APGEO: Extra credit opportunities to improve quiz grades

AP Geo students,




Quick note: Don't forget to include basic definitions for at least 75% of the vocab list at the end of the reading packet in your reading notes.  Also, don't forget to study for the Mother of All Map Quizzes!

-On the Econ. Geo. Vocab Quiz: Because of the six-point curve, I've decided to place some small limits on the percent you can earn back through corrections - I don't think it's fair to let people go from 75% or 80% to 100%; this is the trade-off for having such a large curve.


APGEO Extra credit opportunities - to raise quiz/test/FRQ scores only:

-If you did not receive 100% on either of your FRQs: If you redo both and both are flawless (as they should be with open notes and the rubric right in front of you), you can get 6/6 (100%) for the first FRQ grade.  Before doing this, read about the model tested (Rostow or Weber) in at least one place (reading notes / test prep guide).  In your rewrite, try to follow the rubric's requirements as closely as possible.

-If you redo only one FRQ for corrections credit, you can earn up to half the points you missed.

-If you did receive 100% on either FRQ, you can redo the other FRQ for up to 3 extra credit quiz points.

-If you are interested in taking another practice FRQ (in addition to the many we will do in class), you can stop by after school Thursday or next week Tues/Weds/Thurs to take one for up to 3 extra credit quiz points.
 
See you tomorrow,
Mr. M

ALL: Deadlines and reminders - IMPORTANT

The third nine weeks is almost over - time to focus and buckle down...:

Honors World History:

Weds, 3/16: Reading notes due (Scientific Revolution + Age of Absolutism)
Weds, 3/16: Influential people project: Questions about your time period (part II) due; checked in class
Fri, 3/18: Influential people project: Questions about your person (part III) due; checked in class
Weds, 3/23: Influential people project: Visual presentation (part IV) due to be presented in class
Weds, 3/23: Last day late work will be accepted for all March due dates up to 3/18
Weds, 3/23: Corrections due for Renaissance/Reformation test - will not be accepted late
Weds, 3/23: Reading notes due
Fri, 3/25: 3rd nine weeks ends


Enriched World History:

Weds, 3/16: Reading notes due (Scientific Revolution)
Weds, 3/16: Influential people project: Questions about your time period (part II) due; checked in class

Fri, 3/18: Influential people project: Questions about your person (part III) due; checked in class
Weds, 3/23: Influential people project: Visual presentation (part IV) due to be presented in class
Weds, 3/23: Last day late work will be accepted for all March due dates up to 3/18
Weds, 3/23: Corrections due for Renaissance/Reformation test - will not be accepted late
Weds, 3/23: Reading notes due
Fri, 3/25: 3rd nine weeks ends


AP Human Geography:

Weds, 3/16: Reading notes due including vocabulary at end of packet (political geography)
Fri, 3/18: Mother of All Map Quizzes
Fri, 3/18: Yugoslavia worksheet packet due
Tues, 3/22: FRQ - political geography
Weds, 3/23: Reading notes due
Thurs, 3/24: Last day to turn in FRQ corrections (re-dos)
Fri, 3/25: Political Geography vocab quiz

HONORS + ENRICHED: Influential people project

WORLD HISTORY - INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE PROJECT

***Important: This project will be the largest assignment grade of the third nine weeks.  You cannot pass the class until you have completed it.***


PART ONE (Due: Thursday, 3/10): Choose your person to research and get him/her approved. Find FIVE high-quality, informative Internet sources about your person. See the handout on “The Five W’s of Web Site Evaluation": who wrote the website, and what are their qualifications - are they a recognized expert on your person? What organization or institution runs the website - is this a professional institution dedicated to history? Does the website appear to be designed to attract money through advertising (are there ads everywhere)?

Look for websites with domain extensions .edu (university/school), .gov (government), and .org (non-profit) – these are not guarantees that the source is good, but they may provide clues.  Good sources to use as starting points: the websites of the Encyclopedia Britannica, BBC, History Channel, Biography.com, PBS.

Sites that are NOT acceptable sources for this project: Wikis (Wikipedia); “Answer” websites or forums (Answers.com, Yahoo! Answers, Infoplease); personal or student-made homepages (Geocities, etc.); and aggregator sites that simply gather information from other places on  the Internet, often without giving credit (Lucidcafe, etc.).

Write out the following about each of these sources on a table in a Word or Writer document.  Your table should include the following columns:

-Name of source
-URL (web address)
-Author
-Organization
-Why you think this source is a high-quality and credible authority on your subject

Create a source key: Number the sources on your source table (1, 2, 3, 4, etc.).  You can then cite your sources throughout your project simply by writing the number of the source you used after each answer that uses information you get from that source.

You should also use the yellow textbook in class: please add this to your sources list as source "0."  Optionally, you can use the red AP World History textbook as well.

PART TWO (Due: Wednesday, 3/16): Questions about your time period – Please type and answer in complete sentences OR write out the question along with your answer.  All answers must cite their sources.

1. When did this period take place?
2. What countries seem to be most involved in the major events of this time period?
3. What overall themes / trends is this time period known for?
4. Who were some of the most important people during this time period, and what are they known for? (list at least 5)
5. What were some of the major technological advances or inventions of this time period? (list at least 4)
6. What were some of the major changes in ideas/beliefs during this time period? (list at least 3)

PART THREE (Due: Friday, 3/18): Questions about your person – Please answer in complete sentences, in depth.  You must cite all sources.

1. Where is your person from and where did they live for the majority of their life? (City + Country)
2. What was your person's childhood like?  Who were their parents and siblings - did they have any effect on their lives/development/achievement?
3. What education did your person receive?  Did they attend school, or did they have a tutor?  Did they attend a college or university?  How did they develop expertise in their field?
4. What is your person famous for?
5. In addition to the main reason the person is famous, list 4 additional accomplishments or interesting facts about their life.
6. Think about the questions you researched about your person's historical time period.  Why are your person's life, work, and achievements considered to be a part of the broader time period?
7. Explain, with specifics, the impact or consequences of your person's life and achievements.
8. When, how, and at what age did they pass away?

PART FOUR (Due: Wednesday, 3/23): Visual presentation.

Create a visual aid to teach your classmates about your person AND the time period they are part of.  You can use a PowerPoint or Impress slideshow, Prezi slideshow (www.prezi.com), poster on large poster board, or other presentation format.  Please observe the following: Include title slide.

-Minimum of 2 slides about your time period – focus on when the time period took place, major themes/trends of the time period, and famous people and inventions.

-Minimum of 3 slides about your person – focus on what they accomplished and why they are famous, what resulted from their activities, and how they fit into the time period.

-All text on the visual aid should be in the form of short summaries in your own words (bullet points); do not copy and paste any text except quotations from your person or excerpts from their writing.  Any plagiarism will result in a zero for the project.

-Use at least six images that show something important about your person in your presentation.  Please cite sources for these.  If you choose images at random from Google Images and you accidentally choose one that has little or nothing to do with your person, you will lose points!  Please do not be careless.

-One of the six images must be a map showing something important about your person (their travels, influence, hometown, etc.)

-Your presentation must include an explanation, in your own words, of your person's time period as well as an image representing this time period.

-Find and include at least three quotations by your person that teach us something about his or her beliefs or ideas.  Please cite sources for these.

-Please include a bibliography (works cited) page at the end of your presentation or on a separate Word document.

Please let me know if you have questions!  This project will be the largest assignment grade of the third nine weeks.  You cannot pass the class until you have completed it.

Thank you,
Mr. M

HONORS: Renaissance / Reformation Test Results

I noticed a very clear, and sharp, divide in these results between students who took the time to study thoroughly, and those who did not.  Please remember that test scores account for 50% of one's grade in Honors World History; it is essential that all students (a) use the study guide handed out to study for the test by making flash cards, foldables, or another method; and (b) complete thorough reading notes and use each reading assignment as an essential study tool rather than rushing through it to get the points for the assignment.

There was a 2-point (5%) curve on this test.

1st hour
 
Class average: 84% (B)

Top scorers: Lauren, Corey, Sydney (all over 100%)

2nd hour

Class average: 90% (A-)

Top scorers: Mary, Logan, Anna, Barrett, Shane (all over 100%)

7th hour

Class average: 74% (C)
Top scorers: Keels, Mason, Tori (all over 100%)

Correction opportunities will be available next week after all students who were absent have made up the test.

Thank you,
Mr. M

ENRICHED - Renaissance / Reformation Test Results

I noticed a very clear, and sharp, divide in these results between students who took the time to study thoroughly, and those who did not.  Please remember that test scores account for 40% of one's grade in Enriched World History; it is essential that all students (a) use the study guide handed out to study for the test by making flash cards, foldables, or another method; and (b) complete thorough reading notes and use each reading assignment as an essential study tool rather than rushing through it to get the points for the assignment.

There was a 2-point (7%) curve on this test.

5th hour

Class average: 79% (C+)
Top scorers: Christy, Bobby, Aris (all over 100%)

6th hour

Class average: 70% (C-)
Top scorers: Zak, Kaytlyn, Josh (all over 100%)

Correction opportunities will be available next week after all students who were absent have made up the test.

Thank you,
Mr. M

APGEO: Economic Geography Vocab Quiz Results

It was a tough test, but this was not our finest hour - please double check the time and effort you are putting in to the reading and vocabulary study for AP Geography. The AP test is right around the corner (May 13, 8 a.m.).

**Also, all students should start reviewing for the AP test individually using a test-prep book.**

Economic Geography Vocab Quiz results:

Class average: 75% (C)
Top scorers: Caleb, Danyel, Matt, Lawton

Upcoming due dates:
-Reading notes on Political Geography packet (it's big - start well in advance!) - Weds, 3/9
-Mother of All Map Quizzes - Fri, 3/11
-Corrections for Econ. Geo vocab quiz - Fri, 3/11

Have a great weekend,
Mr. M

ALL: Reminders and deadlines

World History - Upcoming deadlines:

In World History class, we have finished the Reformation and are beginning the Age of Exploration. In class today, we started our Influential People project; each student chose one influential person who lived during the years 1500-1800 to research.

Friday, 3/4 - Renaissance and Reformation Test (Tuesday, 3/8 for 6th hour)

Monday, 3/7 and Tuesday, 3/8 - Students should have five high-quality sources and their tables of sources for the Influential People Project complete by the end of the class period. After this, they will begin researching their person's time period using the sources they identified.

Wednesday, 3/9 - Reading notes due (handed out on Friday 3/4 after test)

Friday, 3/11 - Project research notes due (mostly completed in class during the week)

AP Human Geography - Upcoming deadlines:

Wednesday, 3/9 - Reading notes due (on Political Geography; handed out on Friday, 3/4)

Friday, 3/11 - "Mother of all map quizzes"; covers places on list handed out last week

See you tomorrow,
Mr. M