Thursday, December 20, 2012
So tomorrow is the last day before vacation and I'm not entirely sure if I can make it, so let's see if I can do this post properly. Yesterday we took a ton of notes about a battle in the civil war. I kinda forget which one it was, but I know that it resulted in the Union forces running 25 miles back to a safe place after cadets from the Virgina (?) Military Academy showed up on the scene as the Southern forces retreated and thoroughly kicked our butts.
Today in class we had to look for information from websites on our phones to fill out sheets about the battle of Gettysburg and Vicksburg. My group had Vicksburg, but half of us just sat their the whole time because we didn't have devices. Then we had to rush to write it all down on a long piece of paper so i didn't even get a chance to get the answers from the rest of my group. It was crazy.
I still fee like sharing some of my amazing quotes. I'd pull one out of my quote book but I can't seem to find it right now, so Imma just recite the quote i have memorized from Lord of the Rings ^_^
"Three rings for the elven-kings under the sky,
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,
Nine for mortal men, doomed to die,
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne
In the land of Mordor where the shadows lie.
One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them,
One ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them
In the land of Mordor where the shadows lie."
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Classroom Post 23
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
In class yesterday, we had another QR code scavenger hunt. It was very intense. Our group was named "Team Avatar" and we kept missing two battle names, but SOMEBODY wouldn't tell us which two. So we continued to triple check every answer, which all fit, and got very frustrated. We still had lots of fun though, so it was okay. I just wanna know what the correct answers were.
Today we read about and discussed the right that says you can't be held for no reason or without a charge, and how it was abused in the Civil War era. Apparently, Honest Abe said it didn't apply in the war time and arrested people for speaking out against the war against the South. People were arrested for things they said publicly, which is completely illegal considering the Freedom of Speech and Press part of the Bill of Rights. So, yeah, it didn't work out well.
And I really liked posting quotes, and I thought of this today in class because the discussion had turned to "does the end justify the means." The following is a mini song from the musical Into the Woods sung by The Baker's Wife in regard to her swindling poor dumb Jack out of his cow for five worthless beans.
"Why you do what you do, that's the point: all the rest of it is chatter. If the thing you do is pure in intent, if it's meant, and it's just a little bent, does it matter? No! What matters is that everyone tells tiny lies. What's important, really is, the size. Only three more tries and we'll have our prize. When the end's in sight, you'll realize: if the end is right, it justifies the beans!"
In class yesterday, we had another QR code scavenger hunt. It was very intense. Our group was named "Team Avatar" and we kept missing two battle names, but SOMEBODY wouldn't tell us which two. So we continued to triple check every answer, which all fit, and got very frustrated. We still had lots of fun though, so it was okay. I just wanna know what the correct answers were.
Today we read about and discussed the right that says you can't be held for no reason or without a charge, and how it was abused in the Civil War era. Apparently, Honest Abe said it didn't apply in the war time and arrested people for speaking out against the war against the South. People were arrested for things they said publicly, which is completely illegal considering the Freedom of Speech and Press part of the Bill of Rights. So, yeah, it didn't work out well.
And I really liked posting quotes, and I thought of this today in class because the discussion had turned to "does the end justify the means." The following is a mini song from the musical Into the Woods sung by The Baker's Wife in regard to her swindling poor dumb Jack out of his cow for five worthless beans.
"Why you do what you do, that's the point: all the rest of it is chatter. If the thing you do is pure in intent, if it's meant, and it's just a little bent, does it matter? No! What matters is that everyone tells tiny lies. What's important, really is, the size. Only three more tries and we'll have our prize. When the end's in sight, you'll realize: if the end is right, it justifies the beans!"
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Classroom Post 22
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
So in class today and yesterday we discussed the session of the states and their reasoning behind it. We read long sheets of paper and filled in answers on sheets, then copied down other peoples answers to study from. Unfortunately, I was very tired in both of these classes and so I do not remember much.
30-Day Challeneg!
The last post at last! It's been a fun time doing this, and I've loved tracking down all my quotes to use. I'm proud to say I never faltered in this challenge except for today. I couldn't find a quote that i thought would be worthy of this last and final day, so I decided to share three of my favorite meaningful quotes that have not appeared in this challenge.
"I'm not scared, if that's what you're wondering. The moment of death is filled with sound and warmth and light, so much light that it fills me, absorbs me: a tunnel of light, shooting away, arching up and up and up, and if singing were a feeling it would be this, this light, this lifting, like laughing... The rest you have to find out for yourself." - Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
"It was, he thought, the difference between being dragged into the arena to face a battle to the death and walking into the arena with your head held high. Some people, perhaps, would say that there was little to choose between the two ways, but Dumbledore knew - and so do I, thought Harry, with a rush of fierce pride, and so did my parents - that there was all the difference in the world." - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, by J.K. Rowling
"There's no such thing as a painless lesson, they just don't exist. Sacrifices are necessary: you can't gain anything without losing something first. Although, if you can endure that pain and walk away from it, you'll find that you now have a heart strong enough to overcome any obstacle. Yeah... a heart made Fullmetal." - Edward Elric, "Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood"
So in class today and yesterday we discussed the session of the states and their reasoning behind it. We read long sheets of paper and filled in answers on sheets, then copied down other peoples answers to study from. Unfortunately, I was very tired in both of these classes and so I do not remember much.
30-Day Challeneg!
The last post at last! It's been a fun time doing this, and I've loved tracking down all my quotes to use. I'm proud to say I never faltered in this challenge except for today. I couldn't find a quote that i thought would be worthy of this last and final day, so I decided to share three of my favorite meaningful quotes that have not appeared in this challenge.
"I'm not scared, if that's what you're wondering. The moment of death is filled with sound and warmth and light, so much light that it fills me, absorbs me: a tunnel of light, shooting away, arching up and up and up, and if singing were a feeling it would be this, this light, this lifting, like laughing... The rest you have to find out for yourself." - Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
"It was, he thought, the difference between being dragged into the arena to face a battle to the death and walking into the arena with your head held high. Some people, perhaps, would say that there was little to choose between the two ways, but Dumbledore knew - and so do I, thought Harry, with a rush of fierce pride, and so did my parents - that there was all the difference in the world." - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, by J.K. Rowling
"There's no such thing as a painless lesson, they just don't exist. Sacrifices are necessary: you can't gain anything without losing something first. Although, if you can endure that pain and walk away from it, you'll find that you now have a heart strong enough to overcome any obstacle. Yeah... a heart made Fullmetal." - Edward Elric, "Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood"
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Classroom Post 21
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
In class yesterday, we studied a political cartoon from the time leading up to the civil war. It featured four men either fighting over or trying to repair a map of the United States. It was interesting, but weird. Their faces were a little scary.
In class today, we did an Ed cafe. I wound up taking notes all the four people I heard about because I didn't remember anything from the voicethreads. It was a fun time for the most part. I just hope that I didn't miss hearing about anyone super important.
30-Day Challenge!
One day left! I'm almost sad to see this end. It has been fun. I'll have to find something truly amazing for tomorrow. Be prepared for a paragraph quote of epic!
Sunday, Day 27: "Just because I tell you something doesn't mean you're allowed to know!" - Caroline Forbes, The Vampire Diaries
Monday, Day 28: "Well, among other things, I think I just invented the banana daiquiri a couple of centuries early. Do you know they'd never seen a banana before? Always take a banana to a party, Rose. Bananas are good." - Doctor Who
Tuesday, Day 29: "In olden days, a flash of stocking was looked on as something shocking, but heaven knows anything goes!" -Anything Goes
In class yesterday, we studied a political cartoon from the time leading up to the civil war. It featured four men either fighting over or trying to repair a map of the United States. It was interesting, but weird. Their faces were a little scary.
In class today, we did an Ed cafe. I wound up taking notes all the four people I heard about because I didn't remember anything from the voicethreads. It was a fun time for the most part. I just hope that I didn't miss hearing about anyone super important.
30-Day Challenge!
One day left! I'm almost sad to see this end. It has been fun. I'll have to find something truly amazing for tomorrow. Be prepared for a paragraph quote of epic!
Sunday, Day 27: "Just because I tell you something doesn't mean you're allowed to know!" - Caroline Forbes, The Vampire Diaries
Monday, Day 28: "Well, among other things, I think I just invented the banana daiquiri a couple of centuries early. Do you know they'd never seen a banana before? Always take a banana to a party, Rose. Bananas are good." - Doctor Who
Tuesday, Day 29: "In olden days, a flash of stocking was looked on as something shocking, but heaven knows anything goes!" -Anything Goes
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Classroom Post 20
Saturday, December 1st, 2012
In class Thursday, we read an account of John Brown's raid on Harper Ferry, Virgina. Brown was a northern abolitionist who had cone to believe that the only way to end slavery was through violence. So he lead a group down to Harper Ferry, where they killed five people, including a free black man, in order to take control of the federal arsenal. The idea of this was to inspire the slaves to rebel and to arm them, freeing all the slaves in the area in one fell swoop. Of course, this attempt failed. The marines came, led by Robert E. Lee, and captured Brown. He was put on trial in Virgina courts and sentenced to death for treason. He was considered a martyr for the abolitionist cause by northerners. It was interesting to see such a misguided attempt at freeing slaves. Up until this point, the northerners seemed to be rather passive towards the south, with the exception of Bloody Kansas. This seemed to be a very important step towards the civil war.
In class on Friday, we had a substitute. He passed out a packet containing excerpts from several documents from the time, mostly detailing the southerners' opinions about the northerners. It was an interesting read, as it gives some insight as to the minds of those in the south and why they made the decision to from the Confederacy. For the most part, their anger was completely understand. Politicians gave examples of violence from the northerners, their unwillingness for compromise, and the automatic judgement of those who lived in the south. As someone who believes slavery was horrible, it was interesting to see their side of it. It's kind of like how I've always wondered about what England teaches their kids about the revolutionary war, or what Germany teachers their kids about Hitler. It was their side of the events leading up to the civil war, and in a way, their anger was just as justified, although some of their principles were misguided morally.
30-Day Challenge!
Thursday, Day 24: "There it is again. That itch. Go down go down go down go down go down..."
"The urge to jump... You know where it comes from, that sensation? Genetic heritage. Ever since we were primates in the trees. It was our instincts testing us, calculating whether or not we could reach the next branch."
"No, that's not it. That's too kind... It's not the urge to jump, it's deeper than that... it's the urge to fall." -Doctor Who, series 2, episode 9, "The Satan Pit" (One of the very best episodes in the entire series)
Friday, Day 25: "WINTER GUARD OMG!"
Saturday, Day 26: "No matter how many times you save the world, it always manages to get back in jeopardy again. Sometimes I just want it to stay saved! You know, for a little bit? I feel like the maid; I just cleaned up this mess! Can we keep it clean for like, ten minutes?" -The Incredibles
In class Thursday, we read an account of John Brown's raid on Harper Ferry, Virgina. Brown was a northern abolitionist who had cone to believe that the only way to end slavery was through violence. So he lead a group down to Harper Ferry, where they killed five people, including a free black man, in order to take control of the federal arsenal. The idea of this was to inspire the slaves to rebel and to arm them, freeing all the slaves in the area in one fell swoop. Of course, this attempt failed. The marines came, led by Robert E. Lee, and captured Brown. He was put on trial in Virgina courts and sentenced to death for treason. He was considered a martyr for the abolitionist cause by northerners. It was interesting to see such a misguided attempt at freeing slaves. Up until this point, the northerners seemed to be rather passive towards the south, with the exception of Bloody Kansas. This seemed to be a very important step towards the civil war.
In class on Friday, we had a substitute. He passed out a packet containing excerpts from several documents from the time, mostly detailing the southerners' opinions about the northerners. It was an interesting read, as it gives some insight as to the minds of those in the south and why they made the decision to from the Confederacy. For the most part, their anger was completely understand. Politicians gave examples of violence from the northerners, their unwillingness for compromise, and the automatic judgement of those who lived in the south. As someone who believes slavery was horrible, it was interesting to see their side of it. It's kind of like how I've always wondered about what England teaches their kids about the revolutionary war, or what Germany teachers their kids about Hitler. It was their side of the events leading up to the civil war, and in a way, their anger was just as justified, although some of their principles were misguided morally.
30-Day Challenge!
Thursday, Day 24: "There it is again. That itch. Go down go down go down go down go down..."
"The urge to jump... You know where it comes from, that sensation? Genetic heritage. Ever since we were primates in the trees. It was our instincts testing us, calculating whether or not we could reach the next branch."
"No, that's not it. That's too kind... It's not the urge to jump, it's deeper than that... it's the urge to fall." -Doctor Who, series 2, episode 9, "The Satan Pit" (One of the very best episodes in the entire series)
Friday, Day 25: "WINTER GUARD OMG!"
Saturday, Day 26: "No matter how many times you save the world, it always manages to get back in jeopardy again. Sometimes I just want it to stay saved! You know, for a little bit? I feel like the maid; I just cleaned up this mess! Can we keep it clean for like, ten minutes?" -The Incredibles
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Classroom Post 19
Wednesday, November 28th, 2012
In class yesterday, we studied the Scott v. Sandford case of 1857. Dred Scott was a slave who sued his owner for freedom, as other slaves had done at the time. Scott had a family and had been brought to a free state to live and work as a slave, then brought back to a slave state. He was suing his owner for "false imprisonment" and battery, mainly arguing that because slavery was prohibited in free states, he had become free when his owner moved there. When he was taken back into slavery states, he argued that it was against his will. As the case traveled up through the courts, the main debate became as follows: are slaves people, and therefore would be affected by such laws, or were they property, in which case their owners could take them wherever they wanted without a problem. Unfortunately for Scott, the supreme court ruled that slaves counted as property, and he was deprived of his freedom. This was a result of the political climate after "bloody Kansas" and other violent incidents leading to the civil war.
In class today, we watched a movie clip of the debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas, two candidates for the Illinois senate position in 1858. Douglas wanted to be President someday, so his way of getting votes and pleasing everyone while still addressing the slavery issue was to never voice his own opinion on slavery, but to answer every question concerning views on slavery with something along the lines of "I believe the people should decide." He even says at one point that the best way to be a country would be if every state did it's own thing and left the others alone. Lincoln, on the other hand, was clearly against slavery, although not for black rights. He believed that the Declaration, which said that all men are a created equal, entitled the blacks to their natural rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It was cool to watch the debate reenactments, and I was actually engaged in what was being said and the climate around the debate. I think we should do more of that, if it's available.
30-Day Challenge!
Tuesday, Day 22: "And one day, Buttercup realized that whenever Westley said 'as you wish,' he was really saying 'I love you.'" - Princess Bride
Wednesday, Day 23: "I can see that we will share all that love implies. We will be the perfect pair, rather like my thighs!" - Gaston, Beauty and the Beast on Broadway
In class yesterday, we studied the Scott v. Sandford case of 1857. Dred Scott was a slave who sued his owner for freedom, as other slaves had done at the time. Scott had a family and had been brought to a free state to live and work as a slave, then brought back to a slave state. He was suing his owner for "false imprisonment" and battery, mainly arguing that because slavery was prohibited in free states, he had become free when his owner moved there. When he was taken back into slavery states, he argued that it was against his will. As the case traveled up through the courts, the main debate became as follows: are slaves people, and therefore would be affected by such laws, or were they property, in which case their owners could take them wherever they wanted without a problem. Unfortunately for Scott, the supreme court ruled that slaves counted as property, and he was deprived of his freedom. This was a result of the political climate after "bloody Kansas" and other violent incidents leading to the civil war.
In class today, we watched a movie clip of the debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas, two candidates for the Illinois senate position in 1858. Douglas wanted to be President someday, so his way of getting votes and pleasing everyone while still addressing the slavery issue was to never voice his own opinion on slavery, but to answer every question concerning views on slavery with something along the lines of "I believe the people should decide." He even says at one point that the best way to be a country would be if every state did it's own thing and left the others alone. Lincoln, on the other hand, was clearly against slavery, although not for black rights. He believed that the Declaration, which said that all men are a created equal, entitled the blacks to their natural rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It was cool to watch the debate reenactments, and I was actually engaged in what was being said and the climate around the debate. I think we should do more of that, if it's available.
30-Day Challenge!
Tuesday, Day 22: "And one day, Buttercup realized that whenever Westley said 'as you wish,' he was really saying 'I love you.'" - Princess Bride
Wednesday, Day 23: "I can see that we will share all that love implies. We will be the perfect pair, rather like my thighs!" - Gaston, Beauty and the Beast on Broadway
Monday, November 26, 2012
30-Day Challenge!
And what you've all been waiting patiently for, this amazingly large updates post for the 30-day Challenge! I have passed the half-way mark and am well on my way to the finish! Here are the quotes I collected this long weekend!
Tuesday, Day 15: "Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming..." - Finding Nemo
Wednesday, Day 16: "You know what this apple tastes like?"
"What?"
"An apple."
Thursday, Day 17: "Pitiful creature of darkness, what kind of life have you known? God give me courage to show you you are not alone!" - The Phantom of the Opera
Friday, Day 18: "What's this? What's this?! There's color everywhere! What's this? There's white things in the air! What's this? I can't believe my eyes, I must be dreaming; wake up, Jack, this isn't fair! What's this!?!" -The Nightmare Before Christmas
Saturday, Day 19: "I AM NOT LOSING TO A CPU!!!!" - Me
Sunday, Day 20: "Someone around here has a beautiful voice!"
"Oh, you're probably hearing Christine or Julia."
"What?"
"A lady likes your voice."
"What?
"We're giving you a compliment!"
"What?"
"We're talking about how ugly you are!!!!" - Santa Parade, Newburyport
Monday, Day 21: "I like your freckles."
"You like my freckles?!"
"I like you're freckles!" -Drama class
Tuesday, Day 15: "Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming..." - Finding Nemo
Wednesday, Day 16: "You know what this apple tastes like?"
"What?"
"An apple."
Thursday, Day 17: "Pitiful creature of darkness, what kind of life have you known? God give me courage to show you you are not alone!" - The Phantom of the Opera
Friday, Day 18: "What's this? What's this?! There's color everywhere! What's this? There's white things in the air! What's this? I can't believe my eyes, I must be dreaming; wake up, Jack, this isn't fair! What's this!?!" -The Nightmare Before Christmas
Saturday, Day 19: "I AM NOT LOSING TO A CPU!!!!" - Me
Sunday, Day 20: "Someone around here has a beautiful voice!"
"Oh, you're probably hearing Christine or Julia."
"What?"
"A lady likes your voice."
"What?
"We're giving you a compliment!"
"What?"
"We're talking about how ugly you are!!!!" - Santa Parade, Newburyport
Monday, Day 21: "I like your freckles."
"You like my freckles?!"
"I like you're freckles!" -Drama class
Monday, November 19, 2012
Classroom Post 18
Monday, November 19th, 2012
In class on Friday we received a large excerpt of Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe. I excerpt came from chapter 8 in which the slave owner approaches two slaves hunters an an attempt to retrieve his runaway slave, who was female. The main message of this excerpt comes from the three men's views on female slaves and the inhumanity with which they view them. They debate whether or not to send the dogs after her, but conclude that it isn't worth the risk, because the dogs were likely to just maul her. Although this wouldn't be a problem with other slaves, she is valued only for her looks and ability to produce more slaves, which means that she is only owned in order to get pregnant and pump out more children to be forced into slavery. Not only is the fact that she is owned disgusting, but that her only purpose is to give birth to child after child and watch them get sold into terrible lives for as long as she is able to get pregnant. The book itself is meant to raise awareness about the horrors of slavery, and it serves it's purpose.
In class today,we had a brief discussion pertaining to the reading we did on Friday. After that, we received and excerpt from the fugitive save act of 1850, from section 7. The purpose of that entire section is to prohibit any Northern or abolitionist from aiding a fugitive slave in any way, shape or form without severe fines and confinement. No only does this law confine slaves, but it condemns anyone with a heart good enough to help the slaves out of their tortured lives, almost condemning those who have good hearts and punishing them for it. This law not only encourages slavery, but discriminates against those who oppose it. We also received part of a speech by Frederick Douglass, one which described a slave's view of the Fourth of July celebrations. It was an interesting perspective, as I had never thought about what a celebration of our equality, freedom, and tolerance would look like to a slave who suffers torture every day at those who claim to uphold and exercise those right they earned in the war.
30-Day Challenge!
Monday, Day 14: "Nothing can bring you peace but yourself." -Ralph Wald Emerson
In class on Friday we received a large excerpt of Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe. I excerpt came from chapter 8 in which the slave owner approaches two slaves hunters an an attempt to retrieve his runaway slave, who was female. The main message of this excerpt comes from the three men's views on female slaves and the inhumanity with which they view them. They debate whether or not to send the dogs after her, but conclude that it isn't worth the risk, because the dogs were likely to just maul her. Although this wouldn't be a problem with other slaves, she is valued only for her looks and ability to produce more slaves, which means that she is only owned in order to get pregnant and pump out more children to be forced into slavery. Not only is the fact that she is owned disgusting, but that her only purpose is to give birth to child after child and watch them get sold into terrible lives for as long as she is able to get pregnant. The book itself is meant to raise awareness about the horrors of slavery, and it serves it's purpose.
In class today,we had a brief discussion pertaining to the reading we did on Friday. After that, we received and excerpt from the fugitive save act of 1850, from section 7. The purpose of that entire section is to prohibit any Northern or abolitionist from aiding a fugitive slave in any way, shape or form without severe fines and confinement. No only does this law confine slaves, but it condemns anyone with a heart good enough to help the slaves out of their tortured lives, almost condemning those who have good hearts and punishing them for it. This law not only encourages slavery, but discriminates against those who oppose it. We also received part of a speech by Frederick Douglass, one which described a slave's view of the Fourth of July celebrations. It was an interesting perspective, as I had never thought about what a celebration of our equality, freedom, and tolerance would look like to a slave who suffers torture every day at those who claim to uphold and exercise those right they earned in the war.
30-Day Challenge!
Monday, Day 14: "Nothing can bring you peace but yourself." -Ralph Wald Emerson
Sunday, November 18, 2012
30-Day Challenge!
It's time for another one of those posts, people, only this one is one day later than usual. Oh well. I have a life sometimes. So, these three quotes come from a variety of sources. Friday's quote comes from a song we are preparing for the winter concert this year, which is quite jazzy and hilarious. Saturday's quote comes from the Phantom of the Opera, a great movie and even better stage show. I was watching it again that night while working on a present for a friend. And today's quote comes from Maddie Schmuch, a good friend of mine whom I love dearly.
Friday, Day 11: "That's what happens when you listen to advice given by three witches and your wife!"- The Tragedy of Macbeth
Saturday, Day 12: "Keep your hand at the level of your eyes!" -The Phantom of the Opera
Sunday, Day 13: "Just ignore me. Not completely, nod and smile, but ignore me." - Maddie Schmuch
Friday, Day 11: "That's what happens when you listen to advice given by three witches and your wife!"- The Tragedy of Macbeth
Saturday, Day 12: "Keep your hand at the level of your eyes!" -The Phantom of the Opera
Sunday, Day 13: "Just ignore me. Not completely, nod and smile, but ignore me." - Maddie Schmuch
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Classroom Post 17
Thursday, November 14, 2012
In class yesterday, we went over the answers for the Internet things we did on Friday. The interesting part of the conversation was that half the class had different answers for the first question, which asked which half of the country was more populated, the north or the south. Half responded with North, and half with South. After some discussion, we discovered the problem. Slaves did not count as people, instead only counting as 3/5 of a person. Although we had learned about it before, I forgot. It just shows how whites viewed blacks at the time. No one deserves to be considered less than a person. After that, we read three different descriptions of the Mexican war. One was from 1911, one from 1995, and one from 2005. The description from the newest book was the most informative, which was strange. You'd think that the description made closer to the actual event would be the most descriptive, but that was not the case.
In class today, we watched a quick video describing the Mexican war. We had to take notes while watching, which was a new experience, and it was hard to get dates and names. After we finished the video, we took a small video quiz. It was pretty easy, just some true or false questions. After that, we discussed the compromises made in an attempt to unit the country after the Mexican war. This was presented in five separate bills, which allowed California to be admitted to the U.S. as a free state, allowed slavery to continue in Washington DC, enforced a tougher fugitive slave law, allowed New Mexico and Utah to decide of they wanted to be free states or not, and shrunk Texas and expanded New Mexico. Interestingly enough, even though the bills were technically supposed to be voted on, they asked those who are opposed to simply not vote. This was supposed to bring he country together again, but we know how that turned out.
30-Day Challenge!!!
Wednesday, Day 9: "I can't believe Jesus called me a dick!"
Thursday, Day 10: "Da-who Dores, da-who Dores welcome Christmas Christmas Day!"
In class yesterday, we went over the answers for the Internet things we did on Friday. The interesting part of the conversation was that half the class had different answers for the first question, which asked which half of the country was more populated, the north or the south. Half responded with North, and half with South. After some discussion, we discovered the problem. Slaves did not count as people, instead only counting as 3/5 of a person. Although we had learned about it before, I forgot. It just shows how whites viewed blacks at the time. No one deserves to be considered less than a person. After that, we read three different descriptions of the Mexican war. One was from 1911, one from 1995, and one from 2005. The description from the newest book was the most informative, which was strange. You'd think that the description made closer to the actual event would be the most descriptive, but that was not the case.
In class today, we watched a quick video describing the Mexican war. We had to take notes while watching, which was a new experience, and it was hard to get dates and names. After we finished the video, we took a small video quiz. It was pretty easy, just some true or false questions. After that, we discussed the compromises made in an attempt to unit the country after the Mexican war. This was presented in five separate bills, which allowed California to be admitted to the U.S. as a free state, allowed slavery to continue in Washington DC, enforced a tougher fugitive slave law, allowed New Mexico and Utah to decide of they wanted to be free states or not, and shrunk Texas and expanded New Mexico. Interestingly enough, even though the bills were technically supposed to be voted on, they asked those who are opposed to simply not vote. This was supposed to bring he country together again, but we know how that turned out.
30-Day Challenge!!!
Wednesday, Day 9: "I can't believe Jesus called me a dick!"
Thursday, Day 10: "Da-who Dores, da-who Dores welcome Christmas Christmas Day!"
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Harriet Tubman VoiceThread
Here it is! My Harriet Tubman VoiceThread, narrated by yours truly. Feel free to leave a comment! (Hahaha as if you have a choice.)
30-Day Challenge!
And it's time for another two days of quotes! On Monday, I had the pleasure of watching Wreck-It Ralph in theaters, which was quite the adorable little movie. It apparently referenced a lot of retro video-games, but my brother and I only recognized a few. Our parents, on the other hand, recognized a lot from their childhoods. And today's quote comes from English class, where we were sharing what it was about the holiday season that we liked.
Monday, Day 7: "I'm bad, and that's good. I'll never be good, and that's not bad. There is no one I'd rather be but me." - Ralph
Tuesday, Day 8: "I like the sound of winter. It's like impending doom without the doom." - Jess Macey
Monday, Day 7: "I'm bad, and that's good. I'll never be good, and that's not bad. There is no one I'd rather be but me." - Ralph
Tuesday, Day 8: "I like the sound of winter. It's like impending doom without the doom." - Jess Macey
Sunday, November 11, 2012
30-Day Challenge!
Hello, people! And here are two more quotes for the 30-day challenge, for today and yesterday. If you think you've missed some, look at my classroom blogs to find more of my quotes. These quotes include one from a new TV show I watched today, and a video game I have played through quite a few times. The first quote is from Portal 2, a great puzzle game with some pretty hilarious dialogue. The second is from an anime called Hetalia: Axis Powers, which takes every country in the world and creates characters out of them, and then depicts World War 2 in highly amusing yet educational way.
Saturday, Day 5: "Asta la pasta!" -Italy, Hetalia: Axis Powers
Sunday, Day 6: "All right, I've been thinking, when life gives you lemons, don't make lemonade! Make life take the lemons back! I don't want your damn lemons! What am I supposed to do with these?!" -Cave Johnson, Portal 2
Saturday, Day 5: "Asta la pasta!" -Italy, Hetalia: Axis Powers
Sunday, Day 6: "All right, I've been thinking, when life gives you lemons, don't make lemonade! Make life take the lemons back! I don't want your damn lemons! What am I supposed to do with these?!" -Cave Johnson, Portal 2
Friday, November 9, 2012
Classroom Post 16
Friday, November 9, 2012
In class yesterday, we completed copying down our partners information about important people in the fight for and against slavery. After that was completed, we took a lot of notes and talked about slave conditions and how they escaped from slavery, which brought us to the Underground Railroad. I remember that I was always super confused about what the Underground Railroad was, considering it's name is very misleading. After years of actually learning in elementary school and the ten repetitive readings we did on it yesterday, I can safely say I will never not know what it exactly is again. (My grammar is fantastic, I know.) We took ten paragraphs about the Underground Railroad, each one taken from a different text book, and then answered questions about the similarities and differences in each. After that, we had to write our own definitions. I didn't realize how much information varied between textbooks. I knew it did, but some textbooks had definitions that from a completely different aspect on the entire situation.
In class today, we went to the computer lab and answered question using an interactive map showing the North and South statistics from 1820-1821. It involved an obscene amount of math, and I didn;t see how the first sheet was super important to have. The second sheet, which regarded the country's political aspect and the results of Missouri Compromise, seemed much more relevant. Although I suppose the first sheet provided good information for inference.
30-Day Challenge:
Day 4, Friday- "I spy with my little eye something beginning with C."
"Let me guess... Is it... corpse?"
"It was cloud, actually."
"Oh darn, close but no ciggar."
"There aren't even any corpses in here."
"Give it time."
In class yesterday, we completed copying down our partners information about important people in the fight for and against slavery. After that was completed, we took a lot of notes and talked about slave conditions and how they escaped from slavery, which brought us to the Underground Railroad. I remember that I was always super confused about what the Underground Railroad was, considering it's name is very misleading. After years of actually learning in elementary school and the ten repetitive readings we did on it yesterday, I can safely say I will never not know what it exactly is again. (My grammar is fantastic, I know.) We took ten paragraphs about the Underground Railroad, each one taken from a different text book, and then answered questions about the similarities and differences in each. After that, we had to write our own definitions. I didn't realize how much information varied between textbooks. I knew it did, but some textbooks had definitions that from a completely different aspect on the entire situation.
In class today, we went to the computer lab and answered question using an interactive map showing the North and South statistics from 1820-1821. It involved an obscene amount of math, and I didn;t see how the first sheet was super important to have. The second sheet, which regarded the country's political aspect and the results of Missouri Compromise, seemed much more relevant. Although I suppose the first sheet provided good information for inference.
30-Day Challenge:
Day 4, Friday- "I spy with my little eye something beginning with C."
"Let me guess... Is it... corpse?"
"It was cloud, actually."
"Oh darn, close but no ciggar."
"There aren't even any corpses in here."
"Give it time."
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Classroom Post 15
Thursday, November 8, 2012
On Tuesday in class, continued to fill out our sheets on those who opposed and supported slavery. After completing those, we started to examine the Constitution and whether or not it supported slavery. So far, I've found that although the Constitution does not come outright saying either, it has certain loopholes that allow for slavery, and the possession of human beings as property. From these first few looks at it, I think that it isn't pro-slavery per say, but tolerant of it. If you tried hard enough, you could bend the argument in the favor of the other side, but just seeing how obvious the loopholes allowing for slavery are, it's hard to believe that the founding fathers, or a majority of them, didn't believe in slavery.
On Wednesday, we took some initial notes on slavery regarding the states that had slavery, the people for or against slavery, and the treatment of slaves in general. We learned about the cotton gin, designed to say the slaves from labor and eliminate the need for slaves, but all it served to do was free up slaves to work in the field. We looked at how the industrial revolution treated them as well. The pieces for a slave went up during that time, as did the work for those living on cotton farm in the south, as cotton was in high demand. After that, we read through a sheet either for or against slavery, and then answered questions on the back. we shared our answers with a partner so that we both ogt the information, but some of us didn't finish.
30-Day Challenge:
Wednesday, Day 2: "It's dangerous to go alone. Take this." -Legend of Zelda
Thursday, Day 3: "You can take control of my mind and body, but there is one thing a Saiyan always keeps... his PRIDE!" -Vegeta, Dragon Ball Z
On Tuesday in class, continued to fill out our sheets on those who opposed and supported slavery. After completing those, we started to examine the Constitution and whether or not it supported slavery. So far, I've found that although the Constitution does not come outright saying either, it has certain loopholes that allow for slavery, and the possession of human beings as property. From these first few looks at it, I think that it isn't pro-slavery per say, but tolerant of it. If you tried hard enough, you could bend the argument in the favor of the other side, but just seeing how obvious the loopholes allowing for slavery are, it's hard to believe that the founding fathers, or a majority of them, didn't believe in slavery.
On Wednesday, we took some initial notes on slavery regarding the states that had slavery, the people for or against slavery, and the treatment of slaves in general. We learned about the cotton gin, designed to say the slaves from labor and eliminate the need for slaves, but all it served to do was free up slaves to work in the field. We looked at how the industrial revolution treated them as well. The pieces for a slave went up during that time, as did the work for those living on cotton farm in the south, as cotton was in high demand. After that, we read through a sheet either for or against slavery, and then answered questions on the back. we shared our answers with a partner so that we both ogt the information, but some of us didn't finish.
30-Day Challenge:
Wednesday, Day 2: "It's dangerous to go alone. Take this." -Legend of Zelda
Thursday, Day 3: "You can take control of my mind and body, but there is one thing a Saiyan always keeps... his PRIDE!" -Vegeta, Dragon Ball Z
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
30 Day Challenge!
I am going to try a thirty-day challenge talked about on Ted Talks, which includes adding or subtracting a habit into your routine for thirty days. Since every year I participate in lent at my church, which means no meat for 40 days, I decided to add a fun habit that correlates to something I like to do and will hopefully amuse me.
For my thirty day challenge, I will find one new quote per day, whether it be inspirational, funny, or just something I really like. As I find new quotes, I'll add them to my already existing quote book. Hopefully I'll be able to maintain the habit of adding more quotes everyday once the challenge is done.
So, my quote for Day 1:
"All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not whither, deep roots are not reached by the frost." - Lord of The Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring
For my thirty day challenge, I will find one new quote per day, whether it be inspirational, funny, or just something I really like. As I find new quotes, I'll add them to my already existing quote book. Hopefully I'll be able to maintain the habit of adding more quotes everyday once the challenge is done.
So, my quote for Day 1:
"All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not whither, deep roots are not reached by the frost." - Lord of The Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring
Monday, November 5, 2012
Classroom Post 14
Monday, November 5th, 2012
This is the first time I'm making one of these posts in a while, seeing as how last week was spent working on our integrated assignments, which you can see the final result of posted below.
In class on Friday, we started the introduction into our new unit, the civil war, and consequently, slavery. We broke up into different groups of three and read different stories about slavery written by those who had experienced it. In one of the narratives, it talks about how the village the narrator lived in did have slaves, although they were treated almost as equals save for extra work and the usual social limitations that would have followed seniority anyway. I thought it was an interesting comparison, the slaves of the African tribes versus the slaves of the west. Both are in fact slave, but the western slaves are treated worse. Although how his tribe treated the slaves could have been and exaggeration on his part. The second reading was about a girl who was born a slave and thought her life was good for the most part, but looking back realized how ignorant she was. We made storyboards about each of the stories, which was a little confusing seeing as we had no idea what was relevant to what we were supposed to be writing down.
In class today, we shared our storyboards and copied down the information into Venn Diagrams, comparing the two stories and finding similarities between the situations as well as the different outlooks of someone who was born into slavery and someone who was forced into slavery. After that, we broke for lunch and were greeted with worksheets upon our return. The sheets had information about an important political figure, and my group had Abraham Lincoln. We didn't have time to read through the sheet, so we skimmed quickly in search of the information needed. We filled out our portion of a diagram sheet, and then broke up into different groups to get information about the people others had studied. We didn't finish, though, so I'm missing two of the five people.
This is the first time I'm making one of these posts in a while, seeing as how last week was spent working on our integrated assignments, which you can see the final result of posted below.
In class on Friday, we started the introduction into our new unit, the civil war, and consequently, slavery. We broke up into different groups of three and read different stories about slavery written by those who had experienced it. In one of the narratives, it talks about how the village the narrator lived in did have slaves, although they were treated almost as equals save for extra work and the usual social limitations that would have followed seniority anyway. I thought it was an interesting comparison, the slaves of the African tribes versus the slaves of the west. Both are in fact slave, but the western slaves are treated worse. Although how his tribe treated the slaves could have been and exaggeration on his part. The second reading was about a girl who was born a slave and thought her life was good for the most part, but looking back realized how ignorant she was. We made storyboards about each of the stories, which was a little confusing seeing as we had no idea what was relevant to what we were supposed to be writing down.
In class today, we shared our storyboards and copied down the information into Venn Diagrams, comparing the two stories and finding similarities between the situations as well as the different outlooks of someone who was born into slavery and someone who was forced into slavery. After that, we broke for lunch and were greeted with worksheets upon our return. The sheets had information about an important political figure, and my group had Abraham Lincoln. We didn't have time to read through the sheet, so we skimmed quickly in search of the information needed. We filled out our portion of a diagram sheet, and then broke up into different groups to get information about the people others had studied. We didn't finish, though, so I'm missing two of the five people.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
History-English Intergrated Assingment
And now I proudly present the song 9 hours in the making, titled "Julius Caesar- A Bad Summary"
CREDITS:
Composition by: Maddie Schmuch
Lyrics by: Ana Perreault
Sung by: Maddie Schmuch
Piano Performance by: Ana Perreault
LYRICS:
Oh Beware the Ides of March
Oh beware the idea of march Oh beware the ides of march’
Oh beware
Julius Caesar kills Pompey and starts
To take power over Rome Cassius goes and talks to Brutus and plants
Seeds of doubt about Caesar
That night there’s a terrible storm who ever
Knew the heavens to menace so
Heaven hath infused the spirits as omens
Of Caesar's bad rule
Brutus Cassius Casca and
Decius Metellus Trebonius
Cinna and Ligarius
Form their plot
The conspirators form their plot to kill
Caesar at the capitol
Brutus and Caesar ignore their wives which is
A really really dumb move
Caesar’s wife dreamt of his death his body
Did run pure blood and the roman’s smiled
But Decius did say the dream meant nothing and
Caesar went off to the captiol
Friends Romans and countrymen
Friends Romans and countrymen
Friends Romans countrymen
Lend me your ears
To the capitol they went and they
Did stab Caesar killing him right there
So Brutus sent for Mark Antony to try
To get him on their side
Brutus lets them hold a funeral and he
Convinced them of Caesar's guilt
But Mark Antony then gets to speak and he
Sways the crowd to his own side
Evil spirit of Brutus
You’ll see me Phillipi
Evil spirit of Brutus
At Phillipi
Antony and Octavius make a
Death list and cheat Caesar’s will Brutus and Cassius begin to fight accuse
Each other of crimes and lies
But Brutus makes an excuse for their
Fighting saying Portia is dead
So they make their peace and go to sleep but Brutus
See’s Caesar's ghost before him
Oh poor Cassius
Oh poor Brutus
Oh poor Titanius
They all die
Battle starts in Phillipi Octavius
And Antony versus the conspirators
Cassius sends Titanius to check the camp Pindarus
Thinks Titanius is captured
Cassius ask Pindarius to kill him Caesar
Thou art revenged but Titanius returns
Titanius kills him self over dead Cassius and then
Brutus comes and kills himself
So call the fields to rest
Lets away to part the glories
Of this
Happy day
CREDITS:
Composition by: Maddie Schmuch
Lyrics by: Ana Perreault
Sung by: Maddie Schmuch
Piano Performance by: Ana Perreault
LYRICS:
Oh Beware the Ides of March
Oh beware the idea of march Oh beware the ides of march’
Oh beware
Julius Caesar kills Pompey and starts
To take power over Rome Cassius goes and talks to Brutus and plants
Seeds of doubt about Caesar
That night there’s a terrible storm who ever
Knew the heavens to menace so
Heaven hath infused the spirits as omens
Of Caesar's bad rule
Brutus Cassius Casca and
Decius Metellus Trebonius
Cinna and Ligarius
Form their plot
The conspirators form their plot to kill
Caesar at the capitol
Brutus and Caesar ignore their wives which is
A really really dumb move
Caesar’s wife dreamt of his death his body
Did run pure blood and the roman’s smiled
But Decius did say the dream meant nothing and
Caesar went off to the captiol
Friends Romans and countrymen
Friends Romans and countrymen
Friends Romans countrymen
Lend me your ears
To the capitol they went and they
Did stab Caesar killing him right there
So Brutus sent for Mark Antony to try
To get him on their side
Brutus lets them hold a funeral and he
Convinced them of Caesar's guilt
But Mark Antony then gets to speak and he
Sways the crowd to his own side
Evil spirit of Brutus
You’ll see me Phillipi
Evil spirit of Brutus
At Phillipi
Antony and Octavius make a
Death list and cheat Caesar’s will Brutus and Cassius begin to fight accuse
Each other of crimes and lies
But Brutus makes an excuse for their
Fighting saying Portia is dead
So they make their peace and go to sleep but Brutus
See’s Caesar's ghost before him
Oh poor Cassius
Oh poor Brutus
Oh poor Titanius
They all die
Battle starts in Phillipi Octavius
And Antony versus the conspirators
Cassius sends Titanius to check the camp Pindarus
Thinks Titanius is captured
Cassius ask Pindarius to kill him Caesar
Thou art revenged but Titanius returns
Titanius kills him self over dead Cassius and then
Brutus comes and kills himself
So call the fields to rest
Lets away to part the glories
Of this
Happy day
Thursday, October 25, 2012
More Time Lines!
And here is what I have added to my (renamed) timeline for our unit on the revolution! Boy, am I sleepy.
Classroom Post 13
Thursday, October 25, 2012
In class yesterday we watched an hour long video all about the wroks of artists during the revolutionary war. It made some interesting points about what the paintings represented, but overall wasn't very engaging. If we watch more of these videos in the future, they should move along a little faster.
In class today we took our quiz on the first few lines of the Declaration of Independence. It wasn't that hard, and I got a 9 out of 10 because I got only one word wrong. After that we went over the rest of the revolutionary war. I added what was necessary to my flashcards. And then we studied.
In class yesterday we watched an hour long video all about the wroks of artists during the revolutionary war. It made some interesting points about what the paintings represented, but overall wasn't very engaging. If we watch more of these videos in the future, they should move along a little faster.
In class today we took our quiz on the first few lines of the Declaration of Independence. It wasn't that hard, and I got a 9 out of 10 because I got only one word wrong. After that we went over the rest of the revolutionary war. I added what was necessary to my flashcards. And then we studied.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Civic Values VoiceThread
And now, for the last installment of what has been a long succession of Civic Value projects, I present my Civic Values VoiceThread! Although it has no actual vocals as my house was too loud during the time of its construction, much thought has gone into it. Enjoy!
Classroom Post 12
Monday, October 22nd, 2012
In class on Friday, we took notes on the Battle of New York during the revolution. It was a really interesting battle, as it consisted mostly of outsmarting the British by sneaking all around the different islands in New York and leaving decoy camps so as to surround the British from behind. Looking at this compared to earlier battles, you can tell that as a military we were improving,especially with George Washington in the lead. We also took notes on the Battle of Trenton, during which we snuck up on the sleeping Hessians as they slept off their large Christmas dinners. Which is kind of silly, really. Even if Christmas is a day they don't fight on, you'd think they would have been expecting an attack from the colonists bright and early considering there comparatively sneaky fighting tactics up to this point.
In class today, we had a huge scavenger hunt around the bottom floor of the school. It was very stressful to say the least. Anyway, once we got back to the classroom after scanning all 10 questions, we had to copy down the questions, find the name of the battles and the dates! It was really hard considering that we hadn't gone over battle past question four, but now I have something to study! I think I may have some of the dates wrong, though. Darn. I will have to find the correct answers. But otherwise, it was very fun. And as Mr.Boyle said, very much like Survivor. Although because he wasn't narrating, he didn't make a good Jeff Probst.
In class on Friday, we took notes on the Battle of New York during the revolution. It was a really interesting battle, as it consisted mostly of outsmarting the British by sneaking all around the different islands in New York and leaving decoy camps so as to surround the British from behind. Looking at this compared to earlier battles, you can tell that as a military we were improving,especially with George Washington in the lead. We also took notes on the Battle of Trenton, during which we snuck up on the sleeping Hessians as they slept off their large Christmas dinners. Which is kind of silly, really. Even if Christmas is a day they don't fight on, you'd think they would have been expecting an attack from the colonists bright and early considering there comparatively sneaky fighting tactics up to this point.
In class today, we had a huge scavenger hunt around the bottom floor of the school. It was very stressful to say the least. Anyway, once we got back to the classroom after scanning all 10 questions, we had to copy down the questions, find the name of the battles and the dates! It was really hard considering that we hadn't gone over battle past question four, but now I have something to study! I think I may have some of the dates wrong, though. Darn. I will have to find the correct answers. But otherwise, it was very fun. And as Mr.Boyle said, very much like Survivor. Although because he wasn't narrating, he didn't make a good Jeff Probst.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Classroom Post 11
Thursday, October 18, 2012
In class yesterday, we spent time sharing our summarized bits of the declaration. It wasn't much and didn't take too long. After that, we discussed the questions at the bottom of the sheet, which were fairly self-explanatory, but interesting points nonetheless. Especially the one about slavery; just because the founding fathers were all owned slaves, does that make their word about every man being equal invalid? Definitly something to think about.
Today in class, we had a substitute. When we arrived in class we were handed a massive packet about a random battle and then told we had to write an essay about it by the end of the period. The packet itself was a massive essay and the substitute said it had taken her more than an hour to read, and she spent a good twenty minutes or so just talking at the beginning of class, and then continued to interject while we were trying to concentrate, resulting in a very stressful class and poor essays. I understood none of the essay because I was trying to speed read and wound up quickly writing out the saddest 5-paragraph essay I have ever written in an attempt to get something in on time.
In class yesterday, we spent time sharing our summarized bits of the declaration. It wasn't much and didn't take too long. After that, we discussed the questions at the bottom of the sheet, which were fairly self-explanatory, but interesting points nonetheless. Especially the one about slavery; just because the founding fathers were all owned slaves, does that make their word about every man being equal invalid? Definitly something to think about.
Today in class, we had a substitute. When we arrived in class we were handed a massive packet about a random battle and then told we had to write an essay about it by the end of the period. The packet itself was a massive essay and the substitute said it had taken her more than an hour to read, and she spent a good twenty minutes or so just talking at the beginning of class, and then continued to interject while we were trying to concentrate, resulting in a very stressful class and poor essays. I understood none of the essay because I was trying to speed read and wound up quickly writing out the saddest 5-paragraph essay I have ever written in an attempt to get something in on time.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Classroom Post 10
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
In class on Monday we presented our "guests" to the class. I had Patrick Henry, who I had honestly never heard of before. It was really cool to learn about him though. I had no idea that he would have played such a large role in the forming of the country; a lot of his speeches were really famous. I also had a ton of fun drawing him. Listening to other people give there presentations was pretty cool too, but I didn't absorb much of the information. But I suppose that doesn't matter, as I can also look up the Voice Threads.
Today in class, we split up into groups depending on who had devices and summarized parts of the Declaration of Independence. It was a really, really, really thick read. The portion that my group summarized was a list of reasons why the colonies should become Independent from England. Once we read it through once or twice, it was much easier to understand. After lunch, we made the summaries into tweets, which is always fun. Especially when it comes to making usernames, as that is my forte. I hope that next class we'll be sharing the summaries, because right now I only know the summary to one sixth of the Declaration.
In class on Monday we presented our "guests" to the class. I had Patrick Henry, who I had honestly never heard of before. It was really cool to learn about him though. I had no idea that he would have played such a large role in the forming of the country; a lot of his speeches were really famous. I also had a ton of fun drawing him. Listening to other people give there presentations was pretty cool too, but I didn't absorb much of the information. But I suppose that doesn't matter, as I can also look up the Voice Threads.
Today in class, we split up into groups depending on who had devices and summarized parts of the Declaration of Independence. It was a really, really, really thick read. The portion that my group summarized was a list of reasons why the colonies should become Independent from England. Once we read it through once or twice, it was much easier to understand. After lunch, we made the summaries into tweets, which is always fun. Especially when it comes to making usernames, as that is my forte. I hope that next class we'll be sharing the summaries, because right now I only know the summary to one sixth of the Declaration.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Classroom Post 9
Thursday, October 11, 2012
We've learned a lot about the Revolution lately. Today, we spent time focusing on the different perspectives about Britain during that time, and I thought it was very interesting. First of all, not all colonist wanted to break away from Britain. They liked the British rule and thought that by rebelling we were committing treason. This wasn't that surprising, as I'd know there were "loyalists" during the revolutionary period from books I've read in the past. But what I didn't know was that the continental Congress met and didn't want to blatantly break away from England either. Instead, they sent out the Olive Branch Treaty, which was meant to stop fighting and allowing the colonies to stay under British rule as long as some of there demands were met. I had been under the impression that all the colonists who weren't loyalist wanted to become independent, but I guess not. Thomas Paine and those who followed him, however, petitioned strongly for the colonies to break away and gain independence. He even published a pamphlet about it called Common Sense, which the loyalist responded to with The Plain Truth. These titles are both highly amusing and I think really show just how much adversity there was between these two groups. It helps to show how much anger and passion there was behind each side.
We've learned a lot about the Revolution lately. Today, we spent time focusing on the different perspectives about Britain during that time, and I thought it was very interesting. First of all, not all colonist wanted to break away from Britain. They liked the British rule and thought that by rebelling we were committing treason. This wasn't that surprising, as I'd know there were "loyalists" during the revolutionary period from books I've read in the past. But what I didn't know was that the continental Congress met and didn't want to blatantly break away from England either. Instead, they sent out the Olive Branch Treaty, which was meant to stop fighting and allowing the colonies to stay under British rule as long as some of there demands were met. I had been under the impression that all the colonists who weren't loyalist wanted to become independent, but I guess not. Thomas Paine and those who followed him, however, petitioned strongly for the colonies to break away and gain independence. He even published a pamphlet about it called Common Sense, which the loyalist responded to with The Plain Truth. These titles are both highly amusing and I think really show just how much adversity there was between these two groups. It helps to show how much anger and passion there was behind each side.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Classroom Post 8
Tuesday, October 9th, 2012
On Friday, we broke up into groups of two to read the famous poem "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere." The poem describes Revere's journey to alert the rebel forces of the incoming British soldiers. However, this poem is historically inaccurate. Most of us already knew this, I think. I remembered it from third grade. After reading it, we had to write a poem based on the real events. The poem was hard to write, and Maddie and I only got through three stanzas before we had to leave, and that was more than what those we spoke to got through. If we write poems in the future, especially if they have to be in a certain rhyming format, we should get more time.
Today, after watching a long video about witnesses, we were put into groups of three to read different accounts about the battle of Lexington in the war. This is the battle with the "shot heard 'round the world," which is a rather pretentious title. We were supposed to quickly find the information and copy it down onto sheets, but it was hard to dig through and find the stuff while trying to actually read the document. After that, we split up into three groups of six to share what we wrote. It wasn't a particularly amusing or engaging activity, but effective in showing the unreliability of "eye-witness" accounts.
On Friday, we broke up into groups of two to read the famous poem "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere." The poem describes Revere's journey to alert the rebel forces of the incoming British soldiers. However, this poem is historically inaccurate. Most of us already knew this, I think. I remembered it from third grade. After reading it, we had to write a poem based on the real events. The poem was hard to write, and Maddie and I only got through three stanzas before we had to leave, and that was more than what those we spoke to got through. If we write poems in the future, especially if they have to be in a certain rhyming format, we should get more time.
Today, after watching a long video about witnesses, we were put into groups of three to read different accounts about the battle of Lexington in the war. This is the battle with the "shot heard 'round the world," which is a rather pretentious title. We were supposed to quickly find the information and copy it down onto sheets, but it was hard to dig through and find the stuff while trying to actually read the document. After that, we split up into three groups of six to share what we wrote. It wasn't a particularly amusing or engaging activity, but effective in showing the unreliability of "eye-witness" accounts.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Classroom Post 7
Wednesday, October 3rd, 2012
In class yesterday, we went to the computer lab. We broke up into groups depending on the number on a sheet of paper we had and made Google presentations about one of the six causes of the American Revolution. Working on Google with other people at the same time was a new experience, but it worked out just fine in the end. We each focused on two slides to create, so it got done quickly. Then we could just go back through and read each others' work, so none of us had to read the really long sheet describing the First Continental Congress. In class today, we had an Ed Cafe about the topics we made presentations about yesterday. It wasn't as fun as the first one, though. Because there was so much that other people didn't know, we had to go through all the facts before even starting debates or conversations. The facts usually took up most of the allotted time, and if they didn't, there wasn't really much to say about what happened except that it happened. Because of that, it was easy to get off-topic.
In class yesterday, we went to the computer lab. We broke up into groups depending on the number on a sheet of paper we had and made Google presentations about one of the six causes of the American Revolution. Working on Google with other people at the same time was a new experience, but it worked out just fine in the end. We each focused on two slides to create, so it got done quickly. Then we could just go back through and read each others' work, so none of us had to read the really long sheet describing the First Continental Congress. In class today, we had an Ed Cafe about the topics we made presentations about yesterday. It wasn't as fun as the first one, though. Because there was so much that other people didn't know, we had to go through all the facts before even starting debates or conversations. The facts usually took up most of the allotted time, and if they didn't, there wasn't really much to say about what happened except that it happened. Because of that, it was easy to get off-topic.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Classroom Blog 6
Monday, October 1st, 2012
On Friday, we studied the colonies. We got into groups of four and were supposed to use voki.com to create little people to illustrate life in each of the three regions of the colonies, which are New England, middle colonies, and Southern colonies. Unfortunately, the website didn't work with the devices in my group, so we drew ours out on paper! It was confusing looking at all the different maps, but drawing everything out and trying to make it in time for the end of class was super fun. Today, we did a massive bit of reading on George Washington's French and Indian War. We would read a little in groups, then Mr. Boyle would stop us and summarize, which I was thankful for because I understood almost none of what was on the essay otherwise. Part of that was because it was so long. We didn't quite finish, but Mr. Boyle summed up the rest while we took notes. From this point, we're going to connect it to the beginning of the revolutionary war, because the taxes resulting from the French Indian war are the same taxes that start the revolution. I think. I suppose I'll find out on Wednesday.
On Friday, we studied the colonies. We got into groups of four and were supposed to use voki.com to create little people to illustrate life in each of the three regions of the colonies, which are New England, middle colonies, and Southern colonies. Unfortunately, the website didn't work with the devices in my group, so we drew ours out on paper! It was confusing looking at all the different maps, but drawing everything out and trying to make it in time for the end of class was super fun. Today, we did a massive bit of reading on George Washington's French and Indian War. We would read a little in groups, then Mr. Boyle would stop us and summarize, which I was thankful for because I understood almost none of what was on the essay otherwise. Part of that was because it was so long. We didn't quite finish, but Mr. Boyle summed up the rest while we took notes. From this point, we're going to connect it to the beginning of the revolutionary war, because the taxes resulting from the French Indian war are the same taxes that start the revolution. I think. I suppose I'll find out on Wednesday.
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Civic Values Comic Strip!
I think it came out beautifully. I spent 45 minutes working on it, after all. Those hand positions are killer, if I do say so myself.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Classroom Blog 5
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Yesterday in class we participated in an Edcafe, which was like a huge divided discussion. We talked about all the different rights and freedoms provided by the First Amendment and discussed quick topics regarding each one. It was more fun than I expected, and I was able to take a lot of notes on each topic. My topic was freedom of speech, which was a pretty easy topic. My personal favorite wound up being the right to petition the government. I didn't know that that was aspecifically a right, and I thought that was pretty cool.
Today in class, we took a test on this unit. I studied, but when I got to the test, I blanked on a few of the answers. Other than hose few, I think I did pretty well. I hope so. After the test, we received a bunch of papers for the next unit, which I have to sort through now to make sure that it's organized.
Yesterday in class we participated in an Edcafe, which was like a huge divided discussion. We talked about all the different rights and freedoms provided by the First Amendment and discussed quick topics regarding each one. It was more fun than I expected, and I was able to take a lot of notes on each topic. My topic was freedom of speech, which was a pretty easy topic. My personal favorite wound up being the right to petition the government. I didn't know that that was aspecifically a right, and I thought that was pretty cool.
Today in class, we took a test on this unit. I studied, but when I got to the test, I blanked on a few of the answers. Other than hose few, I think I did pretty well. I hope so. After the test, we received a bunch of papers for the next unit, which I have to sort through now to make sure that it's organized.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Classroom Blog 4
This blog is late due to problems with Firefox.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
On Monday, we continued to look at the Bill of Rights. We received a paper listing the first ten amendments, and then received a scenario. Once we read through it, we had to answer questions about which amendments could help the people in the scenario appeal their convictions. Besides the fact that the scenario was extremely amusing due to the fact that Madonna was a major player, it was a pretty cool activity. I would think that I'd listed all the possible amendments, and then I'd find out that there are actually two more hiding in the next amendment down. It's nice to know that I'm thoroughly covered from any injustice on the governments part. Although, in Madonna's case, I think it might be to late to appeal, considering she's already been hanged.
On Tuesday, we learned about the first party system in the U.S., which was basically just two parties. The Federalists, mostly unchanged, and the Democratic Republicans. The Federalists still believed in a strong central government, but they had further developed their views and now campaigned for the country to be run by the wealthy and well-educated elite. Their ideas about how the country should be run favored traders and merchants, and they saw the Constitution as loose guidelines. The Democratic Republicans favored the small states and farmers, as they saw the Constitution as strict guidelines. Looking at the beliefs of both of the parties, I could see little ideas and beliefs that are present in the major parties today. It just goes to show just how much we are still very connected to our original roots.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
On Monday, we continued to look at the Bill of Rights. We received a paper listing the first ten amendments, and then received a scenario. Once we read through it, we had to answer questions about which amendments could help the people in the scenario appeal their convictions. Besides the fact that the scenario was extremely amusing due to the fact that Madonna was a major player, it was a pretty cool activity. I would think that I'd listed all the possible amendments, and then I'd find out that there are actually two more hiding in the next amendment down. It's nice to know that I'm thoroughly covered from any injustice on the governments part. Although, in Madonna's case, I think it might be to late to appeal, considering she's already been hanged.
On Tuesday, we learned about the first party system in the U.S., which was basically just two parties. The Federalists, mostly unchanged, and the Democratic Republicans. The Federalists still believed in a strong central government, but they had further developed their views and now campaigned for the country to be run by the wealthy and well-educated elite. Their ideas about how the country should be run favored traders and merchants, and they saw the Constitution as loose guidelines. The Democratic Republicans favored the small states and farmers, as they saw the Constitution as strict guidelines. Looking at the beliefs of both of the parties, I could see little ideas and beliefs that are present in the major parties today. It just goes to show just how much we are still very connected to our original roots.
Timeline of the Constitution
My timeline which I painstakingly researched and constructed on timetoast.com:
I hope you enjoy it!
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Classroom Post 3
Thursday, September 20th, 2012
On Wednesday, we learned about the ratification of the constitution. We got copies of the arguments either for the ratification of the Constitution or against it. My group got for the ratification. We then copied down the leaders of the group, which were Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, the five biggest arguments for the ratification, and then a quote that summarizes they're argument best. After we finished, we paired up with someone who had the other argument and shared information. Then, with our new buddies, we got huge sheets of paper and made magazine covers either for the Federalists or Anti-Federalists. My group did Federalist, and we laid down on the floor to draw our cover with our Federalist box of crayons. Today, we went to the computer lab and played a cool game where you get to run a law firm for 8 days and protect people's constitutional rights. It was really fast-pace and super fun; I got 4800 on my first try! It's been a good two days.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Civic Values in my Friends
This is a post about two of my best friends: Jess Macey, who I've know and goofed around with since fifth grade, and Hannah Cagney, who I met in 7th grade.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Classroom Post 2
Tuesday, September 18th, 2012
For the past two days, we learned about the different branches in our government and how they interact with each other. On Monday, we read three different plans for the Executive Branch by Edmund Randolph, William Paterson, and Alexander Hamilton. Using a chart, we marked down the differences between each plan, like how many people should be in the Executive Branch, what general powers they should have, term length, etc. It was cool to see which ideas made it through to be part of the Executive Branch as we know it today. Today, we received a packet describing the structure of our constitution and congress, and a packet describing the checks and balances between branches. We then got into groups and made diagrams showing either how the checks and balances worked or the three branches of government and some of their characteristics. My group chose to draw a tree with actually branches depicting the judicial and executive branches as well as the two part of congress.
For the past two days, we learned about the different branches in our government and how they interact with each other. On Monday, we read three different plans for the Executive Branch by Edmund Randolph, William Paterson, and Alexander Hamilton. Using a chart, we marked down the differences between each plan, like how many people should be in the Executive Branch, what general powers they should have, term length, etc. It was cool to see which ideas made it through to be part of the Executive Branch as we know it today. Today, we received a packet describing the structure of our constitution and congress, and a packet describing the checks and balances between branches. We then got into groups and made diagrams showing either how the checks and balances worked or the three branches of government and some of their characteristics. My group chose to draw a tree with actually branches depicting the judicial and executive branches as well as the two part of congress.
Classroom Post 1
This post is late due to my blog being flagged for spam on Friday.
Friday, September 14th
For the past two days in class, we have been learning about the debates that took place in Congress while forming the government of the United States. On Thursday, we shared information that we had gathered regarding the arguments of William Paterson, James Wilson, George Mason, David Brearly, James Madison, Roger Sherman, Elbridge Gerry, Charles Pinckney, and Oliver Ellsworth. The debates were over bicameralism in the Congress, the Modes of the Election, and the "Right of Suffrage." On Friday, we went over assignments to make sure that everyone was on the same page with when things were due, what was currently assigned, and the specifics of each project.
Friday, September 14th
For the past two days in class, we have been learning about the debates that took place in Congress while forming the government of the United States. On Thursday, we shared information that we had gathered regarding the arguments of William Paterson, James Wilson, George Mason, David Brearly, James Madison, Roger Sherman, Elbridge Gerry, Charles Pinckney, and Oliver Ellsworth. The debates were over bicameralism in the Congress, the Modes of the Election, and the "Right of Suffrage." On Friday, we went over assignments to make sure that everyone was on the same page with when things were due, what was currently assigned, and the specifics of each project.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
The Question of Representation fake Twitter URL
Here's the URL from my group's conversation:
www.cheezburger.com/6578255104
www.cheezburger.com/6578255104
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Family Civic Values
The URL to my Rewindy Civic Values storyboard.
http://private.rewindy.com/story/LoKGL43S/view/1
http://private.rewindy.com/story/LoKGL43S/view/1
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Three Artifacts blog
9/6/12
G Period
If, in the future, someone were to dig up three artifacts that helped to describe my life, they would be:
My color guard practice flag. I practice my flag work with it often in order to learn new tosses, memorize work, and maintain muscle over the summer. Both color guard and winter guard are huge parts of my life, as we practice three times a week, participate in competitions, and in the fall, preform at football games as part of the marching band. It's so much fun to do, and everyone on the team becomes close friends. Last winter, my first season, we won the NESBA championship! Since then, my flag and I are inseparable.
My quote book, which was a customized gift from a friend. I always have it near by, and it's continuously filling up with quotes from TV shows, books, video games, friends, and the occasional lunch-room conversation. I keep a quote book just so that I can remember the best moments of a show, day, or book. When I get older, I like to think that I'll be able to look back through the depths of my quote book and reminisce about old friends and the things I used to (and perhaps still do) enjoy.
My ever-expanding library, which, not counting those put away in the attic, currently occupies three and a half shelves in my room. I have classics, science fiction, fairytale, supernatural, historical fiction, and more. Some of them are childhood favorites which I someday hope to pass on to future generations, who will most likely be so buried in technology they will loose track of good literature, some are things that I will reread again and again, and some are books that I know back to front and love completely. As a read more books, they too will be added to my collection. It, like my quote book, is something that will never cease in expansion.
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