Reflection pre-Christmas classes:
The first semester flew by much too fast. There didn’t seem to be enough time to absorb all the events, achievements and lessons learned. As is my tradition “It’s a Wonderful Life” was shared, discussed and written about to remind all of us of what is really important in life. That quality of life is made of the small daily acts of character that create a life, that family, faith and hard work are the foundation of a life well lived. The grand story of James Stewart actually responding to former students letters in 1987 was not only shared, but my personally autographed picture and handwritten note were shared as well. As usual I received emails and texts from former students who were watching the film with loved ones. As we cruise into the spring semester it is my profound hope that my students take with them the life lessons learned beyond the confines of high school.
Sociology:
Students will be able to:
~identify the socio-cultural, economic and political trends that are shaping their future.
~identify social patterns that influence social behavior.
Monday:
Discuss what sociology is and why it is important to not only intellectual growth but practical living.
Watch intro to Love Actually to demonstrate visually social patterns in a large group.
Tuesday:
Watch film of major events from 2012. Discuss impact and repercussions. Project impact on 2013.
Wednesday:
Essay Reflection
Thursday:
Journal: What will my life be like 5, years from now, 10 years and 20 years from ow.
Friday:
Identify cultural patterns that have contributed to life as we know it through discussion.
Intro to Journalism:
Students will be able to:
~identify and discuss the impact of the major news stories of 2012
~based on knowledge of year’s events demonstrate critical thinking skills through reading, writing, discussing and creative projects
Monday:
~Students will list the biggest events in 2012? How will the year be remembered? What will 2013 be like?
Tuesday:
~Quiz yourself. We scoured the headlines and selected the biggest stories from the year to put together our 2012 News Quiz. Students can test their knowledge of current events by taking our quiz, or they can write their own based on the events they think were most important this year.
Wednesday:
Define the year. Take a page from our lesson “From ’00 to ’10: Defining the Decade,” and come up with the defining moments and elements of 2012. What will have lasting impact? In five, 10 or 25 years from now, what will seem “so 2012″?
David Corio Whitney Houston was one of the notable people who died in 2012. Here, she is performing in 1988. Go to related article »Thursday:
Write a eulogy. The year saw the deaths of many important and famous individuals, from Whitney Houston to Neil Armstrong. Visit The Times’ “Notable Deaths of 2012″ page, and choose someone to research and eulogize. Your class can read the eulogies aloud as a tribute to the end of an era.
Make a “Best of 2012″ list. Choose the movies, books, songs or other artistic creations from 2012 that deserve to be on your “best of” list, and explain why this art represents the year’s best. For inspiration, you can refer to The Times’ lists of best books, movies and albums. This activity can might even be more rewarding if done in pairs or groups, since it then requires discussion and negotiating. You might even play with a new tool from The Times, Compendium, and create a collection there, the way this user did with his “Favorite Stories of 2012.”
Friday:
~Predict the future. Think about all that has taken place in 2012, and make your predictions for what will happen in 2013. You can choose news events, like the so-called “fiscal cliff” or Hurricane Sandy, and predict what, if anything, will happen as a result of them in the coming year. Will the U.S. make change in the areas of climate change, budget deficits or gun violence? Or, keep your predictions closer to home. What do you think will happen in your life or school in the next 12 months? Write your predictions and seal them in an envelope, and then don’t open them until this time next year.
~ Rethink the past: Choose a watershed year in global or American history and have students create a retrospective modeled on one or more of the ideas above. Imagine, for instance, the “most searched terms” if Google had existed in 1776, or a “Words of the Decade” compiled by someone in, say, Elizabethan England.