The Holocaust, Day 4 - Class Recap

A quote on the wall of the Miami Holocaust Memorial. Our discussion today in class had a large part to do with whether or not we believe something like this could happen again. Photo taken in 2011.

Dear class,

Today's shorter schedule meant that my hopes of having the Socratic Seminar today in class were dashed, so we spent much of class preparing to have the conversation by watching an video. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Behavior LT 1:  I can manage my responsibilities as a student.
Behavior LT 2:  I can self-direct my learning.
Behavior LT 3: I can communicate and work effectively within a team or group.

Soundtrack: "Talk" by Coldplay. Selected for today because most of next class will be made up of students talking about the rise of Hitler and whether or not it could happen again. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 1/17/18:
News Brief – Megan
The Path to Nazi Genocide
Socratic Seminar
Debrief

Homework: Read the blog. All late/missing/revised work due by this Friday! Next news brief: Kiran.

News Brief: Megan selected an article about this story for the news brief today: CNN.com - Russia's hidden world of North Korean labor. We talked for a bit in class about this story and North Korean workers around the world, as well as the news that there will be a united Korea at the Opening Ceremony of the upcoming Winter Olympics in South Korea.

Kiran was selected to do the next news brief.

Mr. Puterbaugh sent me this article to talk about with the class, as well, and I said I would link to it on the blog: NYTimes.com - German Idea to Fight Anti-Semitism: Make Immigrants Tour Concentration Camps. What do you think of this idea?

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update. Here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):

BBCNews.com - One-minute World News

The Path to Nazi Genocide: To finish preparing for the discussion in class, we watched the following film from the National Holocaust Memorial Museum, which aims to place many of the events and issues that we learned about into a concise documentary (students had been asking for something like this in class):

As students were watching, I encouraged notes to be taken on questions that came up, as well as connections to what we have already talked about with the unit.

Socratic Seminar: This was the reading that we will be discussing next class:

Google Drive - Could Hitler Happen Again Reading

The questions and answers that I wanted the class to do in preparation for the discussion on this were:

1) What happened so that Hitler could get power?

2) Make three discussion questions (not yes or no answers) about the reading. Try to base your questions on specific quotes from the reading.

To help with this, I passed out these tips for helping the conversation flow:

Google Drive - Socratic Seminar Tips

See you on Friday, as we finish the Holocaust unit with our conversation!

The Holocaust, Day 3 - Class Recap

The Boston Holocaust Memorial was one of the most powerful I have seen. As you walk through the glass, steam comes up from the grates, and names of people that were killed in various concentration camps are on the sides of the glass. Photo taken in 2013.

Hi everyone,

We are getting closer and closer to finals! Just a couple of more weeks to go. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Behavior LT 1:  I can manage my responsibilities as a student.
Behavior LT 2:  I can self-direct my learning.
Behavior LT 3: I can communicate and work effectively within a team or group.

Soundtrack: "Pride (In the Name of Love)" by U2. Selected for today because the song is in large part about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who we honor on Monday with a day of service! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 1/12/18:
News Brief – Kanta
Group Activity
Rise of Hitler

Socratic Seminar Prep

Homework: Read the blog. Finish reading the Could Hitler Happen Again article and making 3 discussion questions for next class. Next news brief: Megan.

News Brief: Kanta selected an article about this story to bring in: BBC.com - Ritz Paris robbery: Jewellery worth millions seized in armed heist. We found France on our world maps and noted that we talked about it with some of the details of this story.

I also read a quote from Elie Wiesel's Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech at the start of class, as it connects to our unit and your reading of his book "Night" next door with Mr. Puterbaugh.

We also checked in about the weekend. Please remember that although you have Monday off of school, the whole idea behind the holiday for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is that it should be a day of service to the community in some way. As such, there are a ton of events that people can participate in around town - or, you could take the initiative to do something else in our community. Here's a list:

HandsOnPortland.org - Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend of Service Events

Megan was selected to do the next news brief.

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update. Here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):

BBCNews.com - One-minute World News

Group Activity: After the news, we did a group activity that aimed to try and learn a bit more about key events and figures in the Nazi rise to power. Instead of just giving students a reading, I though this was a more interesting way for everyone to learn (and move around, and talk with each other) about some key figures and events in Nazi Germany. Here is the assignment that students filled out:

Google Drive - Nazi Group Activity Assignment

And here is the document of different events and people that students were learning about, in terms of their importance in helping the Nazi government establish and maintain power (the knowledge target for the unit):

Google Drive - Nazi Group Activity Roles

Thanks for doing a good job with this activity!

Rise of Hitler: I asked how the Holocaust was possible, and if we could consider something like this happening to us - either as the Nazis or the persecuted people. I think it is hard to consider ourselves capable of such horrific acts. Which is why the Stanford Prison Experiment is so famous. Basically, it was a psychological experiment based on assigning roles to Stanford students (really smart people) - either as "prison" guards or prisoners. The prisoners were taken and not allowed out for six days (until the experiment ended early). The prison guards turned into awful, terrible people. Here's the clip we watched in class (there are many others out there - do a search if you want to learn more):

After the clip, I came back to the idea of wondering if something like the Holocaust could happen again. It's a difficult question for historians, and for people in general. We want to believe that people are good. If we aren't careful about learning the history and psychology to combat it, I think there is a better chance of something like this happening again.

Another psychological experiment that is very famous for its connection to how the Holocaust happened is the Milgram Experiment. A modern day version of the experiment is what I showed in class, here:

With these ideas in mind, I passed out this reading, which has to do with how the Nazi political party and Hitler came to power in Germany, and if something like it could happen again:

Google Drive - Could Hitler Happen Again Reading

The questions and answers that I wanted the class to do in preparation for a discussion next class on this were:

1) What happened so that Hitler and the Nazis could establish power and commit the atrocities of the Holocaust? Could this happen again?

2) Make three discussion questions (not yes or no answers) about the reading. Try to base your questions on specific quotes from the reading and grounded in reality (NOT: what if World War II never happened?).

Socratic Seminar Prep: Next class, we will have a graded (on the behavior targets) discussion on the Rise of Hitler reading, so I wanted to go over how that will work.

Two blog exclusive items that will help in this:

Google Drive: Socratic Seminar Self-Assessment

To go along with the preparation, here are some tips on how a good Socratic Seminar works (it is my hope to sit back and let students run the discussion, so that it is more authentic with participation):

Google Drive: Socratic Seminar Tips

The rest of class was devoted to reading the article and preparing discussion questions. Next class, I am hoping that we can have an interesting, student led discussion on the article and the questions it generates - specifically about if this could possibly happen again.

Thank you for your hard work, everyone! See you next class.

The Holocaust, Day 2 - Class Recap

The barbed wire around Auschwitz I in Poland. Photo taken in 2013.

Hi everyone,

Today was another day looking into more depth on the Holocaust genocide. I showed some of my pictures from visiting Auschwitz in 2013, we finished the textbook work, and began a group activity. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Behavior LT 2: I can self-direct my learning.

Soundtrack: "Rebel Rebel" by David Bowie. Selected for today because of the people that rebelled against the Nazis during the Holocaust. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 1/10/18:
News Brief – Josiah
Photos from Auschwitz
Finish Textbook Work
Group Activity

Homework: Read the blog. Check your updated grades and know what to do to improve! Next news brief: Kanta.

News Brief: Josiah had the news brief today and selected this story to talk about: Reuters.com - Turkey urges Russia, Iran to stop Syrian army offensive in Idlib. We found Turkey in the world map packet and discussed this story along with the geography of the region, before moving on to talk about what students were up to outside of class.

Kanta was selected for the next news brief.

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update. Here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):

BBCNews.com - One-minute World News

Photos from Auschwitz: After the news brief, I showed students photos from my visit to Auschwitz in the summer of 2013. I wanted everyone to see what it actually looks like, and explain what it was like to visit there. Hopefully this was interesting! I would highly encourage anyone interested in history to visit at some point. It was incredibly powerful and horrifying.

Textbook Work: We finished going through the Modern World History textbook and what it has to say about the Holocaust on pages, 502-505. The assigned work in class was:

Summarize the two sections: The Holocaust Begins + The Final Solution

Write out vocab definitions (words in blue)

Complete questions 1-8 at the end of the Chapter (page 505).

After about 15 minutes of work, we went over the answers together, as I randomly called on students. Keep these papers - they will help you with understanding the vocabulary in the unit and in our upcoming discussion!

Group Activity: We did not have time to start this today, due to the shortened Wednesday schedule, so we will start it next class. Thanks, everyone!

The Holocaust, Day 1 - Class Recap

Auschwitz II in 2013. The chimneys are the only remainder of much of the camp.

Dear class,

Since everyone is going to be reading "Night" in Mr. Puterbaugh's class, I thought it was especially important to go over some of the basics of the Holocaust in class. Today was our first day looking more in depth at what happened. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Behavior LT 2: I can self-direct my learning.

Soundtrack: "So What?" by Miles Davis. An instrumental jazz song for today as we learned about "so what happened in the Holocaust?".

AGENDA 1/8/18:
Wildcat News Brief – McKenzie
The Holocaust
Textbook Work
Grade Checks

Homework: Read the blog. Check your updated grades and know what to do to improve! Next news brief: Josiah.

News Brief: McKenzie had the news brief today and selected an article about this story to talk about: CBC.ca - Who's going to fly the plane? Pilot shortage could get worse for regional carriers.

We talked for a while in class about Canada, in terms of what is happening there with regional airline pilots and why. I also asked about the weekend and what people were up to, before moving on.

Josiah was selected to do the next news brief.

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update. Here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):

BBCNews.com - One-minute World News

For those who missed class or wanted to watch it again, here is the Westview Wildcat News for the day:

The Holocaust: Again, I think it is really important that I not gloss over the history here (especially with Mr. Puterbaugh teaching Night next door), so we began looking at the Holocaust in depth today. To begin, I asked students to make the Cornell Notes template on a blank sheet of paper (if they wanted to), then went through this PowerPoint:

Google Drive: The Holocaust Overview PowerPoint

All of the pictures in the PowerPoint are from my own travels. I made sure to try and explain each slide in depth and I was happy to try and answer all of the questions from the class.

Along with the PowerPoint, here are two extra resources for the blog. A map of the concentration camps and death camps in Europe, along with some statistics about the Holocaust:

Google Drive: Concentration Camp Map and Holocaust Statistics

And, a timeline of the Holocaust and a "Pyramid of Hate":

Google Drive: Holocaust Timeline and Pyramid of Hate

All of these are resources that should help you better understand the Holocaust and what Mr. Puterbaugh has been teaching you through "Night."

Textbook Work: Near the end of class, we started looking at the Modern World History textbook and what it has to say about the Holocaust. A mere four total pages, 502-505! That said, it does have a quote from Night at the end, and I did use it to reinforce the vocabulary terms and concepts. The assigned work in class (we will finish next class and go over it together) was:

Summarize the two sections: The Holocaust Begins + The Final Solution

Write out vocab definitions (words in blue)

Complete questions 1-8 at the end of the Chapter (page 505).

That was where we ended for the day. Next class, you will finish the work in the textbook, go over some more information about the Holocaust and how it relates to our lives today, as well as learn about how the Nazi party rose to power.

Grade Checks: At the end of class, I went through everyone's grades on a 1-1 basis, so you should know exactly where you are at in the class. I also talked about your Rwanda speech grades in class, which have been posted. Here was the comment online that I included: Thank you for your hard work on your individual Rwanda speech! Your grades have been entered in StudentVUE. Some main points.

1) If you did not address imperialism in Rwanda at all, you received a score of 1 on that target. If your description was unclear or needed more detail, that is how you can improve.
2) The communication target was the score for how well your individual paper followed the format we talked about in class with a thesis statement, five paragraphs, with introduction and conclusion.
3) The critical thinking/multiple perspectives target was for talking about the United Nations own definition of genocide, and talking about the perspective of the people of Rwanda during the genocide in your written speech.

If you have individual questions, I would be happy to answer them in person (I will try to conference with everyone in class as we get closer to the end of the semester). As with any assignment, you can always revise it (or resubmit it, if you haven't turned it in) to demonstrate a higher level of proficiency, if needed.

Please make sure you are working on any missing or late work that you need to revise! Let me know if I can help with anything!

The Holocaust, Day 4 - Class Recap

A quote on the wall of the Miami Holocaust Memorial. Our discussion today in class had a large part to do with whether or not we believe something like this could happen again. Photo taken in 2011.

Dear class,

This was a somewhat challenging day for me as a teacher, to try and give control over to student discussion. Although there were points where it was quiet and awkward, I still think almost everyone did well and that the conversation was productive. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Behavior LT 1:  I can manage my responsibilities as a student.
Behavior LT 2:  I can self-direct my learning.
Behavior LT 3: I can communicate and work effectively within a team or group.

Soundtrack: "Talk" by Coldplay. Selected for today because most of the class was made up of students talking about the rise of Hitler and whether or not it could happen again. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 1/31/17:
News Brief – Oliver
Socratic Seminar
Ladakh Readings
Ancient Futures, Part 1

Homework: Read the blog. Prepare for finals (see below)! Next news brief: Olivia.

News Brief: Oliver selected an article about this story for the news brief today: BBC.com - Quebec mosque shooting: Police arrest a suspect and a witness. We found Canada on our world maps and noted that we talked about it. I also read a quote from Elie Wiesel's Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech at the start of class. Related to that, we had a good discussion about the weekend and what has happened as a result of President Trump's executive orders banning people from Iraq, Iran, Somalia, Yemen, Libya, Sudan, and Syria from the country.

Olivia was selected to do the next news brief.

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update. Here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):

BBCNews.com - One-minute World News

Socratic Seminar: This was the first time we have attempted to do this in class, and I think it went really well! I was proud of everyone participating.

This was the reading that we were discussing in class:

Google Drive - Rise of Hitler Reading

The questions and answers that I wanted the class to do in preparation for the discussion on this were:

1) What happened so that Hitler could get power?

2) Make three discussion questions (not yes or no answers) about the reading. Try to base your questions on specific quotes from the reading.

I explained that I wanted the discussion to be student led and directed, and then I tried to get out of the conversation as much as possible. Overall, I was pleased with the conversation and I think you touched on some really important issues and questions! Thanks for being willing to participate. We will talk more about this next class. Of course, there were times when I wanted to jump in and provide more information or bring up a question, but that was not my role! Important for me to remember, too.

The Holocaust unit will be graded as a Behavior assessment - thanks for your focus here as we wind down the semester!

Ladakh Readings: As I have been explaining in class, your final will be based on a case study of what happened in Ladakh, which is an region in India. Students will be asked to write about many different aspects of the Ladakh, using almost all of the learning targets we have been through this semester.

To start, here is the reading packet I passed out. Students are taking notes on the back page during the documentary that we will start next class:

Google Drive: Intro to Ladakh Readings

Please treat this as homework. There will be time next class to finish this, and it would also be great to have ready, so you can study after the documentary finishes.

Next class, we will watch the documentary and I will give students final prep time. I look forward to seeing everyone then! Almost there to the end of the semester!

The Holocaust, Day 3 - Class Recap

The Boston Holocaust Memorial was one of the most powerful I have seen. As you walk through the glass, steam comes up from the grates, and names of people that were killed in various concentration camps are on the sides of the glass. Photo taken in 2013.

Hi everyone,

We are getting closer and closer to finals! A couple of more days of learning about the Holocaust, and then  Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Behavior LT 1:  I can manage my responsibilities as a student.
Behavior LT 2:  I can self-direct my learning.
Behavior LT 3: I can communicate and work effectively within a team or group.

Soundtrack: "Pride (In the Name of Love)" by U2. Selected for today because the song is in large part about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and because today was PRIDE Friday at Westview! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 1/27/17:
News Brief – Alex
Finish Group Activity
Rise of Hitler

Socratic Seminar Prep

Homework: Read the blog. All late work or revisions due today. Finish reading the Rise of the Nazis article and making 3 discussion questions for next class. Next news brief: Oliver.

News Brief: Alex selected an article about this story to bring in: BBC.com - Beware hate speech, says Auschwitz Holocaust survivor. We found Poland on our world maps and noted that we talked about it. It also is International Holocaust Memorial Day today, in memory of the liberation of Auschwitz in 1945. A powerful reminder of why we are studying it in our class and next door in Lit and Comp.

Oliver was selected to do the next news brief.

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update. Here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):

BBCNews.com - One-minute World News

Finish Group Activity: After the news, we finished the group activity from last class. Instead of just giving students a reading, I though this was a more interesting way for everyone to learn (and move around, and talk with each other) about some key figures and events in Nazi Germany. Here is the assignment that students filled out:

Google Drive - Nazi Group Activity Assignment

And here is the document of different events and people that students were learning about, in terms of their importance in helping the Nazi government establish and maintain power (the knowledge target for the unit):

Google Drive - Nazi Group Activity Roles

Thanks for doing a good job with this activity!

Rise of Hitler: I asked how the Holocuast was possible, and if we could consider something like this happening to us - either as the Nazis or the persecuted people. I think it is hard to consider ourselves capable of such horrific acts. Which is why the Stanford Prison Experiment is so famous. Basically, it was a psychological experiment based on assigning roles to Stanford students (really smart people) - either as "prison" guards or prisoners. The prisoners were taken and not allowed out for six days (until the experiment ended early). The prison guards turned into awful, terrible people. Here's the clip we watched in class (there are many others out there - do a search if you want to learn more):

After the clip, I came back to the idea of wondering if something like the Holocaust could happen again. It's a difficult question for historians, and for people in general. We want to believe that people are good. If we aren't careful about learning the history and psychology to combat it, I think there is a better chance of something like this happening again.

With that idea, I passed out this reading, which has to do with how the Nazi political party and Hitler came to power in Germany:

Google Drive - Rise of Hitler Reading

The questions and answers that I wanted the class to do in preparation for a discussion next class on this were:

1) What happened so that Hitler could establish power? Could this happen again?

2) Make three discussion questions (not yes or no answers) about the reading. Try to base your questions on specific quotes from the reading and grounded in reality (NOT: what if World War II never happened?).

Socratic Seminar Prep: Next class, we will have a graded (on the behavior targets) discussion on the Rise of Hitler reading, so I wanted to go over how that will work.

Two blog exclusive items that will help in this:

Google Drive: Socratic Seminar Self-Assessment

To go along with the preparation, here are some tips on how a good Socratic Seminar works (it is my hope to sit back and let students run the discussion, so that it is more authentic with participation):

Google Drive: Socratic Seminar Tips

The rest of class was devoted to reading the article and preparing discussion questions. Next class, I am hoping that we can have an interesting, student led discussion on the article and the questions it generates - specifically about if this could possibly happen again.

Thank you for your hard work, everyone! See you next class.

The Holocaust, Day 2 - Class Recap

The barbed wire around Auschwitz I in Poland. Photo taken in 2013.

Hi everyone,

Today was another day looking into more depth on the Holocaust genocide. I showed some of my pictures from visiting Auschwitz in 2013, we finished the textbook work, and began  Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Behavior LT 2: I can self-direct my learning.

Soundtrack: "So What" by Miles Davis. A bit of jazz (no lyrics) to start the day! Selected because I wanted to explain the answer to "so what?" in regards to the Holocaust.

AGENDA 1/25/17:
News Brief – Sophia
My Photos
Finish Textbook Work
Group Activity

Homework: Read the blog. All late/missing/revised work is due this Friday! Check your updated grades and know what to do to improve! Next news brief: Alex.

News Brief: Sophia had the news brief today and selected this story to talk about: BBC.com - Prince among seven prisoners executed by Kuwait. We found Kuwait in the world map packet (a new one!) and discussed this story, as well as a bit about the death penalty in general. We also had a good discussion in class about what is happening within our own country right now, too.

Alex was selected for the next news brief.

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update. Here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):

BBCNews.com - One-minute World News

My Photos: After the news brief, I showed students photos from my visit to Auschwitz in the summer of 2013. I wanted everyone to see what it actually looks like, and explain what it was like to visit there. Hopefully this was interesting! I would highly encourage anyone interested in history to visit at some point. Incredibly powerful.

Textbook Work: We finished going through the Modern World History textbook and what it has to say about the Holocaust on pages, 502-505. The assigned work in class was:

Summarize the two sections: The Holocaust Begins + The Final Solution

Write out vocab definitions (words in blue)

Complete questions 1-8 at the end of the Chapter (page 505).

After about 15 minutes of work, we went over the answers together, as I randomly called on students. Keep these papers - they will help you with understanding the vocabulary in the unit and in our upcoming discussion!

Group Activity: This is a teaching activity where students take on the persona of a historical figure or event. In this case, there were eleven different people or events to talk about. I asked that students go around the room talking about their person or event. Here is the worksheet that goes along with this:

Google Drive: Nazi Tea Party Assignment

The directions were to:
1) Write the event or name of the person you were interviewing down on the left column.
2) Write the top 3 most important elements of the story on the slip of paper.
3) Write how you think the Nazis used the person or event to establish or maintain power.

We did not completely finish this in class, so next time, we will talk about where we ended up and go over the events and people together. Thank you for treating this activity with respect. See you next class!

The Holocaust, Day 1 - Class Recap

Auschwitz II in 2013. The chimneys are the only remainder of much of the camp.

Dear class,

Since everyone is reading "Night" in Mr. Puterbaugh's class, I thought it was especially important to go over some of the basics of the Holocaust in class. Today was our first day looking more in depth at what happened. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Behavior LT 2: I can self-direct my learning.

Soundtrack: "Rebel Rebel" by David Bowie. Selected for today because of the women's marches over the weekend. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 1/23/17:
News Brief – Juan
The Holocaust
Textbook Work
Grade Checks

Homework: Read the blog. Check your updated grades and know what to do to improve by Friday! All late or missing work is due then! Next news brief: Sophia.

News Brief: Juan had the news brief today and selected this story to talk about: Nature.com - 'Zombie Volcano' slowly grows beneath New Zealand. We found New Zealand in the world map packet and noted we did a story there. Thanks, Juan!

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update. Here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):

BBCNews.com - One-minute World News

I also asked about the weekend and what people were up to, before moving on.

The Holocaust: Again, I think it is really important that I not gloss over the history here (especially with Mr. Puterbaugh teaching Night next door), so we began looking at the Holocaust in depth today. To begin, I asked students to make the Cornell Notes template on a blank sheet of paper (if they wanted to), then went through this PowerPoint:

Google Drive: The Holocaust Overview PowerPoint

All of the pictures in the PowerPoint are from my own travels. I made sure to try and explain each slide in depth and I was happy to try and answer all of the questions from the class.

Along with the PowerPoint, here are two extra resources for the blog. A map of the concentration camps and death camps in Europe, along with some statistics about the Holocaust:

Google Drive: Concentration Camp Map and Holocaust Statistics

And, a timeline of the Holocaust and a "Pyramid of Hate":

Google Drive: Holocaust Timeline and Pyramid of Hate

All of these are resources that should help you better understand the Holocaust and what Mr. Puterbaugh has been teaching you through "Night."

Textbook Work: Near the end of class, we started looking at the Modern World History textbook and what it has to say about the Holocaust. A mere four total pages, 502-505! That said, it does have a quote from Night at the end, and I did use it to reinforce the vocabulary terms and concepts. The assigned work in class (we will finish next class and go over it together) was:

Summarize the two sections: The Holocaust Begins + The Final Solution

Write out vocab definitions (words in blue)

Complete questions 1-8 at the end of the Chapter (page 505).

That was where we ended for the day. Next class, you will finish the work in the textbook, go over some more information about the Holocaust and how it relates to our lives today, as well as learn about how the Nazi party rose to power.

Grade Checks: At the end of class, I went through everyone's grades on a 1-1 basis, so you should know exactly where you are at in the class. Please make sure you are working on any missing or late work that you need to revise! This Friday will be the last day I accept late work! Let me know if I can help with anything!

The Holocaust, Day 4 - Class Recap

A quote on the wall of the Miami Holocaust Memorial. Our discussion today in class had a large part to do with whether or not we believe something like this could happen again. Photo taken in 2011.

Dear class,

This was a somewhat challenging day for me as a teacher, to try and give control over to student discussion. Although there were points where it was quiet and awkward, I still think almost everyone did well and that the conversation was productive. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Behavior LT 1:  I can manage my responsibilities as a student.
Behavior LT 2:  I can self-direct my learning.
Behavior LT 3: I can communicate and work effectively within a team or group.

Soundtrack: "Talk" by Coldplay. Selected for today because most of the class was made up of students talking about the rise of Hitler and whether or not it could happen again. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 1/21/16:
News Brief – Isaac
Socratic Seminar
Ladakh Readings
Ancient Futures, Part 1

Homework: Read the blog. Prepare for finals (see below)! Next news brief: Sergio.

News Brief: Issac selected an article about this story for the news brief today: BBC.com - Five SA children die 'locked in freezer'. This was a very sad story to start the day. Isaac came up and pointed out where this happened, and we talked about how it could have happened, too.

Sergio was selected to do the next news brief.

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update. Here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):

BBCNews.com - One-minute World News

Socratic Seminar: This was the first time we have attempted to do this in class, and I think it went really well! I was proud of everyone participating.

This was the reading that we were discussing in class:

Google Drive - Rise of Hitler Reading

The questions and answers that I wanted the class to do in preparation for the discussion on this were:

1) What happened so that Hitler could get power?

2) Make three discussion questions (not yes or no answers) about the reading. Try to base your questions on specific quotes from the reading.

I passed out this form for assessing how the discussion and unit went, which will be graded on the behavior learning targets: 

Google Drive: Socratic Seminar Self-Assessment

I explained that I wanted the discussion to be student led and directed, and then I tried to get out of the conversation as much as possible. Overall, I was pleased with the conversation and I think you touched on some really important issues and questions! Thanks for being willing to participate. We will talk more about this next class. Of course, there were times when I wanted to jump in and provide more information or bring up a question, but that was not my role! Important for me to remember, too.

After the discussion, we finished the Behavior targets self-assessment, then moved on.

Ladakh Readings: As I have been explaining in class, your final will be based on a case study of what happened in Ladakh, which is an region in India. Students will be asked to write about many different aspects of the Ladakh, using almost all of the learning targets we have been through this semester.

To start, here is the reading packet I passed out. Students are taking notes on the back page during the documentary:

Google Drive: Intro to Ladakh Readings

Please treat this as homework. There will be time next class to finish this, and it would also be great to have ready, so you can study after the documentary finishes.

Ancient Futures, Part 1: We watched the first 10:30 or so in this famous documentary, looking at traditional Ladakh. Next class, the documentary will switch to more modern Ladakh. Students are analyzing how it has changed, and how geography, culture, and structures of power play a role in the society.

This is an old movie, for sure (I remember watching it when I was in high school), and also so good at going over the themes we have been talking about all semester.

Next class, we will finish the documentary and I will give students final prep time. I look forward to seeing everyone then! Almost there to the end of the semester!

The Holocaust, Day 3 - Class Recap

The Boston Holocaust Memorial was one of the most powerful I have seen. As you walk through the glass, steam comes up from the grates, and names of people that were killed in various concentration camps are on the sides of the glass. Photo taken in 2013.

Hi everyone,

We are getting closer and closer to finals! A couple of more days of learning about the Holocaust, and then we are there! Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Behavior LT 1:  I can manage my responsibilities as a student.
Behavior LT 2:  I can self-direct my learning.
Behavior LT 3: I can communicate and work effectively within a team or group.

Soundtrack: "Pride (In the Name of Love)" by U2. Selected for today because the song is in large part about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose legacy we honored on Monday with not having school. I hope you did something to try and serve our community with your time! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 1/19/15:
News Brief – Zack
Finish Tea Party
Rise of Hitler

Socratic Seminar Prep

Homework: Read the blog. Finish reading the Rise of the Nazis article and making 3 discussion questions for next class. Prepare for finals! Next news brief: Isaac.

News Brief: Zack selected an article about this story to bring in: NBCNews.com - Motorcycle Suicide Attack Hits Major Pakistan Highway, Killing 10. We found Pakistan in the Middle East on the world map packet, and we talked about the continuing conflict with the Taliban in the region.

Isaac was selected to do the next news brief.

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update. Here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):

BBCNews.com - One-minute World News

Finish Tea Party: After the news, we finished the "tea party" activity from last class. Instead of just giving students a reading, I though this was a more interesting way for everyone to learn (and move around, and talk with each other) about some key figures and events in Nazi Germany. Here is the assignment that students filled out:

Google Drive - Nazi Tea Party Assignment

And here is the document of different events and people that students were learning about, in terms of their importance in helping the Nazi government establish and maintain power (the knowledge target for the unit):

Google Drive - Nazi Tea Party Roles

Thanks for doing a good job with this activity!

Rise of Hitler: I asked how the Holocuast was possible, and if we could consider something like this happening to us - either as the Nazis or the persecuted people. I think it is hard to consider ourselves capable of such horrific acts. Which is why the Stanford Prison Experiment is so famous. Basically, it was a psychological experiment based on assigning roles to Stanford students (really smart people) - either as "prison" guards or prisoners. The prisoners were taken and not allowed out for six days (until the experiment ended early). The prison guards turned into awful, terrible people. Here's the clip we watched in class (there are many others out there - do a search if you want to learn more):

After the clip, I came back to the idea of wondering if something like the Holocaust could happen again. It's a difficult question for historians, and for people in general. We want to believe that people are good. If we aren't careful about learning the history and psychology to combat it, I think there is a better chance of something like this happening again.

With that idea, I passed out this reading, which has to do with how the Nazi political party and Hitler came to power in Germany:

Google Drive - Rise of Hitler Reading

The questions and answers that I wanted the class to do in preparation for a discussion next class on this were:

1) What happened so that Hitler could establish power? Could this happen again?

2) Make three discussion questions (not yes or no answers) about the reading. Try to base your questions on specific quotes from the reading and grounded in reality (NOT: what if World War II never happened?).

Socratic Seminar Prep: Next class, we will have a graded (on the behavior targets) discussion on the Rise of Hitler reading, so I wanted to go over how that will work.

I passed out this self-assessment, which students will use in evaluating themselves on the discussion and unit work:

Google Drive: Socratic Seminar Self-Assessment

To go along with the preparation, I also passed out some tips on how a good Socratic Seminar works (it is my hope to sit back and let students run the discussion, so that it is more authentic with participation):

Google Drive: Socratic Seminar Tips

The rest of class was devoted to reading the article and preparing discussion questions. Next class, I am hoping that we can have an interesting, student led discussion on the article and the questions it generates - specifically about if this could possibly happen again.

Thank you for your hard work, everyone! See you next class.

The Holocaust, Day 2 - Class Recap

The barbed wire around Auschwitz I in Poland. Photo taken in 2013.

Hi everyone,

Today was another day looking into more depth on the Holocaust genocide. I showed some of my pictures from visiting Auschwitz in 2013, we finished the textbook work, and began  Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Behavior LT 2: I can self-direct my learning.

Soundtrack: "So What" by Miles Davis. A bit of jazz (no lyrics) to start the day! Selected because I wanted to explain the answer to "so what?" in regards to the Holocaust.

AGENDA 1/14/16:
News Brief – David
My Photos
Finish Textbook Work
Tea Party

Homework: Read the blog. All late/missing/revised work is due this Friday (tomorrow)! Check your updated grades and know what to do to improve! MLK Day of Service is on Monday: do something for your community! Next news brief: Zack

News Brief: David had the news brief today and selected this story to talk about: CNN.com - U.S. official: Navy boats drifted off-course into Iranian waters. We found Iran in the world map packet and I showed why geography (and country boundary lines) were so important to this story. We also talked about the upcoming long weekend, along with MLK day on Monday.

Zack was selected for the next news brief.

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update. Here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):

BBCNews.com - One-minute World News

My Photos: After the news brief, I showed students photos from my visit to Auschwitz in the summer of 2013. I wanted everyone to see what it actually looks like, and explain what it was like to visit there. Hopefully this was interesting! I would highly encourage anyone interested in history to visit at some point. Incredibly powerful.

Textbook Work: We finished going through the Modern World History textbook and what it has to say about the Holocaust on pages, 502-505. The assigned work in class was:

Summarize the two sections: The Holocaust Begins + The Final Solution

Write out vocab definitions (words in blue)

Complete questions 1-8 at the end of the Chapter (page 505).

After about 20 minutes of work, we went over the answers together, as I randomly called on students. Keep these papers - they will help you with understanding the vocabulary in the unit and in our upcoming discussion!

Tea Party: Obviously, there wasn't any tea, or a party in class. A "tea party" is a teaching activity where students take on the persona of a historical figure or event. In this case, there were eleven different people or events to talk about. I asked that students go around the room talking about their person or event. Here is the worksheet that goes along with this:

Google Drive: Nazi Tea Party Assignment

The directions were to:
1) Write the event or name of the person you were interviewing down on the left column.
2) Write the top 3 most important elements of the story on the slip of paper.
3) Write how you think the Nazis used the person or event to establish or maintain power.

We did not completely finish this in class, so next time, we will talk about where we ended up and go over the events and people together. Thank you for treating this activity with respect. See you next week!

The Holocaust, Day 1 - Class Recap

Auschwitz II in 2013. The chimneys are the only remainder of much of the camp.

Dear class,

Since everyone read "Night" in Mr. Puterbaugh's class, I thought it was especially important to go over some of the basics of the Holocaust in class. Today was our first day looking more in depth at what happened. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Behavior LT 2: I can self-direct my learning.

Soundtrack: "Rebel Rebel" by David Bowie. Selected for today because David Bowie passed away over the weekend. A total legend, and someone who was speaking about gender and sexual identity issues publicly long before it was socially acceptable to do so. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 1/12/16:
News Brief – Christian H.
The Holocaust
Textbook Work
Grade Checks

Homework: Read the blog. Check your updated grades and know what to do to improve by Friday! All late or missing work is due then! Watch the State of the Union address tonight at 6 PM, and the Republican Response after! Next news brief: David.

News Brief: Christian H. had the news brief today and selected this story to talk about: BBC.com - Turkey: 'IS suicide bomber' kills 10 in Istanbul Sultanahmet district. This was a breaking news story from this morning, and pretty crazy to me, because I once stayed at a hotel a few blocks away from where the explosion happened. We talked about Turkey being bordered by Syria and how that might impact this event, which seemed to target tourists.

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update. Here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):

BBCNews.com - One-minute World News

I also asked about the weekend and what people were up to, before moving on.

The Holocaust: Again, I think it is really important that I not gloss over the history here (especially with Mr. Puterbaugh teaching Night next door), so we began looking at the Holocaust in depth today. To begin, I asked students to make the Cornell Notes template on a blank sheet of paper, then went through this PowerPoint:

Google Drive: The Holocaust Overview PowerPoint

All of the pictures in the PowerPoint are from my own travels. I made sure to try and explain each slide in depth and I was happy to try and answer all of the questions from the class.

Along with the PowerPoint, I passed out two papers. This one was a map of the concentration camps and death camps in Europe, along with some statistics about the Holocaust:

Google Drive: Concentration Camp Map and Holocaust Statistics

The second paper was a timeline of the Holocaust and a "Pyramid of Hate":

Google Drive: Holocaust Timeline and Pyramid of Hate

All of these are resources that should help you better understand the Holocaust and what Mr. Puterbaugh has been teaching you through "Night."

Textbook Work: Near the end of class, we started looking at the Modern World History textbook and what it has to say about the Holocaust. A mere four total pages, 502-505! That said, it does have a quote from Night at the end, and I did use it to reinforce the vocabulary terms and concepts. The assigned work in class (we will finish next class and go over it together) was:

Summarize the two sections: The Holocaust Begins + The Final Solution

Write out vocab definitions (words in blue)

Complete questions 1-8 at the end of the Chapter (page 505).

That was where we ended for the day. Next class, you will finish the work in the textbook, go over some more information about the Holocaust and how it relates to our lives today, as well as learn about how the Nazi party rose to power.

Grade Checks: At the end of class, I went through everyone's grades on a 1-1 basis, so you should know exactly where you are at in the class. Please make sure you are working on any missing or late work that you need to revise! This Friday will be the last day I accept late work! Let me know if I can help with anything!

The Holocaust, Day 4 - Class Recap

A quote on the wall of the Miami Holocaust Memorial. Our discussion today in class had a large part to do with whether or not we believe something like this could happen again. Photo taken in 2011.

Dear class,

This was a somewhat challenging day for me as a teacher, to try and give control over to student discussion. Although there were points where it was very quiet and awkward, I still think almost everyone did well and that the conversation was productive. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 18: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Critical Thinking and Analysis LT 2: I can explain connections between events, issues, problems and concepts.

Soundtrack: "Talk" by Coldplay. Selected for today because most of the class was made up of students talking about the rise of Hitler and whether or not it could happen again. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 1/30/15:
News Brief – Zac T.
Class Feedback
Socratic Seminar
Reflection

Homework: Read the blog. Next news brief: Jacki.

News Brief: Zac T. selected an article about this story for the news brief today: CNN.com - ISIS launches attack on oil-rich northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk. We talked about why ISIS might think Kirkuk is an important area of focus.

Jacki was selected to do the next news brief.

Class Feedback: I always try to do this at least once during the middle of when I am teaching a class, because it is important to see what is going well and what needs to improve. The questions (which I asked students to anonymously respond to and turn in) were:

What do you like about this class? What do you think you as students are good at?
What does this class (you, as students) need to improve at?
What do you like about Mr. Fritz as a teacher? What is Mr. Fritz good at as a teacher?
What does Mr. Fritz need to improve at as a teacher?

I am looking forward to sharing the results with everyone!

Socratic Seminar: This was the first time we have attempted to do this in class, so it is understandable that it took a while to get set up, started, and for students to engage in the discussion. That's okay - we will get better!

This was the reading that we were discussing in class:

Google Drive - Rise of Hitler Reading

The questions and answers that I wanted the class to do in preparation for the discussion on this were:

1) What happened so that Hitler could get power?

2) Make three discussion questions (not yes or no answers) about the reading. Try to base your questions on specific quotes from the reading.

I passed out this form for assessing how the discussion went, with each person being responsible to monitor their partner, who was inside the ring of desks:

Google Drive - Socratic Seminar Partner Assessment

I explained that I wanted the discussion to be student led and directed, and then I tried to get out of the conversation as much as possible. As I wrote above, this started slowly and I had to jump in at points to make sure everyone was being heard and to redirect the conversation to issues the article brought up. Overall, though, I was pleased with the conversation and I think you touched on some really important issues and questions! Thanks for being willing to participate. We will talk more about this next class.

Have a wonderful weekend!

The Holocaust, Day 3 - Class Recap

The Boston Holocaust Memorial was one of the most powerful I have seen. As you walk through the glass, steam comes up from the grates, and names of people that were killed in various concentration camps are on the sides of the glass. Photo taken in 2013.

Hi everyone,

I hope you enjoyed your long weekend and recovered from finals! It's time to get back with learning about the Holocaust. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 18: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Critical Thinking and Analysis LT 2: I can explain connections between events, issues, problems and concepts.

Soundtrack: "Brand New Day" by Sting. Selected for today because today is the start of a new semester in Global Studies! Wipe the slate clean - it's time to get back to work! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 1/28/15:
News Brief – Zac V.
Final Grades
Stanford Prison Experiment
Rise of the Nazis

Homework: Read the blog. Finish reading the Rise of the Nazis article and making 3 discussion questions for next class. Next news brief: Zac T.

News Brief: Zac V. was absent today, so I did the news brief, and selected this article to talk about: CNN.com - First lady Michelle Obama shakes hands with Saudi king. So? Lots going on here, with global diplomacy, the new Saudi king, culture and customs, and women's rights!

Zac T. was selected to do the next news brief. I also showed the VICE News clip for the day.

Final Grades: After the news, I passed back the Ladakh final DBQ grades, and explained why I gave the scores that I did. Most students did okay with this - I know it was somewhat complicated! In order to get them all graded before final grades were due, I did not write many comments back - please see what I highlighted in the rubric for details on why you received the score(s) you did. Also, final grades from the first semester are posted in the room, by student ID number. I will take them down after next class, so we can start anew.

Stanford Prison Experiment: Before showing this famous clip, I asked if students had any personal stories about World War II or the Holocaust from their family history. It was really interesting to hear these!

I noted that yesterday was Holocaust Memorial Day, and it is the 70th Anniversary of Auschwitz being liberated (or freed) by the Allies. With that, I showed this CNN feature on some of the survivors, and played the first video for the class:

CNN.com - Voices of Auschwitz

Then, I asked how this was possible, and if we could consider something like this happening to us - either as the Nazis or the persecuted people. I think it is hard to consider ourselves capable of such horrific acts. Which is why the Stanford Prison Experiment is so famous. Basically, it was a psychological experiment based on assigning roles to Stanford students (really smart people) - either as "prison" guards or prisoners. The prisoners were taken and not allowed out for six days (until the experiment ended early). Basically, the prison guards turned into awful, terrible people. Here's the clip we watched in class (there are many others out there - do a search if you want to learn more):

After the clip, I came back to the idea of wondering if something like the Holocaust could happen again. It's a difficult question for historians, and for people in general. We want to believe that people are good. If we aren't careful about learning the history and psychology to combat it, I think there is a better chance of something like this happening again.

Rise of the Nazis: With that idea, I passed out this reading, which has to do with how the Nazi political party and Hitler came to power in Germany:

Google Drive - Rise of Hitler Reading

The questions and answers that I wanted the class to do in preparation for a discussion next class on this were:

1) What happened so that Hitler could get power?

2) Make three discussion questions (not yes or no answers) about the reading. Try to base your questions on specific quotes from the reading.

The rest of class was devoted to reading the article and preparing discussion questions. Next class, I am hoping that we can have an interesting, student led discussion on the article and the questions it generates - specifically about if this could possibly happen again.

Thank you for your hard work, everyone! It's good to be back and have a new beginning. :-)

The Holocaust, Day 2 - Class Recap

The barbed wire around Auschwitz I in Poland. Photo taken in 2013.

Hi everyone

Today was another day looking into more depth on the Holocaust genocide. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 18: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Critical Thinking and Analysis LT 2: I can explain connections between events, issues, problems and concepts.

Soundtrack: "Coming Home" by Mat Kearney. Selected because the song was made into a music video for the Oregon Ducks football team, and I will be hoping to come home to Oregon with a win in Dallas on Monday night! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 1/9/15:
News Brief – Jonathan
Holocaust Pictures/Finish Textbook Work
Nazi Tea Party
Rise of Hitler

Homework: Read the blog. Check your updated grades and know what to do to improve! Be good for Mr. Smith, next class! Next news brief: Bhavya.

News Brief: Jonathan had the news brief today and selected this story to talk about: CNN.com -France: Raids kill 3 suspects, including 2 wanted in Charlie Hebdo attack. What a crazy past couple of days in Paris. I tried to explain why terrorists might take a kosher (food prepared in accordance with traditional Jewish beliefs) supermarket hostage, and also the geographically separate standoff with the brothers who allegedly killed 12 people at the comic magazine in Paris. Lots to talk about with this, and I am sure the story will continue to develop over the weekend. Je Suis Charlie!

Thanks for talking about the story, Jonathan! Bhavya was assigned the next news brief. I also played the VICE News clip for today.

Holocaust Pictures/Textbook Work: After the news, I showed my iPhone pictures from visiting Auschwitz in Poland in 2013 on the projector. I tried to explain what everything was and why it was important to understanding what happened in the Holocaust. Thank you for your focus and questions during this time!

Next, we finished going through the Modern World History textbook and what it has to say about the Holocaust on pages, 502-505. The assigned work in class was:

Summarize the two sections: The Holocaust Begins + The Final Solution

Write out vocab definitions (words in blue)

Complete questions 1-8 at the end of the Chapter (page 505).

After about 30 minutes of work, I used random popsicle sticks to call on students for answers to the questions. Keep these papers - they will help you with understanding the vocabulary in the unit and in Night, the book you are reading for Mr. Lathrop!

Nazi Tea Party: Obviously, there wasn't any tea, or a party in class. A "tea party" is a teaching activity where students take on the persona of a historical figure or event. In this case, there were eleven different people or events to talk about. I handed out slips of paper to everyone, and then asked that students go around the room talking about their person or event. Here is the worksheet that goes along with this:

Google Drive: Nazi "Tea Party" Worksheet

The directions were to:
1) Write the event or name of the person you were interviewing down on the left column.
2) Write the top 3 most important elements of the story on the slip of paper.
3) Write how you think the Nazis used the person or event to establish or maintain power.

We did not finish this activity in class, so we will come back to it after I get back next week. Have a wonderful weekend!

The Holocaust, Day 1 - Class Recap

Auschwitz II in 2013. The chimneys are the only remainder of much of the camp.

Dear class,

Since everyone is reading "Night" in Mr. Lathrop's class, I thought it was especially important to go over some of the basics of the Holocaust in class. Today was our first day looking more in depth at what happened. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 18: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Critical Thinking & Analysis LT 2: I can explain connections between events, issues, problems and concepts.

Soundtrack: "So What" by Miles Davis. A bit of jazz (no lyrics) to start the day! Selected because I wanted to explain the answer to "so what?" in regards to the Holocaust.

AGENDA 1/7/15:
News Brief – Austin
Rwanda Speech Grades
The Holocaust
Textbook Work

Homework: Read the blog. Check your updated grades and know what to do to improve! Next news brief: Jonathan.

News Brief: Austin had the news brief today and selected this story to talk about: CNN.com - Charlie Hebdo attack: 12 dead in Paris, manhunt on. This was a breaking news story this morning at the time of the class, but I tried to provide context for what happened. It is probable that this attack was in retaliation for a satirical French newspaper printing images of the Prophet Muhammad and making fun of religion (as they have done with many religions in the past).

Thanks for talking about the story, Austin! Jonathan was assigned the next news brief. I also played the VICE News clip for today.

Rwanda Speech Grades: I passed back the graded Rwanda speeches, being careful to go over how I scored using the rubrics. In essence:
1) If you did not address imperialism in Rwanda at all, you got a score of 1 on that target.
2) The communication target was the score for your actual speech in front of the class. I included my notes as well as everyone else at the table listening, so you can see what I wrote about how you did.
3) The explanation target was for your overall paper and individual speech. How thoroughly did you explain the genocide in Rwanda and what needs to be done?

If you have individual questions, I would be happy to answer them in person. As with any assignment, you can always revise it (or resubmit it, if you haven't turned it in) to demonstrate a higher level of proficiency, if needed.

The Holocaust: Again, I think it is really important that I not gloss over the history here (especially with Mr. Lathrop teaching Night next door), so we began looking at the Holocaust in depth today. To begin, I passed out the Cornell Notes template, then went through this PowerPoint:

Google Drive: The Holocaust Overview PowerPoint

All of the pictures in the PowerPoint are from my own travels. I made sure to try and explain each slide in depth and I was happy to try and answer all of the questions from the class.

Along with the PowerPoint, I passed out two papers. This one was a map of the concentration camps and death camps in Europe, along with some statistics about the Holocaust:

Google Drive: Concentration Camp Map and Holocaust Statistics

The second paper was a timeline of the Holocaust and a "Pyramid of Hate":

Google Drive: Holocaust Timeline and Pyramid of Hate

All of these are resources that should help you better understand the Holocaust and what Mr. Lathrop is teaching you through "Night."

Textbook Work: Near the end of class, we started looking at the Modern World History textbook and what it has to say about the Holocaust. A mere four total pages, 502-505! That said, it does have a quote from Night at the end, and I did use it to reinforce the vocabulary terms and concepts. The assigned work in class (we will finish next class and go over it together) was:

Summarize the two sections --> The Holocaust Begins + The Final Solution

Write out vocab definitions (words in blue)

Complete questions 1-8 at the end of the Chapter (page 505).

That was where we ended for the day. Next class, we will go over some more information about the Holocaust and how it relates to our lives today. I will also probably show some more photos from my time visiting Auschwitz in Poland. I look forward to continuing this important work with you all!