Flags and Culture

The colonization simulation is full of symbolism.  The play-doh represents natural resources.  Changing styles of dress represent the different styles of dress in various cultures.  The chant/cheer/song can represent the arts, or customs, maybe even religion...

But what does the flag represent?

The American Flag - although a good-looking, and artistic piece of cloth, does not represent American cultural arts.  Rather it symbolizes everything we stand for as Americans.  It represents our government, and (I would suggest) more importantly, our values.  It represents our culture as a whole.

When students made symbolic flags for their continents, they were supposed to keep this in mind.  And when those flags were destroyed, it was to represent that in all areas, their culture was gone, and replaced by another.

To hammer the point home, we watched John McCain tell a story of his days as a Prisoner of War.  You can watch the video here:

Most classes also played the listing game.  We used natural resources as our topic.  If you want the extra credit today, you have to do two things.  First, rewatch and discuss the video.  Write a couple sentences telling about your discussion.

Second, you have to challenge the adult you read the blog with to the listing game.  The topic is, of course, natural resources.  Write a sentence telling me who won.

When you're done, have the adult you read and discussed with sign the paper.

Turn it in tomorrow.

Natural Resources and Colonization Simulation

We started today's lesson with a bellwork on the natural resources of Asia, and infrastructure.

After that, we began discussing the colonization simulation from last week.  Students had to answer some questions.  They'll get a chance to finish answering them tomorrow for bellwork - then we'll go over the activity in earnest.

Most of my classes also watched this clip.

If you want the extra credit, watch it and write down an explanation telling how it ties in with the colonization simulation.

Have the adult you read the blog with sign your explanation when you're done.

Turn it in tomorrow.  Make sure your name is on it.  (I've been getting quite a few extra credit papers with no identifiers...  You don't get credit for those...)

Colonization Simulation 2015

Yesterday my classes worked on developing indigenous cultures on the continents I placed them.  You see, I split my room up into 4 sections; each section represented a continent.  Three of the continents were large, spacious, and had untold natural resources.

The fourth was smaller, but no less proud.

Groups were tasked with developing flags, chants and songs, changing their style of dress, and coming up with other ways that could symbolize their particular cultures.

It was a fun day, yesterday.

Then came today: exploration, conquest, colonization, disease, defeat and shame.

The small continent with few natural resources had the opportunity to explore the other continents.  The people of the other continents decided whether they wanted to fight, or work with those who were invading their land.

If you're reading this at home, discuss what happened, and what it symbolized.

If you weren't at school today, tell what you think happened.  When you come back, find out if you were right or not.

When you're done discussing it, write a few sentences about your discussion, and have the adult you read the blog with sign the paper.

Here are some pictures:

First, a map of the world:

This next one is a close up of Saia.

I call this one "Negotiations."

And perhaps my favorite, "To the victor go the spoils."

TKWA = Music (and Natural Resources)

I'm sorry it's been a few days since I've posted.

We started a simulation today.  But I'm not going to write about that.  If you're reading this as a student/adult partnership, ask the student what happened.  Specifically ask about the tape represented, how they changed their style of dress and why.  What did the chant/song represent?  What did their flag look like?  What did it represent?

If you don't get through all of those questions, that's fine.  The big day is tomorrow.

The past few days we've talked about exploration.  Why did explorers explore the world?  What were they after?

Gold?  Sure.  Silver?  Check.  Fame?  No doubt.  Furs?  Yes.  To spread their religion?  Definitely.  (We really focus on the age of exploration - which deals mostly with the spread of Christianity, but there were some very notable explorers who weren't Christian.  We've mentioned Ibn Battuta in the past - who was Muslim.  Benjamin of Tudela was Jewish...)

There were a lot of reasons explorers explored.  But many of those reasons fall under one category: natural resources.  If it was here before people, it's a natural resource.  Wind.  The sun.  Gold.  Silver.  Fur.  Spices.

Yesterday we worked on a map of land use in Asia - which dealt with natural resources.  Many students remembered to TKWA the map before they started answering the questions, but some did not.  (TKWA = Title, Key, What's the point/purpose of the map?  What's it trying to show?  Answer the questions.)

There are lots of things that can be read.  We read books, music, people, maps.  Sight-reading a map is more like sight-reading music.  If you play music and you're going to start sight-reading it without having practiced it before, you can't just jump into it.  You have to look at the key.  Are there any sharps or flats?  What's the time of the piece?  4/4?  2/4?  6/8?  And then you should look through it without playing.  Finally, you can give it a shot.

When students TKWA a map, it's the same thing.  You can't just jump in and expect to understand it without looking at the title, key and thinking about the purpose first.

Students:  If you read this with an adult, find a scrap of paper and write 3 sentences from your discussion.  When you're done, have the adult you read with sign the paper.  Turn it in tomorrow for extra credit.

Still Here, Quizzes In

I just wanted to let you know that the essay portions of the quizzes have been entered for every hour except 8th hour.  I must have left those at school.

So, tomorrow I'll grade those and enter them.

As such, it may be another day before I post to the blog.

Don't forget that there are other ways you may earn extra credit.  If you read/watch/listen to the news and tell me what's going on - that will earn you some points.  If you play the online geography games - that can get you some points as well.

Unfortunately, since it runs on Flash, you can't play those on iPhones.  But, if you have an Android, or desktop computer, you should be able to play.

Cheers.

See you soon.