Humming Along in Humanities- Dr. Brown
Studying evidence, journeys, human rights, culture and global issues
This week we are wrapping up our Human Rights unit! Our students have done some amazing work in delving into the human rights issues that have been tackled in the past as well as current issues. This work will serve as a great platform for discussing the multi-faceted topic of Culture when we return from Chinese New Year break. In our short week, students will:
- Finish reading and discussing their novels.
- Finalize their plot/action charts for their novels.
- Taking an assessment on the novel each student read.
- Doing a comparison of the novel to a movie and writing a review of the movie for the book not read.
The next reading log is due Monday, March 1 and should be on a Culture book from the reading list.
Xin Nian Kuai Le!!
Friday marks the mid-term of quarter 3. Please check Power School often for updates. I put comments on many assignments, so please also be sure to read those. If you have questions, do not hesitate to contact me.
All students will be taking a test next Wednesday (February 10) on their literature circle books. To prepare, students should be ready to discuss the following in short answer (1-2 paragraphs) format. Answers should include textual evidence (quotes and paraphrasing)
- Quotes– explain the significance of the quote to the novel; you’ll have two quotes provided by me and you can also opt to bring a quote forward for discussion
- Theme
- Symbol
- Tone
- Historical Background as it impacts the setting and events of the novel
All students will be able to use their foldables and novel on the novel portion of the test. There will be no aids allowed during the vocabulary portion. All students will handwrite the test.
We are in the midst of an exciting exchange with other groups of students! Mr. Carozza used to teach in Virginia Beach Public Schools (US). He asked if I would like to do a collaborative project with a former teammate of his. As a Virginia Beach Public Schools graduate myself, and one who recognizes the value in collaboration, I jumped at the opportunity! So, Mrs. Rust and I got in touch with one another, and the rest is now history.
Both of our 8th grade classes are studying human rights, though through slightly different lenses. Both groups, though, have some students who are reading To Kill a Mockingbird. So, Mrs. Rust posed a question about heroes in literature and life. We all know there have been many heroes who have helped to fight for our human rights, but we opted to keep the discussion fairly broad. The forum for our discussion is a Wikispace.
All students were given this prompt as a starting point:
Eighth grade students of the Flames team have been reading about heroes and non-heroes in both literature and nonfiction. In the literature area, we have read: The Outsiders/The Contender/Farewell to Manzanar/Witness, Beowulf and The Ox-Bow Incident. We will be reading To Kill a Mockingbird, Fahrenheit 451, A Tale of A Two Cities, and Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew.” For nonfiction, students have each read an article about a national or international figure in various fields; i.e. science, math, religion, the environment,Virginia and U.S. history, business, medicine, and/or entertainment. To be included as a hero, the student must demonstrate/analyze this character/person against the criteria of one of four heroic traits: courage, selflessness, integrity, and/or perseverance. We invite others to join us.
Post your response to the discussion board by clicking on the link named “Discussion” at the top of this page. Tell us who you think is a hero or non-hero on your national or the international stage and explain why. Use the same traits as the Flames’ students. The criteria for each of the traits is as follows:
- COURAGE: go beyond the call of duty; act wisely under pressure; risk life/fortune, reputation; champion a good cause; serve as a calling to higher principles
- SELFLESSNESS: think of others before self; put common good first; give back to society
- INTEGRITY: doing the right thing even when no one is watching; do not relinquish morals
- PERSEVERANCE: have patience and determination to accomplish goals; work hard; look forward in a positive way; have confidence in self
Over the last week, my students have added their responses about heroes. This week, they are responding to the other students from Mrs. Rust’s classes. Additionally, Mrs. Rust has invited Ms. Mizkhatovna, a teacher in Almetyevsk, Tatarstan, Russia, and her 10th grade students to join the conversation. It has been really interesting to watch the discussion evolve! The students are having opportunities to learn from such different perspectives, and to teach students across the globe about heroes from their own cultures!
Consider the information researched and presented in class regarding the sit-in movement. Address each of the Enduring Understandings in a blog post. Be specific.
- Social change begins with an individual or small group.
- Human rights are impacted by the perception of the majority.
- Human rights are affected by systems of government.
- Systems can create inequities.
Many of your classmates have had great insights, but I have copied Connie’s response as a good example of a summary of our discussion this week.
Social change begins with an individual or small group.
The Greensboro sit-in is a great example of this enduring understanding. It only took 4 people to come up with the idea of sitting in at an all-white counter, but that was enough to spark an entire national-sit in movement, in which thousands of people started protesting non-violently against unfair discrimination of black people. Many of these sit-ins reached headlines and were successful in desegregating several lunch counters.
Human rights are affected by systems of government. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that all people are equal, but the laws of the Jim Crow Era implied that white people were “better than” black people. Because it was the law, many white people felt justified to mistreat black people and make them feel inferior. One of these laws enforced segregated lunch counters. Black people were not allowed to sit with white people, but 4 black boys decided that this was unfair and decided to start protesting.
Systems can create inequities. During the Jim Crow Era, black people were generally “lesser than” white people. Black people were not allowed to point out a white person’s flaws. Black people could not even shake hands with white people because that would have implied equality. Black people were given less rights (such as voting and enjoyment of public facilities), and were forbidden to fraternize with white people. In many public places, such as bathrooms, movie theaters, buses, and lunch counters, white people and black people were kept separate. The Greensboro sit-in was an attempt to try to end segregation between white and black people.
Human rights are impacted by the perception of the majority. During the Jim Crow Era, many white people considered themselves better than black people. The majority of white people wanted black people to stay at the bottom, so they took away black people’s human rights. Number 2 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights declares that everyone is equal despite differences in skin color, language, religion or any other difference. During the Jim Crow Era, most white people totally disregarded this human right and decided to degrade black people by separating them from white people. Many things were segregated, such as schools, homes, and public facilities. The Woolsworth lunch counter was an example of a segregated public facility. The Greensboro sit-in was a non-violent protest against segregation.
Dear Parents,
Each semester, we send to you a survey that asks if your child(ren) plan to return to SAS the following semester. In the past, the Office of Admission has sent this paper survey home with your youngest child. With the launch of the Parent Portal, we will “go green” and conduct the survey via PowerSchool. Please click on the survey for each child and tell us whether or not your child(ren) will return to SAS for the fall semester of the 2010-2011 school year.
You will need to complete a survey for each child and it is very important to complete the survey no later than Friday, February 12th. As this is essential information that we use when planning for the next school year, if you do not respond to this request, we will contact you by phone or e-mail after the due date.
If you have any questions, please contact the Office of Admission at tel.: 6221.1445, ext.2525 Daniel Dong, Puxi campus or ext.3305 Eileen Shen, Pudong campus.
Best regard,
T.K. Ostrom
Director of Admission
IMPORTANT PowerSchool Update:
1.Enrollment Survey. All enrollment surveys will be done online in PowerSchool through the Parent Portal. This enrollment survey is for next school year – 2010-2011. We will not be sending the enrollment survey form through your youngest child anymore. You will receive an email from PowerSchool regarding the details.
2.Emergency Contacts – You can now update your emergency contacts in PowerSchool. Just click the Demographics Update and scroll down to see the emergency contacts and where you need to enter the information. It is important for you to provide two emergency contacts.
“Take joy, take pride, take charge…” Dr. McNeil
February 1, 1960 four college freshmen sat down at the segregated Woolworth’s lunch counter in small town Greensboro, North Carolina (yes, where I am from most recently; in fact, I had just moved there for college in 1993 when the Woolworth’s ceased operating) and ordered food. They sparked the sit in movement that we studied today in class. The Greensboro sit-ins continued until July 25, 1960 when the lunch counter was integrated. The New York Times highlights the opening of the Civil Rights Museum scheduled for today. Three of the four men are scheduled to appear. Keep checking the internet for clips of this historic event. Rosemary Plybon and Sandra Hughes (news anchors in Greensboro, WFMY2) discussed quotes shared during the ribbon cutting ceremony: ”Don’t ask permission to start a revolution;” and “Find what it is you are willing to sit down or stand up for.” Contemplate those quotes. I am. How are we going to help assure the world is a more inclusive place for our friends and families?
“Take joy, take pride, take charge…” Dr. McNeil
This week in Humanities, we will be:
- continuing to develop our discussion about heroes in life and literature with 8th graders in Virginia Beach, Virginia and 10th graders in Russia via a Wiki discussion.
- discussing the Greensboro sit-ins (50th anniversary 2/1/2010) as an impetus for the sit-in movement.
- analyzing literature through literature circles.
- learning new vocabulary.
Students will continue their literature circles throughout the week with a focus on:
- setting/exposition
- historical background
- character analysis
Students are also beginning participation in a discussion with 8th grade students in the United States about heroes in literature and life. All of my students should check their SAS email for links to the Wikispace that Mrs. Rust and I have created and contribute.
Since we are reading a lot for class at this time, reading logs are suspended until after Chinese New Year break. My iCal has been updated. The next reading log is due on March 1. Students should start reading from the Culture list next.
All students have gotten their graded essays back. Any student who wishes to revise and resubmit must do so by Friday, January 29.
Based upon today’s Paideia seminar, reflect on:
- your goals and
- choose one of the unit’s Enduring Understandings to tie to our discussion today
Students will be starting Literature Circles today in class. The following is information about requirements over the next few weeks.
Daily Duties
- Make a Connection– Connect the reading to your own life, feelings, experiences, current events, other books or authors.
- Bring a Question- Where is this text going? Why do these characters act as they do? How did the author evoke this feeling? Is this a plausible outcome? May seek clarification or understanding or challenge/critique. (No “yes or no” questions)
- Illuminate a Passage- Picks the memorable, important sections of the text to savor, reread, analyze, or share aloud. Can also include literary elements (figurative language, metaphors, etc.)
- Find New Vocabulary- Choose a word that is new or unfamiliar or is “powerful” in context.
What we look for:
- Completed the reading
- Prepared for discussion
- Cooperated
- Listened actively
- Remained on task
How literature circles should look:
- Desks touching
- Plenty of space between groups
- Members focused only on each other
- Equal participation, taking turns
- Smiling and friendliness
- Books open, everyone on the same page
Typical Agenda:
- Membership check in
- S et reading calendar (first meeting)
- Review the goal and action plan from the last meeting (5 minutes)
- Discuss questions, passages, connections, vocabulary (10-20 minutes)
- Group processing (5 minutes)
- What were 3 specific things you did well today that helped us meet our goal?
- What is one things we can do differently so that our next discussion improves?
- What was an interesting idea that came up in our discussion that we could tell the rest of the class about?
- Large group processing (5 minutes)
(Adapted from Harvey Daniels, p. 103)