We Made It!

This week we said good-bye and good luck to our Seniors. It is always great fun having a mix of students in the classroom as different ages bring different perspectives. Your point of view will change over time as you gain more experience. The classroom is a safe place to practice developing your views and sharing them with fellow students. Don’t ever be afraid to speak your mind but always take the time to gather information and think about your position. Argue and debate out of knowledge.

We have had an exciting year as we travelled the globe via our current events and study of Contemporary World Issues. You will soon find out that the world is really very small...we can see and be in contact with people from all over the globe in a matter of seconds....we can fly to, buy from and sell to any part of the world...and our actions as individuals and a country affect all. You are truly COTW: Citizens of the World!

In addition to our international studies we have spent much time thinking and talking about the major domestic changes our country is experiencing. By doing current events, we monitored the progress of the health care debate, analyzed the tough economic recession that has affected all of us, and saw how each of us has the responsibility to stand up for what we believe. A special congratulations go out to all of you who attended the Middletown Town Council budget hearings. The Newport Daily News recognized your efforts in their lead editorial urging the Council to hear all participants during the hearings. Job well done!

CWI/Modern America: Presidential Power Points

The presentation of the Presidential power points is a great way to conclude our year. Please note that some groups have not yet emailed me the final project...please do so ASAP. Also, if you were absent the day of the presentation, you must make arrangements to present after school. Grades for the project will be distributed once you have completed your reflection sheet.

This has been a great end of year project where you get to work with a group, locate key information and build an attractive and informative power point. I was impressed with your ability to organize information along with photos to make attractive slides. You also have a great talent for sharing emails or using Acrobat to make this project more manageable.

With the completion of this project, you have a good sense of the key events during the last 30 years of our country’s history. So often history classes end at World War II and students are frustrated that modern events and issues are never discussed. We should take great pride that we did it...studied all of the presidents while keeping up with current events! Great job!

Study Guide

You have a study guide to help you review for the exam. I would also urge you to use your portfolio and of course to read over each blog entry. By reading the weekly entry, you will have a review of all the classes since our midterm. When doing the study guide, don’t use just the glossary for definitions as that does not put the event, person or term into context. By using the text to read about the events, you will get a better understanding of why the term is on the study guide. Make sure to include the significance....why we need to know...for each term, person or event.

World History

This week we wrapped up our study of current world events by looking at Eastern Europe and its development of free and independent states after the breakup of the Soviet Union, as well as the ongoing conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Some conflicts seem to go on and on. When will we learn how to live with diversity?

You have your study guide and you will have class time to work on it. You also have a description of the exam so you should be well prepared. Many of you handed in your status of assignment sheet on Friday. Please make sure you have completed the sheet and turn it in next week. You are then encouraged to take the portfolio home as it is a great way to review for the final.

I was very pleased to see so much interest in doing a current event for the final, but instead I will ask you an open ended question about current events which will give you the opportunity to tell me how much you like doing this assignment!

Last Entry

So it is now time to say good-by and wish all of you a happy and safe summer. I want to thank my blog editor for keeping my thinking and writing clear, crisp and accurate. I want to thank my many readers for their comments which always led to a better entry. But most of all, I want to thank all of my students for a great year. Your interest, enthusiasm, and questioning have led us all to a better understanding of our world and how we can contribute to a better tomorrow.

Capstone is History

Congratulations to all our Seniors and Juniors who presented their Capstone projects this week. The excitement and anticipation could be felt by the entire school as presentation day approached. To meet standard on your projects, you had a long road to travel...core questions....I Search papers...building power points...and finally the presentation. You should take great pride in your accomplishment and know that next time (yes...you will have other presentations to make at school and in the world of work) you will know how to manage your time and be successful. If you did not meet standard, you have the opportunity to revise and re-present. Thomas Jefferson revised the Declaration of Independence over 20 times, so you can revise your Capstone. Capstone is also a learning process for teachers as we evaluate core questions, apply the rubric, and try to develop a better timetable of due dates for next year’s Juniors. Learning, growing, and adapting...a lifelong journey!

Empathy



To live a satisfying life, we must develop empathy for our fellow human beings. A best selling book, “Emotional Intelligence,” stated that people who can successfully deal with a variety of interpersonal relationships are going to be more successful and fulfilled than those who are “smart” but have difficulty dealing with people. While no one is downgrading the importance of intelligence, Daniel Goldman, the author, went beyond being book smart and wrote about the importance of understanding people. As we approach the end of our school year, take the time to look around at your fellow students and treat them as you would like to be treated. Is there someone who could use a pat on the back...a smile...an encouraging word? We have many successes to celebrate with our fellow classmates but we also have students who are dealing with challenges. Make sure to take the time to understand their thinking – and be kind! You will never look back and regret being nice to someone.



CWI/Modern America



This week we looked at the impeachment process and then applied it to President Nixon and President Clinton. After reading the documents and working with your group you learned that Nixon was never impeached as he resigned before the full House had the opportunity to vote on the article of impeachment. He did not want to go down in history as the second president to be impeached. President Clinton was impeached but remained in office. The full House passed two articles of impeachment and the Senate held the trial, but the Senate acquitted him. President Clinton was the second president to be impeached but he was not removed from office. As you saw in the video, Clinton paid a high price for his personal indiscretions but remained popular with the American people. Make sure your three worksheets on impeachment are handed in.



On Monday you will present your final project on your assigned president. Friday was a bonus day in the computer lab so you should have had ample time to complete the project. You are fortunate that with all of our ways to communicate with each other, those absent from class should still be able to contribute. You designed a work plan prior to starting the project so you should have a system in place to complete the presentation. All power points need to be emailed by Sunday at 11 pm. Your rubric has all the information you need to be successful.



Some students also started on the Editorial Cartoon assignment. This is a great last assignment as it allows you to look at any event back to 1960 and select a cartoon that has meaning and hopefully brings a smile or a laugh. The cartoon assignment will be due Wednesday. If you did not pick up the assignment on Friday, you can get the sheet on Monday after the presentations.



Seniors...you have your study guide...you have the blog...extra help is available...think positive thoughts for your final exam!



World History



We are ending our study of World History with a look at Russia, China, and Japan. Our short video on the Cold War gave us a quick summary of the impact that Gorbachev had on Russia and the US. Our reading from the UpFront magazine spoke about the young people of Russia today who are working to restore Russia as a super power. While its impact may have dimmed over the past two decades, every country recognizes its strength and influence in the world.



We continued our study of China by looking at current events. China is on the front page of our papers almost every day....at least the front page of the business section as its economy continues to grow and affect practically every other country. Recently over 200 American delegates led by Secretary Clinton visited the Shanghai Expo in an effort to build an even closer relationship with China.



Finally, we compared the Japanese system of education with our own system. Japanese high school students have a longer school year, a longer day, and take a much more serious approach to their studies. American students on the other hand have the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of activities...sports, clubs, or work. So what is the “best” system of education?