Blog Example- The New Stone Age

Remember to write your blogs in the 5 paragraph essay format!

The New Stone Age brought about earth shattering change that we are still feeling the effects of today. What caused the shift?  How did it effect the culture?  What effect does it have today?

Humans came into what scholars call the Old Stone Age with the invention of stone tools.  These humans were hunter-gatherers, moving with the seasons and with animal herds to hunt and gather necessary plants and fruits necessary for survival.  The food they found were put their by "mother nature."   Then something happened.  These early humans discovered that the seeds these foods produced could be planted in the soil would reproduce new plants.  By being able to plant food and grow crops, gathering could be limited to one specific area.  We know it today as a farm or garden.  No longer would they have to search for these plants.  Meat was also an important staple in their diet.  The learned how to catch and use some of these animals for their own purposes.  Some animals were butchered for food, others milked, some to obtain their eggs, some to bear heavy loads, and even some to warn of danger.  Humans would never be the same.  This discovery of domesticating plants and animals brought about the New Stone Age.

Humans would now stay close to their gardens, sometimes migrating with the seasons or with animal herds that migrated. In these places, civilizations began to form.  What started as camps turned to villages.  Villages became cities-states.  With greater food production came better nutrition.  People began to live longer and have more children.With greater population came the benefit of having more than enough people to do the work.  People began to specialize their abilities and people became artisans.  Others began to study the world around them and make other discoveries.  This eventually led to the Bronze Age.

We still feel the effects of the New Stone Age discoveries.  We still rely on the concepts discovered thousands of years ago.  Scientist and farmers are still looking for better ways to grow crops, raise livestock, and used the resources they provide.

The New Stone Age was a time of great change.  Without it's discoveries, nothing we have would exist today.  Humans may not even exist.  Could humans have survived the bubonic plague without the nutrition agriculture provided?  We will never know.  What we do know is that agriculture allowed humans to evolve and move to the top of the food chain, master many new resources, harness the wind and break the bounds of earth.

Body

Conclusion

Blogging in Mr. Banks' Class

This is an example of what your blog might look like.  You will have assigned blogs throughout the year.  Make sure to follow the guidelines and school rules.  With that said, I want you to have fun with your blog, sharing your experiences in your 6th grade history class with family, friends, and me.  Thanks and good luck with your blog!

Reminder:

Guidelines:

The most basic guideline to remember when blogging is that the blog is an extension of your classroom. You should not write anything on a blog that you would not say or write in your classroom. Use common sense, but if you are ever in doubt ask a teacher or parent whether or not what you are considering posting is appropriate. If you are going to err, err on the safe side. Here are some specific items to consider:

1. The use of blogs is considered an extension of your classroom. Therefore, any speech that is considered inappropriate in the classroom is inappropriate on a blog. This includes, but is not limited to, profanity; racist, sexist or discriminatory remarks; personal attacks.
2. Blogs are used primarily as learning tools, either as extensions of conversations and thinking outside of regular class time, or as the basis for beginning new classroom discussions. Either way, be sure to follow all rules and suggestions that are offered by your teachers regarding appropriate posting in your class.
3. Blogs are about ideas – therefore, agree or disagree with the idea, not the person. Freedom of speech does not give you the right to be uncivil. Use constructive criticism and use evidence to support your position. Read others’ posts carefully – often in the heat of the moment you may think that a person is saying one thing, when really they are not.
4. Try not to generalize. Sentences that start with words like “All” (e.g., “All teachers,” “All administrators,” “All liberals,” “All conservatives”) are typically going to be too general.
5. Blogs are public. Whatever you post on a blog can be read by anyone and everyone on the Internet. Even if you delete a post or comment, it has often already been archived elsewhere on the web. Do not post anything that you wouldn’t want your parents, your best friend, your worst enemy, or a future employer to read.
6. Blog safely. NEVER post personal information on the web (including, but not limited to, last names, personal details including address or phone numbers, or photographs). (Note: The advice to not use your last name is for your protection. Teachers may choose to use their last names for their posts/comments.) Do not, under any circumstances, agree to meet someone you have met over the Internet.
7. Because your login to the blogging site (e.g., Blogger) is typically linked to your profile, any personal blog you create in class is directly linked to your class blog and must follow these blogging guidelines. In addition to following the information above about not sharing too much personal information (in your profile or in any posts/comments you make), you need to realize that anywhere you use that login links back to your class blog. Therefore, anywhere that you use that login (posting to a separate personal blog, commenting on someone else's blog, etc.), you need to treat the same as a school blog and follow these guidelines. You should also monitor any comments you receive on your personal blog and - if they are inappropriate - delete them. If you would like to post or comment somewhere and not follow these guidelines, you need to create a separate login to the blogging site so that it does not connect back to your class blog. You may not use that login from school computers. We would still recommend you follow the portion of these guidelines that address your personal safety (e.g., not posting personal information, etc.)
8. Linking to web sites from your blog or blog comments in support of your argument is an excellent idea. But never link to something without reading the entire article to make sure it is appropriate for a school setting.
9. Use of quotations in a blog is acceptable. Make sure that you follow the proper formatting and cite the source of the quote.
10. Pictures may be inserted into a blog. Make sure that the image is appropriate for use in a school document and copyright laws are followed. Do not post any images that can identify yourself or others.