The Lens of Culture

This week we focused on the elements of culture and how understanding the attitudes, beliefs, and knowledge of other countries will aid us in understanding their point of view or perspective on world issues. All countries do not believe the same things and as our value assignment illustrated, even within a country different people espouse different values.

One of the major components of culture is religion. Your current event assignment (September 28 for periods A,B,E and September 29 for periods C and D) must be linked to religion. You should aim to find an international article but you may also use a national article. Consult your rubric which is on the back of the current events assignment sheet to earn as many points as possible. Students who consistently exceed the standard on their current events assignments earn high quarter grades!In addition to our discussion of culture, you worked on a review sheet with a partner. This was a great opportunity to review the key vocabulary for this section. For homework, you have your world religion map which is due next class period. Make sure to use your rubric.

Five Themes of Geography

We started the week with a quiz on the five themes of geography. This was an announced quiz so you should have been prepared. In addition, you were allowed to use your class notes on the quiz. While most of you were prepared for the quiz, some students did not take notes or did not have notes the day of the quiz. As upper classmen, you need to work on taking care of your own responsibilities and not wait for someone to tell you what to do. Note taking every day is a skill that will serve you well as you head off to college or the world of work.

Revisions

From time to time, you may have work returned that needs revision in order to meet standard. You may make the changes and return your work the next class period. This is an opportunity for you to make the changes so you can earn passing credit. Please return the original work with your revisions so I can see how you incorporated the changes. Remember, Thomas Jefferson revised the Declaration of Independence over 20 times, so I want to give you the opportunity to put forth your own best effort as well.

English as a Second Language Students

We are very fortunate to have students who are visiting Middletown for the year while their parents attend the Naval War College. If you are a student with English as a second language, come by and see me for glossary guides in your own language. Our text provides a variety of glossaries in other languages that I will be happy to photocopy for your use. You are also encouraged to bring in a pocket translator to use in class. We want this year to be a good experience for you.

October 1 Email

We have talked in class about the need for a school email, and it is part of your room management plan that you must have a Middletown school email account by October 1. We will be using these accounts when we do group projects and our first group project is fast approaching. If you need the permission forms, you may see Mrs. Gill or Mrs. O’Donnell or ask in the Main Office.

Staying Organized

This week we set up our class folders. You were given a status of assignment sheet and a list of all of the assignments to date. All of your graded work must be in the folder. You are responsible for keeping track of your work. Your folder is checked from time to time. All folders must be up to date by interterm week in order to meet standard.

Monday Homework Sessions

Starting September 27, you will be advised to stay after on Mondays if you have not completed your homework. I have set aside this time to help those students who are struggling or for students who have decided they do not want to do their homework. If you do not stay for this session, then I will be reporting to the Administration that you were given this opportunity and it was your decision not to stay. So, you need to decide….do homework at home…do homework on Mondays after school…

Pizza and Pirates

On September 27, the Middletown Public Library (one of my favorite places) will be sponsoring a pizza and pirate event from 5:30-7:30. Come and eat pizza and learn about pirates of Newport. Free tickets are available by calling 846-1573.

Happy Birthday

Birthday greetings to MLM…a faithful blog reader and technical supporter!

Looking At Values: Ours and Theirs

This week we had a shortened work week as voters went to the polls in Rhode Island to select candidates to represent the Democratic and Republican parties in the November election. Rhode Island will also have a viable Independent candidate for governor as former Senator Lincoln Chafee is running. So while we lost a day of school, we also had the opportunity to observe our electoral process in action and celebrate our opportunities to select our own leaders.

On September 17 we celebrated Constitution Day as we recalled the founding mothers and fathers who helped establish our country and gave us the freedoms and opportunities we all enjoy today.

Are You Organized?

This week you were issued a text and given a Unit 1 syllabus. Please cover your text and plan on bringing it every day to class. Your Unit syllabus should be in your 3 ring binder alongside your signed room management plan, the current events assignment and your hints on doing a summary. I will check your notebook from time to time to make sure you are staying organized. In addition, we set up our student folders. You are responsible for keeping your status of assignment sheet updated and all of your graded work in the folder. Keeping track of your grades will allow you to monitor your progress in the class. It will also be a great resource for you to use when it comes time to study for the mid-term exam.

Current Events

We had our first round of current events this week. Most of you did a good job and followed the rubric. Keep in mind that we are focusing on major international issues. Make sure to use your own words for the summary and write 5 to 7 complete sentences for each paragraph. Your next current event is due September 22 if you are in period A,B,C, or E. The current event is due September 23 if you are in period D. We do current events about once a week and it is a great way for you to earn lots of points.

Values

This week we also discussed values, that is, what is important to you, to our country and to the world community. While many of you selected freedom or democracy as your top value, many people in other countries would select stability and security. National Public Radio had an interesting interview with a woman who was running for a seat in the Afghan parliament and her platform was focused on bringing stability and security to her country. She has already lost two of her five children to violence. We are fortunate to live in a safe and secure community. Keep these values and the ranking of values in mind as we look at world issues and try to develop empathy for those living in very different circumstances.

Goal Sheet

Some classes had the opportunity to watch a clip from President Obama’s speech to the students of the United States. Using this clip as well as the “Business Week” article you have some guiding questions to respond to and turn in next week. This sheet prompts you to think about your goals for the year and how you plan on accomplishing them. Just as we need a map when we are going to a new place, we need a goal sheet for the start of a new school year so we can monitor our progress. This assignment is worth 10 points...take time to answer the questions in a thoughtful manner...use complete sentences...check your spelling...and take pride in your work.

X Period

If you are late to class or you are not turning in your homework, you will be required to stay after for an X period. During the X period, you can work on your homework or complete a class assignment. If you do not stay for the X period, you will have to stay for detention. Let’s work to get to class on time and have your homework completed so you don’t have to stay for this after school period.

Welcome Mr. Young

Mr. Sam Young, from Salve Regina University, will be working with us this year. He will be in the classroom every Monday during the first and second quarter and will be teaching lessons and assisting you with your work. During the second half of the year Mr. Young will take over many of the duties of the classroom. It is always exciting to welcome a new person to our learning community.

Open House

The MHS Open House is scheduled for Monday, September 20, from 6:30 to 8:00. This is a great opportunity to walk your parents/guardians through your schedule. I look forward to greeting you on Monday evening.

The Middle East Gets Top Billing

On Tuesday I was fortunate to have the opportunity to sit in on a class at the Naval War College that focused on conflict in the Muslim world. The presentation included NWC faculty and two guest speakers from Rhode Island College. The goal of the session was to educate people on the beliefs, values and perspectives of the various Muslim communities. We reviewed their rich and varied history and learned some Arabic words which would help promote understanding and respect. The same day, I attended an evening lecture at Salve Regina University by Syria’s Ambassador to the United States. He spoke to a full auditorium and stressed the importance of understanding the Arab point of view while trying to solve some of the problems of the Middle East. He urged Americans to support the efforts of the Palestinian people to establish a safe and secure homeland and said Syria could play a constructive role in helping resolve the conflict.

Extra Credit

On September 18, 1793, George Washington laid the cornerstone for what building that became the center of our capital city and a symbol of democracy? Be the first to email me the right answer using your MHS account and earn extra credit. If you don’t have your MHS account, you may write down the answer and give it to me Monday morning.

Welcome Back

Welcome back to a new school year and to our new blog for 2010. I know the first question you may have is why I named the blog MHSCOTW. I believe that all of us should start viewing ourselves as “Citizens of the World.” If we thought of ourselves as parts of a bigger community than Middletown, or Rhode Island, or even America itself, our world would benefit. I think this global thinking would lead to less strife and more cooperation. This idea truly hit home when my son graduated from an American university and was hired by a German bank that immediately sent him to London, then on to New York City, India and Tokyo. His story is not that unusual for recent college graduates as more businesses have an international presence. History also shows that in this age of globalization problems in one part of the world have a way of spreading far beyond their original boundaries, affecting other nations and people in unpredictable ways. The events of September 11, 2001, whose victims we commemorate this weekend, are a tragic reminder of that fact.

The blog is a way for us to review what we worked on during the week and to provide additional information on a variety of topics through links. You will notice that the entries include highlighted words which are active links to other sites where you can read further about a particular topic. For reasons of time and space, the blog is not an all inclusive wrap-up of the week, and because five different classes will be using the blog, it cannot provide detailed information about homework.

I hope you enjoy reading the blog. Please feel free to offer recommendations.

Contemporary World Issues (CWI)

This week we spoke about how all of our lives are affected by events in other countries. As advances in technology make our world grow smaller, our economies are more and more linked together and it is important for all of us to understand global issues.

You have been given the current events assignment and rubric. We practiced finding articles about international issues and we spoke about writing the first paragraph to summarize key facts and the second paragraph to offer your own thoughts on the subject. Keep in mind that you have several days to do this assignment so you have time to solve any problems that may occur. Maybe you don’t have a paper at home... maybe you don’t have a computer or printer... maybe you work on the weekends... these are all potential obstacles, but you can surmount them. Make sure to take advantage of the school library or the public library on West Main Road. You can use this assignment to start the school year off with a great success! Your assignment is due Wednesday or Thursday (depending on class period)

You will find that your understanding of the issues we discuss in class will be greatly enhanced by watching the news or reading a daily paper. Next week we are scheduled to start receiving UpFront, a magazine produced by The New York Times for high school students. This is a major investment on the part of the District and I know you will appreciate having this opportunity to read a world class publication. As good thinkers and policy makers, we will also be consulting other sources, such as The Wall Street Journal, the international press, and news web sites. If you have a favorite, please bring it in and we will add it to our list of resources.

Room Management Plan

Please make sure you have read over the room management plan. The signed plan (by both student and parent/guardian) is due on Monday or Wednesday of next week (depending on class period). This is considered a homework assignment so make a good impression by being on time.

Supplies

Each student needs to have a 3-ring binder, a pocket folder, a small box of colored pencils and pens/pencils for daily use. Please be ready with your supplies next week as we all want to work on staying organized.

Pell Center

We are fortunate to have a world class university, Salve Regina, right in our own backyard. From time to time they have guest speakers and many of these events are open to the public. On September 15, the Ambassador from Syria, Imad Moustopha, will speak about the US and the Middle East. The lecture starts at 6:00. You need to call or email the Pell Center to reserve a seat. If you attend, please pick up the brochure from the event and bring it to class. You will earn extra credit for this event.

US Senate Scholarship Program

Each year, two students from every state are selected to participate in the US Senate Scholarship program. To be eligible for this event, you must be a Junior or Senior and serve in some leadership position, such as Student Council, class officer or the SITE council. Students selected to represent Rhode Island earn a trip to Washington DC and a $5,000 scholarship. If you are interested in learning more about this program, please let me know.

Calling all Future Journalists

Sheila Mullowney, Executive Editor of The Newport Daily News, will be meeting with students on Wednesday September 15 at 4:00 in room 212 to discuss careers in journalism. If you would like more information about this event, please speak with Ms. Clark.

Extra Credit

After reading this blog, email me with a comment or a question (using your MHS account) and earn extra credit. If you do not have a school email, please write out a comment or a question and hand it in during class time. All comments/questions are due on Monday.

A Time to Pause

Please take a few minutes on September 11 to remember the people who lost their lives on that day in New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington, DC. Think about what each of us can do in our day to day lives and interactions with others to make this a more peaceful, compassionate world and get beyond the forces of hate and intolerance that divide us. Learning all you can about other nations, peoples and cultures and why they think and act as they do is an excellent way to start.

In Closing

We are fortunate to be members of the Middletown school community. We have a great school with wonderful students and a supportive faculty and administration. I know we are going to have a great year. Please do not hesitate to see me if there is anything I can do to help you make it as much fun, as safe and as productive as possible.