1. 7th Grade World History and Geography
  2. Assignments

7th Grade World History and Geography Assignments

Instructor
Mr. Anthony Boenzi
Term
2016-2017 School Year
Department
Social Studies
Description
Students in grade seven study the social, cultural, and technological changes that occurred in Europe, Africa, Meso-America, and Asia in the years A. D. 500-1789. After reviewing the ancient world and the ways in which archaeologists and historians uncover the past, students study the history and geography of great civilizations that were developing concurrently throughout the world during medieval and early modern times. They examine the growing economic interaction among civilizations as well as the exchange of ideas, beliefs, technologies, and commodities. They learn about the resulting growth of Enlightenment philosophy and the new examination of the concepts of reason and authority, the natural rights of human beings and the divine right of kings, experimentalism in science, and the dogma of belief. Finally, students assess the political forces let loose by the Enlightenment, particularly the rise of democratic ideas, and they learn about the continuing influence of these ideas in the world today.

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Past Assignments

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For our last unit we will be learning about the Enlightenment and Revolutions.  Students will be designing a brochure to demonstrate how the ideas of the Enlightenment influenced modern government.

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This week we will be focusing on the impact the Scientific Revolution had on the way people understood the world; with a focus on religious, political, and cultural institutions.

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This week we will be analyzing the Maya, Aztec, and Inca civilizations.  We will start off with Walk-Thrus of each civilization and conclude with a a comparison and contrast activity. The unit will end with a flipbook activity where students will compare the Maya, Aztec, and Inca civilizations. Focus will be on the origins of the civilization, culture, religions, achievements, social structure, daily life, and decline of the civilization.

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Over the course of the next week and a half we will be learning about the Age of Exploration.  Assignments will be a Chapter Walk; also, a DBQ on Magellan answering the question, "Was Magellan worth defending?"

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This week we will be learning about the Reformation.  Assignments will be added as we work on the lessons. Please find attached The Reformation Visual Vocabulary terms, Chapter Walk, and a Brochure assignment on the Reformation.  All assignments use the Holt text and a pdf of the chapter is attached.

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Over the course of the next couple of weeks we will be focusing on the Renaissance.  This post will be updated as we proceed through the topic.  Attached you will find the readings and the terms.
 
On April 11 and 12 we experience drawing using the technique of perspective.  Here is a link to a youtube video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRrKohWdpeQ
 
On the 13th and 14th we will be looking closer at the work of Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci

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This week we will focus on understanding what tool place during the crusades and how the crusades affected the lives of Christians, Muslims, and Jews during the Middle Ages. We will do visual vocabulary, Cornell Notes, an Outline, and Write a 5 paragraph essay on the affects of the crusades on Christians, Muslims, and Jews.

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Extra Credit Opportunity (this is being modified from 100 points to 10%):
 

Medieval Europe Extra Credit Project: ABC Book

 

Purpose: 

You will be creating an alphabet book, which demonstrates your knowledge of the major aspects of Medieval Europe, including social and economic structures, significant historical figures, important historical events, cultural and artistic contributions, religious beliefs and practices, and geography.

 

REQUIREMENTS:

 

  1. Your book must use 23 of the 26 letters of the alphabet.  You may decide which three to leave out, or you may include all 26 for extra credit.

 

  1. Each page of your book must contain a written explanation of an idea, object, person, or place connected to our study of Medieval Europe.  That item must match the letter of the alphabet for that page and an illustration of the item must be included. 

 

  1. All written information must be detailed, complete, and accurate and written in paragraph form.  Each page should demonstrate your understanding of the topic, although no specific length is required.  You may find information in your textbook, from class notes, in a dictionary or encyclopedia, or on the internet.  All information in your project should be in your own words and not directly copied from your source.

 

  1. All writing must be written neatly in ink or typed.  (Any font, font size, and color is acceptable as long as it can be read easily.)

 

  1. All writing must be grammatically correct and FREE of spelling errors.

 

  1. Illustrations may be hand drawn, cut from magazines, or printed from the internet.  The illustration should be directly related to the explanation of the object.

 

  1. EVERYTHING must be neat!

 

  1. All of the pages should be assembled, in alphabetical order, into a book and attached to a cover.  The cover must have a title and illustration, as well as your name, date, and period.  You may bind your book with staples, yarn, or any other method you choose, or you may assemble your pages into a notebook or scrapbook.

 

  1. Your project is worth 100 points.  Each letter is worth 4 points and will be scored based on completeness, neatness, accuracy, and on whether it is grammatically correct.  You will also receive 8 points for the overall appearance, neatness, and creativity of the book itself.

 

  1. All work is due on Friday, March 17, 2017.  NO EXCEPTIONS!  If you plan to be absent, then you must plan to turn it in early.

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This week we will be studying the role of the Roman Catholic Church in Medieval Europe. Students will create visual vocabulary, write Cornell notes, and interact with their notes.  Students will also be completing comprehension questions based on Ch. 3 The Role of the Church in Medieval Europe.We finished this unit off writing an Acrostic Poem on The Role of the Church using the words "The Church" for our starting point for each stanza (assignment is attached).
 
 

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Over the course of the next two weeks we will be studying the growth of Medieval Towns and the decline of the Feudal System. We made a storyboard brochure on the Life in Medieval Towns.

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Over the course of the next two weeks we will be working on a DBQ (document based question) research project.  The focus of this project is comparing and contrasting the feudal cultures of Japan and Europe with a focus on Knights and Samurais.  The essential question; Samurai and knights: were the similarities greater than the differences?
 
Here are a couple of interesting links connected to the topic:
The Met Museum (some great videos connected to armor towards the bottom of the website) KNIGHTS- http://www.metmuseum.org/about-the-met/curatorial-departments/arms-and-armor
 
Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) SAMURAI- http://www.lacma.org/samurai#landing

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Over the course of the next few weeks we will be diving deep into our understanding of the rise and decline of the Feudal System and life in Medieval European towns.  This post will be updated as we work on a variety of assignments ranging from visual vocabulary to storyboarding to poetry to creative writing (historical fiction).  We will also be completing an assignment comparing and contrasting Medieval Japan (Samurais) with Medieval Europe (Knights).

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Over the course of the next few weeks we will be studying medieval Japan.  This study will include the study of the Japanese aristocracy, samurai culture, and influence of neighboring cultures on Japan.  This post will be updated throughout the unit as activities are assigned.  Some activities include writing Tanka poems, a storyboard activity, a journal as a member of the Japanese aristocracy during the Heian period, and a samurai brochure.
 
Heian Household Activity:

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This week we are beginning our unit on Medieval China.  We started the unit with a Chapter Walk.  We are also going to be completing geography activities, political structure activities (aristocracy, meritocracy, and government ran by foreigners), China's economy-A Sensory Moment in Time (Agriculture, Trade/Commerce, and Urbanization), China's contact with the outside world, and a close look at Chinese discoveries and Inventions.  This post will be updated through out the unit.

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Who Should Be the Next President of the United States?

During the course of the next few weeks there will be an enormous amount of coverage in the media as to who will be the next president of the United States of America.  I am asking you to do the research and discover on your own who you think will be the best candidate not only for you but also for the rest of the residence that live within our country’s borders.  You will need to listen/watch the news either through radio, television, or internet; you will need to look through newspapers and read the articles that will show up in periodicals, you will visit the websites for the candidates and discover what they say is their stance on various issues and topics. 

 

Your task for this assignment is to do the research and then write a 5-7 paragraphed paper explaining who you believe is the best candidate for the job of President of the United States of America.  Imagine that you were in a position to hire a person for the president and you have narrowed it down to two people; Hillary Clinton and Donald J. Trump.  It is important to be aware that there are alternative candidates for this position but the likelihood of them getting the position is not high (Why?).

 

Below are some topics/resources you should be aware throughout your research for your paper:

Political advertisements and the fallacies they may contain
Political Cartoons
Debates, topics, issues and the candidates goals in relation to:
Education
Immigration
Healthcare
Job Creation
Terrorism
Military
Other (crime, budget, Women’s Issues, Equal Rights, Guns, Foreign Policy, etc…)
Plans for the future of the United States
 
Newspaper articles and magazines (periodicals)
Online resources (News sites and candidates websites)
Does campaign spending play a role in who wins? Research how much each candidate has spent on their campaign.
  • Debate Dates: September 26, October 4, October 9, October 19. If you are not able to listen to them live; you can find the debates online and listen to them at a later date.

 

Remember your opinions matter and have the power to create change if they are supported well with reasonable evidence.  I will be looking for details to support your arguments.  This paper is worth 50 points and will be categorized as a Test Grade.  We will take a poll in class on the day the paper is due and discuss the topics and the candidates.  You will all be encouraged to pay attention to the progress of the elections and issues of concern.

YOUR PAPER WILL BE DUE ON ELECTION DAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2016!

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Cornell Notes on West African Civilizations and History, an Acrostic Poem on "Ghana's Wealth", a brochure on the "Empire of Mali" (Use Ch. 6 Section 2), and an Essay. Remember to complete interactions with your notes.

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This week we began our readings tied to Early West African Societies.  We completed Visual Vocabulary on the following terms:  Rift, Sub-Saharan Africa, Sahel, Savannah, Rain Forests, Extended Family, and Animism.  We also responded to the questions at the end of each section.  Students will also be utilizing the chapter to develop an imaginary character (Berber caravan leader, a merchant/trader, or a person from the Nok culture) and writing a 5-7 sentence journal entry describing details on geography and life in Early West Africa. Then add details on what the character sees, feels, hears, touches, smells, and/or does in a typical day.

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Today students are beginning our unit on Medieval West Africa.  The unit starts off with a chapter walk activity allowing students to be exposed and become familiar with some of the topics we will be working with over the course of the next few weeks.

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Students should use the Eight Point Star attached to this post for this assignment.  With this worksheet the students are to fill in each section of the eight point star with a Muslim cultural achievement during the middle ages.  They should include notes on the following topics: astronomy, geography, math, medicine, philosophy, literature, architecture, and art. Student also need to add color and an illustration for each section.  So to reiterate…Each section of the eight point star should be labeled with a cultural achievement, have notes on the cultural achievement, include an illustration, and be colored. I know there isn’t much space so students can label the point outside of each wedge and can add the illustration outside of the wedge.  Neatness and creativity are encouraged.  Use pages 94-98 of the Holt Text or Chapter 9 of the History Alive text.

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Writing assignment on the Origins of Islam.  Choose ONE word from each group that you believe is most important to the telling of the story about the origins of the religion of Islam.  Here are the groups of words; choose ONE from each group.
Group 1:  Birth, Orphan , Trader, Marriage
Group 2: Cave, Gabriel, Allah, Qur'an
Group 3:  Reject, Followers, Boycott, Night Journey
Group 4:  Madinah, People of the Book, Battles, Last Sermon
After selecting one word from each group you are to write a small paragraph explaining the word's importance to the telling of the story of the origins of Islam. So,  you should choose 4 words and write 4 paragraphs. Use Ch. 8 of your text to assist you.

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The first part of this week we studied the origin and spread of Islam.  We watched the History Channel's Biography of Muhammad and used Holt text pgs 59-64 and Ch. 8 of History Alive text (Ch. 7 of newer text is attached) to learn about Muhammad's life.  We then wrote an illuminated poem.  Students could write a Narrative poem, and I Am poem, or an Acrostic poem. Examples are attached. 

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Oral History Interview Assignment connected to September 11, 2001

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Students will be creating a travel brochure about "Geography and Life in the Arabian Peninsula".  We will be utilizing the Holt text in class; a pdf version of the chapter is attached. For the brochure we will only be using Section 1 of the chapter.  Students must include a map, key terms, a summary of each section, and create a question for each section.  An outline is attached.

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Visual Vocabulary, Cornell Notes on the Byzantine Empire (Ch. 6), Interactions with Cornell Notes, Questions for The Byzantine Empire, and Constantinople Advertisement Assignment

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Today in class we recreated the map on page 4 of the History Alive textbook.  Students were given a blank outline map in which to transfer information.  A copy of page 4 is attached.

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Geography Activity to get students to review previously learned geography skills.

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Students will take Interactive Cornell Notes and complete the Visual Vocabulary for Ch.1 The Legacy of the Roman Empire. Students will also need to create a graphic organizer entitled "Rome to Home" where students will recognize how ancient Roman achievements continue to impact modern society.