To Go or Not To Go

 

So here we are, another snow day, and one influenced by a global phenomenon we have been examining in both Contemporary World Issues and Modern America – the power of social media.  Check out our local Patch to see how comments posted by ordinary citizens affected the decision whether or not to close the schools.  We must congratulate Patch for providing the community an avenue for up to date news and input.  Freedom of speech and freedom of the media are pillars of democracy because they allow people to inform themselves and make their voice heard.

Syrian Youth

While we are focusing on Modern America, keep an eye on the Syrian Crisis.  We have spoken several times about the role of young people in the Arab Spring and Sunday’s New York Times had an in-depth piece about the teenagers in Syria who prompted the uprising with their graffiti.

The Stock Market: Ups and Downs

This past week we went to the computer lab and looked at stocks you might want to own.  Of course we are looking for stocks that will have a positive future so you had to use your analytic and predicting skills. You quickly discovered that stocks go up and down and large amounts of money can be made and lost.  We also discussed a key principle of investing – that we should keep in mind the relationship between risk and reward.  We will return to the computer lab in a month to check on your stock picks to see if you made or lost money.  At that point, we will also talk about the role time plays in investing… what can we say about how markets perform over varying periods of time, and how does that affect our tolerance for risk?  Many of you selected Apple as a stock you would like to own, while others preferred Samsung…to read a comparison of these stocks check out this article in today’s NYT.

Editorial Cartoons

This past week you also analyzed an editorial cartoon from the Great Depression and placed your writing on Voice Thread.  You also made a comment about a fellow student’s cartoon.  Voice Thread is a great way to share your writing with others.  We will be using Voice Thread again when it comes time to do our World War II portfolio task. Cartoons are an especially effective way to communicate complex ideas using visuals and little text. Originally, cartoons spoke to those people with limited reading skills.  Editorial cartoons have now become a fixture in most newspapers.

Songs and Poems from the Great Depression

Music and poetry from this time period have made a lasting contribution to our understanding of how economic and political events affected individuals.  Just as we looked at the Depression through the eyes of the iconic photo, “Migrant Mother,” we can also feel the depths of the Depression by listening to “Brother Can You Spare aDime.” For homework you had the choice of analyzing an existing song or poem or writing an original one.  If by chance you have not finished that assignment, today is a perfect day to complete it so you can turn it in tomorrow. 

World History

We have concluded our study of nationalism and the role it played in helping unify Germany under Otto von Bismarck.  After completing your map of the Balkans, you also saw that nationalism helped contribute to the breakup of two major empires and helped lead these countries into World War I.  When we get together this week we will focus on writing an effective paragraph using a prompt about nationalism. 

How did your obituary of Bismarck turn out?   If you did not complete the assignment, today is a perfect day to do it and turn it in next class period.  You had to have two paragraphs…one focused on the good things Bismarck accomplished and one on the negative steps he took.

Shaping Your Future

 

Midterm for CWI

 

Congratulations and thanks for all your hard work this week. We finished our midterm exams and are ready to start the new semester. Your exam was a mix of open and closed questions.  While an open ended question gives you the opportunity to write from many different perspectives, you have to be careful to avoid generalities and sweeping statements.  When you are responding to an open ended question make sure you anchor your comments with examples and evidence.  Some students wrote about disease as a challenge in Africa without mentioning the types of diseases, why diseases run rampant in some countries, or steps being taken to eradicate the diseases. Another common mistake on the exam was not answering all parts of the question.  You did a great job on the cartoon interpretations, but some students did not explain if the message was accurate.  When the question asks you to discuss or explain you need to think about writing more than one sentence.  One sentence reads like a list…you need to expand on your thoughts so your reader sees that you have more than a surface understanding of the issue. Keep these thoughts in mind as you move on to other assessments.

 

Half Way Home

 

We are at the halfway point in the school year. This is a perfect time to pause and reflect on your track record and plan for the second half of the year. For those of you who are meeting standard — keep up the good work. For those of you who have been struggling, let’s put together a corrective action plan: a more serious approach to your studies, doing the homework, staying after for extra help, and making up missed work after being out. It is your choice!

 

Ms. Averill Takes the Helm

 

With the start of the new semester, Ms. Averill is now taking over.  She will be working with you until May and she has some exciting lessons planned. I will be assisting her so do not hesitate to ask either of us for assistance. Her introductory power point clearly stated that she wanted all of you to become excited about learning history and understanding its value in your daily life.

 

CWI now becomes Modern America in a Global World

 

As we start our new semester, we switch our geography text for an American History text.    The new course will start with the Great Depression of 1929 and end with the Obama Administration. While we will be looking at the US we are not forgetting that we live in a global society so we will be integrating world issues into our study of America.

 

Due to the increased number of students, we will not be issuing textbooks to all classes.  A set of text books will remain in the class for your use.  This will mean that you will be expected to make efficient use of your class time for reading and you will have other reading assignments for homework that may be internet based.

 

Learn from the past to protect your future

 

Our unit on the Great Depression gives us the opportunity to talk about money.  You have to be smart about money and know how it can work for you or how it can lead to big problems.  As young adults who will be out on your own in a few short years, learning the importance of budgeting, saving, investing, and credit is essential.  You don’t want to be someone who starts off their adult life with all-consuming debt.  Instead, by learning early how to save and invest, you can ensure your later years will be free from economic stress.

 

As part of this learning process, speak with older family members about their experiences with economic slowdowns.  You may have a relative who can tell you stories about the Great Depression or someone who lived through the economic slowdowns of the early 1970’s.  You can even talk about how your family may be coping with today’s recession.  Perhaps you have reduced spending by cutting back on Friday pizza nights...renting DVDs instead of going to the movies...carpooling instead of everyone driving in different directions...switching to a less expensive cable or cell phone plan…the list goes on and on.

 

The Great Depression

 

We started the unit with a power point that highlighted the causes of the Depression.  Included in the power point (sorry technical issues, could not post) were several new terms that you need to know in order to understand this time period.  You had a vocab sheet that you needed to fill out as the words were introduced.  Make sure to go beyond the definition…you need to know the significance of the word as well. You also had a multi-text reading with guided reading questions that you did in a group.  After the readings you filled out a Venn diagram so you could see the similarities and differences between the Depression of 1929 and our current economic slowdown.

 

Moving photographs from this era can be found on the web.  Please take a minute to look at these photos and try to imagine the hardship people were experiencing.

 

Some classes had quizzes on Friday while others will have them on Monday.  Make sure to review the vocab and the big ideas.

 

For homework some classes had the song assignment and A period has the stock market chart.  Next week all classes will focus on understanding what buying on margin means and how it contributed to the crash.  We will also look at stocks today and make some selections to experience how investors decide where to put their money.  Wise investments can bring you rich rewards, but excessive risk-taking can lead to disaster.  You need to be smart about money and this is a good time to learn.

 

International Speakers

 

Our next two speakers are from Norway and Jordan.  Permission slips will be given out on Monday for the advisory period on Friday February 8.

 

World History

 

Congratulations on successfully completing your midterm exam.  Some of you earned extra credit by bringing in your study guide as well as your note cards for the essay.  Why would a student not turn in a study guide for extra credit?  Why would a student not bring in notes to use on the essays? These are tools that you can use to have a better understanding of the material and thus earn a higher grade.

 

Nationalism

 

This week we looked at the unification of Germany and the role of nationalism in making a group of people feel loyal to their government.  We had a power point on the steps Otto von Bismarck was able to take to unify the German states.  You also worked with a partner on a timeline on the significant events leading to German unification.  The timelines are now hanging up on the back bulletin board.  Great job!

 

For homework you need to read pages 588-590 and answer questions 2, 3 and 4 on page 590.  This section focuses on what made Germany a strong country.

 

Extra Credit Question

 

Who is the new Secretary of State and what are some of the reasons why he was chosen (submit at least one)?  Be the first in your class to respond using your MHS email account and earn extra credit.