the semester exam approacheth

Sections 01 and 05 began the practice test in class today. It would be a good idea to finish the test at home tonight for homework, as the exam is one week from today. Taking this test is an excellent way to get reacquainted with material we haven't covered since early in the school year. We'll review answers in class tomorrow. (Section 03 reviewed answers today.)

Please remember to bring your textbooks to class. We want to reunite everybody with the text they were issued back at the beginning of the year. Remember, if you don't turn in that book, you'll have to pay for it.

last week before exams

This was a good class for Section 03. We took the practice test, which is one of the first steps toward taking next week's semester exam.

I would like everyone to bring their book to class every day this week. We are making sure you all have the book you were issued back in August, since you will be required to turn in your book when you take the semester exam. Today we actually reunited one student with her own book, which she hadn't seen in quite some time.

Yet another reminder that the semester exam will count for 20% of your semester exam - a good reason to take all your exams seriously, and to prepare accordingly.

we're baaaaack - tomorrow

Some random thoughts:

• I hope you all had a great time this holiday break. Went fast, didn't it...?
• When the semester ends, I am going to need to collect your Human Geo textbook. And when I say "your" book, I mean the one you were issued. Please be sure to bring your book to class with you every day this week.
• In the coming week we will be reviewing for the semester exam. Another good reason to bring your book to class.
• I'm still working on grading your papers. Thanks for your patience.
• I have graded your mini-projects, which many of you did not post. See me if you want to "fix" that 0-for-50 grade.
• I will also be including a 100-point assignment called "Class Participation" which will be a measure of your input and your involvement in our class.

See you back in class soon!

feedback

I'm just curious: are any of you taking the practice exam? Let me know if you've given it a try, and what you think of it, by giving me a comment or sending me an email.

I hope your holidays are going well!

Practice Exam

Here it is: a practice exam so you can prepare for the semester exam!

Here are some things you need to know about this practice exam:

• This test has been generated by the publishing company that wrote the textbook. We did not cover everything in every chapter. Therefore, you are not expected to know everything in this practice test.
• However, many questions in this practice test will be on your semester exam. If we covered it in class, or if it was in your assigned reading, expect questions on it. Go back to your blog, or my blog, to see if certain material was covered.
• The chapters we covered were Chapter One, Two, Three, Four, and Six.
• We also covered the videos Guns, Germs and Steel, Storm That Drowned a City: Hurricane Katrina, and God Grew Tired of Us. You won't see these questions on this practice exam, but you will see them on your semester exam.
• There are 187 questions on the practice exam.
• You can take the exam as many times as you like.
• After you submit your answers, the computer will grade your test and tell you what questions you got wrong, and give you the correct answer.
• You do not have to take this practice exam; it is just being offered to help you prepare for the real deal.
• The semester exam will be given on Tuesday, January 12, the first day of semester exams. It will count for 20% of your semester grade.
  

As always, comment below or email me with any questions.

Snow, man.

eat, drink and be Merry!

We will be chillin in class tomorrow. Bring some holiday food to share if you like, bring a DVD or VHS of your childhood home movies if you dare. Bring your computer if you want to make a difference in the world (more on that tomorrow).

I plan on posting a sample test on this blog soon. You should be able to use this test to start getting ready for the semester exam, which will be given on Tuesday, January 12. More on that in class tomorrow.

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I have enjoyed this school year more than any other since I arrived at JC many years ago. You freshmen are the main reason why. I truly love you guys, and I hope you have a wonderful holiday break. Click below for a little reminder of why we celebrate Christmas in the first place. Merry, merry Christmas to every one of you!

...partridge in a big pear tree...

Today: we worked on our mini research projects on sub-Saharan Africa. Don't forget, this 50-point assignment is due Friday.

Tomorrow, Sections 01 & 05 meet in the Brown Room for the Cheyenne presentation. Section 03 is cordially invited to stop by during any free mods.

Friday, all sections bring in anything you want to eat and share. If you have any home movies of your adorable childhood (on DVD or VHS) you want to share, we'll be happy to watch!

In the meantime, enjoy the 12 Days of Christmas!

sub-Saharan Research mini-project

The research paper is to be handed to me at the beginning of class tomorrow.

(Section 03 was introduced to the sub-Saharan Research mini-project assignment today; 01 & 05 will hear all about it tomorrow.) Worth 50 points. Due this Friday. Click here for details.

Three days until the break! Here's what we're doing with those three days:

Wednesday (tomorrow): All sections will use class time to work on the sub-Saharan Research mini-project (01 & 05 - I'll explain it tomorrow).

Thursday: 01 & 05 will go on an in-house field trip. Meet in the Brown Room as Mr. Scholl's Anthropology class presents an up-close look at Cheyenne life. See first-hand examples of how the environment shapes culture! (My 03 Section is invited to attend this field trip whenever you have free mods.)

Friday: You are all invited to my home (kind of) to celebrate Christmas. Bring your computer to class, plus any food you care to share, as we start the Christmas holiday.

Christmas draws near...

... but there are still four more days of classes to go! 03 took their test on God Grew Tired of Us today; 01 and 05 take it tomorrow.

Everyone's research paper is due at the start of class Wednesday.

Other activities will be announced as the week goes on.

Research Project Rubric

The rubric for the research paper can be found here. It can also be found under Human Geo Class Documents.

What's a rubric? It's a scoring tool that lists the criteria for a piece of work. In other words, it shows exactly how I'm going to grade your project.

FAQs about the research paper

When is the paper due?
You will hand me your paper at the beginning of class on Wednesday, December 16.

What happens if it's late?
You will lose 10 percent for every day (or part of a day) the paper is late.

• Turn it in between the beginning of class Wednesday and 8:00 am on Thursday - 10% off.
• Turn it in between 8:01 am Thursday and 8:00 am on Friday - 20% off.
• Turn it in between 8:01 am Friday and 3:00 pm on Friday - 30% off.
• If you don't turn it in by 3:00 pm on Friday, you will receive a zero on this 200-point assignment.

For the record, this assignment was given on Wednesday, November 18.

Do we need a Works Cited?
Of course you do. This is a research paper. You were already taught how to do Works Cited (MLA format) in English class, but you may use easybib.com, or you may click here, or review your Bedford Handbook, to refresh your memory. Or, you can see me for help.

Do we need to use parenthetical citations?
Of course you do. This is a research paper. If you are using a direct quote from one of your sources, put it in quotation marks and follow it with the source in parentheses. For a refresher on how to do this, go here or see p. 609 in your Bedford Handbook.

Do we have to have photos with captions, maps, charts, or other illustrations?
Definitely. You want to include material that helps accentuate the written word. Think of how horrible it is to turn the page in your textbook and see nothing but words. Make your paper more interesting and more informative through the use of visuals.

Do we have to use Microsoft Publisher?
It is not required, but many students have told me it is easy to use, and it makes your paper much more attractive looking than using Word. If you decide to use Publisher, you will probably get the best results by choosing Newsletters. There is no penalty if you use Word and paste in your visuals instead of using Publisher. It's up to you.

How many sources do we need?
At least four to merely pass. You really need at least six to eight or more sources (not including photo credits) to write a decent paper of this length.

I don't have a color printer. What do I do?
Put your project on a flash drive, give it to a friend with a color printer and have them print it for you. Or you can email them your paper, but that is a little riskier. I do not recommend waiting until Tuesday night to do this.

Will we have more time in class to work on this?
Negative. This is now officially a homework assignment. Your test on God Grew Tired of Us is on Monday (Section 03) or Tuesday (Sections 01 & 05), and the paper is due Wednesday. Nobody does their best work by waiting until the last minute, so I recommend you git'r'done this weekend.

If you have any other questions, please post them in the comments section below or email me at rschick@johncarroll.org.

I LOVE when this happens!

We all finished watching God Grew Tired of Us in class today (except Section 01 which has just five minutes to go). I've been getting a lot of good feedback from you guys about the film - you seemed to enjoy the story of John Bul (don't you love his mom in the airport?), Daniel, and Panther. So you can imagine how happy I was to see that the story of another Lost Boy was the main headline on CNN.com today. Check it out here.

If there is interest, I will show this film again at 3:00 on Friday in the TV Studio. So if you missed some of it and want to catch up, let me know. The Harford County Public Library also has over a dozen copies so you can watch at home.

Section 03 will test on God Grew Tired of Us on Monday; Sections 01 and 05 on Tuesday. It's worth 100 points.

While we're at it, go here to visit John Bul Dau's foundation website. His foundation is also on Facebook - go here to become a fan, or you can even friend John Bul - imagine! Panther founded a school in Sudan, and the website for his foundation is here. And finally, you can get updates on all the Lost Boys from the film here.

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Okay, on to your projects. This is a reminder to all sections: print out your research paper and bring it to class tomorrow so you can benefit from some peer editing. If you have a red pen, bring that to class, too.

The Works Cited page is required for this project. We will use the MLA format. Help can be found at Easy Bib. I require at least four sources; I recommend at least six to eight (not counting picture credits).

This research paper is due at the beginning of class on Wednesday, December 16.

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Many, many thanks to Jordan for the bagels, and to Lauren for the cookies! You guys are the greatest!

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Don't forget - a blog posting a day keeps the zeroes away!

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And finally, if you haven't already done so, please enter your email address in the window on the right hand side of my blog, then click "Subscribe" so you can be notified whenever I post to my blog.

ripped from today's headlines

ITEM #1: If you still need more material for your paper (due next Wednesday!), just check today's headlines. For example:

"How the US Became Stage for Mexican Drug Feud" is a story from TODAY's New York Times that would be perfect if your project is the Mexican drug cartels.

"Eco-Wall or Segregation? Rio Plan Stirs Debate" is a story from TODAY's CNN.com that would be perfect if your project is the deforestation of the Amazon rainforest or the problems associated with the 2016 Summer Olympics.

There's a lot more where those came from. Look around!

ITEM #2: we will be doing peer editing in class on Friday. Print out your paper and bring it to class for a review by your fellow students (and me). If you don't arrive in class with your paper in hand, you cannot take advantage of this opportunity to get valuable feedback on your project.

ITEM #3: Many thanks to Adam, Jordan B, Nate, Pete, Josh, Steph, Melissa, Susie, Amy, Fiona, Alexa, Matt, Sammy, and Jenna for the birthday greetings! Asante sana! (That's "thank you" in Swahili...)

ITEM #4: Section 03 finished God Grew Tired of Us today in class. Be sure to answer the 10 questions and post them to your blog before Friday's class. And don't forget your paper on Friday (see ITEM #2 above).