Dear Global Studies students,
Loved your focus for much of the day, especially with the abundance of new vocabulary and concepts! I'm looking forward to your presentations about the forms of government next class (hopefully this week).
To open class I spent some time reflecting with students about the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and the role this powerful organization had during the Civil Rights Movement. As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day approaches, there is (for good reason) much focus and celebration on his work as an individual. However much, if not all, of the work of Dr. MLK Jr. could not have been possible without the leadership and organizing offered by those he worked closely with in SCLC. As we think about the service we can provide others this weekend, lets also be sure to think about the importance of acting in service with others. Here's what we worked on today:
Learning Targets:
Loved your focus for much of the day, especially with the abundance of new vocabulary and concepts! I'm looking forward to your presentations about the forms of government next class (hopefully this week).
To open class I spent some time reflecting with students about the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and the role this powerful organization had during the Civil Rights Movement. As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day approaches, there is (for good reason) much focus and celebration on his work as an individual. However much, if not all, of the work of Dr. MLK Jr. could not have been possible without the leadership and organizing offered by those he worked closely with in SCLC. As we think about the service we can provide others this weekend, lets also be sure to think about the importance of acting in service with others. Here's what we worked on today:
Learning Targets:
- I can explain how and why societies organize themselves and how power is organized and maintained.
- I can communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
- I can create a presentation about a specific form of government or economy using evidence from a source.
- RAP: To open class, students wrote, listened, and shared aloud their responses to the following question: What is government? Students came up with a variety of responses that reflect a bias toward the system of government we're most familiar with, American democracy! This provided us with a useful framework to start with, and build toward a more global understanding of the variety of forms of government.
- Main Stage: Students then took brief Cornell notes about the following terms and concepts: Government, Govern, Functions of Government, Society, Citizen, and Resident. These terms and concepts provide the basic vocabulary needed to better understand how society and government relate. Then students formed 11 different small groups, each learning and discussing about a specific form a government (articles can be accessed here). Students read a short article, recorded their understanding of the article using a graphic organizer, and then shared their responses with one another.
- Closing: To end class, groups were then tasked with creating a presentation about their specific form of government that they would teach the rest of class with. Using Google Slides (thanks Chromebooks), students began working on short and useful presentations. Students will finish these next class, and then present.