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

Canvasing for Voters with SJP

By Liz
The day before Election Day, all of the classes went to Union Station and handed out our social justice postcards [see October 16 entry]. My group went with Ms. Barracks to the front of the building, and gave them to people we saw to remind them to vote. I thought it was really fun to remind people about the importance of voting. We also told them to visit the website on the back of the postcard and comment on our social justice postcard design. Some people were really interested and would walk off looking at the postcard, and I saw others throw them away! One person even asked me when it was! Needless to say, I was happy to inform him. I think that we affected at least a few people's plans for Election Day, and I hope that everyone we gave a postcard voted.

Liz is an eighth grader at Stuart-Hobson whose favorite candy is Reeses, and who is amazingly happy that Barack Obama won the election!

White House Tour with STAMPS

by Linstrum

The White House was great. When we walked in….I can’t even explain it, it was so great. In the White House the best thing that I liked was the glass wear they used in state dinners. The best picture I saw was a copy of the famous George Washington picture. The original is in the National Portrait Gallery.

When we were done we walked through Lafayette Park (a.k.a. President’s Park) and went on another tour. I won a gold medal with the Air Force on it. We took a group picture and then walked to the White House Visitor Center. We watched a movie and played games about the presidents. After our parents came and got us.


by Tyquia

On November 1, 2008 STAMPS took a wonderful and memorable trip to the White House. Did you know the White House is considered a National Park? After checking in and going through the metal detectors we were on our way. We visited the Red Room, Green Room, Blue Room, State Dining Room, and a few others. It was one to remember. I believe every American family should definitely visit the White House including the White House Visitor Center.


by Kelsea

On a chilly Saturday morning Ms. Trenkle and members of STAMPS met Ms. Jen, Park Ranger, at the White House Visitor Center. We were going on a tour of the White House! On the tour we saw the "colored" rooms (blue, green, red, etc.), the dining hall, and other little nooks and crannies. When the tour was over, we headed to Lafayette Park where we learned about Lincoln's assasination. While we didn't see any secret passageways or the Oval Office, the White House tour was still very fun! I can't wait for Ms. Trenkle's next activity!

by Dyani

My experience at the White House was good. We got to see the Blue Room, Yellow Room, and the Green Room. I mean, for being called the White House there are a lot of colors inside! I wish that we could see the place where the president and his/her family lives and plays but we couldn't. I can understand. I mean, would you want some strangers in your room everyday? I don't think so.


by Amber

One thing that I liked about the White House is that it has many different rooms to it. When you enter the White House you see a garden and it has lemon tree, and if you look down you see lemons on the ground. There are also many different types of roses. If you go further you see different types of paintings everywhere. Then there is a library, and if you go upstairs you see a Red Room, Blue Room, Green Room and white room. Overall, it was fun. I would love to go again.

Building a Green Community at the National Building Museum

by Ms. Trenkle

On Monday, October 27, the four literacy classes went to the National Building Museum to pilot one of their new programs, "Building a Green Community." During their visit, students visited the new "Building a Green Community" exhibit and discussed urban growth. By looking at community models around the country, students saw how urban centers and brown zones could be developed to better use the land and the resources available. Students then came back to the education room and designed their own green community. Buildings for their community were made with recycled boxes, cans and egg cartons. Students then had to think about which buildings they wanted where in their community--should a fire station be in the center of the community (to be centrally located in case of an emergency), or on the fringe of the community so not as many people would be disturbed by the loud sirens of the coming and going fire engines? Should a school be in the center of the community for accessibility (and so that more students could walk or bike to school) or near a park so that students can play in a green area? Were factories necessary? (Everyone concluded that they were) Then...where should the factories be placed? These were the type of conversations that were included in our two and half hour visit. Students went home thinking about their city, their environment and how to be more environmentally friendly.




by Phillip Tucker

The National Building Museum was great. When we were there the building was huge. We built a mini house and put them on a map. We put them together in a row and landscaped them.

Mapping with John Smith

by Ms. Trenkle

To learn about John Smith, and the region he navigated, students investigated National Geographic maps of the Chesapeake Bay 400 years ago and today. Students compared and contrasted the two sides of the map, imagining what it might have been like 400 years ago to travel via water and encounter so many Native Americans. Students learned that a lot has changed in our area, including the name of waterways and the ways areas/regions were named.

C&O Canal Boat Ride with STAMPS

by Alexandria

The C&O canal trip was exciting. We began the trip by taking the subway to Georgetown. It was a long walk but when we arrived at the C&O canal we knew that it had been worth it. We had to wait for a little bit but we spent that time by going into the ranger station which is where we got our stamp. It was my first and many other people's 2nd. The station was filled with little toys from the days before I was born. Surprisingly they were fun to play with. After everyone received their stamp, as if they had been watching us, the lock keepers (people operating the canal) arrived right on time. The boat went very slowly but we still learned a lot of information from the ranger who kept us entertained with jokes and stories. We felt like we were actually from that time period.

We learned about mules. They are hard workers that are the result of a male donkey and a female horse. If it was vice versa a hinny would be a result and they are lazy! We got to pet the mules and found out how smart they are. For example if a mule sees a puddle of water it will walk around it pushing its leader into the wall because it is clueless about how deep it is. Overall the trip was fun.

I was born in Pennsylvania and now live in DC. I love it here just like I love PA, but I will forever be an Eagles fan! I'm their ride or die fan! (I'm in the blue jacket to the right).