War of 1812

As your student may or may not have told you, we are currently covering the unit that includes the War of 1812. Here is the Wikipedia link about the war: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_of_1812

Here is an extra credit opportunity for students in my class. Answer the following in complete sentences:

1. Discuss three causes of the war. You don't have to go into great detail. A couple of sentences for each reason will do.

2. What role did the British navy play in the war? Were they superior or inferior to the American navy?

3. Tell about the role Native Americans (or Canadians) played in the war. Why did they choose to support the side that they did?

Presidential Election

I thought we would have a current events-type discussion on the blog. I know this is an overtly political subject, but lets try to keep opinions about specific political ideas out of the discussion and just focus on the race.

Here are a few discussion questions:

1. How do you think John McCain gained so much ground in the Republican race? He was running very low on money but has rebounded and is most likely going to be the nominee for the Republicans in November. What do you think happened?

2. What do you make of the idea that Obama "Hasn't accomplished anything"? Hillary Clinton is promoting her experience, Obama is touting change. Which do you see as more important and why?

3. Discuss the process itself. What do you like or dislike about the election season? (Electoral college, superdelegates, conventions, etc.)

Again, please stay away from political issue debates, as those tend to turn ugly quickly. I hope we can have a civil discussion where everyone can learn something and we can share ideas.

Oh yeah, here is the link to the Washington Post's website that has the remaining candidates and their information: http://projects.washingtonpost.com/2008-presidential-candidates/

Baseball Season

It may be hard to believe, but baseball season is right around the corner. Practice starts on Monday, February 25th. Here are a few reminders.....

1. There is a work day at the field this Saturday the 23rd. If you or your parents can help, please come and help us prepare the field for the season. We will be putting up batting cage nets, mowing, and working on the field itself.

2. Make sure you have a physical on file with the school. This is required before you can practice. If you have already played another sport during this school year then you are already good to go.

3. Bring your glove and bat, and wear baseball pants and long sleeves. Also, bring clothes (shorts, t-shirt, gym shoes) to practice indoors if needed. We never know what the weather will do this time of year, so we might have to practice inside. Be prepared.

4. Practice starts at 2:50 every day. School lets out at 2:25, so this is plenty of time to get to the field, change clothes, and be ready to go. If you are late, you will be held responsible. (Hint: running)

5. Parents, our website is up and running. It is WillardBaseball.com. The site is still under construction, but the schedule is on there. We hope this is informative.

Wilson's Creek Field Trip

As some of you might already know, we have a field trip planned for Friday, April 25th. We are taking our trip to Wilson's Creek National Battlefield, which is just to the southwest of Springfield.

There is a small fee for each student, and I will post that at a later date. The normal fee is $5 for an adult, so it will be less than that.

The battle at Wilson's Creek was the first major battle west of the Mississippi during the Civil War and is a neat part of America's history right in our own back yard. Do any of you have stories to share about visits to Wilson's Creek or other battlefields? Ever been to a re-enactment? Ever ridden your bike around the park?

Here is the link to Wilson's Creek: http://www.nps.gov/wicr/planyourvisit/feesandreservations.htm

Blog Rules

1. Be Respectful - There will be times where there will be numerous viewpoints and opinions on certain topics. We are all adults and young adults, so there is no reason we can not respect one another's opinions and ideas. Please refrain from gossip, rumors, etc.

2. No last names, addresses, phone numbers - Please keep this information off of the blog, as it is available to anyone who visits us.

3. Keep classroom and baseball discussions separate - If your child is in one of my classes but does not play baseball, please refrain from commenting in those discussions.

4. Good grammar - I don't expect everyone to be perfect, but please do not use "instant message" language. (lol, brb, ttyl, etc) Please try to capitalize and use punctuation whenever possible.

5. Stay on topic - Stay on topic and do no stray into other areas in a particular discussion.

Thanks for your help and cooperation. If everyone does their part the blog should work great for our classroom and team!