Government, Day 5 - Class Recap

The Statue of Liberty in New York, which is a symbol of immigration to the United States. 

Photo taken in 2011.

Dear class,

Welcome to your weekend! Thanks for doing your homework and checking in on the blog to see what we are up to. 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.
Communication LT 1: I can communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.

Soundtrack: "Kings and Queens" by 30 Seconds to Mars. Selected for today because of the connection to monarchy, and this song gets me fired up because it reminds me of watching ESPN tennis tournaments. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 11/23/15:
News Brief – Sergio
Finish "Who Rules?"
Government Test
Lost!

Homework: Read the blog. Have a great Thanksgiving Break! Next news brief: Andrew.

News Brief: Sergio had the news brief today and selected an article about this story: BBC.com - Paris attacks: France launches anti-IS strikes from carrier. We found France on the world map (in Europe) and continued to talk about the situation in Syria. We also talked about the upcoming Thanksgiving break.

Andrew 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

Who Rules?: Before the government test, I wanted to give the class time to review the reading and answers in the packet:

Google Drive - Who Rules? Reading and Questions

I gave about five minutes before the test for study of the PowerPoint notes, as well.

Government Test: I do not think this was especially difficult, if you have been in class and following along with what has been going on the last few days! Obviously, I have lots to grade, with culture and forced choice, as well, but it is likely that these will be on your progress report grades, which are due after Thanksgiving.

Lost!: At the end of class, we had a little fun with a scenario inspired by "Lord of the Flies" and the TV series "Lost." I asked everyone to get back into the same groups as last class, based on the forms of government being analyzed and skits performed, and then passed out one of these papers to each group, which contain the scenario and questions for the group to answer:

Google Drive - Lost Island Government Group Activity

We will continue with this next class and talk about the different group proposals, then probably have some fun. :-)

See you next week! Enjoy your break! You will have a sub on Tuesday, so be good to them! I will be at a district training all day, and I will still post a blog. :-)

Government, Day 4 - Class Recap

The White House, in Washington, D.C., which is typically seen as a symbol of the leadership of the United States government, because the President lives there. Photo taken in 2010.

Dear class,

I enjoyed seeing the skits today about the various forms of government around the world that we are studying! Hopefully, combined with the reading and notes, you now have a good idea about how each system works. 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.
Communication LT 1: I can communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.

Soundtrack: "Princess of China" by Coldplay and Rihanna. Selected for today because a princess is part of a monarchy, which is a form of government that we are discussing. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 11/19/15:
News Brief – Matthew S.
Group Work
Skits
Who Rules?

Homework: Read the blog. Study for forms of government test next class. Next news brief: Sergio.

News Brief: Matthew S. had the news brief today and selected this article to talk about with the class: CNN.com - Prosecutor: Paris attacks ringleader Abdelhamid Abaaoud dead. We talked more about this ongoing story in France and marked it again in our world maps. We also had an extended conversation about what is happening with the Syrian refugee crisis, and I also tried to answer what happened at the University of Missouri in a minute, and took a bit longer than that. I love a good news brief section to start the morning. :-)

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

Group Work/Skits: As I mentioned above, I really enjoyed the skits about representing different forms of government, even if they were very brief. The groups did a good job of thinking of how to present each of the main ideas!

Here was the packet that this was based on (a few of the types were not on the PowerPoint, like Oligarchy and Anarchy, so make sure to review them and what some of the benefits and drawbacks of each system are):

Google Drive - Types of Government Readings

Just look at the readings from A-G, because you do not need to know the economic structures that are later in the packet, yet. In class, we went over the form of government, along with possible benefits and drawbacks.

Who Rules?: The rest of class was devoted to your groups going through this packet, designed to be a review before the forms of government test:

Google Drive - Who Rules? Reading and Questions

The first page has a good overview of the types and classifications of governments that we are studying. The following pages are practice, to help compare and contrast the systems of government. We will finish this next class and then take the test. A question from the test, for checking the blog, is: What form of government  ...is ruled by a small group of people, usually the wealthy elite?
a.  oligarchy, b.  theocracy, c.  communism, d.  anarchy. Guess in the comments and I will tell you if you are correct!

 Please study and ask questions if you are at all confused! See you next class! :-)

Government, Day 3 - Class Recap

The Parliament of Barbados, in the Caribbean. Photo taken in 2011.

Hi everyone,

We went into more detail as to what government is and looks like in various systems around the world. Lots of content to check out! Here's what happened in class:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Communication LT 1:  I can use language and  style that is appropriate to the content area.

Soundtrack: "Paris, Tokyo" by Lupe Fiasco. Selected for today because of the horrific attacks in Paris on Friday. Also, just an excellent song about traveling around the world. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 11/17/15:
News Brief – Abigail
Debrief Forced Choice
Forms of Government
Group Activity

Homework: Read the blog. Turn in any missing work ASAP! Next news brief: Matthew S.

News Brief: Natalie had the news brief today and selected an article about this story to talk about: CNN.com - How attacks in Paris unfolded. We went into detail about the Paris attacks and what happened there. I talked a bit about my own experience in Paris (as my girlfriend is from there), and showed a map of where the attacks happened. This was in an attempt to provide some context for what happened and why. It is important that we continue learning about what is going on in the world! Thanks, Abigail.

Matthew S. was selected to do the next news brief.

We did not watch the one minute BBC World News update, due to sound issues with my laptop. 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

Debrief Forced Choice: This was when we talked about how the activity went and the answers to these questions (a one page written reflection was due to be completed in class today): What was the most difficult or controversial question for you? Why? How do these sorts of questions relate to the study of government?

I really like the debate format in forced choice (obviously, or I wouldn't spend the majority of two days on it), so thank you for your participation and reflection!

Forms of Government: This was a PowerPoint presentation that went over various basic forms of government. Students took Cornell Notes (if they wanted that form - otherwise, it was on a regular sheet of paper) on the lecture. Here's the file for review (there will be an upcoming quiz on forms of government):

Google Drive - Forms of Government PowerPoint

As with most presentations I create, the pictures are almost entirely mine! :-)

We finished with this today, as we did not have time to start the group activity. That's okay! It was a spirited discussion in class, full of good questions, for which I am thankful. We can usually make time for that. See you next class!

Government, Day 2 - Class Recap

Winter time is coming! Photo taken outside my house in 2008.

Dear class,

It was so nice to see you all again today! A quick week, with Veterans Day in the middle. Again, I really enjoyed the discussion today. Here's what happened in class:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Communication LT 1:  I can use language and  style that is appropriate to the content area.

Soundtrack: "Get Up, Stand Up" by Bob Marley. Selected for today because students were standing up for what they believed in, in terms of the Forced Choice questions. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 11/13/15:
News Brief – Daisy
Culture Presentations?
Forced Choice
Reflection

Homework: Read the blog. Catch up on any late/incomplete/missing work. Next news brief: Abigail

News Brief: Daisy had the news brief today and selected this story to talk about: BBC.com - Russia reveals giant nuclear torpedo in state TV 'leak'. The article makes the case that this leak was possibily not an accident, which would be interesting. Is Russia trying to intimidate us? We found Russia in our world maps and noted that a news brief was done on the story. Thanks, Daisy!

Abigail 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

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

Culture Presentations?: This time was utilized by a few students that did not present last class. Thanks for doing this today, and for the attention and respect of the class.

Forced Choice: This is one of my favorite activities of the year. I had the class answer the following questions and choose YES or NO to each of them. Then, we split up the class so that two sides were facing each other. With each question, students moved to the side they felt best represented their opinion on the matter. These are difficult ethical questions and I am glad that we have the type of classroom culture that students feel able to talk about them! The questions were:

1. Giving up some of our rights (like our phones being searched without a warrant) is necessary for our own protection.
2. Everyone in the US should have the right to own guns if they want.
3. Private businesses should be able to choose to not employ people who have a sexual orientation they disagree with.
4. Marijuana should be legalized everywhere for recreational use.
5. Public schools should strictly enforce a standardized dress code.
6. Organized prayer in public schools should be allowed.
7. The government of a country should be able to make unpopular decisions.
8. Should the motto “In God We Trust” be removed from our currency?
9. I agree with the death penalty option for convicted murderers.
10. People in power are always corrupt in some way.

Today, we did questions 3, 4, 7, and 6. Lots of interesting questions and critical thinking! Thank you for your responses and participation. It was not possible to get to every hand that was up in every discussion, for which I apologize. I am glad that students were engaged!

As part of the discussion, I showed this website, which has a map of states with and without employment discrimination laws for orientation and gender identity: Mic.com - One Map Shows Where You Can Still Be Fired for Being Gay in 2015.

If you had any other articles or links to share to back up what you shared in class, please post them in the comments!

Reflection: With about 10 minutes left in class, we stopped the debate, so I could give the assignment, which is important, because we spent most of two days on this activity.

This will be completed next class: Write a one page reflection on the activity. What was the most difficult or controversial question for you? Why? How do these sorts of questions relate to the study of government?

If nothing was difficult for you to answer, maybe pick one that you felt most passionately about. We will do a short debrief on the activity next class, then move on to learning about the basics of government around the world.

Thanks! See you next class!

Government, Day 1 - Class Recap

On the roof of the Bundestag building in Berlin, Germany. This is where the government of Germany meets. Photo taken in 2013.

Hi everyone,

Welcome to a shortened week, with Veterans Day tomorrow! I really enjoyed the discussion today in class. I'm sure it was a nice change from all of the writing students have had to do in the last few days for the class! Here's what happened in class:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Communication LT 1:  I can use language and  style that is appropriate to the content area.

Soundtrack: "The War Was in Color" by Carbon Leaf. The reason I chose this song for today is because it is all about a veteran describing war to his grandson. We have Wednesday off of school because of Veteran's Day and it is important that we honor the service of those in our armed forces. Lyrics (which I read part of in class) here.

AGENDA 11/10/15:
News Brief – Rachele
Culture Presentations
Forced Choice
Reflection

Homework: Read the blog. Turn in any late/missing/incomplete culture work (especially DBQs). Next news brief: Emily

News Brief: Rachele had the news brief today and selected an article about this story: NYTimes.com - Russia Says Stalled Arms Deal With Iran Is Signed and Active. We found the Iran in our world maps and noted that we did a news brief on the country. I also mentioned that the deal restricting Iran's nuclear weapons also means that Iran will have some sanctions relief in terms of the United States allowing Iran to have access to funding and ways to improve their economy.

Daisy was selected to do the next news brief.

We also watched the BBC World News one minute 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.

Culture Presentations: Because I wanted to give as much time in class last time to writing the DBQ, we did not have the time for presentations (for the students who chose to do a presentation for the culture project). I enjoyed everyone that went today! Thank you for your effort in crafting great presentations and visuals.

Forced Choice: This is one of my favorite activities of the year. I had the class answer the following questions and choose YES or NO to each of them. Then, we split up the class so that two sides were facing each other. With each question, students moved to the side they felt best represented their opinion on the matter. These are difficult ethical questions and I am glad that we have the type of classroom culture that students feel able to talk about them! The questions were:

1. Giving up some of our rights (like our phones being searched without a warrant) is necessary for our own protection.
2. Everyone in the US should have the right to own guns if they want.
3. Private businesses should be able to choose to not employ people who have a sexual orientation they disagree with.
4. Marijuana should be legalized everywhere for recreational use.
5. Public schools should strictly enforce a standardized dress code.
6. Organized prayer in public schools should be allowed.
7. The government of a country should be able to make unpopular decisions.
8. Should the motto “In God We Trust” be removed from our currency?
9. I agree with the death penalty option for convicted murderers.
10. People in power are always corrupt in some way.

We only made it through question 2 today, so I will pick and choose next class as to which questions we will discuss and debate, before writing a reflective piece about the experience.

In class today, Jonathan F. asked about overall break in rates in the United States. I said I would look up that information, which I am going to assume meant robbery (meaning that people were home at the time). Here is the data for 2014:

FBI.gov - 2014 Crime in the United States: Robbery

It looks like robbery rates have decreased recently, though there were still 325,802 reported in the United States last year.

I love these discussions and I think we did a great job of following the Ground Rules that we established at the beginning of the year.

Thank you for your participation, everyone! Be ready to keep talking next time.

Culture Day 10, Class Recap

I am going to bet that many students wrote that one of the ways culture both reflects and shapes society is through religion. This is a church in Budapest, Hungary, in 2013. I just loved the lighting here! No special effects!

Dear class,

Hooray! You are finally done with the DBQ final essay for the culture unit (if you were able to complete it in class)! I really appreciated how focused everyone seemed to be today in class, and I am excited to start looking into how everyone did. Here's what happened in class:

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: "Get Ready for This" by 2 Unlimited. Intended as a pump up song to write the DBQ essay today in class! Here's a link to the version I played in class, from ESPN's "Jock Jams" CD.

AGENDA 11/6/15:
News Brief - Lisa
Write Essay
Culture Project
Turn In Unit Work

Homework: Read the blog. If you did not turn in your culture unit work today (or missed class), you need to get all of this in to me as soon as possible. Enjoy your weekend if you are done with everything! Here is the culture unit work:

1) Surface culture worksheet (National Geographic photos PowerPoint)
2) Cornell Notes on Culture definitions/iceberg PowerPoint
3) Nacirema writing (neatly written or typed, 200 words minimum)
4) Exchange student presentation notes (optional to include)
5) Time for School Notes/Answers
6) Culture Project (include the assignment/rubric from this, even if you are doing a presentation/visual)
7) Culture unit checklist and self-assessment form. (this should be stapled on the top)

Next news brief: Rachele.

News Brief: Lisa the news brief today and chose an article about this story to talk about: CNN.com - 15 die when militants lay siege to hotel with bombs and guns in Somalia. We found Somalia on our world maps (in Africa) and I talked about how the country has basically been in a state of anarchy (without a functioning government) for a long time. I also referenced the movie Black Hawk Down, and we will talk more about that incident in the coming weeks. Thanks, Lisa!

Rachele 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):

BBCNews.com - One-minute World News

Write Essay: Today was almost entirely devoted to writing the essay portion of the culture DBQ. We began this process last class, with this handout going through the steps to writing a DBQ:

Google Drive - How to Write a Document Based Question 

We had about an hour in class to be writing, with finishing up the document analysis, and writing the essay. About half the students were able to finish in class, and the rest took the DBQ home to finish this weekend.

Culture Project: We did not have time in class to present or talk about the Culture Project, though I am very excited next class to hear from students who did a presentation or visual to talk briefly about! If you did not finish this, please do so ASAP and turn it in with the rest of your culture unit work.

Turn in Culture Unit Work: See above, in the homework section, for a list of everything that should be turned in as a part of the culture unit.

Remember to have this check list completed and stapled on the front, as well:

Google Drive - Culture Unit Checklist and Self-Assessment

I will go through these as a collection of evidence from the unit. The DBQ is a different and separate score. If you finished this all today, great! If you have not, please do so ASAP, as we will move on to a new unit next class, after any culture project presentations and visuals are shared! :-)

Have a great weekend!

Culture, Day 9 - Class Recap

A clock in a park in Hanoi, Vietnam. Next class will used for your DBQ essay final! Today, students took a look at the documents and began to think of possible responses for the essay. Photo taken in 2011.

Hi everyone,

Today was your first chance to look at the DBQ unit final on Culture. Next class, you will be writing an essay on the prompt "How does culture both reflect and shape society?" Here's what happened in class:

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: "Born in the U.S.A." by Bruce Springsteen. Selected for today because the song is typically seen as representing patriotic themes, but a closer look at the lyrics (as we did in class) show that the song is really about a deep dissatisfaction with American culture.

AGENDA 11/4/15:
News Brief – Selene
How to DBQ
Document Analysis
Prep Time

Homework: Read the blog. Have a plan of action in mind for writing the DBQ essay in class. Bring ALL of your culture unit work (to be turned in next class as a collection of evidence for LT15):

1) Surface culture worksheet (National Geographic photos PowerPoint)
2) Cornell Notes on Culture definitions/iceberg PowerPoint
3) Nacirema writing (neatly written or typed, 200 words minimum)
4) Exchange student presentation notes (optional to include)
5) Time for School Notes/Answers
6) Culture Project (this is the big one - due next class).
7) Culture unit checklist and self-assessment form.

Next news brief: Lisa

News Brief: Selene had the news brief today and chose an article about this story to talk about: CNN.com - Overcrowded bus tilts, plunges down a hill in Nepal; at least 30 killed. We found Nepal on our world maps and talked a bit about overcrowding and what happened here. We also talked a little bit about what we are up to outside of the classroom.

Lisa 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):

BBCNews.com - One-minute World News

How to DBQ: Since this is your first DBQ in high school, I wanted to give as much preparation time as possible. So today was spent analyzing the actual documents on the test and writing out answers to five of the eight document questions. Next class, you will use three of the five documents you analyzed in order to construct your essay (due in class).

We went through a guide together in class, learning about how to write a DBQ. Again, I think this is going to be a really helpful resource for you in planning what to write (especially the graphic organizers on pages 8 and 9):

Google Drive - How to Write a Document Based Question 

Remember as well to have this check list completed, as well:

Google Drive - Culture Unit Checklist and Self-Assessment

Document Analysis/Work Time: The rest of the class was devoted to work time on looking at the test (I am not posting it online, obviously) and analyzing your culture unit documents to try and answer the question of: How does culture both shape and reflect society? This is what you will be doing next class as the final! Lots of work to be done before then! Make sure you are on top of everything and ready to turn in your culture work next class!

Culture, Day 8 - Class Recap

Camels in front of the entrance to The Treasury in Petra, Jordan. Photo taken July 2014.

Hi everyone,

Today was an in-class work day for the Culture Project assignment, which will be due this Friday for your class. We likely will not have any time in class the rest of this week to be working on this, so I hope you used time effectively today, and do not have much homework to do in regards to the assignment. Here's the recap for the day:

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: "Thriller" by Michael Jackson. Selected for today because of the association with Halloween! Also, because the Timbers and Ducks won thrilling last second games last night! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 11/2/15:
News Brief – Zack
Culture Project
Work Time
Extra Stuff?

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

News Brief: Zack had the news brief today and came in early to find this article with me before class: CNN.com - Russian plane crash in Egypt: Airline blames 'external influence'.  We found Egypt on our world maps and talked a bit about the region as an area of conflict, which may have contributed to this airline flight crashing. Thanks, Zack!

Selene was randomly drawn 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):

BBCNews.com - One-minute World News

At the end of the news brief section, we talked about our weekends and what we were up to. I enjoyed my flights to Long Beach and back on Saturday, to avoid the rain, as well as the Timbers game on Sunday!

Culture Project: The entire rest of class was devoted to work time 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:

Google Drive - Culture Project Assignment

This will be due in class this Friday, so be working on it at home, bring work into class to do, and ask questions if you need help!

Work Time: I went around the class and answered questions about the culture project, or helped brainstorm ideas. Please continue to be working on this at home!