Stories from WWI

Agenda 12/16:

1. I showed students pictures from a trip I'd taken to the Balkans.
2. Students reviewed the WWI documents from the previous lesson.
3. Students listened to an interview with author Adam Hochschild regarding his new book about WWI. They then viewed a series of photographs from the war. Finally, they listened an excerpt (start at 55:00) about a Christmas truce between British and German troops. Students took notes and drew on this worksheet while they viewed and listened to the presentations.
4. To end, they played a review game about WWI.

HOMEWORK:

MWH Chapter 13 - Wilhelm II and Vocabulary - DUE - Wednesday 1/4/12

WWI Documents

Students took the map quiz of Southern Europe. Afterwards they began looking at a series of documents from WWI. They answered the follow-up questions in their logbooks.

Causes of WWI

Agenda:

1. Students finished the lecture on the Causes of WWI. 
2. Students listened to several songs about WWI. One from the time period, another (One by Metallica) based on the book and film, Johnny Got His Gun.
3. Students turned in their logbooks.

HOMEWORK:

MAP QUIZ - Southern Europe - DUE Wednesday 12/14

I collected the worksheet for Chapter 9.1.

Students finished taking notes on the Industrial Revolution and began looking into the causes of World War I (Powerpoint below) using this worksheet.

HOMEWORK:

Map Quiz - NORTHERN EUROPE (Make a line linking Spain, France, Germany, Poland, and Ukraine. You need to know all of the countries north of this line). DUE - Thursday 12/8

Causes of WWI

The Legacy of Colonialism and the Industrial Revolution

Agendas 11/30-12/2:

1. Students turned in Europe maps.
2. Students took notes about the legacy of colonialism (see below).
3. Students made two timelines, European and African, with major events from the past 250 years.
4. Students participated in a simulation illustrating the cottage industry and then compared it to the factory system.
5. Students began taking notes about the Industrial Revolution (see below).

HOMEWORK:

Europe Maps - PAST DUE - Wednesday 11/30

Modern World History Chapter 9.1 pgs.280-288, Worksheet - DUE Tuesday 12/6

Legacy of Colonialism

Industrial Revolution

Africa Project

For the last two class periods, students have been researching and working on their Africa Projects. All students must be completely prepared to present on Monday, Novemeber 28th!

All of the Africa Project materials can be found here.

Hotel Rwanda

Students finished watching Hotel Rwanda. We briefly discussed the film. I collected their research questions for the Africa Project.

HOMEWORK:
Rwanda RAFT - Due Tuesday 11/15

Rwanda

Agenda 11/3:

1. Students began studying the background and context of the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
2. Students participated in a scavenger hunt including major groups and individuals involved in the genocide.
3. Students read a story of one victim, Valentina's, survival and the horrors of the genocide. Students read this in order to get a human perspective on the otherwise difficult to comprehend.
4. Students viewed an interview with the journalist who wrote the above story. 
5. To finish, students watched this clip explaining events leading up to the genocide.

Agenda 11/7:

1. Students completed a concept map connecting the groups involved in the Rwandan genocide.
2. Students began watching Hotel Rwanda.

HOMEWORK:
AFRICA PROJECT: Research Question DUE - Wednesday 11/9

Arms Trade and Independence Day in the Congo

Students finsihed watching the film Sierra Leone - Gunrunners about the illegal arms trade. I drew a diagram of how the arms trade works on the board. Students copied it along with matching the groups from our simulation to groups historically involved in the arms trade.

After, students read two speeches given on Congolese Independence Day, June 30, 1960. They compared and contrasted a speech given by the king of Belgium with one by the then Prime Minister of Congo, Patrice Lumumba (pictured above less than a year after independence, months before his assassination, organized and assisted by the United States and Belgium).

HOMEWORK:
Finish UNCRC 1/2 Posters - DUE Thursday 11/3

Arms Trade Simulation: Making a Killing

Students participated in a simulation of the international arms trade. The simulation focused on the difficulties presented by illegal arms traffickers and corrupt governments. After, students began watch a film about the arms trade in West Africa, connecting the realities to the simulation. The film can be watched here.

Human Rights and the Rights of the Child

Agenda 10/26:

Students though about human rights and brainstormed as list that they believe everyone, regardless of a difference, should enjoy. Students then watched an animated video of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and viewed a powerpoint about the rights of children:

The United Nation Convention on the Rights of the Child

As an example of how rights are abused when child soldiers fight in conflicts, they watched a presentation by former child soldier Emanuel Jal: 

Next, students read through the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), which the United States has not ratified, highlighted rights in the declaration that are being violated around the world today. Finally I assigned a poster assignment. Students will create a two-sided informational poster - one side about one of the articles from the UNCRC and the other about child soldiers.

HOMEWORK:
UNCRC 1/2 page posters - DUE Thursday 11/3

Invisible Children

Today students watched several films about the Lord's Resistance Army and their abduction and use of children as soldiers. The Invisible Children Organization was at Cleveland to present a film about the conflict.

Quiz and Colonialism Simulation

Agenda:

1. Quiz: Africa and Colonialism
2. Colonialism Simulation.

On Monday, students will be watching a presentation from the Invisible Children organization. Students need to prepare the homework reading for background knowledge.

HOMEWORK:

Lord's Resistance Army Reading and Questions. Answer questions in your logbook. DUE Monday 10/24

Congo Free State

Agenda 10/18:

1. Students finished reading and answering questions from the packet, The Congo Free State.
2. Students began preparing for a simulation of colonialism and the question of independence.

HOMEWORK:

HW: Analyzing Bias and Scramble for Africa Worksheet (MWH 11.1 p.339) - DUE Thursday 10/20
QUIZ: African Colonialism - DUE Thursday 10/20

King Leopold's Ghost

Students continued watching the film King Leopold's Ghost. Students also began a reading about the Congo Free State. They answered questions using this worksheet.

HOMEWORK:
QUIZ - Colonialism in Africa - Thursday 10/20
Homework: Analyzing Bias / Scramble for Africa - DUE Thursday 10/20 *** You need the Modern World History textbook for this assignment.

King Leopold's Ghost

Agenda 10/11:

1. Students received a detailed progress report for midterm.
2. Map quiz - Southern Africa
3. Map analysis - Colonialism in Africa
4. Began watching film, King Leopold's Ghost.

Responding to Colonialism in Africa

Today students debated different options Africans had when faced by colonizing Europeans. I emphasized how  European military superiority limited the options and leverage held by the Africans. Students used this worksheet to respond to the scenarios below:

HOMEWORK:
QUIZ - Southern Africa Map - Tuesday 10/11

Responding to Colonialism

Ethnic Groups of West Africa

Agenda 10/5:

1. Students took notes from the posters they created on Monday. They focused on key aspects of life for the Igbo, Hausa and Fulani, and Yoruba tribes. They then created a Venn diagram to compare and contrast the different groups.
2. Students began reading an account of English colonialism from a cheif in Kenya. They answered questions as they read.

HOMEWORK:

The MAP QUIZ over Southern Africa has been postponed until Tuesday 10/11.

Ethnic Groups of West Africa

Agenda for 10/3:

1. Students turned in their Writing Biased History assignments.
2. Northern Africa Map Quizzes returned. Come to tutorial (8-9 Wednesday) if you need to retake the quiz!!
3. Peer check for Checkpoint #1
4. Students read about the Igbo, Hausa and Fulani, or Yoruba ethnic groups of West Africa. The focus was on aspects of life prior to European colonization. Students discussed and made spoke diagram posters in groups. 

HOMEWORK:

QUIZ - Southern Africa - Friday 10/7

Map Quiz and Checkpoint

Today students took a quiz over the political geography of Northern Africa. After, they were given some time to organize their logbooks and complete the first checkpoint. We finished by completing their worksheets about  diversity and uniformity in Africa.

HOMEWORK:
Finish checkpoint #1 - DUE Monday 10/3
Writing Biased History - DUE Monday 10/3

Writing Biased History, African Diversity, and Map Quiz

Today we started by going over the Guns, Germs, and Steel film questions. Next, students were given the Writing Biased History assignment. By next Monday, they need to write a biased account of European colonialism in Africa. The purpose of the assignment is not for historical accuracy, but demonstration of biased writing technique. To finish the period, students viewed a series of images from Africa, noting diversity and uniformity. Here is the worksheet. The powerpoint is below.

The map quiz over the countries of Northern Africa is on Thursday. Fold you map in half and study the northern countries. Here are some links to online quizzes for practice:
http://www.lizardpoint.com/fun/geoquiz/afrquiz.html
http://www.ilike2learn.com/ilike2learn/africa.html

Diversity and Uniformity in Africa:

HOMEWORK:
Africa Map - DUE Thursday 9/29
Writing Biased History - DUE Monday 10/3

Guns, Germs, and Steel

Students read an excerpt from Jared Diamond's book, Guns, Germs, and Steel. They focused on the evolution of two groups of people: the Maori and Moriori. They highlighted characteristics of each as they read. After discussion, students started watching Guns, Germs, and Steel, focusing on the conflict between European colonists and the Africans they encountered.Students completed worksheets as they watched. If you were absent you can use this transcript to help answer the questions.


HOMEWORK:
Africa Maps - DUE Thursday 9/29
QUIZ: North Africa Geography - Be able to identify the countries! Thursday 9/29

Guns, Germs, and Steel:

Europeans in Africa

Today students read an excerpt from King Leopold's Ghost, about the first encounters between Europeans and Africans. Students practiced "thinking about thinking", making connections, writing questions, and defining vocabulary as they read. After, they began working on political and physical maps of Africa.

HOMEWORK:
Africa Maps - DUE Thursday 9/29 - **There is an atlas in the beginning of your Modern World History textbook.

Bias in the Media

The class review the meaning of bias, providing examples from their experiences. Students listened to the song Dirty Laundry, discussing its criticism of today's media. Students then watched clips from the documentary, Outfoxed. They discussed the argument made by the film and whether the film itself was biased. To finish, students to a political spectrum quiz and examined their personal biases.

Dirty Laundry:

9/11 Interviews and Perspective in History

Students shared their 9/11 interviews in small groups, focusing on similarities, differences, and lessons learned. After, students looked at bias and perspective in history using the scenario below. To end, students looked at different headlines of a story on a children's book by President Obama, and analyzed them for their bias and point of view.

Lunchroom fight

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9/11 - Why Was the US Attacked?

Today we continued our discussion of 9/11. Students shared observations and comments from things they saw last Sunday, the 10 year anniversary. Students looked at a series of documents, including a speech given by then president Bush the evening of the attacks (below). For each of the documents, students wrote down a possible hypothesis of the author and evidence from the reading that supported their hypothesis. At the end of the period students wrote from their own perspective on the question of, "Why was the United States attacked on 9/11/01?"

At the end of the period, students listened to a radio story about a the effects of 9/11 on a Muslim-American girl:

HOMEWORK:
9/11 Oral History Interviews - DUE Thursday 9/15

Remembering 9/11

Students continued studying the events of 9/11/01. They watched several clips from the documentary 9/11, which follows a groups of firefighters on the morning of the terrorist attacks. Students shared new knowledge about the event and asked questions. After, students listened to a selection of interviews from the Story Corps websites.

 

HOMEWORK:

Composition book - DUE Tuesday 9/13

9/11 Oral History Interviews - DUE Thursday 9/15

Album Covers

Today students learned the names of their classmates.

HOMEWORK:
Album Covers - DUE Friday 9/9
Composition Book (one only) - DUE Tuesday 9/13

Modern World History 2011-2012

Welcome back! This site will be a helpful tool for you as we go through the year. Here, you can find information about daily agendas, homework, and interesting links. Bookmark it.

Click here for this year's syllabus.

Mr. Elder

Today students were given a logbook checkpoint due on Wed/Thur. Also, my student intern, Mr. Elder will be taking over all the Modern World History classes beginning today. He has set up a blog that can be found at the address below. Thanks students!

Mr. Elder's blog:

http://elderlymodernhistory.tumblr.com/

Promises

Students continued watching Promises.

Promises

Students began watching the film Promises about the Arab-Israeli conflict. Each student was assigned a person from the film to take notes on.

Middle East Peace Conference

Students participated in a simulated Middle East Peace Conference.

Have a great break!

Middle East Peace Conference

Students took notes on some vocabulary related the their study of the Middle East. After, they began preparing in groups for a simulation of a Middle East Peace Conference.

HOMEWORK:

MWH 18.4: Conflicts in the Middle East

Middle East Vocabulary

Scenes from the West Bank

Students looked at some artwork painted on the wall separating the West Bank from Israel. The artist, Banksy, completed a series of work critical of the wall's presence. After students listened to a podcast explaining the conditions in Ramallah, West Bank in 2002 when it was occupied by Israeli troops.

HOMEWORK:

Modern World History Chapter 18.4 - DUE Friday 3/18

U.N. Response to Events in the Middle East

Today students participated in a activity simulating decisions facing the United Nations regarding events in Palestine. They debated options in their groups, voted, and learned about the historical outcomes.

Major Events in the History of the Middle East

Students discussed and learned about a series of different events from the history of the Middle East. Students used this worksheet to record information about these events.

Middle East History

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Religions of the Middle East

Hagia Sophia, Istanbul

Students finished studying the three major religions of the Middle East. If you still need to finish, click here for the documents.

Religions of the Middle East

Students read about three different religions of the Middle East: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The took notes using a graphic organizer.

HOMEWORK:

Israel-Palestine Maps - DUE tomorrow 3/8

Pads and Jeds

Students participated in a simulation of the Arab-Israeli conflict. They read this article using a t-chart to comparing historical events with phases of the simulation.

Quiz and Middle East Maps

Students took a quiz over the Holocaust and Postwar Europe. After, the began working on maps of the Middle East and South Asia.

HOMEWORK:

Middle East Maps - DUE Friday 3/4

Progress Reports

Grades

Yesterday students took notes about the postwar tensions between the US and USSR. Today they studied a series of major events from the Cold War, recording information on a map and timeline in their logbooks. The powerpoint is below:

Postwar europe

Radio Free Europe, by R.E.M.:

REM - Radio Free Europe by musicatusoidos

The Nuremberg Trials

Students discussed the quest for justice for the victims of World War II. They debated and evaluated different options using the powerpoint below. After, students watched clips from a film about the Nuremberg Trials.

Nuremberg trials

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Art and War

Students discussed how victims and survivors of war cope with their experiences. I talked about how art is often used to make sense of the unexplainable. Students will complete their own piece of art, reflecting on what they learned about the Holocaust and WWII.

HOMEWORK:

Art and the Holocaust - DUE Friday 2/25

Schindler's List

Students discussed questions that came up during Schindler's List. I provided a postscript - explaining what happened where the film stopped.

Schindler's List

Student's completed watching Schindler's List.

Schindler's List

Students began watching Schindler's List.

HOMEWORK:

Checkpoint #5 - DUE Tomorrow 2/15

Holocaust Photos

Students were assigned one photograph from the Holocaust. They interpreted the photo and answered some inferential questions on this worksheet. Students then read the caption to their photo aloud during a presentation of all the photos on the overhead. The photos are below.

The Holocaust

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Studying the Holocaust

Students watched this animated map overview of World War II and the Holocaust. Students then wrote down any questions they had about the Holocaust. Students read a series of frequently asked questions about the Holocaust.

1932 Reichstag Election

Anti-Christ, Arthur Szyk

Students participated in a simulation of the Weimar parliamentary elections of 1932. Today students will study the events that followed, focusing on Hitler's rise to power, the persecution of Jews and others, German expansion and the beginning of WWII. Students took notes from the powerpoint below.

Hitler's Rise to Power

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1932 Reichstag Election

Students began preparing for a simulation of the 1932 parliamentary elections in Germany. Students were split into different roles: German voters and Campaigners.

The Triumph of the Will

Students finished discussing their children's stories from Weimar Germany. They paired up and wrote short skits from the perspectives of the main characters in their stories. One character was represent Nazi ideals and the other communist.

After students began watching the first ten minutes of the Nazi propaganda film, The Triumph of the Will.

Semester One Study Guide

The semester final will consist of several sections: matching, short answer, and long answer (paragraph responses). Here is a copy of the study guide which includes the content students will be responsible for.

Children's Literature in Weimar Germany

Students read and one excerpt from a children's story written during the Weimar period in Germany. They answered these questions about their excerpt. Students also added some vocabulary to their logbooks. This included these terms:

• Nationalism
• Totalitarianism
• Isolationism
• Weimar Republic
• Coup d'etat
• Reichstag
• NSDAP (Nazi Party)

Weimar Republic

Students read about the Weimar Republic period in Germany. The Weimar Republic refers to the German government between WWI and Hitler's ascension to power. Students read from these info sheets then discussed their answers with the class.

HOMEWORK:

Schindler's List Permission Slip

Animal Farm Online

Here is an online version of George Orwell's Animal Farm.

Animal Farm Posters

Students finished reading through the first five chapters of Animal Farm. We discussed the connections between the characters in the book and historical figures from the Russian Revolution. Student began working on two-sided posters based on the character they were assigned to and their historical counterpart.

After, students were shown a demonstration of hyperinflation that simulated the economic situation in post-WWI Weimar Germany

HOMEWORK:

Animal Farm Posters - DUE Friday 1/21

HONORS: Animal Farm Extension due with your binders this Friday!

Totalitarianism = George Orwell's 1984

Students listened to the song Rasputin, by Boney M [see below]. They then read an excerpt from George Orwell's 1984. Students compared the reading to life in the USSR under Joseph Stalin, focusing on aspects of totalitarian governments.

Purges Under Stalin

Today students participated in a simulation of Joseph Stalin's elimination of opposition and the climate of fear in during 1930s in the Soviet Union. Students read a brief article and compared the classroom experience to history.

The Beginnings of the USSR

Students read an article about life in a factory town in the 1930s Soviet Union. Students took notes on each section of the text:

• Living Conditions
• Working Conditions
• Industrial Production
• Influence of the Communist Party

After the reading students began working on a postcard to Joseph Stalin from the perspective of the man (American, John Scott) in the story. Students drew images from the article for the front of the postcard and a message to Stalin about things from the article for the back of the postcard.

HOMEWORK:

Postcard to Stalin - DUE Tomorrow 1/8

Russian Revolution

Students took notes from the powerpoint below about the major events of the Russian Revolution. We discussed the animated movie Anastasia and its loose basis in the Russian Revolution. Students also watch several film clips that reviewed the notes they took.

HOMEWORK:

MWH 14.1 - The Russian Revolution DUE Friday 1/7

Rock, Paper, Scissors, Communism

Students participated in a simulation of labor and wealth. They compared the simulation (Rock, Paper, Scissors) to capitalism and communism. They then learned about Marx's communist theory. Students learned this as context for studying the Russian Revolution. They used this worksheet to compare the simulation to Marx's theory. The viewed the powerpoint below.

Rock, Paper, Scissors

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Treaty of Versailles

Students completed a series of worksheets describing the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. After, they began working on metaphorical drawings dealing with World War I.

HOMEWORK:

WWI Metaphorical Drawings - DUE Wed/Thurs 1/5-6