Brainstorm PSC Questions

Spend at least 20 minutes brainstorming and listing as many questions as you can think of about our beginning research into air pollution locally. You are NOT expected to try to start answering these questions, just thinking of them and listing to bring in to class tomorrow.


For example, you might list, "Who can we interview about this?" but you don't need to start writing ideas for whom to ask yet. We will begin working on that later this week.

Please, remember your Bill of Rights essay should be finished now.

ESSAY on BILL OF RIGHTS

You just heard on the news that the Federal Government is considering abolishing the original Bill of Rights, Amendments 1 - 10. Explain WHY you think this is a good/bad idea. You are encouraged to cite reasons both pro and con on this issue, not make an absolute choice on way or the other.


You may also CHOOSE to make other suggestions to revise the Bill of Rights instead of just tossing it out and starting over.

Continue to review and study the first ten amendments, and how they are organized into four sections (see today's notes).

7th grade needs to bring in the rough draft to Thursday's study skills class to check for excellent paragraph structure. 8th graders, please, use your best paragraph structure (as always).

HAPPY 2009!

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?