Gary Coyle’s Grade 8 Humanities

Major Points From Last Week:

• Feedback – Euphio and Technology
• Epicac and plot pyramid
• The House on Mango Street – read aloud select pieces
• On My Way Home Writers Workshop X 3
• Photo Editing with Picasa
• Grammar – Sentence Combining P. 99

Please analyze the above cartoon and post your ideas to your BLOG. As part of your analysis please address the following questions:

1. What are the main visual elements?
2. What issue is this cartoon about?
3. What is the cartoonist’s opinion on this issue?
4. What evidence in the cartoon supports your opinion on how the cartoonist feels?
5.  Why is this cartoon ironic?
6. What other techniques could the cartoonist have used to make this cartoon more persuasive?

Image from: www.sandiegohomeblog.com

Major Points From Last Week:

• Feedback – End of Q3 feedback
• Visiting Author – Jack Gantos in HOP
• Visiting Author – Jack Gantos in DD
• Journal -   What is technology?  How do you feel about the amount of and use of technology in schools? What are the 5 most and 5 least important technologies used today?
• Read Aloud – Harrison Bergeron
• Partners  – Plot Pyramid
• Read Aloud– The Euphio Question
• Partners – Plot Pyramid

Reflection

Please post your response to the following on your BLOG.

Using examples from “The Euphio Question” and current events evaluate the statement:

“Do you know what a Luddite is? That’s a person who doesn’t like newfangled contraptions. Contraptions like nuclear submarines armed with Poseidon missiles that have H-bombs in their warheads, and like computers that cheat you out of becoming. Bill Gates says, “Wait till you can see what your computer can become.” But it’s you who should be doing the becoming. What you can become is the miracle you were born to work—not the damn fool computer.”

- Kurt Vonnegut

_{Photo of Kurt Vonnegut from http://www.osu.edu/features/2006/vonnegut/images/vonnegut.jpg}

Please respond to the following with a thoughtful entry to your blog.

1. What is technology?
2. How do you feel about the amount of and use of technology in schools?
3. What are the 5 most and 5 least important technologies used today?

image from www.frc.ri.cmu.edu

Major Points From Last Week:

• Genocide Fishbowl discussion
• The Question of Israel
• Test – Conflict
• Human Rights
• UDHR
• UDHR Mini-booklet
• Rights in the News Activity
• Human Rights Squares
• Video-UN and How it Functions

Reflection

Please post your response to the following in your BLOG.

Go back and review your goals for quarter three in humanities. These can be found in the January Archive of your BLOG in a posting titled,” End of Quarter 2 Feedback”. Evaluate how well you have achieved those goals. Include specific evidence from the quarter to validate your evaluation.

In addition to your evaluation please create three specific goals that you have for quarter four in humanities. Remember that a good goal is realistic, measurable and specific. List them at the end of this BLOG entry. Please title this entry: End of Quarter 3 Feedback

Image from http://joefelso.files.wordpress.com

As you remember a thoughtful comment usually does one of the following:

• Agrees and adds supporting information
• Moves the topic in a new direction with new evidence or a new interpretation of evidence
• Disagrees respectfully by adding contradictory evidence

Below is a terrific comment from Lucas. Which does all three well.

Nafeesa, I totally agree that the US technically  won the war because they ended it with the most points. Yet, another thing to consider is if the non-aligned countries, or as you said the countries that stood on the sidelines,won the simulation. No developing country was nuked, they made good money and most met their economical goals. Your writing made me think of a question when you said that the US bought to strengthen their position while the USSR bought for strategic purposes: What did you think was more valuable in the simulation and the real cold war, strength or strategy? Last, I found myself wondering why you said that the Cold War was merely fought between the big two, when in fact many small countries did the fighting?!
All in all, well done!
-Lucas