Monday, Sept. 30

Today in class ... Each class worked in the computer lab on an interactive landform website gathering information, facts and notes on major landforms around the world.

Homework ... If students feel as though they are far behind in the research, they can work at home using the website www.mrnussbaum.com/world/wformint/

Friday, Sept. 27

Today in class ... Each class broke down the various landforms seen and talked about in the Planet Earth video "From Pole to Pole" as we continue our mini-unit on landforms.

Homework ... Bring back the short answer response to the following two questions: 1) Choose 1 landform you find the most interesting and explain why, and 2) Choose 1 landform you would like to see in person the most and explain why.

Thursday, Sept. 26

Today in class ... Hands-on activity incorporating definitions/vocab using landform pictures, terms and definitions.

Homework ... No homework was assigned.

Wednesday, Sept. 25

Today in class ... Each class was given 10-12 minutes to work on the Lanform Terms and Drawing. A 5-minute interactive landform video with questions and discussion, along with continued talk of different types of landforms and where they can be found.

Homework ... The Lanform Terms and Drawing should be completed for Thursday, along with Finding the Landforms Lists (*see below), using pages R-40 and R-41 in the book if needed.

* First, come up with and name as many landforms as you can that you believe can be found in Illinois. Second, pick out six different major landforms found in the United States. List the landform and describe where they are in the U.S.  (Example: Rocky Mountains; found in the western part of the United States in the states of Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana)

Tuesday, Sept. 24

Today in class ... Each class discussed and talked about landforms, including their significance and the many different ones there are locally, regionally and globally.

Homework ... Using pages H-10 and H-11 in the book as a guide, complete the Landform Terms and Drawing (due Thursday).

Monday, Sept. 23

Today in class ... Took Chapter 1 test.

Homework ... No homework was assigned.

Friday, Sept. 20

Today in class ... Each class spent the entire period going over what to study for and reviewing for Monday's test on Chapter 1 (Section 1 and Section 3), pages 4-9 and 16-18.

Homework ... Study for test.

Wednesday, Sept. 18

Today in class ... Reviewed Local, Regional, Global levels. Students provided their samples. Re-introduced and discussed the difference between human and physical geography.

Homework ... Read pages 16-18 in book. Answer questions #1 (a,b) and #2 (a,b,c). Finish the question posed in class: How do you think the study of geography is similar to pieces of a jigsaw puzzl?

Tuesday, Sept. 17

Today in class ... We reviewed and discussed the Local, Regional and Global level of geography. Each class participated in a hand-on activity to help them connect with these three levels in preparation for the work that's to be completed for Wednesday.

Homework ... Complete the Local, Regional, Global Level drawing. Students are to complete a drawing that connects and relates to each level (Local, Regional, Global), avoiding the examples we talked about and discussed in class. What are different things that happen, things that matter at each level?

Monday, Sept. 16

Today in class ... We introduced and discussed the Local, Regional and Global levels of geography. Students then worked to come up with 2-3 examples for each of the three levels in preparation for class activity on Tuesday.

Homework ... No homework was assigned, unless individual students did not complete the in-class activity revolving around Local, Regional and Global topic.

Friday, Sept. 13

Today in class ... Each class went over and discussed jobs and a life in geography lesson and project. Students were given half the class to start working on the written project.

Homework ... Students will need to finish their Geography on the Job writing project. Due Monday.

Thursday, Sept. 12

Today in class ... Through discussion and examples, along with using iPads and the National Geographic website, students continued to work on connecting geography to various professions.

Homework ... Students should have their Jobs and a Life in Geography two samples completed for Friday. If not completed, students can find the link on Henricksen page on the Traughber website.

Tuesday, Sept. 10

Today in class ... Continued ongoing discussion (with short 2 minute videos) on the roles geography plays in various jobs and occupations. Previewed and went over what we will be doing in class the next two days, using a particular web search and site. Did one example together as a class in preparation for tomorrow, connecting/relating job to one of three areas of geography: environmental, physical and economic.

Homework ... No homework was assigned.

Monday, Sept. 9

Today in class ... Each class went over the jobs list students created that relate and deal with geography. We introduced three different types of areas of work in geography: environmental, physical and economic. Then we connected and related various jobs to one of the three.

Homework ... No homework was assigned.

Friday, Sept. 6

Today in class ... We reviewed, in detail, what geography is and all that it includes, including real-life examples in our discussion. We introduced and talked about how geography is used in so many jobs and occupations. Preparing for next week's unit, breakout groups composed a list and connections of jobs and how they relate or connect with geography.

Homework ... There was no homework assigned, though students are free to add to the ideas we started in class today regarding jobs that use geography in some way.

Thursday, Sept. 5

Today in class ... We took the Continents, Oceans and Hemispheres quiz and went over it in class. Students received their U.S. State tests results. We discussed what we will be working on tomorrow in class with a hands-on activity using the iPads: Jobs, Careers and what do people do in Geography?

Homework ... No homework was assigned.

Wednesday, Sept. 4

Today in class ... Continued our intro to geography discussion by going over and discussing the homework, which included introducing local, regional and global levels, geographer's tools, etc. We also used text dependent questions for an in-class reading on "What is Geography" from a short newspaper story.

Homework ... Review for Continents, Oceans and Hemispheres Quiz

Tuesday, Sept. 3

In class today ... We reviewed the continents, oceans and hemispheres briefly in preparation for Thursday's quiz. We introduced geography, including physical and human geography.

Homework ... Review for the Continents, Oceans and Hemispheres quiz on Thursday. ... Read pages 4-9 in the textbook and complete the outline sheet.