I'm glad you're checking out my class web pages! If you'll click on any underlined link on this page, you can find out more about the classes I teach, the UIL event that I coach, and other fun stuff. I have been teaching at Morris Upchurch Middle School for 20 years; I love our school district and think it's one of the very best! I currently teach 5th-6th Social Studies and ESL (English as a Second Language).

I have been married for 33 years and have two sons and two grand-children. I love all our animals: 4 horses, 3 dogs, and 1 cat. What I like to do when I'm not at school is to play my saxophone and sing in several area bands, ride horses, work in my flowerbeds, do crafts, and spend time with my family.

WELCOME to the class page about 5th grade Social Studies. This year we will study the history, geography, government, and culture of the United States of America. The4th 9-week period will be spent studying these units:

1. Progress: A Bumpy Road

2. Conflict Abroad and At Home

3. The United States in the 20th Century

*We'll also do come comprehensive end-of-year review of major events in U. S. history

WELCOME to 6th grade Social Studies class. Our focus is the study of World Geography and World Cultures. Our units of study for the 3rd 9-week period will be:

1.Southeast Asia--geography and commerce

2. Southeast Asia--citizenship in democratic and non-democratic governments

3. South Asia--geographic and economic regions, cultural traditions & daily life, and forms of government 

4. Southwest Asia and North Africa--geographic & cultural regions, and conflict in the Middle East

NOTE: during this 3rd 9-weeks, we'll also be spending about 7 days in the computer lab to complete several required technology skills, including using Inspiration and PowerPoint software to create graphics and a slideshow presentation of a country.

ABOUT THE UIL CONTEST:

UIL Music Memory is both a challenging and exciting contest. You'll especially enjoy it if you have a natural attraction to music, are willing to learn about a type of music that may be unfamiliar to you, and are the type of person that loves to see your hard work rewarded! To prepare, you must learn 16 classical pieces of music by listening to the selections (songs) on a CD. For each selection you must also know the composer's name as well as the major work to which the selection belongs. You'll be given a study chart with all the information on it. You'll be expected to put in a lot of study time at home. I will also meet with you on a regular basis at school to help you get ready for the contest. Just so you'll know, I LOVE music! I thoroughly enjoy coaching Music Memory, and I hope you'll give it a try and learn to love it, too.

Morris Upchurch Middle School
Terry McCasland