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.