Stay Safe.
Date Fail.
September 11, and holding a family remembrance of the attacks is more appropriate.
Have “Fire Drills”!
THAT IS a most excellent idea, fellow Freeper.
“Write letters to themselves about what they can do to help the president.”
Arrrrrrrgh.
Well it is official... I will be placing my kids in private school when they grow up.
hmmm Lokking on my calendar, Sept. 8 when grandma’s ashes arrive Europe and the family must pick them up at the airport and immediately take them to the cemetery in a city 250 miles away... this will take all day.
You’re right - this is creepy and completely inappropriate. I heard one teacher on Michael Medved’s show say that she was not going to participate. Good for her! Others should follow her example.
What happens to that child's educational career???
Is this for real? I haven’t heard anything about this. I’ve been in school since 8/24...and no mention of this by anyone.
While boycotting is a good idea, how about prepping your kids in advance so they can couter the propaganda as it happens. Probably risky grade-wise, but a great lesson in civic dissent standing up in the face of fascism.
> LET’S HAVE A TRULY GRASSROOTS BOYCOTT OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS ON SEPTEMBER 8
I’ve got a better idea.
How about a *PERMANENT* boycott.
Withdraw your children from the Bus Ministry of the State Church of Humanism and either school them at home or enroll them in a church school or synagog school.
I have been calling for a permanent boycott...but every journey starts with a first step. Firts Sept 8, then Sept. 9, then....
I will not participate. They can fire me.
Kids will learn more at a museum, the zoo, or just playing in the park.
7-12 Grade Menu
Grades 7-12 Menu of Classroom Activities: President Obama’s Address to Students Across America
Produced by Teaching Ambassador Fellows, U.S. Department of Education
September 8, 2009
Before the Speech:
• Quick Write or Think/Pair/Share (Students spend a few minutes Thinking and writing about the question; Paired with another student to discuss, then Sharing their ideas with the class as a whole). What do we associate with the words responsibility, persistence, and goals? How would we define each term? A teacher might create a web of student ideas for each of the words.
• Quick Write or Brainstorm: What are your strengths? At what are you successful as a person/student? What makes you successful at these efforts? List at least three things you are successful at and why you feel successful with these tasks.
• Short readings. Notable quotes excerpted (and posted in large print on board) from President Obama’s speeches about education. Teacher might ask students to think alone, compare ideas with a partner, and share their collaborations with the class (Think/Pair/Share) about the following: What are our interpretations of these excerpts? Based on these excerpts, what can we infer the President believes is important to be successful educationally?
• Brainstorm or Concept Web: Why does President Obama want to speak with us today? How will he inspire us? How will he challenge us? What might he say?
• Brainstorm or Concept Web: What other historic moments do you remember when the President spoke to the nation? What was the impact? Students could create a Cause/Effect graphic organizer.
During the Speech:
• Listening with a purpose: personal responsibility, goals, persistence. Teachers might ask pairs of students to create a word bank from the web of any one of the terms (personal responsibility, goals, or persistence) at the top of a double-column style notes page. On the right-hand side, students could take notes while President Obama talks about personal responsibility, or goals, or persistence, trying to capture direct quotations. At the end of the speech, students could then write the corresponding terms from the word bank in the left hand column, to increase retention and deepen their understanding of an important aspect of the speech.
• Listening with a purpose: Inspiration and Challenges. Using a similar double-column style notes page as the one above, the teacher could focus students on quotations that either propose a specific challenge to them or inspire them in some meaningful way. Students could do this individually, in pairs or groups.
Transition/Quick Review: Teachers could ask students to look over the notes and collaborate in pairs or small groups. What more could we add to our notes? Teachers might circulate and ask students questions such as: What are the most important words in the speech? What title would you give it? What’s the thesis?
After the Speech:
Guided Discussion:
• What resonated with you from President Obama’s speech? What lines/phrases do you remember?
