Memorial Day is on Monday 5/25. Here is a little history about the day: Memorial Day, as Decoration Day gradually came to be known, originally honored only those lost while fighting in the Civil War. MAC'S VIRTUAL EXISTENCE. Online Learning Home Design/Media 10 Design/Media 20 Design/Media 30 Saving and the Network Drive. Whether you are looking to enrich your life, continue learning as an older adult, or seeking help with English language skills, we have something for you! Find Out How Earn College Credit in High School.

1. Mr. Mac's Virtual Existenceonline Learning Homework
2. Mr. Mac's Virtual Existenceonline Learning Homeschool

If you need any clarification or would like some additional activities related to the topic, feel free to email me (amacneil@arrsd.org)

Congratulations, 8th Graders!!! Work hard, be true to yourself, and make your dreams come true! It was wonderful to get to know all of you.

For the next couple weeks, please visit Ms. King’s page. You have math extensions.

Memorial Day is on Monday 5/25. Here is a little history about the day:

Memorial Day, as Decoration Day gradually came to be known, originally honored only those lost while fighting in the Civil War. But during World War I the United States found itself embroiled in another major conflict, and the holiday evolved to commemorate American military personnel who died in all wars, including World War II, the Vietnam War, the Korean War, the War in Iraq, and the War in Afghanistan.

For decades, Memorial Day continued to be observed on May 30, the date Logan had selected for the first Decoration Day. But in 1968 Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which established Memorial Day as the last Monday in May in order to create a three-day weekend for federal employees; the change went into effect in 1971. The same law also declared Memorial Day a federal holiday.

Here is an article about 8 interesting facts that you may not know about Memorial Day.

I do not think that it would be out of line to also remember all the lives lost during this Covid 19 experience. Please take some time to remember all those who have come and gone that have helped shape who we are as a country.

This is an optional article. No questions to follow.

May 20th, 2020 (Wednesday) Please try to complete by May 23rd, 2020

Good morning. Your last assignment this week before you switch back to math with Ms. King is to write a short essay (paper) about all three articles that you have read. I would like you to compare and contrast the Michael Jordan, Mary Walker, and Georgia O’Keeffe articles.

You are to choose a commonality (a similarity) that all three articles have. For instance, you could choose to write about how all three people were the best at what they do. There are many common themes that are throughout the articles.

Using the Venn Diagram provided, list the ideas or facts the are unique to that article in the outer circles. Next, where the circles overlap, list the ideas or facts that the articles have in common. You should be familiar with Venn diagrams, but if you are having trouble, please reach out to me.

Your essay should include at least three pieces of evidence (one from each article) that supports your choice. Your essay should be at least one and a half pages in length. Please share via Google docs or email picts of your work.

I hope that you all have a wonderful weekend. Enjoy it, but be smart, safe, and healthy. Remember, next week you will be focusing on Math Extensions. Congratulations on almost completing Middle School! It’s amazing that you are going to be high schoolers! Someday we will reconnect. Until next time . . .

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May 18th, 2020 (Monday) Please try to complete by May 20 (Wednesday)

Welcome back! I hope that you all had a wonderful weekend and were able to get outside. It was beautiful! Sunny, blue skies, warm temps. I think we finally made the jump from the winter sludge to the summer beauty. With that in mind, I would like you to read about one of America’s most influential artists, Georgia O’Keeffe. She was able to find beauty in objects that are often overlooked or discarded.

Georgia O’Keeffe was born in 1887, the second child out of seven children. She passed away in 1986 at the age of 98. She is re-known for her contributions to modern art. She grew up on a farm in Wisconsin, studied art in Chicago and NewYork City, and then settled in New Mexico where the landscapes and the Native American and Hispanic cultures changed and influence her life. She found beauty in the obscure, flowers, and skyscrapers. During her life she saw the invention of the automobile, the sinking of the Titanic, World War I, World War II, The Great Depression, the creation of Mickey Mouse, The Spanish Influenza, the Civil Rights Movement, The Women’s Rights Movement, The Vietnam War, the AIDS epidemic, and many other events both good and bad. She lived a full life and found beauty everywhere she looked, despite what events were going on in the world. Her creativity and grit fueled her to push the borders of the art world and society. She is one of the great American influencers of what art is today. She did not let anything stop her from following her dream. Even when she lost her eyesight later in life, she said, “I can see what I want to paint. The thing that makes you want to create is still there.”

Your assignment: read the article, “The Wild Beauty of Georgia O’Keeffe” and answer the questions that go along with it.

I hope that you enjoy the article and take away that beauty is everywhere no matter what is going on around us.

If you are interested in some fun activities inspired by O’Keeffe, check out https://www.okeeffemuseum.org/creative-activities/

I like the cloud activity, personally.

Look ahead: On Wednesday your assignment will be to write a small essay using the three articles we read and using a Venn Diagram to help organize it.

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May 13th, 2020 (Wednesday) Please try to complete by 5/15 (Friday)

Greetings and salutations! Do you know this woman? Her name is Mary Walker and she is the only woman in American history to earn the Medal of Honor. Interesting enough, there have been over 3,500 Medal of Honor recipients in our history. She is a trailblazer, a rebel, a prisoner of war, a hero, and much more. However, not too many people know who she is or what she’s done even though she is an important part of history.

You’re assignment is to read the article, “Trailblazing surgeon Mary Walker still one of a kind” and answer the questions provided.

I look forward to reading about what you think of her. I hope that you all have a great rest of your week. Get outside if you can. Temps are on the rise. Be safe, be smart, be healthy! Enjoy!

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May 11, 2020 (Monday) Please try to complete by 5/13 (Wednesday)

Hello again! It’s been awhile. I hope that you have been getting outside on the nice days. I hope that you are finding it easier to navigate the assignments and our new social rules.

This week assignments are about failure and how that leads to success. Our first article is on the great Michael Jordan. His story is one of perseverance, determination, and a winning mind-set. He is, arguably, the greatest basketball player in history. However, Jordan had is hardships and setbacks. In fact, when he was in 9th grade he was suspended from school three times. It was after a long talk with his father and the knowledge that he may not be able to play sports that he decided to change his mindset.

I had the privilege of seeing him play live when I was a teenager. It was something to behold. Now, being locked inside almost everyday (thanks, weather, really helping us out here), I have been able to watch the new documentary series about Jordan and watch old games and relive the amazement that I felt when I was a teen. Michael Jordan transformed basketball, US popular culture, and African American history. However, it a came with a price. Jordan experienced failure way before he became a success and a sports/cultural icon. I will be extremely interested to see what your takes about MJ are.

Your assignment:

• Read, “Michael Jordan: A Profile in Failure”
• Answer the multiple choice questions and short answer that goes with the article.

I truly hope that you enjoy the article. Please let me know if you have any questions or issues.

Mr. Mac

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Mr. Mac

April 15, 2020 (Wednesday) Please try to complete by Friday 4/17)

This is your last assignment before April vacation. Can you believe that it April vacation is here already? This assignment is all about you and your family. A coat of arms is a symbol that represents a specific family or person. Originally appearing on shields or flags, coats of arms were once used as a way of distinguishing one knight from another on a battlefield. It’s about creativity, symbolism, heritage, and a statement about who you or your family are.

Read the article, “How to Create Your Own Coat of Arms.”

After reading the article choose one of the following:

Google search (with permission if necessary) your family’s coat of arms. There is a good chance that you have one and, if you don’t, you are not alone. There are many names that do not have a coat of arms. Just type in the search bar your last name and “coat of arms.” Do some digging (reading) about where your family’s coat of arms came from and what it means. Then, create your own family’s modern coat of arms. Use meaningful symbols and colors in your design and explain what they mean to you. Follow the directions in the article to help you along. Send me a picture of it. Maybe I can find someway we can showcase all of them.

OR

Create your own personal coat of arms. The coat of arms that you design should be about you. Different symbols that are used should represent who you are. The colors that you choose should represent qualities that you have. Explain what these mean to you so we all understand meaning behind them. Be creative and make it your own. Follow the directions in the article to help you along. Send me a picture of it.

Be safe, be smart, be healthy.

Mr. Mac

Please continue to work on any previous assignments that you may have missed this week as well.

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April 13th, 2020 (Monday) Please try to complete by Wednesday 4/13

Good morning! I hope that you had a wonderful and interesting weekend. I recently watched the new Trolls movie (my son is 6 years old, folks) and I could not help but to have the songs from the movie stuck in my head. It got me wondering. . . Why do certain songs (or parts of songs) get stuck in our heads? It can be torturous at times. I can’t tell you how long it took me to get “Baby Shark” out of my head. Do you have the song running through your head right now? Is it stuck in there on repeat? If so, you may have interest in this explanation of what happens.

Read the article, answer the m.c. questions and, finally, write a short paragraph (8- 10 sentences) that explains the central idea of the article. Use at least two details from the article to support your response.

I look forward to reading your responses. As always . . . Be safe, be smart, and be healthy.

Mr. Mac

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April 8th, 2020 (Wednesday) Please aim to complete by 4/10

Good morning! Today’s article is called “A Year Redacted.” Redacted means edited to remove sensitive information. This article is a fictional letter that is written by a Dr. Eric Channing. After you have read the article, complete the following prompt:
● Write a story about what happened before this letter came out. Pretend as if you were one of the scientists working with Eric Channing PhD.

If you need some help organizing your thoughts. Use one of these to help:

Be creative and have fun with this. Include dialogue between characters. I can’t wait to read your creativity!

Mr. Mac

April 7th, 2020 (Tuesday) Please aim to complete this assignment by 4/8

Back to the Future is one of my favorite movies of all time. If you have not seen it yet, do so. There are three movies in all, but the original is by far the best. I always wondered if I would ever be able to see a car fly, never mind travel back in time. I saw this movie when it came out in 1986 when I was 10 years old. It is really funny to see the technology used in the movie and what we have now. If you haven’t noticed yet, the theme for this week is time travel, McFly! “So why don’t you make like a tree, and get out of here” and read our second article of the week.

Read the article, “Tiny particles may be able to travel in
time, scientists say — or maybe not” and reread “The Thrill
of Time Travel.”

Answer the m.c. questions about “Tiny particles…” After, fill out the Venn diagram attached.

In the Venn diagram, jot (quickly write) down facts about both articles. Where the circles cross each other, write down points of the articles that are similar. On the outer rings, jot down facts that are unique to that particular article.

Finally, answer the following questions using 2 examples (evidence) for each from each text:
● How are these texts connected?
● What are some things the authors of both articles would agree on? What would they disagree on?

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April 6th, 2020

Good morning and happy new week! I don’t know about you, but I think the days are starting to move faster. Maybe I am starting to get used to the “new normal.” I’m not sure, but I still struggle with getting used to how we have been living. I hope that you are all safe and healthy. I know that you want to get outside and see your friends in person. Please, keep to the social distancing rules when you go out (it supposed to be a warm week). Just because it is warm does not mean that there is not the threat of becoming sick, so, please, be careful and be smart. I know that you can!

Here’s our first assignment for this week. I hope that you enjoy reading the articles so far.. If you have any suggestions (maybe you read something you enjoyed), please email them to me. I would love to hear them.

Assignment #1: Read the article titled “Tips for Students who are New to Virtual Learning.” I think you will find this interesting and useful in our current situation. You can download it at the link below.

Answer the m.c. questions attached and answer the following writing prompt:

Do you have an experience that is similar to or related to the one described in the text? Write a narrative that describes your experience and includes relevant details and is clearly structured.

Next, the second part of your assignment is that I would like you to read: “The Thrill of Time Travel.” You can download it here:

Mr. Mac's Virtual Existenceonline Learning Homework

After you have finished reading: Define the following words using a dictionary or dictionary website: manipulate, speculation, paradox, invaded, trek Reflect and respond to the following questions:
If you had the chance to time travel, would you take it?
Why or why not?
Where and when would you want to time travel? Why?

Mr. Mac's Virtual Existenceonline Learning Homeschool

I look forwarded to hearing what you have to say. I am trying to respond to everyone, so look for my response to you. As always, stay safe and healthy and be smart about what you do. Mr. Mac

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April 1, 2020

Happy April Fools Day! I have enjoyed reading your responses to Monday’s article. Please look for my responses.

Please note that assignments usually will have a writing piece to them as well as multiple oice questions.

This next assignment has two parts (not a prank)

First, read the article “The ‘herstory’ behind Women’s History Month“

Answer the multiple choice questions and short answer question.

You short answer question for this article is write a short paragraph that explains the central idea of the article. Use at least two details from the article to support your response.

Next, please read “Opinion: ‘Captain Marvel’ has a powerful female lead; young girls should see that”

Define the following 5 words using a dictionary or a dictionary website: executive, dominated, integral, expose, discourse

Answer the multiple choice questions

Have a great week! Any questions please contact me. Check back in on Friday.

Stay safe and healthy. Enjoy!

Mr. Mac

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Important info: There seems to be an issue with Google log-ins that is being remedied. Apparently, this morning all 7th Grade AND YOUNGER students (anyone under the age of 13) were shut off from email, hangout and meet. The IT department is working hard to resolve this issue. I thank you for your patience. You can still go to google.com and access other items such as .docs

March 30th, 2020

Greetings, everyone! Believe it or not it is a new week! It seems like our calendar days now consist of “yesterday,” “today,” and “tomorrow.” I hope you are all staying safe and healthy. All is good in the MacNeil homestead. Some days go by quickly while others seem to drag on. I would like to hear what you are all up to, so I am working on learning of a way to make that happen. It’s funny. You all know that I am not a fan of social media, but because of our “social distancing” I have been forced to explore these options. It’s good to grow and learn new things. I hope you are taking the opportunity to learn something that interests you during this time.

Did you know that the entire month of March is Women’s History Month? If not, now you are aware. According with the theme of this month, I would like you to read an article of a woman named Victoria Woodhull. She is a true trailblazer in American History and an enormous influence in the Women’s Right Movement (also known as the Women’s Suffrage Movement).

After finishing the article, please answer the multiple choice questions at the end. After you answer the m.c. questions, Write a short response answering the following . . .

What would Victoria Woodhull think about the world today? What would she like or dislike? How would she work to continue to change it?

You can either share, email, or take a picture of your hand written answers to share.

Here is the file:

My best to you and your family. Stay safe.

Mr. Mac