Conflict or Resolution?

This week we witnessed President Obama’s efforts to act as a peace broker for long simmering disputes between the Israelis and Palestinians, Israel and Turkey, and Syria and its neighbors.  Every president over the past 30 years has tried to varying degrees to help find a peaceful solution to the complex problem of dividing disputed territory between Israelis and Palestinians.  Obama reached out to the young leaders of Israel and urged them to understand the Palestinian perspective as they worked toward a resolution.  Just as the young people in the US in 2008 brought Obama into office, the President is urging young Israelis to take a more active role in insisting on peace in their homeland.  Our own local history figured in the President’s visit.  One of the gifts he gave Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu was a fragment from the Washington Room of Newport’s Touro Synagogue, commemorating our first President’s letter to the synagogue affirming that freedom of religion is a natural right.

The President also spent time with King Abdullah of Jordan, the first Arab leader to call for Syria’s President Assad to step down.  Jordan has accepted thousands of Syrian refugees and born the heavy burden of providing for their basic needs.  President Obama announced he would be asking Congress for an additional $200 million to help Jordan care for over 460,000 refugees.

In the final hours of his visit, the President mediated between Turkey and Israel to help resolve a 3-year dispute.  Prime Minister Netanyahu apologized to Turkish President Erdogan for the deaths of Turkish citizens at the hands of Israeli commandos in 2010.  The deaths resulted when the commandos intercepted civilian ships attempting to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza, a territory governed by the militant Palestinian group Hamas.  Countries, like individuals, can sometimes resolve long simmering disputes with the encouragement of a neutral third party.

And finally, I hope you are monitoring your stocks.  Despite minor declines, the markets have generally held their gains over the past few weeks as the economy continues to improve and investors who have been waiting on the sidelines begin getting back in. One stock many of you picked, Nike, has experienced a dramatic increase.  Check it out and keep in mind that the MHS Economics course will help you better understand how to invest.  Think about signing up for this half year course.

CWI/Modern America

Congratulations to all who passed the World War II task.  Keep in mind that you need to monitor your TieNet account so you can keep track of tasks passed and what you will need for graduation.

This week we completed our study of World War II by constructing timelines with a partner and then sharing out key dates with the class.  In addition to selecting the events, you had to justify why you chose them.  Every day important things are happening that affect the course of the war, but we have to step back as historians and select the most significant.

We also looked at the decision to drop nuclear weapons on Japan.  Some scientists and military leaders thought the bomb was too destructive and out of proportion to what was needed to bring Japan to the peace table.  They argued that Japan was running out of supplies and fighters, the defeat of Germany had brought the Soviet Union into the war against Japan, and it was just a matter of time before Japan would have to surrender.  Other leaders argued that with each passing day we were losing troops and we had to use any weapon we had to end this war.  Some may also have believed a demonstration of the bomb’s destructiveness would deter the Soviet leader, Stalin, from undertaking aggression of his own.  President Truman made the decision to drop the bomb on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945.  It killed over 70,000 people.  On my trip to Hiroshima, I learned that many of the casualties were young people from grades 7 through 12 who were building fire trenches in the heart of the city that day.  Three days later, a second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki.  On August 14, as Soviet troops poured into Japanese-occupied Manchuria, Japan’s leaders surrendered and the fighting was over.

Prior to the final assessment you were given a study guide (see special posting) so high grades should have been earned by one and all.  By completing the guide and handing it in you could have earned an additional five points.

Next week we start our unit on the Cold War, a time of high tension between the Western world and the Communist countries led by the Soviet Union.  This period lasts about 50 years until the collapse of the USSR.  While our relations with Russia have thawed, there are still lingering elements of friction.  Because we remain by far the two most heavily armed nuclear powers, and because Russia continues to exercise influence in Syria, Iran and other countries critical to US and world security, it is essential to manage this relationship carefully.

World History

Congratulations to everyone who completed their Imperialism task and uploaded it to TieNet.  TieNet is your portfolio of tasks attempted and completed. At the end of each school year you should take the time to review your portfolio as you will need to show mastery of the tasks in order to graduate.  Each full year course requires at least two tasks so you have ample opportunity to show mastery.  You had a graphic organizer for your Imperialism essay and if you followed the prompts you should have put together an essay that meets standard.

We also started our study of World War I this week.  Sometimes referred to as “The Great War,” this conflict ushered in new forms of combat based on technologies that caused massive casualties.  We viewed a power point on the causes of the war and you had a MANIA worksheet to fill out.  MANIA is a good way to recall the causes of the war: militarism, alliances, nationalism, imperialism and assassination.  You also had your vocab sheet to help you with the key terms and people you need to know for this unit.

Many of you finished writing your news article about the assassination of the Austrian Archduke Ferdinand on Friday, but if you did not hand it in, make sure to complete it for homework.  If you stay focused and use the resources in the classroom you should be able to complete your assignments.  Bringing your text to class is essential if you want to complete your work on time.

Course Selections

Your signed course selection sheets are due on Tuesday March 26.  Once your sheet is signed by your parents/guardians and your teachers, you will be able to input your requests into the computer.  Keep in mind that our schedule is very tight, so to get the courses you want be sure you are prepared on the 26^th.  As they say, “the early bird gets the worm.”

Extra Credit Question

Be the first in your class to email a response using your MHA account:

Should all citizens be required to serve their country (armed services or alternative community service) for 2 years after they have completed high school?

Extra extra credit:  What major local event will occur nine days from today???

 Thank you to all the parents/guardians and students who came by for conferences.