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?
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?
1 comment:
There were four presidents from Massachusetts, John Adams, John Quincy Adams, John F. Kennedy, and George Bush.
- Isabella Janssen
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