We had a brief class today (because of the Friday Thanksgiving schedule in the high school). Students watched a film about India and took notes on at least five things that they found amazing/interesting/cool. We will continue to add to that list when we return from Thanksgiving Vacation.
I had planned to spend a little time learning more about the history of Thanksgiving, but all we had time for was a three-question quiz for students' parents. The students tried to answer the following questions:
One freshman correctly answered all three questions, many correctly answered two. Let's see how your parents do. You may ask one parent, or grandparent, or another adult in you life. Bring their score with you to class on Monday, December 1. You will receive credit for turning in their score. Answers
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Some students took the make-up Middle East Map quiz this morning, while others read Chapter 29. We watched the CNN Student News, then worked on a map exercise of the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia.
On Wednesday we will learn more about Hinduism and Buddhism. We began that today by watching a Crash Course in Buddhism and Ashoka, available to view on YouTube. On Wednesday we will also continue the map assignment. After the CNN news we looked at the Chapter 23 quiz students took on Monday. I am disappointed in the class average - we can do better! Your #1 work is to learn all you can and earn high grades - both to prepare for college and to earn scholarship money for college. Any students who wish to retake the map portion of the quiz may do so next Monday.
We read most of Chapter 28 in class, discussing and answering questions based on the readings. Next week we will continue to learn about the Indian Subcontinent in Chapter 29. I have graded your Middle East Almanac assignment. Some of you forgot to include all the relevant statistics. If you turned in the assignment and don't see a score in RenWeb, it's because you need to add those statistics. We finished class by watching a 60 Minutes episode about the anti-Ebola work being done in West Africa. Students watched the CNN Student News, studied for their Chapter 23 quiz, then took the quiz.
We began an assignment (due Wednesday) using the Upfront Almanac to answer questions about Middle East countries. See the Assignments list for the questions. Mr. Walters had a brief lecture/presentation about sites in Jerusalem sacred to the three Abrahamic faiths. We ended class with a brief video from Japan of Ok Go using Honda's new personal mobility device. Our lesson today focused on crude oil production in the Middle East. Students defined terms from Chapter 23, Section 4. Then we discussed these terms, both as used in the chapter and in our culture. Desalination led to a discussion of the need for more water in Southern CA and the yes vote Tuesday for water bonds, and the meaning of potable water and its scarcity in the Middle East. Infrastructure led to a discussion of the need for increased construction and maintenance in the U.S.
Some Middle East countries have spent vast amounts on preparing their economies for the day their oil runs out. We looked at Dubai, U.A.E., and the amazing infrastructure being built there. Students read a selection from their textbooks about the global oil market, updated with more current statistics about U.S. oil production today. They answered questions based on a map handout, and turned in all the answers and notes from today. Those papers are graded and in the file box. Please retrieve your paper this week to help you study for the quiz over Chapter 23 next Monday. About half the freshman class worked with Mr. Knowlton today during 2nd block. The students who were in Geography watched the CNN Student News, then either worked on assignments or did some reading. Near the end of the class period we learned a little about Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, one of the countries we are studying in the Middle East. We saw the man-made islands being constructed, then watched a brief video about the construction of a platform at the top of the Burj Khalifa, the world's highest building, for a pair of French base jumpers. Incredible!
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James WaltersMr. Walters has taught at RAA since 1985. He currently teaches Geography, World History, American History, Government, Economics and Handbell Ensembles. He is Music Director/Organist of Magnolia Presbyterian Church and is an adjunct professor at Concordia University Wisconsin, teaching Handbell Methods and Materials. Archives
August 2017
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