Memorial Day

On Monday we celebrate Memorial Day. This holiday originally commemorated those who lost their lives in the Civil War, but over time it has become a day to remember all who have died in service to our country, and our own loved ones. Many families take this opportunity to visit cemeteries to honor those who have gone before. You can learn a great deal about history at cemeteries as you read the markers and note the dates. One of my favorite cemeteries is the grave yard next to Saint Columba’s Chapel on Indian Avenue. The markers tell of astounding accomplishments, tragic losses, and simple lives filled with love and care for all.

Seniors

Your final project for CWI/Modern America will be the presidential power point. You will be presenting on June 7 so please be prepared. Next week you will receive a study guide for the final exam which will include a description of the final.


Connections

What connection can you make with our study of the women’s movement and Sex and the City Part 2? Hint...listen to the soundtrack.


CWI/Modern America

This week we had a quiz on the events of 1968, finished our timeline on President Nixon, and started our power point projects on the last six presidents.

Your quiz on 1968 was announced one week ahead of the date. You had your text, the section review and the slide show to help you understand events of that year. You understood you needed to know the vocabulary and the answers to the section review. Your textbook quizzes follow a predictable pattern. Yet many of you earned low grades, so what happened? Didn’t read the section? Forgot to do the section review? Still thinking about the Prom???

You worked with a partner this week on the Nixon timeline. After selecting the key events, you needed to write two sentences on why you chose those events and why they are significant. While no two timelines will be the same, some events should appear on everyone’s list: the election in 1968, the first Presidential visit to China and the first to the Soviet Union in peacetime, and finally the first time a President was forced to resign.By doing the timeline and watching the short video on Nixon, I hope you appreciate that he was a complicated man and while he had many weaknesses he also had great strengths, especially in the field of foreign policy. Next week we will be comparing Nixon’s resignation and Clinton’s impeachment. People often think Nixon was impeached. He was not, but he still had to leave office. Clinton WAS impeached, but he stayed in office...how can this be?

Your presidential power points are due June 6 by 11 pm. Please email the final project and put your class period and the name of the president on the subject line. You will present on June 7. This will be our final activity for the year. A study guide will be given out a week before finals and we will have some class time to go over what is expected. Of course you always have the trusty blog...it takes about 2 minutes to read the weekly entry...a bit longer if you use the links...so in about 45 minutes you could play back the entire semester! What a great resource! And oh yes, you also have your portfolio with all of your work organized for the past semester and history can repeat itself...former quiz questions make for great final questions. Hint...hint...

World History

We started off our week by looking at photos of Mrs. Khrushchev and Mrs. Gorbachev. You could quickly see that Mrs. K represented the old USSR while Mrs. G appeared more modern. These women mirror what was happening in their country as the USSR collapsed under Gorbachev and struggled to establish a form of democracy and capitalism. We then watched the interview with Sergei Khruschev, son of Nikita Khrushchev, as he explained the personality of his father and his own reasons for becoming an American citizen. People who grew up during the Cold War have a picture embedded in our minds of Khrushchev pounding his shoe on the UN podium and crying “We will bury you!” But times change and hopefully we will continue to see a closer relationship with this complex country. I can’t help but wonder what changes fifty years might bring to our relationship with the countries of Southwest Asia (the Middle East)?

This week you handed in your obituary of the USSR and a current event on Russia. We then moved on to China. Your current event on China is due June 3.

We will do a series of short lessons on current conditions around the world (see your syllabus) and then you will receive a study guide for the final exam. In addition to the study guide, you have the trusty blog and your portfolio.

The Count Down

This has been a hectic week for us as we juggled NECAP testing, classes, sporting events, the blood drive and our Junior Prom. Congratulations to all of you who put in the effort to do well on your testing. MHS was recently featured in a ProJo based web site as the 9th best high school in Rhode Island. While the rankings took into account many considerations, state testing was a key component. Your hard work helped MHS make the top 10!

By the time you read this, I hope the Junior Prom is a happy memory! Pictures on Monday?

It was a surprise to see ABC World News lead off with a story on new history standards that are being proposed for Texas. Texas and California drive the content of history books as they are the biggest customers for book companies. A good example of supply and demand...if Texas wants a more conservative interpretation of history, book publishers will produce those books. When Middletown begins looking at new texts, our selection will be limited to those that appeal to the big customers. After seeing the new Apple tablet, I am wondering if our days of individual textbooks are on the wane as we look to new internet technology to deliver readings. What is your vote: traditional textbook or on line text?

Intra-term grades were due this week. If you are meeting standard, congratulations and keep up the good work as we wind down...if you are below standard, put a corrective action plan in place immediately...take a more serious approach to your studies, get extra help, outline sections of the text, hand in all your work on time...there are many ways to improve your grade.

World History

This week we looked at the fall of the USSR. In your groups, we developed reasons for the fall and used categories as well as leaders to help group the causes. We also did a timeline so we could see the progression of key events. For homework, you are writing an obituary of the USSR. You have a template that gives you key questions to answer in the obituary. You can also go on line and read samples of obituaries as you prepare to write. Who were the founders of the USSR? What were some of its key accomplishments? How should the USSR be remembered?

You also have your current event on Russia due next week.

This week you also had your quiz on Western Europe after the Cold War. There were lots of high scores. Keep up the good work!

CWI/Modern America

This week we completed our study of JFK and his brief presidency of 1000 days. While he served a short time, his memory is seared into the minds of those who lived during his term of office. We read an excerpt from William Manchester’s best selling text “The Death of a President” and watched a slide show on the assassination. A book has come out recently, “Letters to Jackie,” that features the over 1 million condolence letters and cards received by the young widow. Please talk with family that lived through this time to get a better appreciation of what the country experienced.

We moved on to 1968, which your textbook describes as “a crisis filled year of assassinations, antiwar protests, and violence which polarized the country.” Our slide show from this year highlighted the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy and the 1968 election. You are responsible for reading the text, including the special section “A Turning Point in History.” You will have a quiz on this section next week. The section ends with the election of Richard Nixon, the same man who lost to JFK by a mere 120,000 votes and came back 8 years later to win the presidency by a narrow margin. As we begin our study of Nixon, keep in mind he is the only president who has resigned from office.

Our final project of the year will be power point group projects focused on Presidents Carter, Reagan, Bush senior and junior, and Clinton. This will be an opportunity to show your creative side as we look at challenges and accomplishments of the presidents but also at music, movies and TV of the period. You will have two days in the library or computer lab to work on the project and some time at home. We will have to work around your Capstone presentations that are fast approaching.

Another First

Just as our CWI/Modern America course was finishing its study of the Women’s Movement, President Obama nominated Elena Kagan for a position on the Supreme Court. If she is confirmed, it will be the first time in history that the court has had three female justices. Sandra Day O’Connor was the first woman to serve on the court, from 1981 till 2006, and the court currently has two female justices: Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor. Senate hearings on Elena Kagan’s confirmation are expected to start next week.

Meanwhile, financial markets in Europe are again reeling from the possibility that the Greek government may default on its loans. Greece is part of the European Union and uses the Euro as its currency, so the value of the Euro has been dropping. It may be a good time to plan a trip to Europe, since the falling Euro makes prices cheaper there for those who have dollars. Our own stock market has also had several sharp drops in response to the news from Europe. In this age of globalization, investors are concerned recession in Europe would quickly spread elsewhere.

CWI/Modern America

On Thursday you had your final assessment on the Women’s Movement. The ten objective questions were based on your reading and the open ended essay questions gave you the opportunity to write your personal assessment of the movement supported by historically accurate information. If you were absent, you have 5 school days to make up the work.

We also read about the youngest man ever to be elected president, John F. Kennedy. We spent time on the JFK library web site, where you did an activity focused on the daily schedule of the president. You also reviewed the White House photographer’s gallery to select a photo that illustrated the phrase from the inaugural address, “the torch has been passed to a new generation.” After reading President Kennedy’s schedule, you had the opportunity to play Chief of Staff to President Obama and plan a day for our current president. The president’s time is very limited and there are many competing demands, so careful scheduling of events to support the administration’s priorities is essential to good and effective governing. After planning the day for President Obama, you selected the photo you wanted circulated to support the President’s priorities. You can see by this assignment that much of what appears to the public as spontaneous is actually carefully orchestrated.

We also read about the impact the television debates had on the 1960 election and the role of religion. We watched two video clips, one on the debate and one on the advertisements used in the 1960 race. Candidate Kennedy was very mindful that his Catholic faith could be a barrier for some voters so he took great care to explain his thoughts on the separation of church and state. This brings us to a bigger question on what role religion should play in our decision making when we decide who to support in November. Candidate Mitt Romney had to answer several questions about his Mormon faith and how it could impact his decision making process if he were elected president. Although we proclaim freedom of religion as one of our core values, would Americans ever elect a Muslim, an atheist, or any other non-Christian as president?

Task Update

On Friday you received your task scores. Next week we will take some time to review the characteristics of an essay that met or exceeded the standard.

Intra-terms

Intra-term grades are due next week. I will be checking your folders to make sure your status of assignment sheet is up to date.

World History

This week we continued our study of the Cold War. This was a time when tensions between the Soviet Union and the US ran high. The Soviets wanted to ensure they would never again be invaded from the West, so they insisted on maintaining satellite countries in Eastern Europe to act as a buffer. In Germany, the Berlin Wall was erected. Can you imagine what life must have been like behind that wall? Do walls work? Will the wall the Israelis are building end their conflict with the Palestinians? Will the wall the US government is erecting along our southern border resolve the issue of illegal immigration?

Make sure to keep an eye on the news. The future of the European Union is under question as it tries to deal with the huge financial challenges of Greece, Spain and Portugal. Failure to do so would have enormous political, economic and social ramifications worldwide.

NECAP

Testing for Juniors starts next week. Good luck to all. Do your best...you will never regret getting a high score!

Extra Credit

What presidents were born in Massachusetts?

A Time for Questions

This week our world news has been dominated by three major events: the continuing ecological and economic disaster caused by the collapse of a BP oil tower in the Gulf of Mexico, the attempt to set off a bomb in Times Square, and the financial collapse of Greece which has led to riots. You could tell we live in an interconnected world as we watched our stock market plummet over 300 hundred points on Thursday on the fear that the financial mess in Europe would impact our delicate economic recovery. Just when we thought we were starting to make a recovery investors’ confidence is tested by these events. Similarly, the bombing suspect’s possible ties to the Pakistani Taliban are a stark reminder that the heart of our principal city can still be threatened by terrorists half a world away.

World History

Congratulations on your World War II power point projects. This was a great exercise for you as you worked with a partner on a topic of your choosing. We had a variety of interesting topics and great visuals. You also had the opportunity to reflect on your work. What did you learn from this project? The next time you are asked to do a project, how will you approach the assignment? So many of you mentioned time management and that is something we all struggle with. How many times have we felt that we didn’t have enough time to complete all parts of a task? You need to continue working on your presentation skills as this will be part of your Capstone project during your Junior year. Becoming comfortable speaking before a group is an important skill to acquire.

This week we also looked at the results of World War II and devised categories to group our information. Historians enjoy taking their analysis and then grouping common elements. It makes it easier to understand and interpret complex information. We had some groups that developed categories (economic, political, social, etc) and then filled in the information, while other groups reversed the process and looked first at results, then established groups. Another group looked at positive and negative effects of the war.

This is a friendly reminder that your current event is due May 11 and it may be on any international issue. You should also complete your World War II and Cold War packet. Please be prepared for a quiz on section 5. Next week we will look at a short clip about the Berlin Wall and try to imagine what life must have been like for those people who were confined to a country where they had few liberties.

CWI/Modern America

This week we completed uploading our tasks. Congratulations to all who met the deadline. You will receive class credit (50 points) as well as portfolio credit (if you meet standard).

We also continued with our study of the Women’s Movement. You had the opportunity to read your text for background and then engage in a group activity using “The Feminine Mystique” by Betty Friedan. This book caused a sensation when it reached the public in the 1960s. It quickly became a best seller and a source for heated debates as men and women discussed the role of women in society. Our accountable talk activity gave you the opportunity to think about the role of women and to talk about the tensions and conflicts inherent in any person’s life as they try to balance family and work. The music from the period set the stage as we listened to Jack Jones sing “Wives and Lovers” and then Helen Reddy sing “I Am Woman.” We will continue this discussion next week when we look at the campaigns of Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton.

While we don’t have time to watch a movie for this unit, I would recommend “Mona Lisa Smile” with Julia Roberts, Kirsten Dunst and Julia Stiles. The story takes place on the campus of a women’s college in the 1950s. Julia Roberts plays an art history professor who tries to open her students to possibilities other than becoming wives and mothers. While the film did not win any awards, it does a very good job of portraying a time when women were not expected to have careers. I read you several articles from the Radcliffe Magazine which illustrated just this point. Our reading about Justice Ginsburg’s early career spoke about the obstacles she encountered as she entered the field of law.

On the lighter side, many of you took the test that was given to female students in New York after completion of a Home Economics class. The questions came off an exam that was given in the 1950s and while we had a laugh or two it is a commentary on what schools thought all smart girls should know.

Your interview is due May 10. Some of you have already started talking with family and friends about this time period and have shared some great stories. This is the best way to learn history.

A special thank you to Ms. A who joined our B period class and shared some of her experiences. Title IX made a huge impact on sports opportunities and any of you young ladies who play a sport can thank Congresswoman Patsy Mink for insisting on equal funding for girls and boys sports at any institution that receives federal funding.

This and That

We are approaching an especially busy time of year with sporting events, plays, proms, and our regular school work. It is essential that you stay organized and focus so you can successfully complete all of your activities. Make sure you have a calendar and use it! Write down due dates, block out time to do projects, and set priorities.

One very important step you can take is to make every effort to come to school every day. When you are absent, it is easy to think you didn’t miss anything and making up a reading or worksheet will keep you on track. But you miss discussions and the give and take in a classroom that helps you better understand the content and skills you need to be successful. If you are absent, plan on staying after to get the work you have missed. After being absent, you have 5 days to complete work that was assigned.

Oh No!

It is so sad to read that Newsweek, a weekly magazine devoted to following key stories from around the world, is “For Sale.” The magazine is owned by The Washington Post and on May 5 the Post announced that the magazine continues to loose money and therefore is being sold. Newsweek has been published for over 77 years and has offered readers insightful commentary on world events.

Mother’s Day

In 1915, President Wilson designated the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day. Julia Ward Howe, author of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” and a former summer resident of Portsmouth, introduced the idea of honoring mothers in 1872. Howe believed that by honoring mothers we would also be honoring peace. Mothers play many different roles in our lives and over time our perceptions of these roles can change. Last year CNN did a piece on the questions everyone should ask their mother. They are well worth thinking about, so I have given you the link to the article.

45 years and he “still can’t get no satisfaction!”

The Rolling Stones “I Can’t Get no Satisfaction.” is 45 years young today!

Connections

Making connections in our daily lives can add meaning and purpose. Learning to see patterns and similarities helps us better understand the world we live in. The past two weeks brought several events linked to major episodes in history: Efforts to provide boat transportation across the English Channel for British citizens stranded by flight cancellations due to volcanic ash called to mind the evacuation of British troops from Dunkirk in World War Two; Dorothy Height, one of the great leaders of the Civil Rights movement, died and was eulogized by President Obama in the same week protests began against an Arizona law that many believe discriminates against Hispanics; and rallies by New Jersey students protesting school budget cuts were a further reminder of the role popular protests have played in our past. These are all examples of how our study of history is linked to events of today.

World History

This week you had time to work on your World War II power point presentations. Take the time to read and reread the rubric so you can earn all your points. Doing this type of oral presentation is great practice for your Capstone which comes in your Junior year. This is a fun project as you get to pick your partner and your topic. Enjoy putting the project together and make sure it is emailed to me by 11:00 pm on Sunday. On Monday we will present.

Your timelines on World War II were handed in on Monday. A timeline gives you the opportunity to visualize the sequence of events. You can see cause and effect. It also gives you the opportunity to decide which events were most crucial over the course of the war. Timelines are meant to be visual so make sure you take the time to neatly arrange your information. A timeline should be clear and easy to read. As we mentioned in class, written work must be your own to earn credit. It is tempting to use someone else’s words when providing the written explanation of the events but you cannot portray it as your work. You may use a few quotes if properly attributed, but I want to read your own writing.

Our next current event is due May 11 and it may be on any international event.

CWI/Modern America

This week we continued to follow our syllabus on the Civil Rights Movement. On Tuesday we watched part of “Eyes on the Prize,” a PBS documentary about the Civil Rights movement. We focused on getting a better understanding of the struggles to integrate high schools in the South. This was a great video to prepare you for the task. We spent one day analyzing documents and one day in the lab writing the task. You showed great focus in your determination to complete your essay in the allotted time. Great job! If you were absent for any part of the assignment you need to see me ASAP to make arrangements to complete the activity by May 7. The task will be for your graduation portfolio as well as a 50 point in class activity.

Next week we will start a new unit on the Women’s Movement. This was an exciting and challenging time for many as roles of men and women were redefined. We are a constantly evolving society. Last year ABC News did a special report on how families are changing due to the recession. More men have been losing jobs than women because of the nature of the jobs being cut. Therefore men have taken on more house and child care responsibilities, while many women have become the chief wage earners. Income figurers still show a gap between the earnings of men and women but it is narrowing each year.

Your current event which is due May 5 must be about women in the news. You may select an article about politics, business or labor. As an example, we spoke about the recent suit that a group of women have brought against Wal-Mart, changing discrimination in pay, wages and promotions.

As part of our unit, you will have the opportunity to do an interview with someone who has felt the sting of discrimination. Discrimination comes in many forms and many of us can tell stories of how we were treated differently because of our age, sex, or other identifying markers. The most interesting history can be the stories told by others so take the time to speak with family members and friends and ask how women were treated in the past. Does your grandmother remember when women were criticized for wearing pants in public? Do you have family members who remember when the only jobs open to women were teaching, nursing and secretaries? Do you have family members who remember when there were few if any sport teams open to women at the high school and college levels?

Extra Credit:

I am going to try again as some of you have asked for an extra credit opportunity. Bring in an editorial cartoon to share with the class.

On the Lighter Side:

A new way to ask for a prom date...