How high will gas prices go? It was discouraging to pass by the station each morning and see the price slowly creep up penny by penny and finally reach $4.00 this week. Oil executives appeared before Congress to justify the prices and urge Congress to continue a favorable tax rate that encourages exploration. Members of Congress are feeling the heat from their constituents who are complaining bitterly about the high price of gas and the exorbitant profits (up 43% from last year) that oil companies are making. So what would you do if you were a member of Congress?
Meanwhile, the Pakistani people felt the sting of Al Qaida with a bombing that left over 80 people dead. The bombing was in retaliation for the killing of Osama bin Laden, with Al Qaida claiming the Pakistani government should have prevented the American raid that killed him. More revenge attacks are expected and many transportation facilities as well as government offices here in the US are on alert.
Oral History Project
Your major project for the quarter is your oral history project. You have the assignment sheet, the rubric and a preliminary interview sheet that must be filled in and approved before you can start your project. While you have flexible due dates, you must have the approval sheet handed in at least four days prior to the final project. Please select an event you did not experience and a person other than a parent who will be able to give you insights into how this event affected the United States. So far we have projects focused on the Civil Rights Movement, the Women’s Movement, Beatle mania, the Great Depression and the role of the gay and lesbian community.
International Speakers
Today we had our last speaker, Commander Beattie from the United Kingdom. His power point gave us an overview of the United Kingdom including geography, history, economics and culture. It was fun trying to identify the photos of the many famous Brits that concluded his presentation.
We have hosted eleven officers from around the world. I am ready to get out my passport and book the next flight. I hope you have benefited from hearing about the international community, the diversity of cultures, and the role each of these countries plays in world affairs.
Civil Rights Movement
We completed our unit on the Civil Rights Movement with an in class writing assessment. You had a choice of four questions and you had to write on one. Keep in mind that when you are asked to respond to a question, take a few minutes to brainstorm and make a list or outline. By warming up your brain, you will remember more details and end up with a richer response. Of course, your essay will be improved by using examples and citing evidence. Generalizations may give the reader an overview but specific facts and examples add strength to your writing.
Women’s Movement
This week we got the syllabus and first worksheet on the Women’s Movement. You had class time to start reading Chapter 30 and work on the questions. We did a read a-loud from “WhenEverything Changed ” by Gail Collins that spoke about the way women were viewed in the 1960s. It is amazing to read about all of the restrictions women operated under only 50 years ago. This would be a great time to talk with your Moms, Grandmothers, or Aunts about some of their experiences growing up under these restrictions and changes they may remember witnessing.
We talked about the continuing wage gap and its burden on women who are heads of households today. We looked at national figurers and Rhode Island figures and saw that women earn about 77 cents for every dollar a man earns. The Pay Equity Fairness Act has been introduced in Congress but members have been slow to act as it would cost business a great deal of money to pay men and women the same amount. We also spoke about the Wal-Mart suit that is pending. The suit claims that women at Wal-Mart do not get promoted at the same rate as men and earn less. This is a class action suit which includes all the women at Wal-Mart. Stay tuned for further action on this case.
Our worksheet also included an excerpt from a speech by Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, who was the first African-American woman elected to Congress. She was an ardent supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment. As your text indicated, the ERA passed Congress but failed to get enough votes in the state legislatures.
We also looked at a clip on the women’s’ movement from Teacher Tube. You saw women protesting just like people did during the Civil Rights Movement. Many of the complaints women had during this time period were voiced in “The Feminine Mystique” by Betty Friedan. Some classes read excerpts from the book and had a worksheet to help them organize the reading.
While we don’t have time to watch a movie for this unit, I would recommend “Mona Lisa Smile” with Julia Roberts, Kirsten Dunst and Julia Stiles. The story takes place on the campus of a women’s college in the 1950s. Julia Roberts plays an art history professor who tries to open the minds of her students to possibilities other than becoming wives and mothers. While the film did not win any awards, it does a very good job of portraying a time when women were not expected to have careers.
NECAP Testing
Next week we have to work around NECAP testing and Junior Breakfast. Some classes will start working on a power point project on Presidents Nixon, Carter, George H. W. Bush, Clinton and George W. Bush. Most of the work will be done in class as I know you are juggling so many other demands.
Freedom Riders
A Break from the Blog
Due to NECAP testing, Junior breakfast and travel plans, there will be no blog posting for next week.
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