Mr. Knight
TEAM CHALLENGER
Hello, my name is William Knight. This is my 11th year here at Sierra Middle School. I spent eighteen years teaching Social Studies and Gifted at Hermosa Middle School in Farmington, New Mexico. I graduated from Durango High School and Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado, and received my Master's Degree from the University of New Mexico. The other members of my family are my wife, Nichole, and my two daughters, Aspen, 19 years old, and Willow, 16 years old.
I am glad to be back in Colorado and as a teacher with the Challenger team and excited for this coming school year. I am a big History Geek. During this coming year, I will introduce my various personalities in studying the American Revolution, the Formation of the US Government, the Western Expansion, and the Civil War. This year we will have a student council class and Ms. Tripp and I will be the student council sponsors. Here is the link to the student representative application form. (When Available)
I've been lucky the last couple of years I was selected as the
Sons of the American Revolution: 2024 National American History Teacher of the YEAR.
Sons of the American Revolution: 2024 Colorado American History Teacher of the YEAR.
Daughters of the American Revolution: 2023 Colorado American History Teacher of the YEAR
What challenges are you going to take on and overcome this year?
Welcome to Mr. Knight’s time machine. We will step back into time and make history come alive.
HISTORY GEEK
Special Projects
Students might be working on a National History Day Project. These students will be working with a theme.
2024-2025 Theme
Debate & Diplomacy in History: Successes, Failures, Consequences
They have to present their project at the school history day competition.
The other special project will be “Keeping the Stories Alive”. Each student will two selected persons from within their family and the community. Then they will be required to interview the two selected individuals to gain first-hand historical information and a deeper, more empathic, understanding of the past. Following their interviews, they will compile their data and create an iMovie (documentary) to share with their class.
8th Grade U.S. History
8th grade history is divided up into six units.
Unit 1 Exploration:
Students will examine the First Americans to the Age of Discovery.
Unit 2 Colonization:
Students are going to analyze the start of the Spanish colonies in North America to the French and Indian War.
Unit 3 Creating a Nation:
Students will recreate the causes of the American Revolution to the signing of the Constitution.
Unit 4 Governing:
Students will interpret the government of the United States.
Unit 5 Expansion:
Students will assess the First President to the war with Mexico.
Unit 6 Conflict and Resolutions:
Students will evaluate the cause and effect of the American Civil War.
It's Lack Of Faith In Themselves That Makes People Afraid Of Meeting Challenges, And I Believed In Myself. - Muhammad Ali
aka Lord Knight
aka Colonial School Teacher
Mr. Knight in 1702
aka Private Knight
Class Setting
During the school year, students will be working on units, projects, and class activities.
I use creative dramatics, role- playing and simulations, to develop the ability to deepen historical knowledge.
Students will be working individually and in groups. They will be involved in debates, and give speeches over subject matter. It will be an active classroom.
Students will meet the many different personalities of Mr. Knight this year in history.
"Our ability to handle life's CHALLENGES is a measure of our strength of character." Lee Brown
The students will develop a portfolio in which they will document their growth throughout the year.
Parents can look up their child’s grades and attendance on infinite campus. If you have any questions about your child or their grade please contact me.
I want to teach my students how to think and how to question, for students of today to become better students of history later in life.
I use all the guidelines of Bloom’s Taxonomy to make sure my students know and understand the historical information. Students use inductive and deductive reasoning to evaluate past and current historical events.
HISTORY GEEK
Why do we Study History?
Is it to win millions on a game show, and give half to your HISTORY TEACHER?
Learn from our past mistakes, so we don’t repeat them?
aka Western Farmer
aka Judge Knight
aka Private Knight
Gettysburg 145th and 146th Reenactments
I had to sleep with the dogs in my Dog Tent.
Valverde and Glorieta Reenactments
Who is going to
Win
Philadelphia and Valley Forge
George Washington's Chair
How I want to sit in that chair
Congress Hall
Where Washington handed over power to Adams
Washington's Headquaters
2nd North Carolina
My gggggggreat Grand Father's Unit
Soldiers Cabins
Roanoke Island
The Lost Colony
oops they don't like Cowboys fans
The Lost Colony of Roanoke
Where did they go????????
Wright Brothers
Kitty Hawk NC
First Flight
Boston MA
Boston Tea Party Ships
Paul Revere's Home
State House Site of the Boston Massacre
Green (Copper) Dragon
Plymouth MA
Plimoth Patuxet
Plimoth Patuxet
Plymouth Rock
May Flower II
Jamestown
On the Discovery, the smallest of the three ships
Jamestown
Getting Ready
Williamsburg
In trouble again
Monumental Ice Cream Cone
Buff with Lincoln
New Air and Space
Sierra's Trip to Washington D.C. April 2022
DC
Gettysburg
This US Flag has 15 strips
Fort McHenery
Fort McHenery
Sierra's Williamsburg, Washington DC, Gettysburg, and Philadelphia
Trip June 2023
Staring the
Finishing the Ghost Tour
The ships at Jamestown
Mount Veron
Washington's home
The painting in the rotunda ceiling
George is watching
US Capitol Building
Wildcats
My two
Great day at the Park
We road 10 roller coasters that day
Skyrush
Favorite coasters
Rocky Rocky
A Philly in Philly
Independence Hall
Sierra's NewYork and Boston
Trip May 2024
NewYork
Hamilton
Statue of Liberty
Ellis Island
Going into the 911 Memorial
Lexington and Concord
Lexington Green
The British stood here
Buckman Tavern
Gathering Place of the
Lexington Militia
April 19,1775
OLD North Bridge
British side
Concord Militia
Boston Harbor and the USS Constitution Museum
USS Constitution
OLD IRONSIDE
BELOW DECKS
Salem (Witch Trails)
Witch Musuem
???
Throwing Tea into the Sea
Boston Tea Party Museum
Colonial Merchant ship
The Eleanor
Throwing
Tea into
the SEA
The more you know about the Past, the better prepared you are for the Future. (Teddy Roosevelt)
8th Wonder of the World
At&t Stadium Home of the Dallas Cowboys
Believe in YOURSELF and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is GREATER than any CHALLENGE.
2021 Tough Mudder Roxborough
Sierra Muddy Eagles 2.1
Aaron P, Leila M, Katie T, Lori P, Adam P, Kaitlyn E, Nicole W, Will K
Tougher Together
The Start
Mud Mile
Kiss of Mud
Electric EEL
SHOCKING
Cage Crawl
DON'T LIMIT YOUR CHALLENGES. CHALLENGE YOUR LIMITS.
2019 Tough Mudder Roxborough
Sierra Muddy Eagles
Lori P, Trevor P, Miriah B, Cory S, Gisela G, Brittani G, Will K, Aaron P
2018 Tough Mudder Snowmass
2016 Tough Mudder Snowmass
KISS OF MUD 2016.mp4Cage Crawl 2016.mp4SHOCKING.mp4A CHALLENGE only becomes an obstacle if you bow down to it.