We were not able to use the COW today to create family trees for the Ancestry Project. Instead we learned a little about differences between British and American English. A well-known quote, whose author is variously identified as George Bernard Shaw, Winston Churchill or others, states that "England and America are two countries divided by a common language." Students made educated guesses at the meaning of English words like "bap," "queue," "bubble and squeak," "central reservation," and more.
0 Comments
Students took this test today. About 2/3 of the sophomores scored 90 or greater out of 100 possible points. With extra credit, the highest score was 107.
Students who would like to improve their test result can retake the test next week. On Monday afternoon, Mr. Walters will lead a class in how to write better test essays. The class will meet in Mrs. Dudley's room from 3:40-4:15 pm. Following are examples of student essays from this test. They are posted here as examples of some of the best test writing from our students. 6 Napoleon Bonaparte was born on the Italian island of Corsica in 1769. He lived in a large family. Napoleon was a total moma's boy. He hated how his father treated her and he didn't want to be like him at all. When Napoleon was nine, he was sent away to boarding school in France. There he was picked on for his size and his funny Italian accent. While in France, he enlisted in the military. Napoleon slowly moved up through the ranks. In 1795, he was basically handed the chance of a lifetime. He was supposed to take his troops to Egypt to fight the British Navy. This was the first time he would get defeated by Admiral Horatio Nelson. When Napoleon got back to France following his defeat in Egypt, the people welcomed him with open arms. He told the people that he had the British right were he wanted them. Four years later, Napoleon decided to take the power in France for himself. So he launched his coup d'e'tat, which went off without a hitch. In 1802 was the first time that all of Europe had peace. The continent was peaceful. During this time, Napoleon started a public school system called lycees. You could get into one of these schools not just because you are rich, but because you have talent. 8. The Congress of Vienna was mainly orchestrated by Metternich, Austria's foreign minister. The representatives from other nations were Tallyrand (France), Castlerough (Great Britain), von Hardenberg (Prussia), and Alexander I (Russia). They had a few main goals. One, they wanted to enforce a balance of power. They didn't want anything like what happened with France to happen again. This made Russia and Prussia nations of interest, since they were becoming increasingly more powerful. They also wanted to put old nobility back into power, by means of legitimacy, and supress nationalism and liberalism. They didn't want France to rise up again because they were upset at their treatment, so they had to be careful. The major results were mostly in shifts of territory. France pretty much got restored to how things were before Napoleon, only keeping small amounts of new land. Prussia received 40% of Saxony, and some of Poland. Russia gained Finland and the rest of Poland. Sweden got Norway. Great Britain gained part of South Africa and some islands in the Caribbean. The Congress of Vienna was important because it symbolized a new way of doing things in Europe. For the first time, they talked about their problems instead of fighting. Students used laptops from the COW this afternoon to work on the Income Inequality Report. This assignment should be turned in through the Turn in Assignments page by Wednesday, February 26.
We used Word to learn how to create a simple family tree for the Ancestry Project. Be sure to bring family information to class on Friday so you can begin making your tree. Most students should focus on one side of their family, not both. We reviewed for the Items for the test:
The Congress of Vienna was one of the first attempts by the major European powers to resolve their differences through discussion and negotiation rather than by warfare. Their efforts were largely successful in keeping the peace in Europe until the outbreak of the Great War. But their efforts to stifle the forces of liberalism and nationalism, unleashed by the French Revolution and Napoleon, proved more difficult to maintain.
We discussed the major players at the Congress, their goals, the influence Metternich had on the meetings, and some of the major outcomes of the treaties signed there. Students spent part of class identifying nations and places on the map of Europe (an assignment which is due on February 26). The test over Chapters 6 & 7 will include questions over this material we covered in class on Wednesday (though there will not be a map on the test). Look for a Blog entry for the Chapter 6/7 for more information. Students took a quiz over Chapter 7 Sections 3-5, which we graded in class. Next, they reread their handout about Montesquieu and Jefferson, looking for any of their ideas which were put into practice in France during the Revolution or under Napoleon. Students then turned in all the work they had done with that handout as well as the questions from the film Marie Antoinette.
Next we examined the three major mistakes Napoleon made and their effect on France: the Continental System (and how the United States was drawn into the Napoleonic Wars as a consequence in the War of 1812), the Peninsular Campaign and the invasion of Russia. We watched the end of Marie Antoinette this afternoon. We then began our study of Napoleon by discussing destiny and the things that influence a person's development. Students listed the most important influences on their life and some shared these with the rest of the class. I asked students to consider if they have goals and destinations for their lives or if they are going with the current wherever it takes them. I was definitely in the latter group during my high school days.
From an early age Napoleon believed he was destined for greatness. We learned some of the circumstances of his early life that would seem to bar him from achieving greatness and discussed how they might, in fact, have spurred him to achieve more. This led to a consideration of his early military exploits in Italy and Egypt, the mania for Egyptian anything that spread throughout Europe and America in the early 19th century (the Washington Monument being one example of this influence), the failed French military campaign in Haiti, which led to the Louisiana Purchase, and the changes that Napoleon brought to French society. We are watching part of the film Marie Antoinette. The film describes the marriage of the Austrian princess, Marie Antoinette (Hapsburg) to the future king of France, Louis XVI (Bourbon). Their marriage did not get off to a good start, which complicated Marie's position in France. She was never fully accepted by many, who assigned her partial blame for the social and economic problems facing France in the 1770s and 80s.
We will watch a bit more on Wednesday. Answer the questions in the film handout. For the quiz on Wednesday, be sure to know the three estates and what groups formed their membership. There will be questions about the Bastille, the fortress that was stormed by a mob looking for arms. This happened on July 14, which is now the French national holiday. Many of you have seen the key to the Bastille. The Marquis de Lafayette gave it to George Washington, who kept it in a frame above a door at Mount Vernon. I pointed it out to some of you when we toured the home on our 8th grade D.C. trip. |
James WaltersMr. Walters has taught at RAA since 1985. He currently teaches Geography, World History, American History, Government, Economics and Handbell Ensembles. He is Music Director/Organist of Magnolia Presbyterian Church and is an adjunct professor at Concordia University Wisconsin, teaching Handbell Methods and Materials. Archives
May 2017
Categories |