6th Grade/ Field Trip!

Our team is planning a field trip for the 6^th grade Fusion Team students to Calvert Marine Museum in Solomons, MD and Calvert Cliffs State Park in Marbury, MD on Tuesday, October 28, 2014. The cost of the trip for students will be $25.00. Checks can be made payable to Bennett Middle School. Please return permission slip and trip money to Mr.McCrobie no later than Tuesday, October 14^th, 2014. Please visit the following link for another form: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-18JOqyPQcsLUJTS2pTNHVaM1k/edit?usp=sharing

6th Grade/ Forensic Anthropologist!

Your local police department has been searching for three individuals who have been reported missing within the last two years. Recent news of the discovery of human bones in the area has given rise to new hope of identifying one of these individuals. As Sherlock Bones, the lead forensic anthropologist on the case, it is your job to provide the authorities with a physical description of the individual. Once this skill has been learned, we will utilize it in examining many historical investigations throughout the year.

8th Grade/ Slash and Burn Agriculture

We have focused on the advantages of living in the rainforest, including natural resources for complex tasks and building materials for complex religious temples, however for the Mayans, the rainforest made it almost impossible for planting and controlling the ever-encroaching vegetation. Hot, humid weather was often stifling, the availability of water depended on seasonal rainfall, and communication networks were poor. We know from archaeological evidence that the Ancient Maya grew crops such as beans, squash, avocados and maize (corn). How were they able to do so in a rainforest? Slash and burn farming is a form of agriculture where the natural vegetation is cut down and burned as a method of clearing the land for growing crops. In class, we will examine the Mayan slash-and-burn agriculture technique in order to analyze the impact this technique has on soil and the Mayans ability to sustain themselves. 

Homework Response Question:
Could the Mayans use of the slash-and-burn agricultural method be the best known cause of the Mayans demise, or is something else? Explain and discuss your reasoning! [Due by 10/03/14]

8th Grade/ Living In The Rainforest (Natural Dyes)

Much of the southern portion of Central America and the northern portion of South America is covered in rainforest, and have influenced many practices of the people living here. Tropical rainforests can be characterized in two words: hot and wet. Since much of Latin America is rainforest, and is home to the Ancient Maya, the next phase of our investigation of the America’s will focus on “living in the rainforest.” We will start with focusing on the natural resources that are available in this area that provide an advantage to the Mayans. In order to do this, we will start with an experiment with making natural dyes in order to connect this process historically and to today.   

Homework Response Question: 

1.What made the use of plants as a natural source of dye important to the Ancient Mayans? Does the use of plant dyes help shape the culture of the people? Remember culture consists of traditions, values, beliefs, and knowledge. [Due by 9/25/14]