Let's game out.

Yesterday we finished our presentations and the entrepreneurs made their decisions. The final verdict - no barbed wire. Looks like all the enthusiasm in the world could not sell this product.

Today we had time to work on one of our many projects - creating an Oregon Trail game. Fun times. Looks like that's what we'll be doing through next week too.

Let's be one with the prairie.

Yesterday, it was all about sod. Mr. Boyle brought in some for us to smell, allowing us to really experience what the first pioneers might have been living with twenty-four-seven. From there, we moved onto the station where we saw the actual amount of space they had living in a soddie, and later, what it was like to take an actual picture in the nineteenth century.

Today we moved on from soddie's to talk about - gasp! - faming tools. So fascinating. We were each assigned one, and were given the task of advertising it. Who doesn't love barbed wire? Guess we'll have to figure that out when we present tomorrow.

Let's loose on Jeopardy!

It seems to be a reoccurring theme here. Today, when we were down at the computer lab starting our Smithsonian web quest, we found an online Jeopardy! in the desperate pursuit for the paint program. No such luck, and I guess next time we'll have to find another way to create any future sea predators, as part of the badge 'TimeTraveler' on the website.

The class before that - wow, it must have been a week ago or something crazy like that - we were supposed to do a Socratic Seminar, where we led a discussion on the push and pull factors between the journey towards the West. Since there were some difficulties with the video, however, we ended up making our questions in class.

Let's interpretive dance.

How about no. Today's skit performances were bad enough, where we were set to the task of creating a skit revolving around Greeley's quote on Manifest Destiny: "Go west young man, and grow up with the country." We needed to discuss why people were open to following this advice, and what they suspected was out west.

Yesterday, we were cryptically given a letter P, N, or S. Turns out we were reading cards that had to do with our experiences on the Erie Canal, and fill ina chart about the positive and negative effects that the canal had on all parts of life.

Let's reflect - no, we aren't mirrors.

Looks like it's time to reflect on what we did in class today. You can practically see my excitement through the computer screen, can't you?

At first I thought that the Incitement of the Amerindians was the main cause of the War of 1812. However, by the end of class, I had decided that the the Order of Council had more of an impact. While the Incitement was a large portion of the decision to go to war, I feel that the Order of the Council had a larger impact on the everyday life of people. Without trade, they were all effected. They were touched by Britain in such an everyday part of life that it was hard not to get involved in the decision.