On the Road in Morocco -- March 7th

This was our first day at Hassan II Secondary School. Debbie Skarsten, my partner teacher from Ohio, and I met Mme. Fatimezzahara Massaq at the front of the hotel just in time for 8:00 period 1 class. The students take 3 one hour classes in the morning, then go to lunch until 2 PM, and then have to go back to school for 3 hours in the late afternoon. How would you like to be on that schedule? Another big difference is that instead of the students moving each period, the teachers move from class to class, and the students stay in class. One thing that I liked was that when the teacher enters or exits class, all students stand in respect.

Today the students were able to just ask questions about the United States. Some of the questions were "What are girls like in the US?" and others were serious questions about Muslims in the US and the Palastinian-Israeli issue. Most of the questions were about what kind of food we ate, whether we knew anything about Morocco, and what were students like in the US. What questions should I ask students in Morocco.

This afternoon, we are going to a school for abandoned children with specifal needs, and then we are going to the medina, which is a traditional open air market.
I word about the hotel rooms. They are pretty much like a US Hotel, except that they have smoking allowed (yuk!). The biggest differences are the plugs and the electicity, and also that bathrooms all have bidets, which is part of the French influence on Morocco. Do you know the purpose of a bidet? I didn't until I watched a Youtube video on how to use them.

Ok, it's back to school. I'm still having trouble posting the pictures, but there are plenty, so keep reading!

On the Road to Morocco March 4th-6th

Greetings from Beni Mellal, Morocco!
I hope that everyone is doing well, and that you are doing a good job while I'm gone. My plane left Friday morning at 6:30 am, landed in New York City where I met my partner, Debbie Skarsten, a math teacher from Ohio, and we left for Morocco about 3 hours later. We arrived in Casablanca, the biggest city in Morocco, the next morning at 6:45 am, and met Ms. Fatimezzahara Massaq, who teaches high school here in Beni Mellal. Saturday, we toured Casablanca, and visited the King Hassan II mosque in Casablanca. It is one of the largest mosques in the world, and it is one of the few that allow non-Muslims to visit in the sanctuary.
Today, Sunday, we took the 3 hour drive to Beni Mellal, and toured the city here. We visited parks and the soule, which is a tradional market. We also met Ms. Massaq's family, which is her husband, who is a local political leader, her 17 year old daughter, who is preparing to take her exams to enter college here, and her 10 year old son, who loves soccer and is taking tennis lessons.


On Monday, Ms. Skarsten and I will meet Ms. Massaq's class for the first time. They are high school students who are learning English as their foreign language. What questions do you have for them? What would you like to learn about growing up in Morocco? Please post with your first name, last initial, and class period, and I will ask your questions to the students here -- then I will post the responses in the blog.

See you soon on my next blog post from Morocco

Tomorrow, Ms. Skarsten and I will be meeting with the

Different Perspectives on Slavery

Slavery was a complicted issue for Americans in the 18th and 19th centuries. Some people saw it as a absolute evil, others as a positive good. Some saw it as an economic nessessity, and others saw slavery as holding the nation back economically. People's views on African-Americans ranged from racism to colonization to advocating full equality. Today, you will get a chance to read some of those opinions, and share your reactions. You will need to click on the link to see the readings:

1. In reading 1, what did Thomas Jefferson mean when he said, "I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just"?

2. In readings 2 and 3, the authors have two very different views of slavery. How did Solomon Northrup view slavery in reading 2? How did Sir Charles Lyell view slavery in reading 3? Who do you think had the more realistic view of slavery? Why?

3. In reading 4, George Fitzhugh gives his view that slavery was actually good for the slaves. What are two reasons he gives for feeling that way? Do you agree or disagree? Why?

How democratic was Andrew Jackson?

Andrew Jackson was one of the most controversial people in the history of the United States. He was the hero of the Battle of New Orleans during the War of 1812, a slaveowner, an orphan who went from very poor beginnings to gain great wealth, a supporter of Indian Removal and expanding the vote to many more average Americans. He was twice elected President of the United States, and many historians say that he strengthened the office of the Presidency.

But how democratic was he? Was he more of an autocrat or democrat? Should we celebrate him, or be embarrassed by him?

Who really invented the cotton gin?

Almost every history book says that Eli Whitney "invented" the cotton gin. But should he really get credit for that important invention?

Your assignment is to summarize the Whitney's claim in a well written paragraph, as well as the three other claims from the Smithsonian lesson. Then explain who has the best claim to be the "real" inventor, and explain your reasons.

Constitution Center Webcast

1. Why is learning about the Founders, and studying the Constitution and Bill of Rights important?

2. What did you like about participating in a webcast?

Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists

Who had better ideas, the Federalists or the Anti-Federalists? Write a well written paragraph expressing your opinion, and have at least 3 supporting reasons.