Let me begin with a couple of reminders. All students will take a quiz this week on the video, “Cry Freedom”, a dramatized but accurate account of the efforts of Steven Biko and the white journalist Donald Woods to end the repressive South African apartheid regime during the 1970’s. Their efforts, along with those of Nelson Mandela of course, led to the eventual fall of that government and the installation of a true democracy. You may want to discuss with your student the inclusive approach to change Biko advocated that was later reflected by Mandela. Also thematically tied to this film is the idea of transformations. We discussed in class not only the change in government, but also the evolution of Donald Woods’ understanding of the situation.
This idea of transformation is the subject of our next unit which we will begin this week. Please keep your eye on the class calendar and insure your student keeps up with the handouts related to this unit. The pace will be fast and there is little time for students to make errors of organization.
Pre-AP students will take a quiz on the last reading from Goldstone’s, Why Europe?; Was the Rise of the West a Temporary Phase? A simple read through will not be sufficient to analyze this text and pass the challenging quiz.
Since my last message we have engaged in two non-traditional exercises. The first involved simulating the relative size, population and resource supply of five world regions. The idea is to help students understand disparity in a visual way. The second was the now famous China Rap Songs. This allowed students an opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of the content in a fun and unique way. For most students the process was enjoyable and they saw a significant improvement in their grade. I attribute this to the general talent level of HSPVA students and their love of performance.
As before though, our primary emphasis is on preparation for the end of course exam. This necessitates returning to more traditional learning styles and all that tough stuff like reading, paying attention, note taking and staying organized.
As the end of the marking period approaches this Friday, please take a moment to check GradeSpeed for incompletes. These must be made up before Friday.
As always, thank you for the opportunity to be a part of your child’s education.
This idea of transformation is the subject of our next unit which we will begin this week. Please keep your eye on the class calendar and insure your student keeps up with the handouts related to this unit. The pace will be fast and there is little time for students to make errors of organization.
Pre-AP students will take a quiz on the last reading from Goldstone’s, Why Europe?; Was the Rise of the West a Temporary Phase? A simple read through will not be sufficient to analyze this text and pass the challenging quiz.
Since my last message we have engaged in two non-traditional exercises. The first involved simulating the relative size, population and resource supply of five world regions. The idea is to help students understand disparity in a visual way. The second was the now famous China Rap Songs. This allowed students an opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of the content in a fun and unique way. For most students the process was enjoyable and they saw a significant improvement in their grade. I attribute this to the general talent level of HSPVA students and their love of performance.
As before though, our primary emphasis is on preparation for the end of course exam. This necessitates returning to more traditional learning styles and all that tough stuff like reading, paying attention, note taking and staying organized.
As the end of the marking period approaches this Friday, please take a moment to check GradeSpeed for incompletes. These must be made up before Friday.
As always, thank you for the opportunity to be a part of your child’s education.
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