Introduction & First Assignment

Welcome to the Strange and Mysterious Blog associated with our second unit of study. Your assignments for this project are all to be done in class beginning on 11/14, or on your own time and through the internet. Due dates are listed on the sidebar for your convenience. 

Part 1

Please read through all six unsolved mysteries and select one that interests you. Find as many facts as you can. Please state your opinion on the mystery and include evidence from your sources to back up your theory. Make sure you cite sources! This comment should be a nicely written paragraph. Please check your spelling, capitalization, and sentence structure before you select publish. One well written, researched, and cited comment (paragraph) is due by 8:00 am 11/18/16. Do not select "publish" for everyone to see until you have double checked your comment to make sure it is ready for grading.

Part 2 
Then, on 11/18/16 in class we will read all of the comments that students published about your mystery. We will "reply" to at least 2 other "comments" from our team's comments. It's okay to agree or disagree, but be sure your evidence is strong and that your tone is respectful. Strong evidence is what keeps the conversation moving forward. You will be graded on your valuable comments and research/evidence. Don't forget to cite your sources.

This project will continue until we are are finished with this unit.

Happy Blogging :)

Area 51

Area 51 is a United States Air Force facility that is used for testing of military weapons and air crafts. However, the United State's government provides minimal information about the site, as well as making much of the site off-limits to even some military personnel. The extreme security surrounding the area leads the public to come up with their own theories of what happens and what has happened here.

What do you think?

Check out the following links:
HowStuffWorks-Science: Area 51

HowStuffWorks-Sciene: Roswell UFO Incident

HuffingtonPost: Area 51


 


Questions to think about: Do you know where this is? What happens here? Can it be found on a map? Is this stuff for real and why does the government want to keep it a secret? Can they even do that? What is your personal theory on this area?









Find as many facts as you can and comment once, stating your opinion based on your research. Comment again after others have commented. Be sure to comment after you have read what others have written. It is okay to agree with others or disagree but be sure your evidence is strong. Strong evidence is what keeps the conversation moving forward.

Bermuda Triangle

Since 1945, when Navy airplanes disappeared over an area in the ocean between Miami, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico, along with other strange happenings, the public has been left to wonder about the Bermuda Triangle. Numerous ships and planes have vanished without a trace.

Can you explain this mystery? 

Research the history of the area known as the Bermuda Triangle through the following links:
HowStuffWorks - Science: Bermuda Triangle

Live Science (you will have to search on this site for information) 


History: Bermuda Triangle


Questions to think about: What is your personal theory on this matter? What theories can you find to explain the disappearances? Is there a perfectly natural explanation for these incidents, or are they some sort of paranormal happening?





Find as many facts as you can and comment once, stating your opinion. Comment again after others have commented. Be sure to comment after you have read what others have written. It is okay to agree with others or disagree but be sure your evidence is strong. Strong evidence is what keeps the conversation moving forward.

Salem Witch Trials

Some Christians, and those of other religions, had fervently felt that the Devil gave people, mostly women known as witches, the power to harm others in return for their loyalty. While this happened centuries ago, the subject is still an unsolved mystery for some of us.

You be the judge!

 

Investigate within the following links:   

Salem Witch Trials 

SmithsonianMagazine 

EyeWitnessHistory (you will need to search for information on this site)

NationalGeographic: Salem Witch Trials

Questions to think about:
Do witches exist? What are the theories surrounding this topic? What is your claim based on the evidence?

 

Find as many facts as you can and comment once, stating your opinion based on your research. Comment again after others have commented. Be sure to comment after you have read what others have written. It is okay to agree with others or disagree but be sure your evidence is strong Strong evidence is what keeps the conversation moving forward.

John F. Kennedy Assasination

 
On November 22, 1963, John F. Kennedy, thirty-fifth President of the United States, was assassinated in Dallas right along side of his wife in an open car caravan. Over the years, most Americans have been led to believe that a single man, acting alone, was responsible. But is this theory that simple to believe? Probably not!

Find evidence and establish your claim!

Look for your evidence in the links below:

http://www.jfklibrary.org/JFK/JFK-in-History/November-22-1963-Death-of-the-President.aspx

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-11-21/ten-unusual-facts-about-jfk-assassination/5099004

http://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/john-f-kennedy

Questions to think about: What is the conspiracy behind the assassination of President Kennedy? What is your own personal theory behind his murder? Who is Carlos Marcello and what connection did he have in Kennedy's assassination? Lee Harvey Oswald and Jack Ruby...did they know each other? Do you think Jack Ruby was a hero?

Find as many facts as you can and comment once, stating your opinion. Comment again after others have commented. Be sure to comment after you have read what others have written. It is okay to agree with others or disagree but be sure your evidence is strong. Strong evidence is what keeps the conversation moving forward.

Easter Island

Questions to think about: How can it be possible that an island's inhabitants exist one day but gone the next? What happened to them and their cultures? How did these sculptures get on the island? They moved themselves? Craziness or what?

You find out and make a claim!



Investigate what happened to Easter Island by going to the following links:

SacredSites: Easter Island



PBS: Easter Island 

National Geographic (you will have to search for information on this site)

SmithsonianMagazine: Easter Island

Find the history, facts, and theories behind this mystery. Based on what you discover, make a claim about what happened to Easter Island. Find as many facts as you can and comment once, stating your opinion. Comment again after others have commented. Be sure to comment after you have read what others have written. It is okay to agree with others or disagree but be sure your evidence is strong. Strong evidence is what keeps the conversation moving forward.

The Lost City of Atlantis

While some people believe that the City of Atlantis is fiction, many others feel it is genuine. Passed down from generation to generation, the story of Atlantis has been the topic of scholars as well as movie makers. 

Why don't you be the judge?

The following links contain history and theories about the Lost City of Atlantis:

The Lost Continent: Atlantis 


Atlantis: The Myth 

LiveScience  (you will need to search for information on this site)

 
Questions to think about: What is the history behind this unsolved mystery based on facts and theories? Could it really be true or was Plato just an expert storyteller? Do you know anything about Atlantis? Hint: Seventh grade classes!







Find as many facts as you can and comment once, stating your opinion based on your research. Comment again after others have commented. Be sure to comment after you have read what others have written. It is okay to agree with others or disagree, but be sure your evidence is strong. Strong evidence is what keeps the conversation moving forward.