Gary Coyle’s Grade 8 Humanities

Major Points Covered…

• Feedback
• Holocaust
• Read The Toadstool
• View clip of Memory of the Camps
• Discuss Anne Frank (roundtable)
• Lecture- Effects of WWII
• Quiz – WWII
• Can it happen again? – Read and discuss article
• PoP Project – worktime in the LMC

Reflection…

In your BLOG post your response to the following in one – two “good” paragraphs.

Do you think there will be a World War III in your lifetime?

• If you don’t think WWIII will occur please explain why you feel this way. What structures are in place that will prevent WWIII from happening?
• If you do think WWIII will happen what will be the causes? Which nations will be on each side? Where will it be fought? What will be the net effect?

Major Points From Last Week:

• Feedback- Comment Fest III
• View – Animal Farm Part II
• Lecture – Causes of WWII and Brainpop video
• Grammar-Sentence Combining II
• WW II – Web Scavenger Hunt and share answers
• Grammar-Sentence Combining III
• Hitler
  • Clip from Triumph of the Will
  • Brainpop
• Interactive Maps and a Timeline of WWII

Reflection

Please post to your BLOG your response to ONE of the following discussions that you found the most meaningful.

1. Anne Frank and her family were German refugees who resettled and tried to build their lives in the Netherlands. Although the Franks were proud of their German heritage, their feelings toward Germany became very complicated during the war. Anne wrote: “Fine specimens of humanity, those Germans, and to think I’m actually one of them! No. that’s not true, Hitler took away our nationality long ago. And besides, there are no greater enemies on earth than the Germans and Jews.” (October 9, 1942.)Although Anne had lived in the Netherlands since 1934, she did not become a Dutch citizen. Did Anne have a nationality? If not, were Anne’s civil rights protected by any nation? By 1939 some 250,000 Jews, half of Germany’s Jewish population, had fled their homeland. Did these refugees have any guaranteed rights?
2. In The New York Times the writer Anna Quindlen asked, “Would our understanding of the Holocaust be quite the same if Anne Frank had not taken a small plaid diary into hiding with her?” Respond to this question and explain your answer.
3. In her diary Anne opined: “…if you’re wondering if it’s harder for the adults here than for the children, the answer is no…Older people have an opinion about everything and are sure of themselves and their actions. It’s twice as hard for us young people to hold on to our opinions at a time when ideals are being shattered…” (July 15, 1944.) Do you agree or disagree with this quote? When was the last time that you experienced the “shattering” of an ideal?
4. Anne Frank wrote: “I don’t believe the war (World War II) is simply the work of politicians and capitalists. Oh no, the common man is every bit as guilty; otherwise, people and nations would have rebelled long ago!” (May 3, 1944.)The Nazis needed Dutch collaborators to carry out their fascist decrees. What would have influenced someone to become a collaborator? What factors would have encouraged someone to join the resistance? Do you think these factors were based on personal characteristics or political beliefs? How should accountability for wars be assigned? So many say they never understood what was happening. How likely could that have been?

*Questions synthesized from ReadingGroupGuides.com

Today we are going to revisit the idea of commenting.  Commenting is important to BLOGS as it turns your writing into a dialog. 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

Remember when responding to a BLOG posting challenging ideas is acceptable and encouraged, however singling out individuals for criticism is not.

In order to practice this skill, please spend the next twenty minutes reading the BLOG postings of your classmates. After you have finished, respond thoughtfully to ANY postings from two of your classmates.

To refresh your memory here are some possibilities of how you could start your comment.

(Insert their name here)This made me think about…….
(Insert their name here) I wonder why…….
(Insert their name here)Your writing made me form an opinion about…….
(Insert their name here) This post is relevant because…….
(Insert their name here)Your writing made me think that we should…….
(Insert their name here) I wish I understood why…….
(Insert their name here) This is important because…….
(Insert their name here) Another thing to consider is…….
(Insert their name here) I can relate to this…….
(Insert their name here) This makes me think of…….
(Insert their name here) I discovered…….
(Insert their name here) I don’t understand…….
(Insert their name here) I was reminded that…….
(Insert their name here) I found myself wondering…….

Remember at the end of the quarter you will need to send me your “best” comment for evaluation.

Ideas for comment starters synthesized from Vicki A. Davis at http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/

Now that you have viewed the film adaptation of the novel, it’s time to put on our critical thinking hats. In two well developed paragraphs critique the film versus the novel. Was this a satisfactory adaptation of Animal Farm? Please post your critique to your blog. As always make sure you use specific evidence to back up your opinion (including proper in-text citations).

Major Points From Last Week:

• Web Simulation – Russian Revolution
• Lecture – Russian Revolution
• Video – Russian Revolution
• Library Time – Using Destiny
• Allegory- Who is who in the novel and what are their characteristics?
• Intro – AF Theme Poster
• Grammar- Sentence Combining

Reflection

Please post your response to the following on your BLOG.

With which character in Animal Farm to you most closely identify? Using examples from the novel justify your comparison.