Congratulations to our Thespians who put on a most enjoyable and inspiring play: “Twelve Angry Jurors.” This play offers many lessons about keeping an open mind and not rushing to judgment, especially when people’s lives are at stake. Great job!
And congratulations to ST for being selected student of the week by the Newport Daily News. A well-deserved write up!
Cans and Challenges
This upcoming shortened week is our last opportunity to help with the MHS canned food drive. Please take a moment and bring in a can of soup, a box of pasta, or any other non- perishable food item that you can share with families who are struggling during these difficult economic times. One can does make a difference.
And speaking of making a difference, in the anonymous survey this week, I learned that 95% of you are on Facebook and about 20% know about the $100 Challenge…so how about using your Facebook contacts to urge everyone to participate? To date, six students have made a donation and voted on what they would like the money to go towards: soccer balls, mosquito nets, bees/chickens or a donation to the music program in Uganda documented in “War Dance.” All donations will be matched up to $100 dollars so we have the potential of sending $200 dollars to an organization that will assist many of the people we saw in our study of Africa. So get onto Facebook and make the announcement…it’s a challenge…let’s rise to the occasion!
Second Quarter
We have started second quarter and we spent time organizing folders. All of your work from first quarter should be saved as it will be invaluable to you when it comes time to study for the midterm. We have already had five assignments for second quarter: map of SW Asia, map quiz, a current event, the life as a refugee worksheet, and the “Over A Barrel” worksheet with an in class writing assignment.
Conflict and Resolution
As you (period G on Friday, A,B and E on 11/21) read about the experiences of teens living in this region you quickly discovered that violence and uncertainty are part of their everyday lives. The teen interviews gave you insights into how the Palestinian people have been stereotyped as terrorists even though most just want to live a peaceful and productive life. Hanan, the young lady who left the region to go to school in the US, described how her daily life was a struggle going through endless check-points and encountering the military everywhere she went. Upon her arrival in the US she was amazed at the ease of travel and the lack of a military presence. At the same time, the Israeli students complained about living in terror even while undertaking simple chores of everyday life. Should they go the movies or mall when they are favorite spots for bombings?
Seeds of Peace is an organization that works with Arab and Israeli teens from this region. Through recreational activities, camping events and education, the organization is trying to teach tolerance and acceptance. By planting the seeds of peace with the young, the organization aims to bring peaceful coexistence to this region. We also talked about how Sesame Street has gone international and is teaching tolerance and acceptance to the very young. We can only hope all these efforts will eventually lead to a nonviolent solution so all people in South West Asia can live in peace and freedom.
We also watched two clips from the BBC web site. The first was an overview of why the Palestinians are seeking recognition from the UN as an independent state, and the second was a helicopter tour of the Israeli settlements on former Palestinian land that are a major stumbling block in the peace process. There are over 300,000 Israelis on former Palestinian land and the Israeli government would have to come up with a plan for the orderly transfer of these settlements to the Palestinians.
Growing Up Saudi
In class you had the opportunity to work with a partner on two articles about growing up in Saudi Arabia, as a young man and as a young woman. After reading and talking with partners, we took our discussion to the accountable talk table. Accountable talk gives you the opportunity to think more deeply about the readings and to hear from your classmates. The Saudi young people live very different lives when compared to our way of life but at the same time we have much in common. They are a very strict and traditional society even though over half of the population is under the age of 25. We heard Robert Lacey, author of “Inside the Kingdom,” state that Saudis “hate” Americans for three main reasons: they see us fighting in Muslim countries, we support Israel, and they consider us a decadent society as illustrated by our clothing and reality television shows. Lacey went on to say that only through education will our countries build a better relationship. This was the same message Admiral Christensen spoke about last month.
Breaking News
We compared the actions in Jordan where King Abdullah is moving his country towards democracy with the actions of President Bashar al-Assad of Syria who has resorted to killing citizens who are protesting and asking for a greater voice in their government. King Abdullah is the first leader in the South West Asia region to call for President Assad to step down. His moving interview with BBC clearly stated that a leader who starts killing his own citizens will not have a good end. I would encourage you to listen to the interview.
Cartoon Assignment
Your editorial cartoon about South West Asia is due on November 22. Your task sheet and rubric clearly outline the expectations. Think of this as a current event analysis using a cartoon as opposed to an article. Please bring a copy of the cartoon and your analysis to class so you can share it with your fellow students.
Parent-Student-Teacher Conferences
On Monday from 5-8 we have our first conferences. If you have signed up for a conference please make sure you attend. These are your grades and you should have the opportunity to review your progress and plans for the future with your parent/guardian.
Extra Credit
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will be visiting this Asian country in the next few weeks to show our support for the steps they are taking to become more democratic. This will be the first visit by a US Secretary of State in more than 50 years. Name the country she will be visiting. Email me the correct response (using your MHS account) by Monday at 7:30 am and earn extra credit.
No comments:
Post a Comment