Thursday, October 29, 2015

Culture, Day 7 - Class Recap


A big part of American culture is sports. This was taken at the 2010 Holiday Bowl, before Oregon played Oklahoma State, and won! :-)

Dear class,

Most of today was taken up with finishing the excellent "Time For School" documentary and watching the available updates for the students. Please continue to be working on your Culture Project, as well! Here's the recap for today:

Learning Targets:
Communication LT 1: I can communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
Critical Thinking LT 1: I can explain multiple perspectives and viewpoints.
Knowledge LT 15: I can explain how culture both reflects and shapes society.
Behavior LT 1:  I can manage my responsibilities as a student.

Soundtrack: "Party in the USA" by Miley Cyrus. Selected for today because we talked about Miley Cyrus and American culture, as well as Halloween upcoming. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 10/29/15:
News Brief – Jonathan B.
Finish Time for School 3
Updates
Work Time

Homework: Read the blog. Continue working on the Culture Project - due next Friday! Next news brief: Zack.

News Brief: Jonathan B. had the news brief today and talked about this story with the class: BBCNews.com - 'Hero' US jet pilot saved farmer's life during crash. We found the United Kingdom (where this event happened) on our world maps as we talked about this story, which happened last week. Thanks, Jonathan B.!

Zack was chosen to bring in 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):

Finish Time For School 3: We finished Time For School 3 today. If you missed class and the handout, here it is:


Again, the point to this was to analyze how we see surface culture and what deeper culture is like in different areas around the world.

Here are both parts to the documentary:



I hope you enjoyed watching this - I know that when I watch this, I am always reminded about how fortunate I am to have received a good education!

Updates: After watching Part 2 (just the parts having to do with the students, not the interview at the end), I showed the updates that PBS recently put out about 5 of the 7 students in Time for School. Here are links to see them again (the video should start playing at the new sections of the video):






It was really interesting to see how everyone is doing now, and what they are up to in their lives!

Work Time: After watching the updates, the rest of class was devoted to work time, in completing the Time for School questions, and continuing to work on the culture project. There are a lot of options of what to do - it could be writing, a visual, a presentation, or something else. Here's the assignment:


This will be due in class next week (probably Friday), so be working on it at home, bring work into class to do, and ask questions if you need help! I went around the class and answered questions about it, or helped brainstorm ideas. Please continue to be working on this at home! See you next class. :-)
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Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Culture, Day 6 - Class Recap

A pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. This was right across the street from where my friend Clarke lived for a while. Photo taken in 2011.

Hi everyone,

Today, I introduced the Culture Project to the class (probably due at the end of next week) and we continued the Time For School series of videos. Here's the recap for today:

Learning Targets:
Communication LT 1: I can communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
Critical Thinking LT 1: I can explain multiple perspectives and viewpoints.
Knowledge LT 15: I can explain how culture both reflects and shapes society.
Behavior LT 1:  I can manage my responsibilities as a student.

Soundtrack: "Rhapsody in Blue" by Leonard Bernstein. Selected for today because a student in Period 1 suggested it, as an example of American culture, due to being in Fantastia, by Disney. No lyrics, but listen here.

AGENDA 10/27/15:
News Brief – Gabe
Culture Project
Time for School 3
Work Time

Homework: Read the blog. Continue working on the Culture Project! Next news brief: Jonathan B.

News Brief: Gabe had the news brief today and talked about this story with the class: CNN.com - 5 dead, 1 missing after whale-watching boat sinks off British Columbia. We found Canada on our world maps (in North America) and talked a little bit about what happened - this event was very close to home! Jonathan B. was selected to do the next news brief.

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update (shout out to Lucy Hockings for the reply on Twitter!). 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

Finally, we checked in about the weekend (I am still quite sore from my half marathon!), and anything else that was happening, as well.

Culture Project: This is one of the main assignments for the culture unit, and I hope it is interesting for students to work on! There are a lot of options of what to do - it could be writing, a visual, a presentation, or something else. Here's the assignment:


This will be due in class next week (probably Thursday), so be working on it at home, bring work into class to do, and ask questions if you need help!

Time For School: We continued Time For School 3 today. If you missed class and the handout, here it is:


Again, the point to this was to analyze how we see surface culture and what deeper culture is like in different areas around the world.

Here are both parts to the documentary. I stopped Part 2 at about 18:30 in, when it finished talking about Nanavi.



Next class, we will finish with this and continue working on the culture project.

Work Time: The rest of class (about 20 minutes or so) was devoted to starting up the Culture Project, as I went around the class and answered questions about it, or brainstormed ideas. Please continue to be working on this at home! See you next class. :-)
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Friday, October 23, 2015

Culture, Day 5 - Class Recap

On the football field at Westview, later this past summer. Athletic events are a big part of Westview culture!

Hi everyone,

We continued learning about culture today and I enjoyed hearing the Nacirema stories students came up with, as well as beginning the Time For School series of videos. Here's the recap for today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 15: I can explain how culture both reflects and shapes society.
Behavior LT 1:  I can manage my responsibilities as a student.

Soundtrack: "Represent" by Weezer. Selected for today because we were talking about how people in different cultures represent themselves. This was also a pump up song for the 2010 World Cup. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 10/23/15:
News Brief – David
Share Nacerima Stories
Culture Checklist
Time for School 3

Homework: Read the blog. Turn in missing/incomplete geography work ASAP. Next news brief: Gabe.

News Brief: David had the news brief today and talked about this article with the class: BBCNews.com - Chinese diplomats shot dead in Philippines restaurant attack. We found the Philippines on our world maps (in Asia) and talked about what a typhoon is (vs. a hurricane). Thanks, David! Gabe was randomly drawn as 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

Finally, we checked in about the upcoming weekend, and anything else that was happening, as well.

Share Nacirema Stories: I was glad to see that most students did their homework and were prepared to share their stories in small groups! I had fun listening in on the six groups, and then each group selected their best example, and had a student read it aloud as the rest of the class tried to guess what it was about. The point of this was to be able to look from an outsiders perspective at our own culture, so that we can more easily understand why other cultures might be different.

Culture Checklist: This is a new way of tracking assignments and your proficiency self-assessments on the unit, rather than the big rubrics at the end (which are connected to this). Here is the checklist that I passed out in class:


As we progress through the culture unit (we are about halfway through), you should be writing down assignments and looking at your progress, so that you feel comfortable by the end about

Time For School 3: I really like this documentary as part of our unit on culture, because it is especially interesting to me to see how school is a part of different cultures around the world. Here was the handout that I gave to students to fill out as we were watching:


Again, the point to this was to analyze how we see surface culture and what deeper culture is like in different areas around the world.

We got about 38:00 in to the following video, if you missed class and need to catch up, or simply want to review it again:


I hope you are finding this interesting and engaging! See you next week! :-)
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Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Culture, Day 4 - Class Recap


I really like this picture I took of a kid (I have no idea who it is) at Trillium Lake by Mt. Hood, last summer. Fishing could be a part of his family culture!

Dear class,

We are now really getting into the culture unit! An exchange student visited our class today to talk about their culture, to help with understanding our own. Here's what happened today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 15: I can explain how culture both reflects and shapes society.

Soundtrack: "Abc" by Jackson 5. Selected because it relates to the theme of school and culture, which we learned more about today with the exchange students! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 10/21/15:
News Brief – Srey
Review Cornell Notes
Exchange Students
The Nacirema

Homework: Read the blog. Continue working on the Nacirema assignment (see below). Check your grade in Student VUE and improve it, if possible. Next news brief: David.

News Brief: Srey brought in an article about this story to talk about for the news brief today: ChinaDaily.com - China to build nuclear reactor in UK. We found China in the world map packet (the Asia map) and talked about how China likes to try and invest in places around the world (like the soccer stadium in Costa Rica), in the hopes that those countries will be more friendly to them. Thanks, Srey! David was randomly drawn as 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

Finally, we checked in about the weekend, and anything else that was happening, as well.

Review Cornell Notes: Last class, we went through a PowerPoint on culture. Today, we returned to our notes as part of the AVID process of Cornell Notes, and made questions about the material, as well as summarizing information. There were two handouts that went with this (from last class):



Again, here's the PowerPoint on culture that I wanted notes to be taken on:


Thanks for trying this way of taking notes!

Exchange Students: We were very fortunate to have an exchange student at Westview present about their culture today in class: Leticia from Brazil! I really enjoyed hearing abouther culture and perspective on our culture. Thank you for your focus and great questions during this time! If you see Leticia around Westview, be sure to say hi and thank her again for coming in! :-)

Here was Leticia's presentation that she went through in class:


So cool!

The Nacirema: At the end of class, we returned to the Nacirema reading and assignment from last class, as students tried to make their own versions of the Nacirema stories.


Here's the assignment that has to do with the with the Nacirema reading, that I introduced in class today:


Remember, you are trying to identify something about our own culture, that, when described from an outsider's perspective, would actually seem pretty strange. We will finish this next class and share a few!
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Monday, October 19, 2015

Culture, Day 3 - Class Recap


Today's soundtrack was "Wavin' Flag" by K'Naan, so the photo for today is of a picture I took of the flag of Turkey on a ferry, overlooking the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul. Photo taken in 2013.

Hi everyone,

I enjoyed blowing your minds today (see below)! I think it was a good class, with more students passing the states quiz, finishing the culture PowerPoint lecture notes, and then having fun with the Nacirema reading. Here's what happened today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 15: I can explain how culture both reflects and shapes society.

Soundtrack: "Wavin' Flag" by K'Naan. Selected for today because flags are a symbolic representation of a county, which is integrated into culture. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 10/19/15:
Grades/News Brief – Matthew M.
States Quiz
Cornell Notes
The Nacirema

Homework: Read the blog. Check your grade in Student VUE and improve it, if possible. Next news brief: Srey.

Grades/News Brief: At the start of class, I again talked about grades, and that this progress report would just be based on the Geography unit grades.

Matthew M. brought in this article to talk about for the news brief today: CNN.com - Kerry: U.S. to accept more Syrian refugees. We found Syria in the world map packet (the Middle East map) to identify where Syria is and continue to talk about what is going on there, and how the world community is trying to help, while dealing with the huge numbers of people trying to get away from the conflict. Thanks, Matthew M.! Srey was randomly drawn as 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):

States Quiz: We are getting better at this! I know I wasn't able to pass this back in class, but I did just enter the scores on the gradebook and it appears that most students have passed (which is a 50/50 score) at this point. Again, this will not be a score for the progress report. I will figure out a way to incorporate it as a behavior grade for class. If you have not passed, please continue to study and be ready to do so!

Cornell Notes: This is a note-taking strategy that we are going to be using frequently this year at Westview - especially if you are at all familiar with the AVID class. There were two handouts that went with this:



We went through both of these together, as I made sure to talk about the way in which Cornell Notes help with retaining information. Here's the PowerPoint on culture that I wanted notes to be taken on:


Really, the Iceberg Model is all about what we cannot see. We had an interesting discussion in class with this, as we looked more into deep culture, and what some good examples might be. As I said in class, I think everyone does not want to stereotype cultures, or be prejudiced against them in some way, so we need to seek to understand cultures around the world. It was cool to hear that students were really interested in this material! Your notes are a good start in this!

The Nacirema: I always enjoy this (an old school reading, but a good one). To begin, we used another AVID strategy that involves numbering the paragraphs of a reading. We read this famous article together, as most students sat perplexed about what the heck was going on.


Spoiler alert: here's an assignment that has to do with the with the Nacirema reading (we will start this next class - it is not homework, so please don't do it yet):


The end of class was spent looking at the reading, and trying to analyze how the Nacirema story might relate to our own culture. Next class, we will continue with this and then write a little bit about the Nacirema using similar language and theme. This is usually a pretty fun assignment, once you think of an aspect of our culture to use!

That was it for the day! See you next class! :-)
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Thursday, October 15, 2015

Culture, Day 2 - Class Recap


Another part of my culture is having dual citizenship, due to my mom being born and raised in the United Kingdom.

Dear students,

Today, we got back to work on our new unit of culture. We learned a little bit more about the "iceberg" model for it. I also made sure that everyone had their geography packets graded and back, so you know what to improve on. Here's what happened today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 15: I can explain how culture both reflects and shapes society.

Soundtrack: "American Pie" by Don McLean. Selected for today because we were talking more about American culture, and this song famously contains lots of references to it. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 10/15/15:
Grades/News Brief – Anna
States Quiz
Our Culture
Cornell Notes

Homework: Read the blog. Check your grade in Student VUE and improve it, if possible. Next news brief: Matthew M.

Grades/News Brief: I wanted to make sure to explain how I assigned grades for the Geography unit and packet. I wrote comments on your self-reflection papers, which I would appreciate you reading, because they certainly took a lot of time. Also, grades are now posted in the room (by student ID number) as well. You should always know exactly what you have and how to improve it! I will definitely accept revised work, so please do it correctly and thoroughly, and get it to me as fast as possible so we all don't have to stress even more about it. It's still early - you have time, but don't dig yourself a huge hole right now. Let me know how I can help!

Anna brought in this article to talk about for the news brief today: NBCNews.com - Firefighter Accused of Arson at Syrian Refugees' Home in Germany. We found Germany in the world map packet (the Europe map) and continued to talk about the situation with the Syrian refugees in Europe. Thanks, Anna! Matthew M. was randomly drawn as 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):

States Quiz: So, this went poorly for a large majority of the class, which is pretty frightening. Next class, I will give an opportunity for a retake. Be studying, please! For those that passed it, I will give you something else to do during test time next class.

Our Culture: After the states quiz, we moved on to looking at what our own culture is like. I split students up into groups and had each group brainstorm the following: What is our culture like? With your group, brainstorm aspects of what culture is like at the following three levels. Use your culture traits from the slideshow last class!

American Culture
Portland/Beaverton Culture
Westview Culture

I had a lot of fun listening to the examples given for each of these, which did do a good job of highlighting different elements of culture! Here is what the class came up with:


This took longer than I expected to go through together, but that's okay. I think it was really fun and productive in understanding culture. We stopped here and will pick back up with culture next class.
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Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Culture, Day 1 - Class Recap

Part of my family's culture is attending Oregon Duck football games (well, maybe not so much for my sister). This is us outside the 2011 BCS National Championship Game in Arizona.

Hi everyone,

Today, we moved on to a new unit: Culture! What an interesting topic. Culture defines who we are, yet we shape and create it every day! Here's what happened today in class (we did a lot, so be ready for a fair amount of reading):

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 15: I can explain how culture both reflects and shapes society.

Soundtrack: "Food" by Common and Kanye West. Selected because we talked about what we had for breakfast today, as a part of our culture. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 10/13/15:
News Brief – Christian H.
What is Culture?
The Lost Boys
Our Culture

Homework: Read the blog. Study for the states quiz next class! Make sure you have all of your Geography unit work turned in - progress report grades are due next Monday morning! Next news brief: Anna.

News Brief: Christian H. brought in an article about this story for the news brief: CNN.com - ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in convoy hit by airstrike, Iraq says. Since I still have your world maps for grading, we did not highlight Iraq on our world map, but we were able to talk a lot about ISIS, and what is going on in that region of the world. Thanks, Christian H. Anna was assigned 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):


I also asked about the long weekend and had a good time hearing what students were up to, before we moved on.

What is Culture?: I started this section and new unit by asking what everyone had for breakfast today. The answers were:

Nothing x 15
Cereal x 5
Toast x 3
Fruit x 2
Yogurt x 2
Egg x 3
Oatmeal x 2
Waffles x 4
Pancakes x 3
Pizza x 1

I saw this article a while ago and thought it was interesting, which is why I asked:


We looked at a few of these different types of breakfast (all of which were certainly better than "nothing" as the high answer - you need to eat before school, everyone!) and identified "food" as an aspect of culture. I also showed this video of American kids trying breakfast from different places around the world:


Funny stuff!

Then, I passed out this sheet:


I had students guess about what culture is with the top space on the worksheet, then we brainstormed as a class all the different aspects that could go in the second box, of 10 characteristics of culture.

After that, we went through this slideshow of pictures from the National Geographic Photography: Culture website. Here are the photos we went through:


I love all of these pictures because the world is such a diverse and interesting place! I enjoyed the class guesses as to what was going on in each.

The Lost Boys: Next, I showed part of a documentary on The Lost Boys of Sudan. This shows the dramatic differences between the culture in Sudan and the culture in America - something I think we do not think much about at all:


We ran out of time at the end of class, but as a counterbalance, I wanted to show this commercial that was made about Lopez Lomong, who was one of the "Lost Boys" and who eventually gained American citizenship, made the US Olympic Team, and carried the American flag into the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing:


I showed these videos to highlight some key aspects to American and Sudanese culture. We will continue to explore cultural similarities and differences of various different cultures during this unit.

Our Culture: We didn't have the time at the end of class to dive into this, so I gave students time to prepare for the states quiz next class, instead. Keep working at that! Next time, we will do that and continue introducing culture.
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Thursday, October 8, 2015

Geography, Day 9 - Class Recap

This is me doing the Gangnam Style dance, at Gangnam Station in Seoul, South Korea, in January of 2014. Yes, the Korean girl who took this was laughing at me.

Dear class,

We are finally done with map quizzes and most of the Geography unit! Thank you for your patience and understanding as we finished today and there was a flurry of activity. I will grade your packets in the coming days for your upcoming progress reports. Here's what we did today in class:

Learning Targets:
Behavior LT 2: I can self-direct my learning.
Knowledge LT 6: I can demonstrate an understanding of the characteristics of locations and regions.
Knowledge LT 7: I can demonstrate the ability to use geographic tools.

Soundtrack: "Gangnam Style" by PSY. Selected because we had our last map quiz today, on Asia. South Korea is where PSY is from, which is in Asia. Lyrics (which are mostly Korean, and hilariously translated to the English alphabet) here.

AGENDA 10/8/15:
News Brief – Eric
Asia Map Quiz
Atlas/Map Work
Turn in Collection of Evidence

Homework: Read the blog. Your geography packet needed to be turned in today, so if you have parts you did not turn in, please get it to me ASAP. Study for the states quiz next week. Next news brief: Christian H.

News Brief: Eric brought in an article about this story for the news brief: CNN.com - Doctors Without Borders: Kunduz strike an 'attack on the Geneva Conventions'. We found Afghanistan on the world map packet (handy, because we were doing the Asia map quiz today) and talked about this story. I mentioned that our family elected to have people give money to Doctors Without Borders instead of flowers and other condolences after my dad was killed last year, because my dad was a doctor and cared a lot about people. So, this is a really awful story, and important to figure out what happened. Christian H. was randomly 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):


I also asked about any plans for the long weekend and talked a little bit about what I have been up to. It was great to meet your parents at Back to School Night yesterday! :-)

Asia Map Quiz: This was the last map quiz opportunity (remember, you had 6 possible opportunities with different map quizzes - 3 of which you choose as your best work to be graded along with the other geography work we have been doing). We graded and passed this back in class, so everyone should have had all the graded quizzes available for selection.

Atlas/Map Work: There was time in class for students to be finishing any geography unit work, after the Asia quiz. I hope you used your time wisely! The assignments for the unit are:

1) The completed world map packet, labelled and colored. Link here.
2) Your choice of the top three out of the six map quizzes that we took in class.
3) The Five Themes of Geography Atlas activity. Link here.
4) Latitude and Longitude in Central Asia worksheet. Link here.

Turn in Collection of Evidence: Finally - the first graded packet of work for the semester! This was the accumulation of all the work we have done with the geography unit - the quizzes, five themes papers, the latitude and longitude assignment from Asia, and your completed world maps by continent (colored and labelled). Here is the rubric students used in class to self assess (I will be using this same paper to write grades and comments on):


I will look at what students wrote on this, along with the work that was stapled and turned in with it, in order to determine your proficiency grades are for these two learning targets, which is what the first progress report will be based on. Thus, if you did not do well with keeping up with your maps, doing well with the quizzes, and making sure to use class time effectively for the Five Themes of Geography packet, you may have some unfortunate news coming soon if you do not make up the work.

Next class, we will start our look at culture in depth. See you then! Enjoy your long weekend!
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Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Geography, Day 8 - Class Recap


The Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, taken in July of 2014. Today, we had our Africa map quiz in class, which included Egypt!

Dear class,

Welcome back to a short week together! This week should close out the first big unit of the year, on Geography. Next class is our last map quiz, and then we will start moving on to Culture next week! Here's what happened today:

 Learning Targets:
Behavior LT 2: I can self-direct my learning.
Knowledge LT 6: I can demonstrate an understanding of the characteristics of locations and regions.
Knowledge LT 7: I can demonstrate the ability to use geographic tools.

Soundtrack: "Waka Waka (This Time For Africa)" by Shakira. Selected for today because a student in Period 5 requested it, and because it was the theme song for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, and today was the Africa quiz. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 10/6/15:
News Brief – Isaac
Africa Map Quiz
Latitude/Longitude
Atlas/Map Work

Homework: Read the blog. Finish Asia/Middle East maps (colored and labeled) for the quiz next class. Bring all of your other geography unit work/quizzes to be able to turn in. Keep studying for the upcoming states quiz. Next news brief: Eric.

News Brief: Aaron had the news brief today and selected this story to talk about: BBCNews.com - French Riviera floods: Death toll rises to 19. We found France on our Europe map and talked a little bit about this story, along with the flooding in South Carolina and very warm weather here in Portland. Thanks, Isaac! Eric volunteered 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):


I also checked in about the weekend with everyone to see how Homecoming and any other events of interest went, before moving on.

Africa Map Quiz: The second to last map quiz out of the six! Remember that your top three scores will be turned in for your grade for the geography targets. We corrected the quiz in class and then I entered the scores in the gradebook. You will get them back to keep in your binder next class.

Latitude/Longitude: I wanted to make sure that we went over the concepts of latitude and longitude again, in identifying where places are in the world. With that, I passed out this worksheet having to do with Asia (which, not so coincidentally, students were labeling in class today):


I will collect these as part of the collection of evidence for the geography learning targets later in the week, along with your top three map quizzes, finished map packet, and Five Themes of Geography packet.

Atlas/Map Work: The last part of class was dedicated to labeling and coloring the Asia and Middle East sections of the map packet, in order to be able to use it on the last map quiz next class. For checking the blog, here's a question from the quiz: This island country—an archipelago made up of many atolls—is located south and west of India. If you are missing your map packet and know you need to have it done, please print out another and have it ready to go for next class:

Google Drive - World Maps Packet

Here's the Five Themes of Geography Atlas activity to continue working on (which mostly has to be in class with the atlases here):

I am looking forward to meeting your parents tonight at Back To School Night! You can bet that the blog will feature heavily. Make sure to have your map packet completed, and as much of the Five Themes packet done as possible for next class!
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Friday, October 2, 2015

Geography, Day 7 - Class Recap


Today's map quiz was on Europe. In 2013, I took a two month trip to Europe and traveled by plane, train, and bus all around. Here's a collage of photos from each stop of the trip.

Hi everyone,

We are getting close to the end of the Geography unit! Thank you for your patience and understanding that geography is really important! Here's what happened today:

 Learning Targets:
Behavior LT 2: I can self-direct my learning.
Knowledge LT 6: I can demonstrate an understanding of the characteristics of locations and regions.
Knowledge LT 7: I can demonstrate the ability to use geographic tools.

Soundtrack: "Trans Europe Express" by Kraftwerk. Selected for today because it was the Europe quiz in class, naturally. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 10/2/15:
News Brief/UCC – Yanuel
Europe Map Quiz
Geographic Literacy
Atlas/Map Work

Homework: Read the blog. Finish Africa map (colored and labeled) for the quiz next class. Keep studying for the upcoming states quiz. Next news brief: Isaac.

News Brief: Yanuel had the news brief today and selected this story to talk about: USAToday.com - Afghan troops struggle to regain Kunduz. We found Afghanistan on the world map (specifically, the Middle East) as we talked about this story, which involves the Taliban taking over a capital city of a province, which is a big deal. Thanks, Yanuel! Isaac was drawn as the next person up.

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):


Finally, I wanted to address the shooting yesterday at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon. Obviously, this is not a story outside of the United States, but we also are not blind to huge stories happening here. I went over some of the basics of what happened, and showed students the response plan (posted around the room) should Westview ever find ourselves in a similar situation. We also talked a bit about gun laws, the possible influence of religion on this case, and President Obama's address to the nation about the shooting. As I said in class, I try to not live my life in fear of such an event, and I also know that we, as a society, need to do much better.

Moving on for the time being...

Europe Map Quiz: The fourth map quiz out of the six! Remember that your top three scores will be turned in for your grade for the geography targets. We corrected the quiz in class and then I entered the scores in the gradebook. You will get them back to keep in your binder next class.

Geographic Literacy: I know that class has been a little repetitive lately, with quizzes and work time, I wanted to show again why it is important that we are learning about geography. So, I played this clip:


Yikes, to say the least! "Name a country in South America." "Uh... Africa?"

The problem is that this is not uncommon. To back up my point that we really need to know our geography as a society, I showed this article about the results of a 2006 National Geographic study:


Some of the statistics on there (granted, almost a decade old, but I would be willing to bet the numbers have not changed that much) are really frightening, about how little Americans the age of the students in our class know about geography. Less than 20% of young Americans even OWN a world map, which is a reason why I really care that you do! With that in mind, we moved on to continuing to label and prepare for the next map quiz.

Atlas/Map Work: The last part of class was dedicated to labeling and coloring the Africa section of the map packet, in order to be able to use it on the upcoming quiz next class. For checking the blog, here's a question from the quiz: This mountainous central African country is located between Uganda and Burundi. If you are missing your map packet and know you need to have it done, please print out another and have it ready to go for next class:

Google Drive - World Maps Packet

Also, here's the Five Themes of Geography Atlas activity to continue working on (which mostly has to be in class with the atlases here):

Have a great weekend, everyone! See you next week. :-)
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