Interview Projects

Hello Everyone,

We have had 13 great interview presentations thus far and have 6 left to do on next Tuesday morning. Thanks for supporting your child on this project ! Our visit from our two legislators went well. I believe between that visit, and the citizenship interviews, the students are getting clear messages on their roles and responsibilities as citizens now and in the future.

Interestingly enough and as a sign of the times, the students  have chosen a number of mediums to record their interviews from the traditional paper and pencil person to person, to skype, audio recordings, telephones, e-mails, computers, video cameras and so forth. The interviews have been informative and powerful.

In order to have the interview project count each student must have to me by next Tuesday a written narrative of the interview or a written summary of the interview. This project is an important part of this semester's grade !

Best,

Steve

Final Major Assignment

Hello All,

The class and I met today and discussed our final major assignment for the school year. They wrote down what I am posting here in their planners and I told them they could check this site as well. The project is due on Friday June 1st which gives them 10 days. The assignment idea came to me during our visit to the Ken Burn's Editing House last week. Which I thought was a good visit.

The assignment is as follows: Choose an elder/older person who is a neighbor, friend, relative to interview (not a parent). This can be done by phone and then photos can be family photos or such. The written interview narrative must be accompanied by either photographs (past or present), an audio CD or tape or a film. These will be shared with classmates the week of June 4th and the week of June June 11th.

The questions to be asked are as follows. I have encouraged the students to be prepared with follow up questions in order to give the interview some depth, to make it more personal etc.... I will give some examples below.

Introduce your self and the interviewee.

#1-"What do you believe are your responsibilities as a citizen?" This could pertain to their responsibilities on the local, regional, state level or national level. A followup up question could be "What have you done personally to perform those responsibilities."

#2"What should a citizen do when he or she thinks a particular law is unjust?" A follow up question could be to ask the interviewee to relate a personal experience or example of what they might have done in regards to a specific event or situation they were involved in.

#3"Does a citizen have a responsibility to work for the common welfare?' The common welfare was defined by the Framers of the Constitution to mean that people with civic virtue put the common welfare-the good of all the people-over their own interests. Therefore, citizens should elect people to public office who will put the common welfare over narrow and local interests. So, a good followup question might be, what have you done personally to promote the common welfare or good of fellow citizens? Of course this could mean volunteerism, public service etc...

So there you go. I look forward to some interesting interviews coming back on June 1st.

Best,

Steve

Hello All,

We are back in the saddle again after a great theater production and I am told a fantastic educational and fun trip to Quebec City. We have finished our "We the People" studies with our last two chapters being about Citizens Rights and Responsibilities. Today we had some very interesting conversations using scenarios and general discussions about "What are my responsibilities as a citizen?", "What should a citizen do when he or she thinks a particular law is unjust?" and "Does a citizen have a responsibility to work for the common welfare?"

As a follow up to this discussion and these questions I am endeavoring to have one NH and one VT  Legislator here to visit with us in the next week or so.

Also today, as a culmination of our year long study of the Maasai Culture we had a one hour visit with a Kenyan Maasai warrior, which was quite fascinating.

This Thursday is our trip to Ken Burn's studio for some time with Ken, a tour of his studio and talk about his actual film work. We will leave at 8:45am and return by 11:00am in time for academic classes.

Homework for Friday: Read two short or one long article in this weeks Upfront Magazine and be prepared to share and discuss with your classmates and teacher.

My goal for my American Studies students (which I shared with them today), for the next 5 weeks, is to stay focused and on task and use every minute to continue our studies.

Several students indicated a desire to do some geography work to finish out the year. We will identify what part of the world it is they wish to learn more about and make a go of it.

Best,

Steve

Dear Students and Parents,

I seem to have been among the missing the last week or so, but here I am again.

This week we reviewed for and then took the second part of the U.S. Citizenship Test. I hope as parents you enjoyed being quizzed on the test questions. I am told that most of you did very well on the test, congratulations. The student tests will be corrected and returned next week.

Today, we also read two articles from Upfront Magazine and had brief discussions about "Whatever Happened to Global Warming" (why it does not seem to be out in front in the news) and "Can I See Some ID?" (What is behind the new sate voter ID laws).

For the next three weeks, during the "musical" intensive weeks and production week we will have one class a week on Fridays, from 8:30am-9:30am. Looking ahead, we will use these days to finish the last two chapters in "We The People"which deal with , "What are the responsibilities of citizens?".

Best,

Steve

PS Ken Burn's visit last Friday was wonderful, and the students interactions and questions, were terrific. If you know Ken and see him, please thank him as he has been to our class four times this year (amazing) and we will be going to his studio for a tour and visit on May 17th.

Homework Reminder

Homework Reminder for Tomorrow: Friday

Do some further research on either Elizabeth Cady Stanton or Susan B. Anthony and write a one or two paragraph summary of your findings.

Prepare one question about either of these ladies or the Ken Burn's film about these ladies for tomorrow, Friday's class.

Steve

Hello,

Homework Due Tomorrow, Tuesday, March 27.

Students need to read one of the articles from the new Upfront Magazine. Then write up a summary of what they read about in the article. We will go over these in class and I will collect the homework.

Best,

Steve

Hello Everyone,

Here we are back in school after a two week break. I am looking forward to working with the 7th Grade American Studies class this spring. On Monday we began working on the second half of the U.S. Citizenship Test. This section deals with the Rights and Responsibilities of citizens.

Homework due tomorrow, Friday is to research and answer questions 58-70 on the citizenship test that have to do with the Colonial Period and Independence. Students have a copy of this. During class this Friday we will review these questions and once again break into small groups to work on questions 78-87 having to do with Recent American History and Other Important Historical Information.

Looking Ahead to Next Week: On Tuesday, we will finish the Ken Burns Film about Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton and work on the rest of the U. S. Citizenship Test (which has 100 questions in total). Ken Burns will visit with us on Friday, April 6th, from 8:30 am-9:30am to discuss his film and the reasons whey he feels that Anthony and Stanton were two of the most important, and yet most overlooked historical figures in our country's history.

Please feel free to join us on Friday morning if you have the time.

Best,

Steve

Hello 7th Grade Parents and Students,

Today we had our "terms to know" quiz. Now you may have gotten feedback, both negative and positive about how Steve pulled a fast one. At the beginning of class, before taking the test, I talked with students about a topic we have discussed before, learning for the sake of learning, and not just for the grade. My experiment today, a one time experiment, focused on the fact that our students had learned the material and that was important.

Instead of testing the students on the 20 terms, I asked them to pick one that they knew the definition of and a term that they felt represented an important aspect of our American Studies and American History, and to write a paragraph or more. The writing was to state the definition, why they chose the word or phrase they did, why was it important in our studies and why was it important to them or the country whether it be in the past, the present of the future.

This group of serious and dedicated students proceeded to think and write for 30-45 minutes. Their thoughts and writings are incredibly interesting. For those students who have felt duped or shortchanged or felt that their hard work and studies were wasted, were invited to take the test and or/bring in their list of definitions or their study notes.

I am sure some of you may have an equally strong feeling about how the test was administered and I would be very interested in your child's debriefing with you, if that occurs.

In general the class has been going very well. Next week we will be watching a Ken Burns film on Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, two woman who changed the American landscape in terms of woman's rights. These are two historical figures that have been left out of many history books or minimized. These two woman symbolize how people with a passion and drive can make effective and lasting change. We have been invited to visit Ken Burn' s studio in Walpole and I am working on those dates. Finally, for next Monday I have asked students to be prepared to debate the question, "Should voting be mandatory?"

Best,

Steve

Good Evening,

Homework for Tuesday is to study for a "terms to know" quiz which amounts to 20 words that the students have defined and should have in their notebooks or elsewhere. Also they will need to have read an article in the new Upfront Magazine, by Tuesday, on page 22: Should Voting Be Mandatory? After reading the article please write a paragraph or two about why you think the mandatory voting should be or not be a law, and why? In other words which side of the argument are you on?

Classes have been going great. Any questions or concerns, please send me a note !

Best,

Steve

Hello All,

I hope you have a great weekend.

On Thursday we read and discussed the various periods during our history, when the right to vote was expanded to U.S citizens, other than white males who owned property. There was also reading and discussion about some of the obstacles there were, to achieving the right to vote for all American citizens.

The most recent amendment to do with voting rights was in 1971 and was the 26th Amendment lowering the voting age to 18.

Homework for Monday is to read the article, all students have a copy, in the September 5 Upfront from page 24-27 about 18 year olds getting the vote. No writing for homework just reading and being prepared to talk or write about this topic on Monday in class !

Feel free to interact with your child about this important and fascinating subject !

Best,

Steve

Good Evening,

Students have no homework for tomorrow's class. However, I did put out a call for any homework that has not been turned in as a result of being absent or having overlooked Tomorrow is the last day to turn these in ! The Tuesday class, this week, was interesting in that we shared in small and then the larger group the articles students chose to read and write about in the Upfront Magazine.

Tomorrow we will begin studying the "right to vote" amendments and how the right to vote has expanded since the Constitution was adopted. This is still part of the unit we will be working on for a few weeks on; "how does the constitution protect our basic rights?"

Looking ahead, in several weeks we will be reading and discussing from Unit Six in "We the People" , what are the responsibilities of citizens. I would like to bring in some local or state legislators to come in and talk about our rights and responsibilities as it relates to the political process.

If you have personal contact information or know on a personal basis, state level or local legislators from NH or VT, or someone who has a story to tell, and would be willing to share this information, I would like to have a couple of them come in to talk with the class. Let me know !

We will also be checking into some of Ken Burn's films on voting rights and continuing to use the Upfront Magazine for current events.

Thanks,

Steve

Hello All,

Quick note tonight. Great class today discussing the First Amendment: freedom of religion clause, which as you know is very complex. Tonights homework is to choose one article between pages 6-30 from the January Upfront that has the picture of the Republican candidates on the cover. (it is red)

Specifically students need to choose one article and read it. Then write about why they chose it, what was interesting about what they read, and what they learned that they did not know before reading the article.

Thanks,

Steve

Hello All,

In class today we read Lesson 24 in the We the People Book. This lesson was on How does the Constitution protect freedom of religion? As you know this part of the first amendment is not really cast black and white and is somewhat complicated. This part of the first amendment has been challenged many times at the Supreme Court level ! We also defined four terms to know: establishment clause, free exercise clause, Lemon test and parochial school. At the end of the class the students cashed in their extra credit points for some treats.

The homework assignment due on Monday (conference day, no school on Thursday) is to answer this question: Some religious groups have suggested adding an amendment to the Constitution permitting voluntary prayer in public schools. Would you support such an amendment? Why or why not?

On Monday we will discuss the homework, review Lesson 24 and then tackle some problem solving questions and what ifs in small group and large group discussion around Religion and the Schools and the Lemon test. Ask your students what the Lemon test is or does. It comes form the case of Lemon v. Kurtzman (1971) They may need to look it up again.

For the next several weeks we will be talking about, how does the Constitution protect our basic rights while studying five fundamental rights afforded to us by the Bill of Rights. We will also continue to use the NY Times Upfront magazine for current events reading and discussions. I think the students really enjoy this magazine, which is also used in 8th grade.

More later,

Best,

Steve

Hello All,

Short and sweet today. Homework for Monday -Read pages 38 and 39, the last two pages in the Upfront World Affairs issue and then answer questions 1-9 in writing.

Have a good weekend!

Steve

Good Evening All,

In class today we reviewed the Chapters students had read in the book Facing the Lion. We talked about two students who graduated from the Grammar School two and three years ago, Celine and Herve Mudakahana, who were from Rwanda, and their journey from Africa to the U.S. We also talked about Leyeyo, a current 8th grader and his journey from Tanzania to America. If you have not read this book, I recommend it. It is about a two hour read !

Homework for Thursday: finish the book which means read to page 123. I told the students that if they were behind in the reading they need to catch up and have read the entire book by class on Thursday as we will have a writing prompt(s) and discussion questions !

Best,

Steve

Hello All,

Well a snow day in Vermont, what a surprise, at least this winter. I am very sorry to have missed my seventh graders today. I really like this fine group of young women and men and it is the highlight of my day when I get to spend time with them. I would like to send along this homework assignment that I will relay to the students tomorrow via Hop.

Homework for Monday: Read Chapters 8 and 9 in the book, "Facing the Lion".

Thanks,

Steve

PS I have encouraged students to keep up to date in regards to this page as well. So please share when appropriate.

Good Afternoon,

This morning's class was great. The class and I once again used the Upfront Magazine to look at statistics and comparisons of Kenya (the setting for the book Facing the Lion) and Tanzania (Leyeyo's place of birth) and how they compared to other countries of the world. Our focus was primarily on the Per Capita Gross Domestic Product (GPD) and the Human Development Index (HDI). As you can imagine these countries are in the bottom 5% of these categories.

We then discussed the chapters that were read for homework and started reading in class Chapter 5 of which we ended on page 52.

Tonight's Homework due on Thursday is to read in Facing the Lion pages 52 to 74.

***Please be forewarned that Chapter 7 is about the traditional initiation and rite of passage for Maasai male warriors which is circumcision. You may want to preview this chapter, read it with your child and discuss or have them not read it.

Thanks,

Steve

Please check in with your student to make sure this is done and that they actually bring the book home. They will have two nights to complete the reading.

Hello All,

Homework Tonight

Read pages 9-43 in the book "Facing the Lion", which I handed out today.

For the next few classes the students will be discussing the Maasai culture and the countries and continent of Africa using the new Upfront Magazine. This special issue of Upfront will provide many insights into and learning opportunities about World Affairs in 2012. Today we used the magazine to review some of the statistics and read an article. The students were very interested in this issue and I encourage parents to look at it as well. These readings will give us a realistic view of life for a Maasai young man as he grows up and "faces the lion" while making his way through the modern African world.

We started the class reviewing the Upper School Expectations for teachers and students. I will send a copy home to you, as I did in the beginning of the year, as there is also a section for parent expectations as well.

Best,

Steve

Hello All,

Just a quick note tonight with more in depth posting tomorrow !

Homework: Read pages 18-21 in the newest Upfront, The Bill of Rights, Then and Now. The article/ reading is challenging. Please take your time and read thoroughly and be ready for in depth conversation for tomorrows class. (This is a great issue)

Also tests were handed back and students who missed answers on the test were asked to define the terms they missed on the back of their test and return to me tomorrow.

Best,

Steve