Civil Rights Final Project

In history we are beginning to wind up our unit on civil rights and social activism. Over the next few weeks students will use the historical knowledge they have learned to attack a current civil rights issue of their choice. Students have multiple options for presenting their ideas. They may create a children's book complete with illustrations, write and deliver a speech, create a documentary, or create a zine. If nothing of these speak to them, they may propose an alternative project. These projects will be due the last week of May, giving them plenty of time to work on it after NON.

Students must identify their civil rights issue by this Wednesday and identify their method of presentation by next week.

The key to choosing a topic is being able to identify how the topic is a civil rights issue.

 "Civil rights" are the rights of individuals to receive equal treatment (and to be free from unfair treatment or "discrimination") in a number of settings -- including education, employment, housing, and more -- and based on certain legally-protected characteristics.

Historically, the "Civil Rights Movement" referred to efforts toward achieving true equality for African-Americans in all facets of society, but today the term "civil rights" is also used to describe the advancement of equality for all people regardless of race, sex, age, disability, national origin, religion, or certain other characteristics.

- See more at: http://civilrights.findlaw.com/civil-rights-overview/what-are-civil-rights.html#sthash.rh8E9Zoy.dpuf

April Social Emotional Goal

This morning we examined the fine art of complaining. Humans, and middle school students in particular, have become experts at complaining. Studies have shown that in an typical conversation, humans complain at a rate of 1 per minute. This causes stress hormones to be released into the body.

As a class we are eliminating complaining from our vocabulary for the month of April. We appreciate families supporting us in this effort.

Some ideas to eliminate negativity include:

1. START BY DEFINING WHAT A COMPLAINT IS

If you point out that it’s cold outside, is that a complaint? "No, that’s an observation," Blake explains. "A complaint is, ‘It’s cold outside and I hate living in this place.’" Shapiro says she defines a complaint by the way it makes her feel: "I feel myself slouching and not breathing."

2. TRACK HOW OFTEN YOU COMPLAIN AND WHAT ABOUT

Change starts with awareness. "You’re absolutely shocked," says Blake. "After two or three hours of observing, it’s in the hundreds."

3. SEPARATE YOURSELF FROM CHRONIC COMPLAINERS

If you must lend an ear, try to respond with something positive rather than joining in on the rant session. "You’ve really gotta be quite brave and confident and have the courage not to need the good opinion of another person," says Blake. "You find over a period of time those people who complain constantly start to leave you alone because their brains are not getting that stimulus they’re looking for."

4. TURN COMPLAINTS INTO SOLUTIONS

This is called "positive complaining" or "effective complaining. As Wolfe says, "Don’t sit around and admire the problem." Do something about it.

5. USE THE "BUT-POSITIVE" TECHNIQUE

This tip comes from Gordon: "If you find yourself griping, add a ‘but’ and say something positive," he says. For example, "I don’t like driving to work, but I’m thankful at least I can drive and I even have a job."

6. CHANGE "HAVE TO" TO "GET TO"

"I have to pick up the kids" becomes "I get to pick up the kids." "You change a complaining voice to an appreciative heart," Gordon says. "You’re gonna feel so much better the more you focus on the positive over time. At first, it's gonna be a little awkward, but the more you get used to it, it becomes your natural state."

~ http://www.fastcompany.com/3042951/how-to-be-a-success-at-everything/what-its-like-to-go-without-complaining-for-a-month

Electromagnetic Spectrum

Civil Rights Book Critiques

This week we completed the Freedom Riders movie and learned about school integration. Students now understand the impact of Ruby Bridges and the Little Rock Nine. Afterwards each group was given a children's book about Civil Rights. They were asked to create a poster critiquing the book. Is it historically accurate? Is it appropriate for the published age range? These were just a few of the questions they were asked to answer.

NON Notecards

NON - Notecards

Students are required to take notes on 3x5 cards for Night of the Notables. Today we set up the organizational folders and demonstrated note taking. 

Below you will find examples and information about note taking.

This is our organizational folder. Students are expected to use it to gather and sort their note cards as they work on their Night of the Notable project. Each rectangle is a pocket, cards are slipped in the pocket vertically.

Students will accumulate approximately 200 note cards before we begin creating our key word outline. Ideally, the 200 would be evenly distributed throughout the topics, but some notable characters may have more or less in certain areas. All cards should be completed by the end of  spring break. We will be spending time each day in class working on them, which is why it is critical for students to have their resources with them every day.

Coming Up This Week March 8th, 2015

I hope everyone had the opportunity to get outside and enjoy some of the amazing sun. 

We've got a lot coming up not only this week, but the next few months. Things really kick in to high gear and it will be even more important that everyone get enough sleep, stay healthy, and know what's going on. Please read this post carefully and let me know if you have any questions. 

NON

We are well on our way to amazing projects! Everyone has chosen a notable figure, written a business letter asking for information, and should have emailed an expert to request an interview. The interview is the hardest piece of Night of the Notables, but also has the potential to be the most impactful. Please talk to your student on a nightly basis and ask if they have scheduled their interview yet. If they do not hear back from their first round of inquiries by Monday, they should be sending out a second round of inquiries. 

This weekend the only NON assignment was to go to the library and get books on their person. We will be starting the note taking process on Monday, so it's critical that everyone have their books with them. The next blog post will discuss how to choose the right resources. 

Please be sure to keep May 7th on your calendar. That is the presentation night and all students are required to be there. 

BOB

8th grade is doing a great job with their BOB battles. We have had 3 battles, with two wins and one loss. We have 2 more battles this week. The final battle is on Thursday at 8:15 AM. Parents are invited and we hope that you can join us, even if we don't make it! 

History

We are studying the Civil Rights Movement and are in the midst of reading articles about the Freedom Riders as we watch the documentary about the same. In the coming weeks we will be studying many of the more influential moments of the Civil Rights Movement including the forced integration of schools, the idea of civil disobedience, sit ins, and teach ins. We will also be looking at what was going on at the government level including the Cuban Missile Crisis. 

Fundraisers

There are several fundraisers going on right now. Some are school related some are class related. We understand that very few are able to support them all, and we don't expect you to. We hope that everyone will participate when and how they are able. 

1. Auction - The PTA is hosting an auction in May 9th. The 2015 CHPCS Auction has a goal of raising $30,000 to assist with funding our school's enrichment programs, including Physical Education, Art, Science, Music, World Languages and Library. CHPCS receives 42% of the funding per student, that typical public schools receive. For the 2014/15 school-year, our main fundraiser will be a dinner and auction for adults only on May 9th. 

Each class is doing two things for the auction. The first is a class project that will be up for bid. On our last field trip day we created two Little Free Libraries that turned out very well! These will be great additions to someone's yard. The second is a themed basket. Our theme is "Anti Stress". In an earlier blog post we brainstormed ideas for things to contribute to the basket. So far we have 3 items. If you are able to contribute something, we would greatly appreciate it. 

2. Applebees - We have raised $3000 towards our class trip to Ashland. That is enough to stay for one night, see two plays, and do one workshop. In order to extend it to a second night and see more plays, we need to raise the other $2000. Mrs. Lehman has set up one last fundraiser for us. In April we will be hosting a pancake breakfast at Applebees. Tickets will be $10 and if everyone really chips in and helps to sell tickets, we should be able to make $2000 easily. Please start spreading the word to your friends and family. 

Field Trips

As outlined in a recent blog post, we have a LOT of field trips coming up. So far I have very few chaperones. Please check your calendar and let me know which you can join us for. If we don't have enough chaperones, I need to cancel them so others may fill those spots. The deadline for each trip will be two weeks prior. Also, if you expressed interest in attending the Ashland trip, I need an email this week. We will be doing the lottery for spots on Friday. So far I have heard from only one person. 

Promotion

As we head in to spring, I know some of you are already thinking about promotion. It will be held at school on the last day of of the school year. It is a dressy event with knee length or longer dresses or slacks and button up shirts. Dresses must cover the shoulders. As you're starting to look for outfits, if you have questions about suitability, I'm happy to preview via text message. 

NON Interview

NON Interview

The next step in Night of the Notables is to interview an expert on the student's chosen person. Today in class we discussed who, when, where, and how to interview an expert.

Who: Choose an expert in the field. An expert is someone that has a degree in a related field, has works published, or has clocked over 1000 hours in research. This disqualifies most hobbiests and "my neighbor". Some ideas for who to contact would include museum curators, professional organizations that highlight the person, authors of biographies about the person, college professors in a related field, ambassadors from the country, coaches, directors, or fan club organizers.

When: Emails requesting interviews should go out today (3/4/15). The interview needs to be completed no later than March 30th. We discussed setting up interviews for late afternoon or early evening.

Where: Interviews should be conducted in public places. Libraries and coffee shops are both great options. Parents should accompany their student on the interview and sit nearby after being introduced. Safety is vitally important. If an in person interview is not possible, students may conduct their interview by phone or Skype. Email is not an acceptable alternative, the purpose of the interview is to practice oral interpersonal communication skills.

How: In class we rehearsed how to introduce yourself, how to introduce your parent, and how to ask the person to be seated. We discussed asking for permission to audio record the interview and how to take notes if they decline. We then wrote 5 - 7 questions that would be appropriate to ask. The questions we're looking for are not "What was their middle name?". We are looking for , "Why did you choose to study this person?" "What impact has my notable character had on the world in your opinion?" I encouraged all students to end their interview with "What do think is the most important thing I should learn about this person?" The interview should last about 30 minutes. If you and your interviewee have the time and inclination to talk longer, do so!

Many people in the past have said that their interview was by far the most meaningful part of the interview. Make it work for you!