Monday, April 1, 2013
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Homework 4, Due March 29, 2013
An article published this weekend by CNN noted that Ellis Island, long a symbol of our nation's heritage of immigration, has been closed since Hurricane Sandy last November and will not reopen any time soon. And I'm sure most of you remember the terrible
effects of the earthquake and resulting tsunami in Japan which occurred two years ago this week. It takes years to
fully comprehend the extent of the damages from such natural disasters and to understand how they will affect us. Within hours of the tsunami in Japan we knew that thousands had died and many more lost everything they owned, but it will take generations to understand the damage from the multiple nuclear reactors that suffered melt-downs (which potentially could be worse than than the natural
disaster itself). Japanese cell phone manufacturers are including a Geiger counter app that allows users to test food, linens, and walls for radio-active material. Those tools weren't available twenty-five years ago when the Soviet reactor at Chernobyl melted down; the people living in that area continue to suffer from numerous related illnesses to this day.
Natural disasters remind us of just how small we humans are in comparison to the earth we inhabit. Visit the Live Science website to view a list of some of the largest natural disasters in history. Choose one to research and find accurate sources to give you more information.
After reporting on the natural disaster, answer these questions: what should countries do to prepare for such events? What natural disasters do you feel threaten our region the most?
Remember to post the assignment on time and to fulfill all the requirements for these assignments.
Natural disasters remind us of just how small we humans are in comparison to the earth we inhabit. Visit the Live Science website to view a list of some of the largest natural disasters in history. Choose one to research and find accurate sources to give you more information.
After reporting on the natural disaster, answer these questions: what should countries do to prepare for such events? What natural disasters do you feel threaten our region the most?
Remember to post the assignment on time and to fulfill all the requirements for these assignments.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Homework 3, Due March 22, 2013
I hope you enjoyed last week's assignment - the response was much better than usual. Hopefully that foreshadows good things for the final assignments of the year! As we discuss World War II in which tens of millions of people died, one of the most memorable (and world-changing) events was the Holocaust. For your assignment this week I want you to visit the web site of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. You'll find some excellent articles at the page for Student Research . Please choose one and read it thoroughly then report back with your findings. Make sure that your essay fully shares the details of the events and includes your personal feelings in response to what you've read.
The requirements for this assignment are exactly the same as all those that preceded it.
The requirements for this assignment are exactly the same as all those that preceded it.
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Homework 2, Due March 15, 2013
Every once in awhile I come across stories that seem especially fitting based on the topics we are discussing in history class. CNN has published an excellent story I'd like you to read and give your reaction. What do you think about the events and the effect on the two men? You also must research one of the other similar events referenced in the story and share what you find (make sure you cite your sources!).
I hope you find interesting history to report! Make sure you follow all the requirements for these assignments.
I hope you find interesting history to report! Make sure you follow all the requirements for these assignments.
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Homework 1, Due March 8, 2013
It's hard to believe that this assignment initiates the fourth quarter, which reminds us
that the end of the year is is sight!
In honor of the Industrial Revolution, which was the topic of several lectures, this assignment will focus on the modern technological revolution, which shares many characteristics with the era we studied. Every day you observe developing technologies and their results, and it hardly surprises anyone when some new invention or website appears that seems to change everything.
Your assignment will focus on some current inventions and changes that perhaps aren't as visible but still hold great importance. Please visit the RAND Corporation website to see a report about observations and predictions for the year 2015. RAND (Research and Devlopment) has been around for decades (same people that make the RAND/McNally maps) as a non-profit "think-tank", providing information to the government, researchers, and businesses in order to help them make better decisions.
Go to the RAND report and read and report on one of the following sections: THE REVOLUTION OF LIVING THINGS; THE REVOLUTION OF MATERIALS, DEVICES, AND MANUFACTURING; or META-TRENDS AND IMPLICATIONS. (Feel free to read the complete report, but it's rather lengthy). In your report answer the following questions: Are the changes, as a whole, an improvement for humanity? Of the concerns mentioned, which seems most important to you, and why? And finally, if you were asked to make a single prediction in the area upon which you are reporting for the year 2050, what would it be?
Be sure to follow the requirements for these assignments. They have a great impact on your grade!
In honor of the Industrial Revolution, which was the topic of several lectures, this assignment will focus on the modern technological revolution, which shares many characteristics with the era we studied. Every day you observe developing technologies and their results, and it hardly surprises anyone when some new invention or website appears that seems to change everything.
Your assignment will focus on some current inventions and changes that perhaps aren't as visible but still hold great importance. Please visit the RAND Corporation website to see a report about observations and predictions for the year 2015. RAND (Research and Devlopment) has been around for decades (same people that make the RAND/McNally maps) as a non-profit "think-tank", providing information to the government, researchers, and businesses in order to help them make better decisions.
Go to the RAND report and read and report on one of the following sections: THE REVOLUTION OF LIVING THINGS; THE REVOLUTION OF MATERIALS, DEVICES, AND MANUFACTURING; or META-TRENDS AND IMPLICATIONS. (Feel free to read the complete report, but it's rather lengthy). In your report answer the following questions: Are the changes, as a whole, an improvement for humanity? Of the concerns mentioned, which seems most important to you, and why? And finally, if you were asked to make a single prediction in the area upon which you are reporting for the year 2050, what would it be?
Be sure to follow the requirements for these assignments. They have a great impact on your grade!
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Homework 7, Due March 1, 2013
Let's turn our attention this week to current US politics and what the budget
negotiations in Washington, D.C. mean for us. If the Republicans in the House of
Representatives and the Democrats in the Senate (and President Obama) fail to
agree on a budget for the second half of this year, automatic spending cuts and tax increases will go into effect. This process is known as "sequestration" and is very new. Previously in such situations the government would "shut down." This has actually happended several times, one of which was very
politically important. To read about the last time this happened I'd like you to
read an article from the Christian Science Monitor
.
Looking back to 1995, the Republican Party had just won massive victories in the midterm elections, taking control of the House of Representatives and the Senate while the Democrats controlled the White House(sounds familiar, right?). Like today, the two sides immediately clashed over spending. The Republicans wanted to cut spending by reducing government programs in order to reduce the deficit (government debt) and lower taxes. Democrats argued that the government spending was necessary and that people would suffer if the programs were eliminated. The Republicans were led by Newt Gingrich who was Speaker of the House of Representatives and Bob Dole, the minority leader of the Senate. Of course, Bill Clinton was President
A very short, clear summary of the events can be found here while a transcript of a PBS newscast during the dramatic negotiations cab be found here . The newscast is rather long, but if you read some of it you'll get a sense of the tension surrounding the political fight in Washington.
Answer the following questions: How important is compromise in the political system? If we send elected officials to Washington to represent our beliefs and values, when is it appropriate for them to concede some of those beliefs in order to meet the other side in the middle? What is your opinion of the current budget battle? Are there differences between now and 1995? (Need I remind you that rude or disrespectful posts will be deleted, meaning that you will receive no credit for the assignment?).
The requirements for this assignment are exactly the same as all those that preceded it. Have a good week!
Looking back to 1995, the Republican Party had just won massive victories in the midterm elections, taking control of the House of Representatives and the Senate while the Democrats controlled the White House(sounds familiar, right?). Like today, the two sides immediately clashed over spending. The Republicans wanted to cut spending by reducing government programs in order to reduce the deficit (government debt) and lower taxes. Democrats argued that the government spending was necessary and that people would suffer if the programs were eliminated. The Republicans were led by Newt Gingrich who was Speaker of the House of Representatives and Bob Dole, the minority leader of the Senate. Of course, Bill Clinton was President
A very short, clear summary of the events can be found here while a transcript of a PBS newscast during the dramatic negotiations cab be found here . The newscast is rather long, but if you read some of it you'll get a sense of the tension surrounding the political fight in Washington.
Answer the following questions: How important is compromise in the political system? If we send elected officials to Washington to represent our beliefs and values, when is it appropriate for them to concede some of those beliefs in order to meet the other side in the middle? What is your opinion of the current budget battle? Are there differences between now and 1995? (Need I remind you that rude or disrespectful posts will be deleted, meaning that you will receive no credit for the assignment?).
The requirements for this assignment are exactly the same as all those that preceded it. Have a good week!
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Homework 6, Due February 22, 2013
As we’ve been studying the French Revolution and the individuals who played key
roles in its beginning and its outcome, it is important to remember that it is
ideas which are the great force that moves the course of history. God’s Word
sets forth truth, yet humanity seems bent on finding its own way. For
generations an idea proclaimed to be truth will create a political, social, and
economic status quo, only to have another idea, usually its opposite, sweep it
away.
Take recent theories on parenting, for instance. The generation that survived the Great Depression raised their children strictly, insisting on hard work, stern discipline, and thrift. The children came through World War II and experienced a fantastic economy in their early adulthood. The result is that they raised their children in a manner that was completely opposite to their own Spartan childhoods – they raised the Baby Boomer generation, which gave us the hippie movement and Jerry Garcia.
In like manner, the Enlightenment was a rejection of the conservatism and religious effects of the Reformation. Your assignment this week is to read about the Enlightenment and its chief pupil, Napoleon Bonaparte. Read an essay about the Enlightenment then read an essay about the life of Napoleon . After reading them both and answer these questions: How did the Enlightenment gain such popularity with Europeans? How did the ideas of the Enlightenment shape Napoleon? How much impact does the Enlightenment have on today’s society? (Give examples).
Remember the requirements of these assignments and make every effort to complete your work on time.
Take recent theories on parenting, for instance. The generation that survived the Great Depression raised their children strictly, insisting on hard work, stern discipline, and thrift. The children came through World War II and experienced a fantastic economy in their early adulthood. The result is that they raised their children in a manner that was completely opposite to their own Spartan childhoods – they raised the Baby Boomer generation, which gave us the hippie movement and Jerry Garcia.
In like manner, the Enlightenment was a rejection of the conservatism and religious effects of the Reformation. Your assignment this week is to read about the Enlightenment and its chief pupil, Napoleon Bonaparte. Read an essay about the Enlightenment then read an essay about the life of Napoleon . After reading them both and answer these questions: How did the Enlightenment gain such popularity with Europeans? How did the ideas of the Enlightenment shape Napoleon? How much impact does the Enlightenment have on today’s society? (Give examples).
Remember the requirements of these assignments and make every effort to complete your work on time.
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