This week our state endured worse flooding than any previously recorded, perhaps the worst ever. Newscasters kept using the term “historic” to describe the devastation caused by over 15 inches of rain over a 2-week period. Janet Napolitano, Secretary for Homeland Security, toured the state via helicopter to assess the damage. The President issued a disaster declaration which provides money to families and businesses to start rebuilding. This is a good example of how the federal government steps in during times of crisis....which is one reason we pay taxes.
Aquidneck Island escaped much of the flooding because our open spaces and absence of inland rivers allowed much of the water to drain directly into the bay or the Sakonnet.
Along with the long-awaited return of sunny weather, the end of the week brought good news for the economy when the Department of Labor reported 162,000 jobs were created in March. While we still have 9.7% unemployment nationally and 13 % in Rhode Island, the new numbers show our economy is starting to recover. As President Obama stated, “we are beginning to turn the corner.”
A third major news item, the passage and signing of health care legislation, was the subject of our discussion last Monday. This law will affect all of us as it is phased in over the next few years. Many of you highlighted the section that allows young people to stay on their parent’s health insurance to the age of 26. This will help recent graduates who find it difficult to locate jobs offering health benefits . The law also includes a section modifying the federal financial aid program for college students, with the government now becoming the principal lender. You may ask what this provision has to do with health. Because legislation can only become law if the House and Senate pass identical versions, often the same bill number will be used for measures dealing with unrelated issues. This procedure expedites the passage of legislation, but it can lead to confusion as to what the final bill actually covers.
Portfolio Update
Aquidneck Island escaped much of the flooding because our open spaces and absence of inland rivers allowed much of the water to drain directly into the bay or the Sakonnet.
Along with the long-awaited return of sunny weather, the end of the week brought good news for the economy when the Department of Labor reported 162,000 jobs were created in March. While we still have 9.7% unemployment nationally and 13 % in Rhode Island, the new numbers show our economy is starting to recover. As President Obama stated, “we are beginning to turn the corner.”
A third major news item, the passage and signing of health care legislation, was the subject of our discussion last Monday. This law will affect all of us as it is phased in over the next few years. Many of you highlighted the section that allows young people to stay on their parent’s health insurance to the age of 26. This will help recent graduates who find it difficult to locate jobs offering health benefits . The law also includes a section modifying the federal financial aid program for college students, with the government now becoming the principal lender. You may ask what this provision has to do with health. Because legislation can only become law if the House and Senate pass identical versions, often the same bill number will be used for measures dealing with unrelated issues. This procedure expedites the passage of legislation, but it can lead to confusion as to what the final bill actually covers.
Portfolio Update
We are approaching our last week of third quarter. Your portfolio should be up to date, all work organized, and your status of assignment completed. We will have one more assessment and that will end our third quarter. The assessment will be on Thursday or Friday, depending on your class, and will focus on vocabulary. Keeping your folder up to date allows you to monitor your work and grade. It also ensures your past work is available when you need it to review for the final exam. Sometimes history does repeat itself, as I like to include a few past questions on the final.
Seniors
Every Senior has received a letter that includes their grade status and questions about their plans for ensuring success in the fourth quarter. These letters need to be signed and returned. We all want to be on the same page (and stage!)...no surprises.
CWI/Modern America
This week we continued our study of the Cold War by doing the containment worksheet which took you through the actions and reactions of both sides as the US sought to keep communism from spreading in Europe and even here at home. We also read excerpts from the Truman and Eisenhower Doctrines which offered economic and military aid to any country resisting communism. Our video clip on The Wall gave you a sense of what it was like to live during the time of the Berlin Wall. We continued to read what I believe is one of the most important sections in your text (Chapter 26 section 3) which explains how the US became involved in Korea, Vietnam, Latin America and the Middle East. As we go forward with our readings and our study of current events, you can refer to this section for an understanding of why these areas of the world drew our attention and are still of concern today.
As part of our study of the Korean War, you did an informal survey focused on the question: Is the Korean War the “forgotten” war? Polling and surveys are done by many groups to measure interest and to better understand the needs, wants or opinions of the public. Recently I was called by a pollster asking who I might support in the congressional race for the seat currently held by Patrick Kennedy. The pollster was trying to find out what issues were important to me so the candidate she was working for could focus on those issues. By pooling the information from many classmates, we were able to analyze our findings and make some generalizations. You then had the opportunity to write about these findings. Our video clip on Korea gave you a sense of what the conflict was like.
On page 730 in your text, there is a cameo picture of Ho Chi Minh, the leader of the Indochina Communist party. As your text indicates, Ho Chi Minh was a communist but he was foremost a Vietnamese nationalist. He wanted what all countries want: to be ruled by their own people. He wanted the French colonialists to leave and allow the Vietnamese to decide their own destiny. His plea to President Truman, using language from the Declaration of Independence, to help Vietnam in its struggle for freedom was turned down and instead Truman continued to support the French. Eventually the United States replaced France in Vietnam and fought what became the most divisive foreign war in our history. I can’t help but wonder how our history would be different if Truman had decided not to support the French and instead allowed the Vietnamese to decide their own future. Our video clip left us with the statement : “the US was deeply divided over the war.” Next week we will examine a variety of sources as we seek to understand why the war divided this country so badly. For homework you have background reading and a worksheet on the early years of the war.
We were also introduced to Fidel Castro this week as we read about his revolution in Cuba. Tensions were mounting as we realized the communists were now only 60 miles south of Florida. They were coming closer!
Connections
In today’s New York Times, Bob Herbert has a column “We still don’t hear him” which focuses on Dr. Martin Luther King’s speech on April 4, 1967 about the Vietnam War. Our next unit (and our last task) is on the Civil Rights Movement and here is a direct link between the efforts to gain civil rights for people in the US and the war in Vietnam, which was hurting this cause. The column goes on to discuss how King believed the Vietnamese government was corrupt and unworthy of US support , and Herbert then applies this reasoning to the war in Afghanistan. Today you will hear many commentators make links between Vietnam and the war in Afghanistan. Keeps these connections in mind as we continue our study of the war in Asia, and try to decide for yourselves whether or not they are valid.
World History
On Monday you had the opportunity to write about Gandhi and the principles of non-violence. You had a list of quotes and you could select the one that most interested you and respond to the guiding questions. As a teacher of history, I sometimes feel I am teaching about war, more war, and the possibility of war, so it is important to pause and think as well about the opportunities for peaceful resolution of our conflicts.
You received a packet on the years between the Wars (WW I and WW II) which focuses on what was happening in Germany, Italy and Japan. Our first reading was on the rise of Japan. After visiting that country I have a better understanding of how they became involved in this conflict. The Japanese worshipped their Emperor as a God and therefore would do everything they could to follow his orders. The Japanese also have great reverence for their families and believe that dying for your family and country is of the highest order. Finally, time and again historians speak of Japan’s lack of resources (it is an island country) and the need to import them. Once the US refused to sell Japan oil and other resources, the Japanese felt they had to resort to war. Other historians, prominently quoted in the Hiroshima Peace Museum, spoke about the disastrous decisions Japan made in the years leading up to World War II and then suffered the consequences. Historians interpret events differently and that is why students must look at multiple sources, think, ask questions and discuss events so you can form your own conclusions.
FROSTY FREEZE IS OPEN!!!
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