Seven Point Five

Mr. Cowells shared a website with me the other day and told me the world population was about to break 7.5 billion.  The website is fantastic.  You can see world population over time.  Countries by population and population density.  It tracks births today and deaths today.

It's a little depressing if you imagine yourself devalued down to just a number.

But there's another way to look at it: think about all the experience and value each one of those numbers has.  The knowledge and skills, the love, the will.  There's something to be said for the notion that nothing is new.  That the sun rises and the sun sets on empires, let alone human lives.  And that there's nothing new under it.

But there's also something to be said for individuality, innovation, freedom of thought, and human capital.  That right now, in this moment, I exist.

To get the extra credit for reading and discussing the blog with an adult today, students have to check out this website for at least 5 minutes.  (The adult can look at it with them, or they can go scroll through their phone or do whatever they want...  They were here for the blog part...)

THEN, students have to find a scrap of paper and write five things they found on the website.  Discuss those five things with the adult, and have the adult sign the paper.

Turn it in tomorrow in the extra credit spot.

Population Density Around Rivers

We covered a lot of material today:

• Started by studying for TOMORROW'S GOVERNMENT QUIZ.
• Labeled the parts of a river:

• Had a student act out the river.  (Mouth at the end... delta formed at the mouth)
• Had ancient civilizations formed around the river
• Discussed the difference between population and population density while students were in the taped off boxes.
• Did some population/population density (basic) math problems
• Watched a video about a snake: point?  The mouth is at the end.

So often, students confuse source and mouth.  Which one is the beginning?  Which one is the end?  The mouth is at the end.  The source is at the beginning.  (Think of the source of a problem...  You're trying to think of the beginning of a problem.)

If you've read and discussed this post with an adult, explain to them the difference between population, and population density.  Then, write down your explanation.  Have the adult sign the paper.  Turn it in tomorrow for extra credit.  Make sure your name, date, and hour are on it.


Here's the winning group for the year: 4th hour.  We fit 30 people in here.  The all-time record still stands at 33.  We almost had it, though.

Charts, Maps, and the Mother Lode

We reviewed the difference between population and population density today.  QUICK!!!  If you're reading this with an adult for extra credit, turn to them and tell them what the difference is.  Right now.  Seriously.  GO!

Hopefully you said something like, population is the total number of people, whereas population density is how tightly they're packed together.

We also spent some time looking at a map of the United States, and and the percent of people over 25 who have completed high school.  The map is interesting, because it only gives numbers for the graduation rates, but doesn't detail how many people are in each state.  The percent for Alaska given on the map is 88.9-91.1.  I had a very astute student 1st hour who said, of course Alaska has a high percentage.  There are only 4 people living up there.  4 out of 4.  It should be 100%.  
The last question read, "There is not enough information to answer the question, 'which state graduates more people, New York or Montana?'  What information would you need to answer that question?
The student mentioned above got it right.


That was the bellwork, and that was all fine and all, but what I REALLY want to write about is the mother lode.  British Pathé just uploaded 85,000 newsreels to youtube.  85,000.  (Mrs. Buchanan pointed out that I had initially misspelled mother lode, by the way.  I had spelled it "motherload" not knowing it was incorrect.  Good catch.  She came back, though and said that since this was an "upload" to youtube, perhaps now would  be the perfect time to misspell it.)

There are so many videos in there that I could use to review as well as teach new content.  For instance, we used this one today, tying it in to Gandhi and civil disobedience:





We're finishing up Japan during WWII, so these videos were also fitting:










I imagine it will be a treasure trove of primary sources for my class.  If I search Gandhi, here's what I get: CHECK IT OUT.  WWII.  Suez.  I can't type any more, because each time I do, I get sidetracked watching the videos.

If you want the extra credit for reading and discussing the blog with an adult, read it and discuss it.  Tell me what you thought about the videos.  Did you watch any other ones?  The homepage IS HERE.

After you answer the question, have the adult you read it with sign the paper.  Turn it in tomorrow.

Population Density

We're breaking all kinds of records today.

Again, we looked at the reason population density is higher around rivers.  Here are the reasons I give, and the ones I want the students to know:

• Drinking water
• Agriculture (water for crops and animals)
• Transportation and trade
• Silt

Many students were still struggling to understand the difference between population and population density, so I did an activity I do every year.  I boxed off two sections of my room, and made them the same size.  I asked for a volunteer that was wearing blue.   This person became our river, flowing through one of the boxes.  They had to make a delta with their arms and hands - and the delta was formed around the mouth of the river.

I then placed several students in the box with the river, and a single student in the other box.

We found the total population - of both boxes together.  And then I asked students to point to the area that had the highest population density in the country.  Of course, it was by the river.

Last year, 6th hour set a record by having 31 students plus the river in the box.  This year, a new 6th hour broke the record by having 32 students plus the river in the box.  There were lots of cheers.

If you want extra credit for reading and discussing the blog today, explain what population density is.  Tell what you thought about the boxes.  And (without looking back up at the top of the blog) give the reasons population density is higher around rivers.

Then, draw a quick picture of your class in the boxes and have the parent or adult you discussed the blog with sign it.  Seriously, a quick picture.  Don't you have language arts homework tonight?

I would like to add that the DeBrieon River is actually in all three of these pictures, but you can only see him in the last one.

Rivers, Population Density, and Civilizations

Yesterday we talked about the importance of agriculture, and the reasons ancient civilizations were found near rivers.

Today we looked at that a little bit more closely - including population density, and river terms.

Here's a picture we drew 7th hour.  It's not the best, but I erased the other ones.  I don't generally have the river snake eating someone, but whatever...  I had a little time while the students were working.  (Apologies to the family of the stick figure man being devoured.)

We talked a little bit about why a river's delta is called a delta.  I didn't teach them the entire Greek alphabet, but I did also point out that's where we get the term "alpha, bet..." (αβ)

We also looked at the difference between population and population density.  I put students in taped in areas at the front of the room.  One was over a desert... well, we changed it to The Sahel - not quite so dry... Another had a river running through it.  (A student wearing blue was the river.  He had to make a delta by raising his arms in the air.  Good jobs to all rivers.)

I think most students understood the difference before the end.  It's always encouraging when they struggle with something at the beginning of class, but then completely get it at the end.  (Or at least appear to...)

Here's the last picture from the day:

YO!  STUDENTS!  If you want extra credit, read and discuss this blog with an adult.  Tell the adult about the boxes of tape, what did you think about the activity?  Did you go in either box?  Were you a river?  What did you have to say to get to go into the box with the river?  Why?  Etc...  I'm sure you can think of plenty more to talk about.

When you're finished discussing, find a scrap piece of paper and write me your favorite part of the activity.  Then, have the adult you discussed it with sign the piece of paper.

Have a great weekend.  I look forward to meeting a bunch of parents on Monday.  Students, make sure you come too.