Shep's Class: 2013

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Monday, September 9, 2013

#1: Mr. James believes that students should help make the classroom rules. The class votes on such rules as whether they can chew gum in class, eat in class, leave their seats whenever they want, speak without raising their hands, and wear hats in class. Students also vote on the punishments for breaking any rules.

What form of government exists in Mr. James’s classroom? Why?

#2: The Great Shep Kingdom is ruled by a tall king who is very smart. Is is a nice king and all of the people like him. When he dies, his crown will go to his daughter, who will be Queen Glen the First. She will pass on her power to her kids, too.

What form of government exists in this country? Why?

#3: Ms. Loth sets the rules for the class. The rules are very strict. Students may not chew gum or eat in class. They cannot leave their seats unless they raise their hands and ask permission. No hats are allowed. Students may not talk when Ms. Loth is giving a lesson. Ms. Loth also has strict punishments. If a student breaks any rule, she or he must spend one hour after school cleaning the classroom.

What form of government exists in Ms. Loth’s classroom? Why?

#4: In 2010, Mr. Shephard’s class was a hot mess! Kids did not stay in their seats. They talked in loud voices all the time. It was like nobody was in charge. Kids stomped out of the room and slammed the door. At the end of the class, the floor was a mess and Mr. Shephard was very tired.

What form of government existed in Mr. Shephard’s classroom? Why?

#5: In the country of Heugel, most people live very sad lives. They have to work all day in factories and barely earn enough money to survive. At the same time, there is a small group of people who own the factories. They are getting rich off of the work of the poor. The poor people can't do anything to change the situation or they will be fired and they'll starve.

What form of government exists in Heugel? Why?

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Welcome to Awesometown! - Introductions 5.22.13

Pull Quote

Slaves who no longer wished to live often found some way to end the suffering. Women twisted their cotton skirts into ropes to hang themselves. Slaves tried to run away, and many didn't make it. They tried to starve themselves by not eating anything, hoping that they would die and it would end.

- By The Student Encyclopedia of the United States

Although they both had the same suffering, house slaves and field slaves were at two different levels when it came to working. Slaves worked and worked a main living. This paper will tell you facts about both house slaves and field slaves.

-Arianna Cook, NYU

Quotation

Frederick Douglas once said, “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men. The two people who started the KIPP schools definitely believe this. KIPP is one of the strongest school systems in the country. In this paper, I will discuss KIPP’s history, the reasons why it is strong, and some criticisms of the KIPP schools.

-Mr. Shephard

Quotations About War

Statistic/Interesting Fact

Every day, more than 40,000 students get off school buses and walk into KIPP schools around the country. These students are part of a nationwide movement to change our school system. KIPP is one of the strongest school systems in the country. In this paper, I will discuss KIPP’s history, the reasons why it is strong, and some criticisms of the KIPP schools.

-Mr. Shephard

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Filling In The Gaps 5.21.13

Stay Out of the Middle East

The U.S. Should Stay Out of the Middle East

If the Middle East is a powder keg ready to explode into armed conflict, they should decide the future of the region themselves. We should not interfere and fight still another proxy war.

Let’s bring our wonderful men and women home to safety so they can have the liberty, justice and freedom they deserve. The price we have paid in Iraq, the price we are still paying in Afghanistan is far too high for what were unattainable political goals. We need no more men without legs, no more women without arms, no more military with shattered minds.

U.S. Needs to Act in Syria

When Will the U.S. Take Action and Lead on Syria?

Yet, the long-term ramifications of inaction are clear. More than 1.3 million Syrian refugees are already living in neighboring countries. Another 4.25 million are displaced in Syria. By the end of the year, UN officials say, half of the country’s population will be in dire need of assistance. (The People of Syria Need Our Help!)

Stay Out of Syria

The U.S. Should Stay Out of the Middle East

Syria is not a threat to our national security. Iran is not a threat to our national security. We need no more failures like North Korea, like Iraq, like Afghanistan. These nations are not worth our country losing anymore of our treasures: our men and women in uniform.

We Don't Need to Attack Iran

Nuclear Deterrence Could Restrain N. Korea, Iran (The author argues that we don't need to fight them. We have lots of weapons, so they would never attack us. Look up "deterrence" in your dictionary and then ask your teacher if you still don't understand.)

Both Iran's and North Korea's supreme leaders will be deterred, just as were successive generations of Soviet leaders. Both would not authorize the use of nuclear weapons, for fear of seeing their nations destroyed, their people wiped out, and their ambitions for themselves and their countries turned to dust.

The U.S. Should Stay Out of the Middle East

Iran developing a nuclear bomb and a missile to carry it is not a threat to our national security. It’s a threat to the nations of the region and should be solved by them.

We Can't Just Punish Iran With Money. We Might Need to Attack

More Sanctions on Iran Won't Work (Sanctions are punishments that take money away from a country. The U.S. uses sanctions to punish Iran for working on nuclear bombs. This author thinks sanctions don't work. The author argues that we might need to use our military.)

Only two methods have turned states away from nuclear weapons: military force and regime change. Allied armies stopped Hitler from getting the bomb, and Israeli airstrikes destroyed Iraqi and Syrian reactors. Apartheid's fall ended South Africa's nuclear quest, and post-communist governments in Ukraine and Kazakhstan relinquished Soviet-era weapons.

Why We're Friends With Israel

Israel and America - By Ms. Williams

Finally, as a free country, America has always promoted freedom and democracy around the world. Many countries in the Middle East are ruled by dictators, but Israel is a democracy, like the United States.

However, because the United States helps to supply Israel’s military, they know that Israel will help protect the United States if need be. Many of Israel’s enemies are also enemies of America. It is good for America to have an ally in a hostile region.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Opinions!

Syria

When Will the U.S. Take Action and Lead on Syria?

Syria is Not Iraq

Give Peace Talks in Syria a Chance

Obama Can't Wish Away Syrian Crisis

Invading Syria Could Get Costly

Israel

What America Means to Israel

Syria's Forgotten Front (Israel might get pulled into the war.)

Israel is Not Dragging the U.S. Into War

Israel and America - By Ms. Williams

Iran

Nuclear Deterrence Could Restrain N. Korea, Iran (The author argues that we don't need to fight them. We have lots of weapons, so they would never attack us. Look up "deterrence" in your dictionary and then ask your teacher if you still don't understand.)

More Sanctions on Iran Won't Work (Sanctions are punishments that take money away from a country. The U.S. uses sanctions to punish Iran for working on nuclear bombs. This author thinks sanctions don't work. The author argues that we might need to use our military.)

The U.S. Should Use Israel to Stop Iran

Broad

Here Comes a Middle East Re-run

The U.S. Should Stay Out of the Middle East

Sunday, May 12, 2013

What's Your Source? 5.13.13

The U.S. Should Stay Out of the Middle East

Syria
Syria Death Toll Rises
PBS Newshour Extra - Use of Chemical Weapons Could Be 'Game-Changer'

Israel
Hezbollah is a military group based in Lebanon, a neighbor of Israel. The United States, Israel, and many other countries say that Hezbollah is a terrorist group. They have attacked Israel many times in the past.

In this article, we learn that Hezbollah is threatening to attack Israel. They are mad because Israel has bombed Syria numerous times in the past month. Israel is bombing Syria because they want to stop Hezbollah from getting advanced weapons.

Hezbollah Threatens Israel Over Syria Strikes

Iran
SPICY - Obama can't miss another opportunity on Iran

MEDIUM: U.S. Calls for Shutting Down Iran, North Korea Arms Networks