A Day to Give Thanks
In between football games, parades, and eating turkey, I hope all of us took a moment to remember why we commemorate this day and give thanks to those who suffered through many hardships to establish a place in the New World where freedom and tolerance could flourish. We should also remember those who were living here before the arrival of Europeans and who greeted the newcomers in peace and helped them survive. A special thank you must also be given to our Founders who recognized the worth and value of each individual and sought to design a country where all would have the opportunity to pursue their dreams. We also owe thanks to those of succeeding generations, right up to today, who have struggled and sacrificed to bring the Founders’ vision closer to reality. No matter what hardships or misfortunes we may face, we live in a country that extols freedom and where opportunities abound. It is a heritage we must do all we can to nurture and maintain.
Congratulations
The list of students at MHS earning Honor Roll status was impressive. The Newport Daily News printed our honorees in Saturday’s paper! We should also extend congratulations to our football team for bringing home a win in the Thanksgiving Day rivalry between MHS and Portsmouth. Great job!
CWI
We finished our study of South West Asia by designing a profile of Afghanistan using our text and Goode’s Atlas. Using the atlas gave you the opportunity to see the wealth of statistical data available for countries around the world. Using the calorie map you quickly saw that a large percentage of the population has a very poor diet. When we watched the Independent Lens film on women in Afghanistan, this aspect of their life was referenced when one of the women commented that they had not eaten meat in over six months. The film gave you a more personal look at the lives of women and young children under the rule of the Taliban. We also read a brief Q and A piece from The Washington Post that answered some basic questions about why the American government is concerned with this country. Finally, we used the ABC Afghanistan slide shows to look at this country and to see how 30 years of wars have scarred the people and the landscape.
So we have now completed our study of this region and as announced last week we are ready for a final assessment. Your final assessment will be an in class on demand writing assignment. You will be allowed to use your map for the assignment. The best way to prepare is to review your worksheets and activities. You can also use your text to review the region and its challenges. Your assignment will require you to integrate your knowledge of the history and geography of the region with your understanding of current events in the region. It is an open ended question so you will have some flexibility in how you decide to respond to the question but you will be evaluated on accuracy of information.
On Monday you will have the opportunity to review for the assessment, start your map for the next region, and help write questions for an upcoming current events quiz.
Our next area of study will be South East Asia, which includes Pakistan and India. India has been front page news this past week as our President has hosted its Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. To honor our guest from India, President and Mrs. Obama held their first state dinner on November 24. A White House State dinner is one of the most coveted events in Washington. This state dinner was an elegant event complete with a guest list of who’s who from government and the arts but it also included a gate crashing couple. It is shocking to learn that an uninvited couple was able to enter secure grounds and make physical contact with the President. The Secret Service is rightfully embarrassed and has pledged to review its policies. As someone who has entered the White House on a number of occasions, I was surprised by this break in security. Names, social security numbers, photo IDs and multiple check points have always been in place to keep our top officials safe. According to one expert, threats against the President have increased 400 percent since President Obama took office. In such threatening times, it is especially disturbing to see this lapse occur.
World History
We have finished our study of the French Revolution and Napoleon and are ready for our book test on December 1. On the first, you will need to hand in your section 5 worksheet and map of Europe after the Congress of Vienna. You were given a study guide for the test as well as an outline as to what types of questions would be on the test. If you take the time to use your study guide, review your packet, notes from class, and text reading you should be in good shape for the test. As you review the content, keep in mind that your brain can work more efficiently if you break information into smaller chunks and organize it in a format that is easy to recall. Last week we made a list of Napoleon’s good features and his shortcomings...a quick way to recall information on the Emperor.
In between football games, parades, and eating turkey, I hope all of us took a moment to remember why we commemorate this day and give thanks to those who suffered through many hardships to establish a place in the New World where freedom and tolerance could flourish. We should also remember those who were living here before the arrival of Europeans and who greeted the newcomers in peace and helped them survive. A special thank you must also be given to our Founders who recognized the worth and value of each individual and sought to design a country where all would have the opportunity to pursue their dreams. We also owe thanks to those of succeeding generations, right up to today, who have struggled and sacrificed to bring the Founders’ vision closer to reality. No matter what hardships or misfortunes we may face, we live in a country that extols freedom and where opportunities abound. It is a heritage we must do all we can to nurture and maintain.
Congratulations
The list of students at MHS earning Honor Roll status was impressive. The Newport Daily News printed our honorees in Saturday’s paper! We should also extend congratulations to our football team for bringing home a win in the Thanksgiving Day rivalry between MHS and Portsmouth. Great job!
CWI
We finished our study of South West Asia by designing a profile of Afghanistan using our text and Goode’s Atlas. Using the atlas gave you the opportunity to see the wealth of statistical data available for countries around the world. Using the calorie map you quickly saw that a large percentage of the population has a very poor diet. When we watched the Independent Lens film on women in Afghanistan, this aspect of their life was referenced when one of the women commented that they had not eaten meat in over six months. The film gave you a more personal look at the lives of women and young children under the rule of the Taliban. We also read a brief Q and A piece from The Washington Post that answered some basic questions about why the American government is concerned with this country. Finally, we used the ABC Afghanistan slide shows to look at this country and to see how 30 years of wars have scarred the people and the landscape.
So we have now completed our study of this region and as announced last week we are ready for a final assessment. Your final assessment will be an in class on demand writing assignment. You will be allowed to use your map for the assignment. The best way to prepare is to review your worksheets and activities. You can also use your text to review the region and its challenges. Your assignment will require you to integrate your knowledge of the history and geography of the region with your understanding of current events in the region. It is an open ended question so you will have some flexibility in how you decide to respond to the question but you will be evaluated on accuracy of information.
On Monday you will have the opportunity to review for the assessment, start your map for the next region, and help write questions for an upcoming current events quiz.
Our next area of study will be South East Asia, which includes Pakistan and India. India has been front page news this past week as our President has hosted its Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. To honor our guest from India, President and Mrs. Obama held their first state dinner on November 24. A White House State dinner is one of the most coveted events in Washington. This state dinner was an elegant event complete with a guest list of who’s who from government and the arts but it also included a gate crashing couple. It is shocking to learn that an uninvited couple was able to enter secure grounds and make physical contact with the President. The Secret Service is rightfully embarrassed and has pledged to review its policies. As someone who has entered the White House on a number of occasions, I was surprised by this break in security. Names, social security numbers, photo IDs and multiple check points have always been in place to keep our top officials safe. According to one expert, threats against the President have increased 400 percent since President Obama took office. In such threatening times, it is especially disturbing to see this lapse occur.
World History
We have finished our study of the French Revolution and Napoleon and are ready for our book test on December 1. On the first, you will need to hand in your section 5 worksheet and map of Europe after the Congress of Vienna. You were given a study guide for the test as well as an outline as to what types of questions would be on the test. If you take the time to use your study guide, review your packet, notes from class, and text reading you should be in good shape for the test. As you review the content, keep in mind that your brain can work more efficiently if you break information into smaller chunks and organize it in a format that is easy to recall. Last week we made a list of Napoleon’s good features and his shortcomings...a quick way to recall information on the Emperor.
No comments:
Post a Comment