Prehistory - in an all new way!

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PREHISTORY UNIT TEST - TUES. 9/30

- Highlight items on Criteria List that you need to review. Find the info in your book, notes, and worksheets. (Found on Prehistory Resources for 9/16/14.) 

- Use the List of Study Materials to be sure you use all of your resources. (Found on Prehistory Resources for 9/16/14.) 

- Use the Time Chart (Found on Prehistory Resources for 9/22/14 - completed with teacher's notes 9/23/14.)

- Use 5 Characteristics of a Civilization chart (Found on Prehistory Resources for 9/23/14.)

- Come to tutorial for extra review or with anything you don't feel confident that you know well.

Check this out!

Click here to interact with World Archaeology Maps & Timeline

Get a great visual as you skim along the timeline and review which groups lived in which time period.  Then check out the map by clicking on a region to see what's found there.

Movie Suggestion: A unique visit to the Chauvet cave we have been studying!

Movie Suggestion: A unique visit to the Chauvet cave we have been studying!

Official Movie Trailer

WHAT DID I LEARN ABOUT LEARNING?

     

After a Scavenger Hunt activity on the first day of school, the 8th graders each wrote a summary paragraph about what they learned from this experience.  Here are some quotes from their writings.

"Live as if you were to die tomorrow.  Learn as if you were to live forever."  ~Mahatma Gandhi (from Vasuma)

1) I am responsible for my own learning.  My learning is not dependent on the teacher.  My parents can make me go to school and do my homework, but only I can make learning happen.

"The extent of your education is based on your personal level of perseverance, engagement, and willingness to be curious and ask questions." (from Mackenzie)
"... take the initiative and use our own strengths to learn on our own... Be involved, be curious, and be interested to learn more, if you are not interested then you will not pay attention, and if you are not paying attention then you will not understand." (from Sydney O.)

2) Everyone has some strengths and some weaknesses.  We all must learn to use our strengths and to compensate for our weaknesses. Things that are hard for me are not STOP signs, just CURVE IN THE ROAD signs. They won't keep me from my dreams.

"We are not all the same - otherwise the world would be boring.  We all learn at different rates and in different ways and everyone needs to respect each other." (from Michael)
"Everyone has the ability to unlock the brilliance that lies inside themselves when they use their learning styles to their advantage." (from Rose)

3) Curiosity is the key to education. I'll allow myself to be curious and enthusiastic about finding out new things and developing new skills.

"Every day you learn something new and you remember it because it sounds interesting and different.  Everything is really connected into a circuitous circle.  By being curious you learn and get a good education." (from Amanda)
"The way to learn something, and retain it, not just have it fly over your head, is to make it interesting to you..." (from Brianna)
"... to learn more I have to ask questions and dig deeper.  I can't be afraid to ask a question." (from Gabe)

4) Failure is not a bad thing.  The things I learn from my mistakes stick with me longest.  I have to get really good at failing, because there will be many opportunities for me to fail in life.  It's what I do after I fail that shows what kind of person I am.

"Failure is not a good thing, it is a great thing.  Learning from your failures is a better way of learning for me. Once I make that mistake, I keep that in my mind." (from Max)
"I know most people do not want to fail, but have you ever stopped to think that failure at something, sometime, is inevitable.  One day you are going to fail and hopefully you will be prepared." (from Joey)

5) There is no endpoint to learning – I will never “finish” learning, and there are some tasks which are not meant to be completed. That doesn't mean we didn't learn from those experiences.

"...there is no possible way for one person to know everything because learning is never-ending. There are always new discoveries..." (from Hannah)

6) Collaboration means everyone learns more.

"I didn't know what very many of the things (in the scavenger hunt) were, but as a class, we knew almost all of them!" (from Claire)
"... everyone learns more working with other people, and it helps the people you are working with learn more so that everyone can become AWESOME!" (from Caleb)
"I think it is good to share what we learn with the world because then they can learn what we have found out.  ...what if the guy who found the Chinese terracotta warriors didn't tell anyone, or Galileo didn't say that the earth was round."  (from Joe)

7) There are things we – must do and things we want to do – and we can balance and accomplish both

"What you learn depends on what work you put into it."  (from Julia)
"I learned that there are skills out there for us to master, and a huge world for us to be curious about, and we can all do these things in our own unique ways of learning." (from Zoe)