Week of May 21 and beyond, Our Human Rights Final

EES22QHR Final Exam Spring 2013

• For your final exam for EDU, you will work in teams to create an advertising campaign, promoting human rights.
• This is a chance for you to be creative and let your inner-activist shine!
• Please read the options below, or create your own idea and talk about it with me.
• You will be graded using the rubric below.

Options:

• Artwork (painting, sculpture, drawing, etc.) with a typed explanation of the art and how it is promoting human rights
• Subway poster for human rights, using text, images, quotes, drawings, symbols, etc.
• A song, that you perform for the class, with a typed lyric sheet (I will copy it for everyone)
• A poem that you read to the class, with a typed sheet (I will copy it for everyone)
• A graphic story (cartoon) promoting human rights
• A slide show or short film promoting human rights
• A skit about human rights with a typed script

Guidelines:

• Follow the conventions of standard written English.  In other words, watch your grammar, spelling, punctuation, and proofread!
• Make sure your work clearly promotes human rights
• Make sure your refer to the UDHR.
• You must pick an aspect of human rights you care about.
• You must include facts/statistics about this human right.

Human Rights Project Final Rubric

Group Members’ Names: __________________________  Topic_________________________________

Type of Project: _______________________________

Category	Possible Points	Your score
Content: Do you promote human rights? Is your presentation persuasive and convincing? Do you include facts/statistics about human rights? Do you refer to the UDHR?	40 ·      10 ·      10 ·      10 ·      10
Creativity:  Is your presentation dynamic and informative and interesting? Is it presented in a creative way?	20 ·      10 ·      10
Effort:  Did you all do your best? Did all members of the group work equally?	20 ·      10 ·      10
Presentation: Is your work proofread Is it neat and visually pleasing?	20 ·      10 ·      10
Total score	100

Week of May 14, More on the Central Park Five

Hi everyone,

This week we are going to continue learning about the Central Park Five.

I. Read these pieces written after the Central Park Five were put in jail.

Now answer these questions in your Google Drive:

1. What was this teen writer able to do that many journalists were not able to do? 
2. Why do you think that this teenager was able to identify key points or inconsistencies about the case that most of the city seemed to miss? 
3. Do you believe this author was biased? In what way? 

II. Please visit the websites below:

The Innocence Project

The Innocence Project (www.innocenceproject.org/fix/) is a national litigation and public policy organization dedicated to exonerating wrongfully convicted individuals through DNA testing and reforming the criminal justice system to prevent future injustice.

The Center on Wrongful Convictions of Youth

The CWCY (www.cwcy.org) is a joint project of the Center of Wrongful Convictions and Children and Family Justice Center at Northwestern University School of Law's Bluhm Legal Clinic. It is the only innocence project in the country that focuses exclusively on individuals who were convicted or accused of crimes when they were adolescents or younger.

The Innocence Network

The Innocence Network (www.innocencenetwork.org/) is an affiliation of organizations dedicated to providing pro bono legal and investigative services to individuals seeking to prove innocence of crimes for which they have been convicted and working to redress the causes of wrongful convictions.

Know Your Rights

This publication of the American Civil Liberties Union (www.aclu.org/files/kyr/kyr_english.pdf) addresses what rights you have when you are stopped, questioned, arrested, or searched by law enforcement officers.

Now in your Google Drive, answer the questions below:

1. What did you learn at these websites?
2. How are they useful?

III. Post your answers to our blog as a comment. Then respond to 2-3 other students' posts.

Week of May 7, The Central Park Five

Hi everyone,

Today we are going to learn about the Central Park Five in preparation to watch the film next week.

I.  Please watch this video, which is a discussion about the film with all members of the Central Park Five.

In your Google Drive, answer:

1. What new information did you get from this discussion?
2. What questions do you have?
3. If you were a member of the audience, please talk about your experience!!

II. Also, read this article, Growing Up Behind Bars, an interview with Yusuf Salaam.

Now answer these questions in your Google Drive:

1. What did the media miss? 
2. Are the media to blame for what happened to these boys? Why or why not? Who else is to blame? 
3. Do you believe the city’s racial tensions played a part in the wrongful convictions? How? 
4. Both Jovon Ferguson’s story and the Yusef Salaam video describe the dehumanizing metaphoric language (“wolf pack,” “wild animals,” etc.) used by the press in reference to the Central Park Five teens. How can language help shape public opinion?
5. Can you think of any other cases where the media escalated a problem by sensationalizing a story without doing a thorough investigation of the facts?

III. Post your answers to our blog as a comment. Then respond to 2-3 other students' posts.

Week of April 30, Creating Workshop for Teachers about Bullying

Hi everyone,

Our principal, Orlando Sarmiento, would like our class to create a workshop for teachers about Bullying, which will include a screening of the film Bully.

Today I would like you to work with two other students (on one computer) and help plan for the workshop.

You and your team should do the following (written in your google drive):

1. Create an icebreaker to use with the teachers. An icebreaker is like a game, that will help participants relax and feel welcome. The icebreaker should be about bullying in schools. It should involve movement and discussion questions. Perhaps you can include statistics/information about bullying in this section.
2. Create 3 questions to ask teachers before showing the film (pre-screening questions).
3. Create 3 questions teachers should answer while watching the film.
4. Create 3 questions teachers should answer after watching the film (post-screening).
5. List any other ideas you have to make this a successful workshop.

When you have completed this, please post your ideas to our blog. Then read the ideas of other teams and give constructive feedback (what you think is useful about their ideas, any suggestions you have (respectful suggestions).

Thanks!!

Ms Mann

Week of April 23, Grades and Fighting Bullying

Hi everyone,

This week we will determine our grades and then fight against bullying.

• As you know, I am using a program called Engrade to calculate your grades. Please go to the Engrade website to register and see your grades. 

• Now please answer the questions below in Google Docs:

1. What did you enjoy about class this marking period? Why? Please refer to specific activities, projects, workshops, etc.
2. What didn't you enjoy and why? Please be specific.
3. Do you feel you have changed in any way as a result of your participation in this class? If yes, how?
4. Were there any activities/projects/topics that I didn't cover that you want us to cover?Which ones?
5. What can I do to make the class better for you (aside from no homework)? Please be specific.
6. What advice can you give to your classmates to make their experience in this class more meaningful?
7. Where are you doing community service? How many hours have you done so far? What have you learned or gained from volunteering?
8. Fill in the blanks..."From class this marking period, one thing I will take is _______________ and one thing I will give is ________________."

Now, post your answers as a comment to our class blog.

When you finish...we will use our blog to fight against bullying.


Please visit this wonderful PBS website.

While you are there, you can find answers to the questions below.

1. What is bullying?
2. Who is a bully?
3. Who is a target?
4. How can you handle it?
5. What are innocent bystanders?
6. What is online bullying?

Please type your answers in Google Docs and then post them to our blog.

Also, please do the following:

1. Play the interactive games on the website to beat the bully!
2. Vote in their poll on the homepage

Finally, here are some other great websites to visit. Check them out and write a review of you three favorites in the comments section of our blog. Then check out what your friends wrote about the other sites.

1. 121help.me
2. American Learns
3. Beat Bullying
4. Bully Beware
5. Bully Bust
6. Bullying. No Way!
7. BullyingUK
8. Girl Talk
9. KAM Kindness Above Malice
10. Kidpower
11. Make a Difference for Kids
12. One Million Kids
13. Stop Bullying
14. Stop Bullying Now
15. Stop Bullying, Start Empathy
16. The Bully Project

Thanks,

Ms Mann

Week of April 16, Earth Day

Hi everyone, 

Before we start today, please email your welcoming story as an HTML attachment to:

1. Me: Jmann6@schools.nyc.gov
2. Your buddy at Eagle Tech Academy (on a slip of paper)
3. Post it to First Person American if you weren't able to do so before. They have fixed the problem on their website.

Next, Concern is partnering with a new global education organization called United Classrooms (UClass) to feature an online Earth Day project throughout the month of April.

In honor of Earth Day on April 22nd,  students (grades K-12) have the chance to create projects which explore environmental challenges in the developing world and to creatively think about solutions to addressing them. The best part is students get to share their projects with other students from 60 different countries around the world! 

The project is now open and ends May 3rd. Four classroom winners will be selected and announced on May 5th and will have their class' picture posted on the UClass website, the GCC website, and will receive a class set of prizes from UClass. 

This is a wonderful opportunity for us.

Please visit this website to register!

Your username is name@humanrights. (example, I'd be julie@humanrights) and your password is 123456. This is where you complete your registration.

Now go to this website.  Read about the projects for grades 6-12. Pick a project and begin working!! You will be able to upload your work with your registration name!!

Have fun and good luck!!

Week of April 9, MDG Online Program

Hi everyone,

Today we will participate in

Before we do, make sure you upload your amazing Welcoming Story to the First Person American website.

Now, we will participate in a project for the UN Millennium Development Goals. Last week marked the beginning of the last 1,000 days to achieve the UN's Millennium Development Goals by the deadline. Momentum 1000 is hosting 1000 minutes of digital conversation (talks, tweets, webcasts, etc.) about what needs to be done during this crucial time. 

Please visit this website to learn more. 

Click on the banner at the bottom to enter the 1000 days of action site. There read about every goal, and share information about each one with friends using email. Watch the video in the middle of the page.

Please answer these questions in your Google Drive and post your answers to our blog:

1. Which 3 goals are most important to you and why?
2. What do you think you can do personally to help achieve them?

After you post your own answers, read 2 classmates posts and write replies.

Spring Break HW, Revising our Stories

Hi everyone,

This week please complete your second draft of your assignment for First Person American:

Visit the First Person American Website for ideas and inspiration!!!

Then, in your google drive, please revise and print the assignment:

Improve your first draft by including all of the suggestions from the people in your writing groups!

Add your welcoming person into your story in great detail. This is now your welcoming story!!

You need to have this story printed out for our next class on April 4!!!

Thanks,

Ms Mann

Week of March 12, Preparing for First Person American

Hi everyone,

This week please complete your assignment for First Person American:

Visit the First Person American Website

Make sure you finished writing out the outline for your story in the First Person American packet.

Then, in your google drive, please complete the assignment:

Come up with a strong hook, write a first draft of your immigration story, identify the story arc. Make sure you answer who, what, where, when, why and how.

You need to have this story printed out for our next class!!

Thanks,

Ms Mann

Week of March 5, Grades for Marking Period 1

Hi everyone,

This week we will determine our grades.

• I am using a program called Engrade to calculate your grades. Please go to theEngrade website to register and see your grades. You need your access code to do this, which you can find on the strip of paper I've given you.

• Now please answer the questions below in Google Docs:

1. What did you enjoy about class this marking period? Why? Please refer to specific activities, projects, workshops, etc.
2. What didn't you enjoy and why? Please be specific.
3. Do you feel you have changed in any way as a result of your participation in this class? If yes, how?
4. Were there any activities/projects/topics that I didn't cover that you want us to cover?Which ones?
5. What can I do to make the class better for you (aside from no homework J )? Please be specific.
6. What advice can you give to your classmates to make their experience in this class more meaningful?
7. Where are you doing community service? How many hours have you done so far? What have you learned or gained from volunteering?
8. Fill in the blanks..."From class this marking period, one thing I will take is _______________ and one thing I will give is ________________."

Now, post your answers as a comment to our class blog.

Week of February 26, More on Bayard Rustin

Hi everyone,

This week we are learning about Bayard Rustin through the film "Brother Outsider".

Please read this article before you answer the questions below.

Please consider these questions and answer them in Google Docs:

1. Historians have called Rustin the “invisible man” and the “unknown hero” of the civil rights movement. Do you agree with these descriptions? Why do you think Rustin has been hidden from history? Do you see him as a hero? If so, what makes him heroic to you?

2. How does knowing about Bayard Rustin’s contributions – as well as about the way he was treated – affect your understanding of the civil rights movement? 

3. Did Rustin’s relative openness about being gay make him more of a target than if he had remained closeted? Why?

4. At the very end of the film (at 1:21:21), Rustin says: “Twenty-five, thirty years ago, the barometer of human rights in the United States were black people. That is no longer true. The barometer for judging the character of people in regard to human rights is now those who consider themselves gay, homosexual, lesbian.” Rustin made this statement shortly before his death in 1987; do you think it holds true today? 

5. What group or groups do you see as “the barometer of human rights” today? In what ways are members of the LGBT community still fighting for full equal rights? How do you think history will remember the current struggle for LGBT rights? 


Then post your answers to our class blog as a comment.

Finally, comment on your classmates comments.

Week of February 12, Respect for All

Hi everyone,

In honor of Respect for All week, we are going to screen a film called "A Class Divided" and write about the film.

Please click on this link to watch the film (use the continuous play feature).

When you finish, please answer the questions below in Google Docs. Then post to our class blog.

·       What did you learn?

·       What scene or scenes do you think you'll still remember a month from now and why those scenes?

·       Did any part of the film surprise you? Do you think someone of a different race, ethnicity, or religion would also find it surprising?

·       Both Elliott and her former students talk about whether or not this exercise should be done with all children. What do you think? If the exercise could be harmful to children, as Elliott suggests, what do you think actual discrimination might do?

·       It's easy to understand why third-graders might not refuse to obey their teacher, but when the exercise is done with the prison guards, why don't any of the adults object?

·       How is the blue eyes/brown eyes exercise related to the Sioux prayer, "Help me not judge a person until I have walked in his shoes"?

Week of February 4, No Place for Hate

Hi everyone and welcome to our new semester!

Today we are going to think about the Anti-Defamation League's No Place for Hate Campaign.

1. Please visit the ADL's No Place for Hate Website.
2. At the bottom of that page is a link to a resource guide for the campaign. Please click on that link or click here.
3. Read through the guide and the suggested activities. Think about our class and what you think would be realistic and appropriate for our class to do this semester.
4. In Google Docs, please answer the questions below:

• What does No Place for Hate mean to you? 
• In what ways are you helping our school be a No Place for Hate school?
• What activities did you see in the resource guide that you think we should do as a class?

Now post your answers to our class blog.

Then read your classmates responses and write back to them, telling them:

1. What do you think about their answer to what No Place for Hate means to them?
2. What do you think about their ideas for our class?