Sunday, September 30, 2012
Friday, September 28, 2012
9/27 - 9/28 Class Update
For the past couple of days, we've been finishing up the unit on the Constitution and beginning the American Revolution. Yesterday, we had our first end of unit test. I didn't find it to be too difficult, especially after having Ms. Herzl last year with tests that often could easily take much longer than the period allowed and that I never finished. There's one question that I know I definitely got wrong- I had the right answer first and second guessed myself. Oh well, too late now.
Today, we created an animated person from either the New England, Middle, or Southern colonies using voki.com. The person was to be a representation of the average colonist in that section of colonies. My group chose to represent the Southern colonies in the form of John Jacobs, a rice and indigo plantation owner from Charleston, South Carolina. I'm pretty sure my entire group had more fun picking out what John Jacobs looked like than actually writing what he said. I still think we should have had him talk with penguins in the background. No one said the background had to go along with the colonist!
Today, we created an animated person from either the New England, Middle, or Southern colonies using voki.com. The person was to be a representation of the average colonist in that section of colonies. My group chose to represent the Southern colonies in the form of John Jacobs, a rice and indigo plantation owner from Charleston, South Carolina. I'm pretty sure my entire group had more fun picking out what John Jacobs looked like than actually writing what he said. I still think we should have had him talk with penguins in the background. No one said the background had to go along with the colonist!
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
First EdCafe!!
I thought that EdCafe on the rights listed in the First Amendment of the Constitution went really well. When we first got the actual assignment, I wasn't a fan of the concept. It seemed like a waste of time and something that we wouldn't learn anything from and I was going to do a lot of prep work with no return. This wasn't the case once we started. In the end, I ended up really liking EdCafe. I learned about others' opinions on the different freedoms we discussed, which made me think more about my own. I found that having a student-led discussion is more like we're just talking than learning, while really we're doing both. We weren't afraid to make our opinions known to our peers when we might pull back and not say anything during class discussions that include the teacher. Student-led discussions also seem less stressful (that's not actually the word I want to use but I can't think of a better one) than regular class discussions. It's a less pressure environment. While I don't believe that EdCafes should take the place of class discussions, I think they're good to supplement what we're learning in class.
Monday, September 24, 2012
9/21 & 9/24 Class Update
On Friday, we had a half day with the morning classes, so my class didn't get to have History class.
Today, we talked about the Bill of Rights. These rights were adopted because New York, Virginia, and Massachusetts wouldn't have ratified the Constitution otherwise. People are provided protection against the National Government's power by the Bill of Rights. The National Government's power is limited by the first ten (10) Amendments to the Constitution. These Amendments include rights such as having no national religion, freedom of speech and press, peaceful assembly, the right to a public and speedy trial, the right to a lawyer, as well as others. I think the right guaranteed in the Bill of Rights that is used the most by myself and other people in my life is the freedom of speech and press. This is used everyday in things like class discussions.
Today, we talked about the Bill of Rights. These rights were adopted because New York, Virginia, and Massachusetts wouldn't have ratified the Constitution otherwise. People are provided protection against the National Government's power by the Bill of Rights. The National Government's power is limited by the first ten (10) Amendments to the Constitution. These Amendments include rights such as having no national religion, freedom of speech and press, peaceful assembly, the right to a public and speedy trial, the right to a lawyer, as well as others. I think the right guaranteed in the Bill of Rights that is used the most by myself and other people in my life is the freedom of speech and press. This is used everyday in things like class discussions.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
9/18 - 9/19 Class Update
Yesterday, we learned how a bill becomes a law and about the checks and balances in the 3 branches of government. We also created a infograph about the government's branches (which is shown in my previous post)!
Today, we did some background information of the Question of Ratification of the Constitution. We were divided into groups to learn about the Federalists and Anti-Federalists. After we finished that half of the worksheet, we were split into different groups to learn about the other side. We also created a magazine cover for either the Federalists (which is what my groups did) or the Anti-Federalists. My magazine cover was called The Federalist News and had a picture of the Constitution in the middle with their biggest arguments for ratification of the Constitution.
Today, we did some background information of the Question of Ratification of the Constitution. We were divided into groups to learn about the Federalists and Anti-Federalists. After we finished that half of the worksheet, we were split into different groups to learn about the other side. We also created a magazine cover for either the Federalists (which is what my groups did) or the Anti-Federalists. My magazine cover was called The Federalist News and had a picture of the Constitution in the middle with their biggest arguments for ratification of the Constitution.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Monday, September 17, 2012
Happy 225th birthday, US Constitution!
In class for the past couple of days in History, we've been
going over assignments and learning how the executive branch was formed. On
Friday, the class went over the syllabus and answered any questions someone had.
It's definitely a lot easier to hand in assignments on time when you know
what's due when! Today, we read a document about the Virginia Plan, the New
Jersey Plan, and the Hamilton Plan. We then analyzed each of the documents to
find answers to questions like how many people have power, how they're elected,
how long a term length is, etc. The current executive branch a combination of
all three plans along with some changes that none of the plans have, like
running for re-election. I think that the most effective plan would be the New
Jersey plan because the president(s) would still be impeachable and there's
still a defined length of time for the term. Also, happy 225th birthday, US Constitution!
Thursday, September 13, 2012
9/12 - 9/13 Representation at the 1787 Convention
For the past couple of days in History class, we've been learning about representation at the 1787 Constitutional Convention. Yesterday, my group took notes on William Paterson, James Wilson, and George Mason's opinions on a bicameral Congress. Today, after our quiz on the Preamble, the groups from yesterday got switched into new groups with one or two people from each of yesterday's groups. From there, we shared our notes from yesterday so everyone would have the same information. The other two topics were whether election should be done by the people or by state legislatures and whether states should have proportional or equal representation in Congress. After that (and lunch!), we took notes on the Connecticut Compromise. I think it's strange that slaves weren't allowed to vote and yet they counted as 3/5 of a person as far as representation.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Fake Tweet Builder Submission...
...from William Paterson, James Wilson, and George Mason!
http://cheezburger.com/6580343808
http://cheezburger.com/6580343808
Monday, September 10, 2012
Friday, September 7, 2012
3 Artifacts That Describe Me
Clarinet
My interest in music- more specifically, my clarinet- is major part of my life. I started playing in the school band on flute in 4th grade; that didn't go well, so I switched to clarinet and haven't looked back since, despite learning new instruments between 4th grade and now. I can often be seen bringing my clarinet with me throughout the school day. In the typical week, it seems like I spend more time playing my clarinet than I do sleeping. Every fall since 8th grade, I've played clarinet in the THS marching band. This requires me to be at school for an extra 12 or more hours a week, in addition to the regular class hours. I also take clarinet lessons once a week and play in the Northeast Massachusetts Youth Orchestras' wind ensemble. The clarinet may be something that causes me to have a hectic schedule and a lot of stress, but it's part of who I am.
My interest in music- more specifically, my clarinet- is major part of my life. I started playing in the school band on flute in 4th grade; that didn't go well, so I switched to clarinet and haven't looked back since, despite learning new instruments between 4th grade and now. I can often be seen bringing my clarinet with me throughout the school day. In the typical week, it seems like I spend more time playing my clarinet than I do sleeping. Every fall since 8th grade, I've played clarinet in the THS marching band. This requires me to be at school for an extra 12 or more hours a week, in addition to the regular class hours. I also take clarinet lessons once a week and play in the Northeast Massachusetts Youth Orchestras' wind ensemble. The clarinet may be something that causes me to have a hectic schedule and a lot of stress, but it's part of who I am.
Guard Gloves
My guard gloves, in some ways, can describe me very well. To most people, they look like a pair of ugly tan fingerless gloves with some padding on the palm. Yes, I see them pretty much the same way as others, but it's more about what they symbolize for me. I see the gloves as a reminder that anything is possible if you're willing to try hard enough. Last winter guard season, I was a rookie and had never even spun a flag before. I faced different challenges each practice, one of the most common being unable to do the flag work given and getting frustrated due to that, but I didn't give up! I went home and practiced and practiced and practiced until I could get it, maybe not perfectly, but able to do the work given. Every member of the winter guard's hard work throughout the season paid off, since we won the NESBA Championships! In previous years, the guard hadn't done well, so this was a huge milestone for us. I wore my guard gloves in every competition that prepared us for the championships. I've been told that I keep trying at something until I'm able to do it, which is what my guard gloves symbolize to me.
Cell Phone
Technology is constantly changing and improving, which means there's always the 'next big thing.' At one point, cell phones (and I'm not talking about smart phones) as we know them today were the big thing. They're one of the many things that help people stay connected with each other and keep you from ever being truly alone. I don't like to be alone a lot- I've watched too many creepy TV shows and movies to be comfortable alone in the dark and, sometimes, during the day. Obviously, everyone has those times when they want to be alone- I turn off my phone and the problem is solved! Also, cell phones can be incredibly distracting, just like a million other things that are mostly technology. I can get distracted by my phone a lot while I'm doing homework or studying, especially when I really don't want to be doing whatever it is that I'm doing. Even while I'm typing up my blog post, I'm texting a friend. The constantly improving technology may mean more distractions when it comes to things like school work, but it's here to stay. At least, until the next big thing comes along.
Cell Phone
Technology is constantly changing and improving, which means there's always the 'next big thing.' At one point, cell phones (and I'm not talking about smart phones) as we know them today were the big thing. They're one of the many things that help people stay connected with each other and keep you from ever being truly alone. I don't like to be alone a lot- I've watched too many creepy TV shows and movies to be comfortable alone in the dark and, sometimes, during the day. Obviously, everyone has those times when they want to be alone- I turn off my phone and the problem is solved! Also, cell phones can be incredibly distracting, just like a million other things that are mostly technology. I can get distracted by my phone a lot while I'm doing homework or studying, especially when I really don't want to be doing whatever it is that I'm doing. Even while I'm typing up my blog post, I'm texting a friend. The constantly improving technology may mean more distractions when it comes to things like school work, but it's here to stay. At least, until the next big thing comes along.
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