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.
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