The End of Times ...

We simply had another wacky election. Results are still trickling in, but it looks like Biden will become the 46th US President, with McConnell and the Republicans running the Senate & Pelosi (?) and the Democrats running the House of Representatives. The only thing truly uniting us is that EVERYONE is upset over some candidate winning or not winning. Hey, the healing has to begin in some way, right?

I will hopefully have grades done on Friday, but I may spill over into Monday. Please know that I cannot always accept and check for late work. There is a built-in "cushion" and I often give an extra day before I archive the assignment (by moving it to a new category/sliding it "down" the GooClass page). It simply becomes too messy and difficult to constantly check late work. I periodically offer Extra Credit opportunities in order to help those of you who may forget something or simply had a rough week. 

I may have to delay the assessment of Exam 1.2 Short Answer responses. Remember that I care less about the score than I do about how and what you responded. The effect on your course grade was negligible, btw. No more MC exams - we're done with 'em! From here on out, you'll work with your group to deconstruct, plan, and present an answer for class review. My ToK students figured out that recording a Zoom chat is the best way to do it, so look to them for guidance when we get to that point. 

For Q2, I have developed some more consistent planning on a week-to-week basis:

MON/TUES is when we will start with a class read-aloud/markup, then veer off into collaborative work and/or individual work. You should also consider looking ahead to the next week's material, which could help you plan and establish some quality study/free time.

The WIL is posted on Wednesday and  ALWAYS DUE on MONDAY by midnight. I'll start reading them on Tuesday and finish them on Weds. They are slimmed down a bit. PArts 1 & 3 can be short, leaving you to focus on the actual WIL Question. Also, while I am no longer requiring the What I DId & What I Learned components, you could/should continue to reflect on those as you ponder the actual weekly question.

1. Share what has been going on in your life (& all of ours, really) outside of the classroom. 
2. Explore & Answer the Weekly Question - this should be a THOROUGH ANALYSIS! 
3. What did you like and/or not like from the week and maybe a declaration of academic achievement – what is your LEARNER grade?  (If we had a seminar, consider reflecting on that specifically)

Seminar Pre-Work is DUE on WEDNESDAY by 12PM. You also have to complete the TASK SURVEY as an attendance check on WEDNESDAYS.

THURS/FRI is set aside for SEMINARS, with the opening bit reserved for small groups to share & explore their Pre-Work responses and any guiding question(s) developed by me or your peers. We'll then come back as a large class to debrief and review anything I want to make sure you picked up during the week.

IB Exam Registration closes on Friday Nov 6th. It is cost-prohibitive to try to register late (if it is even possible). So, if you are hoping for some college credit from a good IB score, register IMMEDIATELY!

You can get a nice visual for every week by looking at the Q2 Calendar tab. Remember that you can also see my 20-21 IBA PLANNER tab, which remains a living (& changing) document.

Enjoy the outdoors while you can - it's gonna be amazing through the weekend! Then those Nordic types begin to get excited on Tuesday when snow falls again.

Boo!

Our Final Weekend before the end of the world Q1! This will be more hectic than usual, due to the election, pandemic, return of nice weather, college application deadlines, various things. I’ll run through a recap of Q1 things and give you a hint of what we’ll be attempting Q2 (& beyond?). Just try to take some time and enjoy outside over the next week or two. But be careful when interacting with others (especially within closed spaces). COVID19 transmission is rising again and it could get VERY bad before it gets better again.

Please complete & submit Exam 1.2 by 11:59 PM Monday. I'll run through them while following election news on Tuesday. We don't "see" one another until Weds/Thurs, but I will still be available to Zoom/GMeet with you during regular class hours on M & T.  I nixed the Q1 Final Exam, btw. Q2 Exams will be small group affairs. You'll get a previous IB question, deconstruct it, prepare an answer, then present it to the class (slides). It has worked well every other year, so I hope it works this year. MY ToK students are doing presentations next week, which will serve as our practice run-through.

Our final assessment, Seminar 1.9 Reparations, is next Weds/Thurs postponed to a later date - due to the election and immediate aftermath. Please complete the Pre-Work as soon as possible, though. Really think about your response(s)! Also do some of your own research on the issue. We have a unique perspective from Mpls, but it is a topic anyone can relate to, imho. This is usually one of the best seminars, since it hits many issues (past, present & future!), and I hope you are comfortable in sharing your thoughts. While difficult, it is important that we are honest, open, and willing to share & listen. It's the only way we can work to repair/heal.

I got a kick out of your Stream-of-Consciousness note-taking! Some of you just can’t break out of your “formal” student mode. I was looking for your side comments and questions. ANY stream-of-consciousness activity should include some wacky things that pop into your head as you (try to) follow any type of information dump or experience. If you are wondering what I am referring to, ask any of the following: Rachel P, Thea P, Austin C, Zoe H, Luke P, Connor R, Nathaniel G, or Reid W. Kieran P, Eleanor W, and Megan A also have interesting takes. Some of you took fantastic content-based notes (Julianna H, Etta L, Megan T, Grace U, Frank H, Ryan Mu, Tiegan P, Ashley P, Leah S, Alex G, Maddie N, Laura P, and Sam ST), but didn’t share what other thoughts popped into your brain. I am trying to get you to focus on THINKING more than rote memorization. Absorb, learn, and ponder!

Some may be wondering about the Extra Credit not showing up in the gradebook. Allow me to explain how I do this … Extra Credit is invisible to you and is not calculated until the end of the Qtr. As you do it (EC WILs, The MMission Character Web, etc.),I enter it from my end, but you see nothing and it does NOT affect your grade. Next Friday, I add it to your grade calculation. So, your missed WIL remains a ZERO, but your total points for the WIL category will be greater than what you see. THAT is the EC.

I have decided to modify your WILs, which you (hopefully) noticed in the later one(s). I am eliminating 2-3 of the paragraph requirements and will rotate through some different components for one required response, in addition to the typical “WIL question” presented every time. It will be easier for you & me. I still hope you actually take some time to reflect on what was done & what you learned, regardless of whether or not I am formally requesting it in the WIL response. Reflection is a key learning tool (for academics & life!) and can help in many ways.

Beginning next week, we have "official" Asynchronous Days (typically Weds). In place of the generic Attendance Check GForm, I will be using my weekly survey to take attendance on such days. Now, we also cheat a little and I give you other Asynch days, due to the nature of IB (A LOT of reading and collecting thoughts), but remember that I am ALWAYS available and will even offer opportunities to read through docs with me – LIVE! – and follow as I/you/we process things together. Some – many – most(?) may not want to experience my melodious voice as I read historical documents aloud, which is understandable (if not hurtful – I jest), so you can go ahead and read on your own.

In Q2, I will again try to have one Seminar per week. You’ll notice we had nine in Q1 (average of 1 per week!), but the schedule was awkward. I’ll do my best to plan things out so there is one per week again, hopefully over the last 2 days of the week. That will leave M&T as check-in, intro, support, etc. Now, I must also confess something. With only a few modification (elimination of material & activities), we covered EVERYTHING I normally go through in a normal Q1. IF you followed along & did everything, you have successfully adapted & will be a stronger student for your sacrifice. If not, that is also OK – this model leaves MUCH to be desired. I’ll pull back a little Q2, as I think we found our groove, but I will be adding some auxiliary content for those who are taking the IB HL History exam or anyone who simply likes the content.

I also want to address Late Work. Seminar Pre-Work will be posted (at least) a week in advance and be due by noon the day before IBA1 meets for the seminar. Sometimes, it will be generic (like the first ones), but I may add more questions. I will post WILs on Weds, with the expectation that they are done & SUBMITTED by Monday. These NEED to be done by those times so I can use them for the seminar and/or refinement of future lessons. I will again offer 1-2 extra credit WILs in case you miss a deadline. I’ll also offer an EC opportunity that will cover a missed Seminar. If you miss a seminar for some reason, do not worry (missing one will NOT destroy your grade – heck missing 2 probably won’t hurt either). But I cannot go back and look for work that was submitted late or forgotten to be submitted in the first place. Think of each assignment as an election ballot that must be turned in on time!

Lastly, we are entering the months of despair. A holiday season without the normal cheer and family gatherings (yes, they’re awkward, but also enriching) will be unusual for many. I am anticipating some (increased?) anxiety/depression/yucks in ALL of us. We have to be honest with one another. If you’re struggling, tell someone! I hope you (now) know you can trust me to be fair & understanding. I am trying to do my best in preparing you for (post-secondary) life after we emerge from this experience. 2020 ends in 2 months, but COVID will affect daily life for at least another year. We’ve lost too many lives already, while some have recovered with ongoing issues. Each of those lives & experiences have affected even more people (some in our own circles, if not ourselves). Remember to take care of yourself, then your family, friends, faith (in any order). We can’t physically lean on one another or even give a hug, but we CAN listen, understand, and offer encouragement/support. Things will get hard(er), but they also get easier. The struggles of a 4yo learning to tie a shoe are similar to you doing an IA or some other big school task. That first paragraph you wrote in 2^nd grade is similar to the college essay you are writing (or have written) now. Meanwhile, your parents/guardians are trying to not only guide & support you, but also figure out how to give you want you want/need! You CAN hug each other!

Seriously – go outside and enjoy the weather over the next 1-2 weeks!

 

 

Exam 1.2 (Keen LAC4&6/Keen HLA 4&5) Prep

I showed you how to Make a Copy of any MSWord/GDocs I upload, namely the Keen HLA Review sheet for his textbook chapters. Remember that if you have great difficulty deciphering the primary sources (Keen LAC), you should use the Keen HLA Textbook as a backup. While the chapter numbers do not align perfectly, the Table of Contents and even a simple word search should help.

Share notes with one another if you feel it helps (collaboration is always a plus). If you have other questions, ask me tomorrow.  IF you have been paying attention in class, I have no doubt that you'll do fine on this exam. If you completed the Pre-Seminar Work BEFORE class on Monday, I emailed the responses to you. If you did NOT complete the work on time, you should have had your own responses sent to you. I’ll resend the link to ALL responses on Tues or Weds. DO NOT process ALL of the keywords in that Keen HLA Review Sheet - I covered the "testable" ones in our review! There are a couple of MC questions set aside to check for deep understanding of the primary courses (Keen LAC), so focus on knowing the material from Unit 02 (pages 135-187). I cut the Keen LAC 7 material from this exam, but we'll start with those readings Q2 (which begins with independence movements).

There are TWO (2) Exam Sections (Complete BOTH within the 50 minutes of the allotted time):

1. Multiple Choice (MC) has 26 questions
2. Short Answer (SA) has 4 Components with a total of 8 questions

I will make the exam LIVE on Weds at 8:30AM. You have to find a 55-minute block of time between then and Monday 11:59 PM in which to complete it. If you need additional time, by all means, take it, but make a note at the beginning of your response: (EXTRA)     This is so we all know how you would fare in a strictly-enforced timed test. Again, this type of exam is for you to develop some skills and me to see if you are trying. Beginning Q2, exams will be small group presentations!

We are asynchronous on Weds (please make sure you complete the Attendance Check-In!) and we still meet on Thurs/Fri! I will confirm that a Letter of Recommendation was uploaded on Weds. We should cover Seminar 1.9 Reparations expectations. I will also answer any Exam topic questions you may have lingering before you tackle it. I can also address any additional questions or concerns you have about this exam, extra credit, etc.

If you are having tech difficulties, contact the MPS IT Gurus - they can help! If you are freaking out over college application, the election, the pandemic, etc. ... BREATHE! Well, not on or around anyone else, but you know that by now, I hope. Things have a crazy way of working out. We sometimes don't get what we want, but other opportunities arise and I genuinely believe that 

Las Casas

Seminar 1.7 focused on Las Casas. Seminar 1.8 will explore Keen’s take on Spanish Colonial government & policy. I hope you read EVERYTHING (pp 135- 187) for this unit (thus far). It is the foundation upon which I built Exam 1.2.

You started off by exploring the following in your Study Groups: 

• Dig into WHO & WHAT he was …
• MANY did NOT address "What were his beliefs?" question - do it now
• What changed - why did he change - how did he change & did he succeed?
• Explore your perception of his Legacy - did anyone read more about him?
• What about his character - can you develop a consensus? If so, what is it? If not …
• What is the progression of Spanish Colonial Policy regarding Los Indigenes? (Keen)
• What changed - why did it change - how did it change & did the change(s) work?

As a class, we then approached the following: 

• What is his legacy?
• Is he a hero? What evidence supports this?
• Is he simply a bad guy? What evidence supports this?
• How does (y)our (Historiographic?) Study of Las Casas project him?
• Did you get multiple perspectives of Las Casas (from the assigned readings)?
• Regarding The Mission, did you make any connections with ... Rodrigo (DeNiro) & Las Casas?

I'm going to ask that you read a little more about the Black Legend via Wikipedia and/or this shorter explanation. You should also watch the last five minutes of John Green's Crash Course US History 01 "The Black Legend, Native Americans, & Spaniards": (https://youtu.be/6E9WU9TGrec?t=349)

What he did for the indigenous population of the Americas was profound - he worked tirelessly to free them from slavery and improve their lives...from HIS perspective.  He wanted to convert them all, which had a definite impact on their culture & civilization.  While he wanted to give the land back and allow them to rule themselves, he also wanted to convert them...ALL of them to Christianity.  Furthermore, when removing the labor supply from a system designed around slavery (Encomienda), it simply shifts the focus to other groups - namely, West Africans.  So, even though he could not have imagined it, the "humanization" of the indigenous populations of the Americas contributed to the African Slave Trade, perhaps even inspiring it. While his BFF (Charles) had his back, Las Casas was more interested in preserving and expanding the power of the (Catholic) Church. Yes, Las Casas was more morally centered than his contemporaries on this and other issues, but he was not infallible.

Also know (some of) the role & influence of the Pope on political and economic affairs. Las Casas outmaneuvered the Holy Roman Emperor by getting the Pope “on his side” when Charles would not listen. This then affected what Spain did (& had a subsequent effect on Portuguese America, as well). 

As an aside, I hope you are working to draw original connections with your own analyses of what we do in this course. Step into the role of a historian while also maintaining your role as a learner...learn to learn again. Explore, consider, and follow kernels to ideas and concepts that may be new to all of us.

Spirits, Demons, Elections, Grades & Other Seasonal Things

Whoever decided to place Halloween, Elections and the end of a grading term all within the same 1-week window is a sadist. Oh, and add the ACT two weeks before that week!

I thought I'd share a selfie from inside my home without a functioning furnace. Worst thing is that I have frozen little piggies if I am not wearing slippers or thick socks, even though I tend to walk around the house like Reuben coaches girls soccer games. While the girls lost (putting up an admirable fight and certainly made me proud in doing so), the boys are choosing to host SLP at 5PM on Tuesday Wednesday due (partially) to the weather forecast. We may need an orange ball. 😖 If we win, we either host SW or visit Wayzata on Thursday Friday (time TBD). Meanwhile, I don't get a new furnace installed until Tues Oct 27th.

As for class, I have created the IBA Contact/Study Groups. I bolded one person (or 2 in the larger groups of 6 - which will self-determine sub-groups of 3) as my main go-to contact. These will also be your Small Discussion Groups, which will then be combined/split to form the Split-Class Groups (of approx 10ish students each). IBA2 has to split into the Small Groups of 3, from which I'll make the 3 larger groups of 10. We'll try them out Q2, when I also plan to roll out some other modifications.

As for what remains through Q1, please make sure you do EVERYTHING in the GooClass "To-Do" Topic:

WIL 1.5 Legacy should be done, but I will read them through Weds.

Biography of America 03 Video Lecture & Note-taking Exercise. It's 26 mins, consider speeding it up, but I want you to take notes - READ & FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS! We will go over them at some point over the next crazy 3 weeks.

Seminar 1.7 Las Casas has readings by & about Las Casas, as well as primary sources from Keen (LAC 4 & LAC 6). If you have difficulty with the primary sources from Keen LAC, you should skim through chapters 4 & 5 from his textbook (Keen HLA). You were also to watch The Mission. The Pre-Work is due now, but the DEADLINE is noon Weds. An extra credit assignment for The Mission will be posted tomorrow - please only do it if you are REALLY struggling with missing work! 

Seminar 1.8 Exam 1.2 Review has MANY little things, since it is a review of sorts for Exam 1.2. You have to read some things from the GREEN booklet, watch (or re-watch) some Crash Course vids, and complete the Pre-Work by 6PM Sunday. We'll process these things in class on Mon & Tues, so you will (hopefully) do MUCH better on Exam 1.2 on Thurs/Fri. Please do NOT cheat by asking or offering insight. It's icky, shady, and violates the honor code.

WIL 1.6 Slavery will be posted on Oct 28 at 8:30 AM & it is due by 6PM Sun Nov 1st.

Seminar 1.9 (Slavery &) Reparations will be posted on Friday Oct 23rd at 1PM. You will have to read two short (4 pages total) documents, but I am asking you to conduct some of your own research. The Pre-Work is due by 6PM Sun Nov 1st.

There will be some sort of Final Exam on Mon 11-2/Tues 11-3. The idea is to put you into your small groups and you will be assigned a previous IB question (or something similar) to deconstruct, prepare an answer, then share your answer in notes & a brief presentation. IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION HERE!!! Look below:

The election is Tuesday Nov 3rd - VOTE! IF you are an IBA4 or IBA5 students and you are serving as an election judge, you need to let me know ASAP. I will place you into a group (or groups) of peers in a similar situation & you will complete your Final Exam on Monday AFTERNOON/EVENING in a 90-minute block DETERMINED BY YOUR GROUP. Election Day is a loooooonnng day for EVERYONE, so be prepared to be exhausted on Weds. We may probably will not have a full picture of the results until a few days weeks later ... UNLESS it is a blowout. 

Seminar 1.9 (Slavery &) Reparations will take place on Weds 11-4/Thurs 11-5. Yes, we will debrief the election, but this topic is usually VERY interesting & insightful. It's timing is planned as a Q1 summative and serves as a foundation for what and how we frame future topics. I LOVE this topic and it is something I have been doing for over 10 years now.

Lastly - I signed EVERYONE up for a FREE New York Times account. Check your MPS email. It used to be limited to 10 students last year. My nemesis, Elizabeth Stockbridge, figured this whole thing out last year - but it looks to be unlimited now. It runs through Sept 2021. Enjoy!

Oh yeah - Aliens.

The Mission ...

 ... is proving to be more difficult (even impossible) to watch from home. If you have a Mac or Windows machine, you are probably OK, so long as you download & install VLC Media Player. Those with Chromebooks should make sure your device is up-to-date and install VLC via the Chrome Web Store - READ & FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS. I am trying to upload another version of the film to GooClass, but it may also not be playable. We have to figure out a solution for other things moving forward. If you solved this conundrum (Mac, Windows & Chromebook), share your knowledge with me & others!

UPDATE 1: I DID find a FREE version via YouTube! Check the GooClass for the link.

Remember that I am available for 1-on-1 meetings regarding Exam 1.1 analysis & advice. Just pop in during your scheduled hour and we can bounce ideas back and forth. If you missed it today, consider popping in tomorrow. Shoot me an email in the AM and we can schedule a Zoom.

UPDATE 2: After some conversations with a handful of your peers, I think we have ideas to share. I will update the blog after every M/T and Th/F seminar lesson. I will also add either a midweek (Weds) or Weekend post. These will be summaries of main ideas, any notes, and major takeaways. As you read/review them, you should take a minute or two in order to simply reflect on how you can justify or disprove (?), or even develop an original analysis & synthesis of content in developing a new "take" on the material. This would also come into play when writing your WIL. take one extra minute (really - just one more minute) to reflect on what we did & what you learned by doing those things. MOve that info from short-term into long term memory, while reinforcing connections and relevancy. Lastly - READ THE QUESTION. Thoroughly. Put a PAUSE on panic mode and work through the exam as it is presented. There are often times when you can use info from a previous question to help guide an answer in a later query. We have one more exam like this, after which the remaining are group dissection of the question & answer production, followed by a presentation. We may have one more MC exam in Q2 or Q3, just to keep you on your toes and see if you have taken steps to improve your test-taking performance.

I'll be reading WIL 1.4 and writing Letters of Rec over the next 2 days. You should catch up in your classes, enjoy the outdoors, and solve any tech issues you may have. The next 4.5 months will be ... challenging. 

Ends & Means

 Machiavelli introduced and explored justifications for his driving political philosophy, which has dominated politics for the past 500 years. I have always been intrigued by the fact that much of our culture and historical determinacy was driven and authored by people not much older than you. When you consider life expectancy and the concept of hereditary rule, teenagers drove much of our collective history (and culture). And those were mostly boys. Let that sink in and scare you.

Machiavelli was an Italian political advisor who also happened to be a pretty popular satirist. It makes our understanding of his book, The Prince, a little more complex than simply reading and considering his theses. Was he being genuine? Was he applying for a job (basically advising NOT to trust advisers!)? Was he mocking the whole political system in Renaissance Italy? Whatever the truth is, we walk away with these guiding principles/arguments:

• A Prince must be cruel
• Cruelty to insure order
• Better to be feared
• Fear must NOT inspire hatred
• Leaders must be wise and use cruelty sparingly.
• It is a means to an end
• Keep People and Property safe and prosperous.

It kinda reads like a manual for the Dark Side of the Force. 

The underlying takeaway will help us explore a topic to be explored in Q2/Q3: Is/was the motivation for US (military) intervention throughout the world beginning in 1898...economic interests, rather than political/national "security" from external threats?

First Keen Analysis

 You were to have read Colonial Foundations (Skidmore & Smith MLA) & Hispanic Background (Keen LAC). Skidmore was simply a foundation for the next few weeks, while Keen was our first jump into primary source interpretation, analysis & extrapolation/application. I really appreciate everyone who is giving me as much as they can – the stuff we have been doing now (& through Q1) lay a foundation upon which we build a bigger picture and awareness of not only Latin American history, but even the world in which we find ourselves today.

Regarding El Cid, you should have picked up the conflict of the Spanish Reconquista of the Iberian peninsula vs the Muslim Moors. The conflict was a political & religious affair, with Catholic Spain emerging as a unified entity – politically under the marriage of Ferdinand & Isabell, as well as spiritually under Catholic dogma. We also see how local leaders can interpret & apply their own rules (& ethos?) onto the regions under their direct control. El Cid was more fair than his contemporaries, but perhaps not as fair as we would expect from a person, especially today. It reminds us of the “Morality Through Time & Place” WIL.  When conquering a territory, the vanquished could be treated with different levels of retribution: killing them, banishment, conversion or even taxation.

The next reading was about Ferdinand & Isabella. While you picked up on their characteristics (as presented by the Jesuit priest), you need to look at the question: Compare the descriptions of Ferdinand & Isabella. In this case, you should have picked up how Ferdinand was depicted as honorable, intelligent, kind, and skilled (& experienced?) in war. Meanwhile, while Isabella was described as educated, she was also presented as “modest in appearance” and educated, she was also jealous of her husband (for what we are never told). This is a clear “framing of the narrative y a (male) priest. In actuality, Isabella was the more powerful (more land & wealth) and certainly more decisive when it came to issuing orders and enforcing them. You’ll see how she was responsible for the cessation of native enslavement and was the true symbol of Spain (its positives and even many ills).

The Spanish Inquisition was a spiritual purging of Spain. Non-Catholics were exiled, converted, or killed. Many Jewish residents DID convert, but these conversos were never fully accepted into an integrated Spanish society. Anti-semitism runs deep, far, and has been around for, well, forever. Jewish people are blamed for the death of Jesus – even Jewish people today! It’s the “sins-of-the-father” philosophy that perpetuates hatred across time and place. These conversos never really had a chance to live and thrive within Spain proper, so many/most actually ventured to New Spain to not only seek wealth but opportunity – economic, social & political. While still loyal and subject to Spanish authority, they were now much further away, where the distinction between “true” Catholic vs a Converso was blurred – especially when so many indigenous peoples are being actively converted.

Our last one was the analysis of the Spanish Character – as presented by an Italian within the Spanish Court (govt). Remember that Italians were generally not fond of their Spanish overlords, but nevertheless respected their supremacy. It did NOT lead to actual respect as a people, however. Spaniards were stereotyped to be unedumacated (therefore unskilled), lazy, thieves and arrogant – which resulted in a nation that remained undeveloped. By the way, many of these same stereotypes played out during the Great Recession – Global Financial Crisis of 2008+. Let’s wait and see how they are depicted when we emerge from the current financial ruin – caused by the “China Virus” and/or foolishness on the part of political leaders and ignorant followers.

By the way, the exam will not go LIVE until you are scheduled to be in class (as stated in the directions).

Lastly - you NEED to have your camera ON during class! Dr. Palmer will be sending an email with the policy and expectations.

Finding a Groove

I think most of you are finally figuring things out. Some of you are still struggling (you are not alone!) and may need some help recovering from some slip-ups. I added some EXTRA CREDIT opportunities that will pop up over the remaining weeks. If you are struggling with anything, you should stick around at the end of class and ask! I usually leave you with 30-45 minutes remaining in our block to ask or simply share some thoughts. Don't waste those opportunities!

WILs should be in a 5-paragraph format (especially if you are struggling to go deep and provide a thorough analysis of your week as a history student). Once you get the hang of it, you can start adapting it to your own style & needs. Ask other students what they do - some are quite ingenious & creative! 

Please complete the Seminar Pre-Work BEFORE the actual seminar - shoot for the afternoon prior to the A day, but I will still check it at 8PM before your day's seminar. I NEED that work completed so I can get an understanding of what is misunderstood, unknown, or even what interests you.

You hear or see the word EXAM and you instantly freak out. If you have read, watched, and done everything, you will be fine. If you have skipped over some things, glossed over others or never quite understood (after being engaged in class), then you need to revisit the material(s). Regardless, I have included a recap of questions & notes for material included in Exam 1.1. I have also removed the Q1 Final Exam, and will simply add Seminar 1.9 Reparations as an exam, as well as a seminar. PLAN TO CONTRIBUTE!

I have pasted an image of the remaining Q1 schedule below. Remember that EVERYTHING is accessible (& submitted) via the Google Classroom. Files (readings, videos, worksheets, etc.) are ALL included within the posted assignment, under the assignment directions.

Points, Attendance, and Tech ... Oh My!

The emails continue to pour in regarding a missed point here and there (or *gasp* 2-3 points)! Oh, the HUMANITY! It is VERY apparent to me that a few of you did NOT really grasp the lesson(s) from Kohn (From Degrading to De-Grading). This whole DL model, combined with IB expectations, has created some difficulties for everyone. I provide Assignments (tasks) with GForm surveys to be completed as "check-ins" for seminar prep & reflection. If you do NOT do it (or can't due to tech), then channel your inner Elsa and ... LET IT GO! The fates will help us meet our Aztec interpretation and find that everything balances out in a deserved manner. But, here is yet ANOTHER reminder of some basics:

WILs must be thorough and show the depth of thought. At a minimum, you MUST address/include parts 3-5 (What you learned, answer the WIL question, and then a self-assessment). They should be in paragraph form and follow a typical 5-paragraph essay model. Question #4 is posted Weds PM and the WIL is  DUE by Monday Eve.

Seminars require that you read, watch, and think. You just complete the Pre-Seminar GForm the DAY (afternoon is fine) BEFORE we conduct the actual seminar. I use that pre-work to develop questions/topics for the seminar. The Post-Seminar Reflection GForm must be completed within a couple of days (typically by the next Fri or Mon). I believe it will automatically send you a copy of your response. Seminars also require your attendance - if you are NOT there, you did NOT participate! However, if you completed the pre-seminar work and the Reflection, then you will be OK. Over the course of a quarter, a couple of missed points will be lost in the ether of time (& other seminars). The reason for the seminars is due to the need to collaboratively analyze the material you read on your own so you can synthesize it into a coherent narrative for your own repository from which you can draw upon for formal assessments (essays, exams, etc.). In the beforetimes, we would read some materials aloud in class, but the DL model is better suited to the seminars.

Tech Issues will always be a concern. But, if you are consistently facing difficulties, you must notify the MPS IT gurus. It is unfair to everyone (especially you) if you cannot do what is expected because of tech issues. They can help your troubleshoot, offer you a device, and even get you internet access. 

Exam 1.1 is scheduled for Weds 10-7. It will cover EVERYTHING from Day 1 through Seminar 1.5. It will be via another GForm and must be submitted by the end of the class period. You will be asked to verify that you will not cheat (additional tab, readings & notes in front of you, etc.), which is pointless, anyway. If you do cheat and get a stellar score, then I will assume you are fine with everything and don't need assistance with any processing. Read the materials, review your notes, discuss with others & you will do fine.

If you did not pick up your course materials, you should request a pickup slot ASAP. You were given at least 5 opportunities to pick them up over the previous 3 weeks. 

Lastly, I have made my IBA Planner available for your perusal. It is a LIVE document, meaning I modify it. But t should be useful when trying to plan ahead.

Week 2 Feedback & Week 4

I have archived the individual GooClasses (IBA1, IBA2, IBA4 & IBA5), so EVERYTHING will run through the single GooClass for everyone from now on!

Lectures. That Euro lecture is the ONLY "long & boring" one in my repertoire. I usually do it early when we have everyone's "new" energy & I split it across 2 days - no longer possible, due to DL (sorry). If you look at the Q1 Plan, I decided to shift (mostly) EVERYTHING into "seminars" for the Block days, with W set aside for formal assessment or lecture. But, trust me - my lectures tend to be more engaging and lively than the Renaissance one (which set the stage for European exploration, really). I can always fall back and share some more Aztec culture with everyone - maybe even sample it with someone who may become REALLY annoying. Ask the ToKers - they suffered through a 4-day lecture on Reason & I believe it went well (based on some feedback).

WILs are UP TO YOU! Let your style flow. But, you MUST address questions 3-5 in some way. I have you open with 1 & 2 as a therapeutic venting opportunity (along with 5) while you actually "reflect" upon the past week. The purpose of the WIL is to have you move the week's info from short/medium-term memory into medium/long-term memory. They also let me know what else is going on in WHS, your lives, and what seems to be working (or needs tweaking). These should be deep & thoughtful - not just copypasta from others or mundane gibberish to fill some sort of word count (that does NOT exist, by the way). You can also look forward to some leeway on due dates - but NOT ALWAYS! While "due" Fridays/Mondays, I tend to not read them until Tues. But, again, don't push your luck ... especially when soccer season ends (then until softball begins).

Readings will become more difficult. If you found Zinn, Skidmore, Crosby or Sale difficult, you may find the primary sources even more difficult. We'll read letters, diary entries, speeches, and more. You'll have to analyze and connect them to one another and other information from videos, basic textbook snippets, and even a brief Romo lecture/diatribe. But stick with it. You'll learn together - bounce off ideas, questions, quips, etc. with one another. Nobody knows EVERYTHING (well, none of YOU do, at least - I DO know everything, yet choose to feign ignorance of many things so as to appear as a lowly basic being so as to make you feel more comfortable in my presence). If you do NOT know, ASK - someone else also probably has the same gap. Nothing more to write than that. 

Seminars. I know a large class can be difficult (believe me, I KNOW!) - especially IBA2. If/when GMeet allows for breakout rooms, we'll definitely give them a GO. Zoom is fantastic, as we know, but I know it is NOT secure. I do not want some 4chan mongrels hacking and dropping QAnon, porn, or other crappy stuff onto our screens. We may do what I did Q4 - set up mini-seminars with smaller groups over shorter class periods. With this Block schedule, I think we can make it work, but it gets exhausting and repetitive for me (hey - you're honest with me in your WILs, so I'm honest with you on my blog). We'll figure out what works best as time goes by.

Notes. These should also be FOR YOU! At this point, I hope you have something about the lessons from the Renaissance, as well as some core principles held by Kohn, Zinn & Skidmore somewhere in your journal. You should also be aware of what von Daniken, Crosby & Sale present. Definitely keep track of their respective biases. Oh, and Aztec religion ... can't forget that, can you? Basically, you should always have some summary of what you read or did (for) each day. For most Pre-Seminar GForms, I'll ask for some sort of summary, so you can simply copy&paste to/from that entry and your journal. Know that I will SHARE EVERYTHING with you. Slides, summaries, notes, even my annotations (if I can find them) will be posted AFTER the respective seminar (hey, I gotta keep some secrets for any reveal!). 

Work Time is HOMEWORK. There is no "independent work time" that is assigned during the 2hr block. I give you a break if we are going to exceed 60ish mins, but I do not require an "exit ticket" during the final 5 mins - so I think giving you your homework to complete BEFORE we meet, then letting you go a bit early is reasonable. 

Tech problems prove that ... Poo Happens! That old "dog ate my homework" has a much easier (if not more bogus) excuse nowadays, doesn't it? Just don't expect to use the excuse too often. If you have a problem, FIGURE OUT HOW TO FIX/PREVENT IT! Ask the MPS IT gurus for help - that is their job! Wifi can go bye-bye and play hokey pokey at important times. That climactic scene is ramping up and the Netflix connection has an error and gets stuck at 99% - AARRGGHH! Just deal with it as best you can. Install your updates, restart Chrome, restart the whole machine, offer something to the internet gods ... just try to figure out the problem and fix it. 

Late Work is NOT ACCEPTED. I have provided the Q1 Plan on this blog so you can read ahead (if you want/have the time), and I will post assignments on GooCLass at least 1 week (maybe even 2) ahead of the due date. WILs are not officially posted until Weds PM/eve, but you KNOW what that regular assignment requires. You are given extra days already. There is no way to code things differently within GooClass, but WILs are DUE Friday Eve, but I accept them through Monday & read them on Mon-Tues. Seminar Pre-Work is exactly that and I generally read your submissions the afternoon/evening before we meet. You cannot submit them at 1AM on the day we meet, even worse if you try to sneak it in just before or even after we have started class. I use your Pre-Work comments to frame some of the discussion.

Emails are becoming a problem. The sheer number and frequency - often from the same people - is becoming ridiculous. Most of the questions are easily answered by (re)reading the directions, text/calling a friend, or simply checking the Daily Agenda (even this blog). While I always welcome your queries, I do not have the time/energy/patience to respond to the same people seemingly always asking similar questions. Frankly, it shows a lack of respect. This whole DL thing is taking  A LOT of time - MUCH more than the beforetimes. I post/publish EVERYTHING and try to be as thorough as possible. 

Lastly, I know some of you may be struggling not only with DL, but with me & my style. That Kohn paradigm is a doozy. But you need to become more self-sufficient and find value for new/unknown (even icky!) things from within yourself. You shouldn't learn in order to get a grade, impress me, check a box, or please someone else. It should be for YOU! You'll not only appreciate yourself, but you'll also actually learn, remember, and know MORE. My expectations are pretty simple, but you MUST follow directions and exhaust every possible "fix" before whining & claiming you did not know. Check the Daily Agenda, blog, peers, even within yourself. THEN pester me (email or text). Keep it short & I am much more likely to read it as the preview and send a quick reply. If you identified something that is the result of my error (rare, like a talking unicorn that poos actual chocolate fudge ice cream), I will admit my boo boo and correct the matter ASAP. Or I'll just deny it, go change the assignment/announcement/expectation and say you read it wrong. Either way, my humbleness or slyness helps me win. 😋

Toodles ...

Week 4 To-Do

1.  Read Pages 105-119 in the WHITE Booklet (Crosby, Sale, Woods, web) by Monday 9-28 for Seminar 1.4 Eden in America.

2.  Write & Submit WIL 1.3 by Monday 9-28.

3.  Read Pages 103-104 (WHITE) and pages 13-14 (GREEN) by Weds 9-30 for our look into slavery in LA. We'll spend A LOT.

4.  Watch Circular Flow Videos by Thurs 10-1.

5.  Prepare for Exam 1.1 on Weds 10-7

    (Do NOT spend a lot of time reviewing things - especially if you've already read them)

a. Adams (Prehistoric Mesoamerica)

b. Skidmore (Why Latin America)

c. Zinn

d. Crosby (Conquistador y Pestilencia)

e. Aztecs (Lecture)

f.  Renaissance & Reformation (Lecture)

Q1 Plan = BOOKMARK ME!

 Anyone here still a Vikings fan? Yeah, 47+ years and they look worse than ever. But the weather was fantastic this weekend … so there is that! Going to the park, playing games in the neighborhood, shopping at the Farmer’s Market, seeing all of the bright, cheery faces of everyone else – right? Oh wait, COVID. Hey, it’ll be a forgotten memory when that vaccine is made available at the end of Oct, so don’t you worry about it anymore … okay? 

Last week, we looked at the origins of quite a few things; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Protestantism, Machiavelli, monarch butterflies, Aztec faith/myth, interesting cuisine, and the whole issue of bias in history.

WIL 1.2 (Morality Through Time & Place) is due tomorrow. I’ll read them through Tuesday, though … but get it done sooner (please?). 

This week looks to be lighter than usual, but you could also try to get ahead, if you’d like:
M/T = Watch “When Worlds Collide” (from the IBA Media Archive). This is NOT the awesome 1951 sci-fic thriller. But it definitely hits close to home for me, and sets the stage for things we’ll explore this qtr.

On Weds, I am currently planning an “All About Romo” presentation. Zinnce bias is such an important thing to address (I made a funny – did you notice?), I think it’s only fair to share my background so you know who is torturing you every week. On Th/Fr, we’ll discuss “Why Latin America” (by Skidmore & Smith). Interesting character, that Skidmore. 

As for the GooClass, I think I/we have come up with a solution to the problem of To-Do, Submit, and OCD issues (trust me, I know!).

For videos, you’ll simply “submit” that you did it – on the honor system. Don’t lie and be exposed.

For Seminar readings (& annotations/markups you’ll complete a Pre-Seminar GForm survey (often attached to the same Reading Assignment post).

For WILs, you’ll just write (& submit … for now) the file that is created when you open the assignment.

I’m still trying to determine how/if we’ll do formal/standard exams. I like them because they help YOU figure out how to read, study & prepare, while I enjoy them simply as another means to torture you. 

The GooClass will display reading/watching/HW assignments, but you can also get out ahead and tackle some things this week if you have the time. The (remaining) FULL Q1 “plan” is presented below. Please complete the readings/viewings before the task date!

M 9-28 / T 9-29 Seminar 1.4 Eden in America?  
Discussion Questions: Is paradise born from perspective, or is it a reality? What were some of the non-human/economic consequences of European conquest? How did the Spanish defeat the Indigenous Populations? What if...? What was life like in the Americas? What bias does Sale exhibit or point out?
Read: Conquistador y Pestilencia (Crosby), Conquest of Paradise (Sale), and the articles on Native American environmentalism. Pages 113-119 of Unit 01 Reader (WHITE)

W 9-30 TBD

Th 10-1 / F 10-2 Economics & Slavery

M 10-5 / T 10-6 Seminar 1.5 Conversion
Discussion Questions: What connections can be made between Colonization & Conversion of the Americas with the founding principles & attraction of Christianity? How feasible would it be to convert ALL of you to.....?
Read: Colonial Foundations (Skidmore) Hispanic Background (Keen). Pages 135-153 of Unit 02 Reader (WHITE)
Watch: Crash Course World History 11: Christianity from Judaism to Constantine (YouTube)

W 10-8 Exam 1.1 (Still working out how we’ll do this, but it will cover EVERYTHING from day 1 through Seminar 1.5 Conversion

Th 10-8 / F 10-9 Seminar 1.6 Machiavelli
Discussion Questions: What is his Pattern of Argumentation/Thought? What are the characteristics of the IDEAL ruler? Was the use of atomic bombs on Japan justifiable? Is conflict (war) a part of human nature? (Is war inevitable?) Can Foreign (& Domestic) Policy be driven by morality?
Read: Machiavelli Rdgs. Pages 120-120 of Unit 01 Rdr (WHITE)
Watch Who’s Afraid of Machiavelli (BBC) via YouTube

M 10-12 / T 10/13 Exam 1.1 Debrief

W 10-21 Guest Lecture (actually a video of a lecture)
Watch: Biography of America 03: Growth & Empire (TBD)

Th 10-22 / F 10-23 Seminar 1.8 Colonial Latin America
Watch: The Mission (TBD) – fantastic, but slow film (great score, btw)
Read: Las Casas materials (pp 154-169), Keen LAC 7 The Evolution of Spain’s Indian Policy (pp 170-176), Keen LAC 6 Govt & Church in the Spanish Indies (pp 177-187)

M 10-26 / T 10/27 Exam 1.2 ???

W 10-28 Economics: Friedman vs Samuelson
Watch: Crash Course 33 Capitalism-Communism (youtube)
Watch: Brazil: An Inconvenient Truth (Dailymotion)

Th 10-29 / F 10/30 IB Exam Question Deconstruction & Answer Development
You’ll be placed into a group and assigned a question to answer in a slideshow (2-3 mins)

M 11/2 / T 11/3 IB Exam Question Share-Out
Present your Slides to the rest of us!

W 11-4 11/5 Seminar 1.8 Reparations
Watch: Freakonomics A Roshonda By Any Other Name (dailymotion) first 22 mins
Read: Robinson OR Horowitz (online)

A Rebirth

 A briefer brief! I have shared my slides & even my actual notes via GooClass. I promise that if/when done in-person, my lectures are much more engaging - and I will do my best to modify the what & how of such information dumps & processing in the future. 

As for the Renaissance, we are definitely looking forward to our own post-pandemic renaissance! The Europeans experienced some radical change over 200 years after a couple of centuries in stagnancy or decline. The power & influence of the church waxed & waned, so much so that it even splintered (again). Cultural shifts, paradigm shifts, even population shifts all occurred during and after this renaissance. The BIGGEST takeaway from this first lesson-of-the-week is the importance of sequencing when it comes to cause & effect. Do NOT focus on specific dates (unless I zero in on it) and focus on what precedes each event/decision. Consider alternative outcomes and even alternative initial decisions/actions. 

Please make sure you pick up your materials from WHS, read Zinn by Thurs/Fri, and plan&complete your "To-Do" items in ALL of your classes (but IBA should be #1, except for ToK). 

We have our first 55-min lessons tomorrow with a lesson on Aztec Sacrifice for history (I LOVE doing this one, but NOT having a live & in-person audience will continue to be weird.

Q1 Week 2

 We begin "regular" instruction this week, with modifications, of course. I periodically have to lecture & accept that doing it via GMeet is not optimum as I have neither the technical skills, nor the time to produce a video with pizazz. So bear with it and absorb the info as best you can. I have decided that, while we are required to adhere to synchronous teaching&learning, I will NOT be recording & sharing my lessons. We are expected to be "in class" at scheduled times, so be there!

Please make sure you complete the survey & share a link to your IB History Journal via GooClass and SUBMIT WIL 1.1 by tonight. I will be reading them tomorrow afternoon and I DO NOT accept, nor read them late (especially since they are "due" on Fridays). Also make sure you read&annotate BOTH Zinn articles for Seminar 2 this week. You will have to read "Why Latin America?" by Skidmore for NEXT Week's Seminar 3.

For this week, we begin with an overview of the Renaissance & Reformation in the form of a lecture on M/T, with W now set aside for another lecture on Aztec Sacrifice. Th/F is when we will discuss the Zinn readings & a brief look at the Treaty of Tordesillas. 

The Renaissance&Reformation slides are VERY basic - simple text & no images. I usually add some fun stuff, but I do not have the time and I also cannot have the same "interplay" with you that I normally apply when lecturing. For this one, I usually just post a single image on big screen and tell a story from my notes - but this DL thing just doesn't work well for that method, so I simply adapted my notes into a slide show we'll run through as I ramble and explain links & provide additional context.

For NEXT week (9/21-9/25), you'll have M/T to watch a 90-min video (When Worlds Collide, 2010 PBS)at your leisure. Please find some time to download it from the Media Archive. Weds is my "All About Romo" presentation, when I give you a brief account of who is teaching you. Th/F is set aside for Seminar 3: Why Latin America? (Skidmore).

I will NOT be available at Pearl on Tuesday for IBA Booklets pick-up. I WILL be placing what is currently available (Units 03-06) in your pickup pile for WHS distributions/pickup at school during the following dates&times:

• Tuesday, September 15: 10-4 pm
• Wednesday, September 16: 12-6 pm
• Thursday, September 17: 10-4 pm

If the Unit 01/02 Booklet is NOT included in this pickup, we'll figure out a time & place for you to get them. Remember that ALL MATERIALS are ALWAYS available via the GooClass.

Remember that missing a M/T or Th/F is the equivalent of missing 2 regular class days. While there are no "points" for attendance, it does affect your takeaway, participation, and ability to provide insight into your WILs. 

Please check your video & audio settings before joining the GMeet (or Zoom) ON TIME, of course. Your image must be complete and visible with light. You cannot hide in the shadows, nor display a wall or a fraction of your face. These are norms & expectations for ALL classes. I will have to remove you from the GMeet (& eventually the course) if you are not complying with our norms - neither of which I want to do. Simply pretend you are sitting in your seat in my classroom. So please check your camera (& microphone - so we can understand you!). If you have a camera issue, please check with MPS IT support or I can recommend a USB option via eBay that serve me well, are relatively cheap (under $20) and arrive pretty quickly. For sound, I picked up a Guitar Hero USB mic for $5 from Goodwill that sounds MUCH better than my laptop or earbud mics.

Regarding video playback, I highly recommend VLC as your media player. It plays EVERYTHING and you can adjust speed, audio sync and even search for subtitles (which I usually add as a separate .srt file). Speeding things up to %125 is usually fine & cuts your overall time use! However, I do NOT recommend speeding up ANY Crash Course videos by John Green. He seems to already pop some amphetamines with cocaine and a double shot of espresso with a Red Bull chaser before filming each episode. I tend to SLOW his down to 80ish% of regular speed.

That is all I have for now. Remember that you can email/text me (I'm working on adding everyone to my GVoice Contacts list, but it has become more complicated & time-consuming than I had anticipated (importing a GSheet is NOT working correctly). The week's weather should be nicer than last week and expect some air quality issues as NoCal & Oregon continue to burn. Hey - at least we can be safe in believing that Climate Change is a Chinese & Democrat hoax, never to seriously affect us. 

Stay Safe & Healthy (and get your flu shot)!

De-Grading

 Well, we had our first seminar - or attempt at one. We'll have to figure out a better way to invite & maintain engagement, but it should get easier with more experience. our NEXT seminar is scheduled for Weds, concerning Zinn & his view of history. Please come prepared to discuss (listen, think & share!) his main points and any criticisms you may have. Also do not forget to write your first WIL (failure) and please SUBMIT it when you are done. Also run through the To-Do category via GooCLass and get everything else "done" as I plan to move it ALL next week (after the Zinn seminar).

On Mond-ues, I will be giving a lecture. I am working to revamp my notes and see what works best for delivery. I usually just have my page of notes, post a graphic and then "teach" but that may not be best with DL. The seminar is scheduled for Weds ( I may move it), with another (more fun & entertaining) lecture exploring the origins of monarch butterflies rounding out the week.

If next week "works" well enough, I will post a Q1 calendar so you can map out and plan your workload accordingly. 

Enjoy & have a SAFE weekend!

Bienvenidos & Basics! (9-8 & 9-10)

Weirdness, I know. I think we'll all feel "off" for quite a bit (forever?) this academic year. While I know about 20% of you, and know of probably another 25%-30%, that still leaves at least half you as new to me. Getting to know someone via GMeet in a class with others will be difficult (& awkward?). But we'll do our best, right?!?!

For our first day, I walked you through my GooClass and we tried out some things. You can see my Posted Daily Agenda, blog, and EVERYTHING through the GooCLas, and even see many things via my MPS-WHS Teacher Page. I even assigned some HW *gasp* that should be completed by our next mtg (Thurs or Fri). But, if you forgot, fell asleep, or simply missed something, I hope you can (re)familiarize yourself with that Day 1 experience by reading the rest of this first blog entry.

First off, I hope you received my first present (Romo IBA Emergency Print) within your WHS Grocery Bag of Gifts from last Monday. It included a syllabus (read it!), an explanation of the Weekly WIL (What I Learned), your first seminar rdg (Kohn's "From Degrading to De-Grading" for Thurs/Fri!), followed by some seminar tips.

The WILs, combined with the seminars are the BIG things to focus on. I HATE "busywork" and while I may assign some things that may seem as such, I will NOT collect & grade it - blech! I'll suggest you organize thoughts & notes, collaborate, and push one another to justify positions.

I submitted a print request for ALL Sem 1 Rdgs into Unit Booklets. They should be available for distribution/pickup soon. When I have the info, I will share it with you. Just know that EVERYTHING is always available via the Google Classroom. I emailed class codes & GMeet links, but if you are still confused/lost/switched, just email me for a gentle reminder. 

We started with you downloading a 6-min video excerpt to be watched later in the lesson. I anticipate lag, glitches (sound?), and other difficulties if/when I ever plan to show something "in-the-moment" so I am asking students to download the videos from my IBA Media Archive GDrive beforehand - this was practice.

After watching the video, I then read some excerpts from two short readings:

• von Daniken Chariots of the Gods? - which was to explore the (ridiculous) theory proposed by the video. Yes, it may seem plausible, but there are some underlying components that must be brought to the foreground. von Daniken is a Swiss "academic" who questions how some civilizations were able to do things that were unimaginable (to his European ancestors, at least). He theorizes that it was only through alien intervention (like, real Extra-Terrestrials) did things like the pyramids of Giza, the temple bases in Teotihuacan, and the city of Machu Pichu get built. I mean, when all you can look back on from your own continent is Stonehenge, it does make the Euros out to be a bit pathetic, right? In reality, those "brown people" civilizations were able to devote resources to such grandiose construction partly because they were pretty unified culturally & even conquered politically by others within the region. Europeans spent A LOT on constant fighting for control over one another, so whatever was built was simply destroyed in the conflict. This also explains why the Europeans advanced militarily (even technologically) and were then able to conquer other parts of the world.
• Adams Prehistoric Mesoamerica - explained the concept of Mesoamerica as a term used to define the region of central/southern Mexico and Central America. The Aztecs & Maya never called themselves Mesoamerican - it is a term developed in the 1920s and formalized by 20thC academics as a means to help study a region & people. Categorization helps us sort and process information. But even people & places developed at different paces over not only place, but time. Settlements differed between highland and lowland. And the lack of a wheel was not due to a lack of imagination - it was due to not having a large domesticated animal; able to pull a wheeled cart. People moved better on foot and by canoe, so goods also traveled the some way. In fact, there were wheels on toys - so the tech was there, just impractical in the ways Europeans, Africans & Asians would apply it.

Via the Google Classroom, I asked you to do some "housekeeping" things, like complete my survey, create & share (THE LINK!) an IB History Journal (just to help you keep organized). I will NOT grade it - you may simply want a place to copy&paste material we cover in class. A paper notebook is perfectly fine!

I also formally assigned some assessable work:

• The Kohn (From Degrading to De-Grading) (due Thurs/Fri for our first seminar)
• I rarely (if ever) will “check your notes/annotations.” As seniors, you either know how/why or you don’t (& will suffer in your own way). Annotations are FOR YOU TO REFERENCE during seminars and just for study/reflection.
• WIL 1.1 Failure due by Monday Sep 14
• Zinn Readings (Use & Abuse of History and Why Students Should Study History) for Seminar 2 (next Weds 9-16)

We have a 2-hr block on A & B days. While I do not plan to ever use the FULL 2 hours, I may go over or under an hour each time. I think we went about 80 minutes today, but I did give a 10-min break about midway through. There are some days that will be "check-in only" as you will have a reading, a video or even collaborative work to complete without my hovering. If/when we figure out a rhythm, I'll share my FULL calendar with you, so you know what to expect ahead of time. I do not want to get ahead of myself (or you) right now as we navigate the apocalypse.

Overall, my expectations are simple - Read, Learn, Think, and Participate.  If you keep up and contribute, you'll not only earn a nice grade and be prepared for the IB History HL Exam, but you should be ready to tackle college with some valuable experience.

I can be harsh, but never cruel. I am honest, have high expectations, and want to prepare you better than I was when I graduated from Washburn 30 years ago (wow - that is painful to write). NEVER hesitate to ask for (or even offer?) help. We will need to rely on each other more than ever before - and I certainly hope we find a way to familiarize ourselves with one another - that is more than half the fun of this job.