Homework Tips for World History and Geography
Homework Tips for World History and Geography
***Organization is a one of the biggest challenges for middle school students. As students learn to handle their academic work load, parents can assist by:
Encouraging your child to use their Lewis Middle School planner and checking to see that they do
Looking each night to see that homework is completed. In addition to the Lewis planner look at teacher web pages to double check on homework assignments.
Helping your child organize his/her backpack and class notebooks on a regular basis. Help your child "find" homework once they get to school by having a specific folder or envelope to hold homework assignments.
Setting aside a time and comfortable place for nightly studying.
Regulating the time your children spend using the computer, watching television, and/or playing video games.
Home/School Connection
What Your Child is Learning in Unit 2: "The Growth of Islam"
In this unit your child will study the origins and growth of Islam, one of the world's major religions. Your child will explore the effects of geography on the desert communities where Islam began, discover Islam's close ties to Judaism and Christianity, and learn that Islam also follows the teachings of the prophet Muhammad.
Activities You Can Do at Home to Support Your Child's Learning
Chapter 3 The Roots of Islam
* Help your child see that geography still determines many of our activities. Living near a lake or river, mountains, farms, a desert, or a forest affects what we do. Together, make a list of common leisure activities done in your region, such as fishing, skiing, farming, do-it-yourself fruit picking, or sledding. Then make another list of activities you can't do because of the geography of where you live.
* The ancient city of Jerusalem is sacred to three different religions: Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. With your child, look for a book, a video, or set of articles in the library that explains the history of the city and why it is so important.
Chapter 4 The Empire of Islam
* Your child will be learning about the great size and importance of the city of Baghdad around the year 1000. Discuss what made Baghdad important (it was a center for government, commerce, art and learning.) Together, identify two or three cities in the United States today which are important in the same way.
* Your child will be discussing tradition as a part of the Muslim culture. Help your child list different traditions - family, religious, and ethnic - used in your family. Talk about the ways you make sure these traditions continue.
Home/School Connection
What Your Child is Learning in Unit 3, "Sub-Saharan Africa"
In the next few weeks, your child will be learning about the development of empires in Africa, south of the Sahara. He or she will discuss the spread of Islam to West Africa and how trade affected different African empires. Your child will explore the lives and religions of a variety of African cultures, particularly the Bantu and Kongo, and understand some of the ways that people all over the world teach some similar values to their children.
Activities You Can Do at Home to Support Your Child's Learning
Chapter 5 West Africa
*This chapter discusses extended families and which family young people live with after they marry. Help your child make a list of relatives who live close enough for you to see once a week, once a month, and several times a year. Does one side of the family live closer than another? Does where your relatives live affect your decision about where you live? Discuss with your child.
*Today in our country, as in the African cultures your child will read about in Chapter 5, people use legends to pass on their history. These familiar stories may be passed from grandparents to grandchild. Others are learned in school, read in books, or shown on television and movies. With your child, take turns listing legends you each have learned and from where you learned it. Together, make up a new legend about your family.
Chapter 6 Central and Southern Africa
*Iron was very important to the Bantu. Have your child make a list of items in your home that are made of iron. Check those that are used every day.
*The following list shows what was expected of Bantu people at different ages: Early childhood -- obey mother; Late childhood -- help with chores; Young adult -- defend the community; Adult -- head household, raise family; Older adult -- assist rulers; Grandparent -- judge murder cases. Help your child make a list of the roles of different age groups in our culture. Discuss the similarities and differences to the Bantu list.
What Your Child is Learning in Unit 4 "Asian Civilizations"
During the next few weeks, your child will learn about three Asian empires - the Mongol, Ottoman, and Mughal - and how they grew strong, then eventually lost power. Then he or she will study the early Chinese and Japanese civilizations. Chinese contributions, such as the development of money, and a civil service based on merit, will be examined, as will the Chinese inventions of gunpowder, guns, and the compass. Your child will also investigate the ways in which Japan's geography affected its development, and its religions, Shintoism and two Buddhist sects, Amida and Zen.
Activities You Can Do at Home to Support Your Child's Learning
Chapter 7 Three Empires
*Tolerance of other religions was important in the growth of early Asian empires. Work with your child to list how things might be different if our country did not have laws guaranteeing religious tolerance.
*Truly new inventions are rare. With your child, write a list of any inventions you feel have made important changes. (Some examples: electricity, airplanes, computers, vaccines.) Talk about how your lives would be different without these inventions. Which items were invented in your lifetime?
Chapter 9 Japan
*Japanese culture developed the haiku poem. A haiku has only 17 syllables: the first line has five syllables, the second seven, and the third five. With your child, look at book of haiku poetry at the library. Then take turns creating a haiku about your family, home, or some important event in your life.
What Your Child is Learning in Unit 5, "Medieval Societies"
In this unit, your child will learn about medieval western Europe. He or she will compare medieval societies in Japan and Europe, and learn why feudalism lasted longer in Japan than in Europe. Your child will then examine the effect of religion on Europeans in the Middle Ages, and see how disagreements over religious authority led to a split in the Christian church. Lastly, he or she will learn about the Crusades, a series of wars between Christians and Muslims for control of the Holy Land.
Activities You Can Do at Home to Support Your Child's Learning
Chapter 10 Feudal Europe and Japan
*Both European knights and Japanese samurai had codes of conduct that governed their actions. These codes included courtesy, honor, defense of the weak, and loyalty to their lord. Work with your child to list codes of expected behavior among some different groups today, such as scouts, doctors, judges, or hockey players.
*Have your child make up a code of conduct for a club, school class, age group, sports team, or family group. Have him or her share the code, and explain why he or she chose it.
Chapter 11 Europe: Rule, Religion, and Conflict
*In school, your child learned that the ruler Charlemagne could not read or write. It was not unusual during the Middle Ages for European kings to rely on clerks and religious leaders to do the writing they needed. Have your child experience this by giving up writing for a space of time, and coming to you for all of his or her writing, no matter how personal. At the end of the time period, discuss the experience. What were the advantages or disadvantages of having to depend on someone else's writing?
*Cathedrals built during the Middle Ages were elaborate, enormous undertakings that could take up to 100 years to build. Encourage your child to read a book about the building of a cathedral. (David Macaulay's Cathedral: The Story of Its Construction would be one good choice.)
What Your Child is Learning in Unit 6 "Europe: 1300-1600"
In this unit, your child will learn about medieval western Europe. He or she will compare medieval societies in Japan and Europe, and learn why feudalism lasted longer in Japan than in Europe. Your child will then examine the effect of religion on Europeans in the Middle Ages, and see how disagreements over religious authority led to a split in the Christian church. Lastly, he or she will learn about the Crusades, a series of wars between Christians and Muslims for control of the Holy Land.
Activities You Can Do at Home to Support Your Child's Learning
Chapter 12 The Renaissance
*Guidelines from an old Italian Book of Manners explained that people should not carry toothpicks behind their ears, clean their teeth with napkins, or wear bright stockings that call attention to fat, thin, or crooked legs. Help your child develop a list of guidelines for good manners today.
Chapter 13 Reformation and the Scientific Revolution
*In school, your child will learn of Newton's discovery that all bodies fall at the same rate, no matter what size or weight. Test this scientific fact with your child. Hold up two objects, such as a quarter and a piece of paper crumbled into a ball. Have your child watch carefully as you drop both objects at the same time. Look for other objects that are different weights and sizes and take turns testing those.
Chapter 14 The Age of Exploration
*Reports of the travels of Ibn Battuta and Marco Polo encouraged others to venture into new regions. With your child, make a list of places either of you have heard about from someone else who has traveled to them.