I really enjoyed hearing your 9/11 interviews today in class. Thank you for all those who shared their families' experiences with us. Over the weekend I received an e-mail that contained two links to videos that highlighted some amazing examples of generosity and courageousness that occurred on September 11, 2001. For me 9/11 is a day of a million stories, and these two are worth sharing. Thank you very much Chris T. for sending me those links.

Your homework for tonight is to complete the Political and Physical Maps of the United States in 1790. If you did not finish the maps in class, you were to bring home a textbook to help you with the assignments.

The pages to complete the Physical Map were: xxii and xxiii.

The pages to complete the Political Map were: xx-xxi, p. 215, 252, and 342.

If you forgot the textbook check out this link for the Physical Map

and this link for the Political Map

Have a good day

History and Memory

9/11, Creating History and the Mirror Analogy

In class this week, we’ve discussed the importance of spending time in Social Studies thinking about the present, and how our experiences help shape who we are. We have also done activities designed to make you think about how historian create/summarize history. The idea to remember is that no one historian can give a complete history. 9/11 provides a good example of this.

HW: Since this is the 10^th anniversary of 9/11, there are a huge number of newspaper, TV, and radio articles. Your job this weekend is to explore some of them. Please note that some of this can be upsetting. If you find yourselves exploring a resource that feels like “too much” to you, skip it and try another. Do the best you can, but if you have trouble completing this for some reason, just let me know.

Directions:

For a check on HW, read or view one story and interview a parents/another adult.

For a +, read or view more than one story and interview a parent/another adult.

Resources:

http://www.tributewtc.org/programs/toolkit.html

This is a collection of 8 stories-each with a video- about how people experienced 9/11 and how they dealt with it after. The one about Susan Retik has a Needham-Wellesley connection.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/specials/sept_11_anniversary/?p1=News_links

This is the Boston Globe’s section on 9/11 anniversary. They are adding new stories every day, so look around. The story from 9/8 has good connections to what you may have discussed about religions last year. The articles from 9/6 (“the Rarely Noticed Casualties of 9/11”) and 9/4 have personal stories, while the one from 9/2 discusses how we saw the world differently before 9/11.

http://www.foxnews.com/september-11/

This has a collection of videos from individuals, as well as some interesting stories about how things like increasing airline security has worked or not.

TO DO:

For the story you read:

Write the name of the article/story and the source

Summarize the story in 3-4 sentences

Tell me what this added to “the history”(your knowledge) of 9/11 in 3-4 sentences

List 2-3 new questions you have from this

Parent interview: Ask them what they remember/what stands out about 9/11. You might also ask them if they remember what they were thinking/worrying about on the day and in the days/weeks after.

Summarize that in either several bullets or several sentences. The conversation is more important than you recording everything they say.

Vision

Our beliefs, values, and perspective are all shaped by our experiences. Today in class we looked at Saul Steinberg's famous cover of The New Yorker magazine titled, "A View of the World from 9th Avenue". Steinbger's cover drew praise from New York City residents and who took pride in their "NY centric" view of the world. This cover has been referenced by other artists, and parodied in movie posters, cartoons, and illustrations since its publication.

Your homework tonight is to create your own version of "A View of the World". You can use choose to use the same format the Steinberg used, similar to this drawing called, "A View of the World Atlanta. "

Make sure your artwork includes the following:

1. A Title

2. Streets that are important to you

3. Cities that are important to you

4. Buildings/Businesses that are important to you

5. Geographic features that are important to you

6. Other countries that are important to you

Help Decorate the Room

The classroom I teach in is also the classroom that you learn in. That being said, you should feel comfortable in room 224 and have a say in what it looks like. Please bring in something to decorate our class in by Friday, September 9th. It can be anything from a picture of your dog, to a bird statue that you found in your grandparent's house. I am going to ask that you explain why you brought your item, so please bring in something of significance and not a random item.

Thank you

Mr. M

Welcome to my website!

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."

~ Theodore Roosevelt

I try and remember President Roosevelt's advice when I find myself struggling with a task or an assignment. Sometimes the only thing to do, is to simply do the best that you can. 8th grade offers new challenges but also plenty of new opportunities for you. I am looking forward to a successful school year.

My website is one of the resources that are here for you. On it you will sometimes find assignments, summaries, or study guides. If you are ever absent, be sure to check the website for any information on what you are missing.

Tonight for H.W. there are two tasks that need to be completed:

1. Have a parent or guardian sign the Class Expectations handout

2. Write one piece of advice for yourself on the How to Succeed in Social Studies handout. This advice can be some strategy that you have used in the past or a song lyric or quote that inspires you.

I am looking forward to a great year

~ Mr. Mullady

Quotes on Courage

Choose one of the following quotes and type or hand write a one page reflection.

Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear.

~ Ambrose Redmoon

Evil exists when good men do nothing

A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is braver five minutes longer.

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Any dangerous spot is tenable if brave men will make it so.

~ John F. Kennedy

One man with courage makes a majority.

~ Andrew Jackson

Permission Slip

Dear Parent/Guardian of ______________________,

We are currently in our 4^th week of our unit Facing History and Ourselves and we are at the part of the term where students learn about the events of the Holocaust itself.

Starting this Monday, I would like to show segments of the movie Schindler’s List, which is rated R for violence. This movie does an extraordinary job of illustrating how one individual can make a profound difference. I will be carefully choosing the segments, to avoid some of the most graphic and disturbing scenes.

While we have studied readings, photographs and documentaries, I believe that this movie makes a greater personal and emotional impact and thus conveys the extent to which the discrimination of Germany in the 1930s escalated to genocide.

Please sign this sheet and return it by Monday, June 6^th if you give permission for your child to watch these scenes in class. If you do not want your child to watch the film, he/she will be given an alternative assignment in the library to learn about what happened in the Holocaust.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to call or e-mail me at school. My number here is 781-446-6250, ext. 2240 and my e-mail is john_mullady@wellesley.k12.ma.us. You may also contact the head of the Social Studies department, Adam Blumer, whose number is 781-446-6250, ext. 3530.

Sincerely,

John Mullady

I give my child, ___________________________ permission to watch segments of Schindler’s List.

________________________

Signature of Parent/ Guardian

I do not give my child, ___________________________ permission to watch segments of Schindler’s List.

________________________

Signature of Parent/ Guardian