Monday, December 1, 2008

8th Grade - Globalization

Watch these two videos:

Video One
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obwcKETqv1o

Video Two
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTduBMSjTlo&watch_response

What idea of globalization does EACH clip put forth that is different from the idea we saw in the video in class today? Use at least five of slides/facts that are presented to support your answer (at least two paragraphs - one paragraph should talk about Video One the other should talk about Video Two).

You can post your answer below by clicking "zero comments."

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Tuskegee Project Super Web Quest!

ANSWER THESE IN YOUR HJ

Each section is a different character in your newscast (that is why there are four sections to this webquest).

WORK ON THE SECTION ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER FIRST - THEN ANSWER THE OTHER PARTS OF THE WEBQUEST.

Finish for HW by Wednesday.

On Wednesday we will prepare for the performance. Include the research from your web quest in to the script about your character. Make sure to discuss how all the scripts in your group will flow.

On Thursday you will rehearse for your performance.

Friday we are going back to immigration.

Monday we are going to the tenement museum.

Tuesday you will perform for Brigitte.

I. The History of the Tuskegee Airmen

A. http://library.ucr.edu/?view=tuskegee/tuskegeeairmen.html
What were conditions like for African Americans in the airforce before Tuskegee? Give specific examples.

B. http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=1356
What were the political pressures to integrate the military?
When did the Tuskegee Institute begin training?
What was the 99th squadron?
What was the 332nd Fighter Group?
Who was Captain Davis and what was his impact on the Tuskegee airmen?

C. http://tuskegeeairmen.org/Tuskegee_Airmen_History.html
Where did Tuskegee airmen come from?

D. http://www.acepilots.com/usaaf_tusk.html
Scroll down to “The Combat record…” What are four of the most impressive statistics that you will include in this part of your group’s presentation?

E. http://www.allstar.fiu.edu/aero/Tuskegee.htm
What are two nicknames the Tuskegee airmen were given?
Who gave them these names?
Why?

F. http://www.historynow.org/12_2007/historian5.html
In addition to the Tuskegee airmen, what were two other ways that African Americans took advantage of America’s involvement in WWII to push for civil rights?

G. http://www.jodavidsmeyer.com/combat/bookstore/tuskegee.html
Pick five interesting facts from this website. Why are you picking each fact?

H. Find one other website about the history of Tuskegee airmen. Get three interesting facts from the website that you can include in this portion of your project.

II. Different Tuskegee Airmen You Can Choose from

Pick one from the list below or find another one through research online.

Joseph Gomer
http://www.squadron13.com/Gomer/default.htm

Curtis Christopher Robinson
http://media.www.blackcollegeview.com/media/storage/paper928/news/2007/11/18/News/The-Life.Of.An.Original.Tuskegee.Airman.Curtis.Christopher.Robinson-3125878.shtml

Yenwith Whitney
http://www.sptimes.com/2005/07/26/Seniority/In_Sarasota__an_Airma.shtml

A. Where was he from?
B. How old was he when he joined the army?
C. What was his experience like during training?
D. What moments does he describe during the war itself?
E. What did he think about the impact he made?
F. What was his life like after WWII? Give at least two specific examples.



III. Segregation in the late 1950’s

A. http://www.af.mil/news/airman/0299/tusk2.htm
What are examples of discrimination that the Tuskegee airmen faced while they were at war?

B. http://billyliggett.wordpress.com/2007/12/03/the-1950s-racism-in-newspapers/
What kind of racism existed in newspapers?

C. http://www.med.umich.edu/haahc/Hospitals/special.htm
What kind of racism existed in hospitals?

D. http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/speak/pages/printpages/pcrseg1.htm
What are six examples of racism in the 1950’s and 1960’s?

IV. Civil Rights Victories – Footprints

A. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A0CE0DF133EF933A1575BC0A963958260

What kinds of jobs and positions did some of these Tuskegee men go on to have?
What is ‘Tuskegee Airmen Inc.’ and how can you use what you know about it in this part of your newscast?

B. http://www.infoplease.com/spot/civilrightstimeline1.html
Look through the Civil Rights timeline. What are 5 civil rights victories that took place after the Tuskegee airmen returned?

Thursday, November 20, 2008

6/7 CE

post your CE below by clicking "0 comments."

I had some trouble posting this earlier - so if you already emailed me the CE, don't worry about posting it here too. Sorry! See you tomorrow :-)

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

6/7 Webquest November 12, 2008

Preparing for your Soap Opera!

Write your responses in your historian's journal!

A. Go to: http://www.casahistoria.net/usa_immigration.htm#2._The_immigrants

Pick the country that your immigrant will be coming from. Remember this has to be between 1880-1930.

1. Why are you picking this country? What interests you about it?
2. Pick the year when your immigrant is leaving this country.
3. According to the history you are reading, why would someone want to leave this country? List at least three push factors.

_____

B. Go to: http://www.history.com/minisite.do?content_type=Minisite_Generic&content_type_id=1468&display_order=2&mini_id=1459

Look at the side bar and write down two-three facts from each section that you will use in your story (what might some of your characters do at each point?):
1. Entrance
2. Baggage
3. Stairs of Separation
4. Medical Exams
5. Cafeteria
6. Great Hall
7. Dormitories
8. Kissing Post

____

C. Go to: http://web.archive.org/web/20040217173029/http:/www.people.virginia.edu/~eas5e/Sadlier/Life.html
1. Pick three images that you like. What do they inspire you to write about in your story? What did you learn from each picture and description that you can use in your story in some way?

Monday, November 10, 2008

8th grade CEs

This week you can choose your own global issue to write about. You must "comment" it here and also use the NEW CE format! So including vocabulary words that you don't know (and their definitions), along with questions you might have about the issues discussed in the article.

Friday, November 7, 2008

Weekend homework



6 and 7th graders:


STUDY YOUR ELLIS ISLAND NOTES from the last month (they should all be in your notebook)


8th graders:

Answer these questions based on the activity we did today. Post your answer by clicking on "Comments" below (make sure to type your name in too). I INCLUDED THE NOTES BELOW - Since I have your notebook.

Did your class’ solution fit into any of the definitions given at the end of class?

What do you think are the pros and cons of each of the systems of government we defined?

Which system is fairest? Why?

Which system would you most live under? Why?

Here are the notes since I have your notebooks:

Means of production: Raw materials, factories, farmers, transportation, land (the items used to produce things)

Revolution: the overthrow of a government by those who are governed.

Communism: All the means of production (mines, transportation, farms, factories) are owned and controlled by the non-democratic government.

Capitalism: All the means of production (mines, transportation, farms, factories) are owned and controlled privately.

Socialism: All the means of production (mines, transportation, farms, factories) are controlled publicly (by workers or the democratically elected government).

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Thursday's Homework

I changed my mind about the homework - your only assignment tonight is to hand in any missing work before the end of the marking period tomorrow, Friday. Check teacher ease for any "0's" you might have and make sure they are corrected.

Ms A

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Post-Election Day Homework

1. Watch the video of Obama's acceptance speech (youtube, cnn.com, abc.com, msnbc.com - take your pick of websites that show it). Pick three of your favorite quotes from the speech. Type them up and/or decorate them somehow. We will be posting them in the classroom.

2. What the "campaign highlights" video:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/world_news_america/7707452.stm

What do you think were the three MAIN turning points of the campaign? Which moments were most important in one way or another? 8th graders can write this in their historian's journals, 6/7s - I should have your journal so write this on a separate sheet of paper.

3. Pick two parts of the world described here:
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/05/reactions-from-around-the-world/
Then for each one answer:
What was the reaction in the parts of the world you chose? Why do you think this was the reaction?

Extra Credit:
4. Watch any other video on the website mentioned in #2 (there are other videos listed on the side of that website). What does the video you chose tell us (give us a summary of the details - one paragraph). Why did you pick it?

DUE THURSDAY, in class. 8th graders - in your journals (except for #1). 6/7 - separate sheet of paper.

Friday, October 31, 2008

6/7 A quiz

Here is the correct quiz. Remember, "A" answers are conservative and "B" answers are liberal. If you need to know what a conservative would feel about immigration or abortion, go to these questions and see what the "A" answer is. You don't have to do anything with this quiz - just use it as a guideline to help you figure out the different views for the different positions. You could retake the quiz to see what YOUR position is, since the quiz you got in class today wasn't accurate.

Circle the response that best fits your viewpoint.

1. You think that the death penalty is
A. fair sometimes, because some criminals are too bad to be left alive
B. cruel and unfair – can be racist - and is a bad way to solve crime


2. The government should
A. allow parents to choose how schools will teach children
B. put more money into schools for more resources


3. You think having a gun
A. is an American right and people should be able to have one if they want
B. can be dangerous and not everyone should be able to get one

4. Homeless people
A. should just get a job; it's their fault that they are homeless
B. should get help from the government with money from taxes of those who work


5. Illegal immigrants
A. should be made to leave the country
B. do the jobs most Americans don't want

6. Marriage should
A. only be between a man and a woman
B. be allowed for lesbians and gay people

7. The war in Iraq
A. will spread democracy and equality
B. is about oil and should end

8. Poor people should
A. not get welfare because it costs others who work hard – people on welfare abuse the system and think they can get the same amount of money for not doing any work.
B. get welfare to help them get back on their feet and be successful people

9. Taxes are
A. too high and should be lowered
B. a way to pay for programs that people need
TURN OVER --------------------------------------------- >

10. The government should
A. tax the poor and the rich the same – rich people need to keep their money too so they can hire more people for their companies and make more jobs.
B. tax the richest people most - the people at the bottom never really see that money anyway.

11. The government should
A. stay out of the lives of people
B. be involved in people's lives

12. Government programs
A. cost too much of tax payers' dollars – we should find other people and organizations who should do the programs instead of having the government do it. The government only has specific jobs it has to do – it shouldn’t be in charge or extra programs.
B. should be made to help people – it is the government’s responsibility.

13. The government should
A. provide healthcare for those who don't have it
B. allow others to find their own way of paying for healthcare

14. If some poor and sick people get help from the government,
A. they will become weak and would never learn to help themselves
B. they will become better people and would help the country become a better place

15. The government should
A. help some schools use religion as a way to teach the lessons and values many no longer have
B. keep religion out of schools, because there are many different religions and not everyone believes in the same thing

16. Abortion is
A. Murder
B. A woman’s right to choose if she should go through with a pregnancy

Some of the issues I care about that are not listed here are:







Politics do/do not matter to me because:

Thursday, October 30, 2008

8th grade classwork

Global Studies Mini-Project: Due Tomorrow

Color the map red, blue, and purple for the swing states. See page two to figure out which state is a swing state (it will say on the chart on the left side).

Then go to the following website:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/05/19/politics/main4107550.shtml

Scroll down to State Profiles:

Pick Three States that you are interested in (I recommend picking the states that have the most electoral votes to give away, like Ohio, Florida, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, and Colorado).

Read the information that it has posted for the state.
You have to answer the following questions about each of the four states that you pick:

1. How many electoral votes can be gained from this state?

2. Who are the voters that each candidate needs to appeal to? Why is it such a close call here?

3. Who is more likely to win this state and why?

Sometimes you will have to click on some of the articles under all of the information in order to find the answers – you may have to dig and search a bit.

You should write this information in a neat and creative way under the map or around the map. You can write it on index cards. This project is worth 20 points, 5 points per state, and 5 points for neatly and accurately completing the map. This is one of the last projects you will get for this marking period – please do an excellent job on it – it will affect your grade.





Here is an example of what one of your explanation should look like:

North Carolina:
North Carolina is not a very important state to win, but it does help Obama if he wins this state. He wont have to worry as much about losing another state, since he will get 15 electoral votes from this one. This state usually votes republican because it shares similar cultural and social values with republicans (it is a fairly religious state with traditional families and way of life). However, according to the first article I read, North Carolina has a large African American population, and several universities and college (young people are more likely to vote for Obama). There are also more moderates and people who are interested in improving the economy, who think that Obama would be a stronger candidate. It will take Obama more campaigning and registering voters to make sure he wins. McCain will have to spend more time and money there, trying to inspire all the republicans who usually vote there, to support him.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Homework for 6/7 - october 28

 (If you are looking for the 8th grade CEs - scroll all the way down to the next entry).  

The following poem was written in 1883 by a woman named Emma Lazarus. It is engraved on the tablet that is part of the statue of liberty. 

The New Colossus
by Emma Lazarus

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame, 
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame. 
"Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she 
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor, 
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, 
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. 
Send these, the homeless. tempest-tossed me, 
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"'

Answer in your HJ - at least a paragraph each: 
1. Why do you think this poem is part of the Statue of Liberty?
2. The line: "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free..." is the most famous line in this poem. How does it relate to immigration? 

Saturday, October 25, 2008

CE #5

8th Graders Only

Please read one of the following four articles. 

Then come back to this blog and press "comments" (at the bottom of this post)

Write your NAME and your CLASS and the TITLE of the article. 

Write a summary paragraph. 

Then write a paragraph discussing your views on this article AND why you think this article is important (or not important). Both of these can be addressed in one paragraph.

Make a list of the vocabulary words you did not understand and include definitions. 

Finally, make a list of some questions you have about the article. 
This can include questions you have about the content, things you do not understand, "Who is General Patraeus?" "What does it mean to be a republican?" or bigger questions about the issues that are discussed, "how can we solve this problem?" or "why is something like this happening?"   

Submit your "comment."

I will read it, grade it, and then post the grade and comments on teacher ease. No one else will see your comment.

Most of the articles will be from New York Times.com. You need to register with the NYTIMES website and make an account. It's free and you will have to use the NYTIMES website in the future, especially in high school. Enjoy the news! 

The articles: