Time Flies

Oops! Already mid-April.
Post-Tax week we have state testing over the majority of the week of April 18th.

World Geography: We are working on the theme of Conflict. Regional groups are exploring a specific conflict for their region preparing a survey presentation applying the Social Studies Skill of Past, Present, and Future to give the class a general overview of the background to the conflict, its current status, and then make an educated prediction in two parts for their belived future of the conflict and also a suggested path for how to resolve this conflict.

IB History:  We are finishing the semester with a case study of how the 19th century unfolds in Europe by looking at Russia in depth for the last half of the 19th Century.  In class we are looking at the Political structure of Tsarist Russia, pre-revolution; the Intellectual development from the increasingly active Intelligensia, Economic progress with dramatically modernizing industry and nacient markets, and Social developments working on small group presentations for our Mir Iskusstva projects.

IB Philosophy: We are in the reviewing stages now getting ready for the IB External Assessent.  We will take one part of the exam to focus on for each of the remaining days of class.  We will mix our efforts with both class disussion and writing sessions focusing on Core Theme, What is it to be human?; Optional Themes, Ethics and Contemporary Society; and our Prescribed text, Martha Nussbaum's Creating Capabilities.

As we get to the end of the semester it may be helpful to think about ways to stay grounded. Here are two suggestions....
Get to the Library or just check out this from Jstor: Do You suffer from Library Anxiety
and
Dr. Ned Hallowell's podcast Distraction

Last full week of leap month

In this last full week of February, days are just a little longer, this Wednesday will be a little shorter - LATE START ODD day, and soon there will only three months of school left. This week the order of business is as follows:
World Geography  - Unit Test on Wednesday 24th and beginning the new unit on Environment.

IB European History - 19th Century Humanities, we take a break from our regular text and explore art and literature in 19th Century Europe. See: 19th Century Humanities.

IB Philosophy - This week we continue looking our look at philosophy and contemporary society looking at Jihad vs. McWorld and the Clash of Civilizations to explore media. liberty and rights, and our current understandings of what it means to be human. Friday we will look at Chapter 6 in Creating Capabilities.

Things to be on the look out for this week:
For geography themes in conflict and environment: Water riots in India
Presidential Election Politics, Who Is Running For President?

Everything Old is New Again...

New semester, new classes, same teacher, slightly different students....

We are six weeks into the spring semester so only fourteen more weeks to go with some interruptions of state tests, spring break, among others that remain unknown.  So here is what we are looking at for the week of Valentine's Day:

World Geography - finish Population unit and link to Development

IB European History - Zeitgeist Presentations to assess the Forces of Modernization and making Connections for the 19th Century. Blogging assignment: Part 1: Your Answer

IB Philosophy - First draft of IA is due Tuesday, Feb. 16th, Continue working with Philosophy and Contemporary Society looking at Liberty / Rights and Media.  Prescribed Text: Martha Nussbaum's Creating Capabilities Ch. 5

Things to be on the look out for in the world: 
Death of a Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia
Constitutional Considerations
The Week In Review
For Fun:  MLB Spring Training