In class: Holocaust slide notes

The Holocaust slide notes from Thursday, December 19 are located here.

The anti-Semitic propaganda slide notes are located here.

In class: Atomic Bomb slide notes

The Atomic Bomb slide notes from Tuesday, December 17 are located here.

In class/homework: Fog of War

Date assigned
Tuesday, December 17


Assignment
Watch the clip from Fog of War: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8TOJy3eO1A&safe=active

We started at 30:17 and stopped at 43:11.

Then respond to the following two questions that McNamara himself asks during the film:

1) "In order to win a war, should you kill 100,000 civilians in a single night?"

2) "What makes it immoral if you lose, but not immoral if you win?"


Due date
Thursday, December 19

First 10 minutes of "Saving Private Ryan"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHvqS2kk1rs&safe=active

Portraying the US military landing on Omaha Beach in France.

In class: Japanese internment slide notes

The Japanese internment slide notes from Monday, Dec. 16 are located here.

In class: Pearl Harbor slide notes

The Pearl Harbor slide notes from Thursday, Dec. 12 are located here.

PROJECT: Propaganda

Propaganda project instructions:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BoFxfNceowEip77Z6A7amL2HOiN_u5diWEFhCX5WNEM/pub


Example video projects:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIWaxwyKRtI&feature=share&list=FLcDHe0vV8mYtmmqCRwjKdzg&index=36

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ex1fnczE21w&feature=share&list=FLcDHe0vV8mYtmmqCRwjKdzg&index=13

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeGAMEHfbys&feature=share&list=FLcDHe0vV8mYtmmqCRwjKdzg&index=15

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IULUiJnY0Y4&feature=share&list=FLcDHe0vV8mYtmmqCRwjKdzg&index=16

DUE JANUARY 21

In class: Propaganda

The Propaganda slide notes from Tuesday, Dec. 10 are located here.

Bugs Bunny Nips the Nips: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_sHnYuUnVw&safe=active

US Marines commercial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDZ2fMHTvwk&feature=share&list=FLcDHe0vV8mYtmmqCRwjKdzg&index=34

In class: AP PARTS, Mein Kampf, Triumph of the Will, and Star Wars

AP PARTS
https://chnm.gmu.edu/cyh/archive/files/apparts_b60cd02284.pdf


Mein Kampf excerpt
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/kampf.html


Triumph of the Will clips
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yl2iIHRE1ng&list=PL41F128BD575551A7

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9Ath24sf9w&list=PL41F128BD575551A7

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcgzpDazujE&list=PL41F128BD575551A7


Star Wars clip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yixG8pfncOs&safe=active

In class: Fascism, Hitler, and Nazi Germany slide notes

The Fascism, Hitler, and Nazi Germany slide notes from Thursday, Dec. 5 can be found here.

Homework: Over the Edge

Date assigned
Thursday, December 5


Assignment
Watch the episode of The Century: America's Time titled "Over the Edge" on YouTube.

Part 1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYbu0CdJ87k&list=PLC8D9DC28C3EC5223

Part 2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WG2ZkiRw-jw&list=PLC8D9DC28C3EC5223 (Period 4 left off at 5:15 of Part 2)

Part 3 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBWQUG9S-g4&list=PLC8D9DC28C3EC5223

Write 5 questions you have about the episode.


Due date
Monday, December 9

Supplemental reading: WWI, WWII, and the Holocaust

WWI                                                                                                   

Johnny Got His Gun, by Dalton Trumbo                                           

The Guns of August, by Barbara Tuchman                                        

Memoirs of an Infantry Officer, by Siegfried Sassoon                      

A Farewell to Arms, by Ernest Hemingway                                      

All Quiet on the Western Front, by Erich Maria Remarque               

WWII

The Pacific War: 1931-1945, by Saburo Ienaga

The Rape of Nanking, by Iris Chang

Band of Brothers, by Stephen Ambrose

Hiroshima, by John Hersey

D-Day, by Stephen Ambrose

Hiroshima: Why America Dropped the Atomic Bomb, by Ronald Takaki

The Holocaust

The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak

The Pianist: The Extraordinary True Story of One Man's Survival in Warsaw, 1939-1945, by Wladyslaw Szpilman

The Complete Maus, by Art Spiegelmlan

Survival in Auschwitz, by Primo Levi

The Painted Bird, by Jerzy Kosinski

In class: Russian Revolution slide notes

The Russian Revolution slide notes from Monday, Dec. 2 are located here.

In class: End of World War I slide notes

The End of World War I slide notes from Thursday, Nov. 21 are located here.

In class: Why the U.S. Entered World War I slide notes

The Why the U.S. Entered World War I slide notes from Monday, Nov. 18 are located here.

In class: How World War I Was Fought slide notes

The How World War I Was Fought slide notes from Thursday, Nov. 14 are located here.

Homework: The Great War

Date assigned
Thursday, Nov. 14


Assignment
Watch The Great War, episode 3, "Total War" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKfsWtJ8R_c&list=PL95DD3A12BDB77AF0

Watch The Great War, episode 4, "Slaughter" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1krztItfcR8&list=PL95DD3A12BDB77AF0

Write 5 questions that you have about each episode - 10 questions total.

Period 2 - start from beginning
Period 3 - start at 18:30
Period 4 - start at 10:30


Due date
Monday, Nov. 18

In class/homework: World War I map/diagram

Date assigned
Tuesday, Nov. 12


Assignment
Map: Label 16 countries and 5 bodies of water, and color code the countries to indicate Allied Powers, Central Powers, and neutral countries

Diagram: Color code to indicate Triple Alliance, Triple Entente, Balkans, and the Ottoman Empire.  Then color code to indicate alliances, treaties, and aid agreements.

The slide notes from Tuesday, Nov. 12 are located here.


Due date
Thursday, Nov. 14

In class: Causes of World War I slide notes

The Causes of World War I slide notes from Tuesday, Nov. 12 are located here.

Final exam study guide - 1st quarter

The 1st quarter final exam study guide can be found here.

ANNOUNCEMENT: 1% infractions

The following list of mistakes will result in a 1% penalty for each occurrence on assignments going forward:

1% for each infraction:

• There/their/they’re
• You’re/your
• To/too
• Not capitalizing a proper noun like Nigeria or Belgium or Shell Oil or The Holocaust
• Not capitalizing the first word in a sentence
• Not putting a period at the end of a sentence
• Using the wrong word:

  “loose” instead of “lose”

  “defiantly” instead of “definitely”

  
  

  “alot” instead of “a lot”

  “barley” instead of “barely”

  
  

  “King Leopard” instead of “King Leopold” 

  
  
  
  

  “of” instead of “off”

  “I” instead of “if” or “in” 

  “board” instead of “bored”

  “go” instead of “got”

• Things that spell check would have caught:

  “rtes” instead of “rates”

  “f” instead of “if” or “of”

• Misspelling the name of a country or a people – “the Belgiums” is totally unacceptable
  
  
  
  
  One I didn't mention in all of today's classes was screwing up it's/its - this is also on the 1% infraction list.

In class: Vice Guide to Congo

Date assigned
Monday, Oct. 28


Assignment
Watch "Vice Guide to Congo" (found here).  Write 10 questions you have about the film.


Due date
Tuesday, Oct. 29

In class: Congo slide notes

The Congo slide notes from Monday, Oct. 21 and Monday, Oct. 28 are located here.

In class/homework: Lumumba's assassination

Date assigned
Thursday, October 24


Assignment
Read this editorial from the New York Times in 2011 to see how Belgium and the United States actually reacted to Lumumba's speech.  Write margin notes.


Due date
Monday, October 28

In class: Lumumba's speech

Date assigned
Thursday, October 24


Assignment
Read Patrice Lumumba's speech (link here) from the day the Congo got independence from Belgium.  Answer the following questions:

1) What are the themes of Lumumba's speech?  Use examples from the text.

2) How do you think the people of the Congo reacted to the speech?  Use examples from the text.

3) How do you think the Belgian government reacted to the speech?  Use examples from the text.

4) 1960 was the height of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union.  Belgium was an ally of the United States, and sold many of the resources they harvested in the Congo to the United States.  How do you think the United States government reacted to the speech?  Use examples from the text.


Due date
Thursday, October 24, end of class

Homework: The Wood That Weeps

Date assigned
Monday, Oct. 21


Assignment
Read the "The Wood That Weeps" excerpt from King Leopold's Ghost.  Be prepared to discuss it in class on Tuesday.  Take margin notes and answer the questions by Thursday.


Due date
Read by the beginning of class on Tuesday, Oct. 22
Margin notes and questions by the beginning of class on Thursday, Oct. 24

In class/homework: The Kingdom of the Kongo

Date assigned
Monday, Oct. 21


Assignment
Read "The Kingdom of the Kongo" excerpt from King Leopold's Ghost.  Be prepared to discuss it in class.


Due date
Tuesday, Oct. 22

In class: Nigerian independence slide notes

The Nigerian independence slide notes from Monday, Oct. 14 and Thursday, October 17 are located here.

EXTRA CREDIT: Hoop Dreams, 15 years later

Date assigned
Thursday, Oct. 17


Assignment
Read three articles about Hoop Dreams:

1) Hoop Dreams, 15 years later - link

2) The Great American Documentary - link

3) The death of Arthur's father - link

Then answer the following questions:

1) What is Hoop Dreams about?  How many different things is it about?

2) What issues does Hoop Dreams raise about American society?

3) How did Hoop Dreams change your perspective?  What did it make you think about that you haven’t considered before?  How did it change your thinking?

4) Of all the films we could have chosen to show you, why did we choose Hoop Dreams?

5) How could the lives of William, Arthur, and all of the other people in the film have been improved? 

6) Can poverty be eliminated?  If so, how?  If not, why not?

7) Discuss the idea of athletes as role models.  Why are athletes idolized?  Should athletes be idolized?  Why don’t teenagers have posters of scientists or writers or journalists on the walls of their bedrooms?

Due date
Thursday, Oct. 24

In class: Nigerian independence

In groups of 3, you are creating:

-Political organization

• Name of country
• Type of government
• National motto
• National symbol

-National map after independence

• Regional borders and names
• National capital city marked with a star
• 1,000 miles of roads (scale: Ibadan to Enugu is 250 miles)

-National flag

-National pledge of allegiance



Due at the end of the period on Monday, Oct. 14

Homework: Shell Oil in Nigeria

Date assigned
Monday, October 14


Assignment
Read the handouts about Shell's involvement with the oil industry in the Ogoni region of Nigeria (links here and here).  Write at least 1.5 pages on the following opinion questions:

1) Should the Shell Oil company have been punished for their actions in Nigeria?  Why or why not?

2) What should Shell Oil’s punishment have been?  Explain your answer.

3) What was the worst thing Shell did?  Explain your answer.

4) What responsibilities do international corporations have when they harvest natural resources in places like Nigeria?  Explain your answer.

5) What responsibilities do national governments have when they allow international corporations like Shell Oil to harvest natural resources in their country?  Explain your answer.

Photo essay:
http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2011/06/nigeria-the-cost-of-oil/100082/

Wiwa vs. Shell Oil on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N10wAPhDJAM&feature=youtu.be&safe=active

Further readings:
http://ccrjustice.org/ourcases/current-cases/wiwa-v.-royal-dutch-petroleum
http://www.umich.edu/~snre492/cases_03-04/Ogoni/Ogoni_case_study.htm
http://nvdatabase.swarthmore.edu/content/ogoni-people-struggle-shell-oil-nigeria-1990-1995


Due date
Read both articles by Thursday, October 17
Turn in margin notes and questions on Monday, October 21

In class: Nigerian spoke diagram

The slide notes introducing Africa and Nigeria can be found here.  The instructions for the Nigerian spoke diagram are on the last page - come see me to get the reading required to do the assignment.

Project: African film assignment

The culminating project for the Africa unit - due Tuesday, November 5 - can be found here.

Homework: 3 imperialism documents

Date assigned
Thursday, October 3


Assignment
Read and write margin notes for 3 documents from the era of imperialism:

- British Contract with an African King (link)
- Letter Opposing the English (link)
- In Favor of Imperialism (link)

Answer the questions attached to each of the documents (EXCEPT for question #3 on Letter Opposing the English).


Due date
Tuesday, October 8, beginning of class

Government shut down and debt ceiling readings

James Fallows
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/09/why-this-is-not-just-washington-breakdown-in-3-graphs-and-1-story/280099/?google_editors_picks=true

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/09/your-false-equivalence-guide-to-the-days-ahead/280062/

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/10/the-two-basic-facts-that-should-be-in-every-shutdown-story/280179/


Andrew Sullivan
http://dish.andrewsullivan.com/2013/10/01/the-nullification-party/

http://dish.andrewsullivan.com/2013/09/27/how-to-think-about-obamacare/

http://dish.andrewsullivan.com/2013/09/26/the-gops-demands/


Ezra Klein
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/09/26/wonkbook-the-houses-debt-ceiling-bill-is-wow/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/09/30/dont-forget-what-the-shutdown-is-really-about/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/09/30/our-governing-crisis-in-one-sentence/


Thomas Friedman
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/02/opinion/friedman-our-democracy-is-at-stake.html?smid=fb-share&_r=0


Greg Sargent
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/09/26/the-morning-plum-the-gops-debt-limit-strategy-is-insane-people-should-say-so/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/09/30/our-current-governing-crisis-in-two-sentences/


Derek Thompson
http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/09/here-are-the-gops-debt-ceiling-demands-and-they-are-insane/280012/


National Review (conservative news and opinions)
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/360122/holding-firm-robert-costa

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/360092/ongoing-health-care-debate-yuval-levin

In class: Imperialism slide notes

The Imperialism slide notes from Monday, September 30 and Thursday, October 3 can be found here.

In class/homework: Spanish vs. Incas

Date assigned
Thursday, September 26


Assignment
Finish watching Episode 2 of Guns, Germs, and Steel (link here).

Period 2 stopped at 12:35
Period 3 stopped at 18:30
Period 4 stopped at 30:10

After watching, summarize 5 reasons why the Spanish were able to conquer the Inca Empire so easily.


Due date
Monday, September 30

More info: Scientology

Paul Haggis leaves the Church of Scientology: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/02/14/110214fa_fact_wright

Homework: Review of first 2 weeks

Date assigned
Thursday, September 19


Assignment
Complete the review questions (found here) that cover the first 2 weeks of class, including the Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution.


Due date
Monday, September 23

In class: Colonialism slide notes

The Colonialism slide notes from Tuesday, September 24 and Thursday, September 26 can be found here.

Homework: Engles and Marx

Date assigned
Tuesday, September 17


Assignment
Read and take margin notes on the readings from Friedrich Engels and Karl Marx:

- The Conditions of the Working Class in England (no link)
- Excerpt from The Communist Manifesto: Part II (only read Part II of this link - "Proletarians and Communists" - don't read Part I or Part IV)


Due date
Thursday, September 19

Homework: Industrial Revolution documents and questions

Date assigned
Thursday, September 12


Assignment
Read and write margin notes for 2 of the last 3 documents from the Industrial Revolution packet (your choice which 2 documents to do):

- Women Miners in the English Coal Pits
- Child worker testimony (read only Matthew Crabtree, Elizabeth Bentley, and Peter Smart)
- Prostitution in Victorian London (no link)

Answer 4 questions for each document.


Due date
Monday, September 16

In class - Obama's Syria speech and Kerry's press conference

President Obama's speech about Syria from Tuesday, September 10 (that we watched in class on Thursday, September 12) can be found here.

Secretary of State Kerry's press conference can be found here.

Homework: Britain's Industrial Advantage and the Factory System

Date assigned
Tuesday, September 10


Assignment
Read "Britain's Industrial Advantage and the Factory System," and write margin notes.  Then answer the 4 questions on the front of your packet (link here).


Due date
Questions due Thursday, September 12

In class: United Kingdom/Great Britain/England video

The UK/Great Britain/England video from Monday Sept. 9 can be found here.

In class: Industrial Revolution slide notes

The Industrial Revolution slide notes from Monday, Sept. 9 and Tuesday, Sept. 10 can be found here.

Homework: Industrial Revolution introduction

Date assigned
Thursday, September 5


Assignment
1) Read the introduction to the Industrial Revolution (found here).

2) Write margin notes on the reading.

3) On a separate piece of paper, write 5 questions you have about the Industrial Revolution.


Due date
Monday, September 9

In class: Enlightenment slide notes

The Enlightenment slide notes from Thursday, September 5 are located here.

Homework: Class syllabus

Date assigned
Wednesday, September 4


Assignment
Read the syllabus (found here) with your parents and/or guardians.  Sign it, have your parents and/or guardians sign it, and bring it back to class.


Due date
Monday, September 9

TEST: Review questions

The final exam is on Tuesday, June 11.  The review questions can be found here.

In class: China's economic miracle

Graphs about China's economic growth: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-20069627

Shenzhen: http://twistedsifter.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/shenzhen-china-then-and-now-30-years-later-1980-vs-2011.jpg

Shanghai: http://amazingstuff.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/nowandthen_shanghai2.jpg

Three Gorges Dam: http://popsci.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/06/12/threegorges.jpg

List of countries by GDP: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nominal)

List of countries by GDP per capita: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nominal)_per_capita

60 Minutes episode about China's real estate bubble: http://www.businessinsider.com/60-minutes-chinas-ghost-cities-2013-3

TEST UPDATE: New maps

New South America map:


New Asia map:

Homework: China's economic miracle

Date assigned
Thursday, June 6


Assignment
Read "China's economic miracle: the high price of progress" (link here).  Answer the following questions in a 1 page response:

1) What decisions did the Chinese government make that led to their current status as an economic power?

2) What problems does the Chinese government face going forward?

3) How would you recommend that the Chinese government handle these problems?


Due date
Monday, June 10

In class/homework: Sandinista policy decisions

Date assigned
Thursday, May 30

Assignment
Read the Sandinista policy dilemmas that we did not finish in class.  Write a detailed recommendation for each of them.

Due date
Monday, June 3

In class/homework: Imagine you're a Nicaraguan

Date assigned
Tuesday, May 28


Assignment
Read "Imagine you were a Nicaraguan..." and write at least 1 page answering the the following prompt:

Imagine you are a Nicaraguan teenager in 1977.  What changes would you like to see happen in your country and why?


Due date
Thursday, May 30, beginning of class

2nd period: Chef Boyardee IS a real person!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ettore_Boiardi

In class: Cuba slide presentations

The Spanish-American War slide presentation can be found here.

The Neocolonialism slide presentation can be found here.

The Cuban Revolution slide presentation can be found here.

The Cascadia embargo activity slide presentation can be found here.

The Cuban embargo slide presentation can be found here.

In class/homework: Cuba, Guatemala, and 3 Castro quotes

Date assigned
Thursday, May 23


Assignment
Read the packet about the US coup in Guatemala in 1954.  Then read the following Fidel Castro quotes:

“If there ever was in the history of humanity an enemy who was truly universal, an enemy whose acts and moves trouble the entire world, threaten the entire world, attack the entire world in any way or another, that real and really universal enemy is precisely Yankee imperialism.”

“The ever more sophisticated weapons piling up in the arsenals of the wealthiest and the mightiest can kill the illiterate, the ill, the poor and the hungry, but they cannot kill ignorance, illness, poverty or hunger.”

“No state should pretend to have the right to starve another people to death.  That is turning a nation into a ghetto and imposing on it a new version of the Holocaust.”

Consider the quotes, the reading on Guatemala, and what we've studied about Cuba.  Write at least a page answering the following question:  Do you agree or disagree with Castro?

Due date

Tuesday, May 28

In class: Cascadia!

Date assigned
Tuesday, May 21


Assignment
Directions for this assignment can be found here.


Due date
Tuesday, May 21, end of class

Homework: Underpinnings of the Cuban Revolution

Date assigned
Thursday, May 16


Assignment
Read 5 documents provided in class:

Neocolonialism
The Platt Amendment
The United Fruit Company in Cuba, by Oscar Zanetti
History Will Absolve Me, by Fidel Castro
Reminiscences of the Cuban Revolutionary War, by Che Guevara

Then write at least 2 pages (typed, double spaced, 12 point font) summarizing why the Cuban people revolted against the Batista regime in the 1950s.


Due date
Finish the reading by Monday, May 20
Finish the response by Tuesday, May 21

In class/homework: Intervention in Syria

Date assigned
Thursday, May 9


Assignment
Read 4 articles on the conflict in Syria:

1) "5 reasons Syria's war suddenly seems more dangerous" (link here)
2) "The bloody stalemate persists" (link here)
3) "Syria: Intervention is in Our Interest" (link here)
4) "Syria: Intervention Will Only Make It Worse" (link here)

Write at least two pages on the following questions:

Should the United States get involved in the Syrian conflict?  If not, why not?  If so, should we get involved with the goal of stopping the bloodshed?  Or should we come in specifically on one side or another?  Explain your answer using evidence from the articles.


Due date
Monday, May 13

Extra credit: Women's rights in the Middle East

Date assigned
Thursday, May 9


Assignment
Watch Mona Eltahawy's recent lecture in Portland (link here).  Then read Eltahawy's 2012 article, "Why Do They Hate Us?" about sexism in the Middle East (link here).

Write a response of at least two pages exploring the following questions:

1) What shocked/surprised you the most about Eltahawy's lecture and/or essay?

2) Conservative Muslim men argue that they are following their religion when they make laws restricting women's rights.  At what point does the right to practice religion freely end if it causes the oppression of half the people in a society?

3) What needs to happen to liberate women in the Middle East?  Is it change that must take place from within?  Can it be helped along by other countries and cultures?

4) Is question #3 flawed?  Do women in the Middle East need to be liberated at all?

5) The United States is far from perfect on the issue of women's rights.  Do we have the authority to demand change in other countries regarding their policies toward women?


Due date
Monday, May 20

Homework: Syrian Civil War

Date assigned
Monday, May 6


Assignment
Read "Syria: To oppose or not to oppose?" (link here).  Write at least 5 questions to ask our guest speaker, Leila Piazza, in class on Tuesday, May 7.


Due date
Tuesday, May 7

PROJECT: Choose Your Own Adventure

You may choose one of the following three options for your 4th quarter project:

1) Read a book (approved by me) about the Middle East, Latin America, or China.  Write a paper similar to the one we wrote for the 1st quarter African film project.

2) Make a piece of propaganda (on a topic approved by me) about the Middle East, Latin America, or China, and write a 2-page paper describing the methods you used (just like the 2nd quarter propaganda project).

3) Write a persuasive essay (with a thesis statement approved by me) about a topic of your choosing within the purview or the Middle East, Latin America, or China (similar to the 3rd quarter Israel-Palestine project).


Deadlines for this project

Thursday, May 9 - Tell me which option you're choosing and get your book/topic/thesis statement approved (if you need book suggestions, ask me)

Thursday, May 16 - Turn in an outline of your ideas for your project

Thursday, May 23 - Turn in a rough draft of your project

Thursday, May 30 - Final project is due

In class/homework: Microteach the Arab Spring

Date assigned
Monday, April 29


Assignment
Each person in your group will teach the rest of the group about one country in the Arab Spring (December 2010 to present):

#1 - Tunisia
#2 - Egypt
#3 - Yemen
#4 - Bahrain
#5 - Libya
#6 - Syria (If your group only has 5 members, don't do Syria)

While researching your conflict, answer the following questions:

- Why did people begin to protest in your country?  What were the root causes of their discontent?

- How did the government respond to the protests?

- What happened during the course of the protests?

- Have the protests ended?  If not, why not?  If so, how did the protests end?  

- Was the government overthrown?  If so, who took power?  Was dictatorship replaced with democracy?

- What factors helped and/or hurt the effectiveness of the protests?  Did the people have help from other countries?  Did the government have help from other countries?

- What did the protests in your country ultimately accomplish?

- What else still needs to be accomplished in your country?

Prepare a 1-page handout to give each of your group members for them to follow along with while you teach (you will also turn in a copy of this handout). 

Due date

Be prepared to teach your group about your conflict on Thursday, May 2.

Arab Spring resources

Overview
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab_Spring

Timelines
http://www.npr.org/2012/01/02/144489844/timeline-the-major-events-of-the-arab-spring

Explanations
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/02/06/weekinreview/06marsh.html
http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/world/arab-unrest/index.html
http://www.thenation.com/article/158991/arab-spring#
http://www.almanar.com.lb/english/adetails.php?eid=45439&cid=31&fromval=1

Tunisia
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/in-tunisia-act-of-one-fruit-vendor-sparks-wave-of-revolution-through-arab-world/2011/03/16/AFjfsueB_story.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/tunisia-arab-spring
http://www.juancole.com/2013/02/tunisias-spring-turmoil.html
http://www.freedomhouse.org/article/tunisia-arab-springs-pivotal-democratic-example
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/03/20/arab-spring-hits-snags-in-tunisia-where-it-all-began/
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/01/17/tunisia-protests-events-idAFLDE70F08020110117

Egypt
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/egypt/index.html
http://www.ibtimes.com/two-years-after-egypts-arab-spring-revolution-seem-long-time-ago-1070676#
http://guides.library.cornell.edu/content.php?pid=259276&sid=2159613
http://www.economist.com/node/21557339
http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/02/03/egypt.protests.timeline/index.html

Libya
http://guides.library.cornell.edu/content.php?pid=259276&sid=2163152
http://www.reuters.com/news/pictures/slideshow?articleId=USRTR34MI2#a=1
http://blog.heritage.org/2012/03/10/the-bitter-fruit-of-libyas-arab-spring/
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/08/22/1009459/-Causes-of-the-Libyan-Revolution-and-the-Arab-Spring
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903461304576524701611118090.html
http://www.timetoast.com/timelines/libya-arab-spring-timeline

Bahrain
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2011/08/20118301473301296.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jun/19/bahrain-special-case-arab-spring
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/on-the-middle-east/2013/feb/13/middleeast-bahrain-saudi-gulf
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/bahrain-arab-spring
http://guides.library.cornell.edu/content.php?pid=259276&sid=2163172

Syria
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syrian_civil_war
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-19331551
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-13855203
http://guides.library.cornell.edu/content.php?pid=259276&sid=2163169
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/16/opinion/global/the-dangerous-price-of-ignoring-syria.html?_r=0
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/syria/index.html

Yemen
http://guides.library.cornell.edu/content.php?pid=259276&sid=2163159
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/002021e6-97d4-11e2-97e0-00144feabdc0.html#slide0
http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/12/09/after-the-arab-spring-yemen-s-women-are-left-behind.html
http://rt.com/op-edge/saleh-arab-spring-al-qaeda-yemen-886/

Films
http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/empire/2011/04/2011421104111964650.html
http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/general/2011/04/20114483425914466.html

Arab Spring slide presentation

The Arab Spring slide presentation from Monday, April 29 is located here.

Homework: Iraq War articles

Date assigned
Thursday, April 25


Assignment
Read three articles about the Iraq War:

1) If America Were Iraq - http://www.juancole.com/2004/09/if-america-were-iraq-what-would-it-be.html

2) What we Did to Iraq - http://www.juancole.com/2013/03/what-we-did-to-iraq.html

3) The Last Letter - http://www.truthdig.com/dig/item/the_last_letter_20130318/

Then write a response (2 pages typed and double-spaced OR 3 pages handwritten and single-spaced).  You can answer the following questions directly, or you can use them as a way to guide your thoughts:

1. Has the United States committed war crimes in Iraq?  Explain your answer.
2. Should anyone from the United States government be charged with a crime for the Iraq War?  Explain your answer.
3. Does the United States owe anything to Iraq, considering the state of the country today of 10 years of violence?  If so, what?  If not, why not?
4. Does the US government owe anything to wounded veterans returning from the Iraq War?  Explain your answer.
5. How do we prevent wars like this from happening in the future?

Due date
Monday, April 29

In class: Cost of the Iraq War, "Alive Day Memories"

The Cost of the Iraq War slide presentation from Thursday, April 25 is located here.

The deficit graph is located here.

Alive Day Memories 
Part 1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8j08fvUk67U
Part 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uCvxCZttUY
Part 3 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCZ4XJx-lJs
Part 4 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4Nsh7gbRuM
Part 5 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xgmzatiz6Wc
Part 6 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIYUs7LKWCE

Vice documentaries on the Iraq War

Heavy Metal in Baghdad (2007) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTJ1Ki4OM-g

In Saddam's Shadow (2013) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhnNIhV4EsU

Timelines of the Iraq War

Through photos: http://www.cfr.org/iraq/timeline-iraq-war/p18876

Through front page headlines: http://www.buzzfeed.com/andrewkaczynski/the-iraq-war-timeline-as-told-through-front-pages

BBC - very current: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-14546763

Think Progress - very detailed: http://thinkprogress.org/report/iraq-timeline/

Space!

Day of Silence: "Stonewall Uprising"

"Stonewall Uprising" (link here) is a fantastic documentary chronicling the "Rosa Parks moment" for the gay rights movement.

In June 1969, it was illegal to be gay in 49 out of 50 states.  In New York, homosexuals were regularly arrested for "lewd immoral conduct" (any homosexual act, basically) and "masquerading" (dressing in drag).  The New York police department raided a gay bar called the Stonewall Inn, and the customers in the bar (as well as the surrounding neighborhood) rose up to fight against the legal oppression that homosexuals had faced for their entire lives.

I consider this a must-watch movie for anyone interested in civil rights in the United States.

In class: Start of the Iraq War

Secretary of State Colin Powell's presentation at the United Nations on February 3, 2003: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuKoSQEpTkQ

President Bush announcing the start of the war on March 19, 2003: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BwxI_l84dc

US military personnel in Baghdad topples a statue of Saddam Hussein on April 9, 2003: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wss_urnuB7o

George W. Bush's Mission Accomplished speech on the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln on May 1, 2003: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yCsmwoMecU




10 most iconic photos from the Iraq War: http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2013/03/18/the_10_most_iconic_photos_from_iraq_war

Moving images from the Iraq War: http://lightbox.time.com/2013/03/18/a-decade-of-war-in-iraq-the-images-that-moved-them-most/?iid=lb-gal-viewagn#1

Homework: Bush's War

Date assigned
Thursday, April 18


Assignment
Watch Part 1 (link here) and Part 2 (link here) of the PBS Frontline entitled "Bush's War."  Take notes on both parts.  Your notes should focus on five subjects:

1) History of Iraq

2) Motivations of American officials

3) Casus belli (causes of war)

4) Groups inside Iraq

5) What went wrong


Due date
Part 1 notes - Monday, April 22
Part 2 notes - Thursday, April 25

In class: Boston Marathon bombing, Guantanamo Bay, enhanced interrogation techniques, and Abu Ghraib

Democracy Now - http://www.democracynow.org/2013/4/16/headlines

1995 Oklahoma City bombing - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma_City_bombing

Bush administration Justice Department memos authorizing torture - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torture_Memos

Abu Ghraib torture scandal - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abu_Ghraib_torture_and_prisoner_abuse

Homework: Guantanamo Bay hunger strike

Date assigned
Monday, April 15


Assignment
Read the New York Times op-ed by a prisoner at Guantanamo Bay who is participating in the current hunger strike (link here).  Write a 1-page response (double spaced if typed, single spaced if handwritten).


Due date
Tuesday, April 16

TEST: Review questions

Test review questions can be found here.

In class: 9/11

Just another day - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaVYdg9BoNI&safe=active

The initial bulletins - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zP5uIPyYDlQ&safe=active

The south tower attack - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lKZqqSI9-s&safe=active

South tower collapse - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYg2krLsPB8&list=PL0E80C8578868041F&safe=active

North tower collapse - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzWwvQfgjrw&list=PL0E80C8578868041F&index=31&safe=active

Aerial photos - http://www.nbcnews.com/id/35330966/ns/us_news-life/#.UV2c8KJg9YU

In class: Judaism 101 slide presentation

The Judaism 101 slide presentation is located here.

Ping: 2nd period

Great short lecture about asteroid impacts: http://www.ted.com/talks/phil_plait_how_to_defend_earth_from_asteroids.html

Supplemental: Iran's nuclear program

Iran not pursuing nuclear weapons:
http://www.wideasleepinamerica.com/2013/03/us-intel-chief-says-iran-isnt-building-nukes.html
http://articles.latimes.com/2012/feb/23/world/la-fg-iran-intel-20120224
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/25/world/middleeast/us-agencies-see-no-move-by-iran-to-build-a-bomb.html?_r=2&
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/23/us-iran-usa-nuclear-idUSBRE82M0G020120323

The technical details of enriching uranium, and how Iran is using it for fuel, not weapons:
http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2013/02/22/how-close-is-iran-to-nuclear-weapons/
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-01-06/iran-s-nuclear-fuel-rod-isn-t-military-threat-u-s-analysts-say.html
http://news.antiwar.com/2013/02/12/iran-confirms-conversion-of-uranium-into-reactor-fuel/
http://backchannel.al-monitor.com/index.php/2012/12/3674/us-sees-hopeful-sign-in-iran-pausing-20-stockpile-growth/
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/20/us-nuclear-iran-iaea-idUSBRE91J13620130220
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/telegraph-view/9643148/Iran-steps-back.html

Iran is not a threat to the US:
http://walt.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2010/04/20/more_hype_about_iran

...but the US and Israel are beating the drums of war anyway:
http://www.wideasleepinamerica.com/2013/03/biden-time-on-iran-at-aipac.html

PROJECT: Help with MLA formatting

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/

PROJECT: Remaining deadlines

Deadline #3: Thursday, March 21 - Conclusion paragraph

Deadline #4: Monday, April 1 - Rough draft

Deadline #5: Monday, April 8 - Final draft

PROJECT: Deadline #2 - 3 body paragraphs

Have 3 body paragraphs finished by the beginning of class on Monday, March 18.

Homework: 1953 Iran coup d'etat

Date assigned
Monday, March 11


Assignment
Read the "Despotism and Godless Terrorism" chapter from Stephen Kinzer's Overthrow: America's Century of Regime Change from Hawaii to Iraq.  If you want an A, read the whole thing.  If you're satisfied with a B, start reading after the section break near the bottom of page 117.

If you want an A, answer all of the following questions.  If you're satisfied with a B, skip question #1.

1) John Foster Dulles was "shaped by three powerful influences: a uniquely privileged upbringing, a long career advising the world's richest corporations, and a profound religious faith."  How did those three factors shape Dulles's actions regarding Iran?

2) Describe the economic relationship between Britain and Iran prior to 1951.

3) What kind of man was Mohammad Mossadegh?  What made up his system of beliefs?

4) What happened in 1951 that changed the economic relationship between Britain and Iran?

5) How did Britain respond to this change in their economic relationship with Iran?

6) Describe the state of communism in Iran in the early 1950s under Mossadegh.

7) Why did John Foster Dulles thing that he would be able to work so easily with the CIA?

8) Why was the CIA needed to set the coup in motion?  Why couldn't America have just invaded Iran and overthrown Mossadegh using military force?

9) How popular was Mossadegh in Iran prior to CIA intervention? 

10) How did the CIA go about turning Iranian public opinion against Mossadegh?


Due date
Finish the reading by the beginning of class on Tuesday, March 12
Finish the questions by the beginning of class on Thursday, March 14

PROJECT: Deadline #1 - Intro paragraph

Have your intro paragraph finished by the beginning of class on Monday, March 11.

PROJECT: A solution for Israel-Palestine

You will be writing a formal persuasive essay about Israel and Palestine.  Your topic will be a solution for the conflict.  You will be arguing for either a one-state solution of a two-state solution.  

Your paper should consider the following:

If you choose one-state solution:

·         Will the Gaza Strip be included?  Or will it only be a merging of Israel and the West Bank?

·         If Gaza is not included, will they become a part of Egypt?  Or will they be an independent nation?

·         Will Palestinians have the same rights as Israelis?  Will they have freedom of movement?  Freedom to live wherever they want?  Ability to apply for any job they want?

·         Will Palestinian political parties (Fatah, Hamas) be allowed to run for seats in the Israeli Knesset (legislature)?

·         Will the walls surrounding and intersecting the West Bank be knocked down?

·         What will the new country be called?  Will it still be Israel?  Will it revert to Palestine?  Will it be something new that will be acceptable to both Israelis and Palestinians?

·         Others

If you choose a two-state solution:

·         Will Gaza and the West Bank become a single country?  Or will this just be a two-state solution separating Israel and the West Bank?

·         If Gaza is not joined to the West Bank, will they become independent (the three-state solution)?  Or will they become a part of Egypt?

·         Which map will be used?  The 1967 map?  The 2000 offer from Israel (only 95% of the West Bank being given to Palestinians)?

·         How will the issue of Jerusalem be handled?

·         How will the issue of Israeli settlements in the West Bank be handled?

·         Will the walls surrounding the West Bank be knocked down?

·         Will West Bank citizens be allowed to travel freely into Israel?  Or through Israel to get to Gaza?

·         Others

Your paper needs to explain why a one-state or two-state solution is better for all parties.  Why it is more realistic, why it is more likely to succeed, etc.  You will need to do research outside of class for this paper – we have not covered everything about this topic (if it’s even possible to do so). 

This paper should be at least 5 paragraphs, typed, double-spaced, 12 point font, in MLA format.  It may be longer than 5 paragraphs, depending on the depth with which you choose to examine this subject.  You are also required to cite 5 sources from outside of class on a Works Cited page (in MLA format).  

We will be having many deadlines throughout the course of 3^rd quarter related to this paper, but the final paper will be due on Thursday, April 4.