Tuesday, February 28, 2017

World War I, Day 7 - Class Recap


One of the conditions put on Germany at the end World War I was to have no navy ships. Here's a sailboat in Hawaii. Photo taken in 2011.

Hi everyone,

I really enjoyed playing Jeopardy to review World War I with everyone today! Hopefully, you had some fun, as well, and learned again about the important aspects at the end of the war. Here's what happened today:

Learning Targets: 
Critical Thinking and Analysis LT 2: I can explain connections between events, issues, problems, and concepts.
Knowledge LT 19: I can explain the impacts of nationalism and revolutionary movements.

Soundtrack: "Be Prepared" from The Lion King. Selected for today because of the World War I final essay next class, and all the work that is due along with it. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 2/28/17:
News Brief – Lewis
Jeopardy Review
Work Time
Prepare for Final Essay

Homework: Read the blog. Make sure all of your World War I work for the Collection of Evidence is completed and in order! See below for links! Next news brief: John.

News Brief: Lewis had the news brief today and selected this story to talk about: NPR.org - North Koreans Arrive In Malaysia Seeking To Claim Kim Jong Nam's Body. We found Malaysia again on our world maps and talked about this story, along with the updates that we know so far. So crazy!

John 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):


Jeopardy Review: This was just to help with the concepts and information we talked about the last few classes, with the end of World War I. I am not going to post the entire slideshow here, but I did have a lot of fun, and I think most students in the class did, too. Congratulations to Team 1 for their come from behind victory!

Work Time: I passed out this checklist for students to organize their WWI work:


Here's all the work you need to have ready to turn in next class, when you will be completing your final essay in class (you will have about an hour to write five paragraphs):


2) Franz Ferdinand assassination answers (separate sheet of paper)

3) Rough Draft/Practice Essay on start of WWI, with brainstorm/graphic organizer (see last slide here for the essay prompt). Please also get this peer reviewed, as well. It does NOT need to be finished as a final draft - all I am looking for here is that you have the writing process.

4) Letter from the Trenches assignment

5) US Entry into WWI paragraph (bottom of the second page, in TS/CD/CD/CM/CS format)

6) Treaty of Versailles Worksheet (see example on second page, then follow format for the rest of the points).

Prepare for Final Essay: If you want to prepare, think about possible thesis statements about what happened at the end of World War I and be able to use vocabulary words that you took notes on in class.

Have a great weekend and please be ready to turn your completed work in with your in class essay!
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Friday, February 24, 2017

World War I, Day 6 - Class Recap


The World War I Memorial Stonehenge replica in Goldendale, Washington, overlooking the Columbia River Gorge and Mt. Hood. Photo taken in 2015!

Hi everyone,

I know that today was mostly a take notes and work day. I did enjoy the questions and discussion we had in class, though! Today was important because next week, you will be asked to write about the end of World War I - which we learned about in class today! Here's what happened today:

Learning Targets: 
Critical Thinking and Analysis LT 2: I can explain connections between events, issues, problems, and concepts.
Knowledge LT 19: I can explain the impacts of nationalism and revolutionary movements.

Soundtrack: "In the End" by Linkin Park. Selected for today because we really focused today on the end of World War I and the events happening in the world. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 2/24/17:
News Brief – Arjun
A Flawed Peace
Treaty of Versailles
Work Time

Homework: Read the blog. Finish all World War I work (see below)! Next news brief: Lewis.

News Brief: Arjun had the news brief today and selected this story to talk about: CNN.com - Iraq conducts first airstrikes against ISIS in Syria. We found Iraq on our world map and discussed the ongoing conflict there with ISIS, and how hospitals have recently been impacted. Lewis was assigned the next news brief.

We checked in 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):


A Flawed Peace: Thank you so much for your focus on taking notes! I think it will really help you during the prep for the final essay. Here is the presentation again, in case you missed it, or if you wanted to review for your final (a VERY good idea):

Google Drive: The End Of World War I - A Flawed Peace PowerPoint

You will be asked to write about these topics for your final essay, so make sure that you know them and have good notes! One of the terms I showed you (and you will be expected to know for your final essay) was President Wilson's Fourteen Points (that is a link to the actual 14 points). "Armistice" is another term you will absolutely need to know how to use in your essay. You also might want to know the Armenian Genocide and the 1918 Influenza Virus (so, you know, like all of the important stuff from the PowerPoint).

Treaty of Versailles: The last slide of the PowerPoint was about the Treaty of Versailles, which is an easy link to see how World War II started. I want to make sure that everyone understands what the elements of the treaty were, so we started a brief in class worksheet about the main points. Here it is if you missed class or lost your paper:
This was the last handout and assignment for the World War I collection of evidence that will be turned in next week, after the final essay!

Work Time: Here's all the work you need to have ready in preparation for your World War I final essay:


2) Franz Ferdinand assassination answers (separate sheet of paper)

3) Rough Draft/Practice Essay on start of WWI, with brainstorm/graphic organizer (see last slide here for the essay prompt). Please also get this peer reviewed, as well.

4) Letter from the Trenches assignment

5) US Entry into WWI paragraph (bottom of the second page, in TS/CD/CD/CM/CS format)

6) Treaty of Versailles Worksheet (see example on second page, then follow format for the rest of the points).

That's everything that you need for the Collection of Evidence, so there's plenty to work on! Next class, we will play Jeopardy to review, then the rest of class will be work time. See you then!
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Wednesday, February 22, 2017

World War I, Day 5 - Class Recap

As you know, Paris was just on the other side of the Western Front in World War I. Here's a picture of the Eiffel Tower, taken in 2013.

Hi everyone,

Welcome back to the blog! There is plenty going on in class and lots of assignments due soon that we have been working on together. Here's what happened today in class:

Learning Targets: 
Critical Thinking and Analysis LT 2: I can explain connections between events, issues, problems, and concepts.
Knowledge LT 20: I can explain the impacts of nationalism and revolutionary movements.
Communication LT 1: I can communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.

Soundtrack: "Carry On My Wayward Son" by Kansas. Selected for today because a student wrote to suggest it on the blog, and provided a reason that connected to the unit! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 2/22/17
News Brief - Abhigya
Essay Writing
Peer Review
Forecasting Questions?

Homework: Read the blog! Finish your World War I essay and get it peer reviewed, if you did not in class. Next news brief: Arjun.

News Brief: Abhigya brought in an article about this story today for the news brief: TheGuardian.com - India launches record-breaking 104 satellites from single rocket. We found India in our world map packets and talked about this awesome story for a while, as well as a bit about rockets and the atmosphere, before moving on to talk about last weekend and what students were up to outside of class.

Arjun 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):


Essay Writing: Because I forgot to pass out the US Entry into WWI worksheet last class, I did so today, and students worked on finishing that (and having me look at it) before moving on. I think this will be useful for your final essay for the unit!

The rest of class was devoted to finishing your rough draft/practice essays on the start of World War I. I went around the room and checked off homework (at least two paragraphs were supposed to be completed). The essays are supposed to be five paragraphs long, and needed to be peer reviewed in class. Here are some resources to help if you still need to finish:




The question you are answering is: Why did World War I start and what happened at the beginning of it?

Words to use: militarism, alliances, imperialism, nationalism, Franz Ferdinand, Sarajevo, Triple Alliance, Triple Entente, June 28th 1914, trenches, Eastern Front, Western Front.

Use your notes! Cite my presentation as (Fritz Lecture) for any concrete details directly from me. You can also use the textbook, if you like.

Peer Review: When students were done (or forgot their work at home, in a couple of troubling cases), I wanted the World War I practice essays to be peer reviewed by someone in the class. Here's the form for that:


Please have this done at least once! It will help you prepare for the in class final essay! The rest of class was devoted to work time. Here's a reminder of all the other work we are doing in class that needs to be turned in as a part of the World War I Collection of Evidence:

1) Cornell Notes on MAIN reasons WWI started, US entry, and A Flawed Peace (soon).


3) Rough Draft/Practice Essay on start of WWI, with brainstorm/graphic organizer (see above).

4) Letter from the Trenches assignment


There will be a couple more assignments before the final in class essay, as well. Lots of hard work - thank you for checking the blog and working to stay up to date!
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Friday, February 17, 2017

World War I, Day 4 - Class Recap

During today's class, Oliver and I had a "debate" about the weather outside. In this picture, is it partly cloudy, or partly sunny? Who is right? The answer is that unless someone can bring facts to the debate (being objective), both of us could make good arguments based on our opinions (being subjective). I took this picture on the Caribbean island of St. Maarten in 2009. Partly cloudy? Partly sunny? You decide.

Hi everyone,

I enjoyed talking about the entry of the United States into World War I today, as well as continuing to work on the start of the way essay. If you want to review all of the material, this is the recap for you!

Learning Targets: 
Critical Thinking and Analysis LT 2: I can explain connections between events, issues, problems, and concepts.
Knowledge LT 20: I can explain the impacts of nationalism and revolutionary movements.

Soundtrack: “GDFR" by Flo Rida. Selected for today because it was "Going Down For Real" after the United States entered World War I.

AGENDA 2/17/17:
News Brief - Kira
US Entry into WWI
Objective/Subjective
Essay Writing

Homework: Read the blog! Keep working on your rough draft essay (with brainstorm sheet completed, as well) - peer review will be next class. Abhigya has the next news brief.
---
News Brief: Kira had the news brief for us today. Here is the story she chose: CNN.com - Pakistan's military responds after deadly shrine blast. We found Pakistan on our world maps and talked about the continuing difficult situation there, as well as what is happening with ISIS around the world.

Abhigya was selected for the next news brief.

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


US Entry into WWI: This portion of class was devoted to learning how the United States became involved with the war. Hopefully this made sense - if not, please ask questions in the comments! For your final essay, it will probably be good to know the terms "Lusitania," "unrestricted submarine warfare," and "the Zimmerman Note." Here is the presentation to review if you missed class or want to see it again:

Google Drive: US Entry into World War I PowerPoint

Not too complicated or note heavy, I hope.

Objective/Subjective: Again, this started out with Oliver and I debating the weather. The two terms here are objective = facts/concrete details and subjective = opinions/commentary. I totally forgot to hand out this sheet of quotes of possible reasons why the United States entered World War I, so I will do so next class, but as a heads up:

Google Drive: Why Did The United States Enter World War I Worksheet

As part of this section (which is likely why I forgot to give the above handout), I showed a DM conversation I had on Twitter with the author of "The Trigger," Tim Butcher. He really knows a lot about the start of World War I and the assassin of Franz Ferdinand. If you are curious about seeing a 15 minute presentation on the subject, here it is:
Tim Butcher 2 @ 5x15 from 5x15 on Vimeo.

Essay Writing: The rest of class was devoted to continuing to write your rough draft essays on the start of World War I. Here's the prompt again: Question: Why did World War I start and what happened at the beginning of it?

Words to use: militarism, alliances, imperialism, nationalism, Franz Ferdinand, Sarajevo, Triple Alliance, Triple Entente, June 28th 1914, trenches, Eastern Front, Western Front.

Use your notes! Cite my presentation as (Fritz Lecture) for any concrete details directly from me. You can also use the textbook, if you like.

Be ready to finish these in class next time, then peer review! :-)
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Wednesday, February 15, 2017

World War I, Day 3 - Class Recap


Today's talk about writing essays included a bunch of pictures of Alcatraz Island, in San Francisco. Here's a picture of the city from that trip (Spring Break in 2011).

Dear class,

I realize that there has been a lot of me standing and talking to the class this last week! I apologize - hopefully it will not stay that way. I am simply guessing that you would rather hear all of this information personally explained to you, rather than copy notes from the textbook. On to the recap:

Learning Targets: 
Critical Thinking and Analysis LT 2: I can explain connections between events, issues, problems, and concepts.
Knowledge LT 20: I can explain the impacts of nationalism and revolutionary movements.

Soundtrack: "Take Me Out" by Franz Ferdinand. Selected for today because of the band name (of course), and because Franz Ferdinand was taken out to start World War I. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 2/15/17:
News Brief - Matthew
Read Letters
The Most Important Skill
Graphic Organizing

Homework: Read the blog! Keep working on your World War I essay (we will continue to work on it in class the next two days, too). Next news brief: Kira.

News Brief: Matthew had the news brief today and selected this article to talk about: EuroNews.com - Fatal train collision in Luxembourg near French border. We found Luxembourg in our world map packets (a new one for us, I think!) and discussed this story, before moving on to talk together about what is going on outside of class for everyone.

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):


Read Letters: A few students volunteered to read their "letters from the trenches" aloud as a class. I really enjoyed these, and thought the students that shared did a great job of incorporating some of the vocabulary and concepts that we talked about, along with creatively writing about the subject. Way to go! Keep these - you will be turning them in at the end of the unit.

The Most Important Skill: I said this in class and I really believe it: the ability to write (especially a good essay) is the most important skill that you will need in order to be successful in high school and college. Thus, this lecture was something I hope you paid very close attention to. Please see the PowerPoint below (remember that if the text doesn't show up in Google Docs, click "File" then "Download" and it should when you have a copy on your own computer):


The basics: every essay needs to start out with a "thesis statement" in the first paragraph (the introduction). Each of the three paragraphs after that should contain one main point you are trying to make. The format (or recipe) for those "body" paragraphs are like this: topic sentence, concrete detail/fact, concrete detail/fact, commentary/opinion, and then a concluding sentence. Finally, after the three body paragraphs, you will write a conclusion that restates the thesis. This is a LOT of information to try and learn, I know. That is why I am having you practice in class before I ask you to write me a real one at the end of the World War I unit.

Graphic Organizing: Based on the essay question on the last slide of the PowerPoint, I gave three different examples of "graphic organizing" your essay. I asked you to use one of these examples to start up your essay. If you missed class, here is one of the examples that you can use to start thinking about your essay:


Along with this, I gave the class a good format for writing a thesis (and even included one on World War I to start you off, if you were having trouble):


Hopefully this made sense. It is okay if it does not right away. That is why we are practicing!

For the rest of class, I had you start up your essays using your graphic organizers - then the actual writing if you finished that. Here are the prompts that we were using (the last slide of the PowerPoint): 

Question: Why did World War I start and what happened at the beginning of it?

Words to use: militarism, alliances, imperialism, nationalism, Franz Ferdinand, Sarajevo, Triple Alliance, Triple Entente, June 28th 1914, trenches, Eastern Front, Western Front.

Use your notes! Cite my presentation as (Start of World War I Notes) for any concrete details directly from me. You can also use the textbook, if you like.

Again, we will continue working on this in class. The essay is not homework - I want to help you through each step this time. Next time, it will be an actual assignment/test. You will be including your work here with that final assignment - so it is not like this work will not count.

Phew! I know that is a lot. Please let me know if you have any questions! See you next class!
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Monday, February 13, 2017

World War I, Day 2 - Class Recap


My Great-Grandfather, Joseph Herbert "Bert" Frank, who was a medic for Great Britain during World War I. Photo courtesy of a conversation with my grandmother in 2007!

Hello everyone,

Thanks for another great class! I appreciate your willingness to listen and participate in what is going on! Here's what happened today in class:

Learning Targets: 
Critical Thinking and Analysis LT 2: I can explain connections between events, issues, problems, and concepts.
Knowledge LT 20: I can explain the impacts of nationalism and revolutionary movements.

Soundtrack: “Waiting on the World to Change" by John Mayer. Selected for today because the world definitely changed as a part of World War I. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 2/13/17:
News Brief - Jimmy
Review Notes/Answers
Europe Explodes
My Connection
Life in the Trenches

Homework: Read the blog! Finish your letter from the trenches if you did not in class. Next news brief: Matthew.

News Brief: Jimmy had the news brief today and selected an article about this story to talk about: BBC.com - France avalanche: Four killed at Tignes ski resort. We found France on our world maps and talked about this story as a part of the news brief. I also asked about what students were up to this past weekend - lots happening!

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):


Review Notes/Answers: This was the part of the process for Cornell Notes, in grouping terms, adding questions about the material, and summarizing what the presentation was about (on the MAIN causes of World War I). Thanks for your participation on this! I think it will help you remember! We also reviewed the answers from the Franz Ferdinand assassination reading, and found vocabulary words to review.

Europe Explodes: During this section, I showed the class the map animations about what happened at the start of World War I here (only about the first minute and a half or so, before I stopped it fully):



 I asked the class to take general notes about what the maps dealt with - especially in regards to the "Western Front" and "Eastern Front" relating to Germany. These are two very famous terms that you will hear about later in life, I am sure. It is important to learn about all of the different "dominoes" that fell in terms of alliances at the start of the war, as well.

My Connection: This section was a short and sweet (I hope) presentation about my great-grandfather's involvement in World War I as a medic. I did not ask the class to take notes. In case you missed class, or wanted to see the pictures again, here it is:


I hope it was interesting, and I hope that you ask about your own family history! It was fascinating for me to learn about it from my grandmother over tea. :-)

Life in the Trenches: This section consisted of two parts. First, I showed the class a few minutes of a documentary on World War I (in color!) that talked about how awful the war was from the perspective of those who fought in it. That video can be found here (I started it at 7:49 and stopped it about 11:30 or so into it):


After watching the video clip, I talked a little more about conditions in the trenches, which were long lines dug out in the ground, not far away from each other. Over the course of the war, not much progress was made in the battles, since any advance by the opposition was fairly easy to stop. I believe I called the whole idea "stupid" quite a bit in class. It totally was.

I handed out a worksheet of letters home (also on Google Classroom) from soldiers on in the trenches, and then had the class imagine they were in the same position. This was what the work was for the rest of the class - making up your own letter on the back of the worksheet. If you missed class, you can download the worksheet and create your letter here:


Thank you for your work on this. We will continue to talk about these letters next class. See you then!
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Thursday, February 9, 2017

World War I, Day 1 - Class Recap


Your anonymous feedback for what you like about this class! :-) 

Hello everyone,

Welcome to a new semester and a new unit to study! Today, we started looking at World War I and making connections to what we have already learned about as far as imperialism in Rwanda, the Holocaust and the rise of Hitler, and everything else we have talked about. Here's what happened today:

Learning Targets:
Critical Thinking and Analysis LT 2: I can explain connections between events, issues, problems, and concepts.
Knowledge LT 20: I can explain the impacts of nationalism and revolutionary movements.

Soundtrack: "Brand New Day" by Sting. Selected for today because it is a brand new semester and a chance to start again! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 2/9/17:
News Brief - Sam
Review Class Feedback
Ominous Beginnings PowerPoint
Murder of the Archduke

Homework: Read the blog and post a comment again! Finish the reading questions if you did not in class. Next news brief: Jimmy.

News Brief: Sam had the news brief today and selected an article about this story to talk about: ABC.net.au - Buddhist monk arrested in Myanmar with more than four million methamphetamine pills. We found Bangladesh (it looks like maybe it should have been Myanmar?) on the world map and talked about this story for a bit, before moving on.

Jimmy 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):


Review Class Feedback: We looked at the anonymous feedback that students gave me before the Ladkah semester final about how the class was going, and how I am doing as a teacher. Here it is again if you want to check it out:


Some observations:
1) It looks like students really love what we learn about in class, which is awesome to see!
2) The class knows it could get better at participating.
3) You like that I am good at explaining concepts and that I am a fun teacher.
4) However, some students feel like I could do a better job of going slower with material (if anything at all).

Ominous Beginnings PowerPoint: To start up the World War I unit, I showed this recent clip from the BBC about what millennials know about it.

I went over the definition of "ominous" and used the example of music in a scary movie: you know something bad is about to happen. The rest of the PowerPoint was about the M.A.I.N. causes of World War I. The class took notes (Cornell Notes would be awesome!) on each slide - which will come in handy at the end of this unit. Please review the presentation if you missed class, or did not have enough time to finish up your notes:


Thank you so much for your focus during this part of class! You all seemed to really be getting what I was talking about, which is great to see.

Murder of the Archduke: I passed this document around, and read it aloud to the class, trying to describe what happened in the assassination of Franz Ferdinand. - Borijove Jevtic: The Murder of Archduke Franz Ferdinand at Sarajevo, 28 June 1914. This is the story of how World War I started. I had the class answer the analysis questions at the end, as well. It is such an important event in history - all set up by the MAIN causes of World War I. The questions at the end were what we finished class with. We will start next time by going over the answers together.

This was what we ended class with! Thank you for your participation and focus today! :-)
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Tuesday, February 7, 2017

Ladakh Semester Final - Class Recap


Congratulations! If you passed the class, you have completed a semester of Global Studies! Photo taken at Niagara Falls in 2010.

Dear class,

Today was finals day in class and, as promised, we did a essay test on the Ladakh, with multiple different possibilities for learning targets to address. Here's what happened in class 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 10: I can demonstrate an understanding of the connection between the physical and human systems.
Knowledge LT 15: I can explain how culture both reflects and shapes society.
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.

Soundtrack: "Kashmir" by Led Zeppelin. Selected for today because Ladakh is located in Kashmir, India. A classic song! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 2/7/17:
News Brief – Reese
Grades
Class Feedback
Ladakh Final

Homework: Read the blog. Good luck on the rest of finals! Next news brief: Sam.

News Brief: Reese selected an article about this story for the news brief today: CNN.com - Der Spiegel's Donald Trump cover sparks controversy. We found Germany in the world map packet and noted we did a news brief story about the country. We also checked out the cover, and talked about what we were up to over the weekend.

Sam was assigned to do the next news brief.

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update in class. 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):


Grades: After the news and checking in with students about if anything fun or interesting was going on outside of class, I talked about how grades for the class (and the final) would work. Basically, the Westview Global Studies team has a general agreement to use the final to help improve student grades, instead of bring them down. That said, if there is an obvious lack of effort or knowledge, we will take that into account, as well. So, if you are an A student, you can be almost assured of keeping that grade. If you have a lower grade, the final is an opportunity to improve. I am only going to put scores in the gradebook (StudentVUE) that improve grades (so you might just see a blank grade for your final), so that I can finish grading everything by the deadline. We do not have a grading day, due to the snow, so I am hoping to try and grade these as quickly as possible so you have an up to date grade ASAP.

Class Feedback: In the spirit of assessment, I asked students to provide me with some feedback about how class has been going this year so far, and what can be improved. The four questions that I asked students to anonymously answer were:

What do you like about this class? What do you think you as students are good at?

What does this class (you, as students) need to improve at?

What do you like about Mr. Fritz as a teacher? What is Mr. Fritz good at as a teacher?

What does Mr. Fritz need to improve at as a teacher?

I will show everyone the combined results from this next class, so we can learn about what is working and what could be improved. Thanks for participating in this!

Ladakh Final: This was the assignment for the rest of class. As promised, I let students use notes from the previous class(es) on Ladakh. The test itself was four questions (all the questions needed to be answered), followed by a short response essay for each one. There were five different learning target possibilities that the final addressed (written out above). I am looking forward to reading these over and assessing where you are at! If students finished early, there was time to quietly work in class.

Final grades for the semester are due by Tuesday, February 21. I anticipate that I will submit them far before then, but just a heads up. Thanks for your hard work, everyone! See you next class, when we will start the second semester! :-)
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Thursday, February 2, 2017

Ladakh Final Prep - Class Recap


We finished the Ladakh documentary in class today, in which we learned that many of the people there are Buddhist. This is a famous Buddhist temple (Swayambhunath) in Kathmandu, Nepal. Photo taken in 2015.

Hi everyone,

Today was our last day of preparation for the semester final, which will be later this week. I think we are generally in a good place and ready to take it! Here's what happened in class 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 10: I can demonstrate an understanding of the connection between the physical and human systems.
Knowledge LT 15: I can explain how culture both reflects and shapes society.
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.

Soundtrack: "Final Hour" by Lauryn Hill. Selected for today because it is the last class before finals, and Ms. Hill references a thesis in her song lyrics.

AGENDA 2/2/17:
News Brief – Olivia
Seminar Debrief
Ancient Futures
Ladakh Final Prep

Homework: Read the blog. Prepare for finals (see below)! Period 2 final is Tuesday! Next news brief: Reese.

News Brief: Olivia selected an article about this story for the news brief today: NYDailyNews.com - Bangladeshi girl, 10, may be first female with ‘tree man syndrome’. We found Bangladesh in our world map packet and discussed this interesting medical case together, before moving on.

Reese 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):


Seminar Debrief: I wanted to talk a little about how the Socratic Seminar on the Rise of Hitler reading went last class. I was super pleased with how students were able to take control and lead the discussion! I also chose a few students today in class to give their opinion on the activity. It did seem like the consensus was that it was worthwhile and interesting, so I will look for ways to incorporate it again in the future!

The Behavior Learning Target grades for the mini-unit on the Holocaust are now in the grade book and can be looked at on StudentVUE. I think it is a good indication of where everyone is at! Thank you for participating!

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

Here is the reading packet I passed out last class. Students were taking notes on the back page during the documentary:

We watched the rest of this famous documentary, looking at traditional Ladakh.  Students are analyzing how it has changed, and how geography, culture, and structures of power play a role in the society.



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

Ladakh Final Prep: Please finish your notes on the different learning targets and how they relate to the case study of the Ladakh by reviewing the reading material! Let me know if you are confused about how to prepare. See you next class, for our last class of the semester!
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