Preparing for End of Term Oct. 9

Writing Portfolio
On Tuesday next week, students will write their final 5 paragraph essay of the term. The essay will be a rewrite of the essay they have already completed on the question of whether or not schools should eliminate grades. Grading will focus on two areas:

1. Transitions (between paragraphs and between sentences within a paragraph)
2. Sophistication of ideas (developed by anticipating counterarguments and rebutting or revising claims accordingly)

Today in class we continued to work on the second skill.

Core
Bellwrite #20: Does God ever parent in silence?

We continued presentations from the students who were chosen to explicate chapters from The Chosen. We discussed the ending of the novel. Which parenting style is better: that of Mr. Malter or Reb Saunders? Why does God watch in apparent silence, the silence of the veil, as humans struggle and suffer? The final chapter of the novel is a testament that God is not silent, that He speaks through various means from "Talmud" (scripture) to gestures to friends He has chosen for this end. The final chapter is also a testament that God weeps. God weeps because we suffer and He could stop it, but He doesn't because there is not another way for us to learn and become what we must become; there is not another way for us to experience full agency. That God weeps is one of the beautiful truths of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.

In class we also prepared for our history unit assessment on the Middle East. The students identified the main topics we have studied and wrote a question for each topic. As a class, we finalized the questions each student will answer:

Instructions: Please respond with one fully developed paragraph (unless otherwise noted) to each of the following questions. You may use notes and other resources; however, you must not plagiarize. What you write should demonstrate your own understanding and not simply a rewording of someone else’s sentences. Please type your responses and proofread them for clarity and grammar/spelling before submitting. Due date: Tuesday, Oct. 14.

Class A Questions:
1.      Explain in one sentence the 5 Pillars and 6 Articles of Faith of Islam. (11 sentences)
2.      What are the origins of the Shia/Sunni division in Islam?
3.      Where did boundary conflicts in the Middle East today originate?
4.      Explain the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict from both sides. (2 paragraphs)
5.      What role did media play in the Arab Spring and Islamic Extremism?
6.      Choose ONE:

a.      Compare and contrast U.S. intervention in Iraq and Iran.

b.      How have U.S. interventions in the Middle East added fuel to the Islamicist fire?

Class B Questions:
1. Why are Palestinians and Israelis still fighting? (Please explain from both points of view.)
2. With one sentence each, explain the 5 Pillars and the 6 Articles of Faith of Islam.
3. Why is Islam divided into Sunnis and Shiites?
4. Where did the current Middle Eastern national boundaries come from?
5. What are Islamic Extremists trying to accomplish and in what ways do they go about it?
6. What role has social media played in the Arab Spring and Islamic Extremism? (bonus *How have technological advances been used to build the Kingdom of God?)
7. Choose ONE:

a. Compare and contrast U.S. intervention in Iraq and Iran.

b. How have U.S. interventions in the Middle East added fuel to the Islamicist fire?

Homework: Work on the Chosen essay (due Wednesday) and the Middle East history questions (due Tuesday).