Quarter(s): 3

Day(s): Wed

Open Spots: 0

At the twilight of the Roman Republic, any man who hoped to rule could only do so with the support of the mob of common Romans. The best way to earn that support? Bribe them with treasure, stolen in conquest! That is exactly how great Romans earned their power, and there were few greater than Gaius Julius Caesar, the man who would break The Republic, and set it on a course for Empire. Fresh from his victories in Gaul and Germania and still badly in need of money and glory, Caesar set his sights on Britannia, to conquer what would become the last frontier of the Roman Empire. Caesar s veteran legions would battle hoards of screaming barbarians, planting the roots of Roman civilization that linger today, and watering those roots with the blood of his enemies! Students will engage in a hands-on 3D battle strategy game using the military dioramas that they make! Using artistic model-making techniques, hand tools, paint, and miniatures, each student will craft a 10 X 16 diorama. In class, they will view historical maps, artistic renderings, and/or photographs to understand the topography and development of this time and place in history. Students will customize their dioramas with landforms, landscape elements, waterways, and structures to represent a scene from this period. Once individual projects are constructed, students will populate them with 1:72 scale miniature figures. Students will combine their dioramas alongside those of their classmates to approximate a larger battlefield. Students will spend the remainder of the quarter learning about the tactics and outcomes of this conquest while playing a table-top strategy game. Student strategists will use a simplified version of the Fire and Fury historical war gaming rule system for moving troops and equipment. Along with their classmates, students will see how this battle progressed and test different outcome scenarios that might have occurred with different battlefield choices. Each student will have at least one board and set of miniatures to take home with them. Course documents such as maps, game rules and all other instructional media will be available via a Google Drive link which will be emailed to parents. There is a $25.00 materials fee payable to the instructor on the first day of class. Topics in this year's series include: Alexander the Great (Quarter 1); Hannibal (Quarter 2); Julius Caesar in Britain (Quarter 3); and Attila the Hun (Quarter 4).

Quarter(s): 3

Day(s): Wed

Open Spots: 0

For America, WWII started and ended in the Pacific, but there was a long and difficult journey from the disaster at Pearl Harbor in 1941 to V-Day in Tokyo in 1945. Using an "Island Hopping" strategy, the US sought to isolate many Japanese strongholds leading to their home islands. The Imperial Japanese Navy launched a bold plan to stall the advance of the American battle fleet using their formerly unstoppable carrier force as bait. They attempted to trap American invasion transports between deadly battleships to buy more bargaining leverage at eventual peace talks. Using artistic model-making techniques, hand tools, and historical maps, students will each form a 10" X 14" shaped, foam diorama with landscape elements (islands, reefs, harbors, airfields, etc) to represent a battle from around the Philippine Sea in 1944. Students will each receive scale miniature naval ships to populate their scene. Once individual projects are constructed, students will combine their dioramas alongside those of their classmates to approximate the larger battlefield terrain. Students will spend the remainder of the quarter learning about the tactics and outcomes of the military engagement while playing a table-top strategy game. Student strategists will use a simplified version of the Axis and Allies War at Sea gaming rule system for moving ships and equipment. Along with their classmates, students will see how this battle progressed and test different outcome scenarios that might have occurred with different battlefield choices. The instructor will use maps and visual presentations to explain the historical background and circumstances leading up to the specific battle. Course documents, such as period maps, game rules and all other instructional media will be available via a Google Drive link which will be emailed to parents. Topics in this series include: Operation Torch/North Africa (Quarter 1), Battle of Stalingrad (Quarter 2), Iwo Jima (Quarter 3), and Philppine Sea (Quarter 4). There is a $25.00 materials fee payable to the instructor on the first day of class.

Quarter(s): 3

Day(s): Wed

Open Spots: 0

Why does tiny Delaware get two Senators, just like giant California? Why doesn't Washington DC have a voting member of Congress? Can the President make laws? When can the Supreme Court change a state law? What is the Cabinet? Find out the answers to these questions and much more in Get to Know Government! Using an inquiry-based approach, middle school students will be given leading questions to investigate aspects of the three branches of our federal government. Find out what the Constitution says about each branch; discover who is elected, who is appointed, what powers and responsibility each has, and what those "checks and balances" are all about!