Colonial Project Blog Post Assignment

For THURSDAY, choose ONE of the online newspapers created by Mr. Nekrosius's project groups and spend fifteen minutes browsing through the various pages (you can find links to the two newspapers 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.

Alternatively, you can choose to write a post on one of the documentaries on Anne Hutchinson produced by Ms. Doyle's project groups. To do so, first view one of the two documentaries, and then write a post containing three things you learned and one question you have for the producers. You can view the documentaries on Ms. Doyle's blog.

Remember:

You should include ONLY your first name and your class period (NO LAST NAMES) at the end of your blog post. All of Mr. Nekrosius's students should post their responses on THIS blog, not Ms. Doyle's.

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

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!

The Trial of Anne Hutchinson, Or, A Seventh Grade Adventure

Wow, you turn your back for one second, and a month goes by without a blog post. The seventh grade humanities students haven't been sleeping on the job, though. During that time they've been busy with this and that, especially with a comparison/contrast paper looking at the reality of Pocahontas and Disney's depiction of her as a movie character. Lately, though, we've been focusing on a big group project where a mix of my students and students from other humanities classes have been reenacting the trial of Anne Hutchinson. Hutchinson, an outspoken advocate of women's rights and independent thought, found herself at odds with the Puritan ministers of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the 1630's. After a dramatic trial in which she defended herself fiercely, Hutchinson was banished from the colony altogether.

The group has worked hard at exploring Hutchinson's beliefs, the conflict between the covenant of grace and the covenant of works, and the social and political attitudes of colonial America. They have memorized lines, struggled with costume decisions, battled with cameras and movie software, argued with each other, and overall, done a splendid job throughout. Here is a picture that gives a sense of what they've been up to (it's a bit blurry, but then, the whole project has gone by in a blur, so perhaps it's appropriate):

Webquest Blog Post Assignment - Due Monday, October 29th

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. Mannering'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 the web pages.

2. Note at least one similarity or difference from the culture you studied.

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

4. Make one comment about the design and layout of the web page you visited. Be sure your comment is constructive/helpful. Be polite but truthful.

Optional Blog Posting

Below, I have posted an editorial cartoon from 1871, illustrated by Thomas Nast. The caption at the bottom reads:

""Move on!" Has the Native American no rights that the naturalized American is bound to respect?"

This is a tricky cartoon to get, as the characters at the polling station (where people would vote) are visual stereotypes of various ethnic groups who had recently come to America.

What do you think the artist wants his audience to think when they see this cartoon? Remember, the cartoon was published in 1871. Look at the image closely for clues as to the author's opinions and refer to those close as evidence for your own argument regarding what you think the cartoon is about.

First Blog Posting Assignment: Thinking Inside, Outside, and All Around the Box

(REMEMBER TO PUT YOUR FIRST NAME AND LAST INITIAL ON YOUR POST!!!) We have spent the past week and a half discussing questions surrounding identity. As part of those discussions, we you 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 and last initial when you sign your post. Also, if you choose to respond to what another classmate wrote, please do so in a respectful manner.

Human Knot Pictures

This past Friday, our advisory conquered an extremely difficult teamworking challenge--they untangled the Nekrosius Advisory Human Knot! With communication, cajoling, and a fair amount of both literal and interpersonal flexibility, the students went from a hopelessly tangled collection of hand-joined individuals to two interlocking rings of classmates. Tough to describe, really--I'll let the pictures tell the tale:


First, our Friday advisory breakfast:




Second, they all join hands and contemplate the task of unraveling themselves:



Chaos ensues:



At long last, they achieve their goal!

What A Neat Bunch Of Kids -- Plus, A Bonus Picture of a Giant Insect

Here is the first of what will eventually become several pictures of my 2007-08 advisory class. Note the entirely genuine expression of surprise on all of their faces. You can already tell it is going to be a fantastic year!





Also, here is a picture of a praying mantis that a student found ambling about on Kenwood Mall. Truly an impressive specimen. After some friendly hellos and a bit of arm-crawling, our emerald friend was released back into the wilds of Hyde Park.

2007-2008 Humanities - Welcome Back!

Well, summer has finally started to wind down, the nights have just a bit of crispness to them, and the school year is right around the corner (or, by the time most of you read this, it has already arrived). I'm writing to welcome all new students, parents, and friends to the 2007-2008 school year in the humanities. We have all sorts of interesting, challenging, engaging work ahead of us. For right now, though, the task at hand is to say hello and to introduce you to this blog, where I will occasionally ask you to post or respond to posts about classroom material. All voices are welcome--just be aware that this is an open forum, so what you post can be viewed not only by your classmates but by pretty much anybody. So put your best foot forward. Write thoughtfully, respond to your classmates with curiosity and respect, and always feel free to ask questions.

I will sometimes post interesting cartoons, pictures, or other miscellanea here as well, so do check in periodically to see what's new. For now, I will start the year off with a picture so that you can get a sense of how I spent my summer. I basically spent my whole summer traveling, camping, and reading as many books as I could. This is a picture of one place I visited--does this look familiar to anybody? I'm really excited about the upcoming year and can't wait to meet all of you--see you soon!

The Dangers of the Internet

Hopefully, by now you have all had some experience with good and not-so-good internet sources during your research. Just in case the hazards of point and click research haven't hit home, though, here's a reminder: