Journal Template for Mr. May’s Classes
1] Write about two [2] things you learned about in school last week. At least one [1] of the items should be from this class. Be thorough in your explanation of what you learned.
EXAMPLE:
Learning is a lifelong process, we can learn many different things from many different people. Setting up your apple mouse in the system preferences was something new to me this week and I have been using Macs for twenty plus years. I knew you could change the click speed and drag speed but not set a secondary click for right clicking. [thanks Kylie] A second thing I learned was what the electoral map from 1984 looked like in our current color configuration of red states for Republicans and blue states for Democrats. Walter Mondale only carried one state and the District of Columbia, so the map was almost totally red. Finally I learned that many more Sophomore parents are interested in their students success . Open House on Wednesday was attended by more parents than in the past. Maybe the calling notification of Infinite Campus worked?
2] Write about two [2] things you learned in the news by watching CNN Student News or from current events outside the classroom. Be specific and somewhat detailed, add your opinion of why this is a news worthy and important event.
EXAMPLE:
Diana Nyad was attempting to swim from Cuba to Florida. Her trip was plagued with jellyfish, storms, and a harsh sun. In her fourth, and self-proclaimed final, attempt at age 63 she couldn’t overcome the obstacles involved in this type of endurance swim. What makes a person try this type of activity? In my opinion it is shear determination to do something that very few have even tried, and to seek a type of thrill that few of us will ever know.
At one time Lance Armstrong was looked up to by millions. It’s hard to believe that this “poster boy” for drugging in athletics can even be respected. It was announced Friday that the 7 time Tour de France bicycle champion would be stripped of his titles and banned from the sport forever. The biggest surprise will come with the naming of the person or persons that will inherit his wins, performance enhancing drugs were so prevalent that many who raced at the time of Armstrong’s wins have been investigated or banned as well.
3] Answer the “Question of the Week”, if presented, in an essay type response.
EXAMPLE:
QotW- What was one of the common factors that lead to the downfall of most of the early civilizations in North and South America?
The main factor that led to the downfall of most of the early civilizations in North and South America was the exploration and colonization of the “New World” by European powers. From England and France to Spain and Portugal the America’s were transformed to fit what Europe believed a civilized society should look like.
The Spanish Conquistadors conquered the advanced civilizations in Mexico and South America. All the while plundering those civilizations for GOLD. Hernan Cortez conquered the Aztec’s of Mexico, while Francisco Pizzaro conquered the Inca’s of South America. The Aztec’s an Inca’s had been powerful Mezo-American civilizations that ruled vast amounts of land. The Spanish, obviously, brought better military technology but also carried diseases that the Native Americans had no resistance to.
The English and French conquered areas of, what would become, the United States and Canada. The English and French were after the same natural resources that the Spanish plundered from Central and South America. Most importantly gold, although gold was not as plentiful in the North and the natural resources of land, lumber, and fish became more important after some time passed.
The European powers vastly changed, not only, the landscape of the America’s, but also the diversity of Native American Civilizations that had existed for hundreds of years in North and South America. All civilizations throughout history have risen and fallen, no great civilization has escaped the fate of declining and, at least, having to rebuild itself. Only time will tell if the same fate faces the current civilizations in North and South America, we have really only had a couple hundred years of existence.