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