Field Trip Reminder

Just a quick reminder, we'll be leaving school immediately after first period tomorrow so be ready to go in the front lobby at 9.05a sharp! Bring your journal, something to write with, and some money for lunch. It should be a fascinating visit.

Class Calendar: April 6th to April 17th

Monday, April 6th (S)
• Due: First blog post on Night.
• Class: Second lesson on Bosnia; brief debrief on Mrs. Mazmanian’s visit.

Note: I need remaining permission slips right away or I can’t take you on the trip!

Tuesday, April 7th (U)
• Due: In your journal, brainstorm ideas for Armenia project and write a brief reflection on Mrs. Mazmanian’s visit to class.
• Class: Second lesson on Armenia; selection of literature circle texts (last round!).

Wednesday, April 8th (M)
• Due: Second blog post on Night (by Thursday night is fine).
• Class: Field trip to the Armenian Museum and Library of America. Don’t forget to bring some lunch money and your project journal!

Thursday, April 9th (T)
• Class does not meet.

Friday, April 10th
• No school today. Enjoy the long weekend!

Monday, April 13th (W)
• Due: Start reading literature circle book.
• Class: Second lesson on Iraq.

Tuesday, April 14th (H)
• Due: Work on Armenia project (to be determined); keep reading literature circle book.
• Class: Work on Armenia project.

Wednesday, April 15th (F)
• Due: Work on Armenia project (to be determined); keep reading literature circle book.
• Class: Work on Armenia project.

Thursday, April 16th (S)
• Due: Read to assigned spot in literature circle book, with five sticky or dialectic notes.
• Class: Literature circle meetings; lesson on Darfur.

Friday, April 17th (U)
• Due: To be determined.
• Class: Lesson on Darfur (continued).

Note: We’ll be reading to chosen places in literature circle books (with ten more sticky or dialectic notes) over the vacation, due on the Monday we return from vacation.

Obama and Armenian Genocide

Hey, all. I stumbled across a few more interesting pieces on President Obama and the Armenian genocide over the weekend ... there's lots out there. I wanted to share with you this letter he wrote as Senator of Illinois to Secretary Rice about the State Department's decision to recall the Ambassador to Armenia for using the word "genocide" to describe the events of 1915. It's powerfully written and touches on many of the themes we've been exploring. Check it out!

Online Discussion of Night

Don't forget to review the general blogging expectations before posting (no full names, use the text, acknowledge your colleagues, etc). Keep your response in the range of 200 words, as we'll be writing more than once. Don't try to answer every question I've suggested, these are just places you could consider starting. All questions are adapted from the Facing History study guide to Night.

• Explore the relationship between knowing, madness, and belief.
• Explore the relationship between Eliezer and his father.
• Consider how Eliezer struggles with his faith.
• Consider how prisoners struggle to maintain their identity under extraordinary conditions.
• Discuss why Wiesel titled his autobiographical story “Night.”

As always, let me know if you have any problems posting.

Absences During Presentations

If you are absent on the day of a research presentation, it is your responsibility to read and take notes in your journal on the information you missed. I will have copies of articles from the Modern World History database available, or you can find references of comparable depth and authority.

As always, it is your responsibility to ask me for missed work (in this case, to ask for a copy of the appropriate article). I will expect you to be caught up within one to two days of your absence and will deduct points for classwork if your journal is not complete.

Class Calendar: March 30th to April 6th

Monday, March 30th (M)
• Due: Work on group lessons.
• Class: First lesson on the Iraq case study; debrief on Cambodia lesson; brief introduction to Night.

Tuesday, March 31st (T)
• Class does not meet.

Wednesday, April 1st (W)
• Due: Work on group lessons; begin reading Night.
• Class: First lesson on the Bosnia case study.

Thursday, April 2nd (H)
• Due: Work on group lessons; continue reading Night.
• Class: Class discussion on Armenia project planning; group work on second set of lessons. Remember to submit lesson plans to me in advance; see the blog for samples.

Friday, April 3rd (F)
• Due: You should finish reading Night by today.
• Class: Second lesson on next case study (order to be determined).

Monday, April 6th (S)
• Due: Reader response to Night.
• Class: Second lesson on next case study (order to be determined).

Reminder: If you went to see Of Thee I Sing and would like to earn extra credit from me, write a one page, typed reflection on the experience, due on or before Friday, April 10th, the last day of the term.

Another Reminder: Please get those field trip permission slips signed and back to me as soon as possible. I need to get a final count to the museum this week!

Sample Lesson Plans

As promised, I’ve pulled together a couple of lesson plans to give you a sense of the type of content and level of detail I’m looking for. Feel free to imitate the structure of either of these:

This lesson plan is from PBS’s Frontline on an experiment that teacher Jane Elliot did with her third graders.

This lesson from the Densho project about the internment of Japanese-Americans during WWII is another good model.