And the Winner Is...

 

 

 

Africa Travels

This week with the help of technology we traveled to the second largest continent, Africa.  Your projects clearly illustrated the numerous challenges, opportunities and successes of the different countries we visited.  I hope you have developed a deeper understanding and appreciation of the people of this continent.

 

Many of the projects were impressive.  You chose good photos to help tell the story.  Your use of note cards resulted in smooth, confident presentations.  Some of you are natural presenters, standing tall and speaking clearly and at an understandable pace.  All of these skills will serve you well when it comes time for your Capstone presentation and in your future calling, whatever that may be.  Finally, your reflections and self-evaluations gave you the opportunity to think about the steps of the project and how you could improve.  So often we get so busy that we forget to pause and reflect about a process that helps us advance in every field of endeavor. Using your reflection, the rubric and my notes, you will receive a final individual grade for the project.

 

Things to keep in mind as you prepare future presentations:

1.     Make sure you understand all the terms you use...copying information onto a note card without understanding the content is dangerous...I was very pleased when one student used the term “emerging market” and then immediately defined it for us...great job!

2.      You should be able to identify every illustration you use and say why you selected it; the illustrations are supposed to help tell the story...not distract attention from the point you are trying to make...if you are talking about tourism, an appropriate photo of a place of beauty or interest would support your point; if you use the flag of the country, know what the colors and symbols represent.  Animation can be a distraction so use it wisely and sparingly.

3.      Not all answers are found on the web...some groups struggled with the opportunity

slide (the potential future of the country) and the success slide...the focus questions required you to think about the material you had read, analyze the different sources and then synthesize the information into a coherent prediction or assessment.  It can be hard but it is a skill you need to practice.

4.     Your source slide should list all the resources you used for the project.  Sources you decide not to use should not go on the list.  The source slide should be a concise listing of the sources you found useful.  When you do your Capstone, you will be asked to do an annotated bibliography which will require you to explain how each source helped you with your project.  Students often list Google or Bing as a source...they are not sources but search engines.  The sites to which your search leads are the sources.  Your source list also required a newspaper or magazine from the country.

 

Accountable Talk

This week some classes had their first accountable talk activity, while other classes will do this activity next week.  Using two readings from our UpFront magazine (“Armed and Underage” and “Africa’s Rising Stars”) you had the opportunity to read, take notes, and process the information using our 3-2-1 strategy prior to conducting the discussion.  Accountable talk gives you the ability to direct the conversation.  It is your time to explore ideas and ask others what they think about issues in the readings.  You earned credit for your notes, contributions and reflections.  If you struggled with this activity, we will have other opportunities.  Get in the swing of things...contribute...ask a question...make a connection.  All ideas are welcome.

“War Dance”

Next week we will be watching “WarDance,” an inspirational and true story of a group of high school students from Uganda who participated in the country’s annual song and dance competition after undergoing horrifying experiences as captives of the terroristic Lord’s Resistance Army.  The LRA was in the news last October when the President deployed U.S. Special Forces to assist the government of Uganda in eliminating this longstanding threat to the region.  The film is a powerful reminder that hope and healing are possible even in the face of some of the worst atrocities imaginable.

 

While there is no homework for the weekend, make sure you are watching the news.  Our next unit on South West Asia will study an area that has been the main focus of international coverage since September 11, 2001. The region has gained added attention as the Arab Spring overthrew dictatorial governments in the North African states of Tunisia, Egypt and Libya, then spread into Yemen, Bahrain and Syria, where an ongoing civil war has caused thousands of casualties.  Protests could eventually threaten regimes in Iran and Saudi Arabia.

 

Current Events Quiz

We will have our first current events and Africa power point quiz next week and you will be able to use your notes to answer questions the class wrote.  Now let me see...take good notes....keep the notes organized....write the questions for the quiz....use the notes for the quiz...could this be a trick or treat....no....it is an opportunity to earn lots of points!  We will start a new set of current events at the start of our next unit on South West Asia.

 

Speaker Series

On Friday you received a list of our international guest speakers from the Naval War College.  Starting November 9 certain advisory periods have been set aside so you can hear from naval officers from around the world.  This is a unique and exciting opportunity.  You have your permission slip which must be turned in as you enter room 212.  We will talk more about our speakers next week.  This will be considered a mandatory in school field trip. 

 

World History

Your Louis XIV spoke diagram was due on Wednesday but due to our loss of two school days you had an extended due date.  Congratulations to all who turned in their diagrams.  Many of you exceeded the standard because you followed the rubric.  Prior to doing our spoke diagram we reviewed the words and key concepts of Louis and Absolutism. This review should have given you ample information to complete the spoke diagram.

 

This week we also did a document analysis sheet. As a class, we read the letter written by a French noble woman who described the suicide of the cook Vatel.  The cook was putting on a lavish feast for Louis XIV and he wanted everything to be perfect, but alas the roast was not done properly for two tables and the correct amount of fish was not delivered.  He put so much pressure on himself as he knew Louis was the Sun King and expected perfection.  We will continue to work on the document analysis sheet as your first performance based graduation task will require you to do a document analysis sheet for two primary source documents.  Practice makes perfect!

 

And the Winner Is…

At the end of this week, each class had the opportunity to cast their ballot for the next President of the United States.  And the votes have been counted:

 

75 for President Obama

23 for Governor Romney

2 for others

2 no name

And now we have to wait for the real results, come Tuesday evening!