Shared Lesson - Civil Rights Movement

We are about to begin a study together of the Civil Rights Movement and the Holocaust... two very different topics and periods of history. Our goals will be not only to learn historical background and knowledge, but to analyze and think about the complex choices and decisions that individuals, groups, and societies made.

Students in Alabama are often very familiar with studying the Civil Rights Movement. It is engrained in Alabama's history. In fact, Birmingham was often referred to as one of the most racist cities in America. It was given the nickname, "Bombingham", because of the violence here.

Our first assignment involves two leaders of the Civil Rights Movement during the 1960s - Martin Luther King, Jr. and John Lewis. We will be reading and discussing specific writings, speeches, or interviews. There will also be a few questions from these writings. Please do your best and put thought and effort into your responses. We will use these as topics for discussion.

Please read the excerpts on Martin Luther King, Jr. and John Lewis. (They aren't long. :) ) For some reason, I can't upload a document to the blog. Ms. Ciupe has the document, which she will email to you.  Can't wait to hear your responses!

Question of the Week

Hi,
To promote discussion and questions, I will post a question of the week. Can't wait to hear all of your responses. We will also tell you about our hometown.

Tell us about your hometown. If we came to visit you, where in your hometown would you take us?
What would you show us? If possible, include a picture or two.

Hello From Shades Valley High School!

Hi,
This is a photo of my 3rd block Holocaust Studies class. A photo of another class will be coming soon. Please send us pictures of you at your school. And keep the questions coming!

Pretty soon, we will start working together on lessons about the Civil Rights Movement and the Holocaust. Stay tuned.

A Few Questions for Petru Rares Students!

Hello!
Hope all of you are doing well. We came up with a few questions for you and can't wait to hear your responses. We will also be waiting for any questions you want to ask us.

-  How many classes do you take per day at school?
-  What time does school start and end?
-  What are your school rules like? List some examples of rules.
-  How many students are at your school?
-  Does your school have sports teams?

-  What is the weather like where you live?
-  What kind of music is popular there?
-  Do you listen to music in English?
-  What is the most popular holiday?
-  What do teenagers there do for fun or in their free time?
-  What is the population of your town?
-  Do you play video games? Which ones?

Let's Introduce Ourselves!

Hi,
Ms. Ciupe and I are both very excited about having our students work together again this year! Our goal is to connect our students with each other, learn about each other's schools and cultures, study some really interesting and complicated history together, and end up with an awesome project!

But before all that, let's introduce ourselves. Let's start by telling our name, age, and year in school. Feel free to add a picture! :)  I'll go first...

My name is Amy McDonald. You don't need to know my age. ha! I teach US History and Holocaust Studies at Shades Valley High School in Birmingham, Alabama.

Welcome Back to School!

Hi!
I hope all of you had a wonderful summer and are ready for a great school year! I'm excited about hearing from all of you and introducing you to my students!

Something Fun! :)

Hi,
Since many of you asked about lockers, I finally remembered to send you pictures. :)