good luck tomorrow!

Congratulations to the 14 of you who took the time to retake a test.  

I will notify you soon to tell you how you did the second time around.

Best of luck to all of you on all your semester exams. 

 Study hard, get a good night's sleep, and you'll do great!

Yes, THAT Elbert Hubbard!

helpful information about your semester exam

Here is what will be covered on the semester exam.

• The Concept of Excellence / Our Twenty-First Century World
• A Message to Garcia
• Greek concepts: arete, polis, agora, Socrates
• CIA World Factbook
• Did You Know 3.0

• Population and Settlement
• population terms: life expectancy, CBR, CDR, developing/developed nations, RNI, net migration rate, immigration/emigration, push/pull forces, TFR
• population pyramids

• Political Geography
• world leaders and important facts about the following key countries: Germany, Mexico, China, Brazil, India, Canada, Japan, Russia, Israel, the United Kingdom, Syria, France, and the United States

• Cultural Geography
• Slumdog Millionaire
• key world religions: Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism

Here is the breakdown.

• Questions 1 - 21: Excellence and Our Twenty-First Century World
• Questions 22 - 57: Population and Settlement
• Questions 58 - 82: Political Geography
• Questions 83 - 130: Cultural Geography

You will write TWO essays on this test.  There are three topics to choose from.

• Essay Option #1:  Socrates famously stated, "The unexamined life is not worth living." Describe the importance of this philosophy.  Discuss things you learned this semester that illustrate Socrates' words.
• Essay Option #2: Religion, language, and ethnicity are important aspects of cultural geography.  As a student in a predominantly Christian, English-speaking school, what did you observe about people with other cultural characteristics?  Describe the differences you observed, as well as ways in which we are all similar. 
• Essay Option #3:  The world is filled with problems and difficulties.  Discuss some of the things you learned in Human Geography this semester, and how they could help our country deal with specific domestic and international challenges.

Two-thirds of your exam grade will be the objective (130 Scantron questions) portion of the test; one-third will be the essay (TWO essays) portion of the test. 

I would recommend reviewing your tests, my blogs, the PowerPoints and links I posted, plus your notes and blogs.  

I hope this helps you prepare for Tuesday's exam.  Let me know if you have any questions, and good luck!

second chance

As I announced in class, if you really bombed either of the last two tests (Political Geo and Cultural Geo) you have the opportunity to retake either or both tests.  If you pass with a 70 or above, I will give you a grade of 70 for that test.

The retakes will be given after school 

on Monday, December 15, in the TV Studio.  

That is your only opportunity to do the retake. I recommend making this a priority if you have a grade that really needs fixing.  It's your call.

Also, check this blog again tomorrow, as I will be giving you an update or two about the semester exam.  Good luck, study hard, and be ready!

Merry Christmas from Section 3!

Many, many thanks to Gabi and the rest of the incredible Section 3 for organizing our Christmas party!

(McKenna, we missed you!)

exams are approaching

So, today you took your test on Cultural Geography.  And you found out how you did.  We will go into more detail as we review this test tomorrow and Friday.  We will also review the previous test, the one on Political Geography. 

Thursday/Friday/Monday: I'll return that test, plus the previous test.  We'll review the answers and prepare for the semester exam, which will also include the Intro to Human Geography (plus the material on excellence), and Population and Migration.  The exam will be given on Tuesday, December 16, at 10:00. Section 3 takes the exam in Room 123, Section 4 takes it in Room 113, and Section 6 will test in Room 318. 

write a rap - earn extra credit

For the last few years, the New York Times has held a contest where students write a rap about the events of the previous year.  I know some of you are pretty aware of currents events around the world and around the country (ISIS, Ferguson, Ebola, Mexican students - and on and on).  And lots of you can write a rap better than the one I did for Slumdog Millionaire (not all of you, but at least a few of you).


So, here's the deal.  If you enter the New York Times Rap Contest I will give you 10 extra credit points.  The deadline for the contest is 7am on Wednesday, January 7, 2015, but MY deadline is Saturday, January 3 at midnight.  That way I can look it over and maybe give you a suggestion or two, if needed.  You can also turn it in to me earlier than that, if you want to take advantage of a creative impulse you have.


All the official rules are on their website (found here).  Last year's winners are there too.  If you are one of the NYTimes' five winners, I promise we will make a HUGE deal of it!  Seriously, this would make The Aegis, probably the Baltimore Sun, and maybe even the JCTV News.  In any case, the extra credit is yours if you want to give this a shot.

maybe the music, definitely the lyrics, to Who Wants to Be a Slumdog

If you copy this link into your browser, you should get the music to my version of Slumdog.  It might work, it might not.  You might need iTunes on your computer.  Let me know if it works.

musicfile:///C:/Users/rschick/Music/iTunes/iTunes%20Media/Music/Schickie%20McCoy%20(feat.%20Bruno%20Marth)/Unknown%20Album/01%20Slumdog.m4a

In any case, here are the lyrics.

a look into the future

Here's what is in store for you for the next month or so:

Wednesday, December 10: test on Cultural Geography.  This test will cover Slumdog Millionaire, and the Cultural Geography PowerPoint material, and the World Religions PowerPoint which I have posted.

Thursday/Friday/Monday: I'll return that test, plus the previous test.  We'll review the answers and prepare for the semester exam, which will be given on:

Tuesday, December 16, at 10:00. Section 3 takes the exam in Room 123, Section 4 takes it in Room 113, and Section 6 will test in Room 318.

Exams conclude on Wednesday, December 17, after which Christmas vacation begins.  We don't return to school until Monday, January 5, 2015, and the second quarter ends on Friday, January 16.

See me with any questions, and keep checking this blog for updates.

welcome back!

Sections 6 and 3 got to finish off Slumdog Millionaire today.  I hope you enjoyed getting such a vivid look at a different culture.  And life in the slums of Mumbai is about as different from life in Maryland as you can get.

More on Cultural Geography tomorrow!

assignments, and a commercial announcement

The Senior Variety Show will be performed Tuesday at 7:00 pm, and Wednesday at 7:00 pm.  Tickets are on sale now in the school store, and online at https://johncarroll.org/store/class-2014-senior-variety-show .  It's an excellent show, produced entirely by your senior class.  It has lots of great music, comedy, and original skits written by the seniors, with tons of jokes about life at John Carroll.  Picture a live performance of Saturday Night Live, but all about JC.  You'll be doing your own Variety Show in three years, so you really want to check this out!

There are two assignments due Saturday night at midnight.  In one assignment, you find the national anthem of the country you and your partner reported on using Spotify, and add it to a new playlist. You should embed a YouTube video of the anthem on your blog. List the lyrics of the anthem on your blog (in English, please). Finally, write some brief comments on the song - what does it sound like? How is it different from our national anthem? What is the tone of this anthem (military, national pride, etc.)? Are the lyrics well-written?  This is mandatory, and it is worth 10 points.

The other assignment is worth 10 extra credit points.  It's not required, but if you want some easy extra credit points, I recommend doing it.  Create a Spotify playlist that includes songs that reflect people's desires to move away from some place (push forces), or songs that show how people love where they live (pull forces). List these songs + artists on your blog, too.  This is also due at midnight Saturday night.

Mid-quarter grades will be downloaded on Tuesday, November 25, at 8:30 am.  That's why these assignments are due at midnight Saturday - so I have time to grade them.  If you turn them in Sunday or Monday, you will not get credit for them.

mid-quarter report (MQR)

Here are a few things you might like to know as mid-quarter grades approach.

• grades will be downloaded on Tuesday, November 25, at 8:30 am
• your Project grades and Test grades have already been entered
• both of the Spotify grades will be due this Saturday, November 22
• the third Spotify assignment will be given after Thanksgiving
• week 10 blogs (which were due Nov. 8) and week 11 blogs (which were due Nov. 15) will be on this MQR
• week 12 blogs will include Nov. 17-21 blogs, plus Nov. 24 & 25, and will be entered on November 29, and won't appear on this MQR

See me or email me with any questions.

class assignments

I am not going to be in class today.  Here is what you should do in class.

This is a golden opportunity for you to work on your Spotify assignments.   You should welcome the chance to earn some extra credit points, since you know I don't offer extra credit very often.  See my Friday, November 14 posting for a description of this assignment. This will count for today's blog.

If you are one of those ambitious students who already completed this assignment, then you can use the class time to work on other homework.  I'll be back tomorrow to pick up where we left off in Cultural Geography.

Please work quietly today, be nice to your sub, and I will see you soon.  Thank you!

Soft drinks across America

Our look at Cultural Geography continues.  More tomorrow, after I stop and shop for pop.

victory... and a new unit

This link takes you to the story of how John Carroll's Academic Team won the Bel Air Invitational.  

Also, we will be starting our unit on Cultural Geography this week.  This is one of my favorites, and I hope you like it too!

tests, projects, and anthems

I'll do my very best to get your tests and your projects graded this weekend. Tomorrow is a busy day, as the JC Academic Team competes in the Bel Air Invitational starting at 8:30 in the morning. But that leaves me Saturday night and all day Sunday to get grades posted. Ah, the exciting life of the high school teacher...

In the meantime, let's take another look at the Spotify program. I'm going to propose three total assignments using Spotify. Here they are:

1) We started working on this a few weeks ago, when we were studying push forces and pull forces, and here is one last chance for you to get involved. Create a Spotify playlist that includes songs that reflect people's desires to move away from someplace (push forces), or songs that show how people love where they live (pull forces). List these songs + artists on your blog, too.

2) Finishing up our unit on Political Geography, I want you to find the national anthem of the country you and your partner reported on using Spotify, and add it to a new playlist. You should embed a YouTube video of the anthem on your blog. List the lyrics of the anthem on your blog (in English, please). Finally, write some brief comments on the song - what does it sound like? How is it different from our national anthem? What is the tone of this anthem (military, national pride, etc.)? Are the lyrics well-written?

3) I'll have details of the third assignment this week. The first assignment is worth 10 extra credit points. The second assignment is NOT extra credit; it's mandatory, and worth 10 points. Third assignment TBD.

 I will explain all this more fully in class next week.

 In the meantime, enjoy your weekend, and enjoy the awesome anthem of the Republic of Tuva!

 

Lyrics (in Tuvan):
Тооруктуг долгай таңдым Долганзымза тодар-ла мен Тос-ла чүзүн малымайны Доруктурза байыыр-ла мен Эзириктиг ээр-ле таңдым Эргилзимзе тодар-ла мен Эрээн-шокар малымайны Азыраза байыыр-ла мен

Translation:
When I walk in my forest I will always be satisfied
Because my forest is rich with animals and everything I need.
There in the mountains, the cliffs, the taiga, I was born.
Because of that I am strong.
I will raise my livestock and be rich.
Nine different animals -- If I herd them and feed them
And take care of them as my own -- I'll be rich.

day of reckoning

No more delays.

The study guide has been updated and you have access to all your peers' presentations.

The test will be given tomorrow to Sections 3 and 4.  Since Section 6 doesn't meet tomorrow, you take yours Friday.

Prepare!

update - test delayed

It has come to my attention that you are unable to view the student presentations I included in my study guide.  We will deal with that situation in class tomorrow.  In the meantime, I am delaying tomorrow's test.  Sections 3 and 4 will take the test Thursday; Section 6 will take it Friday.  Tomorrow will be a study and presentation day for all.

Sorry for the confusion.

check out this study guide!

This is one of the greatest study guides in the history of study guides.  Why do I say this?  Because many of you had direct input into the guide.  Click on this link, or click the Political Geography Study Guide link under "essential links," to see this study guide in all its magnificence.  A hearty Thank You to all the students who contributed.  You can sleep easy tonight, knowing you provided terrific study material for your peers.  Now everyone has an excellent chance to ace tomorrow's test!

test on Political Geography will be given on Wednesday

Your presentations should be finished by tomorrow (Tuesday), and I will post a Google Slides study guide very soon.  Keep an eye out for it, and be ready for Wednesday's test!

This is EXACTLY what we are studying right now.

Mexican citizens are protesting by the thousands in Mexico City, and many are calling for the resignation of President Enrique Peña Nieto, following the massacre of 43 college students training to be teachers.  Check out the story at the links below.













From Bloomberg News: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-11-07/mexico-says-evidence-signals-students-murdered-and-bodies-burned.html

From The Guardian:  http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/nov/09/protesters-fire-mexican-palace-anger-missing-students-grows

the presentations continue!

Student presentations on these 13 influential nations are going well so far.  We will continue these tomorrow, and finish them up early next week.  I anticipate the test on this material will be Tuesday or Wednesday of next week.  Listen up in class, and continue to check this blog, for exact details.

let the presentations begin

You have had a fair amount of classtime to work on your presentations.  The time has come to stand and deliver.

Today section 6 and 3 finished up their projects.  If you didn't, be sure to git-r-done tonight - that's why we use Google Slides, so we can collaborate at a distance!

Tomorrow, section 6 will present.  Section 4 will have their last opportunity to work in class, and section 3 will not meet.  So, sections 3 and 4 will present on Wednesday.

With over a week to work on this, I expect great things.  Through the use of your written presentation and your oral explanation, you should be able to teach the class quite a bit about the government of your assigned nation.

first assignment of the second quarter

After studying the leaders of twelve influential countries, our classwork this week will consist of an analysis of the governments of these nations.  

How will this work?

Working in pairs, you will make a Google "PowerPoint" (known as Google Slides or Google Presentations) of one particular country, containing the following information:

• the kind of government the country has
• how long they have existed under their present form of government
• how long their present leaders have been in power
• how long they are expected to stay in power (if known)
• some of the ways their people can effect a change in leadership

Keep track of where you find your information, so we can check how "legit" your source is.  When you are done researching, you will present your findings to the class, and be prepared to answer questions from me and your peers.

my version of your homework

Russia
Federation
President Vladimir Putin

• his family was so poor, he hunted rats in his house as a youth
• served as an intelligence officer in the infamous KGB
• holds a black belt in judo
• passed stricter anti-gay laws in 2014

China

Communist state

President Xi Jinping

• Xi's father held the position of Vice Chairman of the People's Congress, but was jailed in 1963 during Mao Zedong's Cultural Revolution
• he studied Chemical Engineering at Tsinghua University; received an advanced law degree after submitting a questionable PhD thesis
• he holds the top positions in the government, military, and the Communist party

Israel 

Parliamentary democracy

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

• Netanyahu's nickname is "Bibi"
• he was a member of the Special Forces Unit of the Israeli Defense Forces
• his brother was killed attempting to rescue kidnapped Israelis during Operation Entebbe

Brazil
federal republic
President Dilma Rousseff

• she was a left-wing political activist, arrested and tortured for opposing the military dictatorship
• she is a cancer survivor (lymphoma)
• she studied economics at Rio Grande do Sul Federal University

Syria
republic under an authoritarian regime
President Bashar al-Assad

his brother Bassel died in an auto accident, opening the way for Bashad to become Syria's leader

has been proved to use chemical weapons on his own country's civilians, including children

he has been personally implicated in war crimes and crimes against humanity by the United Nations

United Kingdom
constitutional monarchy and Commonwealth realm
Prime Minister David Cameron

• he is a descendant of King William IV
• his first child was born profoundly disabled, and died at the age of 6 of cerebral palsy and severe epilepsy
• he attended Oxford, studying Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE)

Mexico
federal republic
President Enrique Peña Nieto

• at age 15, he began delivering propaganda in favor of his relative, a memory Peña Nieto still recalls as the turning point and start of his deep interest in politics
• he has had two children with two different women while married to his first wife
• his present wife is a Televisa soap opera actress
• he has had difficulty fulfilling his promise to reduce the influence of drug cartels in Mexico

Canada
a parliamentary democracy, a federation, and a constitutional monarchy
Prime Minister Stephen Harper

• he has a Bachelors and a Masters degree in Economics
• he voted against restricting the definition of marriage to that of "one man and one woman" way back in 1994
• he joined the Young Liberals Club in high school, but is now a member of Canada's Conservative Party

Japan
a parliamentary government with a constitutional monarchy
Emperor Akihito and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

• Abe comes from a politically prominent family
• he is Japan's youngest post-war Prime Minister
• he studied Public Policy at the University of Southern California
• Emperor Akihito is the fifth son of Emperor Hirohito

Germany

federal republic

President Joachim Gauck and Chancellor Angela Merkel

• Merkel learned Russian at an early age, and is quite fluent
• Forbes Magazine has named her the 5th most powerful person in the world
• she is the de facto leader of the European Union

India

federal republic

President Pranab Mukherjee

• his father spent several years in prison for opposing British rule
• he has advanced degrees in history, political science, and law
• he served as editor of a monthly magazine

France

republic

President François Hollande

• his father was a doctor whose politics were "far right;" while his mother was a liberal social worker
• he was raised Catholic but is now an athiest

leader biographies

Work continues on our studies of the leaders of twelve influential nations.  As we discuss these individuals, we will consider what may have happened previously in their lives to influence their rise to power, as well as key events that helped them become the people they eventually became.

There are a number of good websites to use when researching these world leaders, including Biography.com, the Chiefs of State section of the CIA World Factbook, even the Forbes list of the World's Most Powerful People.

Continue blogging about these people as we discuss them in class.

further explanation

Five things to do for each of twelve countries:

(1. country) Brazil

(2. form of gov't)  Federal republic

(3. title) President (4. leader) Dilma Rousseff

(5. photo of leader)



Due at the start of the next class.

For Sections 3 and 6, that's Monday.
For Section 4, that's Tuesday.

More details are in the "Political Geography" PowerPoint I posted.  See slides 7 and 8 for details.

test results

Sections 3 and 4 received their test results today, and we devoted class time to making sure everyone understands the questions they missed.  Section 6 - tomorrow you get yours.

taking care of business

So many people were out on test day last week, that we took today to play catch-up.  This makes sense on a couple levels - I can't yet return tests with so many of you still needing to take it; we don't have class tomorrow due to standardized testing; I only see two of my three sections today.

So, starting Thursday, I will return and review tests.  And then we will begin our next unit: Political Geography.

mission accomplished

The unit on Population and Migration is over.

Possibly.

Note:  if you did not take the test today (Friday), you need to take it after school on Tuesday.  Be in the TV Studio at 3:00, with your computer, prepared to take the Population and Migration test.

Keep in mind that we don't have school on Monday, and you will be taking standardized tests on Wednesday.

Special thanks to Christina for entertaining the class today with her awesome Chinese music.

Have a great extended weekend!

test tomorrow

The test is still scheduled for tomorrow, and the strategy for success is still as I posted on yesterday's blog.

For those of you on retreat, I will be giving the test after school Friday in the TV Studio (Room 121 in the Fine Arts wing).  If you can't take it then, you can make it up after school Tuesday at 3:00 in the TV Studio.

Study hard, and be ready!

the key to success

How can you be ready for Friday's test on Population and Migration?

• pay attention during the in-class review
• be sure you are familiar with the CIA World Factbook
• study your notes and your blog
• review the information I have posted on my blog
• look at any videos I have posted on my blog

The test is worth 100 points, so it is worth being fully prepared.

notes on Population, Migration, and Spotify

Some things you need to know as we approach the end of this unit:

• The test originally scheduled for tomorrow, will now be given on Friday, October 10.
• We will use a class or two to review for this test.
• All three sections have been given their Spotify codes.  If you have not been able to redeem your code, please let me know (in class, or better yet, via email), and I will issue you a new code.
• More guidelines on the Spotify "assignment" will be given soon.
• Hint: the more familiar you are with navigating the CIA World Factbook site, the better you will do on a significant portion of Friday's test.

See you tomorrow!

The Greatest Country in the World

Very impressive discussions today!  Good to see so many of you with passionate opinions about the world you live in. You seem pretty well-informed, too, which is a key element in being a responsible, intelligent member of society.

Along those lines, here is a quiz you can take about current events, in case you are curious about how "in touch" you really are. Click HERE to take the quick test.

these pyramids sure are useful

Amazing what you can learn and infer just from viewing a country's population pyramid.

For example, what do you make of this one?

By the way, next time you see your fellow freshmen Grace Hollin and Arthur Zhang, congratulate them on participating  in their very first high school speech tournament!  Also, high fives to Drew Forthman for winning First Place in Declamation, and to Nicole Kanaras & Hayes Stancliff for taking Third Place in Team Debate!  Woo-hoo!

Update:  the reason for Qatar's oddly shaped population pyramid is because they are an oil-producing country, and a lot of the jobs in oil fields, refineries, shipping, and construction are filled by men, not women.  Women - especially from the West - are not likely to want to relocate to an area where they are not treated as well as men, which is true of many countries under Islamic rule. Interesting fact: only 13% of Qatar's population are Qatari nationals.

...and the story of the pyramids continues to build...

All three sections met today, and heard more on the very useful Population Pyramids.  

The one for the United States is pictured to the left (courtesy of the CIA Factbook).  

Sometimes the bars represent the percentage of the country's population; this one represents the US population in millions.

What else does the Factbook have to say about these pyramids?  How about this:  A population pyramid illustrates the age and sex structure of a country's population and may provide insights about political and social stability, as well as economic development. The population is distributed along the horizontal axis, with males shown on the left and females on the right. The male and female populations are broken down into 5-year age groups represented as horizontal bars along the vertical axis, with the youngest age groups at the bottom and the oldest at the top. The shape of the population pyramid gradually evolves over time based on fertility, mortality, and international migration trends.

See if you can find the bar that represents you!  Or your parents! Or your grandparents!

Also, for your listening pleasure, here is a story I heard on NPR just yesterday that describes something we have been discussing in class: the continuing trend of American women getting married later in life, and having fewer children.  I recommend that you check it out, to see the real-world relevance of what you are learning in our Human Geography course.  

presenting the population pyramid

Sections 4 and 6 participated in a preparatory presentation on population pyramids.  Perhaps imperfect, perhaps predictable, pop pyramids possess power to predict political policy.

Friday's class / MONDAY'S WORK

I hope you enjoyed searching out information in the CIA World Factbook.  Hopefully all of you are able to better navigate your way around the site.  Your blog for today's class can include some of the interesting facts your classmates presented, as well as any conclusions you may have reached.

MONDAY'S CLASS:

Since I will not be in class Monday, I would like Sections 3 and 6 to learn some introductory material regarding Population Pyramids.

A great place to start is this video.  TED talks are very informative, and this one gives a great explanation of Population Pyramids.  Slip on your earbuds and check it out.

The World Life Expectancy organization used data from the World Heath Organization, the World Bank, UNESCO, and the CIA (some truly legit sources) to put together some interactive Population Pyramids.  Go here to see what the pyramids look like for any country on earth, from 1950 to 2050.

After you watch / listen / peruse the pyramids, check your comprehension by answering these questions:

1. According to the Population Reference Bureau's "2013 World Population Data Sheet", 271 are born every minute, and 106 die every minute. That's a global net population increase of 165 per minute. This lesson was published on May 5th. What's the estimated global population increase exactly one week later (May 12th)?  A: over 10 million       B: 20,739      C: 1155    D: 1,663,200    
2. As a country slows in population growth, its pyramid shape will  A: become wider at the base and narrower at the top         B: be inverted          C: become more rectangular            D: bulge in the middle
3. What does a Population Pyramid NOT give you information about?    A: birth rates         B: actual number of people        C: life expectancy         D: death rates
4. Which continent would have the most fast-growth pyramids?   A: Africa         B:  Asia          C: North America         D: South America

Finally... curious about what the population of the world is right now?  Or how many people have been born so far today?  How many people have died so far today?  Or what the world's population was on the day you were born?  It's all right here.

hold on to those tests!

Today I returned your Unit One tests, and we reviewed them in class.  You will want to refer to your copy again in December, to help you prepare for your semester exam.  That's why we spent the whole class going over it - so you are sure you learned the material, and so you can review the questions before the Big Test.

Looking forward to meeting 

many of your parents tonight 

at Mini-Mod night!

terms and concepts

Make sure you transcribe your notes from today's class, and enter them in tonight's blog.  Explore the CIA Factbook and post updates to my PowerPoint, plus facts you found interesting, to your blog.

You do not have school tomorrow; therefore, you do not need to post to your blog tomorrow.

These are some terms and concepts that we will need to be familiar with as we study Population and Migration.  We'll be going over this in class, but feel free to ask lots of questions if any of this is unclear.

• life expectancy
• crude birth rate (CBR)
• crude death rate (CDR)
• developing nations
• developed nations
• rate of natural increase (RNI)
• net migration rate (NMR)
• immigration
• emigration
• push forces
• pull forces
• total fertility rate (TFR)

Population, Migration, and the CIA World Factbook

Your blog for tonight should contain:

• a transcription of the notes you took in class,
• at least a couple 2014 corrections to the 2013 facts in my PowerPoint, and
• a few facts that you found interesting while exploring the CIA World Factbook.

Please note that both my PowerPoint and the CIA Factbook are linked in the Essential Links sidebar of this blog.

Also, please send some positive vibes our way around 1:00 tomorrow, while we are competing on It's Academic on TV.  

Thanks, and have a great weekend!

the test on Unit One is in your rear-view mirror

Here's hoping everyone did well on today's test.  If you missed class and were unable to take this test today, you will be expected to take it tomorrow, or the next time your section meets for class.

Expect these tests to be graded by next Monday, September 22.  This should give me ample time to grade the 240+ short essays you wrote as part of the test.

If you checked the upcoming schedule, you see that our next unit is Population and Migration.  Be sure to bring your computers to class tomorrow, fully charged and ready to research!

substitutes today, test tomorrow

Sections 4 and 6, you will have substitute teachers today while I am attending a workshop.  In class, you should spend the time studying for tomorrow's test.  I recommend the use of Quizlet.  Quizlet is a piece of educational software that is used by many high-achieving students at John Carroll, and around the world.  You can use Quizlet (found at quizlet.com) to create flashcards, write your own tests, and use other study tools.  Sign up for Quizlet using Google, and spend this class period getting prepared for tomorrow's test on A Message to Garcia, ancient Greece, Did You Know? 3.0, and globalization. You may work with someone else in the class, but only if you work quietly, only if you are studying for Human Geo, and only if your sub says it's okay.

Remember to blog tonight, and good luck tomorrow!

globalization and Americanization

Today's class discussion centered around globalization, and the many ways in which our world is becoming more and more interconnected.  The website I was referring to can be found here, and it is also listed in my links on this page.


Reminders: the test will be given next Wednesday, September 17.  It will cover A Message to Garcia, ancient Greece, Did You Know? 3.0, and globalization.  It will be worth 100 points, since it is a unit test.  Also, I will not be in class next Tuesday, as I will be attending a conference in Philadelphia.  

Don't forget to blog about today's class!

why we observed a moment of silence

Thirteen years later, and the memories

of this sad and terrifying day are still vivid.

You guys aren't old enough to remember September 11, 2001,

but I recommend you talk to family members

and ask them to share their memories

of this fateful day.

In the meantime, Sections 3 and 4 should post about the discussions you had in class today.  Consider such topics as globalization, the fast-moving world we live in, and responsible Internet usage.

a little more of Did You Know? 3.0

All classes met today, so all classes blog about the video we watched in class today.  

If you saw it for the first time today, you are to pick out three of the facts presented, and consider the following:

• What was your initial reaction to what you saw?
• How are these changes manifesting themselves in your personal life?
• How much of a role does technology play in your life?

Post your observations to your blog tonight.  Section 6 can post about the excellent discussion we had in class today.

Since these are issues that really affect your lives, your opinion is definitely welcome in your posts, as well as in your class discussions.  Keep up the good work!

our fast-moving world

This assignment is for Section 6 only, as they are the only section who met today.  

If your class didn't actually meet today, take the day off from blogging.

Did You Know/Shift Happens began as a simple PowerPoint in 2006, describing how incredibly quickly the world is changing.  Since then, the presentation has evolved into the video you saw today, and the pace of change has become even faster. 

As you watch the video, pick out three of the facts presented, and consider the following:

• What was your initial reaction to what you saw?
• How are these changes manifesting themselves in your personal life?
• How much of a role does technology play in your life?

Post your observations to your blog tonight.

(The link to this video can be found in my "Essential Links" sidebar.)

direct democracy in action

Today Section 6 reviewed the definitions, terms, and concepts pertaining to ancient Greek democracy.

Section 3 took it one step further and turned the classroom into an agora, staging a spirited debate.  That's the kind of arête I'm talking about!

Should be interesting to see the blogs you guys come up with tonight!

Socrates rocks

"The unexamined life is not worth living!"

Strong words from a man who talked the talk AND walked the walk.

Tonight's assignment for ALL sections:  really get your notes together about ancient Greece, democracy, Socrates' life and heroic death, and civic responsibility.  Post them no later than tomorrow night.

And have a great weekend!  Hope to see you at the game tonight!

the ancient Greeks, and excellence

Tonight's assignment for Section 4 only:

Define the following terms, as discussed in class.

• agora
• arete
• polis
• the year 508 BC
• Socrates
• the death of Socrates
• the Socratic method
• what the ancient Greeks meant if they called you an idiot

Sections 3 and 6, take your class notes and post them in your blog.

slow but steady progress

A few notes on blogs, excellence, and Elbert Hubbard:

• A very few of you still have work to do with your blogs. If you don't see your name listed to the right, I need the URL of your blog, without delay.
• Every day you should hit "New Post," then post that day's work to your blog.  You don't make a new blog for every new day.
• World's greatest democracy?  The percentage of eligible voters actually voting in the last 5 US Presidential elections:  53%, 55%, 61%, 63%, 59%.  Last election in Peru: 86%.  In Iran: 75%.  Rwanda: 89%.  (Sources: Fairvote.org and IDEA.int)
• Elbert Hubbard's essay was reprinted over 80 million times.
• Hubbard also wrote a booklet called Jesus Was an Anarchist.  
• Hubbard died in a very interesting manner.

Also, you are not required to take the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.  I have just suggested that you or your family make a contribution to fund ALS research.  The Ice Bucket seems like a cool way to get involved.

yep... the challenge

If you decide to take the ALS Challenge, or if you already took it,

post it on your blog!  Or send it to me and I'll post it here!

Or both!  All for a good cause.

Excellence: in 2014, and 1914

Today in class, I ranted.  I ranted on behalf of Elbert Hubbard, who wrote A Message to Garcia 100 years ago.  (This essay is linked under the Essential Links sidebar on the right hand side of my blog.)  I ranted about people who don't work hard, and I raved about people who do.  In short, I ranted about excellence.

Your follow up assignment is to construct a five point action plan, describing five specific ways that you will ensure that you have a successful and excellent freshman year at John Carroll.  Post this action plan to your blog by midnight Saturday night.

slowly but surely

Thanks to your hard work and patience, more and more of you have successfully started your blog and sent the URL to me.  Good job!

Here are a couple things to keep in mind: you need to blog every time your class meets, and you do not need to email me every time you post a new blog.  Once I have your blog address, and you see your name listed on my blog, you are good to go.

Remember to bring your composition book to class tomorrow.

another Day One

After meeting two of my sections yesterday, today Section 3 convened for the first time.  They have the same assignment tonight that Sections 4 and 6 did yesterday.  The details are in my blog dated Sunday, August 24.

As for the other groups... we spent the first half of class getting caught up on the blogs.  A few people had some difficulty with the process, but things are getting better all the time, and it was worth spending some class time getting everyone up to speed.  The second half of each class was spent reviewing the syllabus.  I encourage you to peruse this document, and let me know if you have any questions. I think it is useful for you to know what to expect from me, especially in terms of my availability, grading policies, and lateness policies.

Oh, yeah - this is what a 150 word-long blog post looks like.

Day One

Congratulations on arriving at Day One.

Day One of school.  Day One of your high school career. And Day One of  Human Geography.

Here are some details about your very first homework assignment, due at the beginning of the next class.

• Add my blog to your Favorites/Bookmarks.
• Create a Gmail account (if you don't have one already), and use it to set up your class blog through blogger.com .
• After you have created your blog, send the URL to me at rschick@johncarroll.org . 
• Write your first blog post.  In at least 150 words, describe the experience of your first school day at John Carroll.  Take your time; write well; proofread; rewrite as necessary.  Impress me with this first (graded) example of your writing talent.
• Buy a Composition notebook for notetaking.  They are available at Target for a dollar or two; also sold at Patriots' Corner (the JC school store).
• Carefully read the class syllabus, which can be found under "Essential Links" just to the right of this post.

I'll see you tomorrow to check your HW, to make sure you have your Composition book, to answer any questions, and to get this class underway!  Hooray!