Ladakh Final - Class Recap

Congratulations! If you passed the class, you have completed a semester of Global Studies! Photo taken at Niagara Falls in 2010.

Dear class,

Today was finals day in class and, as promised, we did a essay test on the Ladakh, with multiple different possibilities for learning targets to address. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Communication LT 1:  I can communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
Critical Thinking LT 1: I can explain multiple perspectives and viewpoints.
Knowledge LT 10: I can demonstrate an understanding of the connection between the physical and human systems.
Knowledge LT 15: I can explain how culture both reflects and shapes society.
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.

Soundtrack: "Kashmir" by Led Zeppelin. Selected for today because Ladakh is located in Kashmir, India. A classic song! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 1/30/18:
News Brief – Ryan C.
Grades
Ladakh Final
Study Time

Homework: Read the blog. Good luck on the rest of finals! Next news brief: Albert.

News Brief: Ryan C. selected an article about this story for the news brief today: WashingtonPost.com - Half-ton of undelivered mail found in Italy postman’s garage. We found Italy in the world map packet and noted we did a news brief story about the country. Now we know where all of the lost mail went! :-)

Albert was assigned to do the next news brief.

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update in class. 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):

BBCNews.com - One-minute World News

Grades: After the news and checking in with students about if anything fun or interesting was going on outside of class, I talked about how grades for the class (and the final) would work. Basically, the Westview Global Studies team has a general agreement to use the final to help improve student grades, instead of bring them down. That said, if there is an obvious lack of effort or knowledge, we will take that into account, as well. So, if you are an A student, you can be almost assured of keeping that grade. If you have a lower grade, the final is an opportunity to improve. I am only going to put scores in the gradebook (StudentVUE) that improve grades (so you might just see a blank grade for your final), so that I can finish grading everything by the deadline. We have a grading day on Friday, so I expect your scores will be entered and grades will be posted by then.

Ladakh Final: This was the assignment for the rest of class. As promised, I let students use notes from the previous classes on Ladakh. The test itself was four questions (all the questions needed to be answered), followed by a short response essay for each one. There were five different learning target possibilities that the final addressed (written out above). I am looking forward to reading these over and assessing where you are at! If students finished early, there was time to quietly work in class.

Final grades for the semester are due by Monday, February 5. I anticipate that I will submit them far before then, but just a heads up. Thanks for your hard work, everyone! See you next class, when we will start the second semester! :-)

Ladakh, Day 3 - Class Recap

We finished the Ladakh documentary in class last time, in which we learned that many of the people there are Buddhist. This is a famous Buddhist temple (Swayambhunath) in Kathmandu, Nepal. Photo taken in 2015.

Hi everyone,

Today was our last day of preparation for the semester final, which will be the next time I see you. I think we are generally in a good place and ready to take it! Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Communication LT 1:  I can communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
Critical Thinking LT 1: I can explain multiple perspectives and viewpoints.
Knowledge LT 10: I can demonstrate an understanding of the connection between the physical and human systems.
Knowledge LT 15: I can explain how culture both reflects and shapes society.
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.

Soundtrack: "Final Hour" by Lauryn Hill. Selected for today because it is the last class before finals, and Ms. Hill references a thesis in her song lyrics.

AGENDA 1/26/18:
News Brief – Devin
Class Feedback
Finals Prep
Surveys

Homework: Read the blog. Prepare for finals (see below)! Next news brief: Ryan C.

News Brief: Devin selected an article about this story for the news brief today: BBC.com - South Korea hospital fire kills at least 37 in Miryang. We found South Korea in our world map packet and discussed this story together, before moving on. We also checked in about the weekend and what students are up to outside of class.

Ryan C. was selected to do the next news brief.

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):

BBCNews.com - One-minute World News

Class Feedback: In the spirit of assessment, I asked students to provide me with some feedback about how class has been going this year so far, and what can be improved. The four questions that I asked students to anonymously answer were:

What do you like about this class? What do you think you as students are good at doing in this class?

What does this class (you, as students) need to improve at doing? What could you do better at with class?

What do you like about Mr. Fritz as a teacher? What is Mr. Fritz good at as a teacher?

What does Mr. Fritz need to improve at as a teacher? What could be better about this class?

I will show everyone the combined results from this after finals, so we can learn about what is working and what could be improved. Thanks for participating in this!

Finals Prep: As I have been explaining in class, your final will be based on a case study of what happened in Ladakh, which is an region in India. Students will be asked to write short responses (about a paragraph each) about many different aspects of the Ladakh, using almost all of the learning targets we have been through this semester.

Here is the reading packet I passed out in class to study from. Students were taking notes on the back page during the documentary:

Google Drive - Traditional vs. Modern Ladakh Reading and Notes

We watched this famous documentary the past two classes, looking at traditional Ladakh.  Students are analyzing how it has changed, and how geography, culture, and structures of power play a role in the society.

This is an old movie, for sure (I remember watching it when I was in high school), and also so good at going over the themes we have been talking about all semester.

Please finish your notes on the different learning targets and how they relate to the case study of the Ladakh by reviewing the reading material! Let me know if you are confused about how to prepare.

As part of preparing for finals, I had students fill out this form to help think about what is coming up next week:

Google Drive - Semester Finals Preparation

As a heads up, the top of the worksheet is incorrect - Friday is your Period 7 final and Monday is Period 8. Here is the actual schedule for finals this semester:

Westview High School Semester 1 Finals Schedule 2018

Good luck on all of your finals, everyone!

Surveys: At the end of class, it was study time (students should have been able to finish their notes on the Ladakh handout in class), as well as helping some of my Diversity and Social Justice students out by taking some of their surveys for their final project. Here are the surveys:

Google Forms - Nathan's Survey

Google Forms - Quinn's Survey

Google Forms - Jenna's Survey

Google Forms - Brendan's Survey

Google Forms - Jay's Survey

Google Forms - Katelyn's Survey

Thank you for your hard work, everyone! See you next class, for our last one of the semester!

Ladakh, Day 2 - Class Recap

Prayer flags in Kathmandu, Nepal - a region very similar to Leh and Ladakh! Photo taken in 2015.

Dear class,

We continued preparing for the semester final today in class! Plenty to go through. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Communication LT 1:  I can communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
Critical Thinking LT 1: I can explain multiple perspectives and viewpoints.
Knowledge LT 10: I can demonstrate an understanding of the connection between the physical and human systems.
Knowledge LT 15: I can explain how culture both reflects and shapes society.
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.

Soundtrack: "A Change is Gonna Come" by Sam Cooke. Selected for today because of the change we saw in Ladakh in the documentary today. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 1/24/18:
News Brief – John
Modern Ladakh

Reading Analysis
Work Time

Homework: Read the blog. Continue preparing for your finals! Next news brief: Devin.

News Brief: John selected an article about this story for the news brief today: BBC.com - Afghanistan attack: Save the Children suspends programmes. We found Afghanistan in our world map packet and talked about this story for a bit, as well as how important charity work is in such war torn regions as this one.

Devin was selected to do the next news brief.

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):

BBCNews.com - One-minute World News

Modern Ladakh: Next, we continues with the final unit of the semester. Here is the reading packet I passed out in class last week. Students were taking notes on the second (pages 4-6) section, about modern Ladakh:

Google Drive - Traditional vs. Modern Ladakh Reading and Notes

We watched the second part of this famous documentary, looking at traditional Ladakh (starting at about 24:45 in and finishing the rest of the video). Students are analyzing how the region has changed, and how geography, culture, and structures of power play a role in the society since the modernization of Ladakh.

This is an old documentary, for sure (I remember watching it when I was in high school), and also so good at going over the themes we have been talking about all semester. We will pick back up next class with our final day of preparation before finals, when I will give students time to read through the rest of the handout and complete the note taking sections. Thanks for your hard work here! See you next class, for our last class before finals!

"Night" Open Wall - Class Recap

Today in class, we opened the walls so it was one big classroom with Mr. Puterbaugh, and talked about "Night" themes! This is a photo of Long Beach, California at night.

Hello everyone,

I enjoyed opening the walls up to have one big class together! Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Behavior LT 1:  I can manage my responsibilities as a student.
Behavior LT 2:  I can self-direct my learning.
Behavior LT 3: I can communicate and work effectively within a team or group.

Soundtrack: "Another Brick in the Wall (Part II)" by Pink Floyd. Selected for today because we took down the wall between the two classrooms! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 1/22/18:
Wildcat News Brief – Max
Open Walls
"Night" Theme Work

Homework: Read the blog. Continue preparing for all of your finals! Next news brief: John.

News Brief: Max selected an article about this story for the news brief today: BBC.com - Mysterious Dead Sea Scroll deciphered in Israel. We talked about this story for a little bit and found Israel in our world maps, before moving on.

John was selected to do the next news brief.

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):

BBCNews.com - One-minute World News

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

Open Walls/"Night" Theme Work: After the news brief, we opened the walls so that we could be one big classroom with Mr. Puterbaugh's room. Here is the lesson on "Night" themes that we went through, as we had students working in small groups to identify themes and quotes from specific chapters:

Google Drive - "Night" Theme Work Presentation

Next class, we will get back to preparing for the Global Studies final, but it was definitely fun to be together as a whole group today in class! See you on Wednesday!

Ladakh, Day 1 - Class Recap

Today, we started preparing for our final unit of the semester, which features many of the learning targets that we have worked on this year. We will be looking at a region of India - this is a photo that I took at the Taj Mahal on Spring Break of 2015!

Hi everyone,

We began preparing for the semester final today in class! As such, there is a lot to talk about. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Communication LT 1:  I can communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
Critical Thinking LT 1: I can explain multiple perspectives and viewpoints.
Knowledge LT 10: I can demonstrate an understanding of the connection between the physical and human systems.
Knowledge LT 15: I can explain how culture both reflects and shapes society.
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.

Soundtrack: "Video" by India Arie. Selected for today because we watched a couple of videos in class, and because we are learning more about a region of India! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 1/18/18:
News Brief – Brin
Seminar Debrief
Final Unit
Traditional Ladakh

Homework: Read the blog. All late/missing/revised work is due by this Friday! Next news brief: Max.

News Brief: Brin selected an article about this story for the news brief today: BBC.com - Kazakhstan bus fire kills 52 with few survivors. We talked briefly about this horrific crash and a bit about the geography of the region, before moving on.

Max was selected to do the next news brief.

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):

BBCNews.com - One-minute World News

Seminar Debrief: I wanted to talk a little about how the Socratic Seminar on the Rise of Hitler reading went last class. I was super pleased with how students were able to take control and lead the discussion! I also randomly chose a few students today in class to give their opinion on the activity. It did seem like the consensus was that it was worthwhile and interesting, so I will look for ways to incorporate it again in the future!

I also told everyone that the Behavior Learning Target grades (students did a self assessment for this in class today) for the mini-unit on the Holocaust will be in the grade book soon and can be looked at on StudentVUE. I think it is a good indication of where everyone is at! Thank you for participating!

Final Unit: As I explained in class, your final will be based on a case study of what happened in Ladakh, which is an region in India. Students will be asked to write about many different aspects of the Ladakh, using almost all of the learning targets we have been through this semester. To begin with this process, I asked students to make a grid in their notes to practice what we would be doing later in class. The four learning targets are: Location and Region (where is it? what is it like?), Human and Physical Systems (how does it work?), Culture (Surface and Deep Characteristics), and Structures of Power (Government and Economic Systems). Here is the video we practiced with:

This is a similar region as Ladakh, and with similar sorts of issues with a new road being built!

Traditional Ladakh: Next, we started with the actual final unit. Here is the reading packet I passed out in class. Students were taking notes on the first section, about traditional Ladakh:

Google Drive - Traditional vs. Modern Ladakh Reading and Notes

We watched the first part of this famous documentary, looking at traditional Ladakh (through about 24:45 in, before stopping).  Students are analyzing how the region has changed, and how geography, culture, and structures of power play a role in the society.

This is an old movie, for sure (I remember watching it when I was in high school), and also so good at going over the themes we have been talking about all semester. We will pick back up next week with learning about Modern Ladakh!

The Holocaust, Day 4 - Class Recap

A quote on the wall of the Miami Holocaust Memorial. Our discussion today in class had a large part to do with whether or not we believe something like this could happen again. Photo taken in 2011.

Dear class,

This was a somewhat challenging day for me as a teacher, to try and give control over to student discussion without teacher intervention. Although there were points where it was quiet and awkward, I still think almost everyone did well and that the conversation was productive. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Behavior LT 1:  I can manage my responsibilities as a student.
Behavior LT 2:  I can self-direct my learning.
Behavior LT 3: I can communicate and work effectively within a team or group.

Soundtrack: "Talk" by Coldplay. Selected for today because most of the class was made up of students talking about the rise of Hitler and whether or not it could happen again. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 1/16/18:
Wildcat News Brief – Ashley
The Path to Nazi Genocide
Socratic Seminar
Debrief

Homework: Read the blog. All late/missing/revised work due by this Friday! Next news brief: Brin.

News Brief: Ashley selected an article about this story for the news brief today: BBC.com - Venezuela helicopter pilot Oscar Pérez killed in raid. We talked about this story for a little bit and tried to determine what was happening, before moving on.

Brin was selected to do the next news brief.

Mr. Puterbaugh sent me this article to talk about with the class, as well, and I said I would link to it on the blog: NYTimes.com - German Idea to Fight Anti-Semitism: Make Immigrants Tour Concentration Camps. What do you think of this idea?

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):

BBCNews.com - One-minute World News

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

The Path to Nazi Genocide: To finish preparing for the discussion in class, we watched the following film from the National Holocaust Memorial Museum, which aims to place many of the events and issues that we learned about into a concise documentary (students had been asking for something like this in class):

As students were watching, I encouraged notes to be taken on questions that came up, as well as connections to what we have already talked about with the unit.

Socratic Seminar: Next, we had the discussion that we started preparing for last class. This was the first time we have attempted to do this in class, and I think it went really well! I was proud of everyone participating.

This was the reading that we were discussing in class:

Google Drive - Could Hitler Happen Again Reading

The questions and answers that I wanted the class to do in preparation for the discussion on this were:

1) What happened so that Hitler could get power?

2) Make three discussion questions (not yes or no answers) about the reading. Try to base your questions on specific quotes from the reading.

To help with this, I passed out these tips for helping the conversation flow:

Google Drive - Socratic Seminar Tips

I explained that I wanted the discussion to be student led and directed, and then I tried to get out of the conversation as much as possible. Overall, I was pleased with the conversation and I think you touched on some really important issues and questions! Thanks for being willing to participate. We ended with this, due to time. See you next class!

The Holocaust, Day 3 - Class Recap

The Boston Holocaust Memorial was one of the most powerful I have seen. As you walk through the glass, steam comes up from the grates, and names of people that were killed in various concentration camps are on the sides of the glass. Photo taken in 2013.

Hi everyone,

We are getting closer and closer to finals! Just a couple of more weeks to go. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Behavior LT 1:  I can manage my responsibilities as a student.
Behavior LT 2:  I can self-direct my learning.
Behavior LT 3: I can communicate and work effectively within a team or group.

Soundtrack: "Pride (In the Name of Love)" by U2. Selected for today because the song is in large part about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who we honor on Monday with a day of service! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 1/11/18:
News Brief – Ellie
Finish Group Activity
Rise of Hitler

Socratic Seminar Prep

Homework: Read the blog. Finish reading the Could Hitler Happen Again article and making 3 discussion questions for next class. Next news brief: Ashley.

News Brief: Ellie selected an article about this story to bring in: NYTimes.com - Another Search Begins for Long-Missing Malaysian Airliner. We found Malayisa on our world maps and noted that we talked about it with some of the details of this story.

I also read a quote from Elie Wiesel's Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech at the start of class, as it connects to our unit and your reading of his book "Night" next door with Mr. Puterbaugh.

Ashley was selected to do the next news brief.

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):

BBCNews.com - One-minute World News

Finish Group Activity: After the news, we finished the group activity from last class. Instead of just giving students a reading, I though this was a more interesting way for everyone to learn (and move around, and talk with each other) about some key figures and events in Nazi Germany. Here is the assignment that students filled out:

Google Drive - Nazi Group Activity Assignment

And here is the document of different events and people that students were learning about, in terms of their importance in helping the Nazi government establish and maintain power (the knowledge target for the unit):

Google Drive - Nazi Group Activity Roles

Thanks for doing a good job with this activity!

Rise of Hitler: I asked how the Holocaust was possible, and if we could consider something like this happening to us - either as the Nazis or the persecuted people. I think it is hard to consider ourselves capable of such horrific acts. Which is why the Stanford Prison Experiment is so famous. Basically, it was a psychological experiment based on assigning roles to Stanford students (really smart people) - either as "prison" guards or prisoners. The prisoners were taken and not allowed out for six days (until the experiment ended early). The prison guards turned into awful, terrible people. Here's the clip we watched in class (there are many others out there - do a search if you want to learn more):

After the clip, I came back to the idea of wondering if something like the Holocaust could happen again. It's a difficult question for historians, and for people in general. We want to believe that people are good. If we aren't careful about learning the history and psychology to combat it, I think there is a better chance of something like this happening again.

Another psychological experiment that is very famous for its connection to how the Holocaust happened is the Milgram Experiment. A modern day version of the experiment is what I showed in class, here:

With these ideas in mind, I passed out this reading, which has to do with how the Nazi political party and Hitler came to power in Germany, and if something like it could happen again:

Google Drive - Could Hitler Happen Again Reading

The questions and answers that I wanted the class to do in preparation for a discussion next class on this were:

1) What happened so that Hitler and the Nazis could establish power and commit the atrocities of the Holocaust? Could this happen again?

2) Make three discussion questions (not yes or no answers) about the reading. Try to base your questions on specific quotes from the reading and grounded in reality (NOT: what if World War II never happened?).

Socratic Seminar Prep: Next class, we will have a graded (on the behavior targets) discussion on the Rise of Hitler reading, so I wanted to go over how that will work.

Two blog exclusive items that will help in this:

Google Drive: Socratic Seminar Self-Assessment

To go along with the preparation, here are some tips on how a good Socratic Seminar works (it is my hope to sit back and let students run the discussion, so that it is more authentic with participation):

Google Drive: Socratic Seminar Tips

The rest of class was devoted to reading the article and preparing discussion questions. Next class, I am hoping that we can have an interesting, student led discussion on the article and the questions it generates - specifically about if this could possibly happen again.

Thank you for your hard work, everyone! See you next class.

The Holocaust, Day 2 - Class Recap

The barbed wire around Auschwitz I in Poland. Photo taken in 2013.

Hi everyone,

Today was another day looking into more depth on the Holocaust genocide. I showed some of my pictures from visiting Auschwitz in 2013, we finished the textbook work, and began a group activity. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Behavior LT 2: I can self-direct my learning.

Soundtrack: "Rebel Rebel" by David Bowie. Selected for today because of the people that rebelled against the Nazis during the Holocaust. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 1/9/18:
News Brief – Ella
Photos from Auschwitz
Finish Textbook Work
Group Activity

Homework: Read the blog. Check your updated grades and know what to do to improve! Next news brief: Ellie.

News Brief: Ella had the news brief today and selected this story to talk about: OZY.com - Rising in the Middle East: Forced Labor From Africa. We found the United Arab Emirates (the article references Dubai) in the world map packet and discussed this story, before moving on to talk about what students were up to outside of class.

Ellie was selected for the next news brief.

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):

BBCNews.com - One-minute World News

Photos from Auschwitz: After the news brief, I showed students photos from my visit to Auschwitz in the summer of 2013. I wanted everyone to see what it actually looks like, and explain what it was like to visit there. Hopefully this was interesting! I would highly encourage anyone interested in history to visit at some point. It was incredibly powerful and horrifying.

Textbook Work: We finished going through the Modern World History textbook and what it has to say about the Holocaust on pages, 502-505. The assigned work in class was:

Summarize the two sections: The Holocaust Begins + The Final Solution

Write out vocab definitions (words in blue)

Complete questions 1-8 at the end of the Chapter (page 505).

After about 15 minutes of work, we went over the answers together, as I randomly called on students. Keep these papers - they will help you with understanding the vocabulary in the unit and in our upcoming discussion!

Group Activity: This is a teaching activity where students take on the persona of a historical figure or event. In this case, there were eleven different people or events to talk about. I asked that students go around the room talking about their person or event. Here is the worksheet that goes along with this:

Google Drive: Nazi Group Activity Assignment

The directions were to:
1) Write the event or name of the person you were interviewing down on the left column.
2) Write the top 3 most important elements of the story on the slip of paper.
3) Write how you think the Nazis used the person or event to establish or maintain power.

We did not completely finish this in class, so next time, we will talk about where we ended up and go over the events and people together. Thank you for treating this activity with respect. See you next class!

The Holocaust, Day 1 - Class Recap

Auschwitz II in 2013. The chimneys are the only remainder of much of the camp.

Dear class,

Welcome back from Winter Break! Since everyone is going to be reading "Night" in Mr. Puterbaugh's class, I thought it was especially important to go over some of the basics of the Holocaust in class. Today was our first day looking more in depth at what happened. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Behavior LT 2: I can self-direct my learning.

Soundtrack: "Welcome Back" by Ma$e. Selected for today for obvious reasons. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 1/5/18:
News Brief – Mr. Fritz
Finish Hotel Rwanda
The Holocaust
Textbook Work/Grade Checks

Homework: Read the blog. Check your updated grades and know what to do to improve! Next news brief: Ella.

News Brief: I had the news brief today due to the long break and selected an article about this story to talk about: BBC.com - Iran protests pose an unpredictable challenge for authorities. We talked for a while in class about Iran, in terms of what is happening there and why.

I also talked about the reason I was absent from school just before Winter Break started: my uncle and aunt were killed in a bus accident in Mexico that made the news, here: WashingtonPost.com - Americans among 12 killed in bus crash during Mexican cruise excursion. After my dad's death, I became even closer with my Uncle Andy and Aunt Jody, so their deaths are especially hard to fathom, as well. The memorial service for both of them is this Saturday in Olympia, Washington. It was a very challenging break, for sure. I appreciate everyone's kindness and understanding during this time.

Ella was selected to do the next news brief.

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):

BBCNews.com - One-minute World News

I also asked about the break and what people were up to, before moving on.

Finish Hotel Rwanda: We finally were able to completely finish the movie today! Here is the worksheet of questions to answer as we watched:

Google Drive: Hotel Rwanda Questions

I hope you enjoyed the film and found it powerful. I've now seen it dozens of times and I am always struck by how good it is - especially about showing the stages of genocide. Thank you for your focus and attention here!

The Holocaust: Again, I think it is really important that I not gloss over the history here (especially with Mr. Puterbaugh teaching Night next door), so we began looking at the Holocaust in depth today. To begin, I asked students to make the Cornell Notes template on a blank sheet of paper (if they wanted to), then went through this PowerPoint:

Google Drive: The Holocaust Overview PowerPoint

All of the pictures in the PowerPoint are from my own travels. I made sure to try and explain each slide in depth and I was happy to try and answer all of the questions from the class.

Along with the PowerPoint, here are two extra resources for the blog. A map of the concentration camps and death camps in Europe, along with some statistics about the Holocaust:

Google Drive: Concentration Camp Map and Holocaust Statistics

And, a timeline of the Holocaust and a "Pyramid of Hate":

Google Drive: Holocaust Timeline and Pyramid of Hate

All of these are resources that should help you better understand the Holocaust and what Mr. Puterbaugh has been teaching you through "Night."

Textbook Work: Near the end of class, we started looking at the Modern World History textbook and what it has to say about the Holocaust. A mere four total pages, 502-505! That said, it does have a quote from Night at the end, and I did use it to reinforce the vocabulary terms and concepts. The assigned work in class (we will finish next class and go over it together) was:

Summarize the two sections: The Holocaust Begins + The Final Solution

Write out vocab definitions (words in blue)

Complete questions 1-8 at the end of the Chapter (page 505).

That was where we ended for the day. Next class, you will finish the work in the textbook, go over some more information about the Holocaust and how it relates to our lives today, as well as learn about how the Nazi party rose to power.

Grade Checks: At the end of class, I went through everyone's grades on a 1-1 basis, so you should know exactly where you are at in the class. I also talked about your Rwanda speech grades in class, which have been posted. Here was the comment online that I included: Thank you for your hard work on your individual Rwanda speech! Your grades have been entered in StudentVUE. Some main points.

1) If you did not address imperialism in Rwanda at all, you received a score of 1 on that target. If your description was unclear or needed more detail, that is how you can improve.
2) The communication target was the score for how well your individual paper followed the format we talked about in class with a thesis statement, five paragraphs, with introduction and conclusion.
3) The critical thinking/multiple perspectives target was for talking about the United Nations own definition of genocide, and talking about the perspective of the people of Rwanda during the genocide in your written speech.

If you have individual questions, I would be happy to answer them in person (I will try to conference with everyone in class as we get closer to the end of the semester). As with any assignment, you can always revise it (or resubmit it, if you haven't turned it in) to demonstrate a higher level of proficiency, if needed.

Please make sure you are working on any missing or late work that you need to revise! Let me know if I can help with anything!