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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