And the Earth Shook

The devastation in Japan is overwhelming: nuclear power plants damaged, at least 1200 people killed, and billions of dollars of devastation. Japan is used to small tremors and has strict building codes that require construction to withstand possible earthquakes up to a 7.5 magnitude. This quake, at 8.9, is one of the strongest recorded and thus the devastation is extensive. Countries from around the world are sending aid…construction crews, dogs to locate trapped people, and medical personnel to tend to the injured.

Meanwhile, the rebels in Libya, the other country most in the news, remind me of our colonists who fought with limited training and weapons against a better-armed foe. Teenagers have joined the rebel forces in an effort to oust a dictatorial leader. It is sad to see the leader of Libya use aircraft and tanks against his own people. This is in stark contrast to the course of events in Tunisia and Egypt.

New Deal

This week we finished our study of the New Deal. We looked at the critics of the New Deal and discovered that people on the right thought the government programs were too extensive and intrusive and people should be able to take care of themselves. Critics from the left claimed FDR’s programs did not go far enough. Too many programs allowed women and minorities to fall through the cracks. FDR was also frustrated with the Supreme Court for ruling some of the programs unconstitutional. He tried to pack the court with younger members in an effort to keep his programs in place but this plan backfired. Everyone saw what FDR was trying to do and people would not go along with tampering with the system of checks and balances between our three branches of government.

This exercise of looking at both sides is helpful in understanding the criticism President Obama is receiving. Some people on the right, including those who represent the Tea Party, believe Obama’s programs are too expensive and intrusive and are fighting to eliminate them. On the left, many believe Obama is not doing enough to protect core programs such as Head Start and college aid. The President has said time and again he is trying to walk a middle ground that will allow for compromise. Time will tell if this strategy is successful. It seems the 2012 presidential race has already begun.

We also had a power point on the lasting legacy of the New Deal. Today we see government as part of the solution to many problems. This idea is rooted in the New Deal. Some of our most important government programs came from that era, such as Social Security, Federal Depositors Insurance and the Tennessee Valley Authority. And finally, some of our most important literature and expressions of creativity have come during difficult times. The Depression saw, for example, the publication of “The Grapes of Wrath” and “Gone with the Wind” and the creation of Walt Disney Studios. Radio became a unifying force; people used it for entertainment but also felt closer to their government with the FDR fireside chats. FDR was a master at using this medium to assure people he was on their side and was doing everything possible to bring relief, recovery and reform to our economic system.

For a final assessment, you wrote a letter to President Obama that gave you the opportunity to think about our current economic slowdown, reflect on lessons learned from the New Deal, and make a recommendation as to what further actions he could take to help our country. To help prepare for this assignment, you watched a video on how mail is handled in the White House and read an excerpt from “FDR: The First Hundred Days” by Anthony Badger that spoke about the importance of letters in shaping FDR’s view of his role as President. Your letters were collected on Friday. Next week we will put them in an envelope and send them to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Skills

In addition to learning new content we are learning new skills to help us be better learners. One skill we reviewed this week was paraphrasing, putting an author’s ideas into your own words. Often when you are asked to do a project, you may find information that is useful but putting it into your own words may be difficult. This can be particularly true if the author’s opinion agrees with your own; it is tempting simply to quote the author directly. You should try not to rely too much on direct quotes but instead put ideas into your own words, making sure you cite the source of the idea in a footnote. To help you with this skill, you got a handout from the OWL (Online Writing Lab) of Purdue University. This web site can be helpful as you hone your writing skills.

We also talked about how to use the text in an efficient manner to glean the main ideas from each section. Your text provides key concepts and terms at the start of each section. Take the time to review those ideas before and after you read. Take the bold headlines that divide the text and turn them into questions so you can test yourself after reading. Use the section review at the end of the text to test yourself for understanding. Yes, this does take some time but you will find it pays off in class discussions and quizzes. Preparing for any event, academic, athletic or social, takes time.

World War II

We started our new unit with a KWL. You quickly saw that our class knew a great deal about the war. When you have such a large and complicated event, it is useful to organize information into categories. We could use the tried and true “who, what, when, where and why” categories or we could use the two categories your text uses: the battles of WW II and life on the home front.
You read Prelude to War which gave you a quick overview of the events in Europe leading up to the conflict and ended with the bombing of Pearl Harbor, which brought the US directly into the war. The power point allowed us to review some of the key information in the text before you took the quiz.

To prepare you for our next class on neutrality versus involvement, we watched a brief clip on Charles Lindbergh. Lucky Lindy, as he was affectionately called, became a charismatic hero in 1927 as the first person to fly non-stop from NY to Paris. It is hard to find an example of people today who could be compared to Lindbergh. Alan Shepard, the first American in space, John Glenn, the first American to orbit the globe, and Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon come to mind, but their efforts were part of America’s massive space program, where Lindbergh’s was largely a solo performance. We need to know who Lindbergh was so when we do the primary source reading, his statement opposing US involvement in the war, you will understand its importance and the influence it had.

For homework, you have a graphic organizer on Americans on the Battlefront. The reading in your text shows you how all different groups contributed to the war effort.

Interterms

We are at the half way mark for third quarter so interterms will be going out next week. To date you could have earned 130 points. On Tuesday we will update our status of assignment sheet. Please keep in mind that if you are absent excused, you have 5 days to make up the work. If you are allowed to revise, take that opportunity to improve your grade.

CNN: Restoring the American Dream

We watched a clip from CNN that linked our current economic difficulties, globalization and education. The interview with Fareed Zakaria showed you the interconnectedness of all we are trying to do in this class…you are part of a global economic community that is constantly changing and for you to be successful and thrive, you must be aware of this dynamic.

Go MHS Girls’ Basketball Team!!!

Only 19 days to go!