Constitutional Amendments

My dear 7th grade bloggers,

Before you go on to enjoy your Thanksgiving break, I want you to ponder about the upcoming prompt. Take your time discussing, researching, and talking to your peers to write a good blog!

Here is your prompt:

You are a West Virginia senator. Your goal is to propose a new amendment concerning the problems, freedoms or rights of your choice through a persuasive blog to convince the Senate at the nation’s capitol to accept your new idea. The writing of this new amendment must be in clear and concise language and have relevant media to accompany the blog to help you render the message. This information must be backed by at least three reasons that are not your opinions but stem out of the facts you have gathered through your research. Don't forget to cite the sources you have used to gather information.

Good blogging!

Mrs. B.

Adding Navigation

We have been working very hard on adding navigation to the scenes for your game. This week has been very difficult for some, but you still have made it! Chuckie certainly added tons of work to his projects page and showed his progress through the week. Check out Clyde's, Josh's, and Angel's pages where they are showing their work following the tutorials, experimenting on their own, and working with me. Garrett can be proud of his drawing and tracing abilities. Check out his page as well!
You all have done a great job, and today is your time to reflect about this week's unit.

• What have you learned about Flash?
• What was easy for you and what was challenging? How did you manage to overcome your challenges?
• What have you learned about the content of your game (what research have you done about civics topic you are covering?)
• What questions do you still have about the unit?
• Do you need more time to work on adding navigation or are you ready to move on?

Good writing!

Mrs. B.

What does being a productive citizen mean?

Being a citizen of a county is a right that is not enjoyed by everybody. However, it is a tremendous responsibility, as a citizen who exercises his/her rights can influence legislation and change many things around. Power of one in the United States cannot be underestimated, as many great changes in this country were started by small groups of forward thinking individuals. When I think about the individual citizens affecting the change by their actions, I think of the story of Rosa Parks, but there are many more other examples of individuals can affect events taking place in our country.



Think for a moment about an issue you feel needs to be addressed in your county, state, or a country (it can be a pressing current issue, such as swine flu, health care reform, tragedy in Ford Hood, or the veterans' life and care after they get back from war; or a pressing global issue, such as finding renewable energy sources, dealing with increasing gas prices, or helping citizens of the countries around the world fight for their rights). Why is this issue of a concern to you? Write a letter to your senator trying to convince him to support your views in legislative vote or new legislation. Remember that your letter shoud be compelling for the senator to read and take action. So, do your research for the facts to back your opinion, or your letter might not be as persuasive as you might think. Use multimedia to enhance your writing!
Watch this video that tells about universal human rights- you might get some ideas about the issue you would want to share in the letter.
This CNN Video tells about H1N1 flu (aka Swine Flu).
Good Blogging!
Mrs. B.