Spring class photos
May 26, 2008
 |
|||
|
|
|
||
The spring class photos are up on the photos page. I uploaded all the pictures that came out well, but there were a few that just didn’t come out (e.g. probably the best one of G period is completely out of focus). The thumbnails and even the actual photos look sort of small, so if you click through to an individual photo’s page, you’ll see a “View full picture” link that lets you see a huge version.
Fourth quarter grades
May 24, 2008
Updated fourth quarter grades are now on the site. Look at the color key at the top of the sheet and the note there about late penalties. If you still owe me work, get on that.
I’ll adjust the late penalties on homework before I report your grades, but the penalties a few of you see here for your take-home review test are final. For most people who turned in late homework this quarter, your actual quarter grades will be somewhat higher than you see here.
However, remember that when you turn in work late to any teacher, you put your grade in their hands instead of keeping it in yours. As much as possible, always work to ensure that you’re the one in control of your destiny, rather than leaving it up to other people…
Final exam review guide
May 23, 2008
Here’s the detailed review guide for the second semester final exam. If I make any changes to the file, you’ll be able to find them on the website: the version marker on the filename will change (e.g. “v1″ will become “v2″), and the purple time/date on the first page will be modified.
Cold War timeline
May 22, 2008
Here’s the Cold War timeline from our last class; know the basics for the bolded items and be able to explain the key terms.
About grades
May 21, 2008
I’ve graded your take-home tests and will return them in class Wednesday & Thursday.
Your fourth quarter grades will be posted here sometime in the next day or so; I have to finish compiling everybody’s before I can post a new spreadsheet and still have a few to do.
If you haven’t turned in things to me, you MUST do so immediately, or your future is bleak.
If you’ve turned in everything for the fourth quarter, you should turn your focus towards organizing for the exam. I will post and hand out a study guide on Friday, but start by organizing your notebook. The core second semester material comes from Chapters 12 to 31.
Battle at Kruger
May 10, 2008
Just for fun, here’s an amazing video of a three-way battle – over a baby buffalo – between lions, buffalo, and a crocodile.
You can also read the New York Times article about the 8-minute video – it’s being made into an hour-long National Geographic documentary.
Even teachers are targeted in Zimbabwe
May 7, 2008
In the buildup towards the [finally announced] presidential runoff election in Zimbabwe, the ZANU-PF crackdown grows more harsh every day. Here’s a New York Times piece that notes government pressure on teachers and “interfering” foreign aid workers. Think back to our study of education and compare the Zimbabwean political system with the process of democracy in the U.S. …
Darfur fact sheets
May 7, 2008
Here are three PDF fact sheets on the genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan.
- From the UN: the most detailed; highlights UN response efforts to the crisis.
- From Amnesty International: focuses on the plight of those most victimized.
- From PHR: quantifies the situation with many specific numbers.
Women at war
May 7, 2008
I encourage you to read this Washington Post article about the extraordinary heroism of 18-year-old Pfc. Monica Brown. She’s only the second female since World War II to receive the Silver Star, our nation’s third-highest combat medal, but the publicity surrounding that honor led to her removal from combat.
In class, we watched this video – Brown and her colleagues describe what happened that day in Iraq:
Think back to our discussion of the role of women in World War I. They were deeply involved, from manufacturing weapons and ammunition on the home front, to serving in the nursing corps on the front lines. At the same time as women were making such progress, however, sexist attitudes remained (remember the slogan “The girl behind the man behind the gun!”). Even in today’s U.S. military, women are not technically allowed to participate in combat operations and are not eligible for the draft.
Why do you think such rules remain in place? What attitudes about women do they reflect?
According to the newspaper, U.S. Army policy on women in combat is as follows:
The Army’s policy for female soldiers was set in 1992. It allows women to “serve in any officer or enlisted specialty or position except in those specialties, positions, or units (battalion size or smaller) which are assigned a routine mission to engage in direct combat, or which collocate routinely with units assigned a direct combat mission.”
However, the Post also shares the following charts, which clearly implies just how many women are indeed deployed in de facto combat zones. According to the Post:
Women in the Line of Fire – Tens of thousands of women are serving in the military in Iraq and Afghanistan, where they are often exposed to combat and required to act in self-defense amid counter-insurgencies with no clear front lines.
Gorillas in the Mist parkland threatened
May 6, 2008
As a follow-up to our study of Dian Fossey’s impact on highland gorilla conservation in central Africa, here’s a 2004 National Geographic article highlighting the ongoing struggle to protect the “Gorillas in the Mist” park areas.
