Welcome to Mr. Nelson’s Social Studies Blog.
This site will be a great source of information for both students and parents. Primarily, you can check the homework that we are currently working on in Social Studies.
I also hope to let you download some worksheets or material we’re covering in class, and access photos or video from actual class activities in the future.
Keep checking back for the extra stuff, but this is a great resource for homework if you don’t have your planner handy!
IMPORTANT: you can also access the textbook’s internet website for chapter reviews, games, webquests and more to help support your educational experience!
For this website, click on these words to go to directly to classzone.com
Bon Voyage. It’s going to be a great year!!!!!
Hi!
Hiya Mr. Nelson,
Tara Board here, I was just wondering how you were doing. I was in your class two years ago, and was just wandering the blogs on the site.
Nice “Mr. T’s Corner”, by the way.
Hi Tara!!!! I’m doing great! So awesome to see you on here. I can’t wait to share your great powerpoint of PHI when we do our Greece Powerpoint.
Got SMART?
Solve problems…………………………….. Make great decisions………………….. Achieve………………………………………………….. Respect………………………………………………….. There & ready! …………………………………………
period 3 kicks everyone’s… well, um…. you know what i mean… at the points! We gunna win it baby !! X3
we did win
SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAA
when do we get our finals back?
Hey everyone! Miss everyone! Any new 6th graders, tell all my friends in the 7th grade I said “Hi!”
Hello Mr. Nelson, its zak from your fifth period class you are an awsome teacher
hey MR.NELSON!!!!!!!!!!
how is it goin
Hola Mr. Nelson I miss your social studies class! I have a great social studies teacher, but she doesn’t have any computers!!!
I bike to school every day which is fun, and oh yeah on Monday we have school off and Thurston doesnt, so I’m gonna be there! See you Monday! 
Hi Mr. Nelson,
You rock your the best teacher ever so glad to be in your awesome class!!!!!
your student Chiara
Thanks Chiara!!!!! You guys are a great class and we’re going to have a great year!!!!
Hi Mr. Nelson,
I’m confused about the homework for tonight (Tuesday). Are we supposed to have a worksheet or do we do the questions at the end of Chapt. 2? I don’t have a worksheet. If it’s the questions, which numbers?
Thanks!
Tessa
Hi Tessa!!! I blew it and didn’t give you guys the worksheet….sorry. So, unfortunately you guys will have some homework either Thursday or over the weekend. See you tomorrow, if you’d like to get it done tonight, you can just do the review questions at the end of Chapter 2, lesson 2. Thanks.
Hi Mr. Nelson!
:):):):):):):):):):):):):):D Your an awesome teacher!!!!
This is such an awesome site!!!! It’s so helpful!!!
You rock!
Peace, Love, Happiness………..
-N
hey! its Samantha from your 5th period class.i just wanted to say that you are a really creative teacher.
-S
Samantha!!! Thanks so much. I love when our class can be fun and creative as well as educational. Hope you guys enjoy the podcasting!!!!
For ch. 1 you shud have shown every one clips from this one show on Nat Geo called “The Human Family Tree.” They took cotton swabs of like 300 people’s mouths in New York City and and then cotton swabs of people all over the world and they figure out who had what genetic markers change where, and how people left Africa etc. It was fascinating. Also for the Roman Empire how is Plebean pronounced? I say it like “plee-bee-anne,” but some kids in my Social Studies class say it’s “pleh-bee-anne” and other’s say it’s “pli-beh-yanne”. I wouldn’t ask but there’s this one guy who drives my insane who I was arguing over it, and I looked it up in the dictionary but it didn’t make any sense. ANYWAY….. keep up ur website cuz it’s like the best one anyone related to a school has.
Hi, i cant seem to find where the irrigation game is. See ya
ya i cant find it either…. I really wanna play it tho
Hey guys, it’s on the MULTIMEDIA page….check it out!
Mr. Nelson
thanx i found it and it is soooooo fun… i love it…. i played it like 6 times
#602
Mackenzie
11/4/09
Hi Mr.Nelson its me i am doing a paragraph on the plow.The plow was one of the most important inventions.The Sumerians invaented the plow because that was the way they could make it easier to farm.So i think it was basicaly a shovel with a handle but thats just my opinon.The plow was used for when the dirt was dry.They would use the plow to break up hard soil so planting could be a lot easier.It would also be hard to water the plants when the soil was hard because the water wouldnt be able to sink in the soil correctly.So the water would sink better with the plowed soil and it is a fact that plants got more water when they were plowed.Plows were pulled and pushed by people,then they had domesticated animals pull the plow.So that is pretty much all I have to say…………sorry if its really bad
#319
Isabelle
11-3-09
I am doing a paragh on the plow. The plow was one of the most important inventions. The Sumerians made the plow to make farming easier. It was pretty much a shovel with a handle. The plow was used for when the dirt was dry. They would use the plow to break up hard soil to make planting alot easier. It would also be hard to water plants if the soil was hard because the water couldn’t sink down to the roots correctly. So the water would sink deeper into the soil with the plowed soil and it is a fact that the plants got more water. Plows were pulled and pushed by people, then they had domesticated animals push the plow. The plow was mainly used to make farming easier and that’s what it did as you just read. The plow was mainly used for digging up dirt as well. Hope you liked my information on the plow.
615
Molly McMillen
11/4/09
The three most important Sumerian inventions are the wheel, the plow, and the potters wheel.
I accidentally submitted this, the full paragraph is below
The Sumerians invented many tools like the plow and wheel. The plow was used by many farmers to grind the soil so it is easier for the water to get to the roots of the plant and make them grow. The next tool or technology was the wheel that was used to transfer crops to other places. It made traveling with crops much easier. Another invention of the Sumerians was cuneiform writing. This was a wedged shaped type of writing. When they wrote in cuneiform they used a stylus to press markings into a clay tablet. The stylus was made of sharpened reed. Those are some of the inventions by the Sumerians.
Cunieform or wedged shaped writing evolved from pictographs. Pictographs were pictures used to explain words. For example a fish would be a very simple drawing of a fish. Cunieform was used later. Cunieform could have taken years to learn. Every symbol and line has a different meaning. Cunieform was written with a stylus or sharpened reed with a point to make a wedge at the end of every line. The would write on wet clay tablets and they were dried in a kiln or sun dried to become hard and permanent. Mainly men took there time to practice and maybe master Cunieform. Those who did were considered scribes or experts in writing and keeping records. Scribes and Cunieform were important because the beginning of writing was the beginning of history for us because then we could just read. We have archaeologists that study Sumer’s history, language, and writing system of Cunieform. They learned what every symbol means and now they translate the ancient symbols into English, Spanish, and many other languages. An example is that an archaeologist at a University told us about a clay tablet with Cunieform and it said, “Today at school I was beaten because I was late. I was beaten because I spoke out. I was beaten for talking. I would like the teacher to come over for a nice dinner so that she isn’t so mean to me.” Cunieform as given us clues to the past. Those clues will lead us to the future.
615
Molly McMillen
11/4/09
The three most important Sumerian inventions are the wheel, the plow, and a special kind of wheel, called the potters wheel. I am doing my paragraph on the wheel (transitioning into the potters wheel). (PARAGRAPH BELOW)
The wheel was a very important invention because it made carrying crops and other items easier, as well as making the pottery wheel possible
To carry goods they would put wheels on wagons, so they didn’t have to carry heavy, or large amounts of items by hand.The invention of the wheel made taking crops to markets much easier and quicker. Although carrying goods on the river was still more efficient the wheeled wagon still provided better transportation then carrying by hand.
A special kind of wheel called the potter’s wheel was used to make pottery more rapidly. Before the potter’s wheel Sumerians had to shape clay by hand, but instead, now they could make pottery at a quicker pace because of the potter’s wheel. As a result of easier pottery making they could work faster and produce more poterry quickly, which was important because pottery was much needed for storing goods. The wheel is such an important invention because without it we would not have most of our great technology that helps us travel and transport things today.
JEAN PIERRE
11/4
One of the most usefull Sumerian inventions was the plow. The plow allowed the Sumerians to soften soil to plant things and plant it faster. The water could not get to the roots without the soil being soft, and this is why the plow made the Sumerians life easier. For one it got the job done, it made the plant grow faster, and the plant got more water to grow. I decided to do this paragraph about the plow because it was one of the most famous inventions.
The Sumerians were good at solving problems . They invented tools such as the wheel and the plow to help the farmers and laborers. They could plant more crops and transport them easier to market. The wheel was also used to make pots for storage. With more crops to trade, the Sumerians needed to solve another problem of recording their exchanges. They then developed arithmetic to keep records. Their numbers are still used today, as in 60 seconds equals a minute and 60 minutes equals an hour. They also developed geometric
measurements that we use, as in 360 circle, the triangle ,
rectangle, and square.
The Sumerians also invented writing by 3000 B.C.. They
needed to record trade exchanges and other business. The
wedge-shaped writing called cuneiform was invented and
written by scribes. It was very important because they could
pass on knowledge from generation to generation. The
Sumerians started history.
Pearl Shoemaker #623 11-4-09
WHEELS
Sumerians invented the wheel in about 3500 B.C.. Some of the first wheels were made of wood and the outsides were made of leather. Wheels were very helpful to farmers because they could put their crops on wagons and get them to the market safely and more easily. The Sumerians even invented the potter’s wheel. They needed pots to store things. Making pots on the wheel was much faster than making coil pots like they invented the potter’s wheel.
The two important tools the Sumerians made were the plow, and the wheel. Many historians believe that Sumerians may have invented the plow and the wheel. These inventions were a great deal that helped Sumerians in there daily life.
The plow was the first tool invented to help farmers to there needs. The first plow was simply a digging stick with a handles. Plows could be pulled or pushed, first by people , then by animals. Plows would break up tough soil which made planting easier. However, water could sink more deeply into plowed soil. A result was the roots of plants received more water.
Sumerians used the wheel in many different ways, such as on wagons to transport goods. Wagons with wheels helped farmers take their crops to places, such as the market. Wheels made it easier to move goods and other items. Though, transporting goods on the river was still more efficient.
Out of all of the important Sumer inventions, the wheel is the most important. We use the wheel so much now adays. we use the wheel on cars, chairs, and even on toys! the wheel probably made thing much easier back then too. they used the wheel for wagons, and sometimes boats (used as peddle moter thing).
I am doing a pargraph on the plow. The plow seperated soils so the Sumeraians plant because the soil is very thick because of silt, but the plow seperates the soil. The plow is pulled by a ox across the field. The plow is a great way to plant and farm in our society.
The Sumerians invented lots of important things. Their most important things they made were the plow and the wheel. The wheel was just as important as the plow but I think I talk to you about the plow. The plow is a tool the sumerians used for farming. With out the plow, farmers just had a spot to farm but the dirt was just dirt. Thats where the plow comes in, the plow lets the dirt seperate and gets the dirt ready for farming. It was first made from just a digging stick but they updated into metals. They had ox pull the plow so the invention was labor free. Right now farmers still use this same tool…
I am doing the plow. The plow the most important tool invented to help farmers. The plows were just digging sticks with handles used to break up hard soil and made planting a lot easier. The plow could also give plants more water because the plow lets water sinks into the soil deeply into the plowed soil
617
Kitra Razin
November 5, 2009
The Sumerians invented many great inventions. One of their most famous inventions was the plow. The plow was invented to help farmers with the growing of crops. The plow would loosen soil, making it easy to plant crops and easier to grow them by letting irrigation get down to the roots. The plow was invented about 6,000 BC. It was not fully proven that they invented the plow, but many historians believe it. Plows started as simple digging sticks that would just be pushed by hand. Eventually they could be pulled by animals, such as an ox. It was used by and was very helpful to farmers. It was used and improved for generations.
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617
Kitra Razin
11-5-09
Period: 5
The Beginning of Pottery
In a time when humans were just settling into villages or making a living hunting and gathering, there was a place much beyond its own time beneath the Zagros Mountains and west of the Persian Gulf with the name of Sumer (soo-mur). It was because of their tools and technology that they were able to live in such complex civilizations. Pottery was a very important step in helping them succeed in becoming so complicated. Because of the amount of excess food Sumerians produced, they needed to have something to bear their surplus food in. Discovering clay would dry and harden in heat, Sumerians began to design ceramic pots. As time went on, not only did they learn to shape pots, but they also generated cups, bowls, and plates. These were not very sophisticated or colorful, but they met the people’s needs. Soon, Sumerians invented the potter’s wheel, giving their pottery symmetry and a much more likable appearance. Even though the tools and technology of today are much more refined, it wouldn’t be possible to accommodate all the luxuries of 2009 without the Sumerians’ knowledge or capability.
Hi Mr. Nelson!!!!
YOUR CLASS IS SUPER, SUPER, FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
KITRA
WHY DOES IT SAY I SENT THAT AT 3:19AM?
CUZ I DIDNT.
I SENT IT AT 7;20
Mr. Nelson What chapters/lessons are the test over on thursday/friday?
Never mind I figured it out.
HI MR NELSON
WE GOT A WORKSHEET ON THURS/FRI THAT IS DUE ON MON
ON ONE SIDE IT WAS TITLED new babylonia or the chaldean empire AND ON THE OTHER SIDE IT WAS TITLED the assyrian empire
THERE WERE BOXES ON THE WORKSHEET WHERE WE WERE SUPPOSED TO DRAW PICTURES IN THAT MATCHED THE CAPTION THAT WE WROTE ON THE LINES NEXT TO IT
I WAS WONDERING IF WE WERE SUPPOSED TO COLOR IT OR NOT
THNX, kitra
l< ! + l^ @