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November 15, 2007
Friday - Monday, Nov. 16 - 19: Introduction to Islam
The Basic Tenets of Islam
Mr. Vergin will make one final appearance to talk about Islam. Again, feel free to ask questions.
Christian Denominations Jig-Saw
We will finish up the activity that we started last class. By the end of the hour, you should know about Catholicism, Orthodoxy and Protestantism.
Homework
You need to read the article that you received in class. Be sure to complete the tasks listed at the beginning of the article.
Posted by kmurr at 8:59 PM | Comments (0)
Wednesday - Thursday, Nov. 14 - 15: Introduction to Christianity
The Central Tenets of Christianity
Mr. Vergin will be back to talk about Christianity today. Don't be afraid to ask questions!
Christian Denominations
Each of you will receive a reading about one of the three major Christian denominations; Roman Catholicism, Orthodoxy and Protestantism. You will learn about your denomination's distinctive beliefs and practices so that you can teach others in the class about your assigned denomination. Eventually, you will join a group that has a representative from each denomination. Each person will share about their denomination while the other group members take notes. This "jig-saw" activity will expose everyone to all three denominations.
Homework
No homework. Enjoy the time off!!
Posted by kmurr at 8:45 PM | Comments (0)
November 12, 2007
Monday - Tuesday, Nov. 12 - 13: Introduction to Judaism Continued
Presentations
We will start today with the presentations you worked on last time. Be prepared to take notes on each festival/holiday on the note sheet that we provided to you.
Anti-Semitism in America
We will discuss what anti-semitism means and its causes. We will use an Anti-Defamation League survey to provide examples and evidence during this discussion.
Homework
No homework!! Relax and celebrate being done with your drafts.
Posted by kmurr at 10:53 AM | Comments (0)
November 6, 2007
Thursday - Friday, Nov. 8 - 9: Introduction to Judaism
Judaism Activity
Now that you have learned a little bit about Judaism from Mr. Vergin, you will complete a short activity that examines the Jewish festival year. I have selected eight holidays, festivals, or days of remembrance that are commemorated during each year on the Jewish calendar. Each group will be assigned one of these holidays/festivals/days of remembrance. Each day/time period is linked to a web page dedicated to that day (or time period). Scroll through your assigned page, read the information and clink on the links that are relevant to your day/time period. You should learn as much as you can about your day. Your group (I will assign you to a group) will need to prepare a short, two to three minute presentation about your assigned day/time period. Your presentation should tell us:
1. When in the year the day/period takes place
2. Why the day/period is significant
3. What traditions/rituals are associated with the day/practice
Make sure that your presentation involves all members of your group and that it is very respectful of the material that you are presenting. You will complete these presentations on Monday/Tuesday of next week.
NOTE: Spellings may vary given that these names are translated from Hebrew.
* Rosh Hashanah (High Holy Days begin)
* Yom Kippur (High Holy Days end)
* Sukkot
* Chanukah (Hannukah)
* Purim
* Passover (Pesach)
* Yom Ha' Shoah
* Shavuot
Homework
Your final drafts and bibliographies are due next class. Have them ready at the beginning of class. Do not forget to bring your rough draft as well.
Posted by kmurr at 8:12 PM | Comments (0)
Tuesday - Wednesday, Nov. 6 - 7: Introduction to the Middle East
Stereotypes of the Middle East
We will begin our study of the Middle East by looking at what we and others think we know about the Middle East. We will put you in small groups and you will brainstorm a list of stereotypes that you and others have about the Middle East. Please try to be thoughtful as you put these lists together. Don’t simply say things to be offensive. Instead, think about what people think is true about the Middle East and people from the Middle East.
Analyzing Stereotypes
We will make a list of stereotypes that you discussed in your small groups. We will think about why many of these stereotypes are not true and about the sources of these stereotypes.
Addressing Stereotypes
We will brainstorm a list of ways to address the problem of stereotyping. At this point, we will also discuss why stereotypes can be so dangerous.
Homework
You should continue working on the final draft of your paper. These are due on Monday, November 12th (A Day) and Tuesday, November 13th (B Day).
Posted by kmurr at 11:09 AM | Comments (0)