WEEK OF MARCH 30TH-APRIL 3RD
This week is all about putting together our Civil War Museum Projects Together!!! It has been great seeing the students initial designs come to completion as the models, events, foods, and people they are researching are getting ready to be displayed next week! Focus for this week is now having groups come together to create and organize their museum display with trifolds and any other materials they need. We will also continue to look at Lincoln's strategy at the start of the war and the importance of the Union Slave States in keeping the Union together.
MONDAY
-Final pieces for museum project, completed by Monday 4/6
TUESDAY
-Final pieces for museum project, completed by Monday 4/6
WEDNESDAY
-Final pieces for museum project, completed by Monday 4/6
THURSDAY
-Final pieces for museum project, completed by Monday 4/6
FRIDAY
-Final pieces for museum project, completed by Monday 4/6
WEEK OF MARCH 23RD-27TH
Students are continuing to work on their Civil war Project and it is great to see many of the ideas they have developed are turning into physcial products. Are goal is to work towards the 80% completion of one item as groups start to plan as a group how their display will look. This week we will also look at Lincoln's initial strategy at the start of the war. With the Union Slave States playing a key role, Lincoln need to focus on keeping them in the country while finding a way to unify the fracture country.
MONDAY
-80% of either item or writing completed by Monday, 3/30
TUESDAY
-80% of either item or writing completed by Monday, 3/30
WEDNESDAY
-80% of either item or writing completed by Monday, 3/30
THURSDAY
-80% of either item or writing completed by Monday, 3/30
FRIDAY
-80% of either item or writing completed by Monday, 3/30
WEEK OF MARCH 16TH-20TH
This week students will continue to work on their Civil War museum projects, focusing on their research and designing their museum display. For all students, one of the key ideas to keep in mind in their research is how the event, person, battle, or item still matters today. We will also look at the various compromises made prior to the war in attempts to address the issue of slavery and why those compromises ultimately failed. We will end the week looking at Lincoln's initial focus during the war in keeping the Union together.
MONDAY
-Decide on topic for Civil War Museum project by Monday 3/16
TUESDAY
-80% of either item or writing completed by Monday, 3/30
WEDNESDAY
-80% of either item or writing completed by Monday, 3/30
THURSDAY
-80% of either item or writing completed by Monday, 3/30
FRIDAY
-80% of either item or writing completed by Monday, 3/30
WEEK OF MARCH 9TH-13TH
Welcome back from Yosemite! After spending a week in Yosemite, we are ready to get started on our look at the Civil War, the events leading to the war, and what ideas, inventions, and stories came from it. Students will first look at the events leading to the war such as the various compromises to address the issue of slavery as the country continued to expand. By the end of the week students will start working on on our Civil War Museum project where students will create museum display highlighting various topics connected to the war such as people, inventions, and events.
MONDAY
-Civil War movie notes due Tuesday 3/10
-Lesson 21 Notes due Friday 3/13
TUESDAY
-Lesson 21 Notes due Friday 3/13
-Decide on topic for Civil War Museum project by Monday 3/16
WEDNESDAY
-Decide on topic for Civil War Museum project by Monday 3/16
THURSDAY
-Decide on topic for Civil War Museum project by Monday 3/16
FRIDAY
-Decide on topic for Civil War Museum project by Monday 3/16
WEEK OF FEBRUARY 23RD-27TH
Welcome back from break! This week, students will have a chance to listen and learn from each other's Podcasts. So many different stories make up Westward Expansion and our podcasts highlight the triumps, challenges, and tragidies that came. with this time period. As the country and people moved westward, the Norths and Souths began to develop differently and those developments are what ultimatley lead to the issue of slavery being the cause of the Civil War. During this week students will continue to see how the North and South developed in the lead up to our Civil War discussion after Yosemite Week.
MONDAY
-Lesson 19 Notes, due Wednesday 2/25
-Lesson 19 Response, handwritten response due Wedensday 2/25
TUESDAY
-Lesson 19 Notes, due Wednesday 2/25
-Lesson 19 Response, handwritten response due Wedensday 2/25
-"A Growing Nation Podcast Notes and Response, due Friday 2/27
WEDNESDAY
-"A Growing Nation Podcast Notes and Response, due Friday 2/27
THURSDAY
-"A Growing Nation Podcast Notes and Response, due Friday 2/27
FRIDAY
-None!
WEEK OF FEBRUARY 9TH-13TH
Apologies for no update for the past 2 wees but we have been so engrossed in researching, writing, and crafting our "A Growing Nation" Postcasts!!! This week all that work comes together as students create their final recordings in preparation of releasing to their classamtes the week we get back from break. Midway through the week, students will start their look at the "Worlds of North and South" as we start moving towards our Civil War Unit. Students will see how the political, economic, and social developments in the North and South contributed to the central cause of the Civil War, the issue of slavery.
MONDAY
-"A Growing Nation Podcast" due Wednesday 2/11 ideally by 11:59pm.
TUESDAY
-"A Growing Nation Podcast" due Wednesday 2/11 ideally by 11:59pm.
WEDNESDAY
-"A Growing Nation Podcast" due Wednesday 2/11 ideally by 11:59pm.
THURSDAY
-Lesson 19 Notes due Friday 2/13
FRIDAY
-Eat, sleep, play, and stay frosty (in no particular order), due Monday 2/23
WEEK OF JANUARY 19TH-23RD
We'll start of the week by listening to Dr. King's "I Have A Dream Speech" to understand why we honor Dr. King this week and how his message still resonate today. After listening to the speech, students will complete a short response focusing on what part of Dr. King's speech still is significant today and connects to what we have studied so far. For the rest of the week, students will continue their research on their podcast projects, focusing on buidling background knowledge on the topic they selected and starting to plan out their overall tone, flow, and organization of their podcast.
TUESDAY
-80% of Script and Research completed by Monday 2/2
WEDNESDAY
-80% of Script and Research completed by Monday 2/2
THURSDAY
-80% of Script and Research completed by Monday 2/2
FRIDAY
-80% of Script and Research completed by Monday 2/2
WEEK OF JANUARY 12th-16TH
This week we will start our first project of 2nd Semester, Our "A Growing Nation Podcast." Students will focus on an individual or group who journeyed West during the rapid expansion of the United States in the 1800s. The goal is to tell that group's story and how they were influenced, both positively and negatively, by US growth westward.
MONDAY
-Prep for "Why should democracy be expanded" writing task on Tuesday, 1/13.
-Finish Lesson 15 Notes, due Tuesday 1/20
TUESDAY
-Finish Lesson 15 Notes, due Tuesday 1/20
WEDNESDAY
-Finish Lesson 15 Notes, due Tuesday 1/20
-Select topic for "A Growing Nation Podcast" due Tuesday 1/20
THURSDAY
-Finish Lesson 15 Notes, due Tuesday 1/20
-Select topic for "A Growing Nation Podcast" due Tuesday 1/20
FRIDAY
-Finish Lesson 15 Notes, due Tuesday 1/20
-Select topic for "A Growing Nation Podcast" due Tuesday 1/20
-80% of Script and Research completed by Monday 2/2
WEEK OF JANUARY 5th-9th
Welcome to 2026 and Mr. Noguera is excited for what the rest of the school year has to offer for our 8th Graders. This week we will jump forward to Andrew Jackson's presidency, focusing on Jacksonian Democracy. Jackson's goal was to open up democracy to the common man and our analysis will focus on which new groups becmoe more politically involved and who was left out. By the end of the discussion, students will answer the question of why a democracy is important and did Jackson achieve his goals.
MONDAY
-Lesson 14 notes, due Friday 1/9
TUESDAY
-Lesson 14 notes, due Friday 1/9
WEDNESDAY
-Lesson 14 notes, due Friday 1/9
THURSDAY
-Lesson 14 notes, due Friday 1/9
FRIDAY
-Prep for Jackson DBQ individual response on Tuesday 1/13
WEEK OF DECEMBER 15TH-19TH
To wrap up the final school week of 2025, students will be finishing up their Bill of Rights Posters. At the end of the week, students will be using their posters for a whole class review focusing on the importance of the Bill of Rights today. We will also be looking at excerpts from Washington's Farewell Address and the advice and warnings he gives to the nationa as voluntarially steps down after 2 terms.
MONDAY
-Bill of Rights Poster, final due Wednesday 12/17
-All late work due by Friday, January 9th @ 3:10pm
TUESDAY
-Bill of Rights Poster, final due Wednesday 12/17
-All late work due by Friday, January 9th @ 3:10pm
WEDNESDAY
-All late work due by Friday, January 9th @ 3:10pm
THURSDAY
-All late work due by Friday, January 9th @ 3:10pm
FRIDAY
-Bill of Rights Poster, final due Wednesday 12/17
-Eat, sleep, play, and stay frosty (in no particular order) and see you all in January 2026!
WEEK OF DECEMBER 9TH-12TH
This week we will continue our look at the 4th Amendment by looking at the case TLO vs New Jersey what grounds school can search a student's belonging without a warrant. Just like with our 1st Amendment discussion, students will be discussing the role of the school when it comes to searching and ensuring school safety while also determining how much privacy do students have at school. Students will also be continuing to work on their posters of their selected amendment.
MONDAY
-Bill of Rights Poster, final due Wednesday 12/17
TUESDAY
-Bill of Rights Poster, final due Wednesday 12/17
WEDNESDAY
-Bill of Rights Poster, final due Wednesday 12/17
THURSDAY
-Bill of Rights Poster, final due Wednesday 12/17
FRIDAY
-Bill of Rights Poster, final due Wednesday 12/17
WEEK OF DECEMBER 1ST-5TH
Welcome to December! We will start wrapping up our look at the Bill of Rights and our government by starting our poster project on the Bill of Rights. Using comics and well-known or made-up characters and a current event, studentes will explain to the audience why the rigth or amenmdent still matters today. We'll also continue our look at the Bill of Rights by discussing how the 4th Amendment applies to us today both in and outside of school.
MONDAY
-Decide on partner and amendment for project, due Wednesday 12/3
-Bill of Rights Poster, final due Wednesday 12/17
TUESDAY
-Decide on partner and amendment for project, due Wednesday 12/3
-Bill of Rights Poster, final due Wednesday 12/17
WEDNESDAY
-Draft of Bill of Rights Poster, due Friday 12/5
-Bill of Rights Poster, final due Wednesday 12/17
THURSDAY
-Draft of Bill of Rights Poster, due Friday 12/5
-Bill of Rights Poster, final due Wednesday 12/17
FRIDAY
-Draft of Bill of Rights Poster, due Friday 12/5
-Bill of Rights Poster, final due Wednesday 12/17
WEEK OF NOVEMBER 17TH-21ST
This week we will have our 3 fishbowl discussion, all focusing on what freedom of speech means and whether not speech should be restricted in public, school, and on social media. The goal is for students to how significant freedom of speech is today while the complicated issues when it comes to restriction/censorhip. By the end of the week, students will not only discuss but write down their "final response" to our 3 fishbowl discussions.
MONDAY
-Prepare for Fishbowl Discussion on Tuesday 11/18, Wednesday 11/19, or Thursday 11/20
TUESDAY
-Finish "final response" to topic 1, due Friday 11/21
WEDNESDAY
-Finish "final response" to topic 2, due Friday 11/21
THURSDAY
-Finish "final response" to topic 3, due Friday 11/21
FRIDAY
-Eat, sleep, play, and stay frost (in no particular order). Due Monday 12/1
WEEK OF NOVEMBER 10TH-14TH
This week we will take a look at how the 1st Amendment and Freedom of Speech affects our daily lives in and outside of the classroom. Students will be first looking at what does Freedom of Speech mean and what are the limits in place when comes to what can be said. Then students will be discussing Tinker V Des Moines and how the Supreme Court has protected speech for students on school grounds. All of this will lead to our Fishbowl Discussion next week where students will discuss if speech should be limited in the US.
MONDAY
-Tinker V Des Moines 2 Responses, due Wednesday 11/12
TUESDAY
-Tinker V Des Moines 2 Responses, due Wednesday 11/12
WEDNESDAY
-None!
THURSDAY
-Prepare for Fishbowl Discussion on Tuesday 11/18, Wednesday 11/19, or Thursday 11/20
FRIDAY
-Prepare for Fishbowl Discussion on Tuesday 11/18, Wednesday 11/19, or Thursday 11/20
WEEK OF NOVEMBER 3RD-7TH
Welcome to November! This week we will continue our look at how our government is organized by discussing the Presidency, one of the most powerful offices in the world. We will first discuss the requirements to become president and then dive into the Electoral College and the unique system we use to elect the president. At the end of the week, we will take a look back at the Federalist and Anti-Federalist Debate as we start our students into the Bill of Rights.
MONDAY
-Lesson 10 Notes, due Friday 11/7
TUESDAY
-Lesson 10 Notes, due Friday 11/7
WEDNESDAY
-Lesson 10 Notes, due Friday 11/7
THURSDAY
-Lesson 10 Notes, due Friday 11/7
FRIDAY
-Lesson 10 Notes, due Friday 11/7
WEEK OF OCTOBER 27TH-31ST
This week we will start discussing our system of government by first discussing the overall structure of the Constitution and the significance of it as one of our key institutions. We'll then talk about the market economy and some of the major ideas that run our economy. At the end of the week, we will look in the debate between Federalist and Anti-Federalist and how that lead into the addition of the Bill of Rights. Each of these lessons and future ones highlight the uniqueness of our government and how it impacts our day to day.
MONDAY
-Lesson 9 Notes due Wednesday 10/29
TUESDAY
-Lesson 9 Notes due Wednesday 10/29
WEDNESDAY
-None!
THURSDAY
-None!
FRIDAY
-None!
WEEK OF OCTOBER 20TH-24TH
This week we will start our look out how our current Federal Government is set up and the powers each of the branches have. We will first look at the Preamble of the US Constitution which states the goals and obejectives of our government. Students will look for how do ides such as "provide for the common" defense look in today's US through examples and news articles.
MONDAY
-NONE!
TUESDAY
-Lesson 9 Notes due Wednesday 10/29
WEDNESDAY
-Lesson 9 Notes due Wednesday 10/29
THURSDAY
-Lesson 9 Notes due Wednesday 10/29
FRIDAY
-Lesson 9 Notes due Wednesday 10/29
WEEK OF OCTOBER 13TH-17TH
We'll start off the week by looking at why the issue of slavery was left out of the final version of the Declaration of Independence. Though Jefferson wanted to add a section blaming King George for bringing slavery to the colonies, the line was eventually removed highlighting the complexities and controvsey of the issue in American Politics. Then we'll complete a writing task in class that asks the students to state why the Declaration and its ideas still matter today. Whether it is making a connection to modern events or explaining one of the ideas in their own words, students will see how this document continues to shape our beliefs of our government and country today.
MONDAY
-Lesson 7 notes, due Friday 10/17
TUESDAY
-Lesson 7 notes, due Friday 10/17
WEDNESDAY
-Lesson 7 notes, due Friday 10/17
-Prep for writing task on Thursday 10/16
THURSDAY
-Lesson 7 notes, due Friday 10/17
FRIDAY
-None!
WEEK OF OCTOBER 6TH-10TH
We'll start the week looking at why many colonists decided to stay loyal to Great Britain at the start of the Revolution. With Great Britain having one of the largest militaries at the time and with colonists losing access to global markets, many feared going to war with Great Britain would only end in tragedy for the colonists. Then we will deep dive into the Declaration of Independence to understand why this document forms the core of who we are as a nation. We will be taking a look at the idea of natural rights and why the founders wanted to make protecting those rights the focus of our new government.
MONDAY
-None!
TUESDAY
-Lesson 6 Notes, due Friday 10/10
WEDNESDAY
-Lesson 6 Notes, due Friday 10/10
THURSDAY
-Lesson 6 Notes, due Friday 10/10
FRIDAY
-Select and brainstorm ideas for one question connected to our Declaration of Independence prompt, due Monday 10/13.
WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 22ND-26TH
This week we will start our first project of the year, our Revolutionary War Propaganda Posters. Taking on the perspective of a Patriot and using information from class, students will be creating a propaganda poster to encourage people in the colonists to join the Revolution. Using our notes, students will integrate imagery, color, and phrasing to create posters for the colonies. This week we will also be starting our first set of Current Events as students will present an event of their choice connected to events happening in the US.
TUESDAY
-Propaganda Poster, final due Monday 10/6. Draft and idea due Friday 9/26
WEDNESDAY
-Propaganda Poster, final due Monday 10/6. Draft and idea due Friday 9/26
THURSDAY
-Propaganda Poster, final due Monday 10/6. Draft and idea due Friday 9/26
FRIDAY
-Propaganda Poster, final due Monday 10/6. Draft and idea due Friday 9/26
WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 15TH-19th
This week students will be diving into the causes of the Revolutionary War. Students will see through multiple events such as the French and Indian War, various taxes by the British, and the Boston Massacre, lead to a turning point in 1776 where Colonists saw it necessary to break away and form their own nation. These events will lead us to our first project of the year which will focus on the role of propaganda in influence public opion in the colonies.
MONDAY
-Lesson 5 notes, due beginning of the period on Thursday 9/18
TUESDAY
-Lesson 5 notes, due beginning of the period on Thursday 9/18
WEDNESDAY
-Lesson 5 notes, due beginning of the period on Thursday 9/18
THURSDAY
-Select possible event or idea to focus on for propaganda poster, due Tuesday 9/23
FRIDAY
-Select possible event or idea to focus on for propaganda poster, due Tuesday 9/23
WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 8TH-12th
Students will be starting off the week reading and comparing 3 documents focusing on George Whitefield, one of the major figures during the Great Awakening in the English Colonies. Students will determine what made Whitefield such a popular figure during the time period and how his ideas helped contribute to the growing individualism leading up to the Revolutionary War. In preparation of our first round of Current Events Presentations, students will be looking at ways to determine if images or real or AI generated. With imagery having a significant effect on the way people view and understand events, ensuring that images are real and portray what is actually happening is a key when students are designing their presentations.
MONDAY
-Prepare for Current Events, practice. Presentations will be on Friday 9/12.
-Finish Great Awakening Reading and Questions, due Tuesday 9/9
TUESDAY
-Prepare for Current Events, practice. Presentations will be on Friday 9/12.
WEDNESDAY
-Prepare for Current Events, practice. Presentations will be on Friday 9/12.
THURSDAY
-Prepare for Current Events, practice. Presentations will be on Friday 9/12.
FRIDAY
-None!
WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 1ST-5TH
Welcome to September! This week is all about our Current Events Presentation and focusing what does a great presentation look like. We will first discuss the importance of corroboration when it comes to research and using multiple sources to help support an idea, claim, or an event. From there we will discuss what are the components of our Current Event Presentations and planning it out for 1st Semester.
TUESDAY
-Finish Lesson 3 Notes, due Thursday 9/4
WEDNESDAY
-Finish Lesson 3 Notes, due Thursday 9/4
THURSDAY
-None!
FRIDAY
-Prepare for Current Events, practice. Presentations will be on Friday 9/12.
WEEK OF AUGUST 25TH-29TH
This week we will continue our discussion on evidence when it comes to deciphering the reliability of "breaking news" and how analyze images for AI. With rapid changes in technology and how we access news, a strong foundation in media literacy is key to making sure we are able to see what is real vs generated in order to make definitive claims in our research. We will also be looking at the time periods we will be studying this year by focusing on the geography of the US and expansion.
MONDAY
-None!
TUESDAY
-Complete Maps of the US (both) and Review Question on Google Forms, due Friday 8/29 at the start of class.
WEDNESDAY
-Complete Maps of the US (both) and Review Question on Google Forms, due Friday 8/29 at the start of class.
THURSDAY
-Complete Maps of the US (both) and Review Question on Google Forms, due Friday 8/29 at the start of class.
FRIDAY
-None!
WEEK OF AUGUST 18TH TO 22ND
Welcome to the 1st full week of the school year! I'm excited to be working with all our students this year as we study the birth of our nation through the Reconstruction. This week will be about how we will be studying history this year and the challenges historians face when it comes to writing the historical narrative. We will discuss what the resources historians rely on the build the historical narrative and why we face challenges in decoding what happened in the past.
MONDAY
Six Word Memoir, due Wednesday, 8/20
TUESDAY
KMS Trading Card, due Friday 8/22
Six Word Memoir, due Wednesday, 8/20
WEDNESDAY
KMS Trading Card, due Friday 8/22
THURSDAY
KMS Trading Card, due Friday 8/22
FRIDAY
-None!