Ladakh Final - Class Recap

Congratulations! If you passed the class, you have completed a semester of Global Studies! Photo taken at Niagara Falls in 2010.

Dear class,

Today was finals day in class and, as promised, we did a essay test on the Ladakh, with multiple different possibilities for learning targets to address. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Communication LT 1:  I can communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
Critical Thinking LT 1: I can explain multiple perspectives and viewpoints.
Knowledge LT 10: I can demonstrate an understanding of the connection between the physical and human systems.
Knowledge LT 15: I can explain how culture both reflects and shapes society.
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.

Soundtrack: "Kashmir" by Led Zeppelin. Selected for today because Ladakh is located in Kashmir, India. A classic song! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 2/1/18:
News Brief – Shaylee
Grades
Ladakh Final
Study Time

Homework: Read the blog. Enjoy your long weekend and come back ready to start the next semester! Next news brief: Kenzie.

News Brief: Shaylee selected an article about this story for the news brief today: BBC.com - World War Two bomb in Hong Kong defused by police. We found China in the world map packet and noted we did a news brief story about the country. It is amazing that bombs from World War II are still being discovered!

Kenzie was assigned to do the next news brief.

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update in class. 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

Finally, we recapped what we did last class in preparing for the final and doing various surveys for my Diversity and Social Justice class. Students in class told me they wanted to see the write up of results for one of the surveys that I showed, which can be found here:

Google Docs - Katelyn's DSJ Final Project

Grades: After the news and checking in with students about if anything fun or interesting was going on outside of class, I talked about how grades for the class (and the final) would work. Basically, the Westview Global Studies team has a general agreement to use the final to help improve student grades, instead of bring them down. That said, if there is an obvious lack of effort or knowledge, we will take that into account, as well. So, if you are an A student, you can be almost assured of keeping that grade. If you have a lower grade, the final is an opportunity to improve. I am only going to put scores in the gradebook (StudentVUE) that improve grades (so you might just see a blank grade for your final), so that I can finish grading everything by the deadline. We have a grading day on Friday, so I expect your scores will be entered and grades will be posted by then.

Ladakh Final: This was the assignment for the rest of class. As promised, I let students use notes from the previous classes on Ladakh. The test itself was four questions (all the questions needed to be answered), followed by a short response essay for each one. There were five different learning target possibilities that the final addressed (written out above). I am looking forward to reading these over and assessing where you are at! If students finished early, there was time to quietly work in class.

Final grades for the semester are due by Monday, February 5. I anticipate that I will submit them far before then, but just a heads up. Thanks for your hard work, everyone! See you next class, when we will start the second semester! :-)

Ladakh, Day 3 - Class Recap

We finished the Ladakh documentary in class last time, in which we learned that many of the people there are Buddhist. This is a famous Buddhist temple (Swayambhunath) in Kathmandu, Nepal. Photo taken in 2015.

Hi everyone,

Today was our last day of preparation for the semester final, which will be the next time I see you. I think we are generally in a good place and ready to take it! Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Communication LT 1:  I can communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
Critical Thinking LT 1: I can explain multiple perspectives and viewpoints.
Knowledge LT 10: I can demonstrate an understanding of the connection between the physical and human systems.
Knowledge LT 15: I can explain how culture both reflects and shapes society.
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.

Soundtrack: "Final Hour" by Lauryn Hill. Selected for today because it is the last class before finals, and Ms. Hill references a thesis in her song lyrics.

AGENDA 1/26/18:
News Brief – Jaden S.
Class Feedback
Finals Prep
Surveys

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

News Brief: Jaden S. selected an article about this story for the news brief today: TheGuardian.com - Paris zoo shut after 50 baboons escape. We found France in our world map packet and discussed this story together, before moving on. We also checked in about the weekend and what students are up to outside of class.

Shaylee 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

Class Feedback: In the spirit of assessment, I asked students to provide me with some feedback about how class has been going this year so far, and what can be improved. The four questions that I asked students to anonymously answer were:

What do you like about this class? What do you think you as students are good at doing in this class?

What does this class (you, as students) need to improve at doing? What could you do better at with class?

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? What could be better about this class?

I will show everyone the combined results from this after finals, so we can learn about what is working and what could be improved. Thanks for participating in this!

Finals Prep: 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 short responses (about a paragraph each) about many different aspects of the Ladakh, using almost all of the learning targets we have been through this semester.

Here is the reading packet I passed out in class to study from. Students were taking notes on the back page during the documentary:

Google Drive - Traditional vs. Modern Ladakh Reading and Notes

We watched this famous documentary the past two classes, looking at traditional 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.

Please finish your notes on the different learning targets and how they relate to the case study of the Ladakh by reviewing the reading material! Let me know if you are confused about how to prepare.

As part of preparing for finals, I had students fill out this form to help think about what is coming up next week:

Google Drive - Semester Finals Preparation

As a heads up, the top of the worksheet is incorrect - Friday is your Period 7 final and Monday is Period 8. Here is the actual schedule for finals this semester:

Westview High School Semester 1 Finals Schedule 2018

Good luck on all of your finals, everyone!

Surveys: At the end of class, it was study time (students should have been able to finish their notes on the Ladakh handout in class), as well as helping some of my Diversity and Social Justice students out by taking some of their surveys for their final project. Here are the surveys:

Google Forms - Nathan's Survey

Google Forms - Quinn's Survey

Google Forms - Jenna's Survey

Google Forms - Brendan's Survey

Google Forms - Jay's Survey

Google Forms - Katelyn's Survey

Thank you for your hard work, everyone! See you next class, for our last one of the semester!

Ladakh, Day 2 - Class Recap

Prayer flags in Kathmandu, Nepal - a region very similar to Leh and Ladakh! Photo taken in 2015.

Dear class,

We continued preparing for the semester final today in class! Plenty to go through. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Communication LT 1:  I can communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
Critical Thinking LT 1: I can explain multiple perspectives and viewpoints.
Knowledge LT 10: I can demonstrate an understanding of the connection between the physical and human systems.
Knowledge LT 15: I can explain how culture both reflects and shapes society.
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.

Soundtrack: "A Change is Gonna Come" by Sam Cooke. Selected for today because of the change we saw in Ladakh in the documentary today. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 1/24/18:
News Brief – Sebastian/Jackson
Modern Ladakh

Reading Analysis
Work Time

Homework: Read the blog. Continue preparing for your finals! Next news brief: Jaden S.

News Brief: Jackson started us off today and selected an article about this story for the news brief: Standard.co.uk - UK weather forecast: Storm Georgina to batter UK with 90mph gales as heavy downpours sweep country. We found the United Kingdom in our world map packet and talked about this story for a bit.

Then, Sebastian selected an article about this story: BBC.com - Syria war: US strikes on IS headquarters 'kills 150 militants'. We found Syria in the world map and discussed the ongoing military campaign in the country, as well.

Jaden S. 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

Modern Ladakh: Next, we continues with the final unit of the semester. Here is the reading packet I passed out in class last week. Students were taking notes on the second (pages 4-6) section, about modern Ladakh:

Google Drive - Traditional vs. Modern Ladakh Reading and Notes

We watched the second part of this famous documentary, looking at traditional Ladakh (starting at about 24:45 in and finishing the rest of the video). Students are analyzing how the region has changed, and how geography, culture, and structures of power play a role in the society since the modernization of Ladakh.

This is an old documentary, 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. We will pick back up next class with our final day of preparation before finals, when I will give students time to read through the rest of the handout and complete the note taking sections. Thanks for your hard work here! See you next class, for our last class before finals!

Ladakh, Day 1 - Class Recap

Today, we started preparing for our final unit of the semester, which features many of the learning targets that we have worked on this year. We will be looking at a region of India - this is a photo that I took at the Taj Mahal on Spring Break of 2015!

Hi everyone,

We began preparing for the semester final today in class! As such, there is a lot to talk about. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Communication LT 1:  I can communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
Critical Thinking LT 1: I can explain multiple perspectives and viewpoints.
Knowledge LT 10: I can demonstrate an understanding of the connection between the physical and human systems.
Knowledge LT 15: I can explain how culture both reflects and shapes society.
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.

Soundtrack: "Video" by India Arie. Selected for today because we watched a couple of videos in class, and because we are learning more about a region of India! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 1/18/18:
News Brief – Jaycee
Seminar Debrief
Final Unit
Traditional Ladakh

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

News Brief: Jaycee selected an article about this story for the news brief today: BBC.com - Nigeria gunmen kidnap two US and two Canadian citizens. We found Nigeria in our world map packet and talked about this story for a bit, as well as how Nigeria is the most populated country in Africa.

Jackson 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

Seminar Debrief: I wanted to talk a little about how the Socratic Seminar on the Rise of Hitler reading went last class. I was super pleased with how students were able to take control and lead the discussion! I also randomly chose a few students today in class to give their opinion on the activity. It did seem like the consensus was that it was worthwhile and interesting, so I will look for ways to incorporate it again in the future!

I also told everyone that the Behavior Learning Target grades (students did a self assessment for this in class today) for the mini-unit on the Holocaust will be in the grade book soon and can be looked at on StudentVUE. I think it is a good indication of where everyone is at! Thank you for participating!

Final Unit: As I explained 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 begin with this process, I asked students to make a grid in their notes to practice what we would be doing later in class. The four learning targets are: Location and Region (where is it? what is it like?), Human and Physical Systems (how does it work?), Culture (Surface and Deep Characteristics), and Structures of Power (Government and Economic Systems). Here is the video we practiced with:

This is a similar region as Ladakh, and with similar sorts of issues with a new road being built!

Traditional Ladakh: Next, we started with the actual final unit. Here is the reading packet I passed out in class. Students were taking notes on the first section, about traditional Ladakh:

Google Drive - Traditional vs. Modern Ladakh Reading and Notes

We watched the first part of this famous documentary, looking at traditional Ladakh (through about 24:45 in, before stopping).  Students are analyzing how the region 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. We will pick back up next week with learning about Modern Ladakh!

Ladakh Semester Final - Class Recap

Congratulations! If you passed the class, you have completed a semester of Global Studies! Photo taken at Niagara Falls in 2010.

Dear class,

Today was finals day in class and, as promised, we did a essay test on the Ladakh, with multiple different possibilities for learning targets to address. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Communication LT 1:  I can communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
Critical Thinking LT 1: I can explain multiple perspectives and viewpoints.
Knowledge LT 10: I can demonstrate an understanding of the connection between the physical and human systems.
Knowledge LT 15: I can explain how culture both reflects and shapes society.
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.

Soundtrack: "Kashmir" by Led Zeppelin. Selected for today because Ladakh is located in Kashmir, India. A classic song! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 2/8/17:
News Brief – Ed
Grades
Class Feedback
Ladakh Final

Homework: Read the blog. Good luck on the rest of finals! Next news brief: Teja.

News Brief: Ed selected an article about this story for the news brief today: Reuters.com - U.N. needs $2.1 billion to avert famine in Yemen. We found Yemen in the world map packet and noted we did a news brief story about the country. We also talked about the ongoing conflict there and the result it is having on millions of people who are in desperate need of help. Related to this, we discussed the latest news with the travel ban (which included Yemen). Very important news to follow, for sure.

Teja was assigned to do the next news brief.

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update in class. 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

Grades: After the news and checking in with students about if anything fun or interesting was going on outside of class, I talked about how grades for the class (and the final) would work. Basically, the Westview Global Studies team has a general agreement to use the final to help improve student grades, instead of bring them down. That said, if there is an obvious lack of effort or knowledge, we will take that into account, as well. So, if you are an A student, you can be almost assured of keeping that grade. If you have a lower grade, the final is an opportunity to improve. I am only going to put scores in the gradebook (StudentVUE) that improve grades (so you might just see a blank grade for your final), so that I can finish grading everything by the deadline. We do not have a grading day, due to the snow, so I am hoping to try and grade these as quickly as possible so you have an up to date grade ASAP.

Class Feedback: In the spirit of assessment, I asked students to provide me with some feedback about how class has been going this year so far, and what can be improved. The four questions that I asked students to anonymously answer 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 will show everyone the combined results from this next class, so we can learn about what is working and what could be improved. Thanks for participating in this!

Ladakh Final: This was the assignment for the rest of class. As promised, I let students use notes from the previous class(es) on Ladakh. The test itself was four questions (all the questions needed to be answered), followed by a short response essay for each one. There were five different learning target possibilities that the final addressed (written out above). I am looking forward to reading these over and assessing where you are at! If students finished early, there was time to quietly work in class.

Final grades for the semester are due by Tuesday, February 21. I anticipate that I will submit them far before then, but just a heads up. Thanks for your hard work, everyone! See you next class, when we will start the second semester! :-)

Ladakh Final Prep - Class Recap

We finished the Ladakh documentary in class today, in which we learned that many of the people there are Buddhist. This is a famous Buddhist temple (Swayambhunath) in Kathmandu, Nepal. Photo taken in 2015.

Hi everyone,

Today was our last day of preparation for the semester final, which will be later this week. I think we are generally in a good place and ready to take it! Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Communication LT 1:  I can communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
Critical Thinking LT 1: I can explain multiple perspectives and viewpoints.
Knowledge LT 10: I can demonstrate an understanding of the connection between the physical and human systems.
Knowledge LT 15: I can explain how culture both reflects and shapes society.
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.

Soundtrack: "Final Hour" by Lauryn Hill. Selected for today because it is the last class before finals, and Ms. Hill references a thesis in her song lyrics.

AGENDA 2/6/17:
News Brief – Rachel
Seminar Debrief
Ancient Futures
Ladakh Final Prep

Homework: Read the blog. Prepare for finals (see below)! Period 1 final is Wednesday! Next news brief: Ed.

News Brief: Rachel selected an article about this story for the news brief today: Reuters.com - Russia to ban beef imports from New Zealand. We found New Zealand in our world map packet and discussed this story together, before moving on. We also checked in about the weekend and the Super Bowl!

Ed 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

Seminar Debrief: I wanted to talk a little about how the Socratic Seminar on the Rise of Hitler reading went last class. I was super pleased with how students were able to take control and lead the discussion! I also chose a few students today in class to give their opinion on the activity. It did seem like the consensus was that it was worthwhile and interesting, so I will look for ways to incorporate it again in the future!

The Behavior Learning Target grades for the mini-unit on the Holocaust are now in the grade book and can be looked at on StudentVUE. I think it is a good indication of where everyone is at! Thank you for participating!

Ancient Futures: 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.

Here is the reading packet I passed out last class. Students were taking notes on the back page during the documentary:

Google Drive: Intro to Ladakh Readings

We watched this famous documentary, looking at traditional 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.

Ladakh Final Prep: Please finish your notes on the different learning targets and how they relate to the case study of the Ladakh by reviewing the reading material! Let me know if you are confused about how to prepare. See you next class, for our last class of the semester!

Ladakh Semester Final - Class Recap

Congratulations! If you passed the class, you have completed a semester of Global Studies! Photo taken at Niagara Falls in 2010.

Dear class,

Today was finals day in class and, as promised, we did a essay test on the Ladakh, with multiple different possibilities for learning targets to address. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Communication LT 1:  I can communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
Critical Thinking LT 1: I can explain multiple perspectives and viewpoints.
Knowledge LT 10: I can demonstrate an understanding of the connection between the physical and human systems.
Knowledge LT 15: I can explain how culture both reflects and shapes society.
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.

Soundtrack: "Kashmir" by Led Zeppelin. Selected for today because Ladakh is located in Kashmir, India. A classic song! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 1/26/16:
News Brief – Faith
Grades
Class Feedback
Ladakh Final

Homework: Read the blog. Good luck on the rest of finals! See you next week! Next news brief: Spencer.

News Brief: Faith selected an article about this story for the news brief today: TheGuardian.com - Dozens dead in Cameroon suicide bomb attack. We found Cameroon in your world map (please keep your world maps for next semester!) and talked about Boko Haram, the "Bring Back Our Girls" campaign, and international waters (I showed a picture of China's supposed Nine Dash Line to explain).

Spencer 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

Grades: After the news and checking in with students about if anything fun or interesting was going on outside of class, I talked about how grades for the class (and the final) would work. Basically, the Westview Global Studies team has a general agreement to use the final to help improve student grades, instead of bring them down. That said, if there is an obvious lack of effort or knowledge, we will take that into account, as well. So, if you are an A student, you can be almost assured of keeping that grade. If you have a lower grade, the final is an opportunity to improve. I am only going to put scores in the gradebook (StudentVUE) that improve grades (so you might just see a blank grade for your final), so that I can finish grading everything by the deadline. We have a grading day on Friday (no students), so I am hoping to submit grades then.

Class Feedback: In the spirit of assessment, I asked students to provide me with some feedback about how class has been going this year so far, and what can be improved. The four questions that I asked students to anonymously answer 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 will show everyone the combined results from this next class, so we can learn about what is working and what could be improved. Thanks for participating in this!

Ladakh Final: This was the assignment for the rest of class. As promised, I let students use notes from the previous class(es) on Ladakh. The test itself was four questions (all the questions needed to be answered), followed by a short response essay for each one. There were five different learning target possibilities that the final addressed (written out above). I am looking forward to reading these over and assessing where you are at! If students finished early, there was time to quietly work in class.

Final grades for the semester are due by Monday morning. Thanks for your hard work, everyone! See you next week! :-)

Ladakh Final Prep - Class Recap

We finished the Ladakh documentary in class today, in which we learned that many of the people there are Buddhist. This is a famous Buddhist temple (Swayambhunath) in Kathmandu, Nepal. Photo taken in 2015.

Hi everyone,

Today was our last day of preparation for the semester final, which will be next week. I think we are generally in a good place and ready to take it! Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Communication LT 1:  I can communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
Critical Thinking LT 1: I can explain multiple perspectives and viewpoints.
Knowledge LT 10: I can demonstrate an understanding of the connection between the physical and human systems.
Knowledge LT 15: I can explain how culture both reflects and shapes society.
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.

Soundtrack: "Final Hour" by Lauryn Hill. Selected for today because it is the last class before finals, and Ms. Hill references a thesis in her song lyrics.

AGENDA 1/22/16:
News Brief – Caleb
Seminar Debrief
Ancient Futures, Part 2
Ladakh Final Prep

Homework: Read the blog. Prepare for finals (see below)! Period 1 final is Tuesday at 7:45. Next news brief: Faith.

News Brief: Caleb selected an article about this story for the news brief today: BBC.com - North Korea arrests US student for 'hostile act'. This was a breaking news story as of this morning, so we talked about why North Korea might do this, why it probably isn't a good idea to visit North Korea at the moment, and anything else related to the story.

Faith 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

Seminar Debrief: I wanted to talk a little about how the Socratic Seminar on the Rise of Hitler reading went last class. I was super pleased with how students were able to take control and lead the discussion! I also randomly chose a few students today in class to give their opinion on the activity. It did seem like the consensus was that it was worthwhile and interesting, so I will look for ways to incorporate it again in the future!

I also told everyone that the Behavior Learning Target grades for the mini-unit on the Holocaust are now in the grade book and can be looked at on StudentVUE. I think it is a good indication of where everyone is at! Thank you for participating!

Ancient Futures, Part 2: 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.

Here is the reading packet I passed out last class. Students were taking notes on the back page during the documentary:

Google Drive: Intro to Ladakh Readings

We watched the rest of this famous documentary, looking at traditional 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.

Ladakh Final Prep: Please finish your notes on the different learning targets and how they relate to the case study of the Ladakh by reviewing the reading material! Let me know if you are confused about how to prepare. See you next week, for our last class of the semester!

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!

Ladakh Semester Final - Class Recap

Congratulations! If you passed the class, you have completed a semester of Global Studies! Photo taken at Niagara Falls in 2010.

Dear class,

Today was finals day in class and, as promised, we did a DBQ style test on the Ladakh, with multiple different possibilities for learning targets to address. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
KN LT 6 - Location & Region
KN LT  11 - Human & Physical Systems
KN LT 16 - Culture
KN LT 18 - Structures of Power

Soundtrack: "Kashmir" by Led Zeppelin. Selected for today because Ladakh is located in Kashmir, India. A classic song! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 1/21/15:
News Brief – Asha
Ladakh DBQ Final
Quiet Work Time

Homework: Read the blog. See you next week! Next news brief: Meaghan.

News Brief: Asha selected an article about this story for the news brief today: CNN.com - Netanyahu coming to Congress next month. This is the Prime Minister of Israel, coming to talk to the United States government about what he sees as the threat from Iran building a nuclear program. President Obama has urged caution on this, and said that his administration is requesting more time to talk with Iran about the nuclear program, before any consequences are given out.

Meaghan was selected to do the next news brief.

Ladakh DBQ Final: This was the assignment for the rest of class. As promised, I let students use notes from the previous class(es) on Ladakh. The test itself was six documents (all the questions needed to be answered), followed by a short response essay. The essay was structured to be one paragraph, following an analytical structure that Mr. Lathrop and I want you to use. There were four different learning target possibilities that the final addressed (written out above). This final could also count towards a writing process score for Mr. Lathrop's class. I am looking forward to reading these over and assessing where you are at!

Quiet Work Time: If students finished early, there was time to quietly work in class.

Final grades for the semester are due by Tuesday morning. Thanks for your hard work, everyone! See you next week! :-)

Ladakh Final, Day 1 - Class Recap

The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington D.C. Photo taken in 2011.

Dear class,

Despite widespread internet issues, we started looking at your final for the semester, which is sort of a "Choose Your Own Adventure" style piece of writing on the case study of the Ladakh. 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: "Pride (In The Name of Love)" by U2. Selected for today because the song is about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. We have Monday off of school to honor Dr. King, and I showed this website in class to encourage students to do some sort of community service on Monday (as the day has increasingly been about). Lyrics here.

AGENDA 1/16/15:
News Brief – Emory
Start Ladakh Final

Homework: Read the blog. Check your updated grades and know what to do to improve! All missing/late/make up/incomplete work due to me by TUESDAY (1/20). Please read and take notes on the Ladakh reading handout to prepare for your final! Next news brief: Asha

News Brief: Emory selected an article about this story for the news brief today: CNN.com - Belgian operation thwarted 'major terrorist attacks,' kills 2 suspects. We talked about the ongoing issues in Europe with terrorism and how this might be connected to what happened in France.

Asha was selected to do the next news brief.

Start Ladakh Final: I know this was an abrupt shift from learning about the Holocaust (which we will most likely get back to after finals next week). That said, this final offers students a ton of options for making up credit and being able to demonstrate a range of proficiency standards from throughout the year so far. This is basically how it works:

1) I passed out this document, which gave the different options for learning targets on the final. Everyone will do at least LT 6, because we haven't actually had an assignment graded for it yet (although we have done a lot of work with geography):

Google Drive: Ladakh Final Test Overview and Rubric

What's great about this is that it offers a LOT of choices for students. On finals day, you will select the targets you need to demonstrate and write a short essay about the Ladakh (like a DBQ) to try and get your grade up. It is also nice, because Mr. Lathrop is going to count it (if you want) as a Writing Process score - so all the brainstorming and prewriting you do will also count towards a grade in his class.

2) After I explain the assignment, we watched this documentary on the Ladakh culture in India. I remember watching this in high school, as well - it is OLD (1993). That said, it's a really great case study for our learning targets of geography, culture, and government, as they relate to traditional and modern society. Here's the documentary to watch, if you missed class or wanted to take more notes (or had difficulty paying attention in class):

ancient futures - learning from ladakh 528x400 from Unmani on Vimeo.

Students took notes on all of the learning targets addressed in the final.

3) On finals day (here is the schedule for finals this semester), you will write a short essay on the topics you need to demonstrate proficiency on. You will have a DBQ style test - your notes from today and your notes from the homework reading will help you prepare!

I know this may be somewhat complicated, so I am happy to answer any questions about how it is all going to work! Basically, I just want to give you one last chance to demonstrate proficiency with the learning targets of the semester.

See you on Wednesday, when we will take the final!