Ipad Book Fighting Against the Single Story

Check out this TED Talk by Raghava KK called "Shake Up Your Story." It's a kids book that, when you shake it, literally becomes a different story. No single story here!

"I can't promise my child a life without bias, but I promise to bias my child with multiple perspectives."

Ashley's War: Women in the Military

As I was driving home from school today, I heard a segment on Boston Public Radio about women in the military. I heard from an author of a book about women in Special Ops, a Massachusetts representative who fought to ensure that the military was providing gear designed with women in mind, and a veteran who served with a brave woman who lost her life protecting her fellow troops. Check it out and think about the important of stories like this.

Want to know what 1950s Superman has to say about the refugee crisis?

Here's an awesome resource from NPR - "What the 2016 Candidates Would Do About ISIS In One Chart" 

And here's an article from The Atlantic (sent to us from Mrs. Shoemaker!) about why America should accept Syrian refugees. Their main points are that it is actually a "cheaper" and "morally superior" option to further warfare.

I also just found this article about two champion Syrian swimmers who used their skills to escape to safety.









Adam and Colette both found out from the New York Times why it takes two years for Syrian refugees to apply to enter the US.






Abby discovered this video. She said it was really powerful and helped her understand how difficult a refugee's journey can be.

Hot Off the Press!

This just in!

Today and yesterday we were looking at an article that described Gov. Raimondo as "waiting for directions from the Obama administration" about what to do if Syrian refugees were to need shelter in Rhode Island.

But in an interview this afternoon, she made her position clear. Just look at the headline (and then read) this article: "'Of course' State Would Host Syrian Refugees."

This announcement came just hours after each of the two competing sides held rallies at the RI State House. WPRI wrote an article "Refugee Debate Takes Center Stage in Dueling Rallies."

 

And this debate isn't only taking place in RI. In Washington, "47 Democrats joined all but 2 Republicans" in signing a bill that would make it more difficult for Syrian refugees to come to the United States. Check out this article for more details and ideas about what each side is thinking. 

Leave a comment explaining whether you still stand strong by your position or if you are now thinking differently!

Two for One - A Busy Weekend for IRLs!

Reading and Imagining

The other day when my dad had just came home from a long trip, he gave me some Chinese magazines. When I started to look at them I could definitely not understand the words but I would looked at the pictures and made up my own ads and articles. When I finished looking at the magazine I thought this is a lot like when Francisco could not understand the books that his first grade teacher was reading and he looked at the pictures and made up his own stories too.

-Colette

Empire State of Mind

Ok so I was at home doing homework and stuff and I decided to turn on the radio. And I was omgomgomgomgomg this is crazy!!!! The song "Empire State of Mind" was playing. I remembered talking about that song in social studies with Mrs. Maione when we were composing our songs about places! She used that song probably because she wanted to use an example of a song about a place (in this case, New York). It is an important connection to make because now, I kind of get a better idea of why she chose the song.

-Gabbie

Hyperbole is the Best!

When I went to my grad class last night, I noticed this on one of my favorite professor's office door! 

I couldn't agree more ;)

-Ms. Richer

218,000 People

I had found this passage about a migrant crisis a record of 218,000 people reaching the EU by sea on the web site. I found that it was a text-wold moment because we are reading a story about a migrant family and then I read this passage about a migrant crisis happening now. Click here for the link to the story!

-Alicia

Migrants Flow In, More Europeans Question Open Borders

I was looking over my dad's shoulder as he scrolled down npr.com and I saw "Migrants Flow In." I read more and it was about migrants going into European countries because of the war in Syria. I was astounded that European countries have open borders.

This connects with migrant workers because they are coming into our country and we don`t know what to do.

I know it is not exactly what we are learning about but I found it interesting. 

-Ben

IRL from Mr. Edmunds!

This morning I was listening to a story about migrant workers who pick fruit. Apples specifically. As I popped by today in your class I thought of the story and thought I would share. Kind of interesting....90% of the fruit we eat is likely to be picked by a migrant worker and there is no mechanism to pick apples all must be hand picked.

Here's the link to the story.

-Mr. Edmunds

More Kudos in Real Life!

I was watching Cake Boss and this guy named Joey was saying thank you to a guy who covered his shift for him. Then Joey says, "Kudos" to Jerome and then he does the handshaking thing. 

-Chris

Nikki, from El Salvador

Nikki, from El Salvador, on the left

I was doing my Spanish homework at my grandma's house, and I thought about a show on Disney Channel called Dog with a Blog, and I remembered that one of the characters, Nikki, was from El Salvador!    

-Rileigh

Cupcake Wars and the Marianas Trench

Last week, I did my science project on the deepest trench in the world - the Marianas Trench. The only two people to have ever reached the bottom are Don Walsh and Jacques Piccard. Last night, the guest judge on Cupcake Wars was Don Walsh! They had him on since it was a Pacific Ocean episode (Season 2, Episode 23, "Aquarium of the Pacific").

Don Walsh

Kudos in Real Life!

On Sunday, I was watching The Middle with my family and one of the characters, Brick, cam across a bully after doing a dance about reading! The bully said sarcastically, "I always read" and Brick gave the bully "Kudos" for reading. It made me think "Hey, Kudos, we always do that in English class!" 

- Abby W.

picture of Brick in his reading costume, which he encountered the bully in 

Siberian Tiger Poaching Podcast

The night after we began our Quarterly Literacy Assessment, I was on a drive to my great-grandparents' house and my mom put on a podcast about Siberian tigers and poaching. I was thinking OH MY GOSH WE LEARNED ABOUT THIS IN CLASS!!

-Natalie

IRL Moments

So, you know how we discuss something in class, then *BOOM* you're watching TV with your little brother at night and *BOOM* you notice that same thing you just learned about in school shows up on your favorite show?  

Well, those are IRL moments.

Here is a place where you can upload your IRL moments, share them with your teachers, your classmates, and any other readers who happen to come across our blog. All you have to do is email richer.brittany@jamestownschools.org with a link and a brief description and I will post it to the blog. 

These IRLs are important because if you can apply something from school in your own life, then it is proof that you are learning. 

So keep your eyes and ears open because learning is in real life. 

****************************************************************

IRL #1

Tonight as I was driving home from my grad class, I heard a story about Canada banning microbeads in facial care items. Pretty neat, considering I had only heard of the danger of microplasitics during our Rosalia assembly yesterday. You can listen and read along here!