Geography, Day 1 - Class Recap

The ball of yarn that we used in class today for the Class Unity Activity! Thanks for participating in this!

Dear class,

I enjoyed getting to know you all a bit better today! We had a productive time with the yarn activity and learning more about what is going on in the world at the end of the class. I also loved seeing your photos and having them put up on the walls!

Learning Targets Addressed: 

Behavior LT 3: I can communicate and work effectively within a team or group.
Communication LT 1: I can communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
Knowledge LT 6: I can demonstrate an understanding of the characteristics of locations and regions.
Knowledge LT 7: I can demonstrate the ability to use geographic tools.

Soundtrack: "Comin' From Where I'm From" by Anthony Hamilton. Because today, we talked about where we are from and how we got to be at Westview, via our family background. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 9/15/15:
News Brief - Matt
Photos/Finish Fear
Class Unity Activity
The Summer

Homework: Read the blog and post a comment (if you have not already). Bring a photo if you have not already! The next news brief is assigned to: Malini.

News Brief: Today's news brief was brought in by Matt, who selected an article about this story: CNN.com - War has forced half of Syrians from their homes. Here's where they've gone. We had an excellent discussion in class about this, with lots of questions. I tried to use the map to explain where everything was, and why this is such an important issue to know about. It was a great example of what I want the news brief to look like - interactive, engaging, and interesting (I hope) for the class! Thanks, Matt.

Malini volunteered to do the next news brief.

We also watched VICE News for the day:

Photos/Finish Fear: After the news, we heard from students who remembered to do their homework and bring in a photo from a place they have been, a place they want to go, or a picture of their family. I really enjoyed this, and it was so cool to see everyone's photos and hear stories! If you did not bring in a picture, please do so next class.

We then shared a bit about the "fear" stories I had the class write last time, because I talked about how the U.S. felt a lot of fear after September 11th. It was interesting to hear the stories that were shared out - lots of paintball related ones, it seemed like!

Class Unity Activity: I always love this, for many reasons. One, because I love hearing about how everyone came to be in our classroom. Two, because of how the yarn connects us all. Three, because it helps the class (and me) learn names and a little about each other! Thank you for participating in this. It can get lengthy, I know, but I value it so much more than just lecturing for that time.

We finished with that, just in time. Let me know if you have any questions! Thanks!