Category Archives: Uncategorized

December 21, 2012 · 5:20 pm

12/21/12 – Close Up News

Go to Close Up page above for information regarding trip, flight, and hotel accommodations.

OK guys, we’ve got a few things going now….

#1 – We have Candy. Many of you have stopped by to pick it up for sales. You make 50 cents on every $1.00. Turn in the proceeds. I’ll keep getting it if you keep selling it. Piggy banks will be up and online when we get back from Break.

#2 – Good News – Mr. McVoy came through. He has promised us $400 for Saturday night’s hotel rooms. That should get us three rooms…which should be enough. If it isn’t we will cover the rest together. We should be good. Way to go Mr. McVoy:)

#3 – Possible date change. I’m thinking we might shift our travel date to May 4 to 9. Mikhaila Mason was going to be in Close Up (she has since dropped) and could not go on that date – so I changed it to April. I’ve always gone in May. I love May in D.C. It would give us two more weeks leeway on the initial deposit and plane fare. The European embassies are usually open one weekend a year to the public – it is that weekend. And May is always warm and sunny in our nation’s capitol. The cost is the same.

#4 – Current List of Travelers…

Travis Simmons
Julian Cook
Brittany Esparza
Simone Nielsen (one Dane)
Marc Santose
Michael Doom
Ivy Lewis
Mitchell Vanderkolk (maybe if they allow Dutchmen)
Almanda Molter (maybe if they allow two Danes)
Catie Terpenning (maybe – we are working on it)
Mr. Wood

#5 – Any questions keep in touch. Bob Wood 616-402-8668. bobwoodmsu@gmail.com. Have a great holiday:)

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December 15, 2012 · 7:00 am

Martin Luther King Jr. Independent Study #2 – Montgomery Bus Boycott

Civil Rights Movement – Independent Study
Let the Trumpet Sound – Read pages 53 to 109
Assignment #2 – Montgomery Bus Boycott

You are to post your google docs assignment by the below due date. Be prepared to fully explore the topic on that date. You will be graded on your discussion input on that date (30 pt possible)

Google Docs Post – TBA
Discussion – We’ll do this one online TBA

If you are reading along and posting for extra credit – your post is also to be up by the google docs post due date. Contact me if you have questions.

1 – Brown, Till, and the Montgomery Busses
At the same time King moves to Montgomery a lot of events begin to unfold. Each will have an influence on how he sees the movement. Talk about how the death of Emmitt Till, and passage of Brown v Board affect King. And take a good long look at the Montgomery City Bus rules. What are your thoughts about these rules?2 – The Montgomery Bus Boycott

2 – The Montgomery Bus Boycott
The actual events of the movement are high drama. Moves and countermoves – black Montgomery / White Montgomery. Talk to me about the following events:
• December 2, 1955 – the Park’s arrest.
• December 6, 1955 – rally at Holt Baptist Church. King’s speech.
• Makeshift carpools in an attempt to get folks to work.
• Klan reaction in Montgomery to the boycott.

3 – Allies in the Boycott
Sometimes we get to thinking the Civil Rights movement was Martin Luther King Jr. And everybody else just followed along. That is so far from the truth. There were little guys and big guys who spurred on the success of Montgomery. Explore King’s relationship with three people. Rosa Parks, E.D. Nixon, Ralph Abernathy. Talk to me about each of the three and their unique relationship with King.

Eyes on the Prize video series is the bible for the Civil Rights Movement. This is great stuff…a series of six one hour videos that chronologically moves through the movement. To get the full force of the this book and to prepare yourself for the Selma trip, I suggest that you watch these videos after you do the reading. Please stop by and borrow my copy of the series – Part One – Awakenings 1954 – 56 includes the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Take a look; it will significantly raise your awareness of the movement.

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December 13, 2012 · 5:31 pm

Life, Liberty, the Pursuit of Happiness

A little Founding Fathers Rap, compliments of Jib Jab.

A fascinating look at the edited version Jefferson’s rough draft of the Declaration.

The Declaration of Independence is the foundation on which our democracy stands. Jefferson’s call to arms in the defense of liberty serves as the basis for all else that follows. Those rights protected in the first ten amendments in the United States Constitution derived from the self evident truths of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” and the power of the consent of the governed to protect those rights served as an inspiration for the Revolution and later the writing of the Constitution. And it further inspired and continues to guide our democracy to safeguard liberty and arouse duty to personal responsibility in self governance.

And so we must know it. And know we will.

We are going to take the Declaration of Independence apart. Then we are going to re-construct it. You will present that reconstruction as a group. We will look at the real world edits from the day. By Friday December 21 you will be asked to memorize a portion of the document and pass a Common Assessment Exam that calls for an interpretation. Finally, after exploring all the in’s and out’s, we will watch it be debated and written in John Adams – Part Two.

So, let’s get going.

Go here for a copy of the in-class assignment of the Declaration.
We will deconstruct and reconstruct the Declaration in your groups.
Group 40 pt quiz grade on class presentation (Fri 14, Mon 17)
Individual 30 pt HW grade on notes on that presentation. (Fri 21)
(Tue 18) we will look at the edits made by Jefferson, Franklin, and Adams.
Finally we will watch it play out – John Adams (Part II). (Wed 19, Fri 21)
Don’t forget Thursday’s 20 CA or your memorization by Friday 21.

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December 12, 2012 · 4:35 pm

Selma Update 12/12/12

Go to pages above for more Selma Civil Rights Tour information.

Hey guys a couple updates in regards to the Selma trip…

Number one – looks like we have ten students going. Two or three adults. I’ll go – maybe Mr. Green and Mr. Lohman as well. Also, I’ve included two flyers. Go here for Mr. Wood’s flyer that will go on the backside of your creation. All of you can make flyers to help fundraise – I’ll help you – just stay after school and we can put em together and we’ll run color copies. Candy will be available for you to sell sometime next week. Finally, upcoming deadlines below. Please let me know if you have questions. Stay in touch.

One more thing I made a facebook group – so if that’s where you go for info…I’ll do a double post. Here and there.

2013 Selma Travelers

Almanda Molter
Caelin Subdon
Devon Huston
Eric Gemzer
Hannah Lawser
Meaghan Braspennix
Wyatt Sabatino
Sascha from Deutschland
Mr. Wood
Mr. Green or Mr. Lohman

Approaching Deadlines

Thursday, December 20 – Final date for $50 refundable deposit.
Monday, January 28 – Final date for airline ticket balance due.
Friday, March 1 – Fly out of Grand Rapids, MI for Birmingham, AL.

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November 25, 2012 · 5:10 pm

LP’s 2/6 – November 26

This is the last week of MP#2 – make sure that you are organized – two MP F’s and you fail the course. Some of you are already perched on that bubble. Also do not forget that many of you have extra credit % banked for your efforts on the November Election. You may apply that extra % next week when final marking period grades will be tallied.

Lesson Plans will be posted here weekly in PDF format. In order to access them merely click on the correct class. As changes occur to the plans during the course of the week, I will note those changes at the end of the post – not on the PDF original – so please keep that in mind. If you have any questions concerning the LPs please leave a reply. I will do my best to get back to you with an answer within 24 hrs.

I hope this helps you to better organize your school work and your life.

Salamou Alaykoum.