The novel/diary assessments will be on Tuesday, May 5 for To Kill a Mockingbird and Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl.  Both tests have a similar format.  There will be 7 quotations where you must explain the significance of the quote to the plot/action.  These explanations will be written in paragraph form and be worth 10 points each.  Then, there will be some analogies, definitions, and 3×3 vocabulary to measure vocabulary knowledge.  The vocabulary questions will be worth 2 points each.  On Monday we will finish presentations and spend time reviewing.  Have a great May Holiday!

Make sure you know and understand the following words for Monday’s assessment:

• antagonize
• apoplectic
• fascist
• genocide
• guilelessness
• hermaphrodite
• ignorance
• incoherent
• ingenuous
• magisterial
• malignant
• Nazi
• pedantic
• penetrate
• philippic
• power
• reconciliation
• reprimand
• social justice
• socio-economic status
• strictures
• tyrannical

 We are nearing the culmination of our Human Rights unit and the Literature Circles!  Please note the basic plan for the next couple of weeks and plan accordingly:

1.  Finish novels by Monday, April 27.

2.  Work on Novel Presentations for Tuesday, April 28.

Novel Presentations Requirements and Rubric

3.  Prepare for a novel assessment on Tuesday, May 5.  This assessment will include our vocabulary terms as well as information from the novel you read.

4.  The Global Issues/Human Rights Notebook test will be Wednesday, May 6.

Students may continue to submit reading logs by Mondays at 8 a.m. for extra credit.

Look at this link to an article in USA Today regarding tactics, including waterboarding, used with U.S. prisoners during the Bush-era administration.  Think of the article shared about the Nazi prison guard (teachers.saschina.org/sbrown– April 15th post) that we discussed last week.  Consider the following questions and post to your blog by Thursday’s class time:

1.  What human rights were violated in the handling of prisoners?

2.  What is your opinion of Obama’s stance?

3.  As asked about the Nazi prison guard, is it ever too late to prosecute someone for crime committed?

4.  Should war-time situations change how laws are implemented and how people are prosecuted for breaking them?

Grade 9 Writers’ Workshop to be offered!

Due to an overwhelming number of parent requests, we are adding a Writers’ Workshop course for students going into 9th grade.  If your child is interested in this course, we encourage you to register today, as we must have at least 10 students to proceed. We’ve hired a fabulous teacher for the class, so your child is sure to benefit!

Course title:  Grade 9 Writers’ Workshop
Who:  High School Students, Entering Grade 9
Minimum enrollment:  10;  Maximum enrollment: 20
Dates/Times:  June 22-26, 8:30am-3:30pm

How do professional writers work? What can I learn from them? How do I transfer these ideas and practices to my own writing?
This stimulating workshop will offer high school students valuable practice in:
„. writing for a variety of audiences and purposes
„. making reading/writing connections
„. writing under time and editorial constraints
„. writing for exams

Participants will work independently and in cooperative groups with follow students, writing and thinking about writing to develop greater independence and confidence in their abilities as writers and learners.

Feds release accused Nazi prison guard Demjanjuk

By M.R. KROPKO, Associated Press Writer M.r. Kropko, Associated Press Writer 1 hr 41 mins ago

CLEVELAND – John Demjanjuk was released from federal custody Tuesday evening, just hours after six immigration officers removed the accused Nazi death camp guard from his suburban home in a wheelchair, authorities said. Federal officials had taken Demjanjuk to a federal building in downtown Cleveland, but the 89-year-old retired autoworker’s impending return to Germany was halted when three-judge panel of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted a stay of deportation.

An arrest warrant in Germany claims Demjanjuk was an accessory to some 29,000 deaths during World War II at the Sobibor camp in Nazi-occupied Poland. Once in Germany, he could be formally charged in court.

Demjanjuk was driven to his home in Seven Hills after his release, former son-in-law and family spokesman Ed Nishnic said. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in a statement they’ll supervise him through electronic monitoring.

In granting the stay, the three-judge panel said it would further consider Demjanjuk’s motion to reopen the U.S. case that ordered the deportation, in which he says painful medical ailments would make travel to Germany torturous.

Citing the need to act because of the possibility of Demjanjuk’s imminent deportation, the court issued the stay without addressing the U.S. government’s argument that the court had no jurisdiction to rule on Demjanjuk’s appeal.

The government planned to continue its legal battle in court, said Justice Department spokeswoman Laura Sweeney.

Nishnic said the family was relieved the stay was granted.

“We’re delighted. We’re prepared to make our arguments with the 6th Circuit, and it’s just a shame that Mr. Demjanjuk had to go through the hell that he went through once again this morning,” he said as he walked into a federal building in Cleveland where Demjanjuk was being held.

Earlier Tuesday, Demjanjuk’s wife, Vera, sobbed and held her hands to her mouth as immigration officers loaded his wheelchair into a van at their home. As the van moved down the street, Vera turned and waved, sobbing in the arms of a granddaughter.

Several family members, including a 10-year-old grandson, were in the home when the officers removed Demjanjuk.

Nishnic said Demjanjuk, a native of Ukraine, told his family, “I love you,” in Ukrainian and was aware that the officers were there to take him to Germany.

Nishnic said his former father-in-law moaned in pain as he was placed in the wheelchair.

“It was horrendous. He was in such pain. I wouldn’t want to see anyone go through something like that,” said granddaughter Olivia Nishnic, 20.

John Demjanjuk Jr., who filed the appeal with the 6th Circuit earlier Tuesday, said the government hadn’t lived up to earlier understandings of how his father would be removed.

“They told me that they would have an ambulance. They told me we would have three to five days’ notice, and obviously you can’t believe everything the government tells you,” he told The Associated Press by phone while headed back to Cleveland from the federal appeals court in Cincinnati.

He predicted his father would not survive long enough in Germany to stand trial.

“If he is deported, if this madness and inhumane action is not stopped by the 6th Circuit, he will live out his life in a (German) hospital. He will never be put on trial,” he said. “It makes absolutely no sense that the Germans, after nearly killing him in combat, would try to kill him once again.”

The Nazi-hunting Simon Wiesenthal Center said it was undeterred.

“We remain confident that John Demjanjuk will be deported and finally face the bar of justice for the unspeakable crimes he committed during World War II when he was a guard at the Sobibor death camp,” said Rabbi Marvin Hier, Wiesenthal Center founder.

“His work at the Sobibor death camp was to push men, women and children into the gas chamber. He had no mercy, no pity and no remorse for the families whose lives he was destroying forever,” Hier said.

Deborah Dwork, a professor of Holocaust history at Clark University in Worcester, Mass., said the Demjanjuk case illustrates that there is no statute of limitations on the crime of genocide.

“The issue is holding him accountable, no matter what his age,” she said.

Dwork said she believes German prosecutors acted cautiously and deliberately in bringing their case because they can’t afford to run a weak trial. Germany’s image in the eyes of the international community would be tarnished if Demjanjuk is acquitted, she said.

Demjanjuk, a native Ukrainian, has denied being a Nazi guard and claims he was a prisoner of war of the Germans. He came to the United States after the war as a refugee.

Demjanjuk had been tried in Israel after accusations surfaced that he was the notorious Nazi guard “Ivan the Terrible” in Poland at the Treblinka death camp. He was found guilty in 1988 of war crimes and crimes against humanity, a conviction later overturned by the Israeli Supreme Court.

A U.S. judge revoked his citizenship in 2002 based on Justice Department evidence showing he concealed his service at Sobibor and other Nazi-run death and forced labor camps.

An immigration judge ruled in 2005 he could be deported to Germany, Poland or Ukraine.

___

Associated Press Writers Thomas J. Sheeran in Cleveland, Terry Kinney in Cincinnati, Kantele Franko and Matt Leingang in Columbus, Devlin Barrett in Washington and Roland Losch in Munich contributed to this report.

What do you think? Is it ever too late to try someone for a crime?

What is the responsibilty of the US government in this case?

What is the “right” thing to do?

Thursday, April 9

12:30-1:00– Joo Hyun, Jack, Christy, Noah, Jacob

1:30-2:00– Sally, Stephane, Derek, Cameron

2:30-3:00– Andrew

 Friday, April 10

12:30-1:00– Tae Woo, Bengi, Regan

We had an Advisory work session during lunch yesterday to make sure all students have the following tagged and categorized for Thursday and Friday conferences.

All students should have the following tagged in the Spring 2009 SLC category:

• Humanities goal, reflection and piece
• Science goal, reflection and piece
• Math goal, reflection and piece
• PE/Health goal, reflection and piece
• Art goal, reflection and piece
• Global language goal, reflection and piece
• Music/Drama goal, reflection and piece
• Advisory goal and reflection

As of 8:15 a.m. on April 8, I have checked all blogs in my Advisory, and the following is an updated list of work that should be categorized under a SLC Spring 2009 category.  I will hold another lunch session today.  Some students may have items on the list below, but without a category tag, the items will not be easily located.

Please look to see what is needed for you:

• Jack– math piece/reflection, music piece/reflection, art piece/reflection, category on all of these for SLC Spring 2009
• Christy– ready to conference!
• Regan– ready to conference!
• Noah– all on the list is needed
• Willy– ready to conference!
• Joo Hyun– science piece/reflection
• Bengi– ready to conference!
• Jacob– ready to conference!
• Tae Woo– all on the list is needed
• Derek– ready to conference!
• Ricky– advisory goal/reflection, science piece/reflection, math piece/reflection, humaniteis piece/reflection, music piece/reflection, PE/Health piec/reflection, language piece/reflection (be sure to categorize all of these as SLC Spring 2009)
• Stephane– ready to conference!
• Cameron– advisory reflection,  music piece/reflection, health/P.E. piece/reflection (be sure to categorize all of these as SLC Spring 2009)
• Andrew– ready to conference!
• Sally– ready to conference!

For information about your literature circle book, please check out the Human Rights Wiki: http://human-rights.wikispaces.com/.

• Each night you should write a character journal.  This journal should be kept in the center pocket of your literature circle foldable.  The journal can be loose leaf or whatever format you choose, as long as you write about one of the characters each night (discussing characterization, motivation, etc.) and put it in your foldable to bring to class daily.

• Each night you are responsible for the reading as your group decided on the calendar which is also in the foldable.

• Each night you should have a different role until you have had every role.  You can download and use the role sheets below.  Come to class with them printed out and in your middle pocket of the foldable.  
• Illustrator/Composer Role Sheet
• Discussion Director Role Sheet
• Connector Role Sheet
• Literary Critic Role Sheet
• Literary Luminary Role Sheet
• Travel Tracer Role Sheet
• Vocabulary Enricher Role Sheet
• Investigator Role Sheet

All students should have the following tagged in the Spring 2009 SLC category:

• Humanities goal, reflection and piece
• Science goal, reflection and piece
• Math goal, reflection and piece
• PE/Health goal, reflection and piece
• Art goal, reflection and piece
• Global language goal, reflection and piece
• Music/Drama goal, reflection and piece
• Advisory goal and reflection

As of 10:30 a.m. on April 2, I have checked all blogs in my Advisory, and the following work should be categorized under a SLC Spring 2009 category and complete by Tuesday morning, or you will stay with me during lunch all next week until it is ready.  Some students may have items on the list below, but without a category tag, the items will not be easily located.

Please look to see what is needed for you:

• Jack– math goal/piece/reflection, humanities goal and reflection, music piece/reflection, art piece/reflection, language piece/reflection, category on all of these for SLC Spring 2009
• Christy– math goal/reflection, humanities goal/reflection, music goal/reflection, language goal/reflection, category for SLC Spring 2009 on all
• Regan– advisory goal/reflection, math goal/piece/reflection, humanites goal/piece, reflection (be sure to categorize all of these as SLC Spring 2009)
• Noah– all on the list is needed
• Willy– all on the list is needed
• Joo Hyun– science goal/piece/reflection, langauge goal/reflection (be sure to categorize all of these as SLC Spring 2009)
• Bengi– all on the list is needed
• Jacob– advisory goal/reflection, humanities goal/reflection, art piece/reflection (be sure to categorize all of these as SLC Spring 2009)
• Tae Woo– all on the list is needed
• Derek– advisory reflection, science goal/reflection, humaniteis goal/piece/reflection, music piece/reflection, PE/Health piece/reflection (be sure to categorize all of these as SLC Spring 2009)
• Ricky– advisory goal/reflection, science piece/reflection, math piece/reflection, humaniteis piece/reflection, music piece/reflection, PE/Health piec/reflection, language piece/reflection (be sure to categorize all of these as SLC Spring 2009)
• Stephane– music/drama goal/reflection, PE/Health goal/reflection, language goal/reflection (be sure to categorize all of these as SLC Spring 2009)
• Cameron– advisory reflection, science goal/piece/reflection, math goal/piece/reflection, humanities piece/reflection, music piece/reflection, health/P.E. piece/reflection, art piece/reflection, language piece/reflection (be sure to categorize all of these as SLC Spring 2009)
• Andrew– all on the list is needed
• Sally– advisory goal/reflection, math goal, humanities goal/piece/reflection, music/drama piece/reflection, P.E./health piece/reflection, language piece/reflection (be sure to categorize all of these as SLC Spring 2009)