I'm so glad and excited to have you in class, or for parents, the chance to meet you!  I'm Mr. Chapman, the Social Studies and guitar teacher here at ?!HS.  I graduated from Valparaiso University with a BA in History and Secondary Education, as well as a minor in Music.  After school I toured the world with my band for 15 years playing sold out shows everywhere from Tokyo, the Norway Fjords, Israel, the Amazon Rainforest, and even the North Pole.  Needless to say, I fell in love with the World and its beauty and truly grew an appreciation for the various cultures of so many people.  I decided to take a break from being a rockstar and go back to my other passion in life: teaching.  Once again, I can't wait to have you all in class as we explore the History of our awesome world and discover the interesting capabilities of our minds!  Take care.

This class will be an introductory course for students interested in the study of classical guitar methods.  There is no previous experience needed to join, but I do recommend signing up for lessons with me on the side to help you catch up.  Classical guitars are provided by the school, but if you prefer your own you are welcome to bring it.  We will start slow at the beginning of the semester with exercises that will help our group tighten up our technique and sound, and grow to become masters of perfected tone and syncopation!  We will then ready ourselves and music for a performance at the end of the semester.

This link is a brief lesson on a finger picking style called Travis picking, students will be expected to learn and practice this technique on their own at the beginning of winter break and have it ready to go by the time school resumes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHDwX3HT9oA&feature=related

This one-semester course includes critical thinking about the basic concepts of psychology such as learning, memory, states of consciousness, personality theory, human development, and normal and abnormal psychology. Emphasis is placed on student understanding of psychological problems and how they impact human relationships. Discussion is a mainstay of this course. Students enrolled in this course will be provided the opportunity to interact in small and large-group conversations.

Prerequisite: None

Grades offered: 11-12

This link is a short video about one of the many fasinating concepts of brain function that we will be learning about in class: Synesthesia.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRXk8jT5OPI

This other link is a documentary we will be watching fully in class.  It is on a girl who was called Genie.  She was an abused child who became a living psychological experiment to answer the puzzling question of, "How old is too old to learn language?".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEnkY2iaKis

http://www.history.com/classroom-study-guides


Use this site if you need a little more practice in any of my History classes.  Whether it is World or US History, these study guides are great review to help one stay caught up!

 

http://www.nchs.ucla.edu/Standards/world-history-standards


World History Standards

 

http://www.apa.org/education/k12/psychology-curricula.pdf


Psychology National Standards

 

www.apa.org/education/k12/index.aspx


This page provides resources for students, teachers, researchers and practitioners to help both children and teachers excel in the classroom. It also provides information for high school students who are interested in learning about the study of psychology.

 

http://www.all-guitar-chords.com/


For those of you in my guitar class use this site to help visualize chords and their proper fingerings.  It will also show you what scales are capable for use within those chords.

 

http://gchap.edu.glogster.com/glog-on-youtube/


I will be using the video sharing site Youtube as an educational resource in all of my classes.  It is an excellent source which can drastically inhance any learning experiance, if used properly.  Above is a link which will describe a brief history of Youtube and the benefits is holds for both teachers and students.

This two-semester course includes the study of the ancient, medieval, and modern world. Special emphasis is put on Greek, Roman, and Judeo-Christian influences. Particular attention is given to the development of nationalism and capitalism, the Renaissance and Reformation, the causes of World War I and World War II, and the development of the Asian, African, and Latin American continents. Class discussion as well as individual and group projects are regular components of the class. Emphasis will also be placed on the development of study and reading skills and document analysis.

Prerequisite: None

Grades offered: 9-10

The link below brings up some interesting thoughts as it delves into the question of what the world could be like today if the Greek inventor, Hero of Alexandria, actually finished his prototype for the first steam engine and kick started the Industrial Revolution 2,000 years earlier.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBh8cHZvE9U


This video is a helpful, entertaining, and fun review of the French Revolution.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTTvKwCylFY

Valparaiso University
Grant Chapman