Stormy Times

 

While we are having our first storm-free weekend in a month, another storm is brewing with potentially devastating results, and its name is sequestration.  This tongue-twisting term refers to a way for Congress to force itself into some kind of fiscal responsibility.  By sequestering, you bar agencies from spending a certain percentage of funds already allotted to them.  Each federal department has different directives, but most will have to lay off workers or close certain programs to meet their savings goals.  This unpleasant scenario was passed by Congress as a way of forcing itself to come up with a better system for balancing the federal budget.  It was thought the idea of a sequester would be so unpleasant to both parties it would never go into force.  It didn’t work, and now we will have to see what happens.  Will flights be delayed because of too few air traffic controllers?  Will fewer children get Head Start services?  Will our local naval facilities furlough workers, and if so, how will that impact local businesses?  No one knows exactly what to expect, but eventually all of us could be affected in some way.

Modern America

This week we completed our study of the Depression and the New Deal by doing a comparison of Presidents Hoover and Roosevelt.  These two men took very different approaches to solving the problems brought on by the Depression.  Hoover wanted voluntary action and thought the country would pull out of the slowdown if given time, as in the past.  FDR recognized the severity of the problem and took bold, creative and unprecedented federal action focusing on relief, recovery and reform.  Your charts comparing the Presidents and your presentation gave you the opportunity to think more deeply about what the role of government should be. Make sure you hand in your chart and reflection to Ms. Averill to earn credit for this assignment.

World War II

When war began in Europe in 1939, Americans were reluctant to enter a conflict that seemed far away.  Many shared Charles Lindbergh’s view that the US should stay out of a war that did not directly affect us.  Lindbergh was considered one of America’s greatest heroes, being the first person to fly solo across the Atlantic from New York to Paris.  FDR, on the other hand, felt a strong obligation to help our democratic ally, Great Britain, by “lending and leasing” war materials so Britain could continue to fight Nazi Germany.  To better understand the steps leading up to our entry into WW II, we viewed a power point and you had a guided note worksheet.  Your notes should go into your notebook for future reference. You also had a worksheet on some of the key terms from this time period.

We also watched a video on FDR, the only president ever elected to four terms.  As you watched the video you did a 3-2-1 sheet…what 3 ideas did you learn, what 2 questions do you still have, and what connection can you make to the video.  While making connections can be difficult, it is essential to learn this skill as it makes learning not only more meaningful but also longer lasting.

International Officer Speaker Series

Permission slips will be handed out on Monday for our next two speakers on March 8 during advisory.  We will be hearing from officers from Norway and Jordan.

 World History

This week we continued with our study of imperialism.  This is an especially important concept for you as your next portfolio task will focus on writing an essay on this topic.  To prepare you for the task you read two poems from this period: “The White Man’s Burden” by Rudyard Kipling and “TheBrown Man’s Burden” by Henry Labouchère.  These poems helped us better understand how Europeans tried to justify their conquest and division of Africa and other regions of the world, while native inhabitants viewed the Europeans as alien invaders and oppressors.  We then looked at political cartoons from this period, and you had the opportunity to draw your own cartoon and present it to the class.  We saw several clever cartoons on imperialism…great job!

Our last assignment on Friday focused on writing an effective paragraph on imperialism.  Using your notes, you explained what you consider the most important reason European countries became imperialistic.  You had your thesis guide sheet so you knew what words you could use to start your thesis…you knew you had to clearly address the question….you had to supply evidence or examples to support your point of view…and you had to have a concluding sentence that restated your thesis.

Overdue Assignments

Too many students still owe assignments from before our winter break.  Interterms are due next week and you must have these assignments in if you want to meet standard.  Handing in late work is not a good habit.  Employers and colleges do not tolerate being late.

Parent-Teacher-Student Conferences

On Wednesday, March 20, conferences will be held from 4-7.  A letter will be going home with a signup sheet.  If you are struggling, this is a good opportunity to sit down and talk about a corrective action plan.  Everyone wants to be successful and to accomplish this goal you must have a plan. Keep in mind “those who fail to plan, plan to fail.”