Minneapolis Metrodome Roof Collapses from Too Much Snow!!! You gotta see this!

I just got off the phone with my mom who told me they have almost 20 inches of snow...that's almost two feet! And that is actually a lot for Minnesota! Most people were stuck inside their houses for 2 days straight and temperatures are way below zero. Some still haven't been able to dig their cars out of the snow after they were buried underneath it!

But seriously, watch this video of the Minneapolis sports dome, which has a "bubble-like" structure for a roof...

Dear John - Civil War Style!

Ask me if my students are diligent workers and my typical answer will be, "sometimes." =) Today, however, I was blown away while watching my 11th grade American History students in the computer lab. They were clicking and clacking away on the keyboards and oohing and ahhing at the information they were finding. This was a happy day in my book!

I have always heard of teachers doing a "Civil War Newspaper Project." Since I have always heard about others doing this, I have shunned it. I don't want to be the teacher that does the same projects everyone else does! But I take it back. With plenty of personalizing and modernizing, I have found this Newspaper Project to be incredibly beneficial for students learning about history AND learning essential writing elements. Today I had students calling me to their computers to show me the photos of Black Union soldier regiments, wowing when they learned that Northern textbooks omitted the fact that there used to be slavery in the North, and melting happily when they found REAL love letters written between soldiers and their beloved's.  You would have thought they were watching Dear John by the sounds of it.

www.civilwaracademy.com

Can you decipher what it says? 

www.willishenry.com

www.edwardsamuels.com

To teach journalistic writing, I provided some useful articles, particularly on writing editorials. 

One thing I love about this project is that they are all assigned a “perspective” (North v. South) and are required to show a subtle bias towards their home side. We will then be discussing how critical we must always be of the news media today. 

Take a look at the project here:

Civil War Newspaper Project

  

Northern Caption: “16^th President Abe Lincoln, always fashionable in his trademark hat, coat, and bowtie, spends his free time with the Union soldiers. The ultimate question still lingers in the air: Will his beloved United States ever be united again?”

Southern Caption: “Slave-loving Lincoln shows up after the battle is over. Too bad he didn’t come out and fight so we could show him what we are made of!”

Photo Source: glastonburyus.org

State, Nation, Other: Puerto Rico tries to decide - Respond by Wed. Nov. 10!

Oh, no....not politics!! YES, we are going to go there this time. This issue in Puerto Rico has still not been resolved and guess what...all of YOU will most likely be making this decision in the future!

Read this article from the PR Daily Sun and respond by answering some of these questions. You MUST refer to the article in your comment so that we all know that you have read it! For example... "I thought it was crazy how the political candidate from Idaho thought Puerto Rico was a COUNTRY, and didn't even care!!!" or "I know what they mean about the passport question, people asked me that when I went to the states..."

• Have you had a similar experience to Dayra Rivera's? If so, exlain...
• What do you think about other peoples' knowledge (or lack thereof) of Puerto Rico?
• Does Puerto Rico's political status confuse you? How? What about the social status? Is PR more American or more Puerto Rican? Explain...
• The BIG question: What do you think PR should do...become a state, become independent, stay the same, other?? Explain...
• Show this article to your parents or other family members. What do they think?
• Any other reactions, thoughts, questions, opinions that you have to this issue...

You should also start responding to your classmates' comments. Remember, this is a DISCUSSION with the whole class, not just with yourself. For example, "I really agree with ______ because _____." Or "I see the point that _____ is making, but I disagree because ________." As always, BE RESPECTFUL!!

Here is the link to the article:
State, nation, other: Puerto Rico tries to decide - Puerto Rico Daily Sun - Timely news about Puerto Rico, the Caribbean and the world

Why you should know the Constitution...

I know you all grumbled when I said you should know which amendment is which, but remember that the Constitution is a basic ideology that all American citizens live by and should understand, ESPECIALLY if you ever decide to become a political leader in the future! Make sure you don't end up looking like Christine O'Donnell did in this clip....

President Obama - It Gets Better Project

There is an ongoing project in response to the recent teen suicides called the "It Gets Better Project." Here is a message about it:

Hey,

Have you seen all the YouTube videos about how it gets better?

Dan Savage the writer started it, but now there's over a thousand videos, including ones by TV stars and politicians like Tim Gunn, Kathy Griffin, and Hillary Clinton.

They're actually part of the It Gets Better Project, started to help teenagers who are being bullied for being gay. Young people who are gay, lesbian, bi or trans can share stories from their lives and watch other people's stories for hope and inspiration.

You should check the website:

 http://www.itgetsbetterproject.com/hope

If you want to add your story, it's easy to do on the site. If you don't, there's a bunch of other stuff you can do too:

- Video Archive: Every It Gets Better video in one place.
- The IGBP Pledge: Take the pledge and show your support.
- Share Your Story: Tell your story in your own words.
- Help and Resources: Services for young people who need help.
- Contribute: Your donations will support teen suicide prevention.

This is such a cool project that I really wanted you to know about it. I hope you visit the site!

 http://www.itgetsbetterproject.com/hope

Thanks!

One of the most recent supporters is President Obama. Watch the message here:

Can you read this???

Check this out...

What do you think? Could you read it? Crazy or what?? 

Bullying Kills - Respond by Monday, Oct. 25

 Teen bullying, cyber-bullying, teen suicides....these topics have been all over the news lately and we can't avoid talking about it. I have posted three stories below. Please take a look at all of them, then respond to this post with a thoughtful response. Here are some suggestion questions:

• How did you feel when reading/watching these stories and why do you feel this way?
• Describe a time when you or someone you know has been bullied or affected by bullying. 
• How do you think technology (ie. facebook, video chat, youtube, instant messaging, etc.) has changed or affected bullying? Has it made bullying easier or harder? Or not affected bullying at all? Explain your thoughts...
• What can be done to stop bullying, and cyber bullying in particular? 
• How does this relate to the 1st Amendment of Free Speech? Do you think Tyler's roommate had a right to do what he did based on the right to free speech? How do we decide when to limit "free speech," or should we stop it at all? 

Video clip about Tyler Clementi, a college freshman who took his own life after being cyber bullied. You will not believe what his roommate and roommate's friend did to him:

Another story about a recent teen suicide due to bullying:

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2023083,00.html?xid=newsletter-weekly

Video clip from Ellen Degeneres:

Blogging Tips and Guidelines - Respond by Wed. Oct. 6!

Blogging Tips and Guidelines:

Every time you add a new post, people from around the world can “see” what you have written! In order to make sure your posts are safe, respectable, and grammatically appropriate please follow the following guidelines:
Safety:

* Don’t use your last name when writing a blog.
* Don’t give our ANY information about yourself, phone number, address, etc.
* Don’t be specific with your information. For example, say, “I like to play soccer,” not “I play soccer for the Webster Pirates.”
* Do not post pictures of anyone without their permission.

Respect:

* Be considerate of others and their individual thoughts, don’t judge.
* When writing comments, don’t just say, “That’s great!” Take the time to read others thoughts and respond with a well written comment, such as, “I agree with you, I think we should be able to access the computer more.”
* Do not write comments that might be considered offensive by others. (Remember, your writings can be viewed by anyone in the world!!!)

Grammar:

* Use correct grammar and spelling.
* Use of abbreviations and shortcuts is not appropriate for a blog, save that for texting!
* Present yourself in a manner that will bring you and your family pride for what you’ve written.

Assignment:
-Respond to this post with a comment. You will have to create a free google account to do so!
-You may answer all or any of these questions in your comment:
-What do you know about blogging?
-How do you feel about the idea of blogging? Of having a website about our class that anyone in the world can see? Will this have an effect on what you write? Explain...
-If you could have your own blog, what would it be about? Many people have a blog about specific topics like sports, travel, TV shows, fashion, dance, or funny things they hear people say. Others have blogs where they write about anything that comes to their minds!
-What are you most excited about for blogging?
-Respond with a link to a blog that you find interesting or fun (you can search blogs in google) and explaining why you find it interesting. Here is an example blog of Mr. and Ms. Kaufhold: www.lindsayandjoeypr.blogspot.com

American History Syllabus, Ms. Kaufhold

Here is a copy of Ms. Kaufhold's American History Syllabus. Please refer here to find explanations on classroom procedures, policies, rules, etc.


American History Syllabus

What does a world citizen look like?

Each class created the ideal “world citizen” by answering the question: “What does a world citizen look like?” Here is 10A’s reply:

"Our world citizen is a unique person and has the courage to stand up and make a change. This  person is not afraid to be different and unique, They are not afraid to show their true interests, although they still respect the opinions of others. This person doesn't have to follow a crowd, they march to their own beat. He/she is a leader, is passionate. This citizen likes to take interests from other people and make them their own. She is fashionable and has a big heart. He/she cares about the environment and always recycles! We are the world and we can make a difference!"