The Bill of Rights in Our News

To better understand the Bill of Rights, students were asked to bring in a newspaper for class. For their assignment, in pairs or trios, students were charged with finding a news article that showed one of the Bill of Rights in action. Students wrote the title of their article, the Amendment number, a summary of the article, and how they knew that the Amendment was in action in that article. Students then presented their articles with the class.



by DaJuan

For homework we were told to bring the news section of a newspaper. The very next day we had to find an article with a partner that was related to one of the Bill of Rights. After searching for an article, Raina and I finally found one. After finding the article, we glued the article down on a separate sheet of colored paper, wrote the title fo the article at the top of the paper, wrote which right the article related to, and summarized the article. I liked this assignment--mainly because it was hands-on.

THE 8TH GRADE FEAST!!!!

by Andre

Our 8th grade feast was so fun, the food was very good and everyone enjoyed themselves. Before we had our feast my teacher Ms. Trenkle said that I was in charge. So as everyone who knows me knows, I was bossing everyone around telling them that every must be perfect. Just kidding. I was very polite and up to my job and everything turned out well. But for a get together it was fun. Everyone stepped up to the plate and it turned out to be good.


by Liz

Our 8th grade feast was wonderful. There was tons of food, and even thought all the 8th graders ate at least two servings, there was food left over! Sadly, the happiness of Christmas was tainted because that was the last day Ally would be living in DC. It was fun though, with everyone taking pictures and eating all the DELICIOUS food! We miss you Ally and you're enjoying Philly!



by Daley

For our 8th grade feast my mom brought a lovely green salad. There was a lot of chicken and tons and tons of desserts. A special treat for me was all the soda because usually my mom doesn't let me drink caffeinated or sugary drinks. I enjoyed having a break on my last day of school before winter break as well. I thought this day couldn't get any better but then my friends sang Happy Birthday to me because my birthday is on Christmas. The food was great and I had a great time!



by DaJuan

On December 19 before the Winter Break, the 8th grade had our Christmas feast. Each advisory signed up for an item that they were going to bring. I brought BBQ chicken...that I made! Our Christmas feast gave us an opportunity to laugh, talk and just be with our friends before the Christmas holiday. Personally, I enjoyed my last Christmas feast at Stuart-Hobson MS being with my friends and teachers.



by Linstrum

The 8th grade feast we had was outstanding. We had a little bit of everything on the table. We had rice, chicken, steak, collard greens, greens, cornbread, mac and cheese and so much more--so much that I can't remember it all! It all was so great that we started to go back for more. But overall, I think that Ms. Trenkle, Ms. Allen, Ms. Jenkins and Mr. Surprenant made this the greatest way to close out 2008.

Presenting our History Day Topics

by Brittany

On Wednesday, December 17, 2008, we had to give an oral report on our National History Day topic. During our presentation we had to answer three questions about our topic.
1. What is your topic about (basic details)?
2. How does your topic fit the theme of "The Individual in History: Actions and Legacies"?
3. Why did you choose your topic?
I was kind of nervous because last year my mind went blank. This would went better because I went over my information and most of the information was stored in my mind.

Brittany is an 8th grader at SHMS. Her favorite class is History and she likes to read books.


by Chantell

On December 17, in History Class, we shared our topics on History Day. the three questions that we had to answer in our oral reports were: What is your topic how does it related to the theme "The Individual in History: Actions and Legacies" and why did we choose our topics? There werwe many interesting people that changed history in a bad or good way. I was verynervous because I'm not sued to talking in front of people, but I think I did well because I knew more about her since I read the book.

Chantell is an 8th grader at Stuart-Hobson. She is a very quiet girl. She loves to read books.



by Liz

My NHD topic is Jim Jones. He was the leader of the cult the People's Temple, which met their demise in Jonestown, Guyana. I selected this topic because I was reading the newspaper and there was an article about it, I think because it was the 30th anniversary of the end of the People's Temple. Then when i aksed my mom who they were, and she told me they killed themselves with Kool Aid, I was interested. Now that I know more about him, the People's Temple and its legacy it is even more fascinating to me.

Liz is an 8th grader at Stuart-Hobson Middle School who can't wait for Christmas!

A Visit to Peabody

On December 15 and 17 students from Ms. Trenkle's history class went to Peabody to share their We the People books with a Pre-K and K class. Eighth graders talked with their Peabody friend about rules and how the Constitution is the "rules" for the government. Then, the Peabody friend shared a rule they know and, with the help of the 8th grader, illustrated their rule. Below are some of the observations from 8th graders after our expereince.

by Andre

Our day going over to Peabody sharing our books was fun. The walk was ok the weather was warm and we made it over to Peabody and had to walk up lots of stairs. Once we got in the class room we sat down and talked about what we were going to do. After we did that we had them to make their own books going by rules in their class room. After we did that we showed them our books and they were very excited to see them. So we got up from the table and sat on the floor with our buddies and and let them read their rules. I would love to go again and create more books with the little ones. The best thing that I enjoyed about being with the little ones was teaching them how to spell when they were making their books.

"The kids were so amazing. They know words I thought they didn't know. I didn' tknow they could draw. I thought they could only draw stick people."--Lynnette

"The kids had wors that I would have never believed they knew. They are creative! They also look into the future--she was telling mewhat she wanted to be!"--Jophnee

"My kid, Jason, harldy speaks English! Whenever he saw a picture of a bear, tiger, or dinosaur he would say, 'Rowwr!' He could copy over words perfectly! He wrote down 'We the Pumpkins' with the right color for each letter!"--Liz



Some reactions after our trip to Peabody:

"I had fun with the little ones at Peabody."--Dewight

"The kids knew a lot about how to treat their books well"--Daley

"Isiah was my Peabody kid. It was a good experience. My kids was very cool. He knew how tread really well and he was very smart. His favorite TV show is Transformers. He likes pizza and chicken. I would love to read to him again."--Phillip

One of things noticed: "They have the same rules we have--no hitting or running!"--Jophnee

"Priest told me that he would miss me because I was his friend."--Katie



"Ms. Trenkle dragged me on the trip and it turns out I want to go again."--Taylour

"The students know a lot of rules about what to do in school."--Ben

"The kids like books and drawing. The kids opened up after we finished reading the books."--Tiesha

"The things I liked about the trip were the kids and how well behaved they were and the teacher, she was really fun."--Francesca

"Zurie knows a lot about spiders and she is extremely very funny."--Jamal

"The best three things that happened today were....1) I loved my partner, 2) she knew mostly everything, 3) most of all she was nice and had home training."--Destiny

"They were smart for their age."--Shalynn




"Jadyn could read a little and uses her context clues very well."--DaJuan

"Little kindergartners are getting smarter each year!"--Dominick

"I had fun learning their different rules and I had fun teaching my student what the Constitution meant."--Nia

"My Peabody friend Collin gave me three rules: 1) No kicking kids in school. 2) No tripping kids in school. 3) Always eat your greens before you eat dessert."--Markell

"They looked up to Dominick and me. I never knew how fun it was to work with little children."--Andre


by Teresa Drumgoole

The 8th graders created their own version of, "We the People",
and they presented it at Peabody. Although I wasn't able to go
to Peabody, creating my book was a fun experience. My book was
entitled, "We The Bees". I chose that title because I couldn't
think of anything else. I drew all of my pictures, because I
didn't feel like using the computer. My book came out nicely
without electronics. It was great to see my classmate's
creations. They really did a good job. But the one book that I
really liked was Katie Thomas-C's book entitled, "We the
Alphabets". Her illustrations were really nice. She is really
artistic. Everyone did a good job. As I said before, even
though I could not make it to Peabody to read my book, I bet it
was a fun experience for my friends to show off their
creations. This was a fun assignment!

History Club's Final Visit with the National Portrait Gallery

New Laptops for our History Class!!!!

Thank you Capitol Hill Community Foundation! They have sponsored five new laptops for our school, two of which will reside in the 8th grade history classroom for use for History Day, STAMPS, blogging and more!!! In addition, we received locks for the computers and a new wireless printer! Thank you for your generosity CHAMPS! You have made a huge difference!

The Capitol, House Gallery, and Congresswoman Norton

by Ben

On Friday, December 12, 2008 about 24 students and Ms. Trenkle took a trip to the Capitol Visitor Center. The visitor center is very new and we got a special tour of it. We first went to see a movie called "Of Many, One." After the movie we started the actual tour of the Capitol and got to use special headsets. Some of the stops on our tour were the Rotunda of the Capitol, Statuary Hall, and the Whisper Chamber. In order to go on this trip we had to write a letter as to why we are a good choice to take on the trip, we had to choose a person from Statuary Hall to research and write a question to Cognresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton. The person I chose from Statuary Hall was Nathaniel Greene and I found his statue in the Crypt. We got a chance to sit on the House of Representatives Gallery and ask a Capitol Police Officer anything we wanted to know about the House of Representatives. Our last stop on the trip was to see Eleanor Holmes Norton. Even thought it was very short I still enjoyed seeing her and her office. My favorite part of the tripw as the tour where we got to use the headsets

by Alexus

On December 12, selected students went on a trip to the Capitol. Our trip was very interesting We watched a movie on the Capitol. We also took a tour of the Rotunda and the Crypt. We saw statues including MLK, and Samuel Adams. We met Eleanor Holmes Norton after our tour of the Capitol. It was so exciting once she talked to us. We were allowed to ask her questions and walk through her office. I saw pictures of her with her kids, Shirley Chisholm and Corretta Scott King. After we finished we walked to Union Station and had lunch.


by Tyquia

On December 12 at 8:20 am we departed from Stuart-Hobson Middle School to begin our day. First stop: the wonderful Capitol. We took a tour of the Capitol and the House of Representatives Gallery. We were able to expeirence where the voting takes place. We learned about the over nine million pound dome and Staturary Hall. We explored the House Gallery and then we were out the door! We had an interview ith te fascinating Eleanor Holmes Norton. She was very informative. The Capitol was nice but the meeting was oustanding. It was a true honor to meet with the Congresswoman.
Tyquia is a student who expands her knowledge on every trip because "of my favorite teacher."




by Katie---

At an unsavory hour of morning (8:15!), select 8th graders departed for the Capitol. After a tedious security check and a confiscation of hairspray, we finally entered the NATION'S CAPITOL! We saw saw the Greek-inspired architecture to the bronze and marble statues in Statuary Hall, before reaching yet ANOTHER security check! By this point we were getting sick of the high security in the Capitol, but our curiosity got the better of us. We walked in, escorted by security guards, to the House of Representatives Gallery. It was amazing--rows and rows of wooden-backed benches, huge paintings, and cloth wallpaper. I know my mouth fell open. I twas beautiful. That was my favorite part of the entire trip.

Afterwards we met Eleanor Holmes Norton and then went to Union Station. However, none of this could downsize my awe and respect for one of the rooms in which our lives were determined. Truly, it was amazing. I would have liked to have visited the Senate Gallery, to complete the experience, but this was otherwise pretty perfect.

Katie is a Starbucks lover, dog-petter, and awesome person!



by Linstrum

The trip was perfect. I would love to go again. The best part was when me Eleanor Holmes Norton. When I saw her it was great! She let us come in to her office and look around. When I was in her office I saw many awards and prizes she has won. One of the objects I saw was the big scissors that she used to cut the ribbon for the grand opening of the Convention Center.

It was terrific to meet someone like Eleanor Holmes Norton!

BY: Kelsea

On Friday, December 12th, 24 Stuart-Hobson 8th graders went on a very nice field trip. We visited the Capitol and the Capitol Visitors' Center. We also went to see Eleanor Homes Norton at her office. The students and Ms. Trenkle were allowed to ask Ms. Norton questions and tour her office. While at the Capitol, we all saw a movie, went in the Senate Vestibule, Rotunda and Statuary Hall. My favorite part of the trip was going to the Capitol.


by Brittany

On December 12, 2008 selected students form Stuart-Hobson Middle School went on a field trip to the Capitol and the Capitol Visitors Center. Once there, we had to go through the dreaded security. After going through security we went to watch a short movie informing us about he Constitution and other things that brought our country together. After the short movie our tour began. We got to see they many different places that in the Capitol such as Statuary Hall and the Rotunda which was right under the dome. This was a fun experience, except for the security and I wish to do it again.

Brittany is a student in the clas of '09 and she enjoys Starbucks, shopping and reading.

National Air and Space Museum Kickoff Event!

by Max

Today, December 11, 2008, the Stuart-Hobson eighth grade went to the National Air and Space Museum. The reason we went there is because Stuart-Hobson has a partnership with the Aero Club and the National Air and Space Museum. The school has had this partnership for seven years. We got there by buses. The buses were comfortable and the bus ride was about fifteen minutes. Our homeroom had our own bus.

We had very special speaker named Dik Daso. He is a retired pilot. He told us that we probably won't be who we think we will be when we grow up. He also told us that we should put our family first. He told us one more thing. He told us that we should always be nice to people. He was very emotional when he was talking about his family and he started crying. That showed us that he loves his family very much.

We also saw a movie called 'To Fly' in the IMAX movie theater. I learned that flying began with a hot air balloon. Then I saw a NASA rocket take off. One of the other things I liked were the fighter planes called Blue Angels. They are gray color when they are used in the War in Iraq. But they are also used in air show. They are blue and yellow color when they perform in air shows. They perform stunts that I call the diamond and side by side barrel roll.

Then we went to the gallery called how things fly. There I saw the balloon that was floating in the air. That represented the first flight. There was also a plane that we could sit in an steer the rudder. There was also a machine that used magnet power to move metal things. Many people were interested in the plane and the metal magnet movement.

I thought that the movie was fun but the gallery was kind of boring. I learned a lot about space and flight. I really want to go to the museum again and see the rest of the museum. I rally hope that the next time I go there, won't be the photographer that was flashing in our faces the whole time Dik was talking. I also think that the gallery should be updated and the airplane should be a fighter jet. I hope that our school will be partners with the Aero Club for many more years. Thank you for the great experience.


By Andre

We went to the National Air and Space Museum on December 11, 2008. The people that went were the 8th grade teachers and the 8th graders unless you were absent.

We went because we have a partnership with the National Air and Space Museum and the Aero Club. We also went to learn about flying and space air craft it was fun for a first event for the partnership.

Our speaker's name is Dick Daso. He was an emotional speaker and I thought he was okay. From his speech I learned that it will take you along time to know what you want to be. You should always put your family first and he talked a lot about different planes.

The IMAX movie was fun. I enjoyed how the man flew from different places in his hot air balloon. It was funny when the man and the lady were about to kiss and he flew over the sun and covered the sun light. Other sections that I enjoyed in the movie was when they started showing the different planes that came out year after year they were very fancy and I looked like they were not safe.

When we were in the how things fly section I payed a lot of attention to which of the objects that create less drag. Another question that they asked but in a different section was about the pressure of the airplane. The question was: how does air pressure lift an airplane wing? I said that you have to notice the shape of the wing; the upper was more curved than the lower surface. The curved upper surface constricts the flow of air more than the flatter lower surface causing the air above the wing to speed up.

But overall the trip was fun. Both going and leaving my homeroom had our own bus and I had my own seat. Now something that made me upset was the camera guy, because he just kept taking pictures of the same people and things. There aren’t that many improvements that I think there should have been for the museum but I would have like to seen an airplane take off!



By Jophnee

Today students from our school went to the National Air and Space Museum. When we first arrived at the museum we waited for them to prepare the theater for us.

Before we watched the movie, we met the curator of the Modern Military exhibit at the Air and Space Museum. His name is Dik Daso. He attended the Air Force Academy. Later he earned his Masters in history. His interests are music and just hanging out with his family. As a child he never thought he would become an curator or even have an interest in planes.

Then we watched "To Fly." The movie talked about how mankind figured out that not only birds can fly but humans too. It also told us how the universe not only stops here but it goes beyond what we can ever imagine.

After the movie we went to the exhibits and observed what we had never seen before. We did some hands on games and read about gravity and what makes things fly.

Choosing History Day Topics

It's that time again! HISTORY DAY! This year's theme is "The Individual in History: Actions and Legacies." Stay tuned to learn about some of the exciting topics that 8th graders will be doing this year!

STAMPS at the Lincoln Memorial

by Kelsea

On Saturday, December 6 members of STAMPS met Ms. Trenkle at the Foggy Bottom Metro. Our destination was the Lincoln Memorial. We met "our" park ranger Ms. Jen as soon as we got there. Ms. Jen had many activities planned, one of which was a scavenger hunt. This scavenger hunt taught us a lot. For example, I bet you didn't know that the Lincoln statue is sitting on top of the American flag! The memorial is made of materials from many states, to symbolize the coming together of America. There also are 36 pillars suppoting the memorial for the same reason, one for each of the states in the Union when Lincoln was President. After the scavenger hunt we discussed our answers and planned future meetings. We then said "goodbye" to Ms. Jen. Little did we know Ms. Trenkle had a surprise for us. STARBUCKS! It was then tiem for our parents to come and for our STAMPS trip to be over.

Kelsea is an active member of STAMPS. She really enjoys the rpogram. History is one of her favorite subjects.

We the People Books

by Ally

"We the people of the United States, In order to form a more perfect union, Establish justice, Insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty, to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution, for the United States of America."

As soon as we walked into Mrs. Trenkle's room smiles crept onto our faces. We knew today was the day we would be reading our "We the People" books. On December 3, 2008 Mrs. Trenkle read a book in class titled "We the Kids". We were given two days to work on our own "We the Kids" book. We weren't allowed to call it we the kids though. The book is the preamble to the Constitution. We weren't allowed to change any part of the Constitution. We are just supposed to illustrate it so that it is understandable for kids. There was a large variety of titles. Included were "We the Marines", " We the Robots", "We the Alphabet", "We the Pumpkins", "We the Bears" (animals not team), "We the Shoes", and many more. They were all very exciting from my point of view. This assignment helped me to understand what the preamble meant because the way it is written is very confusing compared to the language we use today. Plus looking at the funny, adorable, and disurbing pictures weren't half bad either. I hope we do an assignment like this again.



My name is Alexandria. Out of the books read in class my favorite was "We the Robots". The author of the book was Devin. On her cover she had a picture of the Constitution. Instead of it saying We the People she took out People and put the title Robots from the movie Robots in its place.

Thank you Ms. Baracks!

Thank you to Ms. Baracks who was our student practicum teacher from American University! While she was with our class she went on field trips to the Washington Monument, the C&O Canal, and the Columbus Statue. She taught us lessons about the early settlements of the 13 colonies, how to read DC maps and find important landmarks (as part of our Geography Awareness week!), and then taught a lesson on Federalists and Anti-Federalists! We will miss you Ms. Baracks and wish you luck for your spring student teaching! Come back and see us!

National Portrait Gallery--Visit #2!

by Madison, Alexandria, and Mikayla

For the last three weeks the students involved in the History Club of Stuart-Hobson have been going to the National Portrait Gallery at 3:30 pm. We meet with Ms. Geri after a short ride on the subway. A self-selected number of students are involved in the History Club and from what we’ve seen, heard, and experienced, it’s obvious everyone involved enjoys it!

We normally enter the National Portrait Gallery around 4 pm. We stay at this amazing museum for an intense hour. When we walk in to the museum we first go to the Education Center where we discuss what we’ll be doing that day. Once we exit the room, our eyes light up as we see the beautiful portraits that line the halls. You could call this place an art museum but that would be degrading to it! This gallery tells the history of this amazing country.

One of the things we learned is that the Portrait Gallery used to have a “dead enough” rule. Portraits of a person couldn’t be displayed unless ten years had passed. But when they reopened the museum in 2006 that rule was changed. They display current art works also now but most of the portraits are historical in nature. That’s why this gallery is a great place to choose History Day topics!

During these visits we explore the many backgrounds these portraits have. We are currently working on monologues. We have chosen a person we would like to explore. We are learning about them and we have looked at their portraits! In our next sessions we will pose as they do, write about them, and then create a monologue as if we were them! Some of the people we are exploring are Angela Davis, Pocahontas, Christopher Reeves, Thomas Edison, and John Muir. Stay tuned to find out how our monologues turn out!

From Huey Newton to Shirley Temple this museum has it all!

Our Thoughts About the Blog

by Johvonna

I love the idea of writing for the blog our history teacher made. I love it because parents and teachers can see what we do our field trips and in our assignments at school. I know I don't like to tell my parents what we did in school, so to direct my parents to the blog website, and show them what we have done, is an awesome idea. We also get to share with our school communities stories that we liked about our assignments or field trips. It also explains our next adventures.


by Tiesha

It think a blog is a good idea because it can bring good opportunities to us and our school. It lets students be proud of their work. Parents can visit the site to see what a good job their kids do and other kids too. It also allows us to share our ideas and opinions.


by Diamond

I think that a blog is a good thing to have because it shows the teacher what we learned, and what we like. I also think that it shows how much of a good school we have and that we can learn and have fun at the same time.


by Chantell

I think the blog is a good idea because it tells parents what we do during school times. It lets the parents know that we visit places that are educational and what everyone learned, and how they thought the trip was. The blog shows our daily activity in history.

Geography Bee--Round 1

by Capria

During Geography week we took a test. The test asked us multiple questions about geography: countries, states, cities and more. The test was a bit challenging and I was only three points away from making it to the Geography Bee. The Geography Bee is like a spelling bee only asking geography questions. Everyone took the first round of the Geography Bee. I can't wait to see the actual bee!


by Jovan

The Geography Bee is a competition about geography. The competitors are the students. The Geography Bee is a chance for students to show their knowledge. I didn't enjoy doing the Geography Bee but I know someone else might think it is fun. The Geography Bee could be more fun if it were more physically academic.


by Ms. Trenkle

Congratulations to our Geography Bee winners for Round One. Students took their Geography Bee qualifying round test on Tuesday/Wednesday during double block. There were 41 possible points.

These top 25 students will participate in the second round of Geography Bee before winter break. Aaron received the highest score of 31/41.

Congratulations to all students for your hard work (and earned extra credit). The following
students will advance to round two:

Aaron, Katie, Madison, Tatiana, James, Trevor, Daley, Ben, Teresa, Emonie, Christopher, Kevon, Jophnee, Dyani, Luke, Sertira, Alexus, Kelsea, Janay, Devin, Linstrum, Brittany, William, Max, Jeffrey.

"We Hold These Truths..."

By: Kelsea

"We hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal." That's about the only part of the Declaration Of Independence most Americans know. Not SHMS 8th grade history students! With the help of Ms. Trenkle, most if not all of the 8th graders learned part of the Declaration of Independence. We had to recite it to Ms.Trenkle on Thursday, November 20th, 2008. You will find below the section students had to learn and recite.

"We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That, to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers form the consent of the governed; that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it,and to institute a new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness."

I personally enjoyed this assignment, and I think others did too.

-Kelsea is an 8th grade student at SHMS. She enjoys acting, reading, shopping and spending time with friends.One of her favorite sports is soccer. History is one of her favorite subjects. She enjoys working on the blog team.


by DaJuan

I now know part of the Declaration of Independence! Everyone was required to memorize and recite the Declaration of Independence. I had a hard time remembering it. I thought I was going to give up. I started practicing everyday, and would know bits and pieces of it. Then, I told myself that I was going to know it, and so I had to be disciplined. I finally learned, memorized, and recited it!


by Ashane

During the recitation I was very scared because I really did not want to say it. But when I got up to say it I was like, I can do it but starting it was scary. I was afraid I couldn’t remember it, but I got through it and I was so glad that I finished and I got an A+, thank you Jesus! My favorite was reciting it because after you go, you’re done.



by Kephren

Our recitation was assigned to use two weeks before the actual recitation. It was only one paragraph long and very difficult to memorize. It was the first part of the Declaration of Independence. Our class only had four students who could not memorize it. Even though our class did not have 100% completion, it helped me with my memorization skills.

The hardest part to remember was toward the end, “laying down its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form.” It was very complicated. Closer to the time of the recitation I felt very nervous but I stuck it out and said it through.



by Jeffrey

I think learning part of the Declaration of Independence was really enjoyable. I have a good memory. It was a little hard to remember all of it, but when I did it, it was really fun. I was the first one in my class to do the recitation. I was a little scared to do my recitation, but after I ddi it, I felt a lot better. I think it is good for students to remember things like that, but it makes them a lot smarter.



by Omar

I loved the DOI because to me it was easy. I studied/memorized all of it in one night. I also got an A+ so my mother and I were very, very happy. And next I need to, or I want to, memorize another story like the Declaration of Independence again. I would love to get another A+ on everything.



by Carleshia

Every class was assigned the famous document “The Declaration of Independence” on November 7, 2008. We had until November 19 to memorize it. The speech was at least on one paragraph long. To me I thought that it would be easy because I can memorize speeches and songs easily, but to some people it seemed like it would take them years. I really liked that assignment because it shows our skills on how we remember things and if we take a long time to remember it or not.


by Terrisha

On November 7 we were given an excerpt of the Declaration of Independence. We were to memorize and recite it in front of the class on the 19th. We were give almost two weeks to do this. It was fairly easy for me. We were given the opportunity to recite it before the 19th. To my surprise Jeffrey was the first to memorize it. Overall, it was a fun, easy A.

Terrisha is an 8th grader at Stuart. Her favorite class is U.S. History.


by Shanice

On November 7, 2008, the 8th grade classes were given an excerpt from the Declaration of Independence. We were to memorize it by the 20th. It seemed as if we had a long time to study, but it was just days away. I felt that this assignment was fun, not just because I got an A+, but because I learned something new. I fell that this was one of the most interesting assignments thus far in history class. I look forward to doing more things like this.

Shanice is an 8th grader of Stuart-Hobson MS in U.S. History.

Geography Awareness Week with National Geographic and the Giant Map!

BY: Liz and Kelsea

Tomorrow is the last day of geography awareness week! To recognize this week of geography, our school did some pretty awesome activities. On Monday, people form National Geographic came to the school. We played games on a giant map of the U.S. (see the photo to the left). On Tuesday or Wednesday (depending on our double block schedule) we took our Geography Bee Test. On Thursday, students and teachers wore jerseys and shirts from or representing another country. There were shirts from Argentina, London, Canada, Mexico, Poland, New Zealand, Jamaica, France, China, and Australia. So, before this week is over you should make an effort to learn about another country or culture!




P.S. Some students watched "Where is Matt" video...check it out to see it for yourself!

Kelsea and Liz are two fabulous 8th grade girls here at SHMS. They are really good friends and both work on the blog team.



by Gary

What I really enjoyed was the Geography Awareness week with the giant map. I thought that the geography awareness week wasn’t gong to be very fun but when I heard I didn’t have to go to class I was happy. On top of that, all we had to do was play games based on geography. I really enjoyed answering the questions and playing the game and actually learned something from this. I hope the next geography week will be as fun as this one.



by Shalynn

I think that the Geography Awareness week was fun and educational at the same time. I think that it was fun because we played games that I would never have thought to play. We had to write a country on a sticky note, stick on the person that was next to you so that they can’t see it and they would ask questions to try and figure it out. I think that it was educational because we learned about different countries.



by Carlye

In Geography Awareness Week we did two major events. On Monday, we had a giant map. On the giant map, we played a game where you would figure out hwere the food you got, is grown or manufactured. We also played a game where you would have to guess what state or country is on your forehead.

On Thursday, it was “Wear-a-shirt-from-another-country-day.” Some people decided to wear stuff from places like Canada, Australia, Ireland and many more. I wore a shirt from Poland. One thing that I wish we did was have International Food Tasting Day (yummm!).



by Paris

What I like about the Geography Awareness Week was fun. We got a chance to wear shirts and jerseys from different countries. At the end we got to find out where certain foods were located in the countries. It was funny and I got to learn new things from the Geography Awareness Week. I just wish it could have gone a lot longer.

History Club's Visit to the National Portrait Gallery, Visit 1

by Madison

I liked the History Club trip to the National Portrait Gallery. We learned a lot about the different portraits and the people in them. We learned about John Brown, Sojourner Truth, and the portrait of George Washington. We also saw the museum of American Art. I enjoyed seeing this figure of Rosa Parks there and trying to understand what it meant.



by Maya

Have you ever been to the National Portrait Gallery? If not, you should stop reading this right now and go immediately there. It was a blast. Our instructor was Ms. Geri. She was just a cool as Mrs. Trenkle. It was educational yet, fun at the same time. I saw the room where Lincoln had his inaugural ball. That was interesting, because the tile on the floor was unique. Unlike tiles today, the color on the tile went all the way through. There was a sculpture of Rosa Parks getting arrested. It made me think a lot. What I didn’t understand was what the sculpture of the manly woman was for. Ms. Trenkle knew about some paintings but Ms. Geri knew more. When we went in Ms. Geri’s office it was unique, funky and cool.

Honoring Our Veterans

by Brittany

For our veteran's assignment Ms. Trenkle gave us a sheet of paper with questions about a veteran memorial of our choice. There were many memorials we could choose from but I chose the African American Civil War Memorial. I got there and saw many things that I had never seen before. I also saw many uniforms and other accessories of soldiers. When we were in class we got to talk about the memorial of our choice and why we liked it. I liked the memorial I chose becuase it told about the hsitory of African-Americans and how they were a big part of our history and how they still are. If I had to do this assignment again I would.

by Tatiana

I went to the World War II Memorial for my Veteran's assignment. It was raining a little which made the meorial glisten. I liked this assignment because it was fun to learn about the veterans. There were real veterans there and quotes were engraved everywhere. There was a lot of heart in this assignment which is why I enjoyed it so much.


by Francesca

I am writing about the Veteran's Day assignment. I liked it. It was fun to look at the site. Iususally just look at it an feel no emotions. Now, since I had this assignment I felt emotions. I fell sad for the veterans and the people who died. And now I learned about two things: the veterans and the war they fought it and how to show emotions.


by Mya

When I went to the World War II Memorial I looked around and saw all these new things, and I wrote about them on my paper. I liked it becuase it was new and I also liked the waterfalls. I took pictures but it was at night because of the time change,but I had a flash. I saw the state names on the walls and pictures carved in front, and a picture of a horse. I top of the state pillars were wreaths. I was sad because that is a lot of names of people on the wall that died in one war. That was sad to me. But it was nice to see how people brought flowers and flags to worship them. They really care.


by Daley

The World War II Memorial was beautifully breath-taking yet sad. The thing that stuck with me the most was the gold stars. Each stat was the equivalent of 100 Americans who died. There were 4, 048 stars. There was also a veteran at the memorial and he had some very cool projects.


by Niiya

Overall there are a ton of veterans memorials. Personally, I enjoyed the experience of the African-American Memorial observing all 209, 145 names of those who gave their livesfor freedom. It was very touching. I fell this idea of having an interesting assignment such as that was a good experience. Hopefully Ms. Trenkle will give us outdoor assignments when the weather isn't under 40 degrees.

Virginia Beach, Jamestown and Williamsburg, Oh My!

by Carlye, Rachel, and Terrisha

On November 10, 2008 some of the 8th graders of Stuart Hobson Midlle School took a trip to Virginia Beach Aquarium, Jamestown, Williamsburg. First we went to the Aquarium. Taylour said that "the aquarium felt like a maze." When we first got there we saw a scuba diver feeding fish. We then went on to the sting-rays which we touched on their backs. Lastly we moved on to the most informative exhibit....SHARKS!! We looked at different sharks. One thing we learned is that a a sharks grip is 42,000 psi compared to my 20 psi. After lunch at McDonalds which Niiya said "Brought back childhood memories because of the playpen", we went to Jamestown. Jamestown would probably be our least liked destination. It was informal but not as fun. We then went Williamsburg. This was a night activity. We experienced first hand what it was like to be a soldier in the Revolutionary War. We also learned what role women played in Washington's army.

Terrisha, Rachel and, Carlye are 8th graders at Stuart-Hobson. They are 13 years old,and we are all friends.

Election 2008!!!!

by DaJuan

I was overly excited about Barack Obama winning!!! When I was told that Obama had won, tears of joy filled my eyes. Even though I'm a minor, the 8th grade class, as a whole had a mock election. Out of 93 votes in the 8th grade, 91 of us voted for Obama, 1 voted for McCain, and 1 wrote in John Edwards for President. In History class we learned about Barack Obama, and what his accomplishments were for the United States. November 4, 2008 was just amazing...!!!

DaJuan is an 8th grader at Stuart-Hobson who loves shopping, purple, jewlery, talking on the phone, writing, and Obama!!! She doesn't mind saying how she REALLY feels...

Election Day at the Newseum

The News at the Newseum

The Newseum Experience on Election Day

BY LIZ

When entering the Newseum, the first thing you notice is the many levels. The building seems to just go up and up, with never ending knowledge and information. There are levels, half levels, and terraces. It was all decked out with newspapers from that day, all focusing on the election. And what better place to be on such a historic day than a museum dedicated to documenting history?

One very interesting room was the Robert H. and Clarence Smith Big Screen Theater. The exhibit was called Getting The Big Picture. This was a movie that showed presidential ads as far back as the Nixon-Kennedy election in 1962. You could see how ads got better over the years, once the technology got to be more familiar to the candidates and their employees. There were references to nuclear bombing, terrorist attacks, and education plans. This display is really interesting if you’ve lived through at least one election, so you can see which ads they chose to show.

Another captivating room was Today’s Front Pages Gallery. It showed front pages from that day from places all over the world. There were newspapers from Poland, Greece, Hungary, Boston, Japan, France, and D.C. All of them were focused on the election. It’s interesting to see how the whole world is watching America’s presidential election.

The NBC News Interactive Newsroom: Sitting in the Hot Seat was a chance to experience what a reporter’s life and work is like. You can stand in front of a backdrop and talk to a camera as if you are a TV news reporter, and watch other people give their reports on the TVs that are all around the room. You can also solve a mystery on a computer, then choose the headline for the article you’re “writing”, while keeping within the time limit your editor set for you. This was a very fun and entertaining room.

The Newseum is a great place to take your kids, or just go with your friends. It has lots of interactive activities, with history mixed in. This museum is one of the best in D.C.! The only downside is a $25 admission ticket, but it’s free for school groups. Tell your school, because this museum has a truckload of primary sources and delightful activities!

Day at The Newseum
A Fun Way To Learn The News Of Our World
By Kevon

On Election Day, the 8th grade class took a trip to the Newseum. It was an enjoyable place. It contained many articles and reports about current and past events. All of its historical exhibits were in good condition and seemed historically accurate. It was a very interactive environment with many activities to participate in. The Newseum was overall an educational, but fascinating place to visit.

One 4-D movie was about how important making news is. This was a short, yet enjoyable program. It was interactive because of its moving seats, sprays of water and many other realistic things. Throughout, the movie it made you feel as if you were actually in it. It showed many historic events and how reporters and the news were needed during that time. In the end, this was exciting and taught a lot.

The Robert H and Clarice Smith Big Screen Theater was also a wonderful favorite. It gave a clear understanding of presidential history. Many presidents and their campaigns were showed. The screen was big and beautifully laid out, making it interesting to watch. Ads. Arguments, and elections were included. This history of presidents is worthy of being visited.

An exceptionally enjoyable place that was visited was the Pulitzer Prize Photographs Gallery. All of the images were clear and most likely difficult to capture based on the positioning in the photos. Even though these pictures mostly showed death and conflicts of real events, it showed how the world really is. These pictures show that future photographers can catch news such as this.

The Newseum was hard to leave. There were many things still to observe in the giant building. Even so, it was an entertaining and very informative about news. This place was full of news and reports, recent and historical. Through the years, this place is expected to grow and become even more popular.

What’s News?

~ The Newseum Comes to D.C. ~

by Daley

Visiting the Newseum is a fun, captivating experience that the whole family can enjoy. From the 6^th floor Terrace with a view of Pennsylvania Avenue, to the cafeteria and 4D movie in the basement, the excitement is never ending. You start your historic journey with an introductory movie about what news really is. The message is that news reports on all events that stir our emotions and that what is news today is history tomorrow. Though you are requested to start your adventure at the beautiful terrace and work your way down through the six captivating levels, you don’t miss out on anything if you chose your own path through history.

One of the coolest parts of the Newseum is the Walter and Leonore Theater’s 4D movie located on the first floor and basement level. This movie is a time capsule pulling you through some important dates in history. You put on your 3D glasses and literally are dragged through time. The seats in the theatre are able to move around, and along with the surround sound and whooshing gusts of air you feel like you’re actually there in history. The movie is about three heroic tales: a pioneering Colonial Journalist, a War Correspondent, and a Female Detective Reporter. They all must face the risk of high danger and even death to tell the people of the world exactly what is going on either on the battle front or behind the scenes.

Visitors shouldn’t miss the News History Gallery in the Newseum on the 5^th floor. Kids will be amazed at how much they learn about recent history that occurred just before their time. One example is the huge media coverage of the life and death of Diana, Princess of Wales. This time machine is spell-binding and intelligent. The five news theaters and 500 years of history make this gallery spectacular. The room is filled with a long center stand with drawers you can pull out. Primary sources from pictures and news paper articles fill the drawers and teach you about history and how the telling of history has developed. On the sides of the room propped against the walls are side panels about the development of telephones, computers, and television. They tell how reporters have gotten the news to people over time and what the best ways to currently spread the news are. There are also memory games throughout the gallery that are fun for kids and adults alike. Can you make the matches before time runs out?

Don’t miss the Pulitzer Prize Photograph Gallery. These pictures take you to places you’ll never want to revisit, but cannot forget. You’ll experience the joy, sadness and anger that these photos place inside you. There are pictures of children starving in Africa and pictures of death from many wars past and present. Many of the photographs include narratives which tell the story of both the photo and the photographer. The pictures range from the early 1920’s to the present day 2000’s. There are also computers for you to learn more about each picture and the story behind it.

The Newseum is an amazing experience that no one should miss out on. The whole family will learn from and enjoy the magical time travel experience. The internal architecture of the museum is fun and original and will keep you from getting lost or from getting bored. So come on down, and learn how news is a part of our everyday life, and of our history.

Hours: 9a.m. to 5

p m. daily.

Admission: Adults $20, Seniors $18,

Youth (7 to 12) $13, Children, free