Article 1 - Marriage - or Else

“Marriage - Or Else”

Rod Nordland & Alissa J. Rubin

Kabal, Afghanistan

Upfront Magazine, January 31, 2011

I have taken the liberty to provide some questions for thought.

1.   Look at the marriage chart on page 3 of your article.  What do the countries listed have in common with Afghanistan?

2.     How might women’s rights and early marriage be related?

3.     What does the article indicate about the traditional roles of men and women in Afghan society?  Why do you think those roles are still so deeply entrenched in parts of the country?

4.     What rules did the Taliban impose on women?  Why do you think they did this?

5.     Why do tribes still exert so much control over Afghan life?  How might this affect the nation’s stability, its economy, and its future?

6.     How does life for a teenage girl in Afghanistan differ from that of an American teenager?  Are there any similarities?

7.     Forty-three percent of women in Afghanistan marry before age 18, compared with less than 1 percent in the U.S.  What do you think some of the reasons may be for this vast difference?

8.     Does the U.S. have a responsibility now to safeguard women’s rights in Afghanistan?

Marriage - or Else

The Middle East - An Insight into Islamic Culture

We have just finished studying about the religions that originated in the Middle East. To get started, several articles are being assigned for students to read and blog about.  I will create a separate post for each article. 

Happy Blogging!!!!

Blogging in World Geography

Blogging allows students to express themselves in a global community.  It provides an opportunity for collaboration, individual growth in writing, and exposure to technology that they may not use otherwise. Blogging provides a forum to express your opinions, while learning to constructively respond to someone who may differ in their views.  This will also allow you to stay abreast on current events relating to regions they are studying about in World Geography and develop a deeper understanding about the world around them.

State Standards:

21A     Analyze and evaluate the validity and utility of multiple sources of geographic

           information such as primary and secondary sources, aerial photographs, and

           maps.

22B     Generate summaries, generalizations, and thesis statements supported by

           evidence

Assignment:

Students are required to post on the class blog about current events.  Your articles should relate to the current unit of study. Please post the link to the article/information that you are blogging about.

1.     Students are expected to write a brief paragraph on the blog a minimum of three (3) times during a six-week grading period.  Your writing should be informative, insightful, and original. Do not be repetitive of what other students are saying!

2.     Students are required to respond to at least three (3) of their classmates post during a six-week grading period.  Your comment should help clarify, add to, support, or oppose information /point of view.

3.     In addition to the above, students can also blog about what is being taught in class or heard on the news that is relative to World Geography.  

   
What are your thoughts about blogging?

The Physical Geography of the U.S. & Canada

Students, as we explore this unit over North America, I will begin to assign students to blog on certain days and/or topics.  This will be incorporated into your grade.  Each student is responsible for making sure that the blog is completed on the correct day.  Please refer back to the Wiki & Blogging handout that was given at the beginning of the school year.  You may access a copy on Moodle by using the link below. Go to #2.  Feel free to print one if you need it.


http://moodle.bryanisd.org/moodle/course/view.php?id=25&topic=0#section-4


Happy Blogging!!!!

Congratulations!!!

Howdy students!  Thanks for getting your blogs set up and joining our class blog.  If you have not finished this task, please do so as soon as possible!

I look forward to all of us working together to learn, share, and grow by connecting not only to each other but to a global community.  Living in a digital environment has opened so many doors for all of us but it is up to each one of you to walk through those doors with me.  Technology is not going away so we should learn and apply as much as we can to ensure our success in the 21st century.

As we explore the upcoming year, I am always looking for new interactive techniques that can be used in the classroom to engage my students.  If you come across something that you feel is awesome, please let me know.   If there is a particular type of technology that you like, please share this information with me.  You will be introduced to a number of web 2.0 applications (and you may introduce me to a few as well) that can enhance your digital literacy. 

Please take a moment to review the guidelines for using the wiki and blog on Moodle.

pbj 

Student Joining Day

Each student need to send me a message through the comment section of this blog entry.  Thanks, pbj

Using QR Codes in the Classroom

All of you are familiar with QR codes.  QR stands for "quick response."When you shop in stores, most items have a code that allows the scanner to identify the item and its' price.  QR codes are very similar to this.  These codes are now being used in the classroom in a variety of ways.  The following website provides exciting explanations and ideas about the use of QR codes! Go check it out!

http://t.co/0SyDK7G