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 consider how much we owe to those who suffered great hardships to establish a place in the New World where freedom and tolerance could flourish. Along with the early settlers, we must remember those who were living here before them and greeted the newcomers in peace and helped them survive. We must also bear in mind our debt to the 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. Otherwise, we will lose it.

Finishing our study of SW Asia

We are just about at the end of our study of this region. You should have completed the worksheets on growing up in Saudi Arabia and “Over a Barrel.” If you need the articles, I put a link on last week’s blog. We will complete an in class assignment on Afghanistan as we use statistics from our text, a reading, and Good’s atlas to design a profile of the country. I also plan to show you parts of “Afghan Star,” a documentary about a talent show based on “American Idol” that is encouraging the Afghan people to celebrate their culture and learn about democracy through voting for their favorite singer. Final assessment will be an open ended question.

Dangerous situation in Korea

And while we have been reading about the challenges of South West Asia, North and South Korea have entered into a dangerous exchange of artillery shells and threats that have heightened an already tense situation. President Obama restated our commitment to the people of South Korea and backed up his words by sending the USS George Washington, an aircraft carrier, to the region. The President has also called on China to work with North Korea to reduce tensions. Keep watching the news for updates.

Reflection on First Quarter

Your reflection letters were due last week. This is an opportunity for you to think about your progress in CWI and make plans for a successful second quarter. Parents and guardians appreciate hearing your assessment of your progress and plans for the future. And speaking of parents and guardians, we have another round of conferences scheduled for December 1 from 2-4. I have a few openings available if you are looking for a time slot.

Portfolio Task

On Monday you will receive the prompt for our portfolio task. It will be based on current events and the end product will be a reflective essay. This task will require you to read, summarize and analyze a major international event. You need to set aside the time to think about your event and its implications. Recently, Tom Friedman (remember Tom? ...quoted in our “Over the Barrel” reading...NYT columnist...author of “ The World Is Flat”) wrote about the need for young people to disconnect their cell phones and computers and take the time to concentrate, think and reflect on their tasks at hand.

Let’s go down to the Sea

On December 7 (Pearl Harbor Day), Dr. Robert Ballard (of Titanic fame) will be speaking at the Naval War College at 6:30 in Spruance Auditorium. Admiral Wisecup has opened this lecture to high school students. If you are interested in attending you may call 841-1068 or email eveninglecture@usnwc.edu to reserve a spot. Another great opportunity right in your own back yard!

Hard time for the Humanities

Today’s Providence Journal had an interesting lead editorial on the importance of the humanities. While the study of math and science have taken center stage in this age of technology, the editorial points out that “it is within the humanities that students are more apt to develop writing and critical thinking skills - where they will in essence teach themselves to learn.” Yet hard times are leading many schools curtail humanities programs, limiting students’ access to some of the most valuable rewards of a higher education.

Hearing from the Experts

The highlight of this week was our guest speaker, Admiral Phil Wisecup, President of the Naval War College. On Thursday he spoke to you about the need to reach out and understand other cultures as we are all citizens of the world. He stressed the need for education and especially recommended that you read, work on building a good vocabulary, and learn a second language. The Admiral also announced the speakers series that will begin in December. International officers from the NWC will speak to you during our Advisory period about their cultures and role on the world stage. We have scheduled officers from Kazakhstan, the United Kingdom, Chile, France, Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Denmark, and Norway. This is a unique opportunity for you to hear about countries all over the world from high ranking military officers. The schedule will be announced in advance and we will be doing readings to prepare for our visitors.

Second Quarter

We have started second quarter and some classes spent time organizing folders. All of your work from first quarter should be saved as it will be invaluable to you when it comes time to study for the midterm. We have already had seven assignments for second quarter: your reflection letter, map of SW Asia, the map quiz, the UpFront question on SW Asia, the life as a refugee worksheet, the interviews with students living in Israel and a current event.

Conflict and Resolution

As you read about the experiences of teens living in this region you quickly discovered that violence and uncertainty are part of their everyday lives. The teen interviews gave you insights into how the Palestinian people have been stereotyped as terrorists even though most just want to live a peaceful and productive life. Hanan, the young lady who left the region to go to school in the US, described how her daily life was a struggle going through endless check points and encountering the military everywhere she went. Upon her arrival in the US she was amazed at the ease of travel and the lack of a military presence. At the same time, the Israeli students complained about living in terror even while undertaking simple chores of everyday life. Should they go the movies or mall when they are favorite spots for bombings?

Seeds of Peace is an organization that is working with Arab and Israeli teens from this region. Through recreational activities, camping events and education, the organization is trying to teach tolerance and acceptance. By planting the seeds of peace with the young, the organization aims to bring peaceful coexistence to this region. We also talked about how Sesame Street has gone international and is teaching tolerance and acceptance to the very young. We can only hope all these efforts will eventually lead to a nonviolent solution so all people in South West Asia can live in peace.

Over a Barrel

You have been given a worksheet to help you understand the article “Over a Barrel” in the October 4, 2019 UpFront issue. You need to read the article and complete the worksheet for homework. You will be using the worksheet for an in class writing assignment.

Growing Up Saudi

In class you had the opportunity to work with a partner on two articles about growing up in Saudi Arabia, as a young man and as a young woman. They live very different lives when compared to our way of life. They are a very strict and traditional society even though over half of the population is under the age of 25. We heard Robert Lacey, author of “Inside the Kingdom,” state that Saudis “hate” Americans for three main reasons: they see us fighting in Muslim countries, we support Israel, and they consider us a decadent society as illustrated by our clothing and reality television shows. Lacey went on to say that only through education will our countries build a better relationship. This was the same message Admiral Wisecup left us.

Finally, we saw a clip from The New York Times on “drifting,” a car racing culture that has emerged as a form of entertainment in a society that limits recreational activities.

Parent-Student-Teacher Conferences

On Monday from 6-8 we have our first conferences. If you have signed up for a conference please make sure you attend. These are your grades and you should have the opportunity to review your progress and plans for the future with your parent/guardian. Your reflection letter should have set the stage for that review. I still have a few openings for December 1 conferences that run from 2-4.

Honoring Our Veterans

This was a week when we paused to remember and thank our Veterans. We especially mourn the loss of one of our own...Sgt. Michael Paranzino, a 2006 graduate of MHS. Sgt. Paranzino, 22, was killed in Afghanistan on Friday, November 5, while serving as a cavalry scout. He had been in Afghanistan for 7 months after serving a tour in Iraq.

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 forces 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.

Admiral Wisecup

I am pleased to announce that the President of the Naval War College, Admiral Wisecup, will be speaking to all of the CWI classes on Thursday, November 18, in room 212 during Advisory. This is a unique opportunity to hear from one of the highest ranking officers in the Navy. He will speak with you about the mission of the college and the role the international students play. We have several students whose fathers are in the international class. We will work on developing questions you could ask the Admiral.

Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences

Our conference time is scheduled for November 22 and December 1. Letters will be going home announcing the details for the conferences. 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

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. It is your responsibility to make arrangements for missed work. According to the handbook, if you are absent unexcused, you may get the assignments but no grade will be earned for the work.

Group Projects

This week you received your grade for the Africa power point projects. I was impressed by many of the projects and from your reflections I learned that many of you enjoyed the opportunity to work in a group and to use technology. Group projects have unique challenges and the presentation I shared with you this week gave you some suggestions for future projects: you must plan, you must communicate, and you must follow the rubric. Groups that took the time to develop a game plan were successful. You have email, twitter, cell phones, Facebook, etc...you can communicate...you have to take the time and make the project a priority.

South West Asia

This week we started our unit on South West Asia, beginning with the map and map quiz. You were given a syllabus so you know what to expect for this unit. 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 complicated by multiple sections of land inhabited by both Palestinians and Israelis. You can also see how Afghanistan’s opportunities are limited by it being land locked. And you can see the importance of the Suez Canal as a short cut from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea.

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 watched the presentation “Beyond the Fire” to hear from teens who are war refugees.

We also had our first set of current events for the new quarter. Doing your current events assignment is good practice for the portfolio task we will be doing in early December. The task is based on your ability to summarize and analyze a series of current events. At this point, you should be earning high scores for this assignment. You usually have about one week for the assignment and you have a rubric. Excuses for not doing the assignment include “I forgot” (it is written on the board for the week, and don’t you read the blog?) or “My computer is broken, my printer is out of ink, I have no paper” ( you do not need a computer to do this assignment...you can hand-write the summary and you can cut the article out of the paper or photocopy it). Students who do the current events are usually the students who earn the highest grades for the quarter.

Most classes received the worksheet on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Make sure to read the chapter in your text and complete the sheet so you will be prepared for our activities next week. Periods C and D are getting ready for a debate so you have an additional reading and a graphic organizer. Mr. Young will be leading you in that activity.

Are you watching the evening news or going on line to stream the latest broadcast? It is an efficient way to stay up to date and to build your background knowledge for our class discussions. Be in the know...

Aung San Suu Kyi released

Today brought the good news that the military leaders of Myanmar (formerly Burma) had released human rights activist and Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest, where she has been confined for 15 of the last 21 years. This courageous and determined woman has been a persistent advocate for democracy and human rights. Her sacrifices remind us it is not just our uniformed services who must bear the burden of upholding the cause of freedom. We will study her more closely, and the movement she represents, when our studies take us to this region of the world.

Witnessing a Watershed

This will be a week that historians will be analyzing and writing about for years to come. The American people went to the polls on Tuesday and elected 60 new Republican members to the House of Representatives, making Republicans the majority party in that chamber of Congress. They are expected to elect Representative John Boehner of Ohio as their Speaker when they return to the new session in January. In the meantime, the lame duck Congress (made up of current members including those just defeated) is expected to debate the extension of the Bush tax cuts that expire December 31, 2010. Congress will have the difficult balancing act of lowering taxes while trying to reduce the deficit. How will they accomplish these goals?

Closer to home, the people of Rhode Island elected their first independent governor, Lincoln Chaffee. He is following in his father’s footsteps by serving as Governor. Even though he ran on a platform that included an unpopular proposal to increase the sales tax, he is widely known as a man of honesty and integrity and thus earned the vote of many who were tired of political games.

Africa

This week we finished our study of Africa by reading about famine, watching the clips from the New York Times (see last week’s blog) and researching groups that aid people in these desperate situations. We all need to ask ourselves if this is a crisis we should be more involved with. Should we be urging our government to do more? Should we sponsor an organization that helps feed the people of Africa, or could we purchase fair trade coffee or beads for life in an effort to help people become self-sufficient? One of the groups I am especially interested in is Heifer International. I have put their catalogue on the board if you are interested in seeing how a small amount of money can help purchase a pig, goat or sheep to help a family become self-sufficient. Nicholas Kristof of the New York Times is an advocate of micro financing, which lends small amounts of money, mainly to women, to help them start a cottage industry. Take a look at “A Powerful Truth” to see how this program works.

Our final activity for our unit on Africa was watching “War Dance” and writing an in-class reflective essay. I have provided you with a link to the web site so you can check on Nancy, Rose and Dominic. It is truly an inspirational story. I want to compliment you on your respectful attitude towards the movie. While it is not easy to read subtitles and hear much of the dialogue in a foreign language, you paid attention. While I have seen this movie numerous times, I am still moved by certain phrases, especially when Dominic says, as they are driving to the capitol, “I am excited to see what peace looks like.”

We also had our current events quiz. You wrote the questions and you were able to use your notes, so high grades should have been earned by all. We will continue doing current events and quizzes, so now you know the routine. Your next current event is on South West Asia. The current event is due 11/12 for periods A, B, D, and E, while period C has until 11/15.

Africa Power Points

Your reflection sheet and rubric will be returned next week. I hope you saw this assignment as an opportunity to learn about Africa but also to practice your group skills and presentation skills. While Capstone is a solo show, it is still useful to have practice presenting with a group. Using note cards and practicing your presentation are essential for a successful Capstone event.

South West Asia

Periods C and E received the new syllabus and the map assignment for South West Asia. Many people still refer to this region as the Middle East, but geographers have renamed it South West Asia in an attempt to sound less Euro-centric. Politically, militarily and economically, this region is of critical importance to our nation and poses some of our greatest challenges. It is likely events there will be affecting you for the rest of your lives, and as responsible citizens you need to be informed.

Extra credit question

The first to email (MHS accounts please) a correct list of the countries President Obama will be visiting on his Asian trip.