Amendments 5 - 9 Team Presentations

Be prepared to teach class the terminology, purpose(s), and overview of your team's amendment for class Friday, 12/5.

If you miss class Friday, it's important to get notes from a friend to review in a month after winter break.

Constitution-Bill of Rights Brainstorm

What does our study of the Constitution and the first four amendments mean for you and others in your life, environment, and culture? Feel free to use list, cluster, or web format (not necessary to write in sentence/journal form yet). You are encouraged to describe these rights in terms of your future as well as currently. This is an open-ended brainstorm (no wrong answers).

Amendment 1 Sheet

Complete both sides of the sheet on this First Amendment that was passed out in class today. Side 1 is terminology of the Constitution, specifically the Bill of Rights, and side 2 requires you to re-write the First Amendment in your own words. Bring it Friday.

RIGHTS Journal Entry

Spend about 5 - 10 minutes answering each of the following 4 questions.

1) What is a "right?"

2) What is a "responsibility?"

3) Can there be rights without responsibilities?

4) Which "rights" might you add to the Bill of Rights if you could?

JOURNAL ENTRY ABOUT KRISHNAMMAL JAGANNATHAN'S LIFE AND WORK

How have the activities and learning about Krishnammal’s presentation, group work and your presentations changed your thinking about these issues (any or all #1-4 below)?

1) Farming
2) Aquaculture
3) Land Ownership
4) Social Equity

Breakdown of prompt: What did you think before more learning in your group, other students’ presentations of their learning, and Krishnammal’s presentation?

What are you thinking about one or more of these 4 issues now?

What changed (or deepened/broadened) your thinking?

** Please, note that we are not asking if it changed your opinion or values, but instead, how did it deepen or broaden your thinking about these 4 issues.

Challenge Level Prompt (you may choose to answer only the question-s below OR add it to your response to the prompt above).

How did the Facing History and Ourselves cycle approach deepen (depth of understanding) or broaden (more connections or applications to other aspects of issues) your understanding of the issues especially pertinent to this study (India and caste system)?

and/or, conversely:

How did this mini-unit on Krishnammal’s life and work deepen or broaden your understanding of the Facing History and Ourselves point of view and cycle approach to studying history and civics.

How does this impact your own upstander values, approach, or activism for the future?

CHANGE IN CANDIDATES' IDENTITY PARAGRAPH HOMEWORK

I apologize but disregard the Friday due date for the candidates' identity paragraphs. The Word version we used on the new laptops isn't conveniently converting so we will finish them in class Friday with the same computers and then share. This will mean that the c.s. self-evaluation will need to be completed over the weekend and turned in Monday because we need to focus on the electoral college and election next week.

Final Paragraphs on Candidates' Identity

Continue to finish your paragraphs that you emailed to yourself in class today. Be sure to include all the paragraph elements (use your checklist): topic sentences, minimum 3 - 5 reasons, examples, details in the middle/body, linkers - transitions in each paragraph, conclusion sentences.

Proofread for run-on and fragment sentences, capitalization for ALL names, punctuation, and both proof for spelling yourself and spell check. Bring this second draft into class Friday or email it to yourself to access in class.

If you did not get most of the paragraphs typed in class today, you will need to budget time daily to finish by Friday.

Comparison/Contrast Paragraphs: Presidential Candidates' Identities

In class today we reviewed the big Venn diagram from Friday's class in which we charted similarities and differences of the evolution of McCain's and Obama's identities. Second, we reviewed and charted requirements of excellent "sandwich" paragraphs. The last half of class was spent rough drafting three paragraphs. One paragraph should clearly show similarities of the candidates' identities while the other two should highlight each candidate's uniqueness. You are encouraged to add and/or delete ideas from the whole class big Venn diagram to select the details and support you want to emphasize.

HOMEWORK TONIGHT is to complete all three rough paragraphs and double-check that you have all required paragraph elements:

1) TOPIC SENTENCE: introduces main idea of paragraph, has "pizazz" (opinion, hook, lead) or importance. A page of words and phrases for "pizazz" and importance was passed out.
2) Minimum 3 R-E-D's (reasons, examples, details) for the body (middle) of each paragraph.
3) LINKERS/Transition Words/Phrases: another chart of these was passed out.
4) CONCLUSION Sentence: re-states the topic sentence, importance, opinion, summary or echo the topic sentence in a new way (find a synonym for topic sentence's pizazz word/phrase).
Minimum: 5 SENTENCES PER PARAGRAPH

Don't worry about proofreading, revising, or final drafting yet. We will work on this in class tomorrow.

Presidential Candidates' Identity Profiles and Charts

In class the last two days we have examined the evolution of the two presidential candidates’ identities. Today we read sections of both candidate’s life stages to share in class with each other Friday. In order to focus in on their identities, complete the sheet with a list of “bystander and upstander” examples on one side and the Venn diagram on the other side.
After you complete the list on the worksheet by using your notes from class reading today, fill in the Venn chart with one side being McCain’s upstander/bystander/identity and Obama’s on the other, and of course any common ground in the middle. For instance, both candidates may exhibit heroic qualities (middle) but have much different types of heroism on either side. This is very important step in beginning discussion and pre-writing for Friday’s class. Please come with it to class prepared to share.

Please email me with questions or see me during office hours or lunch.

dhammons@bmsonline.org

CONSTITUTION HOMEWORK NIGHTLY 10/14 - 10/16

Below is a copy of the homework passed out in class today with 9 pages of reading; 3 pages of reading and 2 - 3 questions answered in your journal each evening.

___________________name
IN ORDER TO FORM A MORE PERFECT UNION…
Introduction to the Constitution of the United States
The following reading contains 9 pages (more like 6 if you discount the space that’s been removed of pictures that didn’t copy well).

You should therefore read 3 pages each evening – Tue, Wed, and Thu. Hopefully, 3 pages of reading and answering 2 questions an evening should average around a half hour. We need to get this background in order to understand how the government is set up and elections are run to get to the Obama – McCain election soon.

Use all of your study skills for reading comprehension, including:

List new words and important terms, then look them up in the text or a dictionary and write the definition in YOUR OWN WORDS near the section where you found the word.

Highlight main points, interesting and important phrases. Try to look for topic sentences in the text.

NOTICE THE TITLES, SUB-HEADINGS TO UNDERSTAND HOW IT IS ORGANIZED ACCORDING TO MAIN POINTS AND THEMES. YOU SHOULD HAVE SPACE ON THE PAGES TO LIST BRIEF, CLEAR NOTES. ANSWER 1 – 7 IN YOUR JOURNAL AND BRING IT AND THE READING TO CLASS FRIDAY MORNING, 10/17.

1) How is the Constitution organized? What are the main parts of the Constitution in your own words:

2) WHAT ARE THE 3 MAIN BRANCHES OF THE U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT? What is each of the three branches responsible for?

3) What are “checks and balances?”

4) Why are checks and balances important?

5) What powers do states have?

6) What powers does the federal government have?

7) Which powers do the state and federal government share?

8) What are your ideas to structure state and or federal government to guarantee a “balance of power” and avoid corruption or unbalanced power?

FRIDAY 10/10 CLASS OVERVIEW

Because of the St. Mary's field trip for many 8th graders, we changed the A,B, C rotation today. 8th met first hour in CS, then 7th will have CS after snack. For both groups we shared out reflective journals on Declaration of Independence prompts and discussed them.
The second part of class was spent in team activities around a Constitution Convention for brainstorming ways to set up a just, balanced system for a national government from the ground up in the way the "founding fathers" had to think. We will share these next week when everyone is back in class.
We will feature our visiting teacher from Switzerland and her two 8th grade sons next Tuesday in CS and highlights about identity of both presidential candidates on Friday with MaryBeth.
Finally, enjoy your three day weekend and return rested.

Declaration of Independence Journal

In class today we viewed a short video of the history of the Declaration of Independence and read a "translation" of the original language into modern street corner English. Finally, we looked at the format of the main sections in the orginal full text.

Choose two of the following four prompts to complete by Friday, 10/10. (Most of you began one of these topics already in class).

You should write for another 20 minutes at least. As we reviewed, the point of the reflective journal is not to simply answer a question but to put your best critical thinking, questions, and feelings about the prompt as fully as possible with support and/ or examples from class learning and reading as possible.

1) How is the Declaration organized? Describe what the main sections are with your own phrasing. Why is it organized in this way? What did the authors wish to accomplish in this format?

2) Which parts or phrases of the DI that we read so far seem most important to you? Why are these the most important so far?

3) Which parts do you think should be changed or updated? Why should this/these be revised?

4)If you were to create your own DI, which main sections and points would you include? Would you describe certain "fundamental" basic truths or rights? If so, which ones and why would you declare these?

Think about.....

In class today we shared journal entries about rising tensions and resentments in the colonies and finished historic background up to the Declaration of Independence. The class brainstormed which rights they believe to be important to young adults. Homework is to continue brainstorming ways you might state these in the Declaration of Independence for young adults and how you might go about ensuring these rights are upheld in preparation for study of the actual Declaration of Independence of the U. S. tomorrow.

Please, note: because the four journal topics assigned over the weekend were fully covered in class discussion today, we are moving on to this "thinking homework." You don't need to write anything down unless you think you have more ideas than you can remember to share w/class tomorrow.

JOURNAL HOMEWORK FOR WEEKEND AND MON, 10/6

In class we are teaching each other summaries for pre-United States history in the colonies. Each student or team is responsible for learning and sharing a different section in the text. As students teach each other, the rest of class takes notes (review of basic note-taking skills covered Fri, 10/3, in preparation for addressing the prompts below.

Select one of the following questions on which to reflect in your journal over the weekend and another question to write about Monday. These two journals will be shared in class Tuesday morning. After Tuesday's class topic (to be described here next week), we will use on of the journal entries to review paragraph structure and its applications for cultural studies - history content and purposes.

AGAIN, SELECT ONE OF THESE TOPICS FOR EACH OF THE TWO ENTRIES, PLEASE:
1) What tensions are building in the colonies that other students taught you about today in class?

2) WHY are these tensions building in the colonies?

3) What do you predict will be the results of this rising tension?

4) Are the colonists justified in their growing resentment? Why do you believe that they are justified or not?

NO HOMEWORK (ROSH HASHANAH)

Fo r those of you observing Rosh Hashanah today, we finished discussing 6th grade and Chinese American immigrant exclusion and formed hypotheses for why people get into an "us and them" or inclusion and exclusion state of mind. We will fill you in on these Friday.

Most of class was spent in individual research of small chunks of early American (colonies of France, England, Spain, Netherlands) history. Each student was assigned a small part of a chapter to summarize and prepare to teach class this episode in U.S. history. Instead of memorizing a lot of dates and facts, the emphasis is on the way tensions and conflicts built to the point of Revolution, Independence, and a need for one unifying government and set of fair laws.

THESE ARE THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF OUR GOVERNMENT'S STRUCTURE AND THE U.S. CONSTITUTION.

Inclusion-Exclusion Comparison of 6th Grade and Chinese American Immigrants

In class we have analyzed inclusion and exclusion in the film The Chinese American Experience. Friday we had an intensive discussion about inclusion/exclusion of 6th grade in middle school now. At the end of today's class we brainstormed ways that these two exclusionary phenomena are similar and unique.

Homework: write a 20 minute journal entry on this prompt: Is exclusion of Chinese American immigrants like 6th grade exclusion? Why or why not. Please, note that you may site ways for both types of exclusion being alike in some ways and different in others.

"US and THEM" in the Middle School

In class today we discussed "inclusion and exclusion" and reviewed our "universes of obligation" and the following middle school norms (agreed upon by all at the year's beginning): health, authentic respect, support, consideration, confidence, and kindness.
Class time was given to respond to the following prompts and some people requested spending additional time over the weekend on the following prompts:
1) List examples of times you felt excluded (not just school).
2) How did you feel as a sixth grader?
3) Who made the decision to change middle school to include 6th grade in some ways? Why did they make this decision?
4) What is going on in 6th grade classes? How could we find that out?
5) Make of "t-chart" of pro's and con's of having sixth included in some aspects of middle school.

We will continue to discuss this briefly at the beginning of class Monday and then return to the historical framework.

Reflective Journal: What does it mean to be a historian?

In today's class we placed pictures of various images from U.S. history on a big "timeline" and discussed reasons that we put them where we did. We found that there are many other significant reasons an event or period in history may be important other than the date when it happened alone.

After this activity and discussion, what are your ideas and questions about what historians do and what history is? Spend about 30 minutes on this topic.
It is due beginning of class this Friday, 9/26.

Reflective Journal on U.S. Citizenship Requirements

Tuesday, 9/16, we had activities and discussion for twelve basic citizenship requirements in the U.S. Which requirements do you believe are most important and why? If you think that one/some should be revised, which are these? Why should they be changed or updated? Journals will be collected this Friday, so be sure to complete this and bring your comp books to class. Your homework for the 3 day weekend is to get rest and as you enjoy your time with family, friends, and the community, think about your "universe of obligations." What are others' universes of obligations? When they interface or intercept, how does this happen? What might the shape(s) of these look like?

What is required to become a citizen in the U.S.?

Spend up to 20 minutes talking with family or friends or online to find out the required steps in becoming a citizen of the U.S.

You may list this in your journal/homework comp book. Make sure to bring it to class tomorrow morning for group activities.

Journal/HW books will be collected this Friday, 9/19.

Reflective Journal on Becoming American Video

Since this is due in 6 days, please spend approximately 15 minutes per topic below (30 minutes total minimum).

1) What do you remember best from the video by Bill Moyers, BECOMING AMERICAN: THE CHINESE EXPERIENCE, Preview (first 10 minutes only today). What images or events stand out for you so far? Which memories stick in your mind?


2) Describe your feelings, questions, and comments about group presentations today based on the Chinese American Experience.

Reflective Journal on Class Identity and "Race"

15 - 20 minute journal on:
?
1) Share your feelings, questions, and comments about the group and class identity charts we created in class today.

2) (I understand this is an introductory question, and we will explore it over the course of the semester). This is intended to be your first, gut-level, own experience type response -- What part does "race" play in someone's identity? In a culture's identity?

**Bring both your note/comp book and journal to class tomorrow morning.

Reflective Journal on Personal Identity

Look over your notes from class Fri 9/5 and think deeply about your own identity. Write a 20 minute reflective journal about your response to the identity chart you made and others' ideas from class. Remember that as we discussed in class, in a journal, unless otherwise instructed, you may include questions, feelings, opinions, as well as thoughts. We reviewed investigative questions to help deepen and widen your thinking and responses: ask yourself, "Why, how, when, who, what, where" to be more specific in your writing. Bring both your class note-activity comp book and your journal/ home activity comp book to class.