Genocide in Rwanda, Day 7 - Class Recap

The United Nations negotiating table between South and North Korea. We talked about "The Interview" movie that was about North Korea, and also watched Hotel Rwanda in class today. Photo taken in January 2014.

Dear class,

Today was our last Global Studies class together in 2014! I was happy to check in on what everyone was up to during Winter Break and talk more about the world, before starting Hotel Rwanda. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 21: I can identify the critical components of imperialism.
Communication LT 2: I can use language and style that is appropriate to the content area.
Critical Thinking and Analysis LT 2: I can explain connections between events, issues, problems and concepts.

Soundtrack: "Reelin' in the Years" by Steely Dan. Selected for today because the next time we have class together, it will be a new year! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 12/18/14:
News Brief - Damon
Hotel Rwanda

Homework: Read the blog. Work on any late or incomplete work. Have a great, safe break. See you in 2015! Next news brief: Mr. Fritz.

News Brief: Damon had the news brief today and selected an article about this story: CNN.com - Pakistan school attack: Students, teachers recount the horror they saw.

We also talked about: CNN.com - Anger over the end of 'The Interview'. What an interesting story about so many different aspects of the world! Technology, movies, spies, hacking, world leaders, money, etc. North Korea seems to have "won" this, since Sony isn't going to distribute the movie after being hacked and threatened. Pretty crazy!

President Obama announced a prisoner swap and better diplomatic relations with Cuba. Here is that story: CNN.com - Historic thaw in U.S., Cuba standoff.

I will be doing the next news brief, since there is such a long time between classes! I love following what is going on in the world, so it will be easy for me. I hope everyone continues to follow the news over break!

We also talked about what we will be up to over break. I shared that my family will be in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico for five days, then I will be going to the Rose Bowl on January 1st to see Oregon play. If they win, then I will go to the National Championship game in Dallas on January 12, as well! So there is certainly a lot of travel in the near future for me. :-)

Hotel Rwanda: The rest of class was spent watching the movie Hotel Rwanda (2004). I normally do not show entire movies in class, but this one is SO good and relevant to the Rwanda unit. Here is the worksheet of questions to answer as we watched:

Google Drive: Hotel Rwanda Questions

We watched 57 minutes in class, and will watch the rest when we get back from break.

At the end of class, I asked again for any revised copies of the Rwanda speech (which I will be grading). If you are needing it to find the rubrics to turn in with your revised paper or work on it over break, here they are:

Google Drive: Individual United Nations Rwanda Speech Assignment

Have a wonderful two weeks off! See you in 2015!

Genocide in Rwanda, Day 6 - Class Recap

A look at the view from the podium in our room for the United Nations speeches about Rwanda!

Hi everyone,

You all did such an amazing job today! I am so proud of you and your effort in these speeches! It was an inspiration to be able to see how well you communicated about the genocide and the learning targets for the unit. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 21: I can identify the critical components of imperialism.
Communication LT 2: I can use language and style that is appropriate to the content area.
Critical Thinking and Analysis LT 2: I can explain connections between events, issues, problems and concepts.

Soundtrack: "Heroes" by David Bowie. Selected for today because you got to be heroes for the people of Rwanda. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 12/16/14:
Wildcat News Brief - Anthony
Setting the Stage
United Nations Speeches
Hotel Rwanda

Homework: Read the blog. Turn in any late or incomplete work. Next news brief: Damon.

Wildcat News Brief: Anthony was absent from class today, so we moved on to watching the Wildcat News. Here is today's edition:

Damon was selected (by me, after class) to do the next news brief.

Setting the Stage: Right after the news brief, I went over exactly how the speeches would work in class, and talked specifically about a tie that I brought in for students to wear if they wanted, which a friend who went to Rwanda brought back for me this past summer. The tie was made by survivors of the genocide, so I thought it was pretty important symbolism as we were talking about needing to prevent it!

After the introduction, I gave about 10-15 minutes for groups to get ready and organized, then we started.

United Nations Speeches: I LOVED these! Again, the vast majority of students did such a good job with this! The basic set up was to have a group come up and line up behind the podium, do their speech in order, then listen as the panel at the front (for your class, it was Principal Franco, along with myself) gave positive feedback about how your speeches went.

I really appreciated your effort and willingness to speak up about Rwanda! I know that the panel was impressed. I also wanted to make sure and publicly thank Dr. Franco for being willing to give his time to come see you speak. What a cool community we have at Westview!

After the speeches were done, there was not enough time to start Hotel Rwanda, so we will do that next class.

At the end of class, I had everyone (who had not already done so) turn in their individual speeches (five paragraphs) with the rubric attached.

Here's the assignment sheet again, if you are needing it to find the rubrics to turn in with your revised paper:

Google Drive: Individual United Nations Rwanda Speech Assignment

Thank you all so much again for your hard work today and in the build up for it! You totally rock! I am very proud of everyone. See you next class - our last before Winter Break! :-)

Genocide in Rwanda, Day 5 - Class Recap

My mom, Amanda Fritz, giving a speech after she was elected to Portland City Council in 2008. Photo taken by my dad!

Hi everyone,

Today was our last day of preparation for the Rwanda speech in front of the United Nations! Lots of tips and stuff to talk about. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 21: I can identify the critical components of imperialism.
Communication LT 2: I can use language and style that is appropriate to the content area.
Critical Thinking and Analysis LT 2: I can explain connections between events, issues, problems and concepts.

Soundtrack: "Man in the Mirror" by Michael Jackson. Selected because you get to "make that change" with your speech, and also, practicing in front of a mirror is a good strategy to prepare for a speech. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 12/12/14:
Wildcat News Brief - Ben
Race: The Power of an Illusion
Brainstorm: Public Speaking
Group Speech Work

Homework: Read the blog. The Rwanda speech in front of an administrator is next class, so try to dress up! I will provide a tie if you need it (or forget), just to add a bit of formality. Next news brief: Blake.

Wildcat News Brief: A long edition of the student news today:

Ben had the news brief today and selected an article about this story: CNN.com - Brazilian man says he killed dozens of women in Rio de Janeiro region. We found Brazil on our world maps and talked about the upcoming weekend (and the crazy weather last night), then moved on.

Anthony was selected to do the next news brief.

Race: The Power of an Illusion: I showed this clip to the class, which was emphasizing that race, biologically speaking, does not really exist. I know we all conceptually get that all people are human beings and part of homo sapiens, but this was just some scientific frame work for why it is important to not ignore our fellow humans.

Brainstorm: Public Speaking: We talked in class about some tips for giving a good speech. I used two video clips for this:

The 2014 National Champion of Original Oratory, Andrea Ambam.

I only showed the first two minutes or so of this in class, but the point was hopefully made clear. She does a great job of knowing her material, standing straight, using hand gestures to be engaging, making eye contact, and varying her tone of voice.

As a class, we thought of good public speaking tips. Here's what we came up with:

- Relating the topic to yourself
- Know your topic well
- Take your time
- Try to look around the room
- Make eye contact
- Speak people can hear you
- Clearly as possible
- Use your hands to make gestures so that draw the audience in
- Emphasize your important points
- Vary your tone of voice
- Care about your topic
- Be confident – practice!

Next, I showed this five minute video from Toastmasters (an organization devoted to helping people with public speaking):

I hope that all of this made everyone feel better, or at least, provide some tips on how to feel better, about the speech!

Group Speech Work Time: The rest of the class was devoted to working on the speech in groups - getting the order down, practicing, and refining. The groups are (some may have six, which means that the group will have four middle speakers on speech day):

1) Nam, Raven, Rachel, Zackary, Kendall,
2) Ben, Brenden, Joyce, Julia, Aditya,
3) Wenli, Caitlyn, Tess, Jack, Santiago
4) Soo, Martin, Elizabeth, Bella, Nolan
5) Dane, Jim, Zahrian, Sarah, Xavier,
6) Angel, Ebado, Anthony, Valerie, Elden, Aiden
7) Jesus, Edbert, Kelsey, Kayleigh, Emily, Damon

Here's the assignment sheet again, if you are needing it to find the rubrics to turn in with your revised paper:

Google Drive: Individual United Nations Rwanda Speech Assignment

Please make sure to bring a revised final copy of your speech (if you have not turned it in already), for me to grade, next class! Be prepared and confident in your speech - I know you will all be great! Let me know if there is anything else I can do to help!

Genocide in Rwanda, Day 4 - Class Recap

Fireworks to start the 2011 US Open, held in New York City, which is where the United Nations meets.

Dear class,

I hope that today was productive for you and your group! I certainly enjoyed reading over your speeches and trying to help everyone revise them. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 21: I can identify the critical components of imperialism.
Communication LT 2: I can use language and style that is appropriate to the content area.
Critical Thinking and Analysis LT 2: I can explain connections between events, issues, problems and concepts.

Soundtrack: "Somali Udiida Ceb (Somalia, Don't Shame Yourself)" by Maryam Mursal. Selected because Somalia has a direct impact on why the United States was reluctant to do anything to stop the genocide in Rwanda. Listen to the song here.

AGENDA 12/10/14:
News Brief - Damon
Hutu Ten Commandments
Peer Review
Group Speech Work

Homework: Read the blog. Revised/edited Rwanda speech due. Bring one copy for me to grade, and your paragraph that your group decided to use for the speech, to work on. The Rwanda resources will help. Next news brief: Ben

News Brief: Damon had the news brief today and selected an article about this story: TIME.com - Person of the Year: Ebola Fighters. We found Liberia on the world map, and talked about the heroic doctors and healthcare workers there. Read the article I linked to if you are interested in learning more!

Ben was selected to do the next news brief.

Hutu Ten Commandments: I talked about this right after the news, as yet another aspect in the lead up to the Rwandan genocide that students could write about for the speech:

The Hutu Ten Commandments (1990)

Again, it was not a surprise at all that a genocide occurred, with words like that being used, years in advance.

Peer Review: I passed out a review sheet and went over exactly what everyone should be looking at, as far as their papers being revised. Here it is - if you missed class, please complete it!

Google Drive - Rwanda Speech Peer Review Form

Basically, you need to be sure to talk about the United Nations definition of genocide and the role that imperialism (especially Belgium's classification of Hutus and Tutsis) had in starting the ongoing genocide. Here's the Imperialism PowerPoint again, if you wanted to look in more depth. Hint: you cannot say that Hutus are promoting imperialism against the Tutsis. That's not imperialism at all.

Google Drive - Imperialism PowerPoint

Group Speech Work Time: The rest of the class was devoted to working on the speech in groups. Next class, you will be refining and practicing your speeches. The groups are (some may have six, which means that the group will have four middle speakers on speech day):

1) Nam, Raven, Rachel, Zackary, Kendall,
2) Ben, Brenden, Joyce, Julia, Aditya,
3) Wenli, Caitlyn, Tess, Jack, Santiago
4) Soo, Martin, Elizabeth, Bella, Nolan
5) Dane, Jim, Zahrian, Sarah, Xavier,
6) Angel, Ebado, Anthony, Valerie, Elden, Aiden
7) Jesus, Edbert, Kelsey, Kayleigh, Emily, Damon

I used the Random.org Sequence Generator to make the groups. :-)

While everyone worked in groups, I tried as hard as I could to look at the papers that were turned in and immediately get them back with feedback. Here were the elements I most commonly saw as being needed for addition in the speeches:

1) Need to mention United Nations definition of genocide, made in 1948, after the Holocaust.
2) Need to connect classification of the Hutus and Tutsis to the legacy of Belgium’s imperialism.
3) Asking the United Nations for something SPECIFIC. Not just “do something.” Say “more troops” “more funding” “more awareness – declare this as what it is: genocide.”

As far as the speech, here are the directions, from last class:

The final assignment for the unit and before break is a speech before a mock United Nations, in class. You will be pretending that it is April 24, 1994 - the actual date that arguments were ongoing at the United Nations Security Council about how to respond to the conflict in Rwanda.

Here's the assignment:

Google Drive: Individual United Nations Rwanda Speech Assignment

As a reminder, this will eventually be a formal speech before break that you give as a part of a group, in front of the class, with myself and another teacher and/or administrator (like Dr. Franco) listening. You are going to need to persuade us to act and do something!

To prepare for this, I passed out a class set of copies of three things:

1) The United Nations definition of genocide, as agreed to by the world in 1949. This is helpful, because if you can persuade the United Nations that genocide is occurring in Rwanda, they HAVE to act (because that's what they agreed to).

2) The Eight Stages of Genocide. I read over the stages, but not all of the content describing them. There is a lot of information that might help you craft your speech! You can certainly talk about every stage of genocide, occurring in Rwanda, up to April 24, 1994. Here are some hints on how to do this.

3) A reading that goes over more of the history in Rwanda, what happened during the genocide, and the end. Remember, you can't talk about anything after April 24, 1994, but you can make predictions as to what will happen if the United Nations refuses to act! The reading is pages 5-10 here:

Google Drive: Rwandan Genocide Speech Preparation Materials

Another resource that might help could be your Cornell Notes, which was on this presentation:

Google Drive: Genocide in Rwanda: The Basics PowerPoint

Please make sure to bring a revised final copy of your speech, for me to grade, next class! Let me know if I can help!

Genocide in Rwanda, Day 3 - Class Recap

A young Egyptian guy, who wanted me to take his picture in front of the pyramids in Cairo. Photo taken in 2014.

Hi everyone,

Two more weeks of work until a nice break! Lots to do - today, we looked more into Imperialism and Privilege, as I asked students to think about how they may have impacted Rwanda. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 21: I can identify the critical components of imperialism.
Communication LT 2: I can use language and style that is appropriate to the content area.
Critical Thinking and Analysis LT 2: I can explain connections between events, issues, problems and concepts.

Soundtrack: "Africa for Norway" by SAIH - The Norwegian Students’ and Academics’ International Assistance Fund. I was projecting this video as students walked in - it is a humorous look at stereotyping, and how Norwegians should not stereotype Africans, because what if the opposite happened. I read the reasoning behind the video in class.

AGENDA 12/8/14:
News Brief/Blog Recap – Kelsey
Imperialism
Privilege
Speech Work Time

Homework: Read the blog. Rwanda speech due - bring two copies, typed. The Rwanda resources will help. Next news brief: Damon.

News Brief: Kelsey had the news brief today and selected an article about this story: CNN.com - Thousands evacuate as Typhoon Hagupit lashes Philippines. We found Philippines on our world map packets and talked about what a typhoon is (a hurricane, in the Pacific Ocean), as well as the previous devastating hurricane, Haiyan.

Damon was selected to do the next news brief.

Imperialism: Next, I went over the concepts of imperialism and colonialism, in the form of a PowerPoint. Students took Cornell Notes on the presentation.

Google Drive - Imperialism PowerPoint

One of the learning targets associated with this unit is Knowledge LT 21: I can identify the critical components of imperialism. This presentation was to help students understand how to do that, especially in regards to how Belgium had an impact in Rwanda, long after the independence in 1962.

Privilege: Another component of how we look at people in the world is the concept of privilege. Specifically, white privilege - a system of advantages some people get over others, that are often not even recognized. Here is the reading we went through, by Peggy McIntosh:

Google Drive - White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack

I think my point could have been more clear, so I apologize if it was not. Basically, I am asking everyone to think about how our privilege here in America (of being a world superpower) relates to our study of Rwanda. Specifically, I think that race has a lot to do with it. In any case, it was an interesting discussion - thanks!

Speech Work Time: The rest of the class (about 30 minutes) was devoted to working on your speech. Here are the directions, from last class:

The final assignment for the unit and before break is a speech before a mock United Nations, in class. You will be pretending that it is April 24, 1994 - the actual date that arguments were ongoing at the United Nations Security Council about how to respond to the conflict in Rwanda.

There are a few steps in the process to prepare for the speech, which will be given on Tuesday, December 16th. The first is to write a persuasive essay (in the form of a speech you could give). This is due in class (TWO COPIES, typed) next class - Wednesday, December 10th. Here's the assignment:

Google Drive: Individual United Nations Rwanda Speech Assignment

As a reminder, this will eventually be a formal speech before break that you give as a part of a group, in front of the class, with myself and another teacher and/or administrator (like Dr. Franco) listening. You are going to need to persuade us to act and do something!

To prepare for this, I passed out a class set of copies of three things:

1) The United Nations definition of genocide, as agreed to by the world in 1949. This is helpful, because if you can persuade the United Nations that genocide is occurring in Rwanda, they HAVE to act (because that's what they agreed to).

2) The Eight Stages of Genocide. I read over the stages, but not all of the content describing them. There is a lot of information that might help you craft your speech! You can certainly talk about every stage of genocide, occurring in Rwanda, up to April 24, 1994. Here are some hints on how to do this.

3) A reading that goes over more of the history in Rwanda, what happened during the genocide, and the end. Remember, you can't talk about anything after April 24, 1994, but you can make predictions as to what will happen if the United Nations refuses to act! The reading is pages 5-10 here:

Google Drive: Rwandan Genocide Speech Preparation Materials

Another resource that might help could be your Cornell Notes from last class, which was on this presentation:

Google Drive: Genocide in Rwanda: The Basics PowerPoint

Please be sure to ask me if you have any questions or need help in any way! I'm really excited to see what you can come up with! :-)

Genocide in Rwanda, Day 2 - Class Recap

The results for our class when I asked students to think about five things that come to mind when we think about Africa. I mean, the comparison with Europe makes the differences pretty startling, right?

Dear class,

Today is always one of my favorite days of the year to teach. Not because it is particularly fun to talk about genocide, but because it is SO important that we stop ignoring it, and especially the continent of Africa. If I ignored it, when would you hear about it? What associations would you continue to make? Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 21: I can identify the critical components of imperialism.
Communication LT 2: I can use language and style that is appropriate to the content area.
Critical Thinking and Analysis LT 2: I can explain connections between events, issues, problems and concepts.

Soundtrack: "My Generation" by The Who. Selected for today because it is your generation that can change the world for the better. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 12/4/14:
PRIDE Lesson
News Brief – Sarah
Debrief Pop Quiz
Scream Bloody Murder
United Nations Speech

Homework: Read the blog, and look at for Rwanda resources. Next news brief: Kelsey.

PRIDE Lesson: The PRIDE lesson for this morning had to do with the dress policy. Thank you for the discussion and comments! No, the school is not implementing a new policy today. If you want to see the current dress code policy for the district, here it is.

News Brief: Sarah had the news brief today and selected an article about this story: CNN.com - American woman killed in mystery UAE mall restroom stabbing, police say. I will be traveling through the United Arab Emirates during Spring Break next year! We found the United Arab Emirates on our world map packets, then moved on.

Kelsey was selected to do the next news brief.

Debrief Pop Quiz: I always enjoy looking at what we know when it comes to Europe and Africa. Here is the PowerPoint with the combined results for your class answers:

Google Drive: Period 4 Europe vs. Africa Pop Quiz Results PowerPoint

It was only fair that I showed my own results, from when I was given this quiz when I was in graduate school, and I said much the same thing. Here's my actual paper from 2008:

As I tried to forcefully point out in class: isn't this stunning? We know that Africa is a place of enormous need. Why don't we know much more about it, then? Why don't we help our fellow human beings, instead of ignoring them and not learning anything about the continent? Taking this quiz inspired me to make sure to talk about the Rwandan genocide (which was only 20 years ago) in my Global Studies classes. It's why it is my favorite unit of the year and one that I have a lot of emotional investment in. I care, and I think it's important that students care about people in the world.

Scream Bloody Murder: This was a section of a documentary from CNN, that aired in 2008 (not so coincidentally, right as I was about to teach this unit for the first time). Here are the three videos I showed in class (caution: some of the material is graphic and difficult to watch and/or listen to):

United Nations Speech: I hope that you watched those videos and felt frustrated, angry, and upset. The fact that the United Nations (the global community of countries) and the United States (as the most powerful country in the world) did little, if anything, to prevent or stop the worst genocide in modern world history, is awful.

So, the final assignment for the unit and before break is a speech before a mock United Nations, in class. You will be pretending that it is April 24, 1994 - the actual date that arguments were ongoing at the United Nations Security Council about how to respond to the conflict in Rwanda.

There are a few steps in the process to prepare for the speech, which will be given on Tuesday, December 16th. The first is to write a persuasive essay (in the form of a speech you could give). This is due in class (TWO COPIES, typed) next Wednesday, December 10th. Here's the assignment:

Google Drive: Individual United Nations Rwanda Speech Assignment

As a reminder, this will eventually be a formal speech before break that you give as a part of a group, in front of the class, with myself and another teacher and/or administrator (like Dr. Franco) listening. You are going to need to persuade us to act and do something!

To prepare for this, I passed out a class set of copies of three things:

1) The United Nations definition of genocide, as agreed to by the world in 1949. This is helpful, because if you can persuade the United Nations that genocide is occurring in Rwanda, they HAVE to act (because that's what they agreed to).

2) The Eight Stages of Genocide. I read over the stages, but not all of the content describing them. There is a lot of information that might help you craft your speech! You can certainly talk about every stage of genocide, occurring in Rwanda, up to April 24, 1994. Here are some hints on how to do this.

3) A reading that goes over more of the history in Rwanda, what happened during the genocide, and the end. Remember, you can't talk about anything after April 24, 1994, but you can make predictions as to what will happen if the United Nations refuses to act! The reading is pages 5-10 here:

Google Drive: Rwandan Genocide Speech Preparation Materials

Another resource that might help could be your Cornell Notes from last class, which was on this presentation:

Google Drive: Genocide in Rwanda: The Basics PowerPoint

There is definitely a LOT to think about here. I am confident that you can write a five paragraph essay in a week! Next class, I will go over the concept of imperialism and colonialism more, and then give the rest of the class as prep time. The typed copy of your individual speech will be due the following class.

Please be sure to ask me if you have any questions or need help in any way! I'm really excited to see what you can come up with! :-)

Genocide in Rwanda, Day 1 - Class Recap

A look at your responses for "Name five things that come to your mind when you think about Europe" question on the pre-assessment quiz today. Next class, I'll show you the Africa responses, as well. What do you think it will look like?

Hi everyone,

Welcome back! Now we have a fast paced dash to Winter Break for the next few weeks. We have a lot to pack in, for sure! Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 21: I can identify the critical components of imperialism.
Critical Thinking & Analysis LT 2: I can explain connections between events, issues, problems and concepts.

Soundtrack: "Storms in Africa, Pt. 1" by Enya. Selected for today because we started talking about Rwanda, which is a country in Africa. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 12/2/14:
News Brief – Edbert
Review Tests/Grades
Research Questions
Pop Quiz/Textbook Hunt
Genocide in Rwanda

Homework: Read the blog. Review your notes from the PowerPoint. Next news brief: Sarah.

News Brief: Edbert had the news brief today and selected an article about this story: BBC.com - Al-Shabab massacres non-Muslims at Kenya quarry. We found Kenya on our world map packets and talked a bit about Al-Shabab as a group.

We also talked somewhat in depth about the news from Ferguson, Missouri. I told the class that I would post the Grand Jury interview with Darren Wilson, the officer who shot and killed Michael Brown, an unarmed African-American male. I also wanted to show this timeline of the event based on the witness testimony, as compiled by the Washington Post. We will continue to talk about how government, structures of power, and race all intersect.

Sarah was selected to do the next news brief.

Review Tests/Grades: Thanks to the grading day yesterday, I am now completed with all grading and late work, so your class grades should be up to date! I passed out the government tests, forced choice reflections (graded for two learning targets, both in class discussion and with your written reflection about multiple perspectives and the role of government), and any other missing work.

Research Questions: I know this was a little strange, so thanks for going along with me. Basically, I wanted to see how good everyone was at writing research questions, because we will come back to them next semester. Part of what I need to do as a teacher is prove that you learned something, right?

Pop Quiz/Textbook Hunt: I will sit down tomorrow and type up a list of what everyone said in response to the questions (we just did 1-16). I know there were a lot, so thanks for hanging in there with me. Like I said in class, I took this exact same quiz at Lewis and Clark (as part of the class where I learned how to be a teacher) and was absolutely amazed about what I did and did not know. I'll share your responses next class.

The textbook hunt: I'm not sure if all of you understood what I was saying, so here it is again. In our Modern World History textbook, which was published in 2005 (11 years after the genocide in Rwanda) there are TWO in text mentions (a one sentence recap for each) of the genocide, each citing ethnic violence between the Hutu's and the Tutsi's and 500,000 people dying, while there is ONE other picture, with two small paragraphs beneath it, citing a number of 1,000,000 dead. So again, the textbook barely had anything at all to say about the genocide, and when it did, it couldn't even be consistent with the number of people killed. Why do you think this might be?

Genocide in Rwanda: Finally, the presentation:

Google Drive: Genocide in Rwanda: The Basics PowerPoint

A few things about this. One: most of the statistics I used in the first few slides are found here: CIA World Factbook - Rwanda. Now by NO MEANS are those statistics solid hard facts. I know of plenty of other sites that will give different numbers. However, since these are the official US government statistics, I think that it will be useful for your upcoming assignment (which I will reveal on Friday).

Two: I found the picture of the propaganda, "beat the cockroaches" on Wikipedia, here: Rwandan Genocide. Now as most of you know, NEVER use Wikipedia as a source in a paper or for anything else. However, it can be used as a good start to researching something for yourself - just find the sources the article links to at the bottom and go from there. As Michael Scott from The Office once said: "Wikipedia... is the best thing ever. Anyone in the world can write anything they want about any subject, so you know you are getting the best possible information."

No, it is not. But it is a funny quote nonetheless!

Much less humorous information: The horrific picture of the Hutu man (who did not support the genocide) that lived after being hacked multiple times by machetes can be found here: Salon.com: Inferno.

Please review the PowerPoint and your notes for next class, as we will be going more in depth!

Government, Day 5 - Class Recap

The Statue of Liberty in New York, which is a symbol of immigration to the United States. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Photo taken in 2011.

Dear class,

Welcome to your Thanksgiving break! Thanks for doing your homework and checking in on the blog to see what we are up to. Today was the last day of our unit on government. After the break, we will move on to what is probably my favorite unit of the year - I'm excited! Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 18: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.

Soundtrack: "Kings and Queens" by 30 Seconds to Mars. Selected for today because of the connection to monarchy, and this song gets me fired up because it reminds me of watching ESPN tennis tournaments. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 11/24/14:
News Brief – Valerie
Finish "Who Rules?"
Government Test
Shibboleth

Homework: Read the blog. Have a great Thanksgiving! Next news brief: Edbert.

News Brief: Valerie had the news brief today and selected an article about this story: CNN.com - 5 reported dead after earthquake hits southwest China. We found China on the world map (in Asia) and talked about the upcoming extra long weekend.

Edbert was selected to do the next news brief.

Who Rules?: Before the government test, I wanted to give the class time to review the reading and answers in the packet:

Google Drive - Who Rules? Reading and Questions

I gave about five minutes before the test for study of the Cornell Notes, as well.

Government Test: I do not think this was especially difficult, if you have been in class and following along with what has been going on the last few days! I will grade these over the weekend and have them entered into the gradebook by next Tuesday (which is a progress reports date).

Shibboleth: After the test, we watched most most of an episode of the TV series "The West Wing," which had to do with Thanksgiving, illegal immigration, school prayer, direct democracy, and representative democracy. There were no notes or any other requirement - it was just a relaxing way to end the class after the test and go out to Thanksgiving Break. Here's the funniest scene of the episode, in my opinion:

I remain quite thankful for all of you! Have a wonderful break - see you next week. ;-)

Government, Day 4 - Class Recap

The White House, in Washington, D.C., which is typically seen as a symbol of the leadership of the United States government, because the President lives there. Photo taken in 2010.

Dear class,

I enjoyed seeing the skits today about the various forms of government around the world that we are studying! Hopefully, combined with the reading and notes, you now have a good idea about how each system works. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 18: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Communication LT 2:  I can use language and style that is appropriate to the content area.

Soundtrack: "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" from The Lion King. Selected because of the connection with monarchy (which is mentioned in the lyrics)!

AGENDA 11/20/14:
News Brief – Raven
DBQ/Review Cornell Notes
Government Skits
Who Rules?

Homework: Read the blog. Study for forms of government test next class. Next news brief: Valerie.

News Brief: Raven had the news brief today and selected an article about this story: CNNMoney.com - Russian website streams thousands of private webcams. We found Russia on the world map (in Asia!) and talked about other news of the day, like President Obama probably issuing an executive order regarding immigration tonight. I played the VICE "Beyond the Headlines" news clip for today, as well.

Valerie was selected to do the next news brief.

Review Cornell Notes: To start looking at government again, we went back and looked at our Cornell Notes from the Forms of Government PowerPoint last class. Specifically, I asked everyone to make sure to follow the guidelines listed in the process document, by highlighting important information, thinking of "outside the box/notes" questions, then writing a three to five sentence summary of the material at the bottom. This should really help you prepare for the test next class! Keep reviewing your notes! :-)

Government Skits: As I mentioned above, I really enjoyed these, even if they were very brief. The groups did a good job of thinking of how to present each of the main ideas! Here was the packet that this was based on (a few of the types were not on the PowerPoint, like Oligarchy and Anarchy, so make sure to review them and what some of the benefits and drawbacks of each system are):

Google Drive - Types of Government Readings

Just look at the readings from A-G, because you do not need to know the economic structures that are later in the packet, yet.

Who Rules?: The rest of class was devoted to your groups going through this worksheet packet, designed to be a review before the forms of government test:

Google Drive - Who Rules? Reading and Questions

The first page has a good overview of the types and classifications of governments that we are studying. The following pages are practice, to help compare and contrast the systems of government. We will finish this next class (our only class before a week long break for Thanksgiving) and then take the test. Please study and ask questions if you are at all confused! :-)

Government, Day 3 - Class Recap

The Parliament of Barbados, in the Caribbean. Photo taken in 2011.

Hi everyone,

We went into more detail as to what government is and looks like in various systems around the world. Lots of content to check out! Here's what happened in class:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 18: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Communication LT 2:  I can use language and  style that is appropriate to the content area.

Soundtrack: "Princess of China" by Coldplay and Rihanna. Selected for today because a monarchy is a type of government, and a princess is a type of royalty in a monarch's family. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 11/18/14:
News Brief – Jack
Debrief Forced Choice/DBQ
Forms of Government
Group Activity

Homework: Read the blog. Study for possible forms of government quiz next class (see below for PowerPoint). Next news brief: Raven.

News Brief: Jack had the news brief today and selected an article about this story: TheGuardian.com - Four killed in attack on Jerusalem synagogue. We are going to go in depth into the roots of this story next semester, but I talked a little about the conflict between Israel and Palestine, and the importance of Jerusalem to three different major religions. I played the VICE "Beyond the Headlines" news clip for today, as well.

Raven was selected to do the next news brief.

Debrief Forced Choice/DBQ: First, let's talk about the DBQ for the culture unit. I was finally able to grade all of your DBQs from the culture unit, along with the collection of evidence. This was the first time doing an essay like this in high school, so it is understandable that there is room for improvement with almost everyone! I tried to go over some of the key points as to how I assessed the learning targets and how they could be improved. Specifically, make sure that your Collection of Evidence for the culture unit is completely done!

Next, we debriefed the last two days of our forced choice debate. This was when we talked about how the activity went and the answers to these questions (a one page written reflection was due in class today): What was the most difficult or controversial question for you? Why? How do these sorts of questions relate to the study of government?

I really like the debate format in forced choice (obviously, or I wouldn't spend the majority of two days on it), so thank you for your participation and reflection!

Forms of Government: This was a PowerPoint presentation that went over various basic forms of government. Students took Cornell Notes on the lecture. Here's the file for review (again, there will be an upcoming quiz on forms of government):

Google Drive - Forms of Government PowerPoint

As with most presentations I create (this one is from 2008), the pictures are almost entirely mine! :-)

Group Activity: After the content instruction, I split up the class into seven groups. The rest of class was devoted to going over one of the following forms of government with the group (if you missed class, just pick one to do and bring next class) - both reading the front side and completing the back, along with thinking of a short skit idea for how to demonstrate the form of government to the class next time.

Google Drive - Types of Government Readings

Just look at the readings from A-G, because you do not need to know the economic structures that are later in the packet, yet.

Next class, we will do the skits, then talk about each form of government. See you then!

Government, Day 2 - Class Recap

School was canceled yesterday due to snow - nothing like this (in 2008, outside my house), though! 

Dear class,

What a wild week it was! It was so nice to see you on back to back days here at school, since yesterday's A day was canceled by the ice/snow forecast. Again, I really enjoyed the discussion today in class.  Here's what happened in class:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 18: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Communication LT 2:  I can use language and  style that is appropriate to the content area.

Soundtrack: "Let it Go" from the movie Frozen. Selected for today because of the ice (at least, at my house!) that canceled school yesterday. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 11/14/14:
News Brief – Wenli
Forced Choice
Reflection
Forms of Government

Homework: Read the blog. Finish your Forced Choice reflection (see below for assignment). Catch up on any late/incomplete/missing work. Next news brief: Jack

News Brief: Wenli had the news brief today and needs to message me with her article, which was about China. We also checked out some of the hilarious responses to Beaverton Schools Superintendent Jeff Rose on twitter: KPTV.com -Beaverton students on superintendent who canceled class: 'Not all heroes wear capes'. I played the VICE "Beyond the Headlines" news clip for today, as well.

Jack was selected to do the next news brief.

Forced Choice: We finished this today - it is one of my favorite activities of the year. I had the class answer the following questions and choose YES or NO to each of them. Then, we split up the class so that two sides were facing each other. With each question, students moved to the side they felt best represented their opinion on the matter. These are difficult ethical questions and I am glad that we have the type of classroom culture that students feel able to talk about them! The questions were:

1. Giving up some of our rights (like our phones being listened to without a warrant) is necessary for our own protection.
2. The Second Amendment means that everyone in the US has the right to have any weapons that they want.
3. Same-sex marriage should be legal everywhere.
4. Marijuana should be legalized everywhere for recreational use.
5. Organized prayer in public schools should be allowed.
6. The government of a country should be able to make decisions most of the people do not support.
7. Should the motto “In God We Trust” be removed from our currency?
8. There is only one true, correct, religion in the world.
9. A ban on all guns would reduce crime in the United States.
10. Democracy is always the best form of government for anywhere in the world.

We debated to questions 4-6 today. I love these discussions and I hope that they are engaging and interesting for students, too. It's great to hear people in class say that they are talking about these questions with friends and at home, as well!

Reflection: With about 15 minutes left in class, we stopped the debate, so I could give the assignment, which is important, because we spent most of two days on this activity.

This is due next class: Write a one page reflection on the activity. What was the most difficult or controversial question for you? Why? How do these sorts of questions relate to the study of government?

If nothing was difficult for you to answer, maybe pick one that you felt most passionately about. We will do a short debrief on the activity next class, then move on to learning about the basics of government around the world.

Thanks! Have a great weekend!

Government, Day 1 - Class Recap

On the roof of the Bundestag building in Berlin, Germany. This is where the government of Germany meets. Photo taken in 2013.

Hi everyone,

Welcome back from your long weekend! I really enjoyed the discussion today in class. I'm sure it was a nice change from all of the writing students have had to do in the last few days for the class! Here's what happened in class:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 18: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Communication LT 2:  I can use language and  style that is appropriate to the content area.

Soundtrack: "The War Was in Color" by Carbon Leaf. The reason I chose this song for today is because it is all about a veteran describing war to his grandson. We had Tuesday off of school because of Veteran's Day and it is important that we honor the service of those in our armed forces. Lyrics (which I read part of in class) here.

AGENDA 11/12/14:
News Brief – Aditya
Forced Choice
Debrief
Forms of Government

Homework: Read the blog. Catch up on any late/incomplete/missing work. Check the weather! :-) Next news brief: Wenli.

News Brief: Aditya had the news brief today and selected an article about this story: CNN.com - Egyptian terrorists are linked to ISIS, YouTube message says. I played the VICE "Beyond the Headlines" news clip for today, as well.

I also showed the class this story from last week: OregonLive.com - ODOT signs $7 million deal for I-5 safety barrier where crossover crash killed Steve Fritz, Cary Fairchild. This is an example of our state government at work. Nobody should have to lose someone like my family lost my dad - we hope that the new barriers will be a big help in preventing crossover accidents in the future.

Wenli was selected to do the next news brief.

Forced Choice: One of my favorite activities of the year. I had the class answer the following questions and choose YES or NO to each of them. Then, we split up the class so that two sides were facing each other. With each question, students moved to the side they felt best represented their opinion on the matter. These are difficult ethical questions and I am glad that we have the type of classroom culture that students feel able to talk about them! The questions were:

1. Giving up some of our rights (like our phones being listened to without a warrant) is necessary for our own protection.
2. The Second Amendment means that everyone in the US has the right to have any weapons that they want.
3. Same-sex marriage should be legal everywhere.
4. Marijuana should be legalized everywhere for recreational use.
5. Organized prayer in public schools should be allowed.
6. The government of a country should be able to make decisions most of the people do not support.
7. Should the motto “In God We Trust” be removed from our currency?
8. There is only one true, correct, religion in the world.
9. A ban on all guns would reduce crime in the United States.
10. Democracy is always the best form of government for anywhere in the world.

We only made it to question 3 today, so we will pick and choose next class as to which questions we will discuss and debate, before writing a reflective piece about the experience. If you want a say in what we talk about, here's a poll with the questions (thanks for the idea Kendall and Tess!)

What topic do you MOST want to discuss next class?

Marijuana should be legalized everywhere for recreational use.

Organized prayer in public schools should be allowed.

The government of a country should be able to make decisions most of the people do not support.

Should the motto “In God We Trust” be removed from our currency?

There is only one true, correct, religion in the world.

A ban on all guns would reduce crime in the United States.

Democracy is always the best form of government for anywhere in the world.

 

pollcode.com free polls

I love these discussions and I think we did a great job of following the Ground Rules that we established at the beginning of the year.

Thank you for your participation! Be ready to keep talking next time.

Culture, Day 10 - Class Recap

I am going to bet that many students wrote that one of the ways culture both reflects and shapes society is through religion. This is a church in Budapest, Hungary, in 2013. I just loved the lighting here! No special effects!

Dear class,

Hooray! You are finally done with the DBQ final essay for the culture unit! I really appreciated how focused everyone seemed to be today in class, and I am excited to start looking into how everyone did. Here's what happened in class:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 16: I can explain how culture both reflects and shapes society.
Critical Thinking LT 1:  I can explain multiple perspectives and viewpoints.
Communication LT 2:  I can use language and  style that is appropriate to the content area.

Soundtrack: "Get Ready for This" by 2 Unlimited. Intended as a pump up song to write the DBQ essay today in class! Here's a link to the version I played in class, from ESPN's "Jock Jams" CD.

AGENDA 11/6/14:
News Brief/Election Review – Julia
Culture DBQ Essay

Homework: Read the blog. If you did not turn in your culture unit work today (or missed class), you need to get all of this in to me as soon as possible:

1) Cornell Notes on Culture definitions/iceberg PowerPoint
2) Surface culture worksheet (National Geographic photos PowerPoint)
3) Nacirema writing (neatly written or typed, 200 words minimum)
4) Time for School Notes/Answers
5) USA Culturegram activity
6) Culture unit reflection and preparation worksheet.

Next news brief: Aditya

News Brief: Julia had the news brief today and chose this story to talk about: TheGuardian.com - Former Sunday Mirror investigations editor pleads guilty to phone hacking. We found the United Kingdom on our world map packet (in Europe), then moved on to election news.

Obviously, this was a big story here in Oregon on Tuesday night. We talked a lot about Measure 91 in class, including the next steps for when the law goes into effect and what it does. I showed this tweet that has a map of how counties in Oregon voted on Measure 91. We also went over the full election results for the rest of the ballot measures and candidates here in Oregon. I showed another tweet, with a map of county results for Measure 88 (which would have given undocumented immigrants access to get driver's cards).

Nationally, here's a map of how the U.S. Senate became Republican controlled due to a series of wins last night.

There was obviously a LOT to talk about - I'm glad everyone was so interested in what was going on with the election! :-)

Aditya was selected to do the next news brief.

Culture DBQ Essay: The rest of class was devoted to writing your essay for the culture unit final DBQ. If you missed class, you will need to make this up with me in a Study Hall or after school. It is a timed write, and unless it is a requirement that I give you extra time as a part of an agreement, it was due in class - this is a skill that you will help you in the future with DBQ tests and timed essays.

The DBQ was due at the end of class, along with all the other work from the culture unit (as listed above in the culture section). Particularly, I wanted to see this right after the DBQ:

Google Drive - Culture Unit Reflection and Preparation

The rest of your culture unit work was stapled underneath the essay and reflection. I will work on getting these graded over the long weekend. It might take a while, though! I want you to know that I do read and appreciate everything you write as an assessment of your learning!

Thanks again for all of your hard work today! See you next class.

Culture, Day 9 - Class Recap

A clock in a park in Hanoi, Vietnam. Next class will be a timed write for your DBQ essay final! Today, students took a look at the documents and began to think of possible responses for the essay. Photo taken in 2011.

Hi everyone,

Today was your first chance to look at the DBQ unit final on Culture. Next class, you will be writing an essay on the prompt "How does culture both reflect and shape society?" Here's what happened in class:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 16: I can explain how culture both reflects and shapes society.

Soundtrack: "What Goes Around.../...Comes Around" by Justin Timberlake. Selected for today because students started on the DBQ today in class, and will be writing the actual essay for the final culture test next class. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 11/4/14:
News Brief – Martin
Dancing
DBQ Analysis
Work Day

Homework: Read the blog. Have a plan of action in mind for writing the DBQ essay in class. Bring ALL of your culture unit work (to be turned in next class as a collection of evidence for LT6):

 1) Cornell Notes on Culture definitions/iceberg PowerPoint
2) Surface culture worksheet (National Geographic photos PowerPoint)
3) Nacirema writing (neatly written or typed, 200 words minimum)
4) Time for School Notes/Answers
5) USA Culturegram activity
6) Culture unit reflection and preparation worksheet.

Next news brief: Julia

News Brief: Martin had the news brief today and chose this story to talk about: CNN.com - 3 U.S. citizens among 4 people killed mysteriously in Mexico. We found Mexico (again) in the world map packet and also shared some stories from the weekend and other current events, like the upcoming election (on Tuesday). Here's a link that will probably have results at 8:00 PM on Tuesday. We also watched the VICE News clip for the day, before moving on. Julia was selected to do the next news brief.

Dancing: Since I knew today was going to be a lot of silent in class work on the DBQ, I wanted to at least have some fun in showing this video, which is one of my favorite ever:

I just love how dancing (part of surface culture) can be used to show the common humanity across the entire world. :-)

DBQ Analysis: Since this is your first DBQ in high school, I wanted to give as much preparation time as possible. So today was spent analyzing the actual documents on the test and writing out answers to five of the eight document questions. Next class, you will use three of the five documents you analyzed in order to construct your essay (due in class).

Again, I think this is going to be a really helpful resource for you in planning what to write (especially the graphic organizers on pages 8 and 9):

Google Drive - How to Write a Document Based Question 

Remember as well to have this work sheet completed (except for the last two questions, which are done after the DBQ is graded), as well:

Google Drive - Culture Unit Reflection and Preparation

Work Time: The rest of the class was devoted to work time on looking at the test (I am not posting it online, obviously) and analyzing your culture unit documents to try and answer the question of: How does culture both shape and reflect society? This is what you will be doing next class as the final!

Culture, Day 8 - Class Recap

Camels in front of the entrance to The Treasury in Petra, Jordan. Photo taken July 2014.

Hi everyone,

We really started preparation in earnest for your DBQ (Document Based Question) essay test next week. This is a somewhat complicated process, so I wanted to be as clear as possible as to what you need to do and how you will be successful in answer

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 16: I can explain how culture both reflects and shapes society.

Soundtrack: "Thriller" by Michael Jackson. Selected for today because of the association with Halloween! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 10/31/14:
News Brief –  Jesus
USA Culture Analysis
DBQ Prep
Work Day

Homework: Read the blog. Prepare for the DBQ, which I will be handing out next class (the actual essay test will be on Thursday). Here are some assignments that will help in your preparation:

 1) Cornell Notes on Culture definitions/iceberg PowerPoint
2) Surface culture worksheet (National Geographic photos PowerPoint)
3) Nacirema writing (neatly written or typed, 200 words minimum)
4) Time for School Notes/Answers
5) USA Culturegram activity (see today's blog)

Next news brief: Martin.

News Brief: Jesus had the news brief today and selected this story to talk about: BBC.com - Costa Rica issues warning as volcano erupts. We found Costa Rica on our world maps to go along with this. I also brought up this recent video that a woman made while just walking around New York City: CNN.com - What 10 hours of street harassment in NYC looks like. We need to promote a culture of respect, wherever we are. Catcalling anyone is unacceptable and disrespectful. Just thought it was worth highlighting - especially with the amount of hands that went up when I asked if it had happened to anyone in the class.

We also watched the VICE News "Beyond the Headlines" clip on YouTube before moving on. Martin, you have the next news brief!

USA Culture Analysis: This was built around going the group responses from last class, in regards to this reading:

Google Drive - USA Culturegram Reading

Each member of the group was supposed to help by completing one or two of the seven cultural traits that the group chose to do on this worksheet:

Google Drive - USA Culturegram: Summarizing and Analyzing Culture Worksheet

To go over these, I used the random popsicle stick method of calling on people to share out what they wrote about various aspects of United States culture. One of the questions that was brought up had to do with how large the United States economy is in comparison to others. Here's a look at the Google chart of Gross Domestic Product (the value of all the goods and services produced in a country in one year) in countries. I am hopeful that this will be quite useful for your DBQ prep!

DBQ Prep: Speaking of DBQ, we started looking at how to prepare for your first DBQ in high school (only one or two students had done this before, so it was mostly new). I handed out this "How To" packet, that I think will be useful for you this year and in years to come (DBQs are a feature of Social Studies classes here at Westview):

Google Drive - How to Write a Document Based Question 

I used random calling via popsicle sticks to have students help me with reading this. I know it is quite a lot to take in, which is why we are preparing for two days before the test. Remember that the essay question you will be answering for the test is: "How does culture both reflect and shape society?"

You will be using your documents (listed above in the homework section) to prepare for the DBQ. For the actual essay test, you will have 8 documents to analyze and choose from to write your essay, which will consist of an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Review your previous assignments and the above guide to think about how to write your essay!

Finally, I passed out this paper that helps review and prepare for the DBQ. If you answer "no" to any of these questions, then you might need to be better prepared for the culture unit DBQ final!

Google Drive - Culture Unit Reflection and Preparation

Work Time: The rest of the class was devoted to starting to create possible DBQ responses and analyzing your culture unit documents to try and answer the question of: How does culture both shape and reflect society?

That was it for the day! Have a great weekend!