Welcome Back to Think Spot!

Hello Everyone,

      Thank you all so very much for letting me know that you all use this as a resource.  I will double and redouble my efforts to make weekly posts here for you to use in your learning.  Please know that Dubbs and I are proud of you.  It is a great feeling to know that learning is still happening even though we are not in the classroom with you all.

      Today, here are the essential questions that are your exit slips:

1. Why could the Constitution be considered a "political innovation" of its time?

2. How did the Founding Fathers use "synthesis" and "inquiry" to create the Constitution?

3. Why do you think it's called the American "Revolution"?

      These questions can also be found on edmodo.  Please respond to one or all of these questions in a new post.  Also, get ready for a Socratic Seminar as well as something new...  PINWHEEL DISCUSSIONS and PHILOSOPHICAL CHAIRS!!  These are really fun designs for academic conversations.  We hope you enjoy your day.  We miss you.

From the cluttered mind of C & Dubbs, Teachers
School District of Waukesha
Waukesha STEM Academy

The Bill of Rights: 10 Ammendments...

Hey Gang,

      Today is another FLEX day.  I will be here at noon and be staying until 8pm.  As for the day today, there are a few things you must do.

1. Finish both the modules that have been assigned over the past two weeks.  ( Slip Game & 7 Principles)
2. Log onto Edmodo and join the group Bill of Rights: 10 Ammendments
3. Read the TIME Magazine article Your Bill of Rights
4. Contribute to an academic discussion centered on the Bill of Rights.

The issues addressed in the Bill of Rights include freedom of religion, press, speech, and assembly; the right to keep and bear firearms; the right to refuse to house soldiers on private property; the right to trial by jury and due process of law; protection against unreasonable searches and seizures; and protection against cruel and unusual punishment. These subjects would be covered in the first eight of ten amendments known as the Bill of Rights. Madison used the Virginia Declaration of Rights, written by George Mason in 1776, as he led the development of the national Bill of Rights.


From the cluttered mind of C,
Teacher School District of Waukesha
Waukesha STEM Academy

Constitutional Principles II...

Happy Monday Teenie Boppers,

      It is great to be back here with all of you.  I hope your module on Friday helped you construct some meaning out of the Constitution.  Those 7 principles we found in the module can be found and revisited in the media below...

7 Constitutional Principles

Hippocampus Constitutional Principles

      I would highly suggest you revisit at least one of these links to set your table for class.  As we discuss your understanding and learning from last week, there is an essential question we all need to keep in our minds.  Why do you think the Framers and Founders emphasized these constitutional principles so much?

      Remember, you have two modules due tomorrow.  The Slip Game module and the 7 Principles module from last week.  Once you have set your table, revisited some of the media, and have your work, meet in community circle.  Enjoy!



From the cluttered mind of C, Teacher
School District of Waukesha
Waukesha STEM Academy

WICR & Constitutional Principles...

Happy Friday Gang,

      Today is Friday, December 14, 2012.  Your teachers will miss you today, and hope you all have a phenomenal weekend.  As you start your work for the day, remember that you will be doing modules for both myself and Dubbs.  Her Module can be found on Edmodo. My module can be found on Bb9  in the same place as the first module you did on the Constitution.

          Historical Literacy - Founding & Framing - Immerse - The Constititution

When you get into The Constititution you will see the Slip Game module, and you will also see 7 Constitutional Principles.  The 7 Constitutional principles are Popular Sovereignty, Limited Government, Federalism, Checks and Balances, Separation of Powers, Republicanism, and Individual Rights.  There is an 8th one called Judicial Review, but I don't think the Founders & Framers had this in mind when they wrote the original document.  Just focus on the main 7.

      The graphic organizer from this module will be due next Tueday.  We will need the graphic organizer for an activity to be done together in class.  Enjoy!  Learn.  Construct Meaning.

Yours Truly,
C

From the cluttered mind of C, Teacher
School District of Waukesha
Waukesha STEM Academy

From Founding Fathers to The Constitution...

Hello from the SLATE Conference,

      Please view the links below and read the short blog post that follows.  Last week we tried to take a close look at the first 5 Presidents.  Those men were not just our first Presidents, but they were also what historians call our FOUNDING FATHERS.  We will be switching gears here to look at the work they did on The Constitution, The Declaration of Independence, and The Bill of Rights.  

      A CONSTITUTION is a legal framework for government.  It tells how a government is organized and run.  Most constitutions are in writing, but some have unwritten parts.  If a constitution tells a government how to run, then what are the purposes of government?  How should governments be organized?  How are people selected to serve in government, and how is government supposed to go about doing business?  
      
Having a constitution does not mean that a nation has a CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT.  A constitutional government means that there are limits on the powers of government: Limited Government.  This means there are things the government cannot do and actions it may not take.  Our constitution limits the powers of government.  The limits are written into the Constitution.

The CONSTITUTION with Tim and Moby

Webmix on Symbaloo

From the cluttered minds of C & Dubbs, Teachers
School District of Waukesha
Waukesha STEM Academy

TLH Categories: How do you think we have met these learning targets?

Good Morning and Good Day,

      Some of these faces should start to look fairly familiar by now.  One, two, and three are GW, JA, and TJ.  Hopefully, if time permits, we will be able to get to 4 and 5.  The two men that followed Jefferson were also Virginians, James Madison and James Monroe.

     Here are the Learning Targets we are trying to meet.  What do you think?  How have we met them?  Have we met them completely?

I can classify series of historical events and developments as examples of change and/or continuity.

I can analyze multiple factors that influenced the perspectives of people during different historical eras.

From the cluttered minds of C & Dubbs, Teachers
District of Waukesha
Waukesha STEM Academy

TLH Categories: TE, TP, & CE...

Happy Midday 8th Graders,

      Below you will find the link to the graphic organizer needed to complete our work today.  We have been looking at the first few Presidents to find examples of Turning Points, Cause and Effect Relationships, and Through Their Eyes Perspectives.  We are looking within Historical Context to apply what we have learned so far: TP, TE, CE.

TLH Graphic Organizer

      Here are the Learning Targets we are trying to meet.  What do you think?  How have we met them?  Have we met them completely?

I can classify series of historical events and developments as examples of change and/or continuity.

I can analyze multiple factors that influenced the perspectives of people during different historical eras.












From the cluttered mind of C, Teacher
District of Waukesha
Waukesha STEM Academy

Welcome Back: TLH & Turning Points

Good Day to Everyone,

      Welcome back from a great extended weekend.  We're getting started right away so make sure your tables are set to do great thinking.  We are leaving The American Indian Story and The Holocaust behind as we continue on into U.S. History.  Our next topic of study will be the Founding and Framing of the United States of America.  Today specifically, we are starting with the year 1776.

      1776 was a TURNING POINT for our country.  Some historians refer to dramatic changes as turning points.  A turning point signifies a profound change in one or more of the major arena of human experience (political, social, economic, or cultural/intellectual).  Why do you think the year 1776 could be considered a TURNING POINT?


TLH Blog Post

From the cluttered minds of C & Dubbs, Teachers
School District of Waukesha
Waukesha STEM Academy

WKCE, 5 Paragraph Essays, and Thesis Statements: CONTEXT, SUBJECT, CLAIM...

Good Day,

      Today is Tuesday, November 13, 2012.  Beth and I saw a lot of great work yesterday as we took a deeper look at THESIS STATEMENTS.  Here are some examples of what I found as I looked over your work...

      "As an American Indian, what happened to many a tribe would seem like a genocide, and make the U.S. government seem like a cruel, unforgiving enemy.  As an American citizen however, what happened did not seem like a genocide.  I do not think it was genocide, as the majority of those killed died of natural causes." 

      "I've concluded in relation to the genocide known as the Holocaust that the Native American story was in fact a genocide though the context of their conflicts."

      "During the 1600's (17th Century) started the uprise of the American Indian story.  even before that the Native Americans held their land as a gift.  A big event that started a controversy was the Trail of Tears.  This was a controversy because some people think it was a genocide and some people don't think it was.  This all leads up to whether the whole American Indian Story was a genocide.  I think it wasn't a genocide."

      "I'm not sure if the Native American story was a genocide or not.  There are some things that match up and some things that don't.  

      The students who wrote these thesis statements have been left anonymous due to the fact that I did not ask their permission before I posted them here.  Beth and I do try very hard to respect your academic work.  Were you able to find a CONTEXT, SUBJECT, and a CLAIM?




From the cluttered minds of C & Dubbs, Teachers
School District of Waukesha
Waukesha STEM Academy

Thesis Statements: CONTEXT, SUBJECT, CLAIM...

Happy Monday Y'all,

      I'll try to make this short and sweet.  There are three words for this week:


CONTEXT
SUBJECT
CLAIM

Thesis Statement Media

     
      Where's Max when you need him?  Just like STOP, THINK, REACT, the three words for this week will carry us into next week's visit to Waukesha West.  Next Tuesday we will be visiting our Sophomore friends so we can share our writing with other students.

From the cluttered minds of C 7 Dubbs, Teachers
School District of Waukesha
Waukesha STEM Academy