Choosing to Participate 2011

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (combating disease, equal access to education in USA)

Hello Students and Families!  For the rest of your 8th grade year, our Choosing to Participate Project will be our major focus.  You get to particpate as a member of the global community.  Pick a human rights issue, research that issue, write a business letter to ask for change or to raise awareness and create a presentation to help your classmates and the Watertown Community understand your issue.

We are on the first step of our project, which is to brainstorm potential human rights issues. Here are some websites that your classmates found that might help you:

United Nations Refugee Issues

http://www.globalissues.org/

http://www.humanrightsusa.org/

Ancient China Webquest GREEN class

Hello to my afternoon class, also known as my green class!  Please post your Ancient China British Museum website review here.

MLK Essay Contest

Every year, an organization called World in Watertown sponsors an essay contest about Martin Luther King, Jr.'s dream that all people would be judged by the content of the character, not the color of their skin.  Your essay this year is due on Thursday, January 6.

Ancient China webquest

After checking out the British Museum Ancient China exhibit, post your review here as a comment.  Please ask Ms. Shock to check off your review in her grade book right before you post it.  Enjoy!

New technology

Hey students and families!
I'm on my professional development day and I'm learning all sorts of ideas to bring new technology to our class.  The 8th grade humanities teachers are working to find out the best way to use blogs to comment on your classmates' work and to share your ideas with the world.
Wish me luck!

My first blog!

Hey kids and families!  Look for more info on our class blog as we get going.  You will have the choice for our Facing History unit project to write a blog.