Time for R and R

This week our community, state and national governments were focused on budgets. How does a government raise funds to pay for services and what services should be provided? These are the questions that all generations grapple with. Many political pundits and individuals have tried to lay blame on different segments of our society that have caused us to have such huge deficits… labor unions, bankers, war hawks, or special interest groups. When times get particularly difficult it is natural to look to some group to blame but in fact we are all at fault. Fiscal planning and prudence must start with each of us individually before we can expect our governments to act in responsible ways. It was interesting to see articles in The New York Times and Providence Journal talking about the new segment on Sesame Street that will focus on money management. The videos are called “For me, for you, for later” and will be a series of lessons on earning, spending and savings.

No one likes paying taxes, but taxes are what we pay in order to have an organized, safe and productive community. Who should pay these taxes, how much they should pay, and how the funds should be spent are subjects of a never-ending debate.

As a member of a union, I was especially pleased to see the article on the front page of the Friday Newport Daily News entitled “Expert: Wall Street to blame for bad economy, not unions.” Scott Molloy, a professor from URI, spoke to a group in Portsmouth about the current economic crisis and how irresponsible banking practices coupled with federal deregulation led to our economic turn down. The most discouraging part of the article was the reference to the lack of change on Wall Street. Lessons have not been learned that would change their behavior as no bankers have been held accountable for their lending practices. Astronomical salaries and bonuses are once again the norm.

Cold War Wrap Up

This week we finished our study of the Cold War by watching “Duck and Cover” and two clips about the Berlin Wall and the Cuban Missile Crisis. I urge you to talk with family members about this time period and the unique role Newport played during the Cuban Missile Crisis, when the city was still home port for the Atlantic Fleet. Oral history makes our past come alive and gives major events a more personal meaning. As we enter our last quarter, you will be interviewing someone who has lived through events we are talking about so you can get a better understanding of how they affect all of us. I can guarantee you that in years to come, when your own children are taking American History, they will ask you about what is was like during the economic slowdown of 2010 or when President Obama was elected. You are living history and you will be the primary sources of the future. Stay alert!

We finished our unit with a look at the controversy surrounding the Vietnam War. By using music, photos, and documents you could see why the country was divided over this war. Where is Vietnam…why are we there…who is the enemy? After completing your guiding questions, you worked with your group to come up with a thesis. This is what it means to be an historian…asking questions, reviewing a variety of sources, and then coming up with a thesis.

Many of you did a great job on your final assessment. You had multiple choice questions and a writing activity that focused on your vocabulary list.

World War II Poster Task

Congratulations to the many students who met standard on the portfolio technology task. You earned class credit as well as the opportunity to put it in your graduation portfolio. The task was written so you could earn technology credit.

Three Down and One to Go

We finished our third quarter this week. We want to thank Mr. Young for all he did to make this quarter such a success. He will be with us for one more week and then it is time for him to take his finals and walk the stage. I think all of us who have had the pleasure of working with Mr. Young have learned a great deal. Make sure you take the time to say thank you.

Civil Rights Unit

Our next unit of study will be the Civil Rights Movement. While most historians focus on events that deal with African American efforts to gain political and economic rights long denied them, our concept of civil rights for all groups is constantly expanding. We will start with the efforts by such key leaders as Martin Luther King, the Little Rock Nine, Macolm X and others to bring African Americans into parity with whites. But the success of their efforts also led women and other minority groups to fight for their rights. In today’s paper, there was an interesting article on California’s efforts to include the study of Gay History in the high school curriculum as a way to further broaden the ideas of civil rights for all Americans. This is a direct link to our Day of Silence on Friday.

If you are looking for a good book to read about this time period, I would recommend the best seller “The Help” by Kathryn Stockett. It tells the story of several black maids and their relationship with their white employers in the 1960’s in Mississippi. It is a moving and sometimes disturbing account of how racial divides were viewed very differently by whites and blacks. This book has become so popular it has appeared on the best seller list for hardbacks for over 100 weeks and is now on the ebook best seller list.

International Speakers

Our speakers series continued with week with officers from France and Chile. Their presentations gave us background on the geoepgraphy and the history of their countries and some of the problems they are facing. Our last speaker is May 13 and he will be from The United Kingdon.

Time for some R and R

So now we are on break…no homework…but I know you will keep up with the news. This blogger will be off next weekend so no posting.

A Winning Week

What a banner week our sport teams have had: wins in girls’ softball and lacrosse, wins in unified basketball, and a win for the boy’s baseball home opener. Being part of a team builds great camaraderie and spirit…you want to do your best for the team…this is much like it should be in a classroom…everyone pulling their weight and contributing to the overall success of the class. Great job…now go to Frosty Freez to celebrate!

For the past few weeks our attention has been drawn overseas as we watch protesters in South West Asia demonstrate and die for a more open and democratic government. But this week our news seems to be focused on the national scene as Congress grapples with a funding bill to keep the government operating. The Republicans are holding out for severe budget cuts in many domestic programs including Head Start and student loans while the Democrats, though agreeing to some reductions, are trying to protect programs that serve our low income populations. Without a spending bill in place, you could see federal services come to a halt: no passport services, national parks closed, federal employees without paychecks…the list goes on and on. Let’s hope our leaders can work out a compromise. This debate reminds me of an article that appeared in The Providence Journal this week that stressed the need for better civics education in our schools so that students, our future voters, will know how the system works and what they can do to make government more responsive to their needs. I smiled when I read this article as you have already taken the first step to being active citizens…you wrote your first letter to the President. I hope you will continue to be active in the civic arena by staying informed on the issues, making your views known, and voting.

International Speakers

Our next two speakers will be from France and Chile. They will be speaking during the advisory period on April 15 in room 212. Make sure to fill out your pass, present it to your advisory teacher and then hand it in as you enter 212. We have extended the invitation to our French and Spanish students so we expect a full house…come early for a good seat. Reminder…this is a mandatory in-school field trip.

Period E class

On Tuesday you had your announced Cold War quiz on chapter 26, section 1. Some of you struggled with the quiz…make sure you use the section review as a guide to review key ideas and of course understand the unique vocabulary for this unit. You have a vocabulary list that you must be working on as we continue with the unit. Successfully completing this worksheet will allow you to be ready for the final Cold War assessment on April 13.

We also read about the Truman and Eisenhower Doctrines. A doctrine is a policy or a position. Truman clearly stated that his administration would use economic aid to help any country fight communism. Eisenhower took another step by offering military assistance. Though communism has ceased to be the threat it was in the 1950s and 1960s, President Bush announced a doctrine of preemptive action against any country we perceived as a threat. He stated the US would act alone if necessary and our success would rely on our overwhelming military might. President Obama, while not stating a clearly defined doctrine, has shown greater willingness to negotiate before acting militarily and to seek international support for any action taken. In recent weeks Libya has been a prime example, with intense negotiations leading up to combined actions by NATO.

We also watched a video clip on the Seven Phases of the Cold War. This mini documentary gave us a good overview of the Cold War from 1945 till the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. The photos gave us a sense of what it was like to live in a divided country (Germany) and a divided city (Berlin). Listening and watching the video also gave you the opportunity to practice note taking skills. As you go on to higher education you will find many professors speak very quickly and cover a lot of material. You have to develop an ear for important information and a quick note-taking strategy so you can capture the essence of the lecture.

We also looked at the Cold War in Asia, South America and the Middle East. Your worksheet gave you the opportunity to organize key information. You also had a map of Korea that allowed you to see the progression of the conflict and the resulting stalemate. The country remains divided at the 38th parallel today. We can only hope that at some point peaceful unification will take place. We watched a short clip hearing recollections from Korean veterans. Sometimes this conflict is known as the forgotten war as many people do not know the reasons we fought in Korea or the result.

On Friday we had three very successful presentations on the Bay of Pigs, the Berlin Crisis, and the Cuban Missile Crisis. Working in your groups you were able to present key information in an efficient manner. Make sure when doing this type of activity that you put the story into your own words and rely on visual information. You had a graphic organizer so at the end of class you should have a good summary of these three conflicts. The Cuban Missile Crisis is probably the closest we ever came to nuclear war. If you are interested in learning more about this event, I urge you to watch “Thirteen Days in October” starring Kevin Costner. It is a very accurate rendition of the tense weeks as President Kennedy and Premier Khrushchev faced off over the Soviet missiles in Cuba. Also take the time to talk with family members…many of them lived through this time and can tell you about the tension everyone felt.

You also had a current event due Friday. We are at the end of the quarter so congratulations to all who turned in this assignment…it can only help your grade. For homework you have a brief article on the fall of Saigon. The article is from UpFront and I think you will find it compelling. On Monday you will work in groups with the overall question of why the Vietnam conflict was so controversial.

Our quarter comes to an end next week and grades will go out on Friday. Make sure you have uploaded your task to TieNet by Wednesday April 13. Everyone who handed in the task E period passed!!!

Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences

On Monday, April 11 between 4 and 6 we will be conducting conferences. Please feel free to come by. We have a few time slots still available.

One More Week to R and R

Next week is our last week before our April break. Keep up the good work…you can make it!

Good News!

Let’s start off with the good news: Frostee Freeze is now open for the season…summer must be right around the corner, national unemployment numbers have dropped to 8.8%, baseball season has opened, and the escaped cobra from the Bronx Zoo has been safely returned to its cage!

This week we did our technology task by using Voicethread to collaborate and communicate. You were asked to select one World War II poster and write an analysis using your poster analysis sheet. We were looking at color, font, word choice, and visual images to decide if the poster was propaganda or persuasion. After posting your analysis you were also required to offer a substantive comment on another poster. You can check out the class project by going to this link. Great job…all who did the task met standard! The task is now in TieNet so you must upload your word document to your portfolio so it can be scored.

We finished our study of World War II by looking at the role of women. We read interviews of women whose lives changed during the war as they became more independent and confident. Many women worked outside of the home for the first time and found that they enjoyed this new sense of freedom. It was difficult going back to the old ways when the men returned and they were expected to give up their jobs.

We also looked at the Japanese Internment experience. Because of fear and prejudice, the government, under the direction of President Roosevelt, put Japanese Americans into detention camps. Even though these people were American citizens, the Supreme Court ruled that in times of war a person’s civil liberties can be curtailed. This was difficult to understand when some of the most effective combat troops in World War II were made up of Japanese American volunteers. In 1988 the United States government took responsibility for this grave injustice and awarded each family $20,000 in reparation payments. We watched a video clip that showed how fear in the United States today is curtailing the rights of many Arab Americans. We must be ever vigilante, especially in times of war that we do not give up so much of our personal freedoms that we give up what being an American is all about.

We moved into our study of the Cold War by reading a selection from another text on “The Search for Security.” America came out of World War II the most powerful nation in the world. We had an increase in per capita income, industrial productivity, a trained work force and a higher standard of living than any other country. But Americans soon became consumed with the Red Scare…how to stop the spread of Communism, a way of life that we saw as a direct threat against our capitalist system. The world soon broke into two camps: the democratic west and the countries led by the Soviet Union that became communist. To start the unit, we looked at some of the key vocabulary that helps tell the story of this time period. You are expected to keep working on the vocabulary sheet throughout the unit. During your final assessment there will be an opportunity for you to use the vocabulary to help explain the Cold War. We also looked at a power point (thank you Mr. Young) that gave us additional background on the events of 1945-53.

For homework, you need to finish reading Chapter 26 section and be prepared for a quiz. You also have a current event due on April 8. It may be an international or national article. We are looking for the big stories…what appears on the front page of the paper.

Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences

Time has been set aside on April 11 from 4-6 for conferences. If you are struggling, please see me for a time slot. There is no reason why you can't be successful in this class.