Monday, September 7, 2015
Learn English Through Comedy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FA0B5EUY-1w&list=PLBnfG5xBIFTg_XgrInhOduCPW12ke-M11&index=1
English Games
http://eslgamesworld.com/members/games/levels/easy/index.html
3 stars:
Animal Mystery: Questions and describing
http://gamestolearnenglish.com/animal-mystery/
2 stars:
Monkey verb conjugations- Present Tense
http://www.eslgamesplus.com/present-simple-tense-action-verbs-interactive-monkey-game/
Pirate Adjectives opposites- http://www.eslgamesplus.com/pirate-games/
http://gamestolearnenglish.com/endless-actions/
3 stars:
Animal Mystery: Questions and describing
http://gamestolearnenglish.com/animal-mystery/
2 stars:
Monkey verb conjugations- Present Tense
http://www.eslgamesplus.com/present-simple-tense-action-verbs-interactive-monkey-game/
Pirate Adjectives opposites- http://www.eslgamesplus.com/pirate-games/
http://gamestolearnenglish.com/endless-actions/
Friday, December 7, 2007
FREEDOM of PETITION (undelivered)
8th grade/ LA
TEK(s):
§110.24. LA(15) Writing/purposes. The student writes for a variety of audiences and purposes and in a variety of forms. The student is expected to:
(A) write to express, discover, record, develop, reflect on ideas, and to problem solve
(B) write to influence such as to persuade, argue, and request (4-8);
(C) write to inform such as to explain, describe, report, and narrate (4-8);
(E) select and use voice and style appropriate to audience and purpose (6-8);
(H) produce cohesive and coherent written texts by organizing ideas, using effective transitions, and choosing precise wording (6-8).
§113.24. SS (16) Government. The student understands the American beliefs and principles reflected in the U.S. Constitution and other important historic documents. TSIET:
(D) analyze how the U.S. Constitution reflects the principles of limited government, republicanism, checks and balances, federalism, separation of powers, popular sovereignty, and individual rights.
Objective(s) -
~ TSWBAT contribute at least one school or community issue of importance to their group’s brainstorm.
~ The group will be able to then choose one to submit to a class vote.
~ TSWBAT generate five reasons as a group to support the change of their selected issue.
~The group will be able to argue the importance of their issue to the class, with each student presenting at least one reason.
~ TSWBAT vote to select one issue to attempt as a class to reform.
~ TSWBAT write a 1 page position paper supporting his opinion.
~TSWBAT summarize his position to at least 12 individuals or however many is necessary to obtain 10 signatures.
~ TSWBAT revise his paper to conform to standard rules of grammar.
Teacher materials needed:
~ Ideas of school/community issues to “toss out” to the kids if they get stuck
Student materials needed:
~Writing utensil
~Paper for petition signatures
~Paper guidelines
Focus or anticipatory set:
1) Alright, so tell me what is democracy?
- Discuss demo = people, cracy = rule by
- How does that look in our society? Do we all vote on every little law that
gets made? Why not? What do we do instead? Discussion of republic= electing officials to represent us/ vote in our interest
~ [Use a real student as an example… bring him to the front and have him pantomime everything.] What happens if So-and-so from Longview south side runs a big election, speaks in a whole bunch of shindigs, goes knocking door-to-door to get your vote, kisses a trillion babies and gets elected to Congress. However, while he’s there, he gets a little bit comfy in his nice office, drinking good coffee, driving a nice car, and he forgets his roots… when it comes to voting on issues, [eg: tearing down homes on the south side to build a new mall] he votes with his new friends, the ones who take him out to lunch all the time, and he forgets where he came from… He forgets that he’s supposed to be the VOICE for the people back home. What do you do with this apparent two-face. Do you just throw up your hands and start hollering about dirty politicians?
- Hint: complaining is never the answer unless it accomplishes something.
- Or do you grab the phone book, pick up the phone, and dial a certain congressman? Say, “Uh, yes, secretary, I’d like you to tell your boss something. I represent District 1, specifically the south side of Longview, and I voted for Mr. So-and-so. I even put a sign up in my yard. HOWEVER, he seems to forget that we here in Longview can’t STAND the side he just took on the last issue. [eg: We are NOT happy that he would sell-out to let people tear down our homes and build a mall.] This is why we are not happy. Reason X [We are a bunch of families raising our children, and it would hurt them to have to move.] Reason Y [Not only our children grew up here, but we did too! So did our parents. Our grandparents moved in here when they were first starting off.] Reason Z [Congressman So-and-so grew up here, and he SAID he would support community values. If he cannot do that, we will find someone else to take his place come reelection time.]”
-You are not going to be disrespectful. You are not going to rant. You will explain. But say you don’t have time to call. Or everytime you call, you get a voice mail. What’s another option?
~You could visit him, and maybe take him out to lunch yourself. You could write or email him. You could talk to his Mother if you know her. But, quick question, how much good do you think it does for one person to call a busy, distracted Congressman and tell him what’s what? You think the Congressman will say, “Gee, that’s right… Didn’t think of that. I’ll change my decision right away.”? Probbbbably not. How can you get him to pay attention?
- How about if you got your mom to call too? And your brothers and sisters? And your cousins and aunts and uncles? And your grandparents and their friends? And all your co-workers? And the people at your church? And the parents of your kids’ friends? And anybody else you can find until that poor secretary is going crazy trying to take calls and the phone lines get jammed… that’s a possibility.
- If you don’t want to call, what’s another way to reach him? Will a single letter do a lot of good? What if you get everybody you can find to write the dude? That’s commonly called a “letter writing campaign,” and it’s another way to make your voice heard.
- But, letter writing takes about how long? Half an hour? More to mail it? And something you might have noticed about people is that they are LAZY. It’s hard enough for a teacher to get kids to do work, imagine how hard it would be to get someone off the street to sit down, write a letter to a person they don’t know, walk all the way to their mailbox and mail it…
- It’s harder than you think.
~ Another option is to have one group get together a really impressive presentation of why the Congressman should go their way. Then, they take it upon themselves to go to everybody they know and present the issue. BUT, instead of having everybody write their own letters, they just sign yours. It’s called a petition.
-Actually, all these are examples of ways to petition the government for a redress of grievances. Ever heard that before? What’s it mean? The government grieved you; you want them to fix it… and in democracy, there’s power in numbers.
-But yall remember that back in the day, you could your head chopped off for “petitioning the king for the redress of grievances. The king was like a little god and you were NOT allowed to tell him he was mistaken or aggravating you.”
-What document changed all that for the Americans? Remember: they were tired of all that king rot, and they decided that if the people needed to complain they could. If they needed to speak, they could. What else could they do? IF they needed to assemble, they could. If they needed to write in their newspaper their frustration, they could. Where do we find these rights?
~Guess what: we’re practicing to become good citizens, and I vote that we CHANGE something using a petition. And since in the class I’m like the king, let’s do it.
Activities
2) The students will get into groups and brainstorm CONCRETE ideas of how the school or community needs to improve/ change. Each group member must propose at least one idea to the group list.
- The group will then choose one idea as the strongest to submit to a class vote.
- They will come up with at least 5 reasons as a group to support their position.
- The teacher should be monitoring group progress to make sure all ideas are feasible.
~ After each group has presented their idea and defended it against attackers , the class will vote to select an issue the whole class will promote.
2) The class will then discuss and decide on which official/ authority to address the petition to. The individual must have real power to change the matter. They will also discuss how many signatures they believe they can realistically obtain and how many will be needed to be convincing. Possibly, one student can be appointed to discuss the issue with the authority and ask how many signatures would be convincing.
~ Each group will come up with a concise topic sentence to sum up their desire for their change.
3) That night, the students will talk to others to compile 5 new reasons to support the change.
* They will also write down possible reasons it should not change to discuss in class.
~ The next day, the students will meet in different groups (JIGSAW!) to discuss their new input. They will eliminate weak arguments and number the most convincing ones.
* In groups, the students will discuss the oppositions and figure out how to combat them.
*Each group will then present to the class their strongest 2 arguments for the change. HOWEVER, every group must present a different argument, so if one group presents another group’s #1, the 2nd group must go to their #2.
4) The students will then independently write a one page letter to the authority selected using what they feel are the strongest reasons. They will self-evaluate using the following guidelines:
[from other websites... i dunno whose!]
* Is the main idea of each paragraph stated in a topic sentence?
* Is the evidence in each paragraph exact, specific, and related to the topic?
* Have exact words and words with appropriate connotations been used?
* Does the argument have a persuasive opening and closing?
* Are the paragraphs indented?
* Are all words spelled correctly?
* Are capital letters used correctly?
* Are punctuation marks used correctly?
Always
1. Be courteous and respectful without "gushing."
2. Clearly and simply state the purpose of your letter. If it's about a certain rule, identify it correctly.
3. Say who you are. Anonymous letters go nowhere. Include your correct name, address, phone number and email address at the top. If you don't include at least your name and address, you will not get a response.
4. State any professional credentials or personal experience you may have, especially those pertaining to the subject of your letter.
5. Keep your letter short -- one page is best.
6. Use specific examples or evidence to support your position.
7. State what it is you want done or recommend a course of action.
8. Thank the member for taking the time to read your letter.
Never
1. Use vulgarity, profanity, or threats. The first two are just plain rude and the third one can get you disciplined seriously. Simply stated, don't let your passion get in the way of making your point,
2. Fail to include your name and address.
3. Demand a response.
5) They will then be charged to ORALLY summarize their position to at least 20 people and gain at least 10 signatures ON A SEPARATE PIECE OF PAPER fin support outside of the class.
* In class, they will get into pairs to proofread each other’s papers.
* In groups, they will vote for the best one. They will then pass their best on to the next group. At the end, the class will vote for the best one to represent the class on the actual petition to the authority. Once the desired amount of signatures are accumulated, the letter will go through a final proofread by the teacher, and the class will go to present the document to the authority.
Questions
~ What is a petition?
~ Where do we find our right to petition?
~ What is the exact wording in the 1st amendment?
~ What are other ways to petition besides accumulating signatures? What are boycotts, protests, marches, and demonstrations, lobbying, freedom of association, access to information, testifying at a public hearing, writing letters to public officials, circulating formal petitions, and what do they have to do with our rights? [all ways to get the government/ powers-that-be to redress our grievances] What other rights do they represent? [freedom of assembly, speech, etc.]
~ Which do you think is the most effective means of petition?
~ Why is it important to come up with logical reasons in support of your change? Why not just say “because” or relate a personal experience?
~ Why is it important to think about the other side to your issue?
~ What would be some good ways to get people fired up about your issue besides just signing the paper?
TEK(s):
§110.24. LA(15) Writing/purposes. The student writes for a variety of audiences and purposes and in a variety of forms. The student is expected to:
(A) write to express, discover, record, develop, reflect on ideas, and to problem solve
(B) write to influence such as to persuade, argue, and request (4-8);
(C) write to inform such as to explain, describe, report, and narrate (4-8);
(E) select and use voice and style appropriate to audience and purpose (6-8);
(H) produce cohesive and coherent written texts by organizing ideas, using effective transitions, and choosing precise wording (6-8).
§113.24. SS (16) Government. The student understands the American beliefs and principles reflected in the U.S. Constitution and other important historic documents. TSIET:
(D) analyze how the U.S. Constitution reflects the principles of limited government, republicanism, checks and balances, federalism, separation of powers, popular sovereignty, and individual rights.
Objective(s) -
~ TSWBAT contribute at least one school or community issue of importance to their group’s brainstorm.
~ The group will be able to then choose one to submit to a class vote.
~ TSWBAT generate five reasons as a group to support the change of their selected issue.
~The group will be able to argue the importance of their issue to the class, with each student presenting at least one reason.
~ TSWBAT vote to select one issue to attempt as a class to reform.
~ TSWBAT write a 1 page position paper supporting his opinion.
~TSWBAT summarize his position to at least 12 individuals or however many is necessary to obtain 10 signatures.
~ TSWBAT revise his paper to conform to standard rules of grammar.
Teacher materials needed:
~ Ideas of school/community issues to “toss out” to the kids if they get stuck
Student materials needed:
~Writing utensil
~Paper for petition signatures
~Paper guidelines
Focus or anticipatory set:
1) Alright, so tell me what is democracy?
- Discuss demo = people, cracy = rule by
- How does that look in our society? Do we all vote on every little law that
gets made? Why not? What do we do instead? Discussion of republic= electing officials to represent us/ vote in our interest
~ [Use a real student as an example… bring him to the front and have him pantomime everything.] What happens if So-and-so from Longview south side runs a big election, speaks in a whole bunch of shindigs, goes knocking door-to-door to get your vote, kisses a trillion babies and gets elected to Congress. However, while he’s there, he gets a little bit comfy in his nice office, drinking good coffee, driving a nice car, and he forgets his roots… when it comes to voting on issues, [eg: tearing down homes on the south side to build a new mall] he votes with his new friends, the ones who take him out to lunch all the time, and he forgets where he came from… He forgets that he’s supposed to be the VOICE for the people back home. What do you do with this apparent two-face. Do you just throw up your hands and start hollering about dirty politicians?
- Hint: complaining is never the answer unless it accomplishes something.
- Or do you grab the phone book, pick up the phone, and dial a certain congressman? Say, “Uh, yes, secretary, I’d like you to tell your boss something. I represent District 1, specifically the south side of Longview, and I voted for Mr. So-and-so. I even put a sign up in my yard. HOWEVER, he seems to forget that we here in Longview can’t STAND the side he just took on the last issue. [eg: We are NOT happy that he would sell-out to let people tear down our homes and build a mall.] This is why we are not happy. Reason X [We are a bunch of families raising our children, and it would hurt them to have to move.] Reason Y [Not only our children grew up here, but we did too! So did our parents. Our grandparents moved in here when they were first starting off.] Reason Z [Congressman So-and-so grew up here, and he SAID he would support community values. If he cannot do that, we will find someone else to take his place come reelection time.]”
-You are not going to be disrespectful. You are not going to rant. You will explain. But say you don’t have time to call. Or everytime you call, you get a voice mail. What’s another option?
~You could visit him, and maybe take him out to lunch yourself. You could write or email him. You could talk to his Mother if you know her. But, quick question, how much good do you think it does for one person to call a busy, distracted Congressman and tell him what’s what? You think the Congressman will say, “Gee, that’s right… Didn’t think of that. I’ll change my decision right away.”? Probbbbably not. How can you get him to pay attention?
- How about if you got your mom to call too? And your brothers and sisters? And your cousins and aunts and uncles? And your grandparents and their friends? And all your co-workers? And the people at your church? And the parents of your kids’ friends? And anybody else you can find until that poor secretary is going crazy trying to take calls and the phone lines get jammed… that’s a possibility.
- If you don’t want to call, what’s another way to reach him? Will a single letter do a lot of good? What if you get everybody you can find to write the dude? That’s commonly called a “letter writing campaign,” and it’s another way to make your voice heard.
- But, letter writing takes about how long? Half an hour? More to mail it? And something you might have noticed about people is that they are LAZY. It’s hard enough for a teacher to get kids to do work, imagine how hard it would be to get someone off the street to sit down, write a letter to a person they don’t know, walk all the way to their mailbox and mail it…
- It’s harder than you think.
~ Another option is to have one group get together a really impressive presentation of why the Congressman should go their way. Then, they take it upon themselves to go to everybody they know and present the issue. BUT, instead of having everybody write their own letters, they just sign yours. It’s called a petition.
-Actually, all these are examples of ways to petition the government for a redress of grievances. Ever heard that before? What’s it mean? The government grieved you; you want them to fix it… and in democracy, there’s power in numbers.
-But yall remember that back in the day, you could your head chopped off for “petitioning the king for the redress of grievances. The king was like a little god and you were NOT allowed to tell him he was mistaken or aggravating you.”
-What document changed all that for the Americans? Remember: they were tired of all that king rot, and they decided that if the people needed to complain they could. If they needed to speak, they could. What else could they do? IF they needed to assemble, they could. If they needed to write in their newspaper their frustration, they could. Where do we find these rights?
~Guess what: we’re practicing to become good citizens, and I vote that we CHANGE something using a petition. And since in the class I’m like the king, let’s do it.
Activities
2) The students will get into groups and brainstorm CONCRETE ideas of how the school or community needs to improve/ change. Each group member must propose at least one idea to the group list.
- The group will then choose one idea as the strongest to submit to a class vote.
- They will come up with at least 5 reasons as a group to support their position.
- The teacher should be monitoring group progress to make sure all ideas are feasible.
~ After each group has presented their idea and defended it against attackers , the class will vote to select an issue the whole class will promote.
2) The class will then discuss and decide on which official/ authority to address the petition to. The individual must have real power to change the matter. They will also discuss how many signatures they believe they can realistically obtain and how many will be needed to be convincing. Possibly, one student can be appointed to discuss the issue with the authority and ask how many signatures would be convincing.
~ Each group will come up with a concise topic sentence to sum up their desire for their change.
3) That night, the students will talk to others to compile 5 new reasons to support the change.
* They will also write down possible reasons it should not change to discuss in class.
~ The next day, the students will meet in different groups (JIGSAW!) to discuss their new input. They will eliminate weak arguments and number the most convincing ones.
* In groups, the students will discuss the oppositions and figure out how to combat them.
*Each group will then present to the class their strongest 2 arguments for the change. HOWEVER, every group must present a different argument, so if one group presents another group’s #1, the 2nd group must go to their #2.
4) The students will then independently write a one page letter to the authority selected using what they feel are the strongest reasons. They will self-evaluate using the following guidelines:
[from other websites... i dunno whose!]
* Is the main idea of each paragraph stated in a topic sentence?
* Is the evidence in each paragraph exact, specific, and related to the topic?
* Have exact words and words with appropriate connotations been used?
* Does the argument have a persuasive opening and closing?
* Are the paragraphs indented?
* Are all words spelled correctly?
* Are capital letters used correctly?
* Are punctuation marks used correctly?
Always
1. Be courteous and respectful without "gushing."
2. Clearly and simply state the purpose of your letter. If it's about a certain rule, identify it correctly.
3. Say who you are. Anonymous letters go nowhere. Include your correct name, address, phone number and email address at the top. If you don't include at least your name and address, you will not get a response.
4. State any professional credentials or personal experience you may have, especially those pertaining to the subject of your letter.
5. Keep your letter short -- one page is best.
6. Use specific examples or evidence to support your position.
7. State what it is you want done or recommend a course of action.
8. Thank the member for taking the time to read your letter.
Never
1. Use vulgarity, profanity, or threats. The first two are just plain rude and the third one can get you disciplined seriously. Simply stated, don't let your passion get in the way of making your point,
2. Fail to include your name and address.
3. Demand a response.
5) They will then be charged to ORALLY summarize their position to at least 20 people and gain at least 10 signatures ON A SEPARATE PIECE OF PAPER fin support outside of the class.
* In class, they will get into pairs to proofread each other’s papers.
* In groups, they will vote for the best one. They will then pass their best on to the next group. At the end, the class will vote for the best one to represent the class on the actual petition to the authority. Once the desired amount of signatures are accumulated, the letter will go through a final proofread by the teacher, and the class will go to present the document to the authority.
Questions
~ What is a petition?
~ Where do we find our right to petition?
~ What is the exact wording in the 1st amendment?
~ What are other ways to petition besides accumulating signatures? What are boycotts, protests, marches, and demonstrations, lobbying, freedom of association, access to information, testifying at a public hearing, writing letters to public officials, circulating formal petitions, and what do they have to do with our rights? [all ways to get the government/ powers-that-be to redress our grievances] What other rights do they represent? [freedom of assembly, speech, etc.]
~ Which do you think is the most effective means of petition?
~ Why is it important to come up with logical reasons in support of your change? Why not just say “because” or relate a personal experience?
~ Why is it important to think about the other side to your issue?
~ What would be some good ways to get people fired up about your issue besides just signing the paper?
FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY (undelivered)
8th grade / Language Arts
TEK(s):
(11) Reading/literary response. The student expresses and supports responses to various types of texts. The student is expected to:
(A) offer observations, make connections, react, speculate, interpret, and raise questions in response to texts (4-8);
(B) interpret text ideas through such varied means as journal writing, discussion, enactment, and media (4-8);
(30) Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired from a variety of sources including electronic technology. The student is expected to:
(B) analyze information by sequencing, categorizing, identifying cause-and-effect relationships, comparing, contrasting, finding the main idea, summarizing, making generalizations and predictions, and drawing inferences and conclusions;
(D) identify points of view from the historical context surrounding an event and the frame of reference which influenced the participants;
(E) support a point of view on a social studies issue or event;
Objective(s) -
TSWBAT orally evaluate the effectiveness of the Tiananmen Square protests in light of the Chinese government’s response with partners. Participation is the only requirement.
TSWBAT create a 1 page fictional narrative of the Tiananmen Square protests from his choice of perspectives.
TSWBAT compare and contrast the American government’s policy toward freedom of assembly with the People’s Republic of China’s through class analysis of the massacre.
Teacher materials needed:
~ Overhead of Unnamed Rebel photo
~ YouTube Tiananmen Square mini-documentary
Student materials needed:
~ Pen
~ Paper
~ Freedom in China: Tiananmen Square fact sheet
~ Articles from 1989 covering Tiananmen Square Protests
Focus or anticipatory set:
1) 7 minute free write on picture of man facing tanks (the “Unnamed Rebel”). Prompts: “What is he thinking? How did he get in this situation? What happened 5 minutes before? What will happen in 5 minutes? Why doesn’t he move?”
~ Have a few read theirs aloud.
* “Before we can totally get this, we need a little background info on China.”
2) Discuss what the class knows about China. Make a word web of relevant additions, adding new keywords and getting their input on each subsequent addition.
~Pass out a FREEDOM in CHINA fact sheet, with blanks like:
* Chinese accomplishments:
* Always a lot of _______ people
* Farm work = _________________
* social imbalance: a few _[rich]__ people and a WHOLE BUNCH of
__[poor]__ people
* Communism = take from the _rich_, distribute among everyone
* Great Leader of Communist China: _____ Zedong
*2nd leader: Deng Xiaoping
*democracy = ______________
(etc.)
“So China has a beautiful cultural heritage going back thousands of years. Gorgeous art, music, architecture. Philosophy from people like Confucius, the amazing Great Wall of China that was built to protect the country from invaders, the invention of paper, firecrackers, and elaborate calligraphy. This country has an extraordinary history. You really ought to find out what all was going on there way back when most of America and Europe was nothing more than tents and wooden hovels. But what China, like every other civilization, has always had is poor people. Lots and lots of poor people. Throughout history, what have most poor people, or peasants, done?”
- Farm work… agriculture. Well, every now and then, people start considering how hard these peasants have it, and start getting frustrated that a few people can have be so rich and live in such luxury and almost everybody else lives in terrible poverty- maybe without enough food, or with bad water, or constantly falling ill to terrible diseases because of the filth they live in. Every now and then people start thinking it’s not fair.
~ One solution, called “communism,” says what? We can fix our society’s problems if we’ll just take all the money and property from the rich people and distribute it evenly between all of us. Then, with everybody having an equal opportunity for success, all the money WE make, we can put in a big fund and make sure everybody get food, education, health care, and other such niceties. Sounds nice, right? I mean, assuming you’re not a rich person, that is.
* People who support to this idea are called communists, and Mao Zedong was the communist leader in China. Right after WWII, he kicked out the Chinese emperorand declared that China was now a communist country. He set to work making thewealth even among everybody… but a lot of it didn’t work and a lot of bad stuff happened. After he died in the late ‘70s, a new leader, Deng Xiaoping took control. He tried to ease up on all the controls and rules that Mao had put on everybody. The country started to be able to breathe again. They prospered a little bit. They wanted to become as modern and technologically advanced as possible, so they started sending their young people to the best universities around the world to get an education to bring back…
~… and guess what they found out while they were away… They found people who talked about the destruction that Mao caused, something they were DEFINITELY not allowed to do back home. They found books that presented the weakness of communism, something they were DEFINITELY not allowed to read back home. They found people who criticized their own government, but were left unharmed. They found countries where the PEOPLE decided who they wanted in office and made sure their officials made the choices that the PEOPLE wanted. They found out about something called FREEDOM of ASSEMBLY, which means you can get a bunch of people together, make a lot of noise, and make sure the government, the media, and everybody else that you can find knows how you feel about an issue. In short, they found democracy… and they wanted that in China.
~ So they come home and they start groups talking about what they had found. One thing lead to another and a bunch of university students decided, Hey, let’s give this democracy thing a try. So they ASSEMBLED as many people together as they could and started marching in the center of the capital city, right in front of all the important government people, demanding more freedom and choice in their government…
~ Guess what happened… ha! Don’t guess… read it for yourself.
Activities
3) Divide them into groups and pass out various news sources concurrent with the demonstrations, especially those that accompany the original publication of the photo (primary sources.) Have them switch with a partner and read the second source. Switch with another partner and read. With the last article, have them highlight WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY, HOW. Then, have them discuss and orally review each of the questions. Have them discuss the PRC’s response and what happened afterwards. As a class, discuss what would have happened if they had been in the U.S.
4) Individual work/ homework: Imagine you are going to the protests at Tienennmen - as a student, young person, child, adult, soldier, whatever. What do you see? How do you feel? What happens? What is your final response?
Questions
~ Where were the Tiananmen Square protests? (Do NOT just tell me “Tiananmen Square!”)
~ Who were protesting? At whom were their protests aimed?
~ Why were they protesting?
~ How long were the protests?
~ Did the protesters achieve their goals?
~ How did the government respond?
~ What freedom(s) did they deny the protesters that we enjoy here in America?
~ What do you think would happen if students tried the same thing here in the U.S.?
~ What positive effects came of the protests?
~ Can you think of any famous protests here in America? What were the effects?
~ What would you be passionate enough about to risk your life to protest?
Closure/Summary:
Show YouTube Tiananmen Massacre mini-documentary. Show original Unnamed Rebel picture. “Now, when you see this photo will you be able to tell a little about this man?”
TEK(s):
(11) Reading/literary response. The student expresses and supports responses to various types of texts. The student is expected to:
(A) offer observations, make connections, react, speculate, interpret, and raise questions in response to texts (4-8);
(B) interpret text ideas through such varied means as journal writing, discussion, enactment, and media (4-8);
(30) Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired from a variety of sources including electronic technology. The student is expected to:
(B) analyze information by sequencing, categorizing, identifying cause-and-effect relationships, comparing, contrasting, finding the main idea, summarizing, making generalizations and predictions, and drawing inferences and conclusions;
(D) identify points of view from the historical context surrounding an event and the frame of reference which influenced the participants;
(E) support a point of view on a social studies issue or event;
Objective(s) -
TSWBAT orally evaluate the effectiveness of the Tiananmen Square protests in light of the Chinese government’s response with partners. Participation is the only requirement.
TSWBAT create a 1 page fictional narrative of the Tiananmen Square protests from his choice of perspectives.
TSWBAT compare and contrast the American government’s policy toward freedom of assembly with the People’s Republic of China’s through class analysis of the massacre.
Teacher materials needed:
~ Overhead of Unnamed Rebel photo
~ YouTube Tiananmen Square mini-documentary
Student materials needed:
~ Pen
~ Paper
~ Freedom in China: Tiananmen Square fact sheet
~ Articles from 1989 covering Tiananmen Square Protests
Focus or anticipatory set:
1) 7 minute free write on picture of man facing tanks (the “Unnamed Rebel”). Prompts: “What is he thinking? How did he get in this situation? What happened 5 minutes before? What will happen in 5 minutes? Why doesn’t he move?”
~ Have a few read theirs aloud.
* “Before we can totally get this, we need a little background info on China.”
2) Discuss what the class knows about China. Make a word web of relevant additions, adding new keywords and getting their input on each subsequent addition.
~Pass out a FREEDOM in CHINA fact sheet, with blanks like:
* Chinese accomplishments:
* Always a lot of _______ people
* Farm work = _________________
* social imbalance: a few _[rich]__ people and a WHOLE BUNCH of
__[poor]__ people
* Communism = take from the _rich_, distribute among everyone
* Great Leader of Communist China: _____ Zedong
*2nd leader: Deng Xiaoping
*democracy = ______________
(etc.)
“So China has a beautiful cultural heritage going back thousands of years. Gorgeous art, music, architecture. Philosophy from people like Confucius, the amazing Great Wall of China that was built to protect the country from invaders, the invention of paper, firecrackers, and elaborate calligraphy. This country has an extraordinary history. You really ought to find out what all was going on there way back when most of America and Europe was nothing more than tents and wooden hovels. But what China, like every other civilization, has always had is poor people. Lots and lots of poor people. Throughout history, what have most poor people, or peasants, done?”
- Farm work… agriculture. Well, every now and then, people start considering how hard these peasants have it, and start getting frustrated that a few people can have be so rich and live in such luxury and almost everybody else lives in terrible poverty- maybe without enough food, or with bad water, or constantly falling ill to terrible diseases because of the filth they live in. Every now and then people start thinking it’s not fair.
~ One solution, called “communism,” says what? We can fix our society’s problems if we’ll just take all the money and property from the rich people and distribute it evenly between all of us. Then, with everybody having an equal opportunity for success, all the money WE make, we can put in a big fund and make sure everybody get food, education, health care, and other such niceties. Sounds nice, right? I mean, assuming you’re not a rich person, that is.
* People who support to this idea are called communists, and Mao Zedong was the communist leader in China. Right after WWII, he kicked out the Chinese emperorand declared that China was now a communist country. He set to work making thewealth even among everybody… but a lot of it didn’t work and a lot of bad stuff happened. After he died in the late ‘70s, a new leader, Deng Xiaoping took control. He tried to ease up on all the controls and rules that Mao had put on everybody. The country started to be able to breathe again. They prospered a little bit. They wanted to become as modern and technologically advanced as possible, so they started sending their young people to the best universities around the world to get an education to bring back…
~… and guess what they found out while they were away… They found people who talked about the destruction that Mao caused, something they were DEFINITELY not allowed to do back home. They found books that presented the weakness of communism, something they were DEFINITELY not allowed to read back home. They found people who criticized their own government, but were left unharmed. They found countries where the PEOPLE decided who they wanted in office and made sure their officials made the choices that the PEOPLE wanted. They found out about something called FREEDOM of ASSEMBLY, which means you can get a bunch of people together, make a lot of noise, and make sure the government, the media, and everybody else that you can find knows how you feel about an issue. In short, they found democracy… and they wanted that in China.
~ So they come home and they start groups talking about what they had found. One thing lead to another and a bunch of university students decided, Hey, let’s give this democracy thing a try. So they ASSEMBLED as many people together as they could and started marching in the center of the capital city, right in front of all the important government people, demanding more freedom and choice in their government…
~ Guess what happened… ha! Don’t guess… read it for yourself.
Activities
3) Divide them into groups and pass out various news sources concurrent with the demonstrations, especially those that accompany the original publication of the photo (primary sources.) Have them switch with a partner and read the second source. Switch with another partner and read. With the last article, have them highlight WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY, HOW. Then, have them discuss and orally review each of the questions. Have them discuss the PRC’s response and what happened afterwards. As a class, discuss what would have happened if they had been in the U.S.
4) Individual work/ homework: Imagine you are going to the protests at Tienennmen - as a student, young person, child, adult, soldier, whatever. What do you see? How do you feel? What happens? What is your final response?
Questions
~ Where were the Tiananmen Square protests? (Do NOT just tell me “Tiananmen Square!”)
~ Who were protesting? At whom were their protests aimed?
~ Why were they protesting?
~ How long were the protests?
~ Did the protesters achieve their goals?
~ How did the government respond?
~ What freedom(s) did they deny the protesters that we enjoy here in America?
~ What do you think would happen if students tried the same thing here in the U.S.?
~ What positive effects came of the protests?
~ Can you think of any famous protests here in America? What were the effects?
~ What would you be passionate enough about to risk your life to protest?
Closure/Summary:
Show YouTube Tiananmen Massacre mini-documentary. Show original Unnamed Rebel picture. “Now, when you see this photo will you be able to tell a little about this man?”
EDUCATED OPINIONS (undelivered)
8th grade / Language Arts
TEK(s):
§110.24. SS (8) Reading/variety of texts. The student reads widely for different purposes in varied sources. The student is expected to:
(D) read to take action such as to complete forms, to make informed recommendations, and write a response (6-8).
§113.24. SS (20) Citizenship. The student understands the rights and responsibilities of citizens of the United States. The student is expected to:
(F) explain how the rights and responsibilities of U.S. citizens reflect our national identity.
(22) Citizenship. The student understands the importance of the expression of different points of view in a democratic society. The student is expected to:
(A) identify different points of view of political parties and interest groups on important historical and contemporary issues;
(B) describe the importance of free speech and press in a democratic society;
Objective(s)
TSWBAT read a variety of news sources looking for an issue to support or oppose.
TSWBAT search for logical support for their position on a certain issue using outside news media.
TSWBAT support their opinion on a certain issue using a Planning My Argument template.
TSWBAT critique another’s position using logic and grace assessed by their partner and the teacher.
Teacher materials needed:
~Lots of current news and issues knowledge
Student materials needed:
~Current events/ Pop culture quizzes (provided by teacher)
~Newspapers, news magazines from various perspectives, including for kids (provided by teacher)
~Other credible media sources of their choosing
Focus or anticipatory set:
~Pass out the following “pop quiz:”
TEK(s):
§110.24. SS (8) Reading/variety of texts. The student reads widely for different purposes in varied sources. The student is expected to:
(D) read to take action such as to complete forms, to make informed recommendations, and write a response (6-8).
§113.24. SS (20) Citizenship. The student understands the rights and responsibilities of citizens of the United States. The student is expected to:
(F) explain how the rights and responsibilities of U.S. citizens reflect our national identity.
(22) Citizenship. The student understands the importance of the expression of different points of view in a democratic society. The student is expected to:
(A) identify different points of view of political parties and interest groups on important historical and contemporary issues;
(B) describe the importance of free speech and press in a democratic society;
Objective(s)
TSWBAT read a variety of news sources looking for an issue to support or oppose.
TSWBAT search for logical support for their position on a certain issue using outside news media.
TSWBAT support their opinion on a certain issue using a Planning My Argument template.
TSWBAT critique another’s position using logic and grace assessed by their partner and the teacher.
Teacher materials needed:
~Lots of current news and issues knowledge
Student materials needed:
~Current events/ Pop culture quizzes (provided by teacher)
~Newspapers, news magazines from various perspectives, including for kids (provided by teacher)
~Other credible media sources of their choosing
Focus or anticipatory set:
~Pass out the following “pop quiz:”
SIDE ONE:
1) The U.S. has responded to the recent Burmese protests by:
a. Sending in a Peace Core unit to Yangon
b. Arranging for peace talks between the junta and Condaleeza Rice
c. Granting priority status to Burma’s Karen Refugees
d. I have no idea.
2) Child pornography is legal.
a. True
b. False
c. The case is undecided
d. I have no idea.
3) Former Vice President Al Gore won the Nobel Peace Prize for his work on spreading the word about climate change. However, he did not get the award on his own; which organization was the joint winner?
a. Greenpeace
b. The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
c. The Campaign Against Climate Change (a U.K.-based pressure group)
d. I have no idea.
4) Chrysler was hit by a United Auto Workers union walk-out when they passed a negotiations deadline. The strike ended when the two sides finally settled. How long did the strike last?
a. 2 hours
b. 6 hours
c. 6 days
d. I have no idea.
5) Chinese considers North Korean refugees illegal immigrants and punishes those
who aid them.
a. True
b. False
c. Chinese officials are still deciding.
d. I have no idea.
6) More than 3,800 Americans have died in Iraq. Iraqi civilian deaths are:
a. ½ as much
b. Roughly the same
c. 10 times as much
d. I have no idea.
7) Barack Obama is the 2nd place Democratic presidential hopeful. Hillary Clinton, a United Methodist, is currently in 1st place. Of what faith is Barack Obama?
a. Atheist
b. Protestant
c. Muslim
d. I have no idea.
8) Partial-birth abortion is legal.
a. True.
b. False.
c. The case is undecided.
d. I have no idea.
9) A resolution making its way through the House of Representatives that describes the World War I-era mass killings of Armenians as "genocide" threatened to spark a major diplomatic incident, with President Bush urging the legislation be dropped. The country claims that the killings were more limited than is claimed and that the killings were mostly an unavoidable part of war. What country is flaming mad about the resolution?
a. Azerbaijan
b. France
c. Turkey
d. I have no idea.
10) The first amendment includes the right to:
a. Create a “wall of separation” between the Church and the State
b. Sue insurance agencies
c. Form labor unions
d. Petition the government
SIDE 2:
1) The top movie at the box office this past week:
a. The Jane Austen Book Club
b. Resident Evil: Extinction
c. The Bourne Ultimatum
d. I have no idea.
2) Name the stage and real names for at least two celebrities:
___________________ aka __________________
___________________ aka __________________
3) Ben Affleck’s younger brother is named
a. Casey Affleck
b. Tom Affleck
c. Christian Affleck
d. I have no idea.
4) He recently starred opposite ________ in The Assassination of Jesse James…
a. Leonardo DiCaprio
b. Angelina Jolie
c. Brad Pitt
d. I have no idea.
5) Angelina Jolie has _____ adopted children.
a. 2
b. 3
c. 4
d. I have no idea.
6) Pamela Anderson “tied the knot” for the third time in Las Vegas. Whose ex did she wed?
a. Paris Hilton’s
b. Carmen Electra’s
c. Jessica Alba’s
d. I have no idea.
7) Who retains custody of Sean Preston and Jaden James Federline?
a. Kevin Federline
b. Brittney Spears
c. Both
d. I have no idea.
8) In a recent interview, Keira Knightley admits she doesn’t like…
a. Red carpet events
b. Acting
c. Johnny Depp
d. I have no idea.
9) The rapper T.I. remains jailed because of what?
a. Failure to pay child support
b. Drunk driving
c. Weapons charges
d. I have no idea.
10) Sean “Diddy” Combs did what at a party on Sunday?
a. Drove his Land Rover into the host’s pool
b. Jumped intoxicated out of a 2 story building
c. Bloodied an acquaintance’s nose
d. I have no idea.
~ Have the kids switch papers with a partner, place the answers to Side 1 on an overhead, and let them grade their quizzes.
7-10 correct = Super Savvy Citizen
5-6 correct = Awake and Taking Notes
3-4 correct = Half- awake… or a Good Guesser
0-2 correct = Asleep American
~ Then put up the answers to Side 2
7-10 correct = Pop Culture Expert
5-6 correct = Finger on the Entertainment Pulse of America
3-4 correct = Half-awake but Distracted
0-2 correct = Pop Culture Illiterate
Activities
~ Discuss: how much effort does it take to be literate for the two categories? Who would they expect to be good at the 2nd category? The first? Why aren’t they more knowledgeable about either of the categories? Do they believe that will hurt them long term? When do they plan on becoming culturally literate? What will they do to prepare for voting? What would happen if, in 20 years, everybody who voted in America in the upcoming elections made the same grades as they did? Is it safe to have only the politicians know what’s going on in the world? How do you make sure they do? What if they knew just as much as you?
~ Discuss what could possibly happen if no one KNEW what the government was up to. Ask them what could possibly happen if everything was out in the open and no one CARED what the government was up to.
~ Discuss what could possibly happen if no one KNEW what the government was up to. Ask them what could possibly happen if everything was out in the open and no one CARED what the government was up to.
* “You’re describing a very large portion of America. We have the RIGHTs to be informed, to be involved in the laws our country makes, and its business, but so many don’t care. We have the right to talk about what’s stupid about America. We have the right to get a bunch of people together and march against injustice, like Cesar Chavez and Martin Luther King Jr. We even have the right to tell our government and say, “Hey, your decision STINKS, And here’s why.” And if enough people talk to or write their senators or state representatives, stuff can CHANGE. It’s called the RIGHT to PETITION the government for the redress of grievances. To “redress” is to FIX. “Grievances” are things that make you grieve… things you complain about.
*Back in the day, you could your head chopped off for “petitioning the king
for the redress of grievances” or even just criticizing him on the street. The
king was like a little god and you were NOT allowed to tell him he was
mistaken or aggravating you.”
“But, like I said, most people don’t care that we have that freedom now. Or
they don’t care enough to do proper investigation. They might COMPLAIN
to their friends on the way things are based on sketchy info or something they
heard somebody else say, but many don’t actually KNOW what’s going on.
THAT sure doesn’t do much good in enacting social change. Have you ever heard people do that before?”
* “So, which one are you going to be? The kind that sits around saying ‘I hate Bush cause my Mama told me he’s rich and white and made us go to war,” or are you going to RESEARCH the decisions he’s made and be able to say, ‘I do/don’t support Bush’s position on the war in Iraq because x, y, and z.’? ”At least in this class, you’re going to be capable of the 2nd.”
~”It is high time for us to have something called ‘well-informed opinions.’”
*Define what “issues” are and give some examples (eg: abortion, war in Iraq, stem cell research, etc.)
* “We are going to find some issues, think about some issues, talk about some issues, and be all reasonable and educated about some issues.”
* “This is how democracy works, you guys. We get smart, and then we get heard. And things change. Let’s get to it.”
~From their selection of 2 news sources, (one newspaper and one a news magazine) have the students compile a list of current issues. Probably all they will need to list is the name of the publication and at least 6 interesting issues contained. 3 should be international issues and 3 national.
* “This is how democracy works, you guys. We get smart, and then we get heard. And things change. Let’s get to it.”
~From their selection of 2 news sources, (one newspaper and one a news magazine) have the students compile a list of current issues. Probably all they will need to list is the name of the publication and at least 6 interesting issues contained. 3 should be international issues and 3 national.
~Have them zero in on one that they think they can get reasonably interested in/ emotional about.
~That evening, they are to seek out CREDIBLE information on the issue, either through interview, watching news channels, or Internet. They are allowed to acquire people’s opinions, provided they understand their subjective and often unsubstantiated nature.
~ The next day, they are to fill out the Planning My Argument chart. They will then get with a partner to discuss each others’ issues: highlighting good arguments, addressing weak reasons, and just practicing explaining and presenting their side.
PLANNING MY ARGUMENT (modified from Crosetti@jawbone.clarkston.wednet.edu )
I want to express this opinion __________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
This is my topic sentence: a simple clear statement of what I want to have happen. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Here are the reasons I will use to support my opinion. (List as many as you can think of.)
__________________________________ __________________________________
__________________________________ __________________________________
__________________________________ __________________________________
__________________________________ __________________________________
__________________________________ __________________________________
__________________________________ __________________________________
__________________________________
I want to express this opinion __________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
This is my topic sentence: a simple clear statement of what I want to have happen. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Here are the reasons I will use to support my opinion. (List as many as you can think of.)
__________________________________ __________________________________
__________________________________ __________________________________
__________________________________ __________________________________
__________________________________ __________________________________
__________________________________ __________________________________
__________________________________ __________________________________
__________________________________
Here is at least one reason I think my plan should NOT be accepted. (Think of your opponents’ side.) ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Reread your list of reasons. Cross out any reasons that do not really support your opinion. Cross out any reasons that are not convincing.
Now write an explanation of why those who oppose your view are wrong. Answer the one reason you have against your plan.
Questions
~ Why is logic important in forming an opinion?
~ Was it easy or difficult to form an opinion about the news you read?
~ What was challenging in research?
~ Was there anything that surprised you that you read?
~ What would it take for you to make forming educated opinions a part of your everyday life? Is it out of the question for you to take in the news on a regular basis?
~ Was it easy or difficult to form an opinion about the news you read?
~ What was challenging in research?
~ Was there anything that surprised you that you read?
~ What would it take for you to make forming educated opinions a part of your everyday life? Is it out of the question for you to take in the news on a regular basis?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)