Tuesday, December 19, 2017

12/19 - Class Recap


Have a great Winter Break, everyone!

Dear class,

A one day week with you! Not fair. But we ended DSJ before break by going to support some of our classmates in the choir concert here at Westview. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets Addressed:
I can communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
I can apply understanding of ideas and concepts to a new context or problem.
I can demonstrate an understanding of the role of governments in current issues.
I can effectively conduct and apply research.

Soundtrack: "Reelin in the Years" by Steely Dan. Selected because the next time we see you will be 2018! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 12/19/17:
Check-In
Current Event?
Final Assignment
Choir Concert

Homework: Read the blog! Catch up on any missing work. Next Current Event: Jenna, Christopher  Devin.
--
Check In: At the beginning of class, we asked students what they were up to outside of class over Winter Break and if there was anything they wanted to share with everyone before we started with the day. Thanks for your participation, as always!

Current Event: We did not have time for this today, so we will continue with the presentations after break!

As a reminder, this is the assignment for the current event:


The next Current Event will be led by Jenna, Christopher, and Devin.

We did show this video of Ta-Nehisi Coates talking about why white people should not use the 'n' word (stemming from a conversation we had last class):


Final Assignment: We passed this out in class today, as a heads up in terms of what we want you to start thinking about over Winter Break (please, do not work on it yet - just read and start thinking). We are excited to see what you come up with in terms of projects!


Choir Concert: We were limited on time today because we wanted to take the class down to the choir concert to support our classmates who were there, as well as listen to some music from different cultures!

We hope that everyone has a great Winter Break! See you in 2018!
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Friday, December 15, 2017

12/15 - Class Recap


I (Mr. Fritz) was at the Jay-Z concert last night in Portland and took this photo during the performance of "99 Problems."

Hello everyone,

We continued our investigation of key terms having to do with Class as we began preparing for the break. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets Addressed:
I can communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
I can apply understanding of ideas and concepts to a new context or problem.
I can demonstrate an understanding of the role of governments in current issues.
I can effectively conduct and apply research.

Soundtrack: "Money Ain't A Thang" by Jay-Z and Jermaine Dupri. Selected for today because of the concert last night and because of our investigation as to the impacts money has on our society. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 12/15/17:
Check-In
Current Event
Key Vocabulary Activity
Poverty Reading

Homework: Read the blog! Catch up on any missing work. Next Current Event: Honna, Phyllis, and Kayla.
---
Check In: At the beginning of class, we asked students what they were up to outside of class and if there was anything they wanted to share with everyone before we started with the day. Thanks for your participation, as always! Right after this, I (Mr. Fritz) had to leave to catch a flight to St. Louis to see my brother-in-law graduate from college, so I will update this post more later!

Current Event: After checking in, this is the presentation that Christian, Ben, and Isaac took the class through:


As a reminder, this is the assignment for the current event:


The next Current Event will be led by Honna, Phyllis, and Kayla,

Key Vocabulary Activity: We know that the DSJ Vocabulary Guide is a bit daunting, so we wanted to take the key terms from the unit and split them up so that small groups of 2-3 could define them. Here are the terms and the requirements that went along with this assignment:

1.     Wealth
2.     Pursuit of Happiness
3.     Equity
4.     Inequity
5.     American Ideals
6.     American Morals
7.     American Work Ethic
8.     American Exceptionalism
9.     UnAmerican
10.  Social Class
11.  Economic Class
12.  Working Class
13.  Middle Class
14.  Upper Class
15.  Poverty
16.  Capitalism
17.  Materialism
18.  Classism
19.  Class Bias
20.  Wage Gap (new term to define)

Groups will:
- Define the term
- Provide a recent example
- Create a visual representation
- Write down the definitions from other groups in the DSJ Vocabulary Guide

Thank you for your participation here!

Poverty Reading: At the end of class, we had students read this excerpt from a book called "See Poverty... Be the Difference!" by Donna Beagle:


Update: apparently students did not get to this, so we will after break! 

We will continue with this for a bit next class, as well as attend the Westview Choir performance as we go out on Winter Break! Thanks, everyone!
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Wednesday, December 13, 2017

12/13 - Class Recap


A quote at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington, DC. Senator-Elect Doug Jones of Alabama used this quote during his speech last night.

Dear class,

With our shorter Wednesday today, we were mainly focused on providing some scaffolding and context for key terms in the unit on Class. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets Addressed:
I can communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
I can apply understanding of ideas and concepts to a new context or problem.
I can demonstrate an understanding of the role of governments in current issues.
I can effectively conduct and apply research.

Soundtrack: "Walk on Water" by 30 Seconds to Mars. Selected for today because of the music video (which we played in class) having a lot to do with the themes we are talking about.



AGENDA 12/13/17:
Check-In
Current Event
Key Vocabulary Activity

Homework: Read the blog! Catch up on any missing work. Next Current Event: Christian, Ben, and Isaac.
---
If you missed class or wanted to see the presentation that guided our class for the day, it is here:


Check In: At the beginning of class, we asked students what they were up to outside of class and if there was anything they wanted to share with everyone before we got started with the day. Thanks for your participation, as always!

Current Event: After checking in, this is the presentation that Jordan, Nathan, and Lili the class through:


An article about the story they took a look at is here:


As a reminder, this is the assignment for the current event:


The next Current Event will be led by Christian, Ben, and Isaac.

 Key Vocabulary Activity: We know that the DSJ Vocabulary Guide is a bit daunting, so we wanted to take the key terms from the unit and split them up so that small groups of 2-3 could define them. Here are the terms and the requirements that went along with this assignment:

1.     Wealth
2.     Pursuit of Happiness
3.     Equity
4.     Inequity
5.     American Ideals
6.     American Morals
7.     American Work Ethic
8.     American Exceptionalism
9.     UnAmerican
10.  Social Class
11.  Economic Class
12.  Working Class
13.  Middle Class
14.  Upper Class
15.  Poverty
16.  Capitalism
17.  Materialism
18.  Classism
19.  Class Bias
20.  Wage Gap (new term to define)

Groups will:
- Define the term
- Provide a recent example
- Create a visual representation
- Write down the definitions from other groups in the DSJ Vocabulary Guide

This is where we ended today! Thanks for your hard work, everyone! Keep it up!
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Monday, December 11, 2017

12/11 - Class Recap


We talked today about global wealth inequality. This is a photo from high up in the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Photo taken in 2014.

Hello everyone,

Welcome back to our last full week together before Winter Break! Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets Addressed:
I can communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
I can apply understanding of ideas and concepts to a new context or problem.
I can demonstrate an understanding of the role of governments in current issues.
I can effectively conduct and apply research.

Soundtrack: "Just a Dream" by Nelly. Selected for today because of our continued conversation about the American Dream. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 12/11/17:
Check-In
Current Event
American Dream
Wealth Inequality

Homework: Read the blog! Catch up on any missing work. Next Current Event: Jordan, Nathan, and Lili.

Check In: At the beginning of class, we asked students what they were up to outside of class and if there was anything they wanted to share with everyone before we got started with the day.

Current Event: After checking in, this is the presentation that Britain, Srey, Patrick, and Levi led the class through:


An article about the story they took a look at is here:


Just last night I (Mr. Fritz) watched an INCREDIBLE documentary about this story. If you are interested, Icarus is on Netflix.

As a reminder, this is the assignment for the current event:


The next Current Event will be led by Jordan, Nathan, and Lili.

American Dream: At the end of last class, we had students do a short write on the following prompts: What is the American Dream? Do you believe it currently exists and is attainable for everyone?

We asked students to share their reflections with a partner, then we had a whole class discussion.

Wealth Inequality: To continue our look at social class, we wanted to do an activity related to wealth. To begin, we asked students to complete this survey:

Wealth Inequality Survey No Names Please :)

How much do I know about wealth inequality in the United States?

A lot! I’ve studied this issue thoroughly in another class.
Some - I’ve heard and read about this issue.
A little - I know some basics.
Nothing - This is the first time I’ve been presented with this issue.

How financially secure is your family?

Very financially secure - As far as I know, we have everything we need and more.
Somewhat financially secure - Money is sometimes an issue in my home, but we don’t want for much.
Not very financially secure - Money is an issue is my home.
Not financially secure - My family is always worried about how to make ends meet, afford rent or mortgage, pay bills, and get food on the table.

After the survey, we had a quick philosophical chairs activity, mainly focused on the last question and our own personal experiences.

Next, we had students break into small groups and walked everyone through this lesson on guessing what wealth inequality looks like around the world: MorningsideCenter.org - Wealth Inequality in America.

Basically, we wanted to see what students thought wealth distribution looks like around the world and in the United States, before we showed this video to the class as to the differences between typical perceptions and reality:



After the video, we ended class with a discussion about what we noticed and reasons for why this wealth distribution pattern might have an impact on our society. That was it for the day! See you on Wednesday. Thanks, everyone!
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Thursday, December 7, 2017

12/7 - Class Recap


The Grand Canyon in Arizona. Photo taken in 2008.

Dear class,

We enjoyed finally getting to talk more about class as a social structure! Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets Addressed:
I can communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
I can apply understanding of ideas and concepts to a new context or problem.
I can demonstrate an understanding of the role of governments in current issues.
I can effectively conduct and apply research.

Soundtrack: "Bugatti (Clean Version)" by Ace Hood. Selected for today because of the social status that owning a Bugatti confers on someone.

AGENDA 12/7/17:
Check-In/Review Agreements
Current Event
The Pursuit of Happyness
Debrief/Vocab Guide
American Dream

Homework: Read the blog! Catch up on any missing work. Next Current Event: Britain, Srey, Patrick, and Levi.

Check In/Review Agreements: At the beginning of class, we went over the Courageous Conversations Agreements, as always, to begin our work together for the day. After checking in, we talked for a while about what is happening in the world outside of class.

Current Event: After checking in, this is the presentation that Emerson, Annabelle, and Piper led the class through (with action item links at the end with the last slide):


An article about the story they took a look at is here:


As a reminder, this is the assignment for the current event:


The next Current Event will be led by Britain, Srey, Patrick, and Levi.

The Pursuit of Happyness: To begin our last major unit of the year, on social class, we wanted to show a feature movie that students could analyze to see the intersections of race, gender, and class. The point here is to see how these concepts are all related (which is why they intersect). The viewing guide we passed out in class for the film can be found here:


We want students to identify challenges based on Race, Gender, and Class in the film, which is available on Netflix.

Debrief/Vocab Guide: After the film, we had a conversation in class about what we noticed in terms of challenges that the main character deals with and their relationship to Race, Gender, and Class. We then had students look into their DSJ vocabulary guide and try to define terms related to Class as a social structure.

American Dream: At the end of class, we had students do a short write on the following prompts: What is the American Dream? Do you believe it currently exists and is attainable for everyone?

We will discuss this more next class! Have a great weekend, everyone!
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Tuesday, December 5, 2017

12/5 - Class Recap


A Rubix Cube features prominently in The Pursuit of Happyness.

Hello everyone,

We continued our new unit on Class (as a social structure) today! Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets Addressed:
I can communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
I can apply understanding of ideas and concepts to a new context or problem.
I can demonstrate an understanding of the role of governments in current issues.
I can effectively conduct and apply research.

Soundtrack: "Miami" by Will Smith. Selected for today because Will Smith is the lead actor in the film we watched and discussed today in class. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 12/5/17:
Check-In/Review Agreements
Current Event
The Pursuit of Happyness

Homework: Read the blog! Catch up on any missing work. Next Current Event: Emerson, Annabelle, and Piper.

Check In/Review Agreements: At the beginning of class, we went over the Courageous Conversations Agreements, as always, to begin our work together for the day. After checking in, we talked for a while about what is happening in the world outside of class.

Current Event: After checking in, this is the presentation that Harley, Alex, Lauren L, Ryan, and Avery led the class through:


An article about the story they took a look at is here:


As a reminder, this is the assignment for the current event:


The next Current Event will be led by Emerson, Annabelle, and Piper.

The Pursuit of Happyness: To begin our last major unit of the year, on social class, we wanted to show a feature movie that students could analyze to see the intersections of race, gender, and class. The point here is to see how these concepts are all related (which is why they intersect). The viewing guide we passed out in class for the film can be found here:


We want students to identify challenges based on Race, Gender, and Class in the film, which is available on Netflix. The class ended with about 21:34 left to show. We will talk more about this next class! See you then!
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Friday, December 1, 2017

12/1 - Class Recap


Today in class, we started watching the film The Pursuit of Happyness, which takes place in San Francisco. This is a photo of downtown San Francisco that I (Mr. Fritz) took in 2010.

Dear class,

We started our new unit on Class (as a social structure) today! Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets Addressed:
I can communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
I can apply understanding of ideas and concepts to a new context or problem.
I can demonstrate an understanding of the role of governments in current issues.
I can effectively conduct and apply research.

Soundtrack: "Mo Money, Mo Problems" by The Notorious B.I.G. Selected for today because of our look at social class. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 12/1/17:
Check-In/Review Agreements
Current Event
The Pursuit of Happyness

Homework: Read the blog! Catch up on any missing work. Next Current Event: Harley, Alex, Lauren L., Ryan, and Avery.

Check In/Review Agreements: At the beginning of class, we went over the Courageous Conversations Agreements, as always, to begin our work together for the day. After checking in, we talked for a while about what is happening in the world outside of class. I told the class about seeing former Vice President Joe Biden at his book talk in Portland yesterday, and how inspiring it was that he had all of the high school students in the audience stand up. He asked them to get involved in public service, because, as he paraphrased the philosopher Plato: "The penalty good people pay for not being involved in politics is being governed by people worse than themselves."

I continue to be inspired by all of you and thankful that you get to help us create a society that we all want to live in! :-)

Current Event: After checking in, this is the presentation that Katelyn, Brenden, Emily, Asher led the class through:


An article about the story they took a look at is here:


As a reminder, this is the assignment for the current event:


The next Current Event will be led by Harley, Alex, Lauren L., Ryan, and Avery.

The Pursuit of Happyness: To begin our last major unit of the year, on social class, we wanted to show a feature movie that students could analyze to see the intersections of race, gender, and class. The point here is to see how these concepts are all related (which is why they intersect). The viewing guide we passed out in class for the film can be found here:


We want students to identify challenges based on Race, Gender, and Class in the film, which is available on Netflix. Today in class, we were able to stop with 1:10. We will continue it next week. Thank you, everyone!
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Wednesday, November 29, 2017

11/29 - Class Recap


One of my favorite photos that I have taken, at the 2012 London Olympics Opening Ceremony. We have talked in class about how sports are definitely gendered.

Hello everyone,

Our first early release Wednesday together since October! Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets Addressed:
I can communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
I can apply understanding of ideas and concepts to a new context or problem.
I can demonstrate an understanding of the role of governments in current issues.
I can effectively conduct and apply research.

Soundtrack: "Kings and Queens" by 30 Seconds to Mars. Selected for today because of the latest royal wedding announcement from the UK and because of the gendered way in which we view both terms. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 11/29/17:
Check-In/Review Agreements
Gender Reflection
Vocabulary Guide

Homework: Read the blog! Catch up on any missing work. Next Current Event: Katelyn, Brenden, Emily, and Asher.
----
Check In/Review Agreements: At the beginning of class, we went over the Courageous Conversations Agreements, as always, to begin our work together for the day. After checking in, we talked for a while about what is happening in the world outside of class, before moving on.

As part of this section, we watched the most recent video created by the Beaverton School District about our conversation with Jordan Thierry about The Black Fatherhood Project. The video is here:


Equity Conversations at Westview H.S. from TeacherSource Videos on Vimeo.

Due to time today, we did not have a Current Event in class.

Gender Reflection: At the end of last class, we took a look at this article to begin wrapping up our gender unit:


Today in class, we did a timed write (for about 20 minutes) for the reflection in class. Thank you for your thoughts here! If you did not get the chance to do this in class, please do so ASAP.

Vocabulary Guide: We did not have the time to get to this today, so we will do so next class!

Thank you for your work today! Next class, we will be starting our last unit before our semester ending "call to action" unit. See you then!
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Monday, November 27, 2017

11/27 - Class Recap


I am sure that at least a few students visited the Oregon Coast over the long Thanksgiving weekend. I took this photo at Cannon Beach in 2009.

Dear class,

Welcome back from your long weekend! We wrapped up our gender unit today and reflected on what we have learned about gender in the media. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets Addressed:
I can communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
I can apply understanding of ideas and concepts to a new context or problem.
I can demonstrate an understanding of the role of governments in current issues.
I can effectively conduct and apply research.

Soundtrack: "Return of the Quack" by Supwitchugirl. Selected for today because the Autzen Stadium jumbotron almost needed a third digit during the Oregon Ducks dominant win over Oregon State in the Civil War (as well as the band name). Lyrics here.

AGENDA 11/27/17:
Check-In/Review Agreements
Current Event
Bechdel Test
Gender and Media

Gender Reflection

Homework: Read the blog! Catch up on any missing work. Next Current Event: the teachers.
----
Check In/Review Agreements: At the beginning of class, we went over the Courageous Conversations Agreements, as always, to begin our work together for the day. After checking in, we talked for a bit about what is happening in the world outside of class, before moving on.

Current Event: After checking in and having the Fire Drill, this is the presentation that we led the class through:


An article about the story we took a look at is here:


As a reminder, this is the assignment for the current event:


The next Current Event will also be led by the teachers.

Bechdel Test: This is another way at looking at gender in media, and specifically, films. The test is simply this:

1. It has to have at least two [named] women in it
2. Who talk to each other
3. About something besides a man

Here is the website we showed in class that helped explain the test and whether or not movies pass the test (a ton of movies do not): BechdelTest.com

Gender and The Media: Because we wanted students to have an excuse over the break to watch their favorite TV show or something in the media, we wanted students to analyze how gender plays a role in their favorite form of media. We had a pair share in class, then took volunteers to talk about what they found with the class. So interesting! If you have not completed this assignment and submitted it on Google Classroom, please do so ASAP.

Gender Reflection: At the end of class, we took a look at this article to begin wrapping up our gender unit:


Next class, we will do a timed write for the reflection in class. It will be our first shorter class Wednesday together in about a month! See you then!
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Monday, November 20, 2017

11/20 - Class Recap


Today in class, we watched an episode of The Office TV show and analyzed how gender was portrayed. This is me jumping for joy outside where The Office was filmed, in Los Angeles. Photo taken in 2009.

Hello everyone,

Happy Thanksgiving! We had a good day in class looking at gender in the media. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets Addressed:
I can communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
I can apply understanding of ideas and concepts to a new context or problem.
I can demonstrate an understanding of the role of governments in current issues.
I can effectively conduct and apply research.

Soundtrack: "Starboy (Radio Edit)" by The Weeknd. Selected for today because of the long upcoming Thanksgiving weekend and due to our ongoing study of gender.

AGENDA 11/20/17:
Check-In/Review Agreements
Current Event
Gender in the World
The Media and Gender

Homework: Read the blog! Complete your Gender in the Media assignment! Catch up on any missing work. Next Current Event: the teachers.
----
Check In/Review Agreements: At the beginning of class, we went over the Courageous Conversations Agreements, as always, to begin our work together for the day. After checking in, we talked for a bit about what is happening in the world outside of class, before moving on.

Current Event: After checking in, we turned it over to Sam N., Dylan, and Matthwe who had the Current Event for the day. This is the presentation that they led us through:


An article about the story they took a look at is here:


As a reminder, this is the assignment for the current event:


The next Current Event will be led by the teachers.

Gender in the World: This was about the quick research project we did last class. The assignment (also posted in Google Classroom) is here:


The goal of this assignment was for students to try and see how gender has an impact around the world in all sorts of ways, and to try and identify some reasons why. We had a pair/share in class as to what students noticed in terms of gender in countries around the world, and then had a class wide discussion on the themes.

The Media and Gender: Because we wanted students to have an excuse over the break to watch their favorite TV show or something in the media, we wanted students to analyze how gender plays a role in their favorite form of media. This could be watching sports, a TV show on Netflix, reading a magazine or book, etc. To begin with this assignment, Ms. Labossiere and I showed an episode of one of our favorite TV series: The Office (US version)! We watched the "Sexual Harassment" episode from Season 2 on Netflix and asked students to note how gender was portrayed throughout the episode. After the episode was over, we had a conversation about what we noticed.

For your assignment over the weekend: Bullet points are fine for notes, and then we want a quick summary (1-2 paragraphs) of what you noticed in watching the show/reading the magazine or book/etc and how it relates to gender.

That was it for the day! Have a great Thanksgiving break and we will see you next Monday! 
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Thursday, November 16, 2017

11/16 - Class Recap


Today, we learned about gender in societies around the world. Photo taken at the Future of Flight museum in 2010.

Dear class,

Thank you for your effort with the assignment in class and your ongoing participation! Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets Addressed:
I can communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
I can apply understanding of ideas and concepts to a new context or problem.
I can demonstrate an understanding of the role of governments in current issues.
I can effectively conduct and apply research.

Soundtrack: "Come As You Are" by Nirvana. Selected for today because Brooklyn suggested it, as a huge Nirvana fan, and for the tie in to the unit and being ourselves. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 11/16/17:
Check-In/Review Agreements
Current Event
Debrief Body Project
Gender in the World

Homework: Read the blog! Next Current Event: Sam N., Dylan, and Matthew.
----
Check In/Review Agreements: At the beginning of class, we went over the Courageous Conversations Agreements, as always, to begin our work together for the day. After checking in, we talked for a bit about what is happening in the world outside of class, before moving on.

Current Event: After checking in, we turned it over to Quinn, Lauren Y, and Tony who had the Current Event for the day. This is the presentation that they led us through:


An article about the story they took a look at is here:


As a reminder, this is the assignment for the current event:


The next Current Event will be the group of: Sam N., Dylan, and Matthew.

Debrief Body Project: This was left over from last class, as we had students analyze historical documents relating to expectations regarding gender and femininity in our society. Here are the images we cut up and had students analyze:


We wanted to check in and see what takeaways the class had in terms of the images and their relation to today. Thank you for your work on this!

Gender in the World: The last part of the day was devoted to looking at how other societies around the world view gender. If you had a particular cultural background you wanted to analyze, that was encouraged, but it could not be the United States. The assignment (also posted in Google Classroom) is here:


The goal of this assignment was for students to try and see how gender has an impact around the world in all sorts of ways, and to try and identify some reasons why. Please submit this assignment via Google Classroom (or a paper copy, if needed), if you did not in class. Thank you! See you next week!
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Tuesday, November 14, 2017

11/14 - Class Recap


We continued our Gender unit today by looking at the way in which society has had an impact on the way in which we view the female body through history. Here is one of the excerpts we had the class analyze and excerpt.

Hello everyone,

Welcome back to our last full week before Thanksgiving! Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets Addressed:
I can communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
I can apply understanding of ideas and concepts to a new context or problem.
I can demonstrate an understanding of the role of governments in current issues.
I can effectively conduct and apply research.

Soundtrack: "American Woman" by Lenny Kravitz. Selected for today because we are continuing to look at the role of gender in our society. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 11/14/17:
Check-In/Review Agreements/Pass Back Letters
Current Event
Gender Pronouns
Documentary Questions and Discussion
The Body Project

Homework: Read the blog! Finish your documentary reflection questions! Next Current Event: Quinn, Lauren, and Tony.
----

Check In/Review Agreements: At the beginning of class, we went over the Courageous Conversations Agreements, as always, to begin our work together for the day. After checking in, we talked for a bit about what is happening in the world outside of class, before moving on. I also passed back student letters from the beginning of the year with my comments - we hope that you are enjoying the class as much as you hoped you would be!

Current Event: After checking in, we turned it over to Esraa D., Miryana C., Brooklyn G., and Kate B. who had the Current Event for the day. This is the presentation that they led us through:


 The article they took a look at is here:


I love how the current events have all had significant ties to what we are learning about in class!

As a reminder, this is the assignment for the current event:


The next Current Event will be the group of: Quinn, Lauren, and Tony.

Gender Pronouns: Next, we wanted to do the activity we saw in the gender documentary, where we practiced identifying ourselves using our names, gender identity, and preferred pronouns. For example, I would say: My name is Luke, I am a cisgender male, and I use he/him/his pronouns. The goal here was to become more comfortable using this language of identification.

Documentary Questions and Discussion: After the documentary last class, we asked students to write a reflection on watching it. The questions were:

What was your overall impression of the documentary?
Did you find yourself experiencing discomfort? How so?
What did you learn about gender?
Is there any information you learned that you will be able to use in the future, with your interactions with peers, family, or children?

If you have not turned this in via Google Classroom, please do so. We had a conversation in class about our reactions to the film - thank you for your engagement here!

 The Body Project: The last part of class was spent analyzing the role of society's expectations on women throughout history. These images were selected from a book I had in college at Western Oregon University in a Gender Studies class, called The Body Project by Joan Jacobs Brumberg, which I highly recommend. Here are the images we cut up and had students analyze:


Part of the book has to deal with the obsession over what a woman should look like, so we wanted students to look at these historical examples, annotate them like Mrs. Labossiere did at the start of the unit with Serena Williams, and find connections to present day examples. We shared out what we found at the end of class! Thank you for your continued effort and work!
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