The Chief is Resurrected

The Chief is Resurrected

The Chicago Tribune reports that Chief Illiniwek, the former University of Illinois mascot, has been resurrected by a group of students who have elected a new mascot to perform for students and the University community this year.

Please read the story and respond. Write your first name and class period at the end of your post.

What do you think of this new manifestation of Native American mascots? Should the students be allowed to do this? Is the University responsible? Are they condoning the practice and how does this fit with the NCAA ruling that no teams that host tournament play are allowed to have Native American mascots?

Webquest Blog Post Assignment - Due Monday, 11/17

Each 7th grade humanities class now has a set of web pages answering specific questions about the American Indian culture they studied. You will need to read/explore at least one web page from each class (one from Ms. Doyle's class and one from Ms. Jacobs' class). Post a response to the webpages on my blog, including information about the following:

1. Write three things you discovered about the cultures explained in BOTH of the web pages.

2. Note at least one similarity or difference from the culture you studied for BOTH web pages.

3. Ask at least one question that you think should be answered about the TWO cultures you read about.

4. Make one comment about the design and layout of the TWO web pages you visited. Be sure your comments are constructive/helpful. Be polite but truthful.

The Democratic Process

Tuesday night I went down to Grant Park with Charlotte Jacobs, one of the other 7th grade Humanities teachers, to watch the election results come in. The rally was an interesting, at times powerful experience. The crowd, I thought, was excited and positive, but also somewhat anxious. When the jumbotron displayed a leading news network's decision to call the election for Obama, the cheering seemed to contain as much relief as excitement. The jumbotron (pictured below) really held a powerful sway over the crowd. There were several moments where I found myself looking around at the crowd and seeing nearly every face turned upward toward the screen--and those who weren't were busy talking into or tapping away on their cell phones. There was talking, and laughing, and storytelling, but less than I expected. I spoke briefly to several strangers but had no meaningful discussions. I don't know that the digital age is entirely to blame (perhaps my own crankiness at staying out late on a school night played a part, as well) but I did often feel like the constant stream of information fed to us from high above, filtered through arc lights and the constant drone of the helicopters, inserted an odd distance between my focus and the communal experience I had expected.

On the other hand, when Obama finally took the stage around eleven thirty, the speech he gave transcended that digital divide. People listened, but they listened together, their emotions swelled together, and by the end of the speech the crowd had reached a very different place. We discussed this speech as an example of public speaking in class on Wednesday, looking at how Obama moved from one theme to the next, emphasizing unity, responsibility, and possibility. We discussed the way he modulated his pace and tenor to build those themes into a cohesive message. We discussed his repeated references to Abraham Lincoln and the intent behind such a strategy. And we discussed how this speech in and of itself represents another step in the historical narrative Obama described within that speech. Regardless of where one stands politically, participating in such an event does provide an interesting sense of what it means to be part of a democracy these days--the dangers of too much information mediated by too much flash and dazzle, but also the potential for the personal to reinsert itself into the process at the most crucial moment. I'm glad that I was there on Tuesday evening, and I'm glad that I'm a part of a country where such an event is possible.


Here are some (blurry) photos from the event, in case you weren't able to make it yourself:

Happy Halloween!

This past Friday a veritable horde of horrors, haunts, and heebie-jeebies descended upon the Lab School for Halloween. Several members of our advisory donned various disguises, ranging from calculators to baseball players to cartoon characters to, well, whatever it was that Dante was supposed to be. My thanks to everyone who dressed up for making this wonderful holiday as special as it was, and also to the parents who helped us start the day off with a seasonal feast--here's a look at the advisees who dressed up (supervised under the watchful eye of the Sheriff of Grammartown):




Special recognition to Eleanor and Julie for their roles in an award-winning group costume of Alice and the March Hare from Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland.

2008 Relay Races!!!

Our advisory competed in Monday's third annual advisory relay races, performing impressively in all legs. Special mention goes to Dante for his superhuman effort at crabwalking--jaws were dropping left and right. Although our advisory didn't win, we had one heck of a good time, and I'm particularly proud of the good spirits and good sportsmanship our advisory displayed throughout. Here are some pictures to give you a sense of the action:


AND THEY'RE OFF!!!


Sam carrying a tennis ball on a spoon with total focus



(Blurry because he is crab walking too fast for technology to capture clearly)



A strong finish!

In Whose Honor?

Write a paragraph response to the movie In Whose Honor? Respond to the following statement: Native American mascots are always a sign of disrespect toward native groups of people. If you agree, give supporting statements from the movie to illustrate your point. If you disagree, use specific examples to show your point. Be sure to follow the "hamburger" method of paragraph writing. Think carefully about your topic sentence and your conclusion.

*** Remember to use your first name, "Nekrosius," and your class period number when you sign your post (do NOT put your last name). Also, if you choose to respond to what another classmate wrote, please do so in a respectful manner.

To The Dunes!!!

This past Monday the entire seventh grade visited the Indiana Dunes for a science field trip. The weather came through, with light winds and beautiful views of the lake. The kids took several different measurements of humidity, biodiversity, and other metrics across different zones of succession. And along the way, they also ran into some giant insects, sunshine, and an overall wonderful afternoon:

Our Amazing Advisory

Well, I had hoped to be able to post some pictures of my advisory with the duck trophy from the advisory relay races, but the relays got rained out--stay tuned to results following the rescheduled event on October 20th. In the meantime, though, here are some pictures of my 2008 advisory in all their glory. Truly a talented bunch:

First Blog Assignment of 2008

(REMEMBER TO PUT YOUR FIRST NAME FOLLOWED BY "NEKROSIUS" AND YOUR CLASS PERIOD NUMBER ON ALL OF YOUR POSTS!!!) We have spent the past week and a half discussing questions surrounding identity. As part of those discussions, we have read several stories, listened to music, performed poetry, written in journals, and created identity collages to express your own unique cultural identifiers. We have also discussed various examples of "the box," which is a metaphor for any obstacles or barriers that might isolate, frustrate, enclose, or sometimes protect someone from a larger world.

Think back over everything we have read so far for this unit ("Theme for English B," "High Yellow White Trash," "Black, White, and Jewish," "Those Who Don't," "Sylvia's Story" from National Public Radio, "Alone and All Together," and "Two Kinds"). Your task now is to write and post a comment in this forum in which you describe a connection between TWO of these works, focusing on the role of "the box." Think about how different characters face similar or different challenges. Think about similarities or differences in the kinds of disguises characters wear. Do you think these characters will escape from their boxes?

When you have made a connection between two works, write a post describing that connection. Make sure to mention specific characters/narrators, and to be clear about how the "boxes" they experience are similar. Your post does not have to be long; three or four sentences is plenty. You should feel free to respond to your classmates' posts, as well as to ask your classmates questions.


*** Remember to use your first name, "Nekrosius," and your class period number when you sign your post (do NOT put your last name). Also, if you choose to respond to what another classmate wrote, please do so in a respectful manner.

Ready for Fall 2008!

Well, it's been far too long since I posted here--one of my goals for this school year is to keep a more active record of the goings-on in 7th grade Humanities. It has been a wonderful summer, to be sure. I fished for northern pike and walleye in the wilds of Ontario. I drove and camped throughout northern Wisconsin and the Porcupine Mountains of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. I spent two weeks backpacking through the mountains of Peru, culminating in a trip along the Inca Trail that ended at the ruins of Maccu Picchu. I read many wonderful books, spent time with family and friends, and participated in valuable professional development meetings with my fellow Humanities teachers. All in all, a great three months. There are still a few days of summer left, but my thoughts are already turning toward the classroom and all of the exciting reading, writing, and discussing that lies ahead. I'm really looking forward to meeting all of my new students and to getting back into the energy and flow of classes.

Throughout the year ahead, I will periodically ask my students to post questions and responses on this blog. I will also post items of interest and ideas, so please do check in occasionally to see what's new. This blog is public, so all comments and questions from anyone--not just students--are welcome. In the meantime, here are a few pictures from the summer to start the year:


The car ferry to Madeline Island, one of the Apostle Islands at the northern tip of Wisconsin on beautiful (but chilly!) Lake Superior





Rushing water on the Presque Isle River in the Porcupine Mountains




Foot-sore and overwhelmed at Maccu Picchu





See you on September 8th!

Extra! Extra! Salem Witch Trials Newspaper Blog Post!

Choose ONE of the online newspapers created by Ms. Mannering's project groups and spend fifteen minutes browsing through the various pages (you can find the period 3-4 newspaper HERE and the period 8-9 newspaper HERE). When have finished reading the newspaper, create a post that contains three things you learned from your reading and one question you have for the authors.

Remember:

You should include ONLY your first name and your class period (NO LAST NAMES) at the end of your blog post.

Also, remember to be positive and detailed in your responses!