The United Nations negotiating table between South and North Korea. We watched Hotel Rwanda in class today, which also has the United Nations involved. Photo taken in January 2014.
Dear class,
Welcome back to a short week, as we start Winter Break on Thursday, so today was our only day together this week! Today, we started watching Hotel Rwanda. Here's what happened in class today:
Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 20: I can identify the critical components of imperialism.
Communication LT 1: I can communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing
Behavior LT 3: I can communicate and work effectively within a team or group.
Soundtrack: “Tarihinda” by Cécile Kayirebwa. Selected for today because Ms. Kayirebwa is one of the most famous singers in Rwanda. The song is about mothers. Listen again to it here.
AGENDA 12/19/17:
News Brief - Clayton
Speech Debrief
Hotel Rwanda
Homework: Read the blog. Have a wonderful Winter Break! Work on any late or incomplete work - especially turning in your individual Rwanda speech online if you have not already. Next news brief: Mr. Fritz.
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):
Speech Debrief: Before we started watching Hotel Rwanda, I asked for some thoughts about the Rwanda speeches. Thanks for the feedback given! I really enjoy that activity, and as I said in class, I'm always so proud of my classes. Never a doubt in my mind that you would impress the administration in the room!
Hotel Rwanda: The rest of class was spent watching the movie Hotel Rwanda (2004). I normally do not show entire movies in class, but this one is SO good and relevant to the Rwanda unit. Here is the worksheet of questions to answer as we watched:
We watched about 59 minutes in class, and will finish the movie after the break.
At the end of class, I asked again for any revised copies of the individual Rwanda speech (which I will be grading soon). If you are needing it to work on it, here it is again:
A look at the view from the podium for the United Nations speeches about Rwanda!
Hi everyone,
You all did such an amazing job today! I am so proud of you and your effort in these speeches! It was an inspiration to be able to see how well you communicated about the genocide and the learning targets for the unit. Here's what happened in class today:
Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 20: I can identify the critical components of imperialism.
Communication LT 1: I can communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing
Behavior LT 3: I can communicate and work effectively within a team or group.
Soundtrack: "Heroes" by David Bowie. Selected for today because you got to be heroes for the people of Rwanda. Lyrics here.
AGENDA 12/15/17:
News Brief - Ella
Setting the Stage
United Nations Speeches
Debrief
Homework: Read the blog. Turn in any late or incomplete work, and the individual copy of your United Nations speech ASAP on Google Classroom. Next news brief: Clayton.
Clayton was selected to do the next news brief. We did not watch BBC World News today, due to the time with speeches, but here it is to watch, if you want to.
Setting the Stage: Right after the news brief, I went over exactly how the speeches would work in class and gave about 10-15 minutes for groups to get ready and organized, then we started.
United Nations Speeches: I LOVED these! Again, the vast majority of students did such a good job with this! The basic set up was to have a group come up and line up behind the podium, do their speech in order, then listen as the panel at the front (for your class, it was fellow Westview Principal Dr. Jon Franco, Westview Dean of Students, Jeannie Seamone, your counselor, Dr. Megan Wright, along with myself) gave positive feedback about how your speeches went.
I really appreciated your effort and willingness to speak up about Rwanda! I know that the panel was impressed. I also wanted to make sure and publicly thank Dr. Franco, Ms. Seamone, and Dr. Wright for being willing to give their time to come see you speak. What a cool community we have at Westview! At the end of class, I had everyone (who had not already done so) turn in their individual speeches (five paragraphs) with the rubric attached. Here's the assignment sheet again, if you are needing it to find the rubrics to turn in with your revised paper:
Thank you all so much again for your hard work today and in the build up for it! You totally rock! I am very proud of everyone. See you next class! :-)
My mom, Amanda Fritz, giving a speech after she was elected to Portland City Council in 2008. Photo taken by my dad!
Hi everyone,
Today was our last day of preparation for the Rwanda speech in front of the United Nations! Lots of tips and stuff to talk about. Here's what happened in class today:
Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 20: I can identify the critical components of imperialism.
Communication LT 1: I can communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
Soundtrack: "Man in the Mirror" by Michael Jackson. Selected because you get to "make that change" with your speech, and also, practicing in front of a mirror is a good strategy to prepare for a speech. Lyrics here.
AGENDA 12/13/17:
News Brief - Max
Brainstorm Public Speaking
Rwanda Video
Speech Work Time
Homework: Read the blog. The United Nations group speech in front of an administrator is next class! Practice! Dress up (if possible)! Be ready to go with your group! Also, if you haven't turned in your revised/final individual speech, please do so ASAP. Next news brief: Ella.
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):
Brainstorm: Public Speaking: We talked in class about some tips for giving a good speech. I used two video clips for this:
The 2014 National Champion of Original Oratory, Andrea Ambam.
I only showed the first two minutes or so of this in class, but the point was hopefully made clear. She does a great job of knowing her material, standing straight, using hand gestures to be engaging, making eye contact, and varying her tone of voice.
As a class, we thought of good public speaking tips. Here's what we came up with:
•Effective use of hand gestures
•Be clear in what you are saying – be loud enough
•Don’t speak too fast
•Good posture
•Looking around the room – right above the judges
•Be passionate about your subject
•“um” “like” etc – know your speech really well
Next, I showed this five minute video from Toastmasters (an organization devoted to helping people with public speaking):
I hope that all of this made everyone feel better, or at least, provide some tips on how to feel better about the speech!
Rwanda Video: Finally, before work time the rest of class, I showed half of this video that an American media company made for Rwanda's tourism department. I wanted to show this to highlight some of the beautiful aspects of Rwanda, as another counter story to what people may typically think.
Group Speech Work Time: The rest of the class was devoted to working on the speech in groups - getting the order down, practicing, and refining. The groups are (some may have six, which means that the group will have four middle speakers on speech day):
Group 1:
Clayton
Rachel
Haddie
Omar
Kiran
McKenzie
Group 2:
Logan
Jessica
Peter
Justin
Bella
Group 3:
Emina
Kylie
Bob
Ree
Emma
Group 4:
Ryan
Max
Richard
Sofia
Megan
Group 5:
Olivia
Desi
Linh
Bailey
Josiah
Vicky
Group 6:
Tristan
Naomi
Varsha
Krista
Ella
Kanta
Here's the assignment sheet again, if you are needing it to find the rubrics to turn in with your revised paper:
Please make sure to bring turn in revised final copy of your speech (if you have not turned it in already), for me to grade, by next class! Be prepared and confident in your speech - I know you will all be great! Let me know if there is anything else I can do to help!
The headquarters of the United Nations is in New York City, but another main campus is in Geneva, Switzerland (above). Photo taken in 2017.
Dear class,
I hope that today was productive for you and your group! I certainly enjoyed reading over your speeches and trying to help everyone revise them. Here's what happened in class today:
Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 20: I can identify the critical components of imperialism.
Communication LT 1: I can communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
Soundtrack: "Somali Udiida Ceb (Somalia, Don't Shame Yourself)" by Maryam Mursal. Selected because Somalia has a direct impact on why the United States was reluctant to do anything to stop the genocide in Rwanda. Listen to the song here.
AGENDA 12/11/17:
News Brief - Olivia
Hutu Ten Commandments
Peer Review
Group Speech Work
Homework: Read the blog. Revised/edited Rwanda speech due. Submit your revisions on Google Classroom, and continue to refine your paragraph that your group decided to use for the speech. The Rwanda resources will help. Next news brief: Max.
News Brief: Olivia had the news brief today and selected an article about this story: BBC.com - Trump Jerusalem move: Tear gas at Lebanon US embassy protest. We found Israel in the world map packet and talked about this important story and why there is such controversy about Jerusalem (which we will be studying in more depth next semester).
Max 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):
Finally, we checked in about the weekend and what everyone was up to.
If you missed class or wanted to see Wildcat News again, here it is:
Hutu Ten Commandments: I talked about this right after the news, as yet another aspect in the lead up to the Rwandan genocide that students could write about for the speech:
Again, it was not a surprise at all that a genocide occurred, with words like that being used, years in advance. This would count as part of the Polarization stage of genocide.
Peer Review: I passed out a review sheet and went over exactly what everyone should be looking at, as far as their papers being revised. Here it is - if you missed class, please complete it!
Basically, you need to be sure to talk about the United Nations definition of genocide and the role that imperialism (especially Belgium's classification of Hutus and Tutsis) had in starting the ongoing genocide. Here's the Imperialism PowerPoint again, if you wanted to look in more depth. Hint: you cannot say that Hutus are promoting imperialism against the Tutsis. That's not imperialism at all.
I tried to give feedback on as many papers during class as I possibly could - I apologize for not being able to get through everyone! Fortunately, the groups should have helped a lot in revisions, too.
Group Speech Work Time: The rest of the class was devoted to working on the speech in groups. Next class, you will be refining and practicing your speeches. The groups are (some may have six, which means that the group will have four middle speakers on speech day):
Group 1:
Clayton
Rachel
Haddie
Omar
Kiran
McKenzie
While everyone worked in groups, I tried as hard as I could to look at the papers that were turned in and immediately get them back with feedback. Here were the elements I most commonly saw as being needed for addition in the speeches:
1)Need to mention United Nations definition of genocide, made in 1948, after the Holocaust.
2)Need to connect classification of the Hutus and Tutsis to the legacy of Belgium’s imperialism.
3)Asking the United Nations for something SPECIFIC. Not just “do something.” Say “more troops” “more funding” “more awareness – declare this as what it is: genocide.”
Here are the directions, from earlier in the unit:
The final assignment for the unit and before break is a speech before a mock United Nations, in class. You will be pretending that it is April 24, 1994 - the actual date that arguments were ongoing at the United Nations Security Council about how to respond to the conflict in Rwanda.
There are a few steps in the process to prepare for the speech, which will be given on Thursday, December 14 for A Day and Friday, December 15 for B Day. The first is to write a persuasive essay (in the form of a speech you could give). Here's the assignment:
As a reminder, this will eventually be a formal speech before break that you give as a part of a group, in front of the class, with myself and another teacher and/or administrator (like Dr. Franco) listening. You are going to need to persuade us to act and do something!
To prepare for this, I passed out a class set of copies of three things:
1) The United Nations definition of genocide, as agreed to by the world in 1949. This is helpful, because if you can persuade the United Nations that genocide is occurring in Rwanda, they HAVE to act (because that's what they agreed to).
2) The Eight Stages of Genocide. I read over the stages, but not all of the content describing them. There is a lot of information that might help you craft your speech! You can certainly talk about every stage of genocide, occurring in Rwanda, up to April 24, 1994. Here are some hints on how to do this.
3) A reading that goes over more of the history in Rwanda, what happened during the genocide, and the end. Remember, you can't talk about anything after April 24, 1994, but you can make predictions as to what will happen if the United Nations refuses to act! The reading is pages 5-10 here:
My wife and I sponsor a child in Rwanda through a charity organization. These are what the stamps on letters out of the capital city of Kigali look like.
Hi everyone,
Two more weeks of work until a nice break! Lots to do - today, we looked more into Imperialism and Privilege, as I asked students to think about how they may have impacted Rwanda. Here's what happened in class today:
Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 20: I can identify the critical components of imperialism.
Communication LT 1: I can communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
Critical Thinking LT 1: I can explain multiple perspectives and viewpoints.
Soundtrack: "Africa for Norway" by SAIH - The Norwegian Students’ and Academics’ International Assistance Fund. I was projecting this video as students walked in - it is a humorous look at stereotyping, and how Norwegians should not stereotype Africans, because what if the opposite happened. I read the reasoning behind the video in class.
AGENDA 12/7/17:
News Brief - Richard
Imperialism
Privilege
Speech Work Time
Homework: Read the blog. Rwanda five paragraph written speech due next class - bring it on your Chromebook. The Rwanda resources will help. Next news brief: Olivia.
Justin also mentioned this article: NYTimes.com - Russia Banned From Winter Olympics by I.O.C.. We found Russia in the world map packet and noted we did a news brief there as we talked about what has happened there with regard to steroid use in the past and how it might impact the World Cup there next year, as well.
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):
Imperialism: Next, I went over the concepts of imperialism and colonialism, in the form of a PowerPoint. Students took notes (if you took Cornell Notes, all the better) on the presentation.
One of the learning targets associated with this unit is Knowledge LT 20: I can identify the critical components of imperialism. This presentation was to help students understand how to do that, especially in regards to how Belgium had an impact in Rwanda, long after the independence in 1962.
Privilege: Another component of how we look at people in the world is the concept of privilege. Specifically, white privilege - a system of advantages some people get over others, that are often not even recognized. Here is the reading we went through, by Peggy McIntosh:
Basically, I am asking everyone to think about how our privilege here in America (of being a world superpower) relates to our study of Rwanda. Specifically, I think that race has a lot to do with it. We did a quiet activity with this document, which I think was pretty powerful (the Westview teachers recently did this, too). Thank you for your participation here.
As part of this section, I also provided some counter stories to the negativity surrounding Africa. In particular, I highlighted these:
Since some people believe that Africa is very far behind in technology (and to be certain, some places are), I pointed out this story, which is about how Kenya has a system that is the best in the world for sending payments on the go.
I also showed RisingAfrica.org, which has lots of stories about the positive sides of Africa.
Finally, as a challenge assignment for the students in the class that wanted one, I read the first part of this long article on Paul Kagame, the President of Rwanda. If you want to learn more about why the balance in assessing Kagame is so tricky, and enjoy a reading challenge, here's the entire article:
The first part has to do with how clean and safe Kigali is now, which is related to the counter stories I was trying to present.
Speech Work Time: The rest of the class was devoted to working on your five paragraph written speech, which is due at the start of next class. Here are the directions, from last class:
The final assignment for the unit and before break is a speech before a mock United Nations, in class. You will be pretending that it is April 24, 1994 - the actual date that arguments were ongoing at the United Nations Security Council about how to respond to the conflict in Rwanda.
There are a few steps in the process to prepare for the speech, which will be given next week. The first is to write a persuasive essay (in the form of a speech you could give). This is due in class (typed, on your Chromebook) next class. Here's the assignment:
As a reminder, this will eventually be a formal speech before break that you give as a part of a group, in front of the class, with myself and another teacher and/or administrator (like Dr. Franco) listening. You are going to need to persuade us to act and do something!
To prepare for this, I passed out a class set of copies of three things:
1) The United Nations definition of genocide, as agreed to by the world in 1949. This is helpful, because if you can persuade the United Nations that genocide is occurring in Rwanda, they HAVE to act (because that's what they agreed to).
2) The Eight Stages of Genocide. I read over the stages, but not all of the content describing them. There is a lot of information that might help you craft your speech! You can certainly talk about every stage of genocide, occurring in Rwanda, up to April 24, 1994. Here are some hints on how to do this.
3) A reading that goes over more of the history in Rwanda, what happened during the genocide, and the end. Remember, you can't talk about anything after April 24, 1994, but you can make predictions as to what will happen if the United Nations refuses to act! The reading is pages 5-10 here:
The results for our class when I asked students to think about five things that come to mind when we think about Africa. I mean, the comparison with Europe makes the differences pretty startling, right?
Dear class,
Today is always one of my favorite days to teach. Not because it is particularly fun to talk about genocide, but because it is SO important that we stop ignoring it, and especially the continent of Africa. If I ignored it, when would you hear about it? What associations would you continue to make? Here's what happened in class today:
Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 20: I can identify the critical components of imperialism.
Communication LT 1: I can communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
Critical Thinking LT 1:I can explain multiple perspectives and viewpoints.
Soundtrack: "Papaoutai" by Stromae. Selected for today because Stromae is a Belgian-Rwandan musician who lost his father, a Tutsi, in the Rwandan genocide. "Papaoutai" in French translates to "Dad, where are you?" Lyrics here.
AGENDA 12/5/17:
News Brief – Logan
Debrief Pop Quiz
Scream Bloody Murder
United Nations Speech
News Brief: Logan had the news brief today and selected an article about this story: CNN.com - 13 killed in South Korea boat collision; crews search for survivors. A very important story as we continue to learn about what is going on around the world! We found South Korea on the world map packet and noted we did a news brief there.
Richard 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):
Finally, we checked in about the weekend and what everyone was up to.
Debrief Pop Quiz: I always enjoy looking at what we know when it comes to Europe and Africa. Here is the PowerPoint with the combined results for your class answers:
It was only fair that I showed my own results, from when I was given this quiz when I was in graduate school, and I said much the same thing. Here's my actual paper from 2008:
As I tried to forcefully point out in class: isn't this stunning? We know that Africa is a place of enormous need. Why don't we know much more about it, then? Why don't we help our fellow human beings, instead of ignoring them and not learning anything about the continent? Taking this quiz inspired me to make sure to talk about the Rwandan genocide (which was only 23 years ago) in my Global Studies classes. It's why it is my favorite unit of the year and one that I have a lot of emotional investment in. I care, and I think it's important that students care about people in the world.
Scream Bloody Murder: This was a section of a documentary from CNN, that aired in 2008 (not so coincidentally, right as I was about to teach this unit for the first time). Here are the three videos I showed in class (caution: some of the material is graphic and difficult to watch and/or listen to):
United Nations Speech: I hope that you watched those videos and felt frustrated, angry, and upset. The fact that the United Nations (the global community of countries) and the United States (as the most powerful country in the world) did little, if anything, to prevent or stop the worst genocide in modern world history, is awful.
So, the final assignment for the unit and before break is a speech before a mock United Nations, in class. You will be pretending that it is April 24, 1994 - the actual date that arguments were ongoing at the United Nations Security Council about how to respond to the conflict in Rwanda.
There are a few steps in the process to prepare for the speech, which will be given on Friday, December 15th. The first is to write a persuasive essay (in the form of a speech you could give). This is due in class (just use your Chromebook or, if you don't want to, bring TWO COPIES, typed) next Monday, December 11th. Here's the assignment:
As a reminder, this will eventually be a formal speech before break that you give as a part of a group, in front of the class, with myself and another teacher and/or administrator listening. You are going to need to persuade us to act and do something!
To prepare for this, I passed out a class set of copies of three things:
1) The United Nations definition of genocide, as agreed to by the world in 1949. This is helpful, because if you can persuade the United Nations that genocide is occurring in Rwanda, they HAVE to act (because that's what they agreed to).
2) The Eight Stages of Genocide. I read over the stages, but not all of the content describing them. There is a lot of information that might help you craft your speech! You can certainly talk about every stage of genocide, occurring in Rwanda, up to April 24, 1994. Here are some hints on how to do this.
3) A reading that goes over more of the history in Rwanda, what happened during the genocide, and the end. Remember, you can't talk about anything after April 24, 1994, but you can make predictions as to what will happen if the United Nations refuses to act! The reading is pages 5-10 here:
There is definitely a LOT to think about here. I am confident that you can write a five paragraph essay in a week! Next class, I will go over the concept of imperialism and colonialism more, and then give the rest of the class as prep time. The typed copy of your individual speech will be due the following class.
Please be sure to ask me if you have any questions or need help in any way! I'm really excited to see what you can come up with! :-)
A look at previous class responses for "Name five things that come to your mind when you think about Europe" question on the pre-assessment quiz today. Next class, I'll show you the Africa responses, as well. What do you think it will look like?
Hi everyone,
Now we have a fast paced dash to Winter Break for the next few weeks. We have a lot to pack in, for sure! Here's what happened in class today:
Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 20: I can identify the critical components of imperialism.
Communication LT 1: I can communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
Soundtrack: "Storms in Africa, Pt. 2" by Enya. Selected for today because we started talking about Rwanda, which is a country in Africa. Lyrics here.
Homework: Read the blog. Turn in any missing work ASAP. Review your notes from the PowerPoint on Rwanda. Next news brief: Logan.
News Brief: Sofia had the news brief today and selected an article about this story: BBC.com - IS conflict: US to withdraw 400 Marines from Syria. We found Libya on our world map packets and talked about this story, which is obviously super important to know about, as it involves our own troops and what is happening in Syria.
Logan 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):
Finally, we checked in about the upcoming weekend and what everyone was up to.
Review Tests/Grades: I am now completed with all grading and late work, so your class grades should be updated! I passed out the government tests and any other missing work. If you are concerned about anything related to grades, please come see me at lunch, before school, or after school. Or, send me an email! Hook/Textbook Hunt: I will sit down tomorrow and type up a list of what everyone said in response to the questions (we just did 1-16). I know there were a lot, so thanks for hanging in there with me. Like I said in class, I took this exact same quiz at Lewis and Clark (as part of the class where I learned how to be a teacher) and was absolutely amazed about what I did and did not know. I'll share your responses next class.
The textbook hunt: I'm not sure if all of you understood what I was saying, so here it is again. In our Modern World History textbook, which was published in 2005 (11 years after the genocide in Rwanda) there are TWO in text mentions (a one sentence recap for each) of the genocide, each citing ethnic violence between the Hutu's and the Tutsi's and 500,000 people dying, while there is ONE other picture, with two small paragraphs beneath it, citing a number of 1,000,000 dead. So again, the textbook barely had anything at all to say about the genocide, and when it did, it couldn't even be consistent with the number of people killed. Why do you think this might be?
A few things about this. One: most of the statistics I used in the first few slides are found here: CIA World Factbook - Rwanda. Now by NO MEANS are those statistics solid hard facts. I know of plenty of other sites that will give different numbers. However, since these are the official US government statistics, I think that it will be useful for your upcoming assignment (which I will reveal next class).
Two: I found the picture of the propaganda, "beat the cockroaches" on Wikipedia, here: Rwandan Genocide. Now as most of you know, NEVER use Wikipedia as a source in a paper or for anything else. However, it can be used as a good start to researching something for yourself - just find the sources the article links to at the bottom and go from there. As Michael Scott from The Office once said: "Wikipedia... is the best thing ever. Anyone in the world can write anything they want about any subject, so you know you are getting the best possible information."
No, it is not. But it is a funny quote nonetheless!
Much less humorous information: The horrific picture of the Hutu man (who did not support the genocide) that lived after being hacked multiple times by machetes can be found here: Salon.com: Inferno.
Please review the PowerPoint and your notes for next class, as we will be going more in depth! Thank you for your focus and questions today. I know this may not be the most fun subject to learn about, and it is so important to not ignore. See you next class.
The Statue of Liberty in New York, which is a symbol of immigration to the United States.
Photo taken in 2011.
Dear class,
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 11/29/17:
News Brief – Bella
Study Time
Government Test
Lost!
Homework: Read the blog. Turn in any missing work ASAP! Next news brief: Sofia.
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):
Study Time: For this section, I talked about the Forced Choice debate reflection grades and I gave about five minutes before the test for study of notes for the Government quiz, 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! I will try to have these entered as soon as I can, so everyone has up to date information as we start our last unit before Winter Break (wow!), next class.
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." We started this last class, so it was nice to be able to hear all the group ideas today:
My dad took this photo of me at a "Turkey Bowl" on Thanksgiving, in 2011. I hope you enjoyed your break!
Hello everyone,
Welcome back from your Thanksgiving break! 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: "Thank You" by Dido. Selected for today because last week was Thanksgiving. I am very thankful to get to be your teacher, and for all of you! Lyrics here.
AGENDA 11/27/17:
News Brief – Josiah
Who Rules?
Lost!
Study for Quiz
Homework: Read the blog. Study for your Forms of Government Quiz, next class! Complete any missing work and have it ready to turn in. Next news brief: Bella.
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):
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. 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!
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 into small groups and then passed out one of these papers to each group, which contain the scenario and questions for the group to answer:
We will continue with this next class and talk about the different group proposals, before moving on to our next unit. Please be ready for the quiz! See you next class!
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.
Homework: Read the blog. Study for forms of government test after Thanksgiving break (Wednesday for your class). Next news brief: Josiah.
News Brief: Emina had the news brief today, but was not in class, so I filled in and selected this article to talk about with the class: HuffingtonPost.com - Polish Woman Says She Was Dragged Out Of Church After Unfurling Anti-Racism Banner. We found Poland in the world map packet and noted that we did a news article on the country as we discussed what happened here, before moving on to talk about the upcoming weekend.
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):
Finally, we ended the section by watching Westview Wildcat News. If you missed class or wanted to see it again, here it is:
Rehearse/Perform 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):
Just look at the readings from A-G, because you do not need to know the economic structures that are later in the packet. In class, we went over the form of government, along with possible benefits and drawbacks.
Shibboleth: To end class, we watched an episode of the TV series "The West Wing" on Netflix, which had to do with Thanksgiving, illegal immigration, school prayer, direct democracy, and representative democracy. There were no notes or any other requirement - it was just a relaxing way to end the class and go out to Thanksgiving Break. Here's the funniest scene of the episode, in my opinion:
I remain quite thankful for all of you! Have a wonderful break - see you next week, when we will wrap up studying the forms of Government (Monday) and take the quiz (Wednesday).
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 communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
Critical Thinking LT 1: I can explain multiple perspectives and viewpoints.
Behavior LT 3: I can communicate and work effectively within a team or group. Soundtrack: "Paris, Tokyo" by Lupe Fiasco. Selected for today because it is just an excellent song about traveling around the world. Lyrics here.
AGENDA 11/16/17:
News Brief – Vicky
Debrief Forced Choice
Forms of Government
Group Work
Homework: Read the blog. Turn in any missing work ASAP! Next news brief: Emina.
News Brief: Vicky had the news brief today and selected an article about this story to talk about: VICE.com - Canadian and British Backpackers Mysteriously Die in Cambodia. We found Cambodia in the world map (in Asia!) and discussed the article for a bit. It is important that we continue learning about what is going on in the world and where events take place! Thanks, Vicky!
Emina 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):
I also asked about what people were up to outside of class, before moving on.
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):
As with most presentations I create, the pictures are almost entirely mine! :-)
Group Activity: The last part of class was devoted to getting into small groups (which I assigned randomly) to investigate a specific form of government and go through some benefits and drawbacks of it. Next class, the small groups will be performing brief skits to demonstrate the form of government they have been given! Here is a link to the handout from today (each group was assigned one):
We finished with this today (it is NOT homework to complete). Next class, I will give time to finish creating the skits, we will perform them, then have some Thanksgiving themed activities. See you next class!
Winter time is coming! Photo taken outside my house in 2008.
Dear class,
It was so nice to see you all again today! Our only full week before Thanksgiving during November! 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 communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
Critical Thinking LT 1: I can explain multiple perspectives and viewpoints.
Behavior LT 3: I can communicate and work effectively within a team or group.
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.
Homework: Read the blog. Catch up on any late/incomplete/missing work. Next news brief: Vicky.
News Brief: Ryan had the news brief today, but was not in class, so I filled in and selected an article about this story to talk about: BBC.com - Iran-Iraq border earthquake is deadliest of 2017. This was a huge story that just happened over the weekend, with hundreds of people killed. We found Iraq in our world maps and noted that a news brief was done on the story.
Vicky was selected to do the next news brief.
I also asked about the weekend and what people were up to, before moving on.
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):
DBQ Grades: If you submitted your Culture DBQ online on Google Classroom, you would have seen that I posted the grades and my comments over the weekend. If you wrote out your DBQ on paper, I passed them back today in class. I highlighted your thesis statement (if I could find one), documents referenced, and your scores on the grading rubric. Your grades have been posted in StudentVUE! Thank you for your hard work!
I also passed back work from the Culture Unit, which could have been used as notes for the DBQ. I gave these assignments a collective Behavior Target grade for managing responsibilities as a student. In the grade book, this means:
CI: Consistently and Independently - the student turned in everything from the unit, completed and on time.
G: Generally - the student turned in most of the work from the unit, completed and on time
R: Rarely - the student did not turn in much (if anything) from the unit.
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 listened to without a warrant) is necessary for our own protection.
2.People in the United States should be able to have firearms if they want.
3.Government officials should have to approve/sign off on marriages that they are against on religious grounds.
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 decisions that the majority of the people do not support.
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.Confederate monuments should be taken down/removed from display.
Today, we did questions 4, 5, and 9 (the class was a really talkative and engaged group today!). 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!
Here is the article on Oregon and death penalty costs that I shared in class:
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.
Write a one page reflection on the activity. What was the most difficult or controversial question for you (if no question was difficult, what were you most passionate about)? Why? How do these sorts of questions relate to the study of government?
We will do a short debrief on the activity next class, then move on to learning about the basics of government around the world.
On the roof of the Bundestag building in Berlin, Germany. This is where the government of Germany meets. Photo taken in 2013.
Hi everyone,
Another shortened week, with Veterans Day on Friday! 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 Friday off of school because of Veteran's Day (observed - it is always November 11th, which is Saturday this year). Lyrics (which I read part of in class) here.
Homework: Read the blog. Turn in any late/missing/incomplete culture work (especially DBQs). Next news brief: Ryan.
News Brief: Jessica had the news brief today and selected an article about this story: BBCNews.com - Colombia seizes largest stash of cocaine ever. We found the Colombia in our world maps and noted that we did a news brief on the country, before moving on.
Ryan was selected to do the next news brief.
We also watched the latest 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 weekend and what people were up to, before moving on.
DBQ Debrief: I was interested in student thoughts about how the first DBQ (Documents Based Question) went. I understand that it was a challenging assignment, and that many students were perhaps not used to having a firm time deadline for a piece of writing. The reason we are did this was to get used to this structure, as you will frequently see it the rest of high school and college with timed writing exams. It's important to continue to get better!
Group Activity: Since students had been begging to retry the Sporcle World Geography quiz, we had attempt #2 on the year, as a class, with no notes or phones or maps allowed. Your class was able to name 155 out of 197 today, which is getting better! Here is the link to be able to play again if you want:
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 listened to without a warrant) is necessary for our own protection.
2.People in the United States should be able to have firearms if they want.
3.Government officials should have to approve/sign off on marriages that they are against on religious grounds.
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 decisions that the majority of the people do not support.
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.Confederate monuments should be taken down/removed from display.
We only made it to 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. 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.
Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Photo taken in 2016 during the Rio 2016 Olympics. Lots of culture on display, for sure!
Hello everyone,
Our last class dealing with culture, as students had a timed write in class with finishing the DBQ essay. Here's what happened 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: "Sirius" by Alan Parsons Project. Selected for today as another pump up song for writing the DBQ. No lyrics, but listen here.
AGENDA 11/7/17:
News Brief - Kylie
Grade Updates
Write DBQ Essay
SSR/Quiet Work Time
Homework: Read the blog. All Culture unit work was due in class today - if you did not turn it in, do so ASAP! As a reminder, this is:
News Brief: Kylie had the news brief today and selected an article about this story to talk about with the class: BBC.com - Saudi prince killed in helicopter crash near Yemen border. We found Saudi Arabia in the Middle East map and talked for a bit in class about this story and what is currently happening in Saudi Arabia. We also checked in about what people were up to outside of class this weekend.
Jessica was selected to do the next news brief.
If you wanted to watch the one minute BBC World News update, here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day:
Grade Updates: After the news, I talked about what I saw while updating grades for the Progress Report. In general, I loved the Culture Projects the class did! I enjoyed the students that wrote they had never really thought about their own culture before, and I know that everyone enjoyed the presentations in class about cultures around the world, as well. Thank you for your hard work with these! The next grades in the grade book with be for the Culture DBQ, which are the same learning targets as the Culture Project, so your grade may change when I grade them (hopefully later this week).
Write DBQ Essay: The rest of class was devoted to writing the DBQ essay (this is linked to in Google Classroom), based off of the documents that you analyzed last class. Before we did this, we went through the handout going through the steps to writing a DBQ (as well as recalled our notes on the Justin Bieber example):
As students finished the five paragraph essay, they turned it in on Google Classroom or handed it in to me in person, along with the rest of their Culture Unit work. SSR/Quiet Work Time: After students finished the essay, it was quiet work time in class as everyone had until the end of class to complete the assignment. Next class, we will begin our next unit, on Governments and structures of power around the world! See you then!
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,
We are almost done with the Culture unit! One more day of DBQ writing to go. Here's what happened 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: "Get Ready for This" by 2 Unlimited. Intended as a pump up song to begin writing the DBQ essay today in class! Here's a link to the version I played in class, from ESPN's "Jock Jams" CD.
AGENDA 11/2/17:
News Brief - Varsha
DBQ Scaffolding
Questions?
Work Time
Homework: Read the blog. Bring all Culture unit work next class to turn in after writing the essay section of the DBQ! As a reminder, this is:
News Brief: Varsha had the news brief today and selected an article about this story to talk about with the class: JapanTimes.co.jp - Trump likely to meet families of abductees to North Korea on November visit to Japan. We found North Korea in the Asia map and talked for a bit in class about this story and President Trump's upcoming 12 day visit to Asia. We also checked in about what people were up to outside of class this weekend.
Kylie was selected to do the next news brief.
If you wanted to watch the one minute BBC World News update, here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day:
DBQ Scaffolding: Today was almost entirely devoted to answering the scaffolding questions portion of the culture DBQ (which is on Google Classroom or was handed out as a paper copy in class if students did not have their Chromebooks).
We began this process as a class, with this handout going through the steps to writing a DBQ:
We had about 60 minutes in class to be completing the document analysis. Next class, we will write the essay response in class, so please come prepared with all of your notes!
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