Video Footage for the Alliance of Guest Workers for Dignity Protest

Click this link to see the news coverage.

Letter of Solidarity

Read the following post and respond. Be sure to focus on key points, quoting text when appropriate. What does this say about the state of workers rights in this country for foreign workers? Immigration? Human rights? The agriculture business? Do you think this is an isolated incident? Or do you think it is more widespread? Can you cite specifics? etc.

Luther's Letter to Pope Leo X

Luther's letter to Pope Leo X found here.

The Photo Project

The Photo Project:

A Documentation of the Reformation and current political, social, and educational issues

I. The Objective

A. First, students will learn about some of the causes that led to

Reformation Europe and some of its effects. Also, in the

revolutionary spirit of Martin Luther, students will take a stand

on a contemporary issue that needs reform.

II. The Driving Questions

A. What does this period teach us about religious tolerance?

B. What are the benefits of protest? What are the consequences?

C. As thinking citizens, what can we do to exercise our moral and/or ethical obligations to a society that we believe must change?

D. What areas today require reform?

III. The Requirements

A. Each class will create approximately eight sets of “95 Theses.” Students may choose from one of the following three categories:

1. Educational Reform (e.g., small schools movement,

bilingual education, nutrition, NCLB, CAHSEE, etc.)

2. Social Reform (e.g., hate crime, living wage, gang violence, gentrification, health care, imminent domain, the etc.)

3. Political Reform (e.g., city council ethics, the war in Iraq, immigration, global warming, etc.)

a. Begin with Governor Schwarzenegger’s homepage.

B. In groups, students will research their topics so as to compile well informed and accurate “Theses” instead of random, poorly-constructed sentences. In addition, each “95 Theses” must contain a well-crafted preamble.

IV. The Literature

A. Primary documents from the Pope, Luther, Calvin, etc.

B. Refer to Dante’s Inferno

C. Excerpts

D. MOPA

E. Images that Changed the World

V. The Final Product

A. Assemble your photographs and written explanations as a slide show.

B. Take photographs of any of the following:

1. Religious structures

2. Symbols of faith

3. The posting of your 95 Theses

4. The creation of your 95 Theses

5. Meaningful images from your area of reform

C. Total pictures will be discussed in class

D. A collaborative written essay

The 95 Theses and their Results

Read the following selection in small groups and complete the graphic organizer in class. Here is another copy of Luther's 95 Theses.

Further instructions will be made available in class.

Literary Circles

LITERARY CIRCLES: EXPLORING CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN POETRY

For your first lit circle this semester, you will be choosing a contemporary American poet to read, discuss, and hopefully contact over the next few weeks. Your first task will be to choose a living American poet to study by _____________. Once your choice has been approved, you will be encouraged to purchase or borrow (from a public or university library) one or more of his/her collections of poetry. If this proves to be a problem, please see your teacher to discuss other options.

Listed below are some sites that might be helpful:

• Poets.org from The Academy of American Poets
• Modern American Poetry

• Wikipedia. List of Poets from the United States

As we discuss these authors in class, it is important that we have a working knowledge of several poetic devices. Here is a comprehensive list that should help us with this.