8th Grade Survey

Please click here to take the survey. Sign in with your gmail account from school.

7th grade survey

7th Grade Survey--please sign in with your gmail account

6th Grade Survey

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1TBXP7mpPIf0epNmZDv7HA7RcHA0GuNWFhp4tuYUnEnI/viewform?usp=send_form

Trying to Find a Topic? Try here

http://zinnedproject.org/teaching-materials/#filter_themes_top
This helps you narrow your topics by time period or theme

http://sundown.afro.illinois.edu/content.php?file=liesmyteachertoldme-toc.html
A book that details the topics in American History that were least accurate in 12 US History textbooks.  The table of contents (here) is a great place to start brainstorming.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/five-myths-about-why-the-south-seceded/2011/01/03/ABHr6jD_story.html
Five myths about why the south seceded from the north, for those of you interested in the Civil War and Abraham Lincoln.  Short and sweet.


Ideas:
* Memorial Day--how did it REALLY start?  Do we honor those who died in war the way we should?
* Christopher Columbus--does he deserve a day?  Do the Native Americans?
* Abraham Lincoln--does he get too much or too little credit?
* The Civil War--why was it fought?  Who was heroic or deserving of a memorial?

Memorial Day Monument Resources

http://www.americaslibrary.gov/jb/recon/jb_recon_memorial_1.html

* Quick site for background.  Good place to look first.

http://zinnedproject.org/materials/whom-will-we-honor-memorial-day/

* Howard Zinn's opinion piece on Memorial Day--famous for being anti-war and honoring of the dead by preventing future violence 

http://zinnedproject.org/materials/the-first-decoration-day/

* A people's history of Memorial Day--less traditional than most Memorial Day remembrance essays

http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson119.shtml

* Memorial Day Internet Scavenger Hunt, plus other resources

http://www.timeforkids.com/news/meaning-memorial-day/40391

* Short background on Memorial Day

http://www.usa.gov/Topics/Memorial-Day.shtml

*Includes several pieces of background from Veterans and Veterans Affairs

http://www.timeforkids.com/news/meaning-memorial-day/40391

* Short background on Memorial Day

http://www.clintonherald.com/opinion/x2117418864/Remembering-why-we-celebrate-Memorial-Day?zc_p=1#sthash.kpeOLpW7.dpuf

* History of why poppies are handed out for Memorial Day

http://www.chicagonow.com/interesting-chicago/2014/05/memorial-day-is-the-day-of-the-dead/

* Opinion piece on the meaning of Memorial Day and how it should be celebrated

http://life.time.com/history/faces-of-the-american-dead-in-vietnam-life-magazine-june-1969/?iid=lf#40

* Details on LIFE magazine's way of honoring the dead during the Vietnam War--seen as patriotic by some and the opposite by others.  Good primary source.

Hero? Monument Project Topic--Haymarket Square Riots

History.com--> Short article--use this to decide if this is the topic for you

DRAMA--a walkthrough of historical documents with great background information

Chicago History Primary Source Archive--> Great place to see primary documents for yourself!

Encyclopedia Britannica

Chicago History--> This gives a good explanation on the trial's effect on the labor movement and a little history of the monuments erected because of the riot

Illinois Labor History--> This includes an interactive map and teaching guide if you're struggling for the "big idea"

Langston Hughes Poetry

One of Ms. Kruger's favorite poets is Langston Hughes.  You may want to try one of his poems!

This link has some audio clips of Hughes reading some of his poems

See the box on the right for poem texts--these are some of his most popular poems

Shakespeare's Sonnets

Most Famous Shakespeare Sonnets--this one helps "translate" them to modern English in case you want to try a sonnet but are worried you won't "get it."

Shakespeare's Sonnets--check out the "favorites" on the righthand side

Poetry Sites to Check Out

Here are a few sites to get your poetry search underway!  Please post a comment if you find another source that should be shared!

Poetry 180 for Middle School (a project that lists a poem a day for middle school students)

BEAUTIFUL examples of found poetry you can write with a photocopied page from a book

Poetry in Color (this is a teacher's guide for middle school students, but there are some good poems about topics you might like such as sports)

Poets.org Great Poems to Teach

Poetry 180 (high school edition)

Random site, good resources

The Poetry Foundation (a good place to go if you have an author you like or a topic to look up)

Literary Devices Practice

Test Your Knowledge:
simile/metaphor/hyperbole/onomatopoeia
Guess the type of irony (focus on EXAMPLES and less on which type for our class)
Irony flashcards and practice
simile/metaphor battleship
simile/metaphor catapult