Thursday, June 19th: We had our yearbook signing and breakfast in the morning and the "talk" in the afternoon.  The nurse and the phys ed teacher split up the boys and girls.  I should be clear that this "talk" is about what is going on with their bodies.  In middle school they will have the other "talk".

In class, we finished up the 84 years of compromises.

Wednesday, June 18th:  Graduation Day!

Tuesday, June 17th: We looked at 84 years of compromises, starting with the Constitution.  We then looked at the Missouri Compromise, Kansas-Nebraska Act, and Compromise of 1850, which led to more problems with Dred Scott, John Brown, and Nat Turner. The problem is that they are compromises and not a solution to the question of whether slavery will exist in the USA.

Friday, June 7th: The kids felt like they understood the New Nation unit well, so we made a deal.  Instead of reviewing for a test, if the kids did better than 60% on the Kahoot! review, then there would be no need for a test.  The review is done on their Chromebooks.  We do this together as a group, but the kids answer on their machines.  The kids get 20 seconds to answer each of the 30 questions.  They did great!  That is why they are not studying for a test later this week.

Friday, June 13th: FUNPLEX field trip today!

Thursday, June 12th: We started the day looking at the presidency of Andrew Jackson.  He was unique because he was the first president elected from a Western state... Tennessee.  He was also the first president not to be a founding father or son of one.  He came from nothing, was not formally educated, but was self-taught.  He represented the common people in ways the first six presidents did not.  I suppose that was part of his charm.  He believed that all citizens should play a greater role in their government.  This included voting, which had expanded to all white men, not just wealthy white men.  It sounds terrible, but it is progress.

Wednesday, June 11th: The kids learned about Dr. Beanes.  He was imprisoned on a British ship in Baltimore Harbor. Francis Scott Key was trying to get the British to release him, and so the story of the Star-Spangled Banner unfolded for the kids.  If you are ever in Washington, D.C., stop by the National Museum of American History to see the actual flag flown over Fort McHenry after the British stopped firing.  Next, we looked at the country after the War of 1812.  Things were going so well that this time was called The Era of Good Feelings.  We are feeling so confident President Monroe will issue The Monroe Doctrine, which tells the world they can no longer colonize the Americas.  At the same time, we secured Spain's relinquishment of claims on West Florida, which had already been annexed by Andrew Jackson years earlier through force.  Now, we buy East Florida from the Spanish.  We are filling out the map.  Speaking of Jackson... we learned of one of America's most lopsided battles... the Battle of New Orleans.  Jackson becomes a hero known throughout the country. One problem... the war was already over, but it took time for the information to travel across the ocean and to Louisiana.

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Monday, June 9th: The Nation Grows will be the topic for the next few days.  We began by learning about Thomas Jefferson's real estate deal, the Louisiana Purchase, which encompassed all 828,000 square miles (530,000,000 acres) for the low price of $15 million.  He literally doubles the size of the country.  Now, what is out there?  Lewis and Clark will travel with the Corps of Discovery to report back to Jefferson what we bought.

Friday, June 6th: The kids got a new "black box" or maybe "black bag"... or more accurately a taped shut gift bag.  Inside, hidden from the kids view, was a hum-dinger (pull the string and the bag "hums"... let go of the string and the bag "dings")... The students got parts and did their best to create a physical model of what they could not see.  They did great... take a look...

Thursday, June 5th: Today was day one of the letter writing to your future self.   We discussed why the kids would write a letter to their future selves and why they should take this seriously.  There were suggestions given for the type of material that could be included, but in the end... it was entirely up to the individual kid.  I have not read any of the letters, nor will I ever read them.  I will hold onto them until these kids are ready to graduate high school and magically get them into their hands.​

Wednesday, June 4th: ​We started our Washington DC Tour Project.  Every 5th grader got to choose person/monument/university/building/park/museum/statue... that is connected with DC.  When we are done, we will have a rather complete and interesting visitors guide for your next trip to Washington DC.

Tuesday, June 3rd:  We reviewed the government that the Constitution created, and the kids did really well. The government appears to be a success, but something is missing... the kids figured out that all the positions in the new government needed to be filled, so there must have been a lot of elections.  When it came time for a president, the kids figured that it could only be one person, George Washington.  Yes, they knew that he was the first president of the new government, but now they could explain why he was the only person who could have been the first and elected unanimously.  See if they can discuss this with you.  

Monday, June 2nd:  In class, we finished the judicial branch and learned how the Constitution was ratified (fancy word for approved), but it is missing something... how about defining our rights!  Run-a-Thon was today.  The kids love running, being outside, and not being in class.  They had a great time. We discussed the the Bill of Rights and what they mean.  There are a couple of good videos added. ​

Friday, May 30th: What does the Constitution of the USA do for us?  Great question... it tells us how the federal government is set up.  We began learning about the three branches of government... legislative, executive, and judicial.  Since the convention didn't want to create a king, they ensured each branch had limits (checks and balances).  More on that and our rights will follow on Monday and Tuesday.

Thursday, May 29th: The Constitutional Convention was today's topic.  It turns out that the Articles of Confederation could not be fixed, so the 55 delegates decided to discard them and create a new form of government.  No one asked them or gave them the power to do this.  They even spent the summer in Philadelphia with the windows closed, curtain drawn, and soldiers outside... all to keep what was happening inside a secret.  Next up... what does this new government look like? Great question... The Great Compromise.  The Constitutional Convention (which met to discuss changes to the Articles of Confederation but decided to create a new government... not that anyone asked them to do this... or gave them the power to do it) is four hot months in Philadelphia with the windows shut to make sure there is absolute secrecy.  Sounds hot.  We discussed the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan and how the delegates compromised.  We also looked at the other part, which is uglier: the 3/5th Compromise.

Wednesday, May 28th:  The central government under the Articles of Confederation faced its first real challenge.  Farmers were mad about the courts taking their farms for unpaid taxes and debts, so they closed the courthouses.  I suppose that would work, at least for a while.  Daniel Shays decides to go even further and takes the central government's arsenal in Springfield, Massachusetts.  Is this the start of another revolution?  The central government is powerless to stop him, so Massachusetts will send their soldiers to put down the rebellion.  America is not off to a good start.  The kids took notes, discussed the issues and possible solutions, and finished with showing what they know answering questions.  The also got to see a parody video of the Articles of Confederation.  Check it out on the "Videos" tab.

Tuesday, May 27th: We started the class with a new unit called A New Nation.  When we last left our newly independent Americans, the country was preparing to start down the unique road of democracy (republic).  What could go wrong? The students learned that the government set up by the Articles of Confederation was not working out so well.  Sure, the states loved having all the power, but nothing was getting done as a country.  We will continue through the Constitution, Washington DC, expansion of the country, work in a war or two, and end right before the Civil War.  It is going to be FUN!

Friday, May 2nd: Test day.

Wednesday, April 30th: We finished out NJSLA-Science testing today.  The kids handled it well, but were glad they won't see it again until 8th grade.  In class, the kids were put into random groups and given an object in the solar system to research and present.  They will have a few days to work on this.

Monday, April 28th: With the war behind us, it is time to look to the sky for what is next... our solar system. Over the next few weeks, the kids will learn about our solar system and there is a lot to learn. My goal is to get the kids excited about the topic. We can only scratch the surface, but we will open our eyes to the vastness, beauty, terror, and majesty of the solar system, galaxy, and universe. First up is a research project on a planet that the kids started today.

Friday, April 25th: The kids completed a study guide today and we reviewed.  On Monday, we will have a Kahoot! and then on to space... science.  The test will be at the end of the week, because we have NJSLA Science testing on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Revolutionary War test will be next week.  We will review on Monday and take the test on Fridayday (May 2nd).

Thursday, April 24th:  We moved the Revolutionary War to the south. It's the same story as the north.... The British take the ports and cities... Savannah, Charleston, and then on to Camden, but can't beat the Americans. A surprise win at Cowpens, SC gave the Americans a decisive win, forcing the British back towards the coast. Yes, the British whoop us at Guilford Courthouse, NC, but was pyrrhic victory.  That is a fancy word for a win that was too costly to have fought. Cornwallis has lost too many men and is too far from supplies. He will pull back to what he believes is the safety of Yorktown.  He moved himself into a checkmate position... It's over! The world has turned upside down. With help from the French, the Americans defeated Cornwallis and the British at Yorktown. A band of rebels fought and won their independence. We closed out the unit by saying goodbye to George Washington. The kids discussed what they would have done if they were in his position... his generals offered to back him to take the country and become king. He declined and resigned from the army! What did it look like... check out a $5,000 in your pocket or the one below... 

​Tuesday, April 22nd and Wednesday, April 23rd: The students discovered how Washington turned his army of farmers, merchants, and shopkeepers into soldiers... Baron Friedrich Wilhelm August Heinrich Ferdinand von Steuben. The kids got a kick out of the fact that he claimed to be so much, but in the end, he turned out to be a bit of a fraud. But that's ok by Washington. He thought it was more important what you could do and not what title you were born with (at least that is what I think). I can't be far off because Washington made him the army's Inspector General (with the rank and pay of a major general).

So what was today all about?  Valley Forge and heroes of the war...

Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys: Battle of Saratoga and capturing Fort Ticonderoga
Nathan Hall: American spy that was hung.  His last words... "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country".
John Paul Jones: After the British naval officers tell him to surrender, because he has no hope... he says... "I have not you begun to fight!".  He keeps fighting and the British ships surrender to him.
Francis Marion: The Swamp Fox of South Carolina who led daring raids against the British
George Rogers Clark: Led men to protect the settlers in the frontier lands from British and Indian attacks.

Want to read the founders words... click here!

Ask your child how Montclair is tied to the Revolutionary War... here are a few pictures to help...(also check out this site for more New Jersey Revolutionary sites).

Monday, April 15th: The kids were rested from spring break and ready to fight the Revolutionary War. We compared the two armies and decided that the Continental Army could not beat the British. After being defeated by the British in Long Island and pushed west with more losses, it seemed like we were right... the British would win. We read and talked about the early victories that helped change the direction of the war. The Battle of Trenton and the Battle of Princeton were not strategically important but a morale booster for Washington's army. The Battle of Saratoga was the other battle we focused on because it was a game-changer... The Continentals beat a larger British army and captured almost 6,000 soldiers (the British had about 50,000 soldiers in the colonies). Over in France, Ben Franklin finally had something to show that the Americans could win and that siding with them would not be a lost cause. The British knew that they would not be able to beat the colonists easily (if at all). Lastly... the Continental Army didn't do a lot of winning during the war.​

Friday, April 11th: Revolutionary War WOMEN!  There were many women who made contributions to the war effort.  Some help make uniforms, some tended to the wounded, some were spies, some even fought (until they were found to be women)... and some even got a military pension!  The kids researched a person and will report their findings to the class after spring break.

Thursday, April 10th: We used a venn diagram to help understand who was on each side of the war. Patriots who wanted independence, Loyalists who supported the king, and people who didn’t care which way it went (neutral).  They also discovered that the divisions were everywhere, even in religions, towns, and families.

Wednesday, April 9th:  Today was double whammy.  We had shorter classes because of advanced band (more than half of the 5th grade is in this group) and we went to Montclair State after lunch for an African Drumming and Balkan Ensemble Recital. This may explain why your kid kept yelling "OPA".

Tuesday, April 8th: The Declaration of Independence is finished, signed, and read to the people.  It is official... we broke up with England.  The kids read The Travels of the Declaration of Indepence in class.  It is available on this site under the "Books" tab.  If you hover over "Social Studies 2023-24" it will drop down.  It is another case of there being more to the story that we heard growing up.  The kids answered questions and we discussed their work.

What it looks like today...

What it would have looked like...

Monday, April 7th:  Today was about ThinkCERCA.  I know what you are thinking... I don't remember that part of the Revolution.  You are correct.  We took the day off to complete our first writing benchmark.  You received emails about ThinkCERCA from Bradford and the district that explained the purpose.  The kids had to read two articles, answer eight multiple-choice questions, and write an essay.  They were given 90 minutes to complete the assignment.  They had the same feeling you just had... that is not enough time.  The kids surprise themselves.  Almost all of them were able to turn in a five paragraph essay and from what I saw... they were pretty good.  A third party will grade their work.​

Friday, April 4th: Next up was Thomas Paine's Common Sense, which gave reasons for splitting from England. It was just common sense, haha. We finished the day learning about the four parts of the Declaration of Independence and the five writers.   I think the kids really got the point of what a big and dangerous step this was when they understood the last line... "we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor."

The Declaration of Independence is finished, signed, and read to the people.  It is official... we broke up with England.  The kids read The Travels of the Declaration of Indepence in class.  It is available on this site under the "Books" tab.  If you hover over "Social Studies 24/25" it will drop down.  It is another case of there being more to the story that we heard growing up.  The kids answered questions and we discussed their work.

Thursday, April 3rd: The kids read the entire Olive Branch Petition and continued highlighting all the places they felt were just a little too much.  We then went over what the Congress was attempting to accomplish... they came up with stopping the fighting and get back to where we were before... just without the taxes.  The irony is the letter arrives on August 24th which is a day after the king issued a proclamation of rebellion against the colonies.

Wednesday, April 2nd: The kids had various items to get through today. They started by reading the Olive Branch Petition and highlighting all the over-the-top wording about how great the king was and being part of England was so special... from the colonist's point of view. Here is an example... "​We, your Majesty's faithful subjects of the colonies" or "The union between our Mother country and these colonies, and the energy of mild and just government, produced benefits so remarkably important, and afforded such an assurance of their permanency and increase, that the wonder and envy of other Nations were excited, while they beheld Great Britain rising to a power the most extraordinary the world had ever known." This is after we dumped their tea, refused to pay Parliament's taxes, killing or wounding over 1,200 British soldiers at Lexington and Bunker Hill. The kids took a quiz and moved on to a bit of note-taking on the last steps to the Declaration of Independence. Lastly, they had to make a timeline of the significant events from the end of the French and Indian War to the Olive Branch Petition.​

American Ride - There are ten seasons of really great shows about US history as told by Stan Ellsworth.  Yes, he is the big motorcycle guy.  https://www.byutv.org/american-ride

Tuesday, April 1st: We reviewed the actions of England and the colonists that led to the Revolution.  We watched American Ride to learn about Lexington and Concord. It is a great show, and the host was fantastic.  We also learned about what life was like when George Washington was growing up.  The book we used can be found under the "Books" dropdown on the "Social Studies 24/25" tab.​

Friday, March 28th: ​Escalation... I think that is the best word to describe the situation between the colonies and the Parliament that we are investigating. We looked at the Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea Party, the Intolerable Acts, and finally, the Declaration of Rights and Grievances petition to the king. The students came up with options that each side could have taken at each step and their possible consequences. We also got another great quote from Patrick Henry... "I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!" Listen carefully on Tuesday... you will hear the "shot heard round the world.​"

Boston Massacre

Maybe it is propaganda?

Boston Tea Party

The Stamp Act is Repealed

Thursday, March 27th: Presentation day. The kids began teaching "The Colonists Speak Out". This is the groundwork being laid for the Revolutionary War. We covered the Sugar Act, Stamp Act, Stamp Act Congress, and the Boston Massacre. The kids got a good picture of why the "colonists" are getting frustrated with England and its rules. The colonists seem like teens who don't want to hear it from their parents. There were two big quotes today... James Otis' "No Taxation without representation" and Patrick Henry's "If this be treason, make the most of it".  

Wednesday, March 26th: We started with review of the French and Indian War and the aftermath.  "The Colonists Speak Out".  This is the topic that the kids worked on researching to teach to the class tomorrow.  The prelude to the Revolutionary War.

Tuesday, March 25th: Today was the beginning of the end. The kids learned about the Proclamation of 1763, which limited the colonists' rights by telling them not to settle the land won in the French and Indian War/Seven Year War (...that lasted nine years). To make sure the colonists followed his orders, the king would leave soldiers in the colonies and replace elected governors with ones about by the king. Mostly, it sowed the first seeds of the Revolution. 

Monday, March 24th:  We had front-row seats for the conclusion of the French and Indian War by the British cutting off the French in Canada. The Spanish eventually jumped in to help the French, but that cost them. They will lose Florida, but the French will give them all their lands west of the Mississippi as an apology? Or was it better to let the Spanish have it than the British? France will lose Canada and the Ohio Valley. They will lose even more territory around the world. Peace doesn't last long for the British. Chief Pontiac unites tribes and start to take British forts. Eventually, England made peace treaties with the native people, and the fighting ended. ​

Interesting tidbit I read to the kids and had them think through and explain the quote...

From A History of US... "Washington and 150 men tried to make them (French in the Ohio River Valley) go.  They attacked a French scouting party and killed 10 Frenchmen.  An English writer, Horace Walpole, said of the small battle, "The volley fired by a young Virginian in the backwoods of America set the world on fire."  It was 1754; the French and Indian War had begun."

Fun fact... Two years after George Washington is defeated at Fort Necessity, he returns with English General Braddock and 1,800 English and Colonial troops.  900 French and Indian soldiers kill or wound two-thirds of the English.  The French fire from behind trees and boulders, while the British try to fire in line formation.  Braddock is killed along with other officers.  George Washington takes charge and survives the battle with four bullet holes in his coat and two horses shot from under him.  How things would have changed if one of those bullets was a few inches to the left or right.  Washington has learned a valuable lesson in the defeat... a smaller force can defeat a larger and better trained one.  He probably felt pretty lucky!

Friday, March 21st: We were introduced to a 21 year old George Washington.  Not the father of our country George Washington, but starting down the path that will get him there.  Today's topic was the French and Indian War.  By the end class, ever student was able to tell me that the war was not between the French and the Indians.  We have lofty goals in this class! I found a pretty interesting picture that shows just some of the confusion of colonies and countries claims in North American (photo to the right).

Wednesday, March 19th: As Tracy Chapman said, we began "Talkn' bout a Revolution".  The American Revolution to be exact.  Today was the introduction.  We began by sharing what the students already knew.  We then looked at a time line that started with the French and Indian War and ended with the Revolutionary War being won by the USA.  That is what we will be covering over the next month or so.

Wednesday, February 19th: The kids got their tests back and we went over all the questions.  The rest of the class time was used for an introduction to our science unit Earth's Spheres.

Tuesday, February 18th: The kids came in prepared for the 13 English Colonies Test.  The average grade across the whole grade was 89%.  That is great, but what makes me happy is the kids learned about the subject and will be prepared for 7th and 8th grade US History.

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Friday, February 14th: We celebrated St. Valentine's Day with a card exchange.  Then, the kids got down to business... their advertising business.  They continued to work on their Colony brochure.  They will have time at the end of a few classes next week if they need to put on some finishing touches.  The kids also had less time because they had their Restorative Justice circle with Ms. Asaro.

Last reminder... the English Colonies test is on Tuesday.  The kids need to know the names of the colonies and where the colony is located on a map.  The rest of the test will come from their study guide.  The kids filled this out yesterday, and we went over all the answers as a class.  Fingers crossed that they brought it home and didn't lose it.  Not that something like this would ever happen, but if they are without the study guide, there is a link to it in yesterday's update.  There is also a Kahoot" that can test them on the colony's location and some other information.

Thursday, February 13th: We discussed tomorrow's test.  The kids filled out a study guide and we played a Kahoot!.  Hopefully, they brought home the study guide and review at home.  I think the kids are ready and about 90% less nervous.  Click here for the study guide.  Here is what the test will look like...​
          * They need to know the colonies names, founders, and where they are on a map
          * True and False questions
          * Matching
          * Multiple Choice
          * Fill in the Blank
          * Short Essay/Paragraph

​Click here for the Kahoot!

Wednesday, February 12th: I put the kids to work to in advertising.  Their job was to create a trifold to get people from Europe and other colonies to come to come to their colony.  The kids got off to a good start today, but need more time.  They will have time after the review tomorrow, all class period on Friday, and any time left after they finish their test on Tuesday.  I will post some of their work next week.

Our test on the English Colonies will be next Tuesday, 2/18.  We will review tomorrow and the kids will have a study guide.  

Tuesday, February 11th:  We closed out the lessons on the Southern Colonies by looking at the country seats and the port cities like Charles Town (which will become Charleston), Baltimore, Savannah, Wilmington, and Norfolk.

Monday, February 10th: We did a short review of the Southern Colonies and discussed how they were similar and different than the New England and Middle Atlantic Colonies.  Next, The kids created a Venn diagram with three circles... one for each colonial region. This was different than the ones they had seen in the past because the three circles created another of joined section of the three.

We also spent time discussing On Shirley Plantation and If You Lived in WIlliamsburg in Colonial Days.  Both books can be found on this website by hovering over "Social Studies 24/25" tab and clicking on the dropdown.

Friday, February 7th: The kids read about the Southern economy using a few different sources. We briefly used the textbook, but most of the time was spent on a few books that live on this website under the Social Studies tab.  Then, they put what they learned today and over the last few weeks to work. 
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We should have our English Colonies test next Friday, February 14th or Tuesday, February 18th.  In class, we will review, and a study guide will be provided.

Thursday, February 6th: We had a little les class time because of the ice and delayed opening, but the kids seemed ok with that.  The students finished learning the who, how, and when of the founding of the Southern Colonies… from Catholics in Maryland to debtor prisoners in Georgia. Along the way, the kids also learned a bit about the monarchs of England and how they affected the colonies. We will next look at their economies and compare and contrast them to the Middle Atlantic and New England Colonies.​

Wednesday, February 5th: That seems like one big colony! Yes, Carolina was too big. King Charles II granted land from the bottom of Virginia to the top of Spanish Florida to the Lord Proprietors. That's a pretty cool name. They backed Charles II to get the throne since his dad lost his head and Oliver Cromwell became the Lord Protector of England. Yes, Cromwell was the Puritan who wasn't much fun. In the end, Carolina needed to be broken up. The top 1/3 became North Carolina (mostly smaller farms) and South Carolina (where you will find the big plantations). The bottom will become Georgia, but that is for tomorrow.

Tuesday, February 4th: The kids had their quiz on the Middle Atlantic Colonies, which went fine. I know there was a lot of concern, but I don't see why that was the case. I told them this was to help them understand where they stand with the information. We also reviewed before class each day. Anyway, they graded their own work and it is done.  They did great. Time to move on...  We headed south from the Middle Atlantic Colonies.  We spent time looking at the geography of Africa to help the kids get a better idea of the continent.

Monday, February 3rd: The class read more about The Great Wagon Road today. We also reviewed for the quiz on Tuesday. Don't worry... it is a check to see what they understand. The quiz will be used to study for the test once we are done with the southern colonies. That is the one they should study for. There will be a review and a study guide.

We spent the first half of class talking about Black History Month. I want them to understand a couple of points... Black History is American History. Black History is part of all of us, no matter our race or nationality. It is part of the American History! That said, Black History doesn't begin on February 1st or end on February 28th. It is ongoing and part of lessons throughout the year. "What year did Black History Month begin?" If your kid doesn't remember... 1926 by Dr. Woodson, although it started as a week. It wasn't until 1976 that President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History Month.

Friday, January 31st: ​Today's class was split between Ben Franklin and restorative justice.  The last group presented Franklin to the class.  He is such a fascinating character, and I hope the kids will walk away feeling the same way.  After the presentation, we looked at some more of his inventions together.  Then, the kids looked for a quote of his that they liked.  That wasn't too hard because he has so many quotes, and they are all great.  Some of the kids' favorites were...
     "There never was a good war or a bad peace."
     "Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn."
     "He that would live in peace & at ease, Must not speak all he knows or judge all he sees."
     "Well done is better than well said."
     "Lost Time is never found again."

Thursday, January 30th: ​What do pie and Pennsylvania have in common? William Penn wanted the townships to be 5,000 acres and divided among 10 families. The land should be divided in the shape of a circle. Each family gets a "slice" of the pie, and all the homes built at the tips. We also learned about Penn's idea for laying out Philadelphia (grid and parks). We also discussed how William Penn's ideas of freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, and trial by a jury of peers will end up shaping the United States.​

Tuesday, ​January 26th: Presentation day... "WOW" is the word I would use to describe the students' work. Their research has gotten so much better. Their time management has also greatly improved. They felt like they needed more time from the start, but having less time forced them to focus on what was required to get the presentation done.​

Monday, January 27th: The Breadbasket Colonies. Sounds delicious! We started our study of the Middle Atlantic Colonies by turning the teaching over to the kids. Each group is responsible for one colony... Delaware, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. The last group was researching Benjamin Franklin.  The kids researched and built a Google Slide presentation. Tomorrow, they will get up and present to the class. Same rules as always... pictures on the slides are great. Words on the slides are not great. They know they are the experts and must present the information to the class using notecards. Hopefully, they have notes and not sentences on the cards. Come back tomorrow to see how they did.

Friday, January, 24th: We finished our exploration of the New England Colonies by looking at the economy.  We learned how they made a living through fishing, whaling, shipbuilding, and trading.  Then, We moved on to our quiz on the New England Colonies.  I told the kids not to worry… it is only a quiz.  Once they were done, they graded their own work.  They did an excellent job, giving the kids another opportunity to show me what they know... and maybe something we need to look at again.​

Thursday, January 23rd: The students have mostly completed our study of the New England Colonies.  We still have shipbuilding to cover, but they should be able to tell you most of the info below...
* The four New England colonies - Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire
* Important people for each colony John  Endecott & John Winthrop (MA), Anne Hutchinson & Roger Williams       (RI), David Thomson (NH), and Thomas Hooker (CT)
* The differences between the colonies - geography, religion (tolerance), government, and climate... to name a few
* We also learned about the economies the New England economies (whales, fish, shipbuilding, timber, and trading -Triangular Trade).

Wednesday, January 22nd: What happens if you question the Puritan faith? Ask Roger Williams or Anne Hutchinson… spoiler alert… it is not good. Roger Williams had to make a quick getaway after his trial (he talked about freedom of religion and separation of church and state) and headed south from the Massachusetts Bay Colony. With a lot of help from the native people, he was able to survive and start a settlement… Providence. It will become the colony of Rhode Island. Anne Hutchinson also caused the Puritans concern when she questioned the ministers and their teachings. She also held services in her house. She was put on trial (sedition), and surprisingly, she was found guilty by the judges, who were Puritan ministers. She, too, flees south and starts a settlement that will become part of Rhode Island.

Tuesday, January 21st: We learned about Puritans today. About 20,000 Puritans arrived after the Massachusetts Bay Colony was founded in 1628 by John Endecott. It turns out they are not a fun bunch. We had time to read books under the Social Studies tab... You Wouldn't Want to Sail on the Mayflower, You Wouldn't Want to be an American Colonist, and The Dreadful, Smelly Colonies. Unlike the Puritans, these are fun!

• John Smith
  • Explored and named the area of the colony years earlier
  • One of the founders of Jamestown
    • Chief Powhatan captured him and was going to cut off his head until Pocahontas had her father spare Smith’s life.  Pocahontas goes on to marry…
• John Rolfe
  • Brought tobacco to Jamestown.  That made people rich!
• John Endecott
  • 1628 - brought the first Puritans to Massachusetts Bay Colony
• John Winthrop
  • 1630  - brought the second larger group of Puritans
  • Governor of the colony and president of the confederation of New England people

Friday, January 17th: We spent a good deal of the class talking about MLK and what he did and how he did it.  We discussed the struggle for racial equality and social change through nonviolent resistance, even when faced with violence.  We looked at some of his uplifting quotes, inspiring people to work toward building a more just world together.  We also explored how that work is still not finished.  Some of the kids shared their experience of the MLK Memorial in Washington, DC.  The kids considered pictures of the memorial and made a lot of interesting inferences about the meaning behind the design of the memorial.  Check out the homepage for the story of MLK and Montclair.

We also started our lesson on the Massachusetts Bay Colony.  Mostly focused on the Puritans.  Who they were, why they established a colony, and how it began.

Thursday, January, 16th: Welcome to the English Colonies.  Class started with the final book chat session and then we moved to our introduction to the English colonies.  It looks like we have our work cut out for us, but I am up for the challenge.

Friday, December 20th: Let the races begin!  The kids had time to make final adjustments to their racecars before the timed runs began.  We started by timing each car to figure out how to set up the brackets.  Maybe it is because today is the last day of school before winter break, or they just loved the races, but either way... they went wild!!!  The winner from each class meet at the end of the day to find out who would be the 2024 Bradford International Drag Strip Champion. 

Class Winners

5P

5B

5L

5th Grade Winner
The car #1 from Mr. Barry's class was the overall victor

Thursday, December 19th: How about engineering project?  The kids were tasked with building a racecar while staying within a budget.  They designed, built, tested, and went back to the drawing board multiple times.  Tomorrow, they will have time to finish "tuning" their cars and then we race!  The winner from each class will face off at the end of the day to find the 2024 Bradford Race Champion.

Wednesday, December 16th:  We turned the clock back to a time when games were played on paper with dice.  In our case, it was Settling the New World.  The kids got to plan (as best they could) for a settlement.  What to take?  Who to take? Supplies?   They found out that they could only control so much.  The rest was left to fate.  What did the kids think of this?  They were wild!  They hooted and hollered in excitement when something good happened or got angry when bad things like half of the settlers dying from cholera because they didn't bring a doctor. After the game was finished, we talked about the results. Did they match what we learned about the beginning of Roanoke, Jamestown, and Plymouth? my favorite question of the day... "Did you trick us into learning with the game?"  Yes, I did!

Tuesday, December 15th: Test day with a side of Rube Goldberg.  The kids learned about Rube Goldberg machines and created one after they finished the test.  I will post examples tomorrow.

Monday, December 14th: The kids finished preparing to start their colony in the new world.  They needed to figure out which ship they wanted, what type of people they wanted to bring, and what supplies.  Tomorrow, we will have our test.  It should take less than half the class time.  The rest of the time, we will be playing our settlement game.  The kids pick numbers and find out what events go with that number.  It is like old-time die-driven role-playing games.  It is as low-tech as they come... and the kids will go crazy playing it.

Friday, December 13th: We reviewed for our unit test next Tuesday.  The kids had the opportunity to answer questions and write down anything they were unsure about.  We did discuss each question pretty thoroughly.  The test will be multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blanks, and a short essay.  Everything will come from the information they have in their notebooks.  We also worked on Thank You/Goodbye cards for Ms. A (Ms. Dezso).  At the end of the day, Mr. Barry brought his class down to her room and I brought mine.  It was a very loud and nice surprise.  Ms. Cuppari will start this upcoming Monday.

Thursday, December 12th: And that's a wrap on the Time of Exploration!  Today, we finished with a lesson on Plymouth Colony.  The kids got to see another English colony that followed the Jamestown model... make mistakes, show up unprepared, and half the settlers die.  If not for the help of Samoset and Squanto, the other half would have probably died or ended up like the people of Roanoke.

Wednesday, December 11th: We had our first glimpse of a successful English colony... Jamestown.  Successful is a word I use lightly because more than half the people die in the first couple of years, known as the starving time.  In 1619, they created a legislature called the House of Burgesses, which was also the year that the Black Mayflower arrived, bringing the first enslaved Africans.  A war with the Powhattan in 1622 saw the loss of 1/3 of the colonists, but their fortunes changed now that they had more land to grow tobacco.  Things went so well that King James decided to take back the colony.  Thanks for all the hard work Virginia Company, but the king is the king.

Tuesday, December 10th: Queen Elizabeth was ready to build her empire, so she allowed captains to rob Spanish treasure ships.  They just have to share some of the treasure with her.  The Sea Dog did well and the queen was ready to colonize North America.  So far, they have primarily focused on fishing.  I know, that seems weird, but Europe had fished its waters for so long the numbers were low.  In North America, you can walk across the fish.  Cape Cod.  We looked at the first attempts by Sir Walter Raleigh that did not work out well.  The first one gave up and got a ride back to England with Sir Francis Drake.  The second one ???  That is the lost colony of Roanoke.  The kids used all the skills we have been working on this year.  One section was notes, another summarizing, and the last was answering questions.

Friday, December 6th: The kids had a little more time to finish their summaries, and then we reviewed them together.  We read the summary first and went to the reading to see if the summary gave us a brief account of the main points.  A few secondary details still needed to be removed, and a central point here and there needed to be added, but overall, the summaries were well done.

Thursday, December 5th: New Spain is up and running, so we moved on to New France.  The kids took another try at reading and summarizing.  The twist... they had to work as a group... and they all had to work... under threat of more work.  They worked quicker today, and most understood how to get this work done faster and better.

Wednesday, December 4th: As a class, we reviewed each group's summaries.  We started by reading the summary and then the pages together.  We went back and forth to determine if anything important was missing or if there was anything included that was not a big idea.  By the time we were done, we had summaries that I thought were great.  I will combine all the summaries for each class and print them out tonight.  The kids will get a copy to add to their notebooks.

The kids favorite new word is "coquina".  It is a type stone made from broken seashells.  The Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine is made from this type of stone.

Castillo de San Marcos

This is coquina

Tuesday, December 3rd: New Spain was tap for today.  The kids broke up into groups, each with a different section.  Each kid had to find the main idea and supporting details.  From that, they created a summary.  This was done together on Google Docs.  Too many details were included, but they started to get the hang of it.  The work will be printed out and taped into the kid's notebooks.​

Monday, December 2nd: We paused social studies to start Book Chat.  The kids did a great job in their chats and the parent volunteers were very much appreciated.  Tomorrow, we will be back to learning about European settlement in the New World.

Tuesday, November 26th: And we are done.  The kids finished their presentations today, and I was delighted with the progress from their last presentations.  They were definitely more comfortable speaking to the class, and the class could hear them.  I talked to the kids about Book Chat.  We discussed how it will work and the books for this cycle.  If you responded about helping out, I will hopefully contact you tonight if I can get you in your kid's group.  I will also let you know if there no group for you this cycle, but there will be another one and I will make sure you get into that one.  I do appreciate the volunteering.  Click on the book if you want to learn more about it.

Monday, November 25th: We shortened classes because of the Walkathon, but we are progressing well through all the explorers.

Friday, November 22nd: Now, it is time for the kids to teach. We started with Columbus thinking he reached India, and John Cabot thinking he reached China. Vespucci will prove them wrong with his maps and Balboa, who will cross the Isthmus of Panama and see the Pacific Ocean. Balboa establishes for a fact that these are two previously unknown continents to the Europeans. We closed out with Magellan circumnavigating the Earth (kind of... he was killed in the Philippines).  More to follow next week.​

Thursday, November 21st: Bartolomeu Dias made it around the tip of Africa.  Now, the Portuguese are ready to make the trip all the way to India.  Vasco da Gama left in July of 1497 and returned from India two years and two months later.  What a success.  Sure, only 55 of the original 170 sailors returned, but who is worried about ordinary people?  The Portuguese now control the trade route, which makes them wealthy and powerful.  

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Wednesday, November 20th: We learned about Portugal's Prince Henry. His dad, King John I, wanted him to find a sea route to Asia. He brings together shipbuilders, sailors, and cartographers. They will improve the compass and astrolabe. They will also develop a better ship... caravel. It will take decades and 50 voyages, but Portugal will be the first around Africa and make it to India. Wealth and power come from these future trips.   

Tuesday, November 19th: The Silk Road and major trading centers were explored.  All is good until 1453, when Constantinople falls to the Turks and the trade routes are closed.  The Europeans can't live without their imported goods, so it is time to figure another way to get them... over water.  First up is Prince Henry's Navigation School.  The kids got to enjoy the timeless classic Istanbul (not Constantinople) and believe it or not... a few kids knew the song.  Nice work parents!

Monday, November 18th: We now have a good idea of where the world is in the 1400s. China has seen the world and decided they didn't need it and closed up shop. Others in Asia were on board with trading, including India, Japan, and Korea.  African empires have been trading with Europe and Asia. Europeans have gotten a taste (literally - spices) of the rest of the world and want more. All is going well until... that is for later.

Friday, November 15th: I was out today, but the kids worked on completing their presentations.

Thursday, November 14th: The kids were randomly given the name of an explorer to research.  They got right to work on their presentation and let me tell you... I was impressed by what they have gotten done so far.  They got right to work researching, writing notes on index cards, and finding pictures to put on their slides. They remembered that the notes should not be on their Slides.  They will have tomorrow to work on this and the presentations will be next week.​

Wednesday, November 13th: The Age of Exploration is our topic for the next few weeks.  Why did the European explorers explore?  Before we get there, we need to understand what was happening around the world in the 1400s.  Today, we examined what was happening in the Americas.  We got to look at the Incas quipus (writing form), amazing stonework, road networks, Machu Picchu, and their 3,000-mile-long empire of 12 million people. We closed the class by looking at the most advanced civilization in the Americas, the Aztec empire encompassing 200,000 square miles (NJ is 6,000) and 5,000,000 people and their calendars, writings, buildings, temples, and government.

Machu Picchu (Inca)

Aztec Calendar

Wednesday, November 6th: The kids were intro to the Age or Exploration.  We had a pre-assessment to get a feel for what the kids already know and to give them some insight into what awaits them.  We then looked at the topics we will be covering over the next month.  Science review is Monday and test on Tuesday.

Thursday, October 7th: We had beautiful weather for the MSU Field Day. The college students in the physical education program set up 9 stations for the kids to perform some type of activity. It is a win-win because the college students get firsthand experience while being observed by their teachers, and the Bradford students just plain love trying all the different stations.

Field Day is great for getting the kids out and moving around, but class time pays the price.  We had to cut all the classes shorter, but we still got at least an hour of instruction time.  Today, we transitioned from social studies to science.  We started by going over The Land and Early People test on Wednesday.  The kids did great, and the average grade was 88%.  The kids taped their tests into their notebooks and were allowed to take them home to show you.  They just need to make their way back before we start social studies again in a few weeks.  The kids were introduced to our science topic, Matter, and set up their notebooks.  We will begin using hands-on experiments to help us understand this topic tomorrow.​

Wednesday, October 2nd: The Land and Early People unit is now in our rear view mirror.  The kids did not seem worried or panicked and I will post the class averages tomorrow or later today.  When we return on Monday, we change gears and begin our unit in science about matter.

Tuesday, October 1st: We had a lively review for tomorrow's assessment and I think the kids are ready.  They were allowed to bring their notebook home, but they need to bring them back tomorrow.  They will use the notebooks for the assessment.  The kids finished and turned in their Tribe Slide.  It was a full day.  

Monday, September 30th: The kids got the name of their tribe to research and got right to work.  Today's class is shorter, but they will have the whole class to finish tomorrow.  So far, so good.  From what I am seeing, they are doing the right things.  I will post some finished pieces tomorrow.

Friday, September 27th: The kids made a postcard.  Step one... explain what a postcard is to the kids.  They had a few different options from Mesa Verde to draw on the front of the postcard, and then they wrote a message to someone explaining what the picture was all about.  They loved this.  Maybe not the history as much, but they love art and being creative.  Next, I asked the kids what they thought when I said, "What do you think of when I say Native Americans? and How have you heard the word native used before?"  They picked one and wrote their thoughts on a Post-It Note.  Those were stuck on a board in the room, and I will share responses with the kids next week.  There were a few volunteers today, leading to the following question: Do Native Americans still live in the United States today?  The kids shared their thoughts, which led to some good conversations about what had happened to the Original People.  I talked to them about their next project at the end of class, so they will be ready to hit the ground running on Monday.  More to follow on this project next week.

We will have an assessment next Wednesday.  The kids are well aware (I bring it up every day), and there is no studying to do.  All the questions come right from their notes, and they will use their notebooks for the assessment.  Kids who miss a day are given copies of notes or worksheets.  We also review each day.  What I am getting at... they don't need to sweat this.  I want them to understand why having good notes and keeping papers organized is essential.​

Sample of some of the kid's work

Very funny explanation of what this kid saw at Mesa Verde

Thursday, September 26th: We started the class by reviewing the four civilizations we learned about yesterday.  The kids used their notes to answer a bunch of questions.  I told the kids that this is practice for our assessment next week.  Every question will come directly from their notebooks.  We spent the majority of the class learning more about the Anasazi.  Those were the people that lived in the Four Corners region of what is now the USA.  They were long gone before Europeans came to the Americas, but they left clues to who they were, how they lived, and why they left.

Do you want to know more about them?  Click on the book cover to read what your kid read today.

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Wednesday, September 25th: We closed our lesson on the Ancient People by looking at Early Civilizations.  We started with the Olmecs, who developed a form of writing, a number system, and a calendar.  That is pretty impressive.  That is why they are known as the "Mother Civilization".  The kids liked the Mayans' cities of stone, the Moundbuilders' Serpent Mound, and the Anasazi's "apartment buildings" built into the side of a cliff wall.  Tomorrow, we will spend more time focusing on the Anasazi... stay tuned!

Tikal (Mayan)

Serpent Mound (Mississippians)

Anasazi

Tuesday, September 24th: We finished our notes on Hunters and Gatherers and moved on to A Time of Change.  The kids learned how the climate changing from warm and humid to cooler and drier affected the early people.  The most significant effect was that large animals, mastodons, mammoths, camels, and horses all became extinct.  This forced the early people to begin to fish and hunt smaller animals like deer and rabbits.  This was also possible with new technologies like the bow and arrow.  Farming came about 5,000 years ago, and people are leading less of a nomadic life.  They are planting crops, settling in one place, building stronger houses, and villages.

The kids learned about technologies of these people and the one they liked the best was the atlatl (AHT-lah-tuhl) or spear thrower.

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Monday, September 23rd: Ancient Indians were our topic today. Why were there so many very large animals.  How did the people hunt mammoths and mastodons? How did they use them? Stone technology was explored, and the kids had a hard time believing that a stone could be tech. True, it is not an iPhone, but like an iPhone, it allowed them to do something better.  This is the kids' first introduction to taking notes using the Cornell method.  The kids read and picked out the important details.  I wrote them on the board, and the kids put them in their notebooks.  We will continue to work together until the kids get a feel for taking notes.  Then, they will be given a paragraph to read independently and take notes.  We will then share their work to see how we are doing.  Since this is a new skill, I have often told them not to worry about making a mistake and correct it going forward.

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Friday, September 20th: The kids liked the land bridge theory until I started throwing in sites across the Americas that were older than the ice sheet melting.  They worked through this as a class and came up with boats.  That must have been how the earliest people got here.  They decided that they should also include the idea of the land bridge.  This is called the early arrival theory.  The last theory we came up with... religion... the people were always here - the origin or creation theory.  We read and discussed the origin story of the Blackfoot and its similarities to other religions.  We closed out the class with a check for understanding with a worksheet.

Thursday, September 19th: We closed out our study of Our Country's Geography by using our notes taken from the presentations to answer a worksheet of questions.  The kids got to work together in their groups.  We reviewed it at the end of class to ensure the kids had the opportunity to get accurate answers.

We also started looking at the Earliest Americans.  We began by seeing where humans came from and how they got around.  The question to the kids was, "How did they get to the Americas?".  As a class, we worked on coming up with theories.  So far, they have come up with the Land Bridge Theory... They walked over from Asia through Alaska.

Wednesday, September 18th: The last groups finished their presentations.  The groups worked together to answer questions from each section presented.  They were allowed to use the notes they took during the presentations.  Yes, that made this a little more complicated, but we will review it tomorrow as a class.

Tuesday, September 17th: We almost got through all the presentations today.  There was a range in the work presented, but it seems like time management is a common issue across the board.  That is ok.  We have our work cut out, and I am positive the kids will improve with each presentation. There will be a lot of them.

Monday, September 16th:  We started class by discussing Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15th - October 15th) and why it is important for all of us to understand.  We had limited time because of the extra gym class, but we learned about what Hispanics are and are not.  We will continue to explore the topic for the next few weeks.

One group was able to present their topic today.  The kids that went did some things well and some not so well.  That is ok.  I asked the whole class what could be done differently and I think that they got a better idea of what a good presentation should have... we will find out in the future if that is true.​

Friday, September 13th: We were thrown a curveball today but made the most of our time.  The district is trying a new way to test the kids on Accadience.  The kids have done this reading assessment the last couple of years, so it is no big deal for them.  They have one minute to read a passage out loud and then one minute to try and give as many details back to the person who is administering the assessment.  That being said... two of the three classes were pulled from social studies.  It worked out fine.  It gave the kids more time to work on their presentation.  If that was done... they could work on their beginning of the year math assessment.  If that was done... they could read a book.  Monday will be presentation day!

Thursday, September 12th: We started class with an overview of what a good presentation should look like.  I assured the kids I did not expect their work to be perfect.  Creating presentations and delivering them to an audience is not easy, but the more they do this... the better they will get.  To their credit, the kids put in a full day of work, and their slides and note cards look good.  We will have an extra 20-30 minutes tomorrow for any cleanup and practice.  Come back on Friday to find out how the kids performed!

Wednesday, September 11th: We started class with a discussion of 9/11.  9/11 is like Pearl Harbor to us.  We understand the event's importance but are not emotionally attached.  We looked at what was built at the site and why it is 1,776.  We looked at even taller buildings worldwide and what will be the tallest...  Jeddah Tower at 3,281 ft.  This building had construction stop years ago, but is back on track as of May this year.  It is scheduled to be completed in 2028 or 2029.  We set up our notebooks for classwork and reviewed the kid's first project.  Each group was assigned a lesson that they will figure out how to teach to the class.

One World Trade Center, USA

Jeddah Tower, Saudi Arabia

Tuesday, September 10th: The kids use the word history and social studies interchangeably (so do I sometimes) but learned that they are not the same and what social studies is... civics and government, history, economics, geography, and culture and society.  We then had some excellent discussions of why history is essential to study.  There was also an overview of the expectations for the notebooks, and we got to look at many examples.

Monday, September 9th: The kids joined the Social Studies Google Classroom and had their first assignment... a pre-assessment.  I explained about 50 different ways that this was not a test and would not be something that would show up on their report card.  They finally believed, relaxed, and made their way through the assessment. They will see this again at the end of the year, and we will see what they have learned.  We also looked at maps.  Ask your kid when every map they have ever seen stinks.  Hopefully, they will tell you that we are trying to peel a sphere and lay it flat.  I just doesnt work.

We discussed the importance of asking questions and looking for answers on the first day of school.  At this point, your child might have told you that we vear off-topic occasionally.  Most of the detours lead back to the work or expand on it.  Some are just a thought, and we pulled on that string.  I think it is important for kids to look at the world around them and wonder.  Clary Anderson Arena came up yesterday, and I asked the kid to research why it was named that and report back today.  He did!  Clarence "Clary" Anderson was the high school football coach from 40-69 (missed a few years while in the Navy during WWII.  He won 16 championships and left with a 0.878 winning percentage.  Anderson was also the athletic director, baseball coach, and hockey coach. He also started our lacrosse program in 1964, which is why we have the 5th oldest program in NJ.  Other things that came up during the day in the different classes...​

• The Four Corners out west
• Roman numerals which led to breaking down the back of the dollar bill
• The Gross Clinic painting.  Sounds like a joke, but Dr. Gross was the first surgeon to save a compound fractured limb.  Before that... saw it off!
• Band-Aid is a brand and the product is an adhesive bandage
• How women giving birth at a hospital had their lives saved by the simple idea of washing hands
• Frank Sinatra paying almost 100% in taxes in the 1950's
• Marco Polo
• and some more that I don't remember, but these are usually the things that the kids remember

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