Friday, November 25, 2011

Revolution Project Online Form (ALL CLASSES)

No matter what your revolutionary project is, EVERYONE should be sure to fill out the online reflection form at: www.TinyURL.com/MeehanRevolution.

Keep up the great work!

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Revolution Project Ideas (ALL CLASSES)


Sample Projects In Action:



Project Name:
High School Teacher Stages His Own Arrest

Revolutionary Cause:
Police States / Free Speech

Project Type:
YouTube video / in-class presentation

Project Summary:

This project didn't cost anything but a little time and creativity.
While teaching George Orwell's "Animal Farm" and the importance of free speech, I wanted students to experience life inside of a police state. To accomplish this, I coordinated with fellow educators, administrators, and security officers in order to stage my own arrest. Mid-lecture. In front of the entire class.
This hidden camera footage shows the highlights of how this lesson unfolded across six class sections over the course of three instructional days.






Project Name:
Walt Disney and The Power of Imagination

Revolutionary Cause:
Walt Disney

Project Type:
YouTube video / Glogster Poster / Prezi Presentation / Facebook Fan Page / Twitter Feed / Tumblr Blog

Project Summary:

This project was designed to give students an idea of how they can use freely available Web 2.o tools and software in order to create, maintain and spread word of their revolutionary causes. For this sample project, I researched information on animation pioneer Walt Disney. The video shown here gives numerous examples of how you might consider using web-based software in order to spread the word of your revolutionary cause.





Project Name:
Digital Nativity

Revolutionary Cause:
Birth of Jesus of Nazareth

Project Type:
YouTube video / Web Research / Email Accounts / Facebook Pages / Twitter Feeds / Foursquare

Project Summary:

This video was likewise designed to give students an idea of how they can use freely available Web 2.o tools and software in order to create, maintain and spread word of their revolutionary causes. For this sample project, the video's creators crafted an intricate series of posts and updates using common social media tools. The video shown here gives numerous examples of how you might consider using web-based software in order to spread the word of your revolutionary cause.






Project Name:
Run Your Heart Out

Revolutionary Cause:
Women's Fitness

Project Type:
YouTube video / Web Research / Email Accounts / Facebook Pages / Twitter Feeds / Foursquare

Project Summary:

This commercial was created by women's fitness apparel company Lululemon, and it is designed to inspire active young women to take part in physical fitness. The commercial shown here is part of a multi-pronged approach to promoting this cause. In addition to the video content made available on YouTube, the company's website also features a complete print campaign dedicated to this advertisement, as well as a series of athletic and sportswear products that are available for purchase on the company's website.





Project Name:
My Name is Lisa

Revolutionary Cause:
Alzheimers Disease

Project Type:
YouTube video / Short Film

Project Summary:

This short film features a young girl named Lisa attempting to record a simple web-based video for what appears to be a school project. As the six-minute film unfolds, however, audiences gradually become aware that the film is not merely a simple book report as it pretends to be. Over the course of this short homemade movie, viewers witness what life is like for those living with severe memory disorders.





Click here to view this Glogster Project in full-screen.

Project Name:
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Revolutionary Cause:
Civil Rights

Project Type:
Web-Based Poster

Project Summary:

This basic Glog demonstrates how students can make a digital poster to advocate for a particular revolutionary person, event, or movement. In the Glog featured above, a student has written a brief series of key notes and linked to a number of related items on the civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This presentation incorporates video content, images, text, and hyperlinks in order to educate viewers and show the far-reaching relevance of this revolutionary figure.






Project Name:
Walt Disney: Animation Pioneer

Revolutionary Cause:
Children's Entertainment

Project Type:
Prezi Presentation

Project Summary:

This simple presentation demonstrates how users can create a free, web-based slideshow presentation using software that is freely available through Prezi, a zooming online presentation editor (this is the same software used for every lecture and lesson notes presentation in English 10). The software is similar to Microsoft Powerpoint, and is available at no charge to all users with a school email address.




Project Name:
QR Code

Revolutionary Cause:
Technology and Innovation

Project Type:
Quick Response Code (for use in conjunction with print / digital media)

Project Summary:

This is a sample Quick Response (or "QR") code. QR Codes are three-dimensional barcodes that can be read using any smartphone or tablet computer. QR Scanner software is freely available across the web and in each of the major app stores for mobile providers. Once users have installed the free QR Scanner app, they can use their smartphones to "scan" the digital image provided above, and then be linked instantly to content (video, print, photo, or other) located anywhere on the web. This is a fantastic tool to incorporate digital media into a print media campaign. For more information about QR Codes (or to create your own), visit www.QRStuff.com.



Revolution Project Guidelines (ALL CLASSES)

Revolution Project
Due Monday, 11/28 - "B" Days
Due Monday, 11/29 - "A" Days


1. Find Your Revolution

Your first step to this project is simply to indentify any real-life revolutionary that has ever lived or any real-life revolution that has ever occurred (or is currently underway) in the course of human history. Your topic must be factual, but it can deal with any major political, social, economic, or interpersonal upheaval that has ever existed.

You may pick ANY of these suggestions or ANY OTHER revolution(ary)! Some possible ideas may include:

  • Revolutionary Conflicts
    The French Revolution, The American Revolution, The Russian Revolution, The Hungarian Revolution, The Phillipine Revolution, The Mexican Revolution, The Easter Rising / The Troubles, The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, The Auschwitz Uprising

  • Revolutionary Causes
    Non-Cooperation, Women’s Suffrage, Capital Punishment, The Pro-Life/Pro-Choice Movement, Abolition, The Civil Rights Movement, The Black Panthers, The Gay Rights Movement, The Arab Spring Movement, Prop 8, Occupy Wall Street

  • Revolutionary Figures
    Moses, Jesus of Nazareth, The Prophet Muhammad, Spartacus, George Washington, Susan B. Anthony, Robert E. Lee, Padric Pearse, Fidel Castro, Che Guevara, Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, Adolph Hitler, Mohandas Ghandi, Margaret Sanger, Betty Friedan, Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, Jackie Robinson, Sally Ride, Harvey Milk


2. Explore Your Revolution

Step two of this project will challenge you to learn as much as you can about your particular topic. Use the internet and the school library to determine all of the key facts that relate to your cause. Why was your revolution so important? Who lead that revolution? When? Why? Was that revolution successful? (Etc.)

To make sure that you have adequadely explored your revolutionary topic, ALL STUDENTS will be required to fill out the questions provided in the online form located at the following address:

www.TinyURL.com/MeehanRevolution
(Hint: you might want to look at this questionnaire BEFORE and DURING your research phase)


3. Spread Your Revolution

How you choose to spread your revolution is totally up to you, but the third and final component of your project will be to provide some sort of multimedia proof that you have adequately prepared to spread news of your revolution to the world at large. You know: PROPAGANDA.

Some ideas may include:

1) Create and maintain a dedicated Facebook page about your revolutionary cause/figure
2) Create a Glogster or print-copy poster presentation about your revolutionary cause/figure
3) Create and maintain a Twitter feed devoted to your revolutionary cause/figure
4) Create a Prezi presentation about your revolutionary cause/figure
5) Create a Powerpoint slideshow about your revolutionary cause/figure
6) Create a Mp3 recording of an original song/rap about your revolutionary cause/figure
7) Create an original YouTube video about your revolutionary cause/figure
8) Create a website or blog in which people can discuss your revolutionary cause/figure
9) Giving a public speech to your class about your revolutionary cause/figure



Your goal is to get people’s attention and make them take note of your revolution. You will “spread your revolution” to me, and you will be graded according to how attention-grabbing your final product is.

Class Pass Rates

ClassPassRates

Thanksgiving Break Class Pass Rates:
1A: 6% (3 out of 34 students passing)
2A: 6% (3 out of 34 students passing)
4A: 18% (6 out of 33 students passing)

1B: 46% (17 out of 36 students passing)
3B: 92% (36 out of 39 students passing)
4B: 14% (5 out of 36 students passing)

"I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying."
- Michael Jordan


Monday, November 21, 2011

Animal Farm - Chapters 7-8 (4B)

Revolution Project
Due Monday, 11/28 - "B" Days
Due Monday, 11/29 - "A" Days


1. Find Your Revolution

Your first step to this project is simply to indentify any real-life revolutionary that has ever lived or any real-life revolution that has ever occurred (or is currently underway) in the course of human history. Your topic must be factual, but it can deal with any major political, social, economic, or interpersonal upheaval that has ever existed.

You may pick ANY of these suggestions or ANY OTHER revolution(ary)! Some possible ideas may include:

  • Revolutionary Conflicts
    The French Revolution, The American Revolution, The Russian Revolution, The Hungarian Revolution, The Phillipine Revolution, The Mexican Revolution, The Easter Rising / The Troubles, The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, The Auschwitz Uprising

  • Revolutionary Causes
    Non-Cooperation, Women’s Suffrage, Capital Punishment, The Pro-Life/Pro-Choice Movement, Abolition, The Civil Rights Movement, The Black Panthers, The Gay Rights Movement, The Arab Spring Movement, Prop 8, Occupy Wall Street

  • Revolutionary Figures
    Moses, Jesus of Nazareth, The Prophet Muhammad, Spartacus, George Washington, Susan B. Anthony, Robert E. Lee, Padric Pearse, Fidel Castro, Che Guevara, Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, Adolph Hitler, Mohandas Ghandi, Margaret Sanger, Betty Friedan, Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, Jackie Robinson, Sally Ride, Harvey Milk


2. Explore Your Revolution

Step two of this project will challenge you to learn as much as you can about your particular topic. Use the internet and the school library to determine all of the key facts that relate to your cause. Why was your revolution so important? Who lead that revolution? When? Why? Was that revolution successful? (Etc.)

To make sure that you have adequadely explored your revolutionary topic, ALL STUDENTS will be required to fill out the questions provided in the online form located at the following address:

www.TinyURL.com/MeehanRevolution
(Hint: you might want to look at this questionnaire BEFORE and DURING your research phase)


3. Spread Your Revolution

How you choose to spread your revolution is totally up to you, but the third and final component of your project will be to provide some sort of multimedia proof that you have adequately prepared to spread news of your revolution to the world at large. You know: PROPAGANDA.

Some ideas may include:

1) Create and maintain a dedicated Facebook page about your revolutionary cause/figure
2) Create a Glogster or print-copy poster presentation about your revolutionary cause/figure
3) Create and maintain a Twitter feed devoted to your revolutionary cause/figure
4) Create a Prezi presentation about your revolutionary cause/figure
5) Create a Powerpoint slideshow about your revolutionary cause/figure
6) Create a Mp3 recording of an original song/rap about your revolutionary cause/figure
7) Create an original YouTube video about your revolutionary cause/figure
8) Create a website or blog in which people can discuss your revolutionary cause/figure
9) Giving a public speech to your class about your revolutionary cause/figure

Your goal is to get people’s attention and make them take note of your revolution. You will “spread your revolution” to me, and you will be graded according to how attention-grabbing your final product is.


Sample Projects In Action:



Project Name:
High School Teacher Stages His Own Arrest

Revolutionary Cause:
Police States / Free Speech

Project Type:
YouTube video / in-class presentation

Project Summary:

This project didn't cost anything but a little time and creativity.
While teaching George Orwell's "Animal Farm" and the importance of free speech, I wanted students to experience life inside of a police state. To accomplish this, I coordinated with fellow educators, administrators, and security officers in order to stage my own arrest. Mid-lecture. In front of the entire class.
This hidden camera footage shows the highlights of how this lesson unfolded across six class sections over the course of three instructional days.






Project Name:
Walt Disney and The Power of Imagination

Revolutionary Cause:
Walt Disney

Project Type:
YouTube video / Glogster Poster / Prezi Presentation / Facebook Fan Page / Twitter Feed / Tumblr Blog

Project Summary:

This project was designed to give students an idea of how they can use freely available Web 2.o tools and software in order to create, maintain and spread word of their revolutionary causes. For this sample project, I researched information on animation pioneer Walt Disney. The video shown here gives numerous examples of how you might consider using web-based software in order to spread the word of your revolutionary cause.

Revolution Project (ALL CLASSES)

Revolution Project
Due Monday, 11/28 - "B" Days
Due Monday, 11/29 - "A" Days


1. Find Your Revolution

Your first step to this project is simply to indentify any real-life revolutionary that has ever lived or any real-life revolution that has ever occurred (or is currently underway) in the course of human history. Your topic must be factual, but it can deal with any major political, social, economic, or interpersonal upheaval that has ever existed.

You may pick ANY of these suggestions or ANY OTHER revolution(ary)! Some possible ideas may include:

  • Revolutionary Conflicts
    The French Revolution, The American Revolution, The Russian Revolution, The Hungarian Revolution, The Phillipine Revolution, The Mexican Revolution, The Easter Rising / The Troubles, The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, The Auschwitz Uprising

  • Revolutionary Causes
    Non-Cooperation, Women’s Suffrage, Capital Punishment, The Pro-Life/Pro-Choice Movement, Abolition, The Civil Rights Movement, The Black Panthers, The Gay Rights Movement, The Arab Spring Movement, Prop 8, Occupy Wall Street

  • Revolutionary Figures
    Moses, Jesus of Nazareth, The Prophet Muhammad, Spartacus, George Washington, Susan B. Anthony, Robert E. Lee, Padric Pearse, Fidel Castro, Che Guevara, Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, Adolph Hitler, Mohandas Ghandi, Margaret Sanger, Betty Friedan, Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, Jackie Robinson, Sally Ride, Harvey Milk


2. Explore Your Revolution

Step two of this project will challenge you to learn as much as you can about your particular topic. Use the internet and the school library to determine all of the key facts that relate to your cause. Why was your revolution so important? Who lead that revolution? When? Why? Was that revolution successful? (Etc.)

To make sure that you have adequadely explored your revolutionary topic, ALL STUDENTS will be required to fill out the questions provided in the online form located at the following address:

www.TinyURL.com/MeehanRevolution
(Hint: you might want to look at this questionnaire BEFORE and DURING your research phase)


3. Spread Your Revolution

How you choose to spread your revolution is totally up to you, but the third and final component of your project will be to provide some sort of multimedia proof that you have adequately prepared to spread news of your revolution to the world at large. You know: PROPAGANDA.

Some ideas may include:

1) Create and maintain a dedicated Facebook page about your revolutionary cause/figure
2) Create a Glogster or print-copy poster presentation about your revolutionary cause/figure
3) Create and maintain a Twitter feed devoted to your revolutionary cause/figure
4) Create a Prezi presentation about your revolutionary cause/figure
5) Create a Powerpoint slideshow about your revolutionary cause/figure
6) Create a Mp3 recording of an original song/rap about your revolutionary cause/figure
7) Create an original YouTube video about your revolutionary cause/figure
8) Create a website or blog in which people can discuss your revolutionary cause/figure
9) Giving a public speech to your class about your revolutionary cause/figure

Your goal is to get people’s attention and make them take note of your revolution. You will “spread your revolution” to me, and you will be graded according to how attention-grabbing your final product is.


Sample Projects In Action:



Project Name:
High School Teacher Stages His Own Arrest

Revolutionary Cause:
Police States / Free Speech

Project Type:
YouTube video / in-class presentation

Project Summary:

This project didn't cost anything but a little time and creativity.
While teaching George Orwell's "Animal Farm" and the importance of free speech, I wanted students to experience life inside of a police state. To accomplish this, I coordinated with fellow educators, administrators, and security officers in order to stage my own arrest. Mid-lecture. In front of the entire class.
This hidden camera footage shows the highlights of how this lesson unfolded across six class sections over the course of three instructional days.






Project Name:
Walt Disney and The Power of Imagination

Revolutionary Cause:
Walt Disney

Project Type:
YouTube video / Glogster Poster / Prezi Presentation / Facebook Fan Page / Twitter Feed / Tumblr Blog

Project Summary:

This project was designed to give students an idea of how they can use freely available Web 2.o tools and software in order to create, maintain and spread word of their revolutionary causes. For this sample project, I researched information on animation pioneer Walt Disney. The video shown here gives numerous examples of how you might consider using web-based software in order to spread the word of your revolutionary cause.

Animal Farm - Chapters 7-8 (1B)

Revolution Project
Due Monday, 11/28 - "B" Days
Due Monday, 11/29 - "A" Days


1. Find Your Revolution

Your first step to this project is simply to indentify any real-life revolutionary that has ever lived or any real-life revolution that has ever occurred (or is currently underway) in the course of human history. Your topic must be factual, but it can deal with any major political, social, economic, or interpersonal upheaval that has ever existed.

You may pick ANY of these suggestions or ANY OTHER revolution(ary)! Some possible ideas may include:

  • Revolutionary Conflicts
    The French Revolution, The American Revolution, The Russian Revolution, The Hungarian Revolution, The Phillipine Revolution, The Mexican Revolution, The Easter Rising / The Troubles, The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, The Auschwitz Uprising

  • Revolutionary Causes
    Non-Cooperation, Women’s Suffrage, Capital Punishment, The Pro-Life/Pro-Choice Movement, Abolition, The Civil Rights Movement, The Black Panthers, The Gay Rights Movement, The Arab Spring Movement, Prop 8, Occupy Wall Street

  • Revolutionary Figures
    Moses, Jesus of Nazareth, The Prophet Muhammad, Spartacus, George Washington, Susan B. Anthony, Robert E. Lee, Padric Pearse, Fidel Castro, Che Guevara, Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, Adolph Hitler, Mohandas Ghandi, Margaret Sanger, Betty Friedan, Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, Jackie Robinson, Sally Ride, Harvey Milk


2. Explore Your Revolution

Step two of this project will challenge you to learn as much as you can about your particular topic. Use the internet and the school library to determine all of the key facts that relate to your cause. Why was your revolution so important? Who lead that revolution? When? Why? Was that revolution successful? (Etc.)

To make sure that you have adequadely explored your revolutionary topic, ALL STUDENTS will be required to fill out the questions provided in the online form located at the following address:

www.TinyURL.com/MeehanRevolution
(Hint: you might want to look at this questionnaire BEFORE and DURING your research phase)


3. Spread Your Revolution

How you choose to spread your revolution is totally up to you, but the third and final component of your project will be to provide some sort of multimedia proof that you have adequately prepared to spread news of your revolution to the world at large. You know: PROPAGANDA.

Some ideas may include:

1) Create and maintain a dedicated Facebook page about your revolutionary cause/figure
2) Create a Glogster or print-copy poster presentation about your revolutionary cause/figure
3) Create and maintain a Twitter feed devoted to your revolutionary cause/figure
4) Create a Prezi presentation about your revolutionary cause/figure
5) Create a Powerpoint slideshow about your revolutionary cause/figure
6) Create a Mp3 recording of an original song/rap about your revolutionary cause/figure
7) Create an original YouTube video about your revolutionary cause/figure
8) Create a website or blog in which people can discuss your revolutionary cause/figure
9) Giving a public speech to your class about your revolutionary cause/figure

Your goal is to get people’s attention and make them take note of your revolution. You will “spread your revolution” to me, and you will be graded according to how attention-grabbing your final product is.


Sample Projects In Action:



Project Name:
High School Teacher Stages His Own Arrest

Revolutionary Cause:
Police States / Free Speech

Project Type:
YouTube video / in-class presentation

Project Summary:

This project didn't cost anything but a little time and creativity.
While teaching George Orwell's "Animal Farm" and the importance of free speech, I wanted students to experience life inside of a police state. To accomplish this, I coordinated with fellow educators, administrators, and security officers in order to stage my own arrest. Mid-lecture. In front of the entire class.
This hidden camera footage shows the highlights of how this lesson unfolded across six class sections over the course of three instructional days.






Project Name:
Walt Disney and The Power of Imagination

Revolutionary Cause:
Walt Disney

Project Type:
YouTube video / Glogster Poster / Prezi Presentation / Facebook Fan Page / Twitter Feed / Tumblr Blog

Project Summary:

This project was designed to give students an idea of how they can use freely available Web 2.o tools and software in order to create, maintain and spread word of their revolutionary causes. For this sample project, I researched information on animation pioneer Walt Disney. The video shown here gives numerous examples of how you might consider using web-based software in order to spread the word of your revolutionary cause.