Religion and the World

This week we focused on understanding the elements of culture, and especially the role of religion. You had the opportunity to work on a group presentation focused on the five major religions of the world: Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Using multiple sources (a good idea for any project) you highlighted key information: where and when the religion started, its main beliefs, and the number of people who practice it. We quickly recognized that three of the major religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, have much in common: all three originated in Southwest Asia, are monotheistic, look upon Jerusalem as a holy city, believe in a holy book and practice alms-giving, prayer, and fasting.

Your current event this week was also linked to religion. Martin Marty, editor of the religious series we used for this project, states in his foreword, “to be informed citizens of our world, readers have good reason to learn about these features of religion that mean so much to so many.” Some classes were able to view the “60 Minutes” interview with the developer of the proposed Muslim community center in New York and the leader of the opposition. The interviews showed both sides of the argument. As we continue our study of the contemporary world, keep in mind how religious differences can lead to conflict. What can we do to avoid this conflict? Is the building of the community center an effort to heal, or an example of disregard for America’s loss?

Finally, you did a map on world religions. This is the first of many maps you will work on this year. We talked about what makes for a good map and this activity allowed you to practice those skills.

We ended our study of religion with an announced quiz. You had time to review your notes. How did you do?

Population Geography

We continued with readings on population geography from your syllabus. As part of our reading, we practiced bold to bold notes, a strategy that allows you to outline a chapter very efficiently. Yes, it takes time to do the outline but you will find using this strategy will help you a great deal in understanding the material. We followed up the next day with a jeopardy style game that gave us the opportunity to review key terms. This led us to the discussion of how population size can affect a country and how age distribution can affect policies. We also had the opportunity to watch a video clip where Hans Rosling explained population growth in the world using plastic bins.

Political Geography

You have a worksheet to help guide you through the next section of our text. You have your syllabus so you know what is expected.

Email Accounts

You are required to have a MHS email account. The room management plan clearly indicates the need for an account by October 1. Many of you have accounts but if you do not it is your responsibility to see Mr. Fontaine, Mrs. O’Donnell or Mrs. Gill to get the paper work. You will need this account for our upcoming project on Africa. Yes, I know many of you already have private email accounts but you also need a school email. You will find out in the business world that work and private activities must remain separate and this is good practice for you in maintaining two accounts. I will be passing a list around next week where you will need to list your school email.

Interterms

We are almost at the halfway mark for first quarter. You updated your status of assignment sheet on Friday so you know your grade. Interterms will be based on your work and your folder. You must have a folder with all of your work in the class bin in order to meet standard.

Revisions

On some assignments you are allowed and encouraged to revise. This is an opportunity for you to have a second chance at the assignment and therefore improve your grade. As I have noted before, Thomas Jefferson revised the Declaration of Independence over 20 times, so we know from this and many other examples that even the best writers can greatly improve their work by revising. If you have been asked to revise, please return the revisions the next class day. If you are not going to revise, please write this on the assignment and return it to me for some credit. It is your responsibility to return revised work in a timely fashion.

PSATs

It is that time of year when Juniors have the opportunity to take the PSAT’s. This is great practice for the SATs, and if you receive a high score you can become eligible for scholarships. Many colleges also use this score to identify students who may be interested in their school. After you take the test, you should start receiving information in the mail about various programs. Take the time to find out about the wide variety of programs available

NECAP

Juniors will be taking NECAP tests this week. It is important to do your best on these exams as they are part of your record and scores are a reflection of our school. It is always nice to read good things in the paper about how well our students perform on these exams. Good luck!

Are you watching the news?

Keep in mind that watching the evening news is going to help you better understand the issues we talk about in class. The newscasters select the big stories and within 2 or 3 minutes give you the key information. By watching the news on a regular basis you will be able to ask questions and make connections with the topics we discuss.