Week Thirty Five - Comic Life Project

This Week (and Last Week)

I apologize I didn't get an update posted last week, but I was in Washington DC with my JCOWA students for the annual Academic WorldQuest Competition, put on by the World Affairs Council of America. We had a lot of fun, and you can check out our picture album on our Dayton JCOWA Facebook page.

This is our team with the European Union Ambassador David O'Sullivan! We got to visit the embassy.

Throughout this short week (no school for students Friday!) students have been working on their Comic Life projects whereby they create a comic about an important person or event from Chinese history so that we can create a comic book for each class about Modern Chinese history. On Wednesday we had a visit from Dr. Luehrmann, an expert on China and the Director of the Wright State International and Comparative Politics program (the one I'm in). Students submitted questions to her via a Google Form and she was able to come in during advisory and answer those questions on everything from currency during the Maoist era to the Hong Kong Umbrella Movement to the contradictions of Modern China. Students really benefited from her expertise and we she can visit with us again!

Dr. Luehrmann presenting to students on questions they sent to her ahead of time.

Many students wanted to ask questions so badly that they went late to lunch! Wish there was more time in the day.

There was also some big news on the poster project this week, as United to End Genocide (the organization for which we raised money) wrote an article about the unit we do! I have also decided to make all of their posters available for purchase, so you can check out the posters on our website at www.daytonstemschool.org/conflictandgenocide and then use this Google Form to let me know what posters you would like us to purchase. The form must be filled out and money must be turned in by Friday, May 8th, at 3:15PM. If you have any trouble with the form or questions, please contact me. All net proceeds from the sale of the posters will be donated to United to End Genocide.

Check out the story here!

Use this form to order posters. Find the 2015 posters available for sale on our website here.

Upcoming Week

Next week we begin studying for our "End of Year Debates," whereby students will be taking everything they have learned over the course of the year and fashioning arguments about whether or not they believe the 20th Century was one of "Progress," in addition to defining what "Progress" means. They will be debating in front of a panel of judges on May 18th, 19th, and 20th.

This is also the last weekend you have to visit the Chinese Art Exhibit at the Dayton Art Institute (if you haven't already), so be sure to send me a picture of your visit this week or weekend if you want to take advantage of this opportunity!

Have a great long weekend this weekend and here's to a great Thursday!

~Mr. Grieve