A Time to Give Thanks

In between football games, parades, and eating turkey, I hope all of us took a moment to remember why we commemorate this day and give thanks to the earliest colonists who suffered through many hardships to establish a place in the New World. A special thank you must also be given to our Founders who recognized the worth and value of each individual and sought to design a country where all would have the opportunity to pursue their dreams. We also owe our thanks to those of succeeding generations, right up to today, who have struggled and sacrificed to bring the Founders’ vision closer to reality. No matter what hardships or misfortunes we may face, we live in a country that extols freedom and where opportunities abound.

Obamamania

This blogger just returned from a few days in DC and it is obvious that Obamamania has struck the capitol. Vendors are hawking numerous souvenirs featuring the President-elect. The Washington Post has set up a special link to keep updated on the inaugural buzz. On January 11 the Inaugural Committee will conduct two practice runs for the big day. With tickets in short supply, some are venturing to DC just to view the practice event so they can feel they are part of such a historic occasion.

You will be treated to an eye witness account of the day so stay tuned to a special edition of the blog on January 21, 2009.

CWI

Just as we turn our attention to South Asia (India, Pakistan, etc.) the entire world is focused on Mumbai and the recent terrorist attacks that killed nearly 200 people and wounded hundreds more. To better understand these events, we will be reading about the long history of violent clashes between Hindus and Muslims in this region.

This past week we finished our study of South West Asia and had the final assessment. If you were one of those who missed the assessment (due to field trips, absences, etc.) you have five days to make it up. You may take the test after school on any day but Tuesday (faculty meeting). It is your responsibility to arrange a time with me. Don’t delay!

Our next current event is December 1 and it must be on South Asia.

As announced earlier, a PBGR task will be offered this week. Details to follow.

AP European History

Congratulations to all for a great review of Chapters 19 and 20. The Jeopardy game was informative and fun. Such dynamic and interesting contestants! The Bountiful Table was a clever review of the changing diet of the Europeans.

You will have your 80 question multiple choice test on December 2 on chapters 19 and 20. The study guide for the chapters will be collected the same day. No bold to bold outlines are required for the two chapters.

World History

This past week you handed in your spoke diagram on Louis XIV. A spoke diagram is a unique way to illustrate key characteristics of a person with limited writing. It gives us a quick visual overview of the person with an illustration and brief bits of information on the spokes. I hope you enjoyed this project.

Revisions are a normal part of the writing and evaluation process and this past week you had the opportunity to revise a book quiz. Keep in mind that we can never go over all of the key information during class so it is your responsibility to return to the text and reread for the main ideas. We will be having another book quiz on Louis XIV so make sure you take the time to review the book, take notes and identify the main ideas and new vocabulary.

Your next current event is due December 5.

"A Team of Rivals"

This week we watched President-elect Obama reach out to some of our best and brightest leaders to build the strongest Cabinet possible to tackle the enormous problems our country faces. He has taken a page out of the Lincoln playbook by incorporating former rivals into his Administration. How many people could imagine the President-elect selecting his most formidable rival, Senator Clinton, for the top post in his Administration?

In a recent interview, Obama spoke about the books he has been reading and they included Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin (faithful blog readers will remember that I wrote about hearing her speak at Roger Williams University) and a new book about how President Franklin Roosevelt dealt with the first 100 days of his administration during our worst economic depression. It is comforting to know our soon-to-be President is a student of history who understands that much can be learned from past experiences.

With the naming of the new Treasury Secretary, Timothy Geithner, President of the New York Federal Reserve, the stock market immediately turned around and shot up over 490 points. The market was endorsing Obama’s selection and some confidence was restored. Many of our current events this year have focused on the economy, so the blog will try to help you integrate this information so you get the big picture!

Speaking of a challenging economy, keep in mind that our canned food drive is coming to a close. Do your part and donate a can of soup, fruit or some other nonperishable item to help those in our community who are struggling. The Providence Journal headline in Friday’s paper said so much: “9.3% of Rhode Islanders out of work!” Over 52,900 people do not have jobs and therefore are finding it hard without community support to take care of basic needs. Let’s reach out and help!

CWI

This week we walked in the shoes of refugees from Afghanistan and Iraq, we talked with teens who are members of the Seeds of Peace program in Israel, and we read about teens growing up in Saudi Arabia. All of these activities allowed you to apply your background knowledge from our text and The World Today readings. By putting yourself into these roles you gained a better understanding of the conflicts and hopefully identified possible ways to resolve the issues.

Next week you will have your final assessment on Southwest Asia. You will have an in class writing assignment that will ask you to respond to a question that will allow you to incorporate all that you learned from these readings. Developing empathy for others and integrating information are critical thinking skills you will need time and time again.

Your next current event is due December 1 and it must be about South Asia. This region includes India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Make sure you check our text next week to get a list of countries in this region so you can earn full credit. You will find that different sources identify the regions using different names. To be consistent, we will stick to our text definition.

In early December you will also be working on a task for your portfolio.

AP European

Your projects are due on Tuesday. Please have your handouts ready for your fellow students. I will be glad to do photocopying if you drop off your materials on Monday.

Your 80 multiple choice questions for Chapter 19 and 20 will be on December 2. Your study guides will be due the same day. We decided that we would drop the bold to bold outlines for these two chapters.

World History

This week you designed your Age of Exploration charts and map. Designing a chart is a useful skill because it can help you organize complex information. You can use this skill in any content area. Keep in mind that you always want to use multiple sources to get the most complete and accurate information possible.

As historians we want to synthesize information and try to answer how this time period impacted the world then and now. The trading of crops, animals, ideas, technology, disease and people changed the commercial world and eventually the everyday life of the common people. New foods, especially the potato, provided a new source of inexpensive nutrition that eventually led to population growth in Europe. At the same time, European disease when brought to North America devastated the Native American population. This was also the time of great commercial growth with the formation of joint stock companies and the economic theory of mercantilism. Countries like England and France wanted colonies so they could increase their supply of natural resources and to have markets for finished goods. Strict trading policies were supposed to ensure wealth and power for the Mother country.

On Friday you had a quiz based on your text reading and our three focus questions in class. This is a reminder that we will never have enough time to go over all key points during our class period so it is your responsibility to review material and be able to respond to our guiding questions. Keep in mind that you are also learning new vocabulary which will be essential for you to understand as you embark on your three year Social Studies high school requirements. You will be reading about joint stock companies and mercantilism again next year during your American History course and again during your Junior year in Contemporary World Issues, AP World or AP European. This is all part of learning how to learn.

You have your Absolutism guiding questions to help focus your reading. This weekend you have your spoke diagram rubric for your Louis XIV assignment which is due on November 25. Your current event is also due that day.

11/11

This week we took time out to honor the Veterans of this country who have done so much to secure our freedom and liberty. The eleventh month, the eleventh day at the eleventh hour was the time the armistice was signed in 1918 to end World War I. Today we use November 11 to pay our respects to all who have served in our armed services.

Our food drive, sponsored by student government and the Leo Club, is still collecting non-perishable items. I am giving extra credit to those who help this cause by bringing in at least one item. So take a moment… look around on your cupboard shelves and find a can of soup or beans or tuna to donate to someone who is struggling during these difficult times.

CWI

We continue working with our maps and current events, focused on South West Asia. While we hear numerous stories about Iraq and Afghanistan on the news, we want to make sure that we are aware of other countries in the region. We read about the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian issue of land and how it should be divided to ensure safety for all. We read about the religious and economic conflicts of the region and looked at the recent NYT advertisement calling for peace between the Muslim countries and Israel. Next week we will be going to the computer lab and doing an activity that focuses on the refugees from South West Asia. While governments argue and armies fight, the everyday people are left to find food, clothing and shelter. Their daily lives become one of endurance.

Our next current event is due November 19 and must be about the South West Asia region.

Let’s try to look for articles about countries other than Iraq and Afghanistan.

Your signed letters about first quarter are due.

If you are absent make sure to come by before or after school to get your work and to make up missed assignments.

Our class discussions are always enriched when you bring in information, questions and comments about the daily news. Take the time to watch the evening news so you can be aware of what is happening in the outside world.

World History

This week we spent time looking at primary source documents and asking questions that will allow us to discover the deeper meaning of the source. We then went on to look at the Age of Exploration and read about the motives and the role of technology in supporting these new discoveries. Next week you will finish designing your chart on explorers using multiple texts available in the classroom. This assignment gives you the opportunity to think about how the organization of information can improve your comprehension and understanding of complex material. It also encourages you to use different sources as not one source has all the “answers.”

Your next current event is November 25.

AP European History

This week you had your mini DBQ and the multiple choice test for chapter 18. We now have moved on to “The Expansion of Europe” and “The Changing Life of the People.” I found these two chapters especially interesting as they focus on social history as opposed to political and military history. The AP Exam questions contain approximately 20% of questions focused on social history. We have broken into groups and you have the opportunity to use your creative powers to construct an activity or presentation that you will conduct for the other students on November 25.

You have the study guides for both chapters but you will not be required to do the “bold to bold” outline for the chapters.

Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences

Conferences are being held Tuesday, November 18 from 5:00 till 8:00. I hope to see many of you that evening. It is a great opportunity to review your progress and set goals for the next quarter.

What A Week!

The headline on the New York Times for Wednesday was just one word: “Obama.”
We are living through a major turning point in our history, and we must think hard about all this election means for the future of our country. Our lives are busy and filled with distractions, but the election of Senator Obama, now President-elect Obama, is so important an event that it deserves – in fact, demands – thoughtful consideration. You wrote your personal reflections this week and I urge you to keep those thoughts in a safe place so you can share them with the next generation. Your children will ask you about this election and you should be prepared to share with them the excitement and exuberance of our country and the world. Next week in CWI, we will be reading and discussing how other countries have reacted.

President-elect Obama held his first news conference on Friday and responded to numerous questions from the press ranging from economic policy to appointments. This is a great civics lesson for us as we see the start of a new administration, a peaceful transfer of power, and the role of checks and balances as the President-elect nominates his Cabinet officers.

We cannot forget that the President-elect is also a father, and he is making sure he does not neglect that role as he follows up on his promise of a puppy for his daughters and considers what schools they might attend after they move to Washington, D.C.

Our New York Times edition from November 5 is already a collector’s item. When the NYT learned that copies of the paper were being sold on EBay for $200, they quickly printed additional copies. Yesterday the paper was advertising its special collector’s edition for $14.95. I hope you have taken your copy and placed it in a special place for future generations to read. Who knows...maybe it will appear on Antiques Road Show!

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Your family should be receiving a notice about our upcoming conferences scheduled for November 18. I am looking forward to meeting with you and your family as we review your progress and plan for the remaining school year. You should be part of the conference as you are the one doing the work.

Parental interest and support in your school work helps all of us have a more successful year. President-elect Obama and Mrs. Obama took time last week to attend Parent Teacher Conferences at the Chicago Lab School where their daughters are students.

CWI

We have left the continent of Africa, but I hope you will keep up with this large and diverse continent by continuing to follow current events. Many of you in your final assessment spoke about how you would like to help the people of Africa meet some of their challenges, and I would urge you to check out organizations that could use your assistance. There are groups aimed at helping meet the need for food, working to combat disease, and providing economic development assistance. Get involved... maybe this could become a Capstone project!

We have started our unit on South West Asia and your map and current event from this region will be due on Monday. Please be prepared for the traditional map quiz and let’s try to get current events from countries other than Iraq. The war naturally commands our attention, but we do not want to ignore other countries of the region. President-elect Obama has already spoken about getting some of those countries to work more closely with the United States to help Iraq end the violence and rebuild its economy. I am sure we will be hearing more about Iraq’s neighbors as the United States withdraws troops and hands over more responsibility to the Iraqi government.

As we are at the end of the quarter, we took the time to write a letter home about the work you have completed and your goals for the second quarter. I will look over your letters this weekend and you will take them home next week. It is a great way to start off the new quarter and earn a perfect score for your first assignment.

AP European History

The Enlightenment French style Salon made its way to room 246 this week as we were visited by David Hume, Adam Smith, Voltaire, Rousseau and Thomas Jefferson. Frederick II and Catherine the Great, busy with duties of State, joined us as we wrapped up our discussion on some of the leading questions of the day: what is the proper role of the government; should the government be involved in directing the economy; and should women play a more active role in the state? You did a great job and I was struck by how many of the issues we discussed are still with us today as we continue the debate about what constitutes good government.

On Wednesday you will have a partial DBQ (analysis of the documents and writing the first paragraph of an essay) and on Thursday you will have the multiple choice questions. Your study guide and bold to bold outlines are due the day of the multiple choice test.

Our next unit will encompass chapters 19 and 20 and focus on everyday people and their lives on the farms and in the cities. We will be reading more social history as we look at marriage and family life. We will divide into two groups who will take the responsibility of presenting the material to the class.

World History

As ninth graders you have so many new demands that it is prudent to pause at the end of this first quarter and reflect on what you have done, where you have been successful and where you have struggled. The letter you composed focuses on your accomplishments and your plans for second quarter. There is always room for improvement and we want to take those opportunities so we can all be better students.

Some of you struggled keeping the status of assignment sheet up to date and organized. We will be using this method for the rest of the year. Every few days I write the assignments on the board and their value. You need to copy this information on to your sheet and then fill in your score as well as file your work in the folder. These are your points and you are responsible for keeping your work organized. It will be especially useful to you for the mid-term exam as you are tested on material from September through January and having the portfolio will give you ample material to review.

We started a new unit this week, The Age of Exploration. You had three guiding questions for your text reading. Make sure to answer these questions in your notebook after you finish reading the assigned pages. You will find that you will understand material if you read it, write it and then explain it during the next class.

Our next current event is due on November 13.

Extra Credit

In lieu of a question, I am asking everyone to bring in one item for our food drive. The Leo Club and the National Honor Society are conducting the drive for our local food bank and Lucy’s Hearth. Any non-perishable item is helpful... a can of soup, beans, tuna, or a box of cereal or pasta would be great. Let’s help those around us who may be struggling in these difficult times.

Your Voice was Heard-What About Theirs?

This week we experienced one of the most important and exciting aspects of citizenship in a democracy by voting in our mock election. You could feel the excitement building as the entire student body marked ballots and filed up to insert them into the scantron. Our guest speaker, Secretary of State Ralph Mollis, was given a hearty Middletown High School welcome. Our talented chorus sang and our spirit inducing band played to put us all in a pep rally mood. Secretary Mollis spoke about the importance of voting, and complimented students for voting for not only for the leading contenders but considering some of the third party candidates as well. The rally reached its climax with the announcement of the final vote count, with Senator Obama winning! The pep rally was featured on the front page of The Newport Daily News...check out the great picture. I hope you will always remember this experience. Researching the candidates and issues and then deciding who to support based on that knowledge is a key component for a successful government. Your voice must be heard!

Students from Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta, Georgia put their interest in the election to music and became the featured “people in the news” on ABC news. I would urge you to check out this link and rock to the music!

Everyone seems to be caught up in this history making election, including cartoonists. A front page story in The Providence Journal speaks to one cartoonist who is making a leap of faith and has already submitted his daily cartoon for Wednesday announcing the winner. To learn more about this comic strip click on the link.

Congratulations to all who participated in the Burns Memorial Walk/Run on Sunday. It was a fun event honoring a model teacher and mentor which raised $4,000 for a scholarship for a Middletown grad.

The Leo Club is sponsoring a food drive starting November 3. Bring in a donation and earn extra credit!

World History

This week we read about the Scientific Revolution from “Enjoying Global History.” Good historians consult multiple sources to get a more accurate account of what happened and why. You successfully completed your Scientific Revolution character poster and presented to the class. Our critiques should allow you to improve the next time you are asked to do this type of project. Taking the time to look critically at your work and to reflect will lead to improvements in your products.

Our last assignment for the quarter will be your current event which is due on November 3. You have the rubric so follow it carefully to earn lots of points.

Next week we will update the status of assignment sheet. We will also take the time to reflect on the variety of assignments you have tackled and to assess our strengths and our weaknesses. You will be writing a letter home reviewing your progress and plans for the second quarter.

AP European

This week you presented your power points on Frederick the Great, Peter the Great and Ivan the Terrible. It was obvious from your enthusiasm and attention to detail that you enjoyed the project. It was especially informative to see the incorporation of art into the presentations. Our discussions of these leaders acted as a good summary of our chapter on Absolutism in Eastern Europe and prepared you for your test on Wednesday. This test will be the last assessment for the quarter. You have a status of assignment sheet and all of your work has been returned. You could have earned 1095 points this quarter. Congratulations to all!

CWI

This week you did your final current event on Africa and your article came from an African publication. To better understand the events of Africa it is necessary to use publications that are written from a local perspective. Too often we get caught up in reading one version or one point of view, usually from western sources, so please take the time to check out “local” papers for a different perspective.

For many of us, watching “War Dance” will be a lasting memory. This award winning documentary told us a story of war that much of the world was unaware of. The three young people who are the principal subjects of the film have endured horrible atrocities but they also have experienced great joy and victory with their participation in the Uganda Music and Dance Festival.

It was disturbing to watch the movie and then learn from the evening news that Congo, which borders Uganda, is now experiencing a civil war that has forced thousands of people to flee. The news showed hundreds of people with their belongings balanced on their heads walking barefoot out of the country in search of refuge.

When will this stop???

When will the world community stand up to help those in greatest need???

Your voices were heard...when will their voices be heard???

Next week we will begin a new unit on Southwest Asia.