"Night" Theme Work - Class Recap

Today in class, we talked about "Night" themes! This is a photo of Long Beach, California at night.

Hello everyone,

We looked at "Night" themes today in class, as a connection to the recent Holocaust unit and what you are doing in Mr. Puterbaugh's class! Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Behavior LT 1:  I can manage my responsibilities as a student.
Behavior LT 2:  I can self-direct my learning.
Behavior LT 3: I can communicate and work effectively within a team or group.

Soundtrack: "Another Brick in the Wall (Part II)" by Pink Floyd. Selected for today because we took down the wall between the two classrooms! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 1/22/18:
News Brief – Jackson
Final Overview
"Night" Theme Work

Homework: Read the blog. Continue preparing for all of your finals! Next news brief: Sebastian.

News Brief: Jackson was not in class, so I filled in and selected an article about this story for the news brief today: BBC.com - Mysterious Dead Sea Scroll deciphered in Israel. We talked about this story for a little bit and found Israel in our world maps, before moving on.

Sebatian was selected to do the next news brief.

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update. Here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):

BBCNews.com - One-minute World News

Final Overview: We talked briefly about what your final for the class will be, as well as when it will be, before moving on.

"Night" Theme Work: After the news brief, we spent the day looking at your book for Lit and Comp! Here is the lesson on "Night" themes that we went through, as we had students working in small groups to identify themes and quotes from specific chapters:

Google Drive - "Night" Theme Work Presentation

Next class, we will get back to preparing for the Global Studies final. See you on Wednesday!

The Holocaust, Day 4 - Class Recap

A quote on the wall of the Miami Holocaust Memorial. Our discussion today in class had a large part to do with whether or not we believe something like this could happen again. Photo taken in 2011.

Dear class,

This was a somewhat challenging day for me as a teacher, to try and give control over to student discussion without teacher intervention. Although there were points where it was quiet and awkward, I still think almost everyone did well and that the conversation was productive. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Behavior LT 1:  I can manage my responsibilities as a student.
Behavior LT 2:  I can self-direct my learning.
Behavior LT 3: I can communicate and work effectively within a team or group.

Soundtrack: "Talk" by Coldplay. Selected for today because most of the class was made up of students talking about the rise of Hitler and whether or not it could happen again. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 1/16/18:
News Brief – Darren
The Path to Nazi Genocide
Socratic Seminar
Debrief

Homework: Read the blog. All late/missing/revised work due by this Friday! Next news brief: Jaycee.

News Brief: Darren selected an article about this story for the news brief today: BBC.com - US holds back $65m aid to Palestinians. We talked about this story for a bit, in terms of why this would be happening, and then moved on.

Jaycee was selected to do the next news brief.

Mr. Puterbaugh sent me this article to talk about with the class, as well, and I said I would link to it on the blog: NYTimes.com - German Idea to Fight Anti-Semitism: Make Immigrants Tour Concentration Camps. What do you think of this idea?

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update. Here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):

BBCNews.com - One-minute World News

The Path to Nazi Genocide: To finish preparing for the discussion in class, we watched the following film from the National Holocaust Memorial Museum, which aims to place many of the events and issues that we learned about into a concise documentary (students had been asking for something like this in class):

As students were watching, I encouraged notes to be taken on questions that came up, as well as connections to what we have already talked about with the unit.

Socratic Seminar: Next, we had the discussion that we started preparing for last class. This was the first time we have attempted to do this in class, and I think it went really well! I was proud of everyone participating.

This was the reading that we were discussing in class:

Google Drive - Could Hitler Happen Again Reading

The questions and answers that I wanted the class to do in preparation for the discussion on this were:

1) What happened so that Hitler could get power?

2) Make three discussion questions (not yes or no answers) about the reading. Try to base your questions on specific quotes from the reading.

To help with this, I passed out these tips for helping the conversation flow:

Google Drive - Socratic Seminar Tips

I explained that I wanted the discussion to be student led and directed, and then I tried to get out of the conversation as much as possible. Overall, I was pleased with the conversation and I think you touched on some really important issues and questions! Thanks for being willing to participate. We ended with this, due to time. See you next class!

The Holocaust, Day 3 - Class Recap

The Boston Holocaust Memorial was one of the most powerful I have seen. As you walk through the glass, steam comes up from the grates, and names of people that were killed in various concentration camps are on the sides of the glass. Photo taken in 2013.

Hi everyone,

We are getting closer and closer to finals! Just a couple of more weeks to go. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Behavior LT 1:  I can manage my responsibilities as a student.
Behavior LT 2:  I can self-direct my learning.
Behavior LT 3: I can communicate and work effectively within a team or group.

Soundtrack: "Pride (In the Name of Love)" by U2. Selected for today because the song is in large part about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who we honor on Monday with a day of service! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 1/11/18:
News Brief – Ellie
Finish Group Activity
Rise of Hitler

Socratic Seminar Prep

Homework: Read the blog. Finish reading the Could Hitler Happen Again article and making 3 discussion questions for next class. Next news brief: Darren.

News Brief: Ellie selected an article about this story to bring in: NBCNews.com - Macedonia and Greece vow to solve decades-old name dispute. We found Greece on our world maps and noted that we talked about it with some of the details of this story.

I also read a quote from Elie Wiesel's Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech at the start of class, as it connects to our unit and your reading of his book "Night" next door with Mr. Puterbaugh.

Darren was selected to do the next news brief.

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update. Here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):

BBCNews.com - One-minute World News

Finish Group Activity: After the news, we finished the group activity from last class. Instead of just giving students a reading, I though this was a more interesting way for everyone to learn (and move around, and talk with each other) about some key figures and events in Nazi Germany. Here is the assignment that students filled out:

Google Drive - Nazi Group Activity Assignment

And here is the document of different events and people that students were learning about, in terms of their importance in helping the Nazi government establish and maintain power (the knowledge target for the unit):

Google Drive - Nazi Group Activity Roles

Thanks for doing a good job with this activity!

Rise of Hitler: I asked how the Holocaust was possible, and if we could consider something like this happening to us - either as the Nazis or the persecuted people. I think it is hard to consider ourselves capable of such horrific acts. Which is why the Stanford Prison Experiment is so famous. Basically, it was a psychological experiment based on assigning roles to Stanford students (really smart people) - either as "prison" guards or prisoners. The prisoners were taken and not allowed out for six days (until the experiment ended early). The prison guards turned into awful, terrible people. Here's the clip we watched in class (there are many others out there - do a search if you want to learn more):

After the clip, I came back to the idea of wondering if something like the Holocaust could happen again. It's a difficult question for historians, and for people in general. We want to believe that people are good. If we aren't careful about learning the history and psychology to combat it, I think there is a better chance of something like this happening again.

Another psychological experiment that is very famous for its connection to how the Holocaust happened is the Milgram Experiment. A modern day version of the experiment is what I showed in class, here:

With these ideas in mind, I passed out this reading, which has to do with how the Nazi political party and Hitler came to power in Germany, and if something like it could happen again:

Google Drive - Could Hitler Happen Again Reading

The questions and answers that I wanted the class to do in preparation for a discussion next class on this were:

1) What happened so that Hitler and the Nazis could establish power and commit the atrocities of the Holocaust? Could this happen again?

2) Make three discussion questions (not yes or no answers) about the reading. Try to base your questions on specific quotes from the reading and grounded in reality (NOT: what if World War II never happened?).

Socratic Seminar Prep: Next class, we will have a graded (on the behavior targets) discussion on the Rise of Hitler reading, so I wanted to go over how that will work.

Two blog exclusive items that will help in this:

Google Drive: Socratic Seminar Self-Assessment

To go along with the preparation, here are some tips on how a good Socratic Seminar works (it is my hope to sit back and let students run the discussion, so that it is more authentic with participation):

Google Drive: Socratic Seminar Tips

The rest of class was devoted to reading the article and preparing discussion questions. Next class, I am hoping that we can have an interesting, student led discussion on the article and the questions it generates - specifically about if this could possibly happen again.

Thank you for your hard work, everyone! See you next class.

The Holocaust, Day 2 - Class Recap

The barbed wire around Auschwitz I in Poland. Photo taken in 2013.

Hi everyone,

Today was another day looking into more depth on the Holocaust genocide. I showed some of my pictures from visiting Auschwitz in 2013, we finished the textbook work, and began a group activity. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Behavior LT 2: I can self-direct my learning.

Soundtrack: "Rebel Rebel" by David Bowie. Selected for today because of the people that rebelled against the Nazis during the Holocaust. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 1/9/18:
News Brief – Ms. Rice
Photos from Auschwitz
Finish Textbook Work
Group Activity

Homework: Read the blog. Check your updated grades and know what to do to improve! Next news brief: Ellie.

News Brief: Ms. Rice had the news brief today and selected this story to talk about: BBC.com - Prisoner wakes up in mortuary in Asturias Spain. We found Spain in the world map packet and discussed this story, before moving on to talk about what students were up to outside of class.

Ellie was selected for the next news brief.

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update. Here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):

BBCNews.com - One-minute World News

Photos from Auschwitz: After the news brief, I showed students photos from my visit to Auschwitz in the summer of 2013. I wanted everyone to see what it actually looks like, and explain what it was like to visit there. Hopefully this was interesting! I would highly encourage anyone interested in history to visit at some point. Incredibly powerful.

Textbook Work: We finished going through the Modern World History textbook and what it has to say about the Holocaust on pages, 502-505. The assigned work in class was:

Summarize the two sections: The Holocaust Begins + The Final Solution

Write out vocab definitions (words in blue)

Complete questions 1-8 at the end of the Chapter (page 505).

After about 15 minutes of work, we went over the answers together, as I randomly called on students. Keep these papers - they will help you with understanding the vocabulary in the unit and in our upcoming discussion!

Group Activity: This is a teaching activity where students take on the persona of a historical figure or event. In this case, there were eleven different people or events to talk about. I asked that students go around the room talking about their person or event. Here is the worksheet that goes along with this:

Google Drive: Nazi Group Activity Assignment

The directions were to:
1) Write the event or name of the person you were interviewing down on the left column.
2) Write the top 3 most important elements of the story on the slip of paper.
3) Write how you think the Nazis used the person or event to establish or maintain power.

We did not completely finish this in class, so next time, we will talk about where we ended up and go over the events and people together. Thank you for treating this activity with respect. See you next class!

The Holocaust, Day 1 - Class Recap

Auschwitz II in 2013. The chimneys are the only remainder of much of the camp.

Dear class,

Welcome back from Winter Break! Since everyone is going to be reading "Night" in Mr. Puterbaugh's class, I thought it was especially important to go over some of the basics of the Holocaust in class. Today was our first day looking more in depth at what happened. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Behavior LT 2: I can self-direct my learning.

Soundtrack: "Welcome Back" by Ma$e. Selected for today for obvious reasons. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 1/5/18:
News Brief – Mr. Fritz
Finish Hotel Rwanda
The Holocaust
Textbook Work/Grade Checks

Homework: Read the blog. Check your updated grades and know what to do to improve! Next news brief: Ms. Rice.

News Brief: I had the news brief today due to the long break and selected an article about this story to talk about: BBC.com - Iran protests pose an unpredictable challenge for authorities. We talked for a while in class about Iran, in terms of what is happening there and why.

I also talked about the reason I was absent from school just before Winter Break started: my uncle and aunt were killed in a bus accident in Mexico that made the news, here: WashingtonPost.com - Americans among 12 killed in bus crash during Mexican cruise excursion. After my dad's death, I became even closer with my Uncle Andy and Aunt Jody, so their deaths are especially hard to fathom, as well. The memorial service for both of them is this Saturday in Olympia, Washington. It was a very challenging break, for sure. I appreciate everyone's kindness and understanding during this time.

Ms. Rice was selected to do the next news brief.

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update. Here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):

BBCNews.com - One-minute World News

I also asked about the break and what people were up to, before moving on.

Finish Hotel Rwanda: We finally were able to completely finish the movie today! Here is the worksheet of questions to answer as we watched:

Google Drive: Hotel Rwanda Questions

I hope you enjoyed the film and found it powerful. I've now seen it dozens of times and I am always struck by how good it is - especially about showing the stages of genocide. Thank you for your focus and attention here!

The Holocaust: Again, I think it is really important that I not gloss over the history here (especially with Mr. Puterbaugh teaching Night next door), so we began looking at the Holocaust in depth today. To begin, I asked students to make the Cornell Notes template on a blank sheet of paper (if they wanted to), then went through this PowerPoint:

Google Drive: The Holocaust Overview PowerPoint

All of the pictures in the PowerPoint are from my own travels. I made sure to try and explain each slide in depth and I was happy to try and answer all of the questions from the class.

Along with the PowerPoint, here are two extra resources for the blog. A map of the concentration camps and death camps in Europe, along with some statistics about the Holocaust:

Google Drive: Concentration Camp Map and Holocaust Statistics

And, a timeline of the Holocaust and a "Pyramid of Hate":

Google Drive: Holocaust Timeline and Pyramid of Hate

All of these are resources that should help you better understand the Holocaust and what Mr. Puterbaugh has been teaching you through "Night."

Textbook Work: Near the end of class, we started looking at the Modern World History textbook and what it has to say about the Holocaust. A mere four total pages, 502-505! That said, it does have a quote from Night at the end, and I did use it to reinforce the vocabulary terms and concepts. The assigned work in class (we will finish next class and go over it together) was:

Summarize the two sections: The Holocaust Begins + The Final Solution

Write out vocab definitions (words in blue)

Complete questions 1-8 at the end of the Chapter (page 505).

That was where we ended for the day. Next class, you will finish the work in the textbook, go over some more information about the Holocaust and how it relates to our lives today, as well as learn about how the Nazi party rose to power.

Grade Checks: At the end of class, I went through everyone's grades on a 1-1 basis, so you should know exactly where you are at in the class. I also talked about your Rwanda speech grades in class, which have been posted. Here was the comment online that I included: Thank you for your hard work on your individual Rwanda speech! Your grades have been entered in StudentVUE. Some main points.

1) If you did not address imperialism in Rwanda at all, you received a score of 1 on that target. If your description was unclear or needed more detail, that is how you can improve.
2) The communication target was the score for how well your individual paper followed the format we talked about in class with a thesis statement, five paragraphs, with introduction and conclusion.
3) The critical thinking/multiple perspectives target was for talking about the United Nations own definition of genocide, and talking about the perspective of the people of Rwanda during the genocide in your written speech.

If you have individual questions, I would be happy to answer them in person (I will try to conference with everyone in class as we get closer to the end of the semester). As with any assignment, you can always revise it (or resubmit it, if you haven't turned it in) to demonstrate a higher level of proficiency, if needed.

Please make sure you are working on any missing or late work that you need to revise! Let me know if I can help with anything!

The Holocaust, Day 4 - Class Recap

A quote on the wall of the Miami Holocaust Memorial. Our discussion today in class had a large part to do with whether or not we believe something like this could happen again. Photo taken in 2011.

Dear class,

This was a somewhat challenging day for me as a teacher, to try and give control over to student discussion. Although there were points where it was quiet and awkward, I still think almost everyone did well and that the conversation was productive. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Behavior LT 1:  I can manage my responsibilities as a student.
Behavior LT 2:  I can self-direct my learning.
Behavior LT 3: I can communicate and work effectively within a team or group.

Soundtrack: "Talk" by Coldplay. Selected for today because most of the class was made up of students talking about the rise of Hitler and whether or not it could happen again. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 2/1/17:
News Brief – Kinjal
Socratic Seminar
Ladakh Readings
Ancient Futures, Part 1

Homework: Read the blog. Prepare for finals (see below)! Next news brief: Rachel.

News Brief: Kinjal selected an article about this story for the news brief today: CNN.com - Thousands of Rohingya refugees may be sent to remote island. We found Bangladesh in our world maps and noted that we talked about it. I talked for a bit about the Rohingya people and the conflict within Myanmar (and Bangladesh) that has led to their discrimination and persecution. Read the article linked to in order to learn more, please!

Rachel was selected to do the next news brief.

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update. Here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):

BBCNews.com - One-minute World News

Socratic Seminar: This was the first time we have attempted to do this in class, and I think it went really well! I was proud of everyone participating.

This was the reading that we were discussing in class:

Google Drive - Rise of Hitler Reading

The questions and answers that I wanted the class to do in preparation for the discussion on this were:

1) What happened so that Hitler could get power?

2) Make three discussion questions (not yes or no answers) about the reading. Try to base your questions on specific quotes from the reading.

I explained that I wanted the discussion to be student led and directed, and then I tried to get out of the conversation as much as possible. Overall, I was pleased with the conversation and I think you touched on some really important issues and questions! Thanks for being willing to participate. We will talk more about this next class. Of course, there were times when I wanted to jump in and provide more information or bring up a question, but that was not my role! Important for me to remember, too.

The Holocaust unit will be graded as a Behavior assessment - thanks for your focus here as we wind down the semester!

Ladakh Readings: As I have been explaining in class, your final will be based on a case study of what happened in Ladakh, which is an region in India. Students will be asked to write about many different aspects of the Ladakh, using almost all of the learning targets we have been through this semester.

To start, here is the reading packet I passed out. Students are taking notes on the back page during the documentary that we will start next class:

Google Drive: Intro to Ladakh Readings

Please treat this as homework. There will be time next class to finish this, and it would also be great to have ready, so you can study after the documentary finishes.

Next class, we will watch the documentary and I will give students final prep time. I look forward to seeing everyone then! Almost there to the end of the semester!

The Holocaust, Day 3 - Class Recap

The Boston Holocaust Memorial was one of the most powerful I have seen. As you walk through the glass, steam comes up from the grates, and names of people that were killed in various concentration camps are on the sides of the glass. Photo taken in 2013.

Hi everyone,

We are getting closer and closer to finals! A couple of more days of learning about the Holocaust, and then  Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Behavior LT 1:  I can manage my responsibilities as a student.
Behavior LT 2:  I can self-direct my learning.
Behavior LT 3: I can communicate and work effectively within a team or group.

Soundtrack: "Pride (In the Name of Love)" by U2. Selected for today because the song is in large part about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who we honored earlier in January! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 1/30/17:
News Brief – Sanjana
Finish Group Activity
Rise of Hitler

Socratic Seminar Prep

Homework: Read the blog. All late work or revisions due today. Finish reading the Rise of the Nazis article and making 3 discussion questions for next class. Next news brief: Kinjal.

News Brief: Sanjana selected an article about this story to bring in: BBC.com - Quebec mosque shooting: Police arrest a suspect and a witness. We found Canada on our world maps and noted that we talked about it. I also read a quote from Elie Wiesel's Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech at the start of class. Related to that, we had a good discussion about the weekend and what has happened as a result of President Trump's executive orders banning people from Iraq, Iran, Somalia, Yemen, Libya, Sudan, and Syria from the country.

Kinjal was selected to do the next news brief.

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update. Here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):

BBCNews.com - One-minute World News

Finish Group Activity: After the news, we finished the group activity from last class. Instead of just giving students a reading, I though this was a more interesting way for everyone to learn (and move around, and talk with each other) about some key figures and events in Nazi Germany. Here is the assignment that students filled out:

Google Drive - Nazi Group Activity Assignment

And here is the document of different events and people that students were learning about, in terms of their importance in helping the Nazi government establish and maintain power (the knowledge target for the unit):

Google Drive - Nazi Group Activity Roles

Thanks for doing a good job with this activity!

Rise of Hitler: I asked how the Holocuast was possible, and if we could consider something like this happening to us - either as the Nazis or the persecuted people. I think it is hard to consider ourselves capable of such horrific acts. Which is why the Stanford Prison Experiment is so famous. Basically, it was a psychological experiment based on assigning roles to Stanford students (really smart people) - either as "prison" guards or prisoners. The prisoners were taken and not allowed out for six days (until the experiment ended early). The prison guards turned into awful, terrible people. Here's the clip we watched in class (there are many others out there - do a search if you want to learn more):

After the clip, I came back to the idea of wondering if something like the Holocaust could happen again. It's a difficult question for historians, and for people in general. We want to believe that people are good. If we aren't careful about learning the history and psychology to combat it, I think there is a better chance of something like this happening again.

With that idea, I passed out this reading, which has to do with how the Nazi political party and Hitler came to power in Germany:

Google Drive - Rise of Hitler Reading

The questions and answers that I wanted the class to do in preparation for a discussion next class on this were:

1) What happened so that Hitler could establish power? Could this happen again?

2) Make three discussion questions (not yes or no answers) about the reading. Try to base your questions on specific quotes from the reading and grounded in reality (NOT: what if World War II never happened?).

Socratic Seminar Prep: Next class, we will have a graded (on the behavior targets) discussion on the Rise of Hitler reading, so I wanted to go over how that will work.

Two blog exclusive items that will help in this:

Google Drive: Socratic Seminar Self-Assessment

To go along with the preparation, here are some tips on how a good Socratic Seminar works (it is my hope to sit back and let students run the discussion, so that it is more authentic with participation):

Google Drive: Socratic Seminar Tips

The rest of class was devoted to reading the article and preparing discussion questions. Next class, I am hoping that we can have an interesting, student led discussion on the article and the questions it generates - specifically about if this could possibly happen again.

Thank you for your hard work, everyone! See you next class.

The Holocaust, Day 2 - Class Recap

The barbed wire around Auschwitz I in Poland. Photo taken in 2013.

Hi everyone,

Today was another day looking into more depth on the Holocaust genocide. I showed some of my pictures from visiting Auschwitz in 2013, we finished the textbook work, and began preparing for the upcoming Socratic Seminar discussion next class. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Behavior LT 2: I can self-direct my learning.

Soundtrack: "So What" by Miles Davis. A bit of jazz (no lyrics) to start the day! Selected because I wanted to explain the answer to "so what?" in regards to the Holocaust.

AGENDA 1/26/17:
News Brief – Acharya
My Photos
Finish Textbook Work
Group Activity

Homework: Read the blog. All late/missing/revised work is due tomorrow! Check your updated grades and know what to do to improve! Next news brief: Sanjana.

News Brief: Acharya had the news brief today and selected this story to talk about: BBC.com - Archaeologists find 25 skeletons in medieval Cambridge friary. We found the UK in the world map packet and discussed this story (related: I was wearing my Cambridge University hoodie yesterday for College Wednesday, because my mom graduated from there). We also had a good discussion in class about what is happening within our own country right now, too.

Sanjana was selected for the next news brief.

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update. Here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):

BBCNews.com - One-minute World News

My Photos: After the news brief, I showed students photos from my visit to Auschwitz in the summer of 2013. I wanted everyone to see what it actually looks like, and explain what it was like to visit there. Hopefully this was interesting! I would highly encourage anyone interested in history to visit at some point. Incredibly powerful.

Textbook Work: We finished going through the Modern World History textbook and what it has to say about the Holocaust on pages, 502-505. The assigned work in class was:

Summarize the two sections: The Holocaust Begins + The Final Solution

Write out vocab definitions (words in blue)

Complete questions 1-8 at the end of the Chapter (page 505).

After about 15 minutes of work, we went over the answers together, as I randomly called on students. Keep these papers - they will help you with understanding the vocabulary in the unit and in our upcoming discussion!

Group Activity: This is a teaching activity where students take on the persona of a historical figure or event. In this case, there were eleven different people or events to talk about. I asked that students go around the room talking about their person or event. Here is the worksheet that goes along with this:

Google Drive: Nazi Group Activity Assignment

The directions were to:
1) Write the event or name of the person you were interviewing down on the left column.
2) Write the top 3 most important elements of the story on the slip of paper.
3) Write how you think the Nazis used the person or event to establish or maintain power.

We did not completely finish this in class, so next time, we will talk about where we ended up and go over the events and people together. Thank you for treating this activity with respect. See you next class!

The Holocaust, Day 1 - Class Recap

Auschwitz II in 2013. The chimneys are the only remainder of much of the camp.

Dear class,

Since everyone is reading "Night" in Mr. Puterbaugh's class, I thought it was especially important to go over some of the basics of the Holocaust in class. Today was our first day looking more in depth at what happened. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Behavior LT 2: I can self-direct my learning.

Soundtrack: "Rebel Rebel" by David Bowie. Selected for today because of the women's marches over the weekend. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 1/24/17:
News Brief – Alex
The Holocaust
Textbook Work
Grade Checks

Homework: Read the blog. Check your updated grades and know what to do to improve by Friday! All late or missing work is due then! Next news brief: Acharya.

News Brief: Alex had the news brief today and selected this story to talk about: BBC.com - Syria conflict: Iran, Russia and Turkey 'to enforce' truce. We found Syria in the world map packet and noted we did a story there as we talked about the ongoing war there. Thanks, Alex!

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update. Here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):

BBCNews.com - One-minute World News

I also asked about the weekend and what people were up to, before moving on.

The Holocaust: Again, I think it is really important that I not gloss over the history here (especially with Mr. Puterbaugh teaching Night next door), so we began looking at the Holocaust in depth today. To begin, I asked students to make the Cornell Notes template on a blank sheet of paper (if they wanted to), then went through this PowerPoint:

Google Drive: The Holocaust Overview PowerPoint

All of the pictures in the PowerPoint are from my own travels. I made sure to try and explain each slide in depth and I was happy to try and answer all of the questions from the class.

Along with the PowerPoint, here are two extra resources for the blog. A map of the concentration camps and death camps in Europe, along with some statistics about the Holocaust:

Google Drive: Concentration Camp Map and Holocaust Statistics

And, a timeline of the Holocaust and a "Pyramid of Hate":

Google Drive: Holocaust Timeline and Pyramid of Hate

All of these are resources that should help you better understand the Holocaust and what Mr. Puterbaugh has been teaching you through "Night."

Textbook Work: Near the end of class, we started looking at the Modern World History textbook and what it has to say about the Holocaust. A mere four total pages, 502-505! That said, it does have a quote from Night at the end, and I did use it to reinforce the vocabulary terms and concepts. The assigned work in class (we will finish next class and go over it together) was:

Summarize the two sections: The Holocaust Begins + The Final Solution

Write out vocab definitions (words in blue)

Complete questions 1-8 at the end of the Chapter (page 505).

That was where we ended for the day. Next class, you will finish the work in the textbook, go over some more information about the Holocaust and how it relates to our lives today, as well as learn about how the Nazi party rose to power.

Grade Checks: At the end of class, I went through everyone's grades on a 1-1 basis, so you should know exactly where you are at in the class. Please make sure you are working on any missing or late work that you need to revise! This Friday will be the last day I accept late work! Let me know if I can help with anything!

The Holocaust, Day 4 - Class Recap

A quote on the wall of the Miami Holocaust Memorial. Our discussion today in class had a large part to do with whether or not we believe something like this could happen again. Photo taken in 2011.

Dear class,

This was a somewhat challenging day for me as a teacher, to try and give control over to student discussion. Although there were points where it was quiet and awkward, I still think almost everyone did well and that the conversation was productive. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Behavior LT 1:  I can manage my responsibilities as a student.
Behavior LT 2:  I can self-direct my learning.
Behavior LT 3: I can communicate and work effectively within a team or group.

Soundtrack: "Talk" by Coldplay. Selected for today because most of the class was made up of students talking about the rise of Hitler and whether or not it could happen again. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 1/20/16:
News Brief – Enzo
Socratic Seminar
Ladakh Readings
Ancient Futures, Part 1

Homework: Read the blog. Prepare for finals (see below)! Next news brief: Caleb.

News Brief: Enzo selected an article about this story for the news brief today: CNN.com - At least 19 killed in attack on Bacha Khan University in Charsadda, Pakistan. This was a breaking news story as of this morning, so we talked about who might be responsible and what is going on inside Pakistan.

Caleb was selected to do the next news brief.

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update. Here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):

BBCNews.com - One-minute World News

Socratic Seminar: This was the first time we have attempted to do this in class, and I think it went really well! I was proud of everyone participating.

This was the reading that we were discussing in class:

Google Drive - Rise of Hitler Reading

The questions and answers that I wanted the class to do in preparation for the discussion on this were:

1) What happened so that Hitler could get power?

2) Make three discussion questions (not yes or no answers) about the reading. Try to base your questions on specific quotes from the reading.

I passed out this form for assessing how the discussion and unit went, which will be graded on the behavior learning targets: 

Google Drive: Socratic Seminar Self-Assessment

I explained that I wanted the discussion to be student led and directed, and then I tried to get out of the conversation as much as possible. Overall, I was pleased with the conversation and I think you touched on some really important issues and questions! Thanks for being willing to participate. We will talk more about this next class. Of course, there were times when I wanted to jump in and provide more information or bring up a question, but that was not my role! Important for me to remember, too.

After the discussion, we finished the Behavior targets self-assessment, then moved on.

Ladakh Readings: As I have been explaining in class, your final will be based on a case study of what happened in Ladakh, which is an region in India. Students will be asked to write about many different aspects of the Ladakh, using almost all of the learning targets we have been through this semester.

To start, here is the reading packet I passed out. Students are taking notes on the back page during the documentary:

Google Drive: Intro to Ladakh Readings

Please treat this as homework. There will be time next class to finish this, and it would also be great to have ready, so you can study after the documentary finishes.

Ancient Futures, Part 1: We watched the first 16:30 or so in this famous documentary, looking at traditional Ladakh. Next class, the documentary will switch to more modern Ladakh. Students are analyzing how it has changed, and how geography, culture, and structures of power play a role in the society.

This is an old movie, for sure (I remember watching it when I was in high school), and also so good at going over the themes we have been talking about all semester.

Next class, we will finish the documentary and I will give students final prep time. I look forward to seeing everyone then! Almost there to the end of the semester!

The Holocaust, Day 3 - Class Recap

The Boston Holocaust Memorial was one of the most powerful I have seen. As you walk through the glass, steam comes up from the grates, and names of people that were killed in various concentration camps are on the sides of the glass. Photo taken in 2013.

Hi everyone,

We are getting closer and closer to finals! A couple of more days of learning about the Holocaust, and then  Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Behavior LT 1:  I can manage my responsibilities as a student.
Behavior LT 2:  I can self-direct my learning.
Behavior LT 3: I can communicate and work effectively within a team or group.

Soundtrack: "Pride (In the Name of Love)" by U2. Selected for today because the song is in large part about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose legacy we honor on Monday with not having school. Please do something to try and serve our community with your time! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 1/15/15:
News Brief – Aaron
Finish Tea Party
Rise of Hitler

Socratic Seminar Prep

Homework: Read the blog. All late work or revisions due today by 2:30. MLK Day of Service on Monday - do something for the community! Finish reading the Rise of the Nazis article and making 3 discussion questions for next class. Next news brief: Enzo.

News Brief: Aaron selected an article about this story to bring in: BBC.com - Al-Shabab seizes African Union base in Somalia. We found Somalia on our world maps and noted that we talked about it. I went over some basics about what is going on in the country with the various different groups wanting control there, and the famous Black Hawk Down episode we learned about with Rwanda.

Enzo was selected to do the next news brief.

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update. Here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):

BBCNews.com - One-minute World News

Finish Tea Party: After the news, we finished the "tea party" activity from last class. Instead of just giving students a reading, I though this was a more interesting way for everyone to learn (and move around, and talk with each other) about some key figures and events in Nazi Germany. Here is the assignment that students filled out:

Google Drive - Nazi Tea Party Assignment

And here is the document of different events and people that students were learning about, in terms of their importance in helping the Nazi government establish and maintain power (the knowledge target for the unit):

Google Drive - Nazi Tea Party Roles

Thanks for doing a good job with this activity!

Rise of Hitler: I asked how the Holocuast was possible, and if we could consider something like this happening to us - either as the Nazis or the persecuted people. I think it is hard to consider ourselves capable of such horrific acts. Which is why the Stanford Prison Experiment is so famous. Basically, it was a psychological experiment based on assigning roles to Stanford students (really smart people) - either as "prison" guards or prisoners. The prisoners were taken and not allowed out for six days (until the experiment ended early). The prison guards turned into awful, terrible people. Here's the clip we watched in class (there are many others out there - do a search if you want to learn more):

After the clip, I came back to the idea of wondering if something like the Holocaust could happen again. It's a difficult question for historians, and for people in general. We want to believe that people are good. If we aren't careful about learning the history and psychology to combat it, I think there is a better chance of something like this happening again.

With that idea, I passed out this reading, which has to do with how the Nazi political party and Hitler came to power in Germany:

Google Drive - Rise of Hitler Reading

The questions and answers that I wanted the class to do in preparation for a discussion next class on this were:

1) What happened so that Hitler could establish power? Could this happen again?

2) Make three discussion questions (not yes or no answers) about the reading. Try to base your questions on specific quotes from the reading and grounded in reality (NOT: what if World War II never happened?).

Socratic Seminar Prep: Next class, we will have a graded (on the behavior targets) discussion on the Rise of Hitler reading, so I wanted to go over how that will work.

I passed out this self-assessment, which students will use in evaluating themselves on the discussion and unit work:

Google Drive: Socratic Seminar Self-Assessment

To go along with the preparation, I also passed out some tips on how a good Socratic Seminar works (it is my hope to sit back and let students run the discussion, so that it is more authentic with participation):

Google Drive: Socratic Seminar Tips

The rest of class was devoted to reading the article and preparing discussion questions. Next class, I am hoping that we can have an interesting, student led discussion on the article and the questions it generates - specifically about if this could possibly happen again.

Thank you for your hard work, everyone! See you next class.

The Holocaust, Day 2 - Class Recap

The barbed wire around Auschwitz I in Poland. Photo taken in 2013.

Hi everyone,

Today was another day looking into more depth on the Holocaust genocide. I showed some of my pictures from visiting Auschwitz in 2013, we finished the textbook work, and began  Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Behavior LT 2: I can self-direct my learning.

Soundtrack: "So What" by Miles Davis. A bit of jazz (no lyrics) to start the day! Selected because I wanted to explain the answer to "so what?" in regards to the Holocaust.

AGENDA 1/13/16:
News Brief – Marion
My Photos
Finish Textbook Work
Tea Party

Homework: Read the blog. All late/missing/revised work is due this Friday! Check your updated grades and know what to do to improve! Next news brief: Aaron

News Brief: Marion had the news brief today and selected this story to talk about: BBC.com - Turkey: 'IS suicide bomber' kills 10 in Istanbul Sultanahmet district. This happened yesterday, and was pretty crazy to me, because I once stayed at a hotel a few blocks away from where the explosion happened. We talked about Turkey being bordered by Syria and how that might impact this event, which seemed to target tourists.

Aaron was selected for the next news brief.

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update. Here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):

BBCNews.com - One-minute World News

My Photos: After the news brief, I showed students photos from my visit to Auschwitz in the summer of 2013. I wanted everyone to see what it actually looks like, and explain what it was like to visit there. Hopefully this was interesting! I would highly encourage anyone interested in history to visit at some point. Incredibly powerful.

Textbook Work: We finished going through the Modern World History textbook and what it has to say about the Holocaust on pages, 502-505. The assigned work in class was:

Summarize the two sections: The Holocaust Begins + The Final Solution

Write out vocab definitions (words in blue)

Complete questions 1-8 at the end of the Chapter (page 505).

After about 20 minutes of work, we went over the answers together, as I randomly called on students. Keep these papers - they will help you with understanding the vocabulary in the unit and in our upcoming discussion!

Tea Party: Obviously, there wasn't any tea, or a party in class. A "tea party" is a teaching activity where students take on the persona of a historical figure or event. In this case, there were eleven different people or events to talk about. I asked that students go around the room talking about their person or event. Here is the worksheet that goes along with this:

Google Drive: Nazi Tea Party Assignment

The directions were to:
1) Write the event or name of the person you were interviewing down on the left column.
2) Write the top 3 most important elements of the story on the slip of paper.
3) Write how you think the Nazis used the person or event to establish or maintain power.

We did not completely finish this in class, so next time, we will talk about where we ended up and go over the events and people together. Thank you for treating this activity with respect. See you next class!

The Holocaust, Day 1 - Class Recap

Auschwitz II in 2013. The chimneys are the only remainder of much of the camp.

Dear class,

Since everyone read "Night" in Mr. Puterbaugh's class, I thought it was especially important to go over some of the basics of the Holocaust in class. Today was our first day looking more in depth at what happened. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Behavior LT 2: I can self-direct my learning.

Soundtrack: "Rebel Rebel" by David Bowie. Selected for today because David Bowie passed away yesterday. A total legend, and someone who was speaking about gender and sexual identity issues publicly long before it was socially acceptable to do so. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 1/11/16:
News Brief – Trent
The Holocaust
Textbook Work
Grade Checks

Homework: Read the blog. Check your updated grades and know what to do to improve by Friday! All late or missing work is due then! Next news brief: Marion.

News Brief: Trent had the news brief today and selected this story to talk about: BBC.com - Kenya jails radical Muslim teacher Salim Mohamed Wabwire. We found Kenya on the world map and talked about how it borders Somalia, where the Al Shabab militant group operates, which may have something to do with this.

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update. Here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):

BBCNews.com - One-minute World News

I also asked about the weekend and what people were up to, before moving on.

The Holocaust: Again, I think it is really important that I not gloss over the history here (especially with Mr. Puterbaugh teaching Night next door), so we began looking at the Holocaust in depth today. To begin, I asked students to make the Cornell Notes template on a blank sheet of paper, then went through this PowerPoint:

Google Drive: The Holocaust Overview PowerPoint

All of the pictures in the PowerPoint are from my own travels. I made sure to try and explain each slide in depth and I was happy to try and answer all of the questions from the class.

Along with the PowerPoint, I passed out two papers. This one was a map of the concentration camps and death camps in Europe, along with some statistics about the Holocaust:

Google Drive: Concentration Camp Map and Holocaust Statistics

The second paper was a timeline of the Holocaust and a "Pyramid of Hate":

Google Drive: Holocaust Timeline and Pyramid of Hate

All of these are resources that should help you better understand the Holocaust and what Mr. Puterbaugh has been teaching you through "Night."

Textbook Work: Near the end of class, we started looking at the Modern World History textbook and what it has to say about the Holocaust. A mere four total pages, 502-505! That said, it does have a quote from Night at the end, and I did use it to reinforce the vocabulary terms and concepts. The assigned work in class (we will finish next class and go over it together) was:

Summarize the two sections: The Holocaust Begins + The Final Solution

Write out vocab definitions (words in blue)

Complete questions 1-8 at the end of the Chapter (page 505).

That was where we ended for the day. Next class, you will finish the work in the textbook, go over some more information about the Holocaust and how it relates to our lives today, as well as learn about how the Nazi party rose to power.

Grade Checks: Please make sure you are working on any missing or late work that you need to revise! This Friday will be the last day I accept late work! Let me know if I can help with anything!

The Holocaust, Day 4 - Class Recap

A quote on the wall of the Miami Holocaust Memorial. Our discussion today in class had a large part to do with whether or not we believe something like this could happen again. Photo taken in 2011.

Dear class,

This was a somewhat challenging day for me as a teacher, to try and give control over to student discussion. Although there were points where it was very quiet and awkward, I still think almost everyone did well and that the conversation was productive. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 18: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Critical Thinking and Analysis LT 2: I can explain connections between events, issues, problems and concepts.

Soundtrack: "Talk" by Coldplay. Selected for today because most of the class was made up of students talking about the rise of Hitler and whether or not it could happen again. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 1/29/15:
News Brief – Fernando
Class Feedback
Socratic Seminar
Reflection

Homework: Read the blog. Next news brief: Sari.

News Brief: Fernando selected an article about this story for the news brief today: Reuters.com - Mexico revises hospital gas blast death toll, says two dead not seven. Obviously a tragic story - I'm glad to read that not as many people died as was first reported. We found Mexico on our world maps and also watched VICE News for the day.

Sari was selected to do the next news brief.

Class Feedback: I always try to do this at least once during the middle of when I am teaching a class, because it is important to see what is going well and what needs to improve. The questions (which I asked students to anonymously respond to and turn in) were:

What do you like about this class? What do you think you as students are good at?
What does this class (you, as students) need to improve at?
What do you like about Mr. Fritz as a teacher? What is Mr. Fritz good at as a teacher?
What does Mr. Fritz need to improve at as a teacher?

I am looking forward to sharing the results with everyone!

Socratic Seminar: This was the first time we have attempted to do this in class, so it is understandable that it took a while to get set up, started, and for students to engage in the discussion. That's okay - we will get better!

This was the reading that we were discussing in class:

Google Drive - Rise of Hitler Reading

The questions and answers that I wanted the class to do in preparation for the discussion on this were:

1) What happened so that Hitler could get power?

2) Make three discussion questions (not yes or no answers) about the reading. Try to base your questions on specific quotes from the reading.

I passed out this form for assessing how the discussion went, with each person being responsible to monitor their partner, who was inside the ring of desks:

Google Drive - Socratic Seminar Partner Assessment

I explained that I wanted the discussion to be student led and directed, and then I tried to get out of the conversation as much as possible. As I wrote above, this started slowly and I had to jump in at points to make sure everyone was being heard and to redirect the conversation to issues the article brought up. Overall, though, I was pleased with the conversation and I think you touched on some really important issues and questions! Thanks for being willing to participate. We will talk more about this next class.

Have a wonderful weekend!

The Holocaust, Day 3 - Class Recap

The Boston Holocaust Memorial was one of the most powerful I have seen. As you walk through the glass, steam comes up from the grates, and names of people that were killed in various concentration camps are on the sides of the glass. Photo taken in 2013.

Hi everyone,

I hope you enjoyed your long weekend and recovered from finals! It's time to get back with learning about the Holocaust. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 18: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Critical Thinking and Analysis LT 2: I can explain connections between events, issues, problems and concepts.

Soundtrack: "Brand New Day" by Sting. Selected for today because today is the start of a new semester in Global Studies! Wipe the slate clean - it's time to get back to work! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 1/27/15:
News Brief – Meaghan + Raedene’s picture
Final Grades
Stanford Prison Experiment
Rise of the Nazis

Homework: Read the blog. Finish reading the Rise of the Nazis article and making 3 discussion questions for next class. Next news brief: Fernando.

News Brief: Meaghan selected an article about this story to bring in: CNN.com - Kobani liberated: Kurds take strategic city from ISIS. We found Syria on our world maps and noted that we talked about it again. There was so much to get to today, with the news!

Fernando was selected to do the next news brief.

Raedene shared her photo from an island in the South Pacific - so beautiful! If you have not brought in a photo from your travels, or a place you want to go, please do so! I would love to keep adding to the back wall!

I showed the Wildcat News for today, then the VICE news clip, since the Wildcat News was so short.

Final Grades: After the news, I passed back the Ladakh final DBQ grades, and explained why I gave the scores that I did. Most students did okay with this - I know it was somewhat complicated! In order to get them all graded before final grades were due, I did not write many comments back - please see what I highlighted in the rubric for details on why you received the score(s) you did. Also, final grades from the first semester are posted in the room, by student ID number. I will take them down after next class, so we can start anew.

Stanford Prison Experiment: Before showing this famous clip, I asked if students had any personal stories about World War II or the Holocaust from their family history. It was really interesting to hear these!

I noted that today is Holocaust Memorial Day, and it is the 70th Anniversary of Auschwitz being liberated (or freed) by the Allies. With that, I showed this CNN feature on some of the survivors, and played the first video for the class:

CNN.com - Voices of Auschwitz

Then, I asked how this was possible, and if we could consider something like this happening to us - either as the Nazis or the persecuted people. I think it is hard to consider ourselves capable of such horrific acts. Which is why the Stanford Prison Experiment is so famous. Basically, it was a psychological experiment based on assigning roles to Stanford students (really smart people) - either as "prison" guards or prisoners. The prisoners were taken and not allowed out for six days (until the experiment ended early). Basically, the prison guards turned into awful, terrible people. Here's the clip we watched in class (there are many others out there - do a search if you want to learn more):

After the clip, I came back to the idea of wondering if something like the Holocaust could happen again. It's a difficult question for historians, and for people in general. We want to believe that people are good. If we aren't careful about learning the history and psychology to combat it, I think there is a better chance of something like this happening again.

Rise of the Nazis: With that idea, I passed out this reading, which has to do with how the Nazi political party and Hitler came to power in Germany:

Google Drive - Rise of Hitler Reading

The questions and answers that I wanted the class to do in preparation for a discussion next class on this were:

1) What happened so that Hitler could get power?

2) Make three discussion questions (not yes or no answers) about the reading. Try to base your questions on specific quotes from the reading.

The rest of class was devoted to reading the article and preparing discussion questions. Next class, I am hoping that we can have an interesting, student led discussion on the article and the questions it generates - specifically about if this could possibly happen again.

Thank you for your hard work, everyone! It's good to be back and have a new beginning. :-)

The Holocaust, Day 2 - Class Recap

The barbed wire around Auschwitz I in Poland. Photo taken in 2013.

Hi everyone,

I was not in class today (I am in Dallas, for the college football National Championship - Go Ducks!). Mr. Smith was your sub today and I am pre-writing this blog, so it is possible you did not do everything in exactly this way. Today was another day looking into more depth on the Holocaust genocide. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 18: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Critical Thinking and Analysis LT 2: I can explain connections between events, issues, problems and concepts.

Soundtrack: "Coming Home" by Mat Kearney. Selected because the song was made into a music video for the Oregon Ducks football team, and I will be hoping to come home to Oregon with a win in Dallas tonight! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 1/12/15:
News Brief – Christian
Finish Textbook Work
Nazi Tea Party
Rise of Hitler

Homework: Read the blog. Check your updated grades and know what to do to improve! Next news brief: Whoever Christian picked in class! We will be going to the computer lab next class for a career ed lesson from Mr. Saechao.

News Brief: Whatever Christian wanted to talk about today!

Textbook Work: You finished going through the Modern World History textbook and what it has to say about the Holocaust on pages, 502-505. The assigned work in class was:

Summarize the two sections: The Holocaust Begins + The Final Solution

Write out vocab definitions (words in blue)

Complete questions 1-8 at the end of the Chapter (page 505).

After about 30 minutes of work, the class should have gone over the answers together. Keep these papers - they will help you with understanding the vocabulary in the unit and in Night, the book you are reading for Mr. Lathrop!

Nazi Tea Party: Obviously, there wasn't any tea, or a party in class. A "tea party" is a teaching activity where students take on the persona of a historical figure or event. In this case, there were eleven different people or events to talk about. Mr. Smith should have handed out slips of paper to everyone, and then asked that students go around the room talking about their person or event. Here is the worksheet that goes along with this:

Google Drive: Nazi "Tea Party" Worksheet

The directions were to:
1) Write the event or name of the person you were interviewing down on the left column.
2) Write the top 3 most important elements of the story on the slip of paper.
3) Write how you think the Nazis used the person or event to establish or maintain power.

We did not finish this activity in class the two classes I taught this lesson to before, so we will come back to it after I get back later in the week, if you did not finish it in class. If you did, then I will talk to Mr. Smith to see where you ended! See you on Wednesday!