Period 1: Nigeria - Building a Power, Day 6 - Class Recap

A composition of satellite photos over Africa.
Good afternoon class!

Wow, I am excited that it is Friday. This week was definitely tiring, even though it was only four days long! Today was one of those days where I woke up, and the alarm clock had been going off for a full minute. So not cool. But as always, it was great to get to come to class and see everyone - and I do think we had a very productive day. Chances are, if you are reading this, you have most of the travel guide researched and done with, because you are a good student. :-)

Essential Questions: How do different structures of power impact the people over whom they govern? Why do some countries thrive while others fail?

Soundtrack: "Edge of the Ocean" by Ivy. Lyrics here. I chose this song because a) it's one of my favorites, and just plain good, and b) Nigeria is on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. Heck yes, I found a way to make a connection! I talked a little in class about the movie trailer I first heard the song in. That movie is Before Sunset (2004), which is the sequel to Before Sunrise (1995). Both of those movies are absolutely fantastic. You would never think that watching two people talk for so long would be interesting, but it is, trust me. The content is sometimes a little adult (just language), but I would highly recommend them both (start with the Before Sunrise, obviously, but Before Sunset is one of my favorite movies ever) if you want some fantastic entertainment. Here's the trailer I talked about: Before Sunset Trailer.

AGENDA 2/20/09:
News Brief
Class Unity Activity?
Questions
Computer Lab/In-Class Work

Homework: FINISH travel guide for Tuesday! Check blog!

Again, do not leave this until the last minute! Be working on it over the weekend, and asking questions should you have any! I will be here to help, as always. Please either comment or e-mail me if needed.

News Brief: We began class by talking a little about what people were excited for in the upcoming weekend and any news items. I remember that Russel changed a diaper, Jazmyne is playing basketball in a fundraiser this weekend, and Carson is thrilled about baseball tryouts next week starting at 6 AM. We also talked about the Blazers, the Oscars, and how badly the class could hear us through the wall playing Jeopardy yesterday (which, by the way, it's never fun to apologize to Mr. Hardin - which happens way too often). However, as you pointed out, your class isn't nearly as bad, for which I am very thankful. Just another reason why you guys rock! Except that now I'm paranoid to have a time for class interactions, like the upcoming Africa Fair we are doing on Tuesday. We will see how that goes!

C.J. recapped an article about Rwanda, which basically consisted of him saying "Hutu's are killing Tutsi's again." Thus, I have really don't know what his exact article was, but here's another recent one on Rwanda: Rwandan Army to start Congo withdrawal. Randi, you are up for next class, on Tuesday. One current article, about anywhere outside the United States.

Class Unity Activity: I had this as an option if the class was tired of working on the travel guide, or feeling like there was too much friction or something. However, it was voted down, so we will probably attempt to do it after the travel guide presentations/Africa Fair on Tuesday. No big deal - but it should be pretty interesting!

Questions: I didn't really hear too many questions, though as I circled around the room, I did get many individual questions about the travel guide. I need the travel guides in on time, so please feel free to ask away in the comments, should you have any problems or concerns. Or ask someone else in the class - I'm sure they'd love to help, because all in all, you guys are rock stars.

Computer Lab/In-Class Work: Yes, so you voted to go to the computer lab to work for the rest of the period, which should have given you a ton of time to work. Again, if you need a pink pass from me, please let me know on Monday! I really liked how on task we were for the most part - though it did seem like people were maybe a little preoccupied with finding the right itinerary through flying. Don't worry if you can't get it exactly down, and let me know if you need help. Thank you for working so hard - I am very excited to see the results!

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Also, I thought this article on the current economic climate in comparison to past "Great Depressions" was extremely interesting, so maybe you will too: CNN.com: So, just how bad is the economy?

That should just about do it. Please do not feel stressed! Communicate with me if you are having issues. Also, Blazers vs. Hawks tonight (7 PM, CSN) - though I will unfortunately be missing it, in order to possibly meet some U.S. Senators. I think that's a fair trade. Watch the Oscars on Sunday if you get the time, and please relax for a good long while, but be working hard as well! You will be rewarded and feel much better about not having to worry about it. Have a wonderful weekend, amazing students!