and Morehouse will be on Thursday 3/12 and Columbia and Vassar will take the test on Friday 3/13. Class time is being dedicated to their work so I can assist them, but they should be working on some of the tasks at home. This is their only homework at this time, but it is ongoing. Please let me know of any questions. I look forward to being able to display and show off some excellent examples of student learning.