Friday, June 15, 2018

Semester Finals - Class Recap


Sunset over Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, Hawaii. It was a great year, everyone! Thank you for your hard work! Photo taken in 2011.

Hi everyone,

Today was our last day of class for the year! We had our final Israel-Palestine peace conference, reflection on the year, and also talked about life and what is coming up for a while. Here's what we did today in class:

Learning Targets: 
Communication LT 1: I can use language and style that is appropriate to the content area.
Critical Thinking LT 2: I can explain connections between events, issues, problems and concepts.
Knowledge LT 9:  I can explain demographic changes in the world and their effects.
Knowledge LT 19:  I can explain the impacts of nationalism and revolutionary movements. Knowledge LT 21:  I can explain how religious ideas impact the shaping of societies.

Soundtrack: "Thankful" by Kelly Clarkson. Selected for today because I always choose this song for the last day of class, since I am so thankful to get to teach you all. Thank you! Lyrics (some of which I read aloud in class) are here.

AGENDA 6/15/18:
News Brief/Summer Plans – Jalen
Final Presentations
Discussion
Reflection/Adventure

Homework: Read the blog (if you want)! Have a great summer! Let me know if I can help you at any point in the future! I will be at the July 25 at 1:00 PM coffee shop meeting with Mr. Puterbaugh at the Barnes and Noble Starbucks in Tanasbourne, about summer reading (or anything else you want to), if you are going to that! See you in the fall!
---
News Brief/Summer Plans: Jalen had the news brief today and selected an article about this story to talk about: BBC.com - Russia denies access to jailed Ukraine film-maker Sentsov. For the last time, we found Russia in the world map and noted this story. Thanks, everyone for doing this all year and getting better at geography in the process! In class, we tallied up the number of times we talked about the different continents throughout the year and talked a bit about why the news tended to be centered in a few different areas.

World Map Topics:

South America - 4

North America - 4

Oceania - 3

Africa - 7

Europe - 17

Asia - 24

Middle East – 19

We talked about why this might be and what we can do to continue to stay informed and engaged about the whole world.

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update. Here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):

I talked in class about the importance of following the news and trying to stay up to date with what is happening in your city, state, country, and world. Knowledge is power! Try to stay plugged in to what is going on, if you can!

Final Presentations/Discussion: As promised, this was the Israel and Palestine peace conference. First, we had speeches and presentations (students that needed to demonstrate a Communication grade) that explained various aspects of the conflict and proposed possible solutions. We then had an in class discussion, first in small groups, and then as a larger class about the prospects for peace. Generally, I thought this was quite good, and students seemed to know their stuff. Thank you for your effort on this! I look forward to reading your papers, as well.

After the final project, as I alluded to all year, we played the Sporcle Country Game for one last time. Your final score as a class was 145 out of 197. Thank you for playing!

Reflection: The last part to the final was a reflection short answer about how the year went in Global Studies - what you learned, what you will put into practice in your life, what you are wanting to study in American Studies or APUSH next year, and what you will remember five years from now. I look forward to reading these!

There is a fair amount of work involved in grading the finals, but the deadline to submit our grades is next Wednesday by 3:00 PM, as a heads up.

Adventure: At the end of class, I talked about having the spirit of curiosity in life and whatever you do - that could involve traveling around the world, or even just going to a local stream and exploring. I showed this video, which I've watched probably a hundred times or more to illustrate this - I hope it is as inspiring to you as it is to me, and a good reminder of so much of what we learned this year:


Thank you all so much for being so wonderful to work with. I truly loved teaching each and every one of you, and I hope you know that I care about you and want you to be successful in the future. Take care of yourselves and I hope to see you around! I am especially excited to be "looping" next year to teach American Studies to most of the class! Have a great summer! :-)
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Wednesday, June 13, 2018

Israel and Palestine, Day 8 - Class Recap


The sun is setting on our school year! This is a collage of photos I took in 2013 at the Eiffel Tower in France.

Dear class,

As it was the last day before finals, I did not assign any new work - it was mostly a study day. Here's what we did today in class:

Learning Targets: 
Communication LT 1: I can use language and style that is appropriate to the content area.
Critical Thinking LT 2: I can explain connections between events, issues, problems and concepts.
Knowledge LT 9:  I can explain demographic changes in the world and their effects.
Knowledge LT 19:  I can explain the impacts of nationalism and revolutionary movements. Knowledge LT 21:  I can explain how religious ideas impact the shaping of societies.

Soundtrack: "One Day" by Matisyahu. Selected for today because it goes with our Israel and Palestine unit well. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 6/13/18:
News Brief – Faith
Final Questions?
Clean Up
Work Time

Homework: Read the blog! Your final project for the year is due next class - upload it on Google Classroom (specific guide for what to do here). Finals for your period are Friday at 10:00 AM. Next news brief: Jalen.
---
News Brief: Faith had the news brief today, but was not in class, so I filled in and selected an article about this story to talk about: BBC.com - World Cup 2026: Canada, US & Mexico joint bid wins right to host tournament. We found Russia in the world map (where this vote took place) and discussed what has been happening there recently, especially with the Men's World Cup starting tomorrow. After that, we checked in about what students were up to outside of class.

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update. Here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):


Final Questions/Clean Up: I told the class to start taking down pictures and posters from the bask wall in order to help clean up the classroom for the end of the year. I also gave time to continue working on the final project:


You should already know what learning targets you need to work on. As I have said in class, everyone needs to have their final project address their ideas for a solution for the conflict. If you are writing a paper, it needs to be a minimum of 2.5 pages, typed, double spaced, Times New Roman, size 12 font (yes, you can write more than that if you want). If you are doing a presentation or a speech, it needs to be from 3 to 5 minutes long (no, you may not go longer or shorter than that).

Work Time: For the rest of class, we worked on the final assignment - whether that is a speech, paper, or a combination of the two. To help with this, I passed out a paper copy of this recent New York Times Upfront article:


Some other resources we have been using in class to help prepare for the final project are:


There is a few pages of timeline and introduction in that, and then the characters start talking on page 229.

The two characters in the reading were David (representing Israel) and Daud (representing Palestine). I wanted students to partner up and go through the reading together. Here is the assignment that goes with the reading, to note each perspective and help you prepare for your final assignment:

Google Drive - David and Daud TMEE Assignment

Another resource is this timeline of the conflict:

Google Drive: Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Timeline

Thank you for your hard work on the final project! See you next class, for finals!
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Monday, June 11, 2018

Israel and Palestine, Day 7 - Class Recap


Mt. Hood. We are almost to the end of the school year, everyone! The climb is close to being done!

Hi everyone,

We are so close to the end of the year! Hooray! There is plenty to prepare for the next week with finals, so keep working hard, please. Here's what we did today in class:

Learning Targets: 
Communication LT 1: I can use language and style that is appropriate to the content area.
Critical Thinking LT 2: I can explain connections between events, issues, problems and concepts.
Knowledge LT 9:  I can explain demographic changes in the world and their effects.
Knowledge LT 19:  I can explain the impacts of nationalism and revolutionary movements. Knowledge LT 21:  I can explain how religious ideas impact the shaping of societies.

Soundtrack: "City of Blinding Lights" by U2. Selected for today because of Jerusalem being a city that is so contested due to major religions. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 6/11/18:
News Brief – Grace
Final Questions?
Chromebook Check
Work Time

Homework: Read the blog! Keep working on your final project for the year (specific guide for what to do here). APUSH Meeting S117 on Thursday 6/14 at 2:45. Get your summer homework and handouts if you are taking APUSH. News news brief: Faith.
---
News Brief: Grace had the news brief today and selected an article about this story to talk about: LATimes.com - Here's what you need to know about the Trump-Kim summit in Singapore. We found Singapore in our world map packet and talked about this major news of the day (the meeting starts at 6 PM tonight our time)! It will be interesting to see what happens, for sure.

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update. Here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):


Final Questions: Yet again, I went over in class what the expectation is going to be on the day of the final, as well as what students should be writing/talking about:


I'm going to keep it simple and have students just focus on this. You should already know what learning targets you need to work on. As I have said in class, everyone needs to have their final project address their ideas for a solution for the conflict. If you are writing a paper, it needs to be a minimum of 2.5 pages, typed, double spaced, Times New Roman, size 12 font (yes, you can write more than that if you want). If you are doing a presentation or a speech, it needs to be from 3 to 5 minutes long (no, you may not go longer or shorter than that).

Chromebook Check: For a quick behavior target assessment (on managing your responsibilities as a student), I asked students to bring their electronic devices to work on the final in class. It seemed like just about everyone was prepared and able to do this - thank you!

Work Time: For the rest of class, we worked on the final assignment - whether that is a speech, paper, or a combination of the two. To help with this, I passed out a paper copy of this recent New York Times Upfront article:


Some other resources we have been using in class to help prepare for the final project are:


There is a few pages of timeline and introduction in that, and then the characters start talking on page 229.

The two characters in the reading were David (representing Israel) and Daud (representing Palestine). I wanted students to partner up and go through the reading together. Here is the assignment that goes with the reading, to note each perspective and help you prepare for your final assignment:

Google Drive - David and Daud TMEE Assignment

Another resource is this timeline of the conflict:

Google Drive: Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Timeline

Thank you for your hard work on the final project! Keep it up!
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Thursday, June 7, 2018

Israel and Palestine, Day 6 - Class Recap


This week is the graduation ceremony for the seniors at Westview! Therefore, a sunset picture above the clouds is appropriate. I took this on the way from California to Portland in 2007.

Hi everyone,

I hope you are feeling more clear about what to do for the final and feeling good about the end of the year! Here's what we did today in class:

Learning Targets: 
Communication LT 1: I can use language and style that is appropriate to the content area.
Critical Thinking LT 2: I can explain connections between events, issues, problems and concepts.
Knowledge LT 9:  I can explain demographic changes in the world and their effects.
Knowledge LT 19:  I can explain the impacts of nationalism and revolutionary movements. Knowledge LT 21:  I can explain how religious ideas impact the shaping of societies.

Soundtrack: "Good Life" by OneRepublic. Selected for today because all people want is a Good Life, even in Israel and Palestine! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 6/7/18:
News Brief – Jordan H.
Check In
Final Questions?
Work Time

Homework: Read the blog! All late/missing/revised work due this Friday. Bring your Chromebook charged and ready to work next class! Keep working on your final project for the year (specific guide for what to do here). Next news brief: Grace.
---
News Brief: Jordan H. had the news brief today and selected an article about this story to talk about: BBC.com - Dutch queen's sister found dead at Buenos Aires home. We found the Netherlands in the world map and talked about what happened in this article (related to the Check In section below) before moving on to check in about the weekend.

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update. Here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):


Check In: After the news brief, I had students turn to each other and check in about how the end of the year was feeling, in terms of stress and finals. It's important to take care of one another during stressful times! I had a few students share out about how they were doing, too. Please know that I am here for you! Let me know how I can support you, both now and into the future! Yes, I will still be that teacher in four years, saying hello to you when I see you in the halls!

Final Questions: Yet again, I went over in class what the expectation is going to be on the day of the final, as well as what students should be writing/talking about:


I'm going to keep it simple and have students just focus on this. You should already know what learning targets you need to work on. As I have said in class, everyone needs to have their final project address their ideas for a solution for the conflict. If you are writing a paper, it needs to be a minimum of 2.5 pages, typed, double spaced, Times New Roman, size 12 font (yes, you can write more than that if you want). If you are doing a presentation or a speech, it needs to be from 3 to 5 minutes long (no, you may not go longer or shorter than that).

Work Time: For the rest of class, we worked on the final assignment - whether that is a speech, paper, or a combination of the two. To help with this, I passed out a paper copy of this recent New York Times Upfront article:


Some other resources we have been using in class to help prepare for the final project are:


There is a few pages of timeline and introduction in that, and then the characters start talking on page 229.

The two characters in the reading were David (representing Israel) and Daud (representing Palestine). I wanted students to partner up and go through the reading together. Here is the assignment that goes with the reading, to note each perspective and help you prepare for your final assignment:

Google Drive - David and Daud TMEE Assignment

Another resource is this timeline of the conflict:

Google Drive: Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Timeline

Thank you for your hard work on the final project! Keep it up!

Finally, at the end of class, I showed this update that fellow Global Studies teacher Mr. Yoder put together about the children (now adults!) from Promises:


So crazy to see them all now! Have a great weekend, everyone!
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Tuesday, June 5, 2018

Israel and Palestine, Day 5 - Class Recap


I have not been to Israel/Palestine, but I have been to Jordan, which is right across the border. This is the famous Monastery in the ancient city of Petra. Photo taken in 2014.

Dear class,

Today was our last real day of new content in the class, with a look at an excerpt from a book about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Here's what we did today in class:

Learning Targets: 
Communication LT 1: I can use language and style that is appropriate to the content area.
Critical Thinking LT 2: I can explain connections between events, issues, problems and concepts.
Knowledge LT 9: I can explain demographic changes in the world and their effects.
Knowledge LT 19: I can explain the impacts of nationalism and revolutionary movements. Knowledge LT 21: I can explain how religious ideas impact the shaping of societies.

Soundtrack: "I Want It That Way" by Backstreet Boys. Selected for today because each side in the conflict wants in their way. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 6/5/18:
News Brief – Devin
Final Roles
A City Divided
Through Middle Eastern Eyes

Homework: Read the blog! All late/missing/revised work due by this Friday. Keep working on your final project for the year (specific guide for what to do here). Next news brief: Jordan H.
---
News Brief: Devin had the news brief today and selected an article about this story to talk about: BBC.com - Iran to boost uranium enrichment if nuclear deal fails. We found Iran in the world map and talked about this news story for a bit, before moving on.

The next news brief was assigned to Jordan H.

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update. Here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):


Final Roles: Speaking of the final project, this form clarifies what the expectation is going to be on the day of the final, as well as what students should be writing/talking about:


I'm going to keep it simple and have students just focus on this. You should already know what learning targets you need to work on. As I have said in class, everyone needs to have their final project address their ideas for a solution for the conflict. If you are writing a paper, it needs to be a minimum of 2.5 pages, typed, double spaced, Times New Roman, size 12 font (yes, you can write more than that if you want). If you are doing a presentation or a speech, it needs to be from 3 to 5 minutes long (no, you may not go longer or shorter than that).

A City Divided: After the news brief, we watched a few videos from VICE News, which help explain what is going on in Jerusalem and the West Bank right now. The first was from the HBO version of the show (Season 6, Episode 2), which a preview can be found here.

Next, we looked more into Jerusalem:


We also watched the last five minutes of this video, which has to do with violence in the West Bank:


After watching "Promises" last class, this was intended to be an update about what is currently happening in the region. 

Through Middle Eastern Eyes: This was an excerpt from a book, which I made a class set of. The two characters are representing the perspectives of Israel and Palestine. Here's the online version if you want to keep working on this at home:


There is a few pages of timeline and introduction in that, and then the characters start talking on page 229.

The two characters in the reading were David (representing Israel) and Daud (representing Palestine). I wanted students to partner up and go through the reading together. Here is the assignment that goes with the reading, to note each perspective and help you prepare for your final assignment:


We will continue this next class. See you then!
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Friday, June 1, 2018

Israel and Palestine, Day 4 - Class Recap


The Embassy of Palestine, in Bogota, Colombia. I got yelled at right after I took this picture. Photo taken in 2009.

Hi everyone,

Almost there to the end of the semester! Here's what we did today in class:

Learning Targets: 
Communication LT 1: I can use language and style that is appropriate to the content area.
Critical Thinking LT 2: I can explain connections between events, issues, problems and concepts.
Knowledge LT 9:  I can explain demographic changes in the world and their effects.
Knowledge LT 19:  I can explain the impacts of nationalism and revolutionary movements.
Knowledge LT 21:  I can explain how religious ideas impact the shaping of societies.

Soundtrack: "Put Everything Aside" by E-Z and Tailsman. Listen to the song here. Selected for today because a former student sent it to me as a comment on the blog a while back. He helpfully translated the lyrics, which definitely relate to our work in trying to come to a solution for Israel and Palestine!

AGENDA 6/1/18:
News Brief – Cole
College Credit Updates
Finish Promises
Review

Homework: Read the blog! Know your grade (updated on StudentVUE) and how to improve it by next Friday, if possible. Keep working on your final project for the year (specific guide for what to do here). Next news brief: Devin.
---
News Brief: Cole had the news brief today and selected an article about this story to talk about: CBSNews.com - Canada, Mexico, EU retaliate against U.S. steel and aluminum tariffs. We found Canada n the world map packet and talked about this story for a bit, before moving on.

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update. Here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):


The next news brief was assigned to Devin.

College Credit Updates: As a reminder, if you earned college credit via Willamette Promise from the Country Profile Project, your $30 fee is due by June 15th. Here is the link to do this:


If you would like to decline the college credit, you need to fill out this form and give it to me:


Please e-mail me if you have any questions or concerns regarding this process!

Finish Promises: Next, we finished watching the Promises (2001) documentary, about Israeli and Palestinian children. Here's a link to the note taking guide we are filling out as we watch:


Here's a link to a stream online for the documentary (this quality isn't very good, but it's better than nothing): Veoh.com - Promises Streaming.

Review: After the film, we discussed the documentary and the roles of the children involved with it. Keep these notes to work on your final project!

Final Roles: Speaking of the final project, this is a form that clarifies what the expectation is going to be on the day of the final, as well as what students should be writing/talking about:


I'm going to keep it simple and have students just focus on this. You should already know what learning targets you need to work on. As I have said in class, everyone needs to have their final project address their ideas for a solution for the conflict. If you are writing a paper, it needs to be a minimum of 2.5 pages, typed, double spaced, Times New Roman, size 12 font (yes, you can write more than that if you want). If you are doing a presentation or a speech, it needs to be from 3 to 5 minutes long (no, you may not go longer or shorter than that).

Another resource is this timeline of the conflict:


Let me know if you have any questions about what you need to do! Not much longer to go until finals! You can do this! :-)
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Wednesday, May 30, 2018

Israel and Palestine, Day 3 - Class Recap


My view of Mt. Hood and Lost Lake on final approach into Portland International Airport on Memorial Day weekend in 2015.

Dear class,

Hello again! I hope you are rested up and ready to finish the year strong. Here's what we did today in class:

Learning Targets: 
Communication LT 1: I can use language and style that is appropriate to the content area.
Critical Thinking LT 2: I can explain connections between events, issues, problems and concepts.
Knowledge LT 9: I can explain demographic changes in the world and their effects.
Knowledge LT 19: I can explain the impacts of nationalism and revolutionary movements. Knowledge LT 21: I can explain how religious ideas impact the shaping of societies.

Soundtrack: "Making Memories" by Rush. Selected for today because of the long Memorial Day weekend, and making sure we keep memories alive. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 5/30/18:
News Brief – Anagha
Promises

Homework: Read the blog! Know your grade (updated on StudentVUE) and how to improve it, if possible. All late/missing work is due by next Friday. Keep working on your final project for the year (overview here). Next news brief: Cole.
---
News Brief: Anagha had the news brief today and selected an article about this story to talk about: Gizmodo.com - Papua New Guinea to Block Facebook for a Month, Might Launch State-Run Alternative. We found Papua New Guinea in the world map packet and talked about recent issues with Facebook. We also checked in about the weekend and what people were up to.

The next news brief was assigned to Cole.

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update. Here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):


Promises: Next, we watched the first part of the Promises (2001) documentary, about Israeli and Palestinian children. Here's a link to the note taking guide we are filling out as we watch:


Yes, it is old (about the time you were born)! It is also an incredibly well done look at life for the children in the region and really helps people understand what is going on. We will finish watching this next class.

For homework, you need to be continuing to work on your final project on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Here is the information you need for that:


Another resource is this timeline of the conflict:


Let me know if you have any questions about what you need to do! Not long now until the end of the year!
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Friday, May 25, 2018

Israel and Palestine, Day 2 - Class Recap


I hope you have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend, everyone! Photo is of the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival in Woodburn, Oregon. Taken in 2015.

Hi everyone,

We are into our last stretch for the school year! Here's what we did today in class:

Learning Targets: 
Communication LT 1: I can use language and style that is appropriate to the content area.
Critical Thinking LT 2: I can explain connections between events, issues, problems and concepts.
Knowledge LT 9: I can explain demographic changes in the world and their effects.
Knowledge LT 19: I can explain the impacts of nationalism and revolutionary movements. Knowledge LT 21: I can explain how religious ideas impact the shaping of societies.

Soundtrack: "Look Into My Eyes" by Outlandish. Selected for today because of the obvious connection in the lyrics of the song to the Palestinian view of the Israel-Palestine conflict.

AGENDA 5/25/18:
News Brief – Neel
Perspectives
Final Project Options
Timeline Review

Homework: Read the blog! Know your grade (updated on StudentVUE) and how to improve it, if possible. Keep working on your final project for the year (overview here). All late work or revisions due by next Friday. Next news brief: Anagha.
---
News Brief: Neel had the news brief today and selected an article about this story to talk about: CNN.com - Trump says North Korea summit talks continue: 'Could even be the 12th'. We found North Korea in our world map packet and noted we did a news brief story on it again.

The next news brief was assigned to Anagha.

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update. Here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):


Perspectives: After the news brief, I played this music video, which was the soundtrack for today: "Look Into My Eyes" by Outlandish.


We looked at some of the lyrics to the song, including these lines:

See I've known terror for quite some time
57 years so cruel
Terror breathes the air I breathe
It's the checkpoint on my way to school
Terror is the robbery of my land
And the torture of my mother
The imprisonment of my innocent father
The bullet in my baby brother
The bulldozers and the tanks
The gases and the guns
The bombs that fall outside my door
All due to your funds
You blame me for defending myself
Against the ways of my enemies
I'm terrorized in my own land (what)
And I'm the terrorist?

This song was obviously a Palestinian viewpoint on the war. The other perspective is that of the Israelis, which was demonstrated in this overview video that we watched in class as well (starting from around 7 minutes in):


If you would like to see a similar video from the Palestinian perspective, here it is:


I also shared this story by the Washington Post on what it looks like for the Palestinians that commute to Israel: WashingtonPost.com - A Palestinian’s daily commute through an Israeli checkpoint.

The point here was to learn more about the perspective of each side. Our final project is a simulated peace conference, and it does no good to simply yell at the other side and demand concessions. You have to truly understand each side and what they want, in order to compromise and find a solution that might work.

Final Project Options: At this point in class, I passed out this paper, which goes over a variety of different ways to improve (or maintain) your grade on the five different proficiency learning targets that the final has as available options:


The really important part here is knowing your grade in the class, so that you know what would help improve your grade for finals, or maintain the grade that you want.

Timeline Review: The rest of class was devoted to reading through an in class set of this reading, thinking about how you are going to construct your final presentation or writing:


As students were doing this independently, I talked with everyone in the class about what their current grade is, what learning targets they should focus on for the final, and how they might be able to demonstrate proficiency. I know it seems like the final is a long way away, but there really is not much time left. There is lots of work to do during this time!

Keep working hard! We are almost done! :-)
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Wednesday, May 23, 2018

Demographics, Day 4 - Class Recap

Please Note: I was out today at a training for my new job next year as the Freshmen Success Coordinator, so this is what I wanted to have happen with the guest teacher in my absence.


I was at the state tennis tournament over the weekend for Westview! This photo is of my favorite tennis player, Roger Federer, playing in Eugene, Oregon.

Dear class,

I really appreciate your hard work today in class, as we had a work day to wrap up the demographics unit and check in about grades in order to improve them, if possible. Here's what we did today in class:

Learning Targets: 
Knowledge LT 9: I can explain demographic changes in the world and their effects.
Critical Thinking LT 2: I can explain connections between events, issues, problems and concepts.

Soundtrack: "Sometimes You Can't Make it on Your Own" by U2. Selected for today because we had a work day for me to help students in understanding how to improve their grade in class. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 5/23/18:
News Brief – Jackson
Demographic Work
Work Time

Homework: Read the blog! Finish your demographic unit work (see below for links) and turn in to the box in front of class. Next news brief: Neel.
---
News Brief: Jackson had the news brief today and selected an article about a current news story to talk about. We found the country in the world map packet and talked about this story, which was breaking news as of this morning.

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update. Here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):


The next news brief was assigned to Neel.

Demographics Work: The rest of class was spent as work time (hopefully you were able to turn in the whole packet today) for the demographics packet:

Google Drive: Demographics Development Indicators

Students needed to find the statistics for countries on the CIA World Factbook (some of the statistics might be found from other sources, too).

The next assignment was related to the Children of Syria documentary in class.

Here is the assignment that I passed out with the movie:


Here is a link to watch the documentary, if you missed class, or wanted to watch it again at home with your family. An hour really well spent:

Next, we did the End of Poverty reading and assignment last class:


Here is the reading that goes along with the assignment:


Finally, we watched World in the Balance and did an assignment related to that. Here is the assignment:


And here is the video we watched in class:


All four of the assignments, in order, were what was due today in class. I appreciate your work on this! Please turn in this packet (stapled, please) to the turn in box in front of class.

Work Time: Thank you for working hard! We will continue with Israel and Palestine (our final unit of the year) next class. See you then!
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Monday, May 21, 2018

Israel and Palestine, Day 1 - Class Recap


A sign that was in the hotel I stayed at in 2014 in Amman, Jordan, which was hosting refugees from the ongoing battles in the Gaza Strip.

Hi everyone,

Today, we started work on our final unit for the year, on Israel and Palestine (due to me being out the next two days, so you will still have time to work on the demographics unit). Here's what we did today in class:

Learning Targets: 
Communication LT 2: I can use language and style that is appropriate to the content area.
Critical Thinking LT 2: I can explain connections between events, issues, problems and concepts.
Knowledge LT 9: I can explain demographic changes in the world and their effects.
Knowledge LT 19: I can explain the impacts of nationalism and revolutionary movements. Knowledge LT 21: I can explain how religious ideas impact the shaping of societies.

Soundtrack: "Battlefield" by Jordin Sparks. Selected for today because the end of the year feels like a battle, and because the country of Israel is seen as a battlefield by many. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 5/21/18:
News Brief – Trent
The Lesson of War
Brainstorm
The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Homework: Read the blog! Know your grade and how to improve it, if possible. Next class, we will have a work day on the Demographics unit! Next news brief: Jackson.
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News Brief: Trent had the news brief today and selected an article about this story to talk about:  BBC.com - Venezuela election: Fourteen ambassadors recalled after Maduro win. We found Venezuela in the world map packet and talked about this story for a bit, before moving on.

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update. Here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):

The next news brief was assigned to Jackson.

Westview Wildcat News is here to watch if you missed class or wanted to see it again:



There was a special bonus video today, as well:


Finally, we talked about some updates regarding what I have been up to since we last met! Specifically:

1) I talked about the Country Profile Project grades and status in terms of college credit, as well as some major updates in terms of knowing how credit is earned and such. Stay tuned, as I try and work through all of the issues and get you the information I know you are all wanting!

2) Next year, I will have a new role at Westview! Last week, I interviewed for and was offered the new position of Freshmen Success Coordinator, which is what I will devote about half of my time to. This sounds very much like the type of work that I did with tutoring/mentoring in the Step Up program at Marshall and Madison in Portland before arriving back at Westview. This is a Teacher On Special Assignment (TOSA) position that every high school in the area is creating due to incoming Measure 98 funding. Learn more here, if you are interested: https://highschoolsuccess.org/measure98/

You might be interested to hear that the position is modeled after the pioneering work of Chicago Public Schools in increasing freshmen core class credit attainment, which correlates highly with graduation rates. In fact, it sounds like I might be flown out to Chicago in October to witness Freshmen Success Teaming first hand! Here is one of the studies out of Chicago we have been asked to read in advance of starting: https://ncs.uchicago.edu/sites/ncs.uchicago.edu/files/uploads/tools/NCS_FOT_Toolkit_URAD_SetA_What_Matters.pdf

What this means for you as students: next year, I will only be teaching three classes of American Studies (meaning, I will still be your teacher if you forecast for that class). I will not be teaching other classes here.

Anyway, thank you for your patience with me, as I unexpectedly have trainings on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week that I will be out of the building! You will have Sherri Kurczewski as your guest teacher for both days, which will be focused on demographics.

The Lesson of War: To start the Israel and Palestine unit, we watched this video, about children on both sides of the recent war in the Gaza Strip:

  
60 Minutes - The Lesson of War from The Center Mind-Body Medicine on Vimeo.

I asked students to take notes during this, on what we learned and what questions we still have about the conflict.

Brainstorm: After the video, we brainstormed the conflict in Israel and Palestine by noting what we did know at this point, and questions we still had to learn the answers to.

Here is what the class was able to brainstorm and note:


We have lots to learn about, which is good!

The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: This was a PowerPoint that I went through with the class. I decided to be nice and pre-print all of the notes to hand out, because I know that it has been a challenging last few months, and I wanted to give everyone a break. I did want to make sure everyone focused on the images and words in the presentation, too. Here's the PowerPoint, for those who missed class:


And here are the pre-printed notes that I handed out:


After the presentation, I talked a bit about at what your final project will be, which is a simulation on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. We went through this in class a bit, but basically, you can pick any (or all) of the five learning targets listed at the top of this post to show proficiency on, by either writing a paper to be turned in on finals day, or creating a presentation (which might also involve writing a paper), if you are in big time need of improving your grade. 

There were lots of questions here, which was good. Hopefully, students are starting to understand what I am going to be looking for!

Finally, at the end of class, we watched a VOX video on Israel and Palestine, which does a really good job at explaining a large amount of details about the conflict in 10 minutes. I know this was a lot at once, so turning the captions on is definitely a good idea:


This should give you a solid framework with which to start thinking about how you want to do your final project, and what you should focus on! We will continue to be investigating this in the next few classes. Thanks for your focus today! :-)
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Thursday, May 17, 2018

Demographics, Day 3 - Class Recap


The pathway along a Shinto shrine in Toyko, Japan. Today, we learned about the demographic pressures on Japan's population - especially when it comes to a very elderly population. Photo taken in 2014.

Hi everyone,

It is always nice to see you all in the morning! Today, we watched a documentary about population and demographics. Here's what we did today in class:

Learning Targets: 
Knowledge LT 9: I can explain demographic changes in the world and their effects.
Critical Thinking LT 2: I can explain connections between events, issues, problems and concepts.

Soundtrack: "Battle Without Honor or Humanity" by Tomoyasu Hotei. Selected for today because we learned more about Japan's battle against demographic trends in their population and because you are battling towards the end of the year!

AGENDA 5/17/18:
News Brief – Albert
World in the Balance
Review
Demographics Work

Homework: Read the blog! Next class will be an in class work day to finish all demographic unit work and turn it in at the end of class, so be prepared to do that! Next news brief: Trent.
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News Brief: Albert had the news brief today and selected an article about this story to talk about: BBC.com - Kim Jong-un's warning shot to the US over nuclear talks. We found North Korea (yet again!) in the world map packet and talked about this ongoing story for a bit.

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update. Here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):


The next news brief was assigned to Trent.

World in the Balance: This was a NOVA documentary that we watched together in class. I was asking students to write about the three countries in the film: India, Japan, and Kenya, and what their population/demographics is like. Here is the assignment that goes with this:


And here is the video we watched in class:


Thank you for your focus and interest in this! As I said before watching it, I think the issues are really interesting and worth our time to learn about. Before moving on, I showed this interesting website that has lots of different population data: Worldometers.info - World Population.

Review/Demographics Work: We did not have much time at the end of class today, but I did want to link to the assignments in the demographics unit, which are as follows:

Google Drive: Demographics Development Indicators

Students needed to find the statistics for countries on the CIA World Factbook (some of the statistics might be found from other sources, too).

The next assignment was related to the Children of Syria documentary in class.

Here is the assignment that I passed out with the movie:


Here is a link to watch the documentary, if you missed class, or wanted to watch it again at home with your family. An hour really well spent:

Next, we did the End of Poverty reading and assignment last class:


Here is the reading that goes along with the assignment:


Please have all of your demographics work ready to turn in at the end of next class, as I will give work time and also check in about everyone's grades! Thank you!
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Tuesday, May 15, 2018

Demographics, Day 2 - Class Recap


My brother visited Portland recently! Here I am with my sister and brother with my mom in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, over Winter Break 2014.

Dear class,

There was a fair amount of reviewing data and reading today - thanks for following along. Here's what we did today in class:

Learning Targets: 
Knowledge LT 9: I can explain demographic changes in the world and their effects.
Critical Thinking LT 2: I can explain connections between events, issues, problems and concepts.

Soundtrack: "The End" by The Doors. Selected for today because of "The End of Poverty" reading, and because we are approaching the end of the school year, as well as today being the official end of the Country Profile Project.

AGENDA 5/15/18:
News Brief – Derek
The End of Poverty
Group Work
Finish Demographic Packets

Homework: Read the blog! All Country Profile Project work/revisions due TODAY - Final Deadline! Continue to work on any missing/incomplete assignments to improve your grade! Next news brief: Albert.
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News Brief: Derek had the news brief today and talked about this story for the news brief: BBC.com - Gaza begins to bury its dead after deadliest day in years. We found found Israel (and Palestine) in the world map and talked for a while in class about this story, along with some of the impacts of the United States moving our embassy to Jerusalem. Thank you for this discussion!

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update. Here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):

The next news brief was assigned to Albert.

The End of Poverty: This was based on learning more about what life is like in different countries. I asked the class to split up based on how fast students thought they were at reading, and assigned this paper and reading to a group of four:


Here is the reading that goes along with the assignment:


Group Work: We spent a good time in class going through this in groups, and then going over it afterwards. Hold on to these completed assignments, please!

Finish Demographics Work: We did not have the time in class to do much of this, but your demographics work will be due later in the unit, so please finish all of the assignments related to it!

Thanks for your focus and work today in class!
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Friday, May 11, 2018

Demographics, Day 1 - Class Recap

Note: I missed class today due to taking a day off to be at the district tennis tournament (I am one of the boys coaches here), so this is what I hope happened with the substitute.


Photo taken in 2007 at the Denver Aquarium.

Dear class,

We continued looking at demographics today, through the recent documentary "Children of Syria" which does a great job giving a case study of the Syrian refugee crisis. Here's what we did today in class:

Learning Targets: 
Knowledge LT 9: I can explain demographic changes in the world and their effects.
Critical Thinking LT 2: I can explain connections between events, issues, problems and concepts.

Soundtrack: "Ordinary People" by John Legend. Selected for today because demographics is the study of populations of people.

AGENDA 5/11/18:
News Brief – Esther
Children of Syria
Review
Trends

Homework: Read the blog! Continue working on your Country Profile Project revisions! Next news brief: Derek.
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News Brief: Esther had the news brief today and selected an article to talk about with the class. Students should have opened up their map packets to note where the story was from.

Here's the link to see the latest one minute update from BBC World News, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):


The next news brief was assigned to Derek.

Children of Syria: This was a fantastic documentary that recently came out (last year - it was nominated for an Academy Award) on PBS Frontline. Part of the learning target for the unit is tying demographics in with current events, so this was perfect. Here is the assignment that I passed out with the movie:


Here is a link to watch the documentary, if you missed class, or wanted to watch it again at home with your family. An hour really well spent:


Review: After the documentary, a few random students were asked to answer questions from the documentary review. Thank you for your input and thoughts here! I hope everyone was really engaged with answering the questions and watching the film.

Trends: At the end of class, it should have been work time to continue to fill out the demographics packet of information. We will continue this next week (it will likely be due later in the week). Thanks, everyone! I will miss you all - have a great rest of the week and weekend!
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Wednesday, May 9, 2018

Religion, Day 8 - Class Recap


Today, we finished the religion unit in class - the last bit of fire has been extinguished on the unit! This is a photo of a pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, taken in 2011.

Dear class,

If you attended class today, you are now done with the Religion unit! I'm glad everyone worked hard and I am looking forward to grading the tests and getting them back to you soon. Here's what we did today in class:

Learning Targets: 
Knowledge LT 10: I can explain demographic changes in the world and their effects.
Knowledge LT 21: I can explain how religious ideas impact the shaping of societies.
Critical Thinking LT 2: I can explain connections between events, issues, problems and concepts.

Soundtrack: "Oye Como Va" by Carlos Santana. Selected for today because of last weekend being Cinco de Mayo (remembering a famous Mexican victory over the French) and because Carlos Santana is an amazing Mexican-American guitarist. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 5/9/18:
News Brief – Felice
Religion Test
Work Time

Homework: Read the blog! If you have not turned in your Country Profile Project, please do so immediately. I will be working on getting requested revisions to students who turned it in before the deadline! I will be taking a personal day on Friday to support the boys tennis team at Metro districts and grade, so please be good for the guest teacher in my absence!

Know your grade and how to improve it -  Russian Revolution work (found on this post), World War I work (found in this post). Next news brief: Esther.
---
News Brief: Felice had the news brief today and selected an article about this story to talk about: BBC.com - North Korea frees three US detainees ahead of Trump summit. We found North Korea in our world maps and noted that we did a news brief about it. Thanks, Felice.

We did not check in much about what we were up to outside of class, as I wanted to make sure to give as much time as possible for the religion unit test.

The next news brief was assigned to Felice.

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update. Here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):


Religion Test: After the news brief, we started the test (I hope you did your homework and studied)! This took most of the rest of class, but that is okay. I'm glad students were taking their time and being thorough with their work.

Next class, we will continue learning about demographics and watch a documentary. Thanks for your hard work and focus today in class! Moving on to the last new learning target of the year!
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Monday, May 7, 2018

Religion, Day 7 - Class Recap


Buddhist prayer flags at Boudhanath Stupa in Kathmandu. Photo taken in 2015.

Hi everyone,

I had a lot of fun today, playing Jeopardy to review religion concepts and vocabulary! Here's what we did today in class:

Learning Targets: 
Knowledge LT 21: I can explain how religious ideas impact the shaping of societies.
Critical Thinking LT 2: I can explain connections between events, issues, problems and concepts.

Soundtrack: "God's Plan (Clean)" by Drake. Selected for today because of persistent student recommendation and because of the title's connection to the religion unit. Lyrics (not clean) here.

AGENDA 5/7/18:
Wildcat News Brief – Max
Crash Course
Jeopardy Review
Study Time

Homework: Read the blog! Study the religion vocabulary for test next class! Know your grade and how to improve it: Russian Revolution work (found on this post), World War I work (found in this post) and finishing Country Profile Project if you have not - revisions needed, as well. Next news brief: Felice.
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News Brief: Max had the news brief today and selected an article about this story to talk about: NYTimes.com - For Putin’s 4th Term, More a Coronation Than an Inauguration. This was a story out of Russia, which we found in the world map packet, and also checked in about what students were up to outside of class.

The next news brief was assigned to Felice.

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update. Here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):


Finally, here is Westview Wildcat News for today, if you missed class or wanted to see it again:



Crash Course: Before playing Jeopardy, I wanted to show part of a Crash Course video that might help students understand 1) Islam a bit better, 2) How religion impacts society in a variety of ways. It was only the first 4 minutes or so of this video - and there are lots of other Crash Course videos on the history of religion, if you are interested!


Again, just another opportunity for studying, if you want. I like that the videos are closed captioned, because they are very fast paced!

Jeopardy Review: We played "Jeopardy" to review religion unit vocabulary and concepts before the text next class!

I told students that I would put a question from the test on the blog, in the hopes of encouraging students to look, so here it is:

The term that describes a "branch" of a religion is: a) Worship. b) Pillar. c) Secular. d) Sect.

Keep studying!

Study Guide: At the end of class, it was study time for the test. Please note that there will also be a question or two based on some of the religions we talked last class, too! This guide is intended for you to help review your Religion PowerPoint notes. Here it is:


Be aware that Google Drive makes the sheet two pages, whereas the copy I passed out in class is just one page. Study the vocabulary and your notes from the religions we went over last class! The test will be next class! See you then! :-)
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