A Time to Give Thanks

A Day 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 those who suffered through many hardships to establish a place in the New World where freedom and tolerance could flourish. We should also remember those who were living here before the arrival of Europeans and who greeted the newcomers in peace and helped them survive. 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 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. It is a heritage we must do all we can to nurture and maintain.

Congratulations

The list of students at MHS earning Honor Roll status was impressive. The Newport Daily News printed our honorees in Saturday’s paper! We should also extend congratulations to our football team for bringing home a win in the Thanksgiving Day rivalry between MHS and Portsmouth. Great job!

CWI

We finished our study of South West Asia by designing a profile of Afghanistan using our text and Goode’s Atlas. Using the atlas gave you the opportunity to see the wealth of statistical data available for countries around the world. Using the calorie map you quickly saw that a large percentage of the population has a very poor diet. When we watched the Independent Lens film on women in Afghanistan, this aspect of their life was referenced when one of the women commented that they had not eaten meat in over six months. The film gave you a more personal look at the lives of women and young children under the rule of the Taliban. We also read a brief Q and A piece from The Washington Post that answered some basic questions about why the American government is concerned with this country. Finally, we used the ABC Afghanistan slide shows to look at this country and to see how 30 years of wars have scarred the people and the landscape.

So we have now completed our study of this region and as announced last week we are ready for a final assessment. Your final assessment will be an in class on demand writing assignment. You will be allowed to use your map for the assignment. The best way to prepare is to review your worksheets and activities. You can also use your text to review the region and its challenges. Your assignment will require you to integrate your knowledge of the history and geography of the region with your understanding of current events in the region. It is an open ended question so you will have some flexibility in how you decide to respond to the question but you will be evaluated on accuracy of information.

On Monday you will have the opportunity to review for the assessment, start your map for the next region, and help write questions for an upcoming current events quiz.

Our next area of study will be South East Asia, which includes Pakistan and India. India has been front page news this past week as our President has hosted its Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. To honor our guest from India, President and Mrs. Obama held their first state dinner on November 24. A White House State dinner is one of the most coveted events in Washington. This state dinner was an elegant event complete with a guest list of who’s who from government and the arts but it also included a gate crashing couple. It is shocking to learn that an uninvited couple was able to enter secure grounds and make physical contact with the President. The Secret Service is rightfully embarrassed and has pledged to review its policies. As someone who has entered the White House on a number of occasions, I was surprised by this break in security. Names, social security numbers, photo IDs and multiple check points have always been in place to keep our top officials safe. According to one expert, threats against the President have increased 400 percent since President Obama took office. In such threatening times, it is especially disturbing to see this lapse occur.

World History

We have finished our study of the French Revolution and Napoleon and are ready for our book test on December 1. On the first, you will need to hand in your section 5 worksheet and map of Europe after the Congress of Vienna. You were given a study guide for the test as well as an outline as to what types of questions would be on the test. If you take the time to use your study guide, review your packet, notes from class, and text reading you should be in good shape for the test. As you review the content, keep in mind that your brain can work more efficiently if you break information into smaller chunks and organize it in a format that is easy to recall. Last week we made a list of Napoleon’s good features and his shortcomings...a quick way to recall information on the Emperor.

Our Eyes Turn to the East

This week you wrote your reflection letters and shared your success or challenges with your family. I was impressed with your ability to express your strengths and weaknesses as you established goals for second quarter. How do we know we have reached our destination if we don’t start off with a goal? Every day is a new opportunity to work towards a positive outcome. This is your friendly reminder that extra support is available after school every day except Tuesday (faculty and department meetings). Take advantage of all of the different avenues you have to be successful.

Thank You

Parent, teacher, student conference night was a big success. Thank you to all that came by and learned about the content, strategies, and habits of mind that we have been working on this year.

CWI

Our President has had a whirlwind week as he visited Japan, Korea, and China. He had the difficult job in China of balancing the United States’ dependency on foreign capital against concern for greater human rights. He wanted to maintain our strong ties with Japan while urging even greater cooperation with China. Only a few years ago, China was seen as a large poverty stricken country with an oppressive government. Times are changing and China has risen rapidly on the world stage. It has the largest military force in the world, has the third largest economy, and holds much of the United States’ debt. We will be turning to our study of China in December. Having visited China this past summer gives me a greater appreciation for the drive, ambition and focus of this huge country.

We continued our study of South West Asia as we finished our “Seeds of Peace” activity that promotes peaceful relations between the Israelis and Palestinians. Stereotyping can lead to conflict but getting to know and understand people can help relieve tension. We concluded that while we may not always agree with another person, we can still respect them. A good lesson for all of us.

We also read two articles about “Growing up Saudi.” These UpFront articles described the life typical Saudi teenagers and pointed out the strict guidelines that all young people, but especially young women, must follow. Our video clips on “Lifting the Veil,” however, showed that times are also changing in this tradition-bound country. With 70% of the population under 30, rules and regulations will be challenged. We also heard from Robert Lacey, author of “In the Kingdom.” He clearly outlined the three reasons why the Saudis “hate” Americans: our support for Israel, our fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan against fellow Muslims, and our decadent society as illustrated by our television shows and manner of dress. Lacey also recommended that the one way we could forge a better relationship was through education. Both countries need to better understand the other country’s culture and beliefs. A great reason for you take CWI!

One class had an accountable talk activity on Growing Up Saudi. Accountable talk gives us the opportunity to explore our thinking and the thinking of others. We need to ask questions...we need to press for understanding...we need to integrate our readings as a way to support our positions. It is also a time to learn how to listen and to make time for all to speak. You may think that as long as you are talking you are earning points but you can also earn points by integrating others into the conversation. No one wants to hear from just two or three people...we want everyone to have an opportunity to state their ideas. These are all great skills that you can use as you head out into the world.

Your next current event is due on Monday November 23 and it needs to be about Afghanistan. You have the current event rubric and if you follow it you can earn full credit. As you can see from the first quarter grades, those students who take the time and put in the effort can earn lots of points with quality summaries and comments.

We will be concluding our study of South West Asia next week and our final assessment will ask you to integrate your current events, class activities, and readings into a coherent on-demand piece of writing.

World History

We continued our study of The French Revolution this week and watched a video about Napoleon.

Our group activity focused on analyzing two primary sources found in your text on pages 1010 and 1011. We stressed the importance of vocabulary as you cannot understand a document if you don’t understand the words. Take the time to look up words so you can gain a full understanding of the text. Working in a group gives everyone support as long as you are actively engaged in trying to construct your own meaning of the document. We spend a great deal of time with primary sources as that is what historians do and you will be asked to do document analysis as part of the graduation tasks that will be offered in the coming weeks.

You had a “quiz” on the causes of The French Revolution and many of you did a great job. Make sure to take the time to review each evening to prepare for the next day of class.

We also used another reading strategy to better understand how daily life during the Revolution changed. By taking the bold headlines in your text and converting them into a question, it helps guide you as you gather information. For example, we turned the headline “Changes in Daily Life” into a question: How did daily life change during the Revolution? We then wrote the top five changes on the board and debated each one, making changes until we agreed on the top five. This is another strategy you can use to rank the importance of information. While we have learned numerous strategies to improve reading and comprehension, they are only useful if you use them. Too many students had blank or incomplete worksheets when it came time to review “The Age of Napoleon Begins.”

The video helped us visualize much of the information in the text and gave us the opportunity to listen for key information. You should get in the habit of taking enough notes to gain understanding but not so many that you miss the visual impact of the story. This is an art that is learned by practicing your listening and note taking skills.

Your current event on any national or international story is due November 24. The current events assignment is a great way to build up points. You have the rubric and by now should be earning 9 or 10 on the assignment.

Next week we will have a map assignment so bring your colored pencils. You will also be given a study guide for the test, and as we agreed you will use it to study but it will not be collected and evaluated.

Extra Credit

When should a person be considered an adult? Come in with a response and be able to explain your reasoning....happy thinking!

A Time to Honor

This was a week when we paused to remember and thank our Veterans. As we read about areas around the world that are struggling with oppression we must recall the service that our men and women in the armed services have provided over the course of our history. Without their unswerving support for “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” we would not be the country we are today.

Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences

Our conference time is scheduled for November 18 from 4 to 7. This is a time when all of us can sit down and review what you have accomplished first quarter and make plans for the next quarter. Maintaining the portfolio will allow you to show your parents or guardians the type and quality of work you have been engaged in. As part of our end of quarter activities, you will be writing a letter home explaining the content and skills you have been working on, what you accomplished first quarter, and your plans for second quarter.

Absences

This year we have been hit with an early flu season which has resulted in absences. If you have been absent, make sure you take the time to stay after school to find out what lessons and assignments you missed so you can stay current with your work. You have five days to make up missed work. You may also use Advisory time to come by 246 to make up work if you have asked in advance for a pass.

CWI

This week we started our unit on South West Asia and began with the map and map quiz. Maps are especially important for this region as you see how Israel was carved out of an area inhabited by Palestinians. You need to look at the complicated borders to see how division is further escalated by multiple sections of land inhabited by both Palestinians and Israelis. You can also see that Afghanistan’s future is hampered by being land locked. And you can see the importance of the Suez Canal as a short cut from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea.

Using questions developed by Public Broadcasting’s New Hour, you worked on gathering information from multiple web sites to learn about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This conflict continues today and your current event focused on these two groups and their ongoing violent disagreements. Former Prime Minister Tony Blair has been in the region as well as Secretary of State Clinton urging the two sides to sit down and negotiate a peaceful solution.

We also read about the “hotspots” around the world that President Obama and his administration must deal with. Of the top 10 areas of conflict, 4 were from the South West Asia region. After reading the article, you had to define the problem and come up with your solution. If you were sitting in the Oval Office and the President asked for your thoughts on the conflict...what would you recommend?

On Friday we spent time on a human rights web site gathering information about refugees from South West Asia and then we went to Beyond the Fire to hear from teens that are refugees.

Finally, some classes started the “Seeds of Peace” activity where you take on the identity of a teenager from this region. By reading about their experiences it helps to understand their perspective. Conflict comes about when we don’t make the effort to understand another’s point of view and don’t respect the attitudes, feelings and needs of others. The Seeds of Peace program tries to break down these barriers by giving young people a chance to get to know one and another. This program reminds me of an article I read in the New York Times Magazine last week commemorating Sesame Street’s 40th anniversary. As Sesame Street goes international, it has encountered unique problems as it tries to write a program that would appeal to Palestinian children. The writers of Sesame Street want to encourage peaceful relations among Palestinian and Israeli children and yet are having a difficult time trying to write scenarios that inform and educate but don’t offend.

World History

This week we finished our Enlightenment interviews. The new ideas of social contract and man having rights fueled the French Revolution. In your packet are two primary sources...they can be challenging but we need to practice with the documents as you have two upcoming graduation tasks that are based on your ability to interpret primary sources. Next week we will look at the “Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen” as well as the “Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen.”

The French Revolution can be broken down into four phases: the moderate phase from 1789-1791, a radical phase from 1792-1794 sometimes known as the Reign of Terror, the Directory phase from 1795-1799 and the final phase known as the Age of Napoleon from 1799-1815. Our video on the Revolution produced by the History Channel gives us a good sense of the struggles the people of France had with everyday living while the nobility and the clergy were removed from toil and strife. Our video goes on to show how emotions finally erupted and the King and Queen are captured from Versailles and brought to Paris to face justice.

Next week we will finish the tape, and spend some time reading about Napoleon. Let me remind you that at the end of this unit you will have a standardized book exam. Your mid-term will be based on a standardized book exam so I want you to have practice with this type of assessment.

The End of Quarter One

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 on demand writing 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 ended our unit with the viewing of “War Dance,” an award winning movie about the children of northern Uganda who were able to put their war torn past behind them and go on to win music and dance awards at the annual Kampala Music Festival. The directors and producers of “War Dance” may be doing a sequel...so stay tuned for further updates on Dominic, Nancy and Rose.

We have started our unit on South West Asia and your map from this region will be due on Monday. Your rubric clearly lists all the items you need on the map. Please be prepared for the traditional map quiz. President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton have made this area of the world a top priority as they try to restart the peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, plan for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq, and continue efforts to help establish a free and democratic Afghanistan.

We are at the end of the quarter so we will have time in the coming week to enter grades for your power point projects and reflection sheet. It is a great time to pause and think about all that you have accomplished this quarter. If you met your goals, congratulations...if you want to improve, now is the time to put together a plan.

World History

This week we juggled a bit as so many of our fellow students were absent. We hope everyone is feeling better and will return to the class on Monday. We would like to finish the Enlightenment interviews on Monday as well as the Locke and Hobbes comparison sheets. We also had our last current event for the quarter on Friday.

This past week we started our unit on The French Revolution. At the end of this unit you will have a traditional book exam. While we usually do not have standardized exams, I want you to have practice with this type of exam as much of the mid term in January will be a standardized book exam.

We talked about why people revolt and the leading causes of the French Revolution. You finished the guided reading worksheet for section 1, the cartoon, and for homework you need to read section 2 and do the first primary source reading sheet.

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. 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.


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.

Extra Credit:

Why is Veteran’s Day celebrated on November 11?