African Lesson

Guess how many countries there are in Africa? There are probably more than you think. Take a few minutes to see how many countries in Africa you can find on this map activity. When you go to the site, it will name a country in Africa and you will need to click on the map where the country is. You get 3 tries before you will get a clue. You don't have to do them all but just take a few minutes to try it. :  
Click Here For the Game!

How big is Africa anyway? Well check out this great infographic to give you some kind of idea about that!

Click Here For the Infographic!

For this lesson you will be required to work with the group from class of your peers to complete a presentation about a conflict in Africa.  First each of you will need to read 3-5 articles (which you can find or can be provided for you) about the conflict that you is assigned.  Contact me HERE to get assigned one of the four rolls described in this post for the presentation.

After you are assigned the rolls you can go HERE to see what the role requires you to do!

Once you get your assignment you can look HERE for information that has been provided by me to assist your research. Also if you are having trouble then please contact me for questions or advice! And if you have never given a presentation report before check HERE and HERE for examples!

Your will be graded by the following rubric:

Written Assignment	Presentation	Group Evaluation	Self Evaluation
1-10	1-10	1-5	1-10

The presentation will require you to give a 1-2 minute explanation of your research in front of the class.  Followed by a Q&A at the end.  The group and self evaluations will be in the form of a survey at the end of the assignment.

Unit 5: Work Samples

For this unit you will be required to ask your mentor what writing Work Samples you still have left to complete. After you find out what assignments that you need pick out a writing sample or develop on your own. There are three types of essays you will need to graduate: Expository, Narrative, and Persuasive. If you have completed the requirement already please disregard this assignment and write a sentence letting me know that you have completed your work already. Thank you, Mr. Ellsberg

Unit 4: Work Samples

All High School Students, You will have to complete two work samples this semester one written and one which is a speech.  The written requirement will be taken from one of your submitted project essays this semester, but this assignment will be your speech.
All high school students are required to give three speeches before they graduate. The three types of speeches are persuasive, informative and impromptu. Both persuasive and informative can be recorded and turned in as a media file and if you have a school computer, you have a microphone built into the computer and will be able to record that way. "Audacity" is a free program found online that you could use in conjunction with your microphone, and turn in your speech that way.
If you would prefer to give your speech in person, get in touch with me or set up an appointment and we'll figure out a time. Impromptu speeches must be given in person.
Check with your mentor!
What speeches have you given and what speeches do you need to give in order to graduate? You are more than welcome to use an essay written for this class and turn it into a speech. If you have written an informative essay and would like to receive credit for an informative speech, this is where to do this! If you have written a persuasive essay and would like to turn that into a persuasive speech, do so here! Get those graduation requirements out of the way, and do so by recording your speech.
If you don't need a speech, then don't worry about the special project. Speeches will be worth 100 points. Giving a speech would certainly help your grade if you need to give one.
Test your voice recording availability through the control panel> sounds and audio devices>voice> test hardware
While recording your work in Audacity, make sure to save your file as a wave.file or I will not be able to upload your work.

Unit 3 Project

There will be no Unit 3 project for your class. Your Unit 4 project will be your CIM submission. Use this time to catch up in your course and let me know in the box how many assignments you have that are overdue for your class with me. -Mr. Ellsberg

History of Governments Unit 2

Your Unit 2 government assignment is to look over "The American Jobs Act" and listen to the speech that has been proposed by President Barack Obama.  Look at the 5 different parts that are in the plan:

1. Tax Cuts
2. Rebuilding America
3. Pathways to Work
4. Tax Relief
5. Full Paid For

The first part of your assignment is to summarize each of these Overviews.
The second part is to state your opinion about 1 thing you think could work, then 1 thing you think should be changed or removed.
Good Luck!

Human Geography Unit 2

For your second Unit you will be watching a video then answering a few questions. How does your environment affect the way that you think about life? Do you think that your life is more or less difficult than those around you? Is it easier than say someone living where our Author lived, what about her servant?

Development of Constitutional Government Unit 2

The Right to Privacy as stated below in the US constitution is a pillar of freedom that holds up our rights as Americans. When the founding fathers developed the Constitution there was no Facebook, Gmail, or Twitter. Your assignment is to pick and read a few of the links below, then answer the 3 questions at the bottom:
The Right to Privacy and the U. S. Constitution:
"The real danger is the gradual erosion of individual liberties through automation, integration, and interconnection of many small, separate record-keeping systems, each of which alone may seem innocuous, even benevolent, and wholly justifiable." U. S. Privacy Study Commission

Many Americans feel very strongly about their right to privacy. The Digital Age is having profound effects on the issue of personal privacy. As people embrace the convenience of credit cards and ATM cards they also provide to these companies intimate information about their purchases and personal choices. On the other hand, some argue safety is enhanced as tiny electronic chips and webcams make it possible for them to surreptitiously check on loved ones.

Home for Seniors Trades Privacy for Security

RealID Act | REAL ID Act of 2005 Congresspedia | Senate Hearing on REAL ID Act CSpan | Discussion on National ID Cards CSpan

Privacy & Civil Liberties Oversight Board CSpan | FAQ: How Real ID will affect you | Blues' claims database illegal, unethical: reader

HIPAA | Electronic Privacy Information Center | Courting Student Rights | Privacy at school

Facebook users complain of new tracking | Spying on the Home Front  

Do you approve of this invasion of privacy or do you object?
Set the limit. Where do you draw the line in this privacy issue? Explain
What consequences do you support for those who cross the line? 

Unit 2: Early River Valley Civilizations

You cannot complete this assignment until you have turned in your parent permission form which you can download and print here (if you have not already). Your assignment for the second will be to watch until the 30 minute mark. Remember when I asked you why European civilizations came to be a world power? Keep that in mind when your watching this video. What is the question that drives Dr. Jared Diamond on his quest for answers? Make sure to put your answer in the space provided.

Economics Roles Unit 2

Your second Unit project for Economics will be to read this article from Bloomberg, and look at this info-graphic. Do you think that companies should be able to have a "tax holiday" and drop the corporate tax rate from 30-5% or do you think these companies should be forced to pay what the law requires? Let me know what you think:

Unit Projects: Vietnam and Civil War Electives

There are no Unit Projects for both Civil War and Vietnam electives. What you can do if you are interested in the subjects is watch this PBS documentary for Civil War:
Those who are in the Vietnam elective can choose to watch this PBS documentary. Write your name and the date in the box provided and you will receive credit for your work.

The Beginnings of Human Society Unit 1

Welcome to World History, it's great to have you in class.  My name is Mr. Ellsberg and I will be your Instructor for this class for the 2011-12 school year.  A little about me I am from Astoria, Oregon, I graduated from the University of Oregon, and also studied abroad in Barcelona, Es. I have worked here at the Web Academy since it's inception in 2009.  I like:
The Outdoors
Travel
Food
Fitness
Books
Enough about me though!  On to your first chapter's assignment for Geography.  Your job is to complete the following by entering the information in the box below the assignment in Odysseyware.
A)  Who is your instructor for this class and what is his phone/email?
B)  What past civilization are you most interested in?
C)  Why do you think western nations gained so much power over the rest of the world in the last 500-1000 years?
After you have had your parent sign the permission form here, you can start watching the video below. Over the year we will be watching this PBS documentary series about the beginnings of civilization to better understand how civilizations rise and sometimes fall. Make sure to bring the permission slip to the Web Academy ASAP.

International Governments Unit 1

Welcome to Government, it's great to have you in class.  My name is Mr. Ellsberg and I will be your Instructor for this class for the 2011-12 school year.  A little about me I am from Astoria, Oregon, I went to the University of Oregon, and also studied abroad in Barcelona, Es. I have worked here at the Web Academy since it's inception in 2009.  I like:
The Outdoors
Travel
Food
Fitness
Books
Enough about me though!  On to your first chapter's assignment for Geography.  Your job is to complete the following by entering the information in the box below the assignment in Odysseyware.
A)  Who is your instructor for this class and what is his phone/email?
B)  Watch the video below about Canada's Government.  In a paragraph write about what you would do to engage your fellow students in the community to start participating in local government and decision making.  And in conclusion what would you change to give youth a greater voice in your community.

Decisions, Decisions Unit 1

Welcome to Economics, it's great to have you in class.  My name is Mr. Ellsberg and I will be your Instructor for this class for the 2011-12 school year.  A little about me I am from Astoria, Oregon, I went to the University of Oregon, and also studied abroad in Barcelona, Es. I have worked here at the Web Academy since it's inception in 2009.  I like:
The Outdoors
Travel
Food
Fitness
Books
Enough about me though!  On to your first chapter's assignment for Geography.  Your job is to complete the following by entering the information in the box below the assignment in Odysseyware.
A)  Who is your instructor for this class and what is his phone/email?
B)  When you buy something what goes into that process? ie, size, comfort, taste, where it came from, how close it is to your home, ext.
C)  I want you to watch the TED video below then write about which of the 5 ways of well being you do already, then about which you could improve.

Foundations of the American Republic Unit 1

Welcome to US History, it's great to have you in class.  My name is Mr. Ellsberg and I will be your Instructor for this class for the 2011-12 school year.  A little about me I am from Astoria, Oregon, I went to the University of Oregon, and also studied abroad in Barcelona, Es. I have worked here at the Web Academy since it's inception in 2009.  I like:
The Outdoors
Travel
Food
Fitness
Books
Enough about me though!  On to your first chapter's assignment for Geography.  Your job is to complete the following by entering the information in the box below the assignment in Odysseyware.
A)  Who is your instructor for this class and what is his phone/email?
B)  How did your family get to the United States?  Did they take more than one journey to get to America (ask your parents, and if possible your grandparents)?
C)  Finally watch the videos below which depict a different story of discovery to the "New World" and say a few things about how that might change a students view of US and American History.
Part 1

Part 2

Intro To Geography Unit 1

Welcome to World Geography, it's great to have you in class.  My name is Mr. Ellsberg and I will be your Instructor for this class for the 2011-12 school year.  A little about me I am from Astoria, Oregon, I went to the University of Oregon, and also studied abroad in Barcelona, Es. I have worked here at the Web Academy since it's inception in 2009.  I like:
The Outdoors
Travel
Food
Fitness
Books
Enough about me though!  On to your first chapter's assignment for Geography.  Your job is to complete the following by entering the information in the box below the assignment in Odysseyware.
A)  What is your instructors phone/email?
B)  If you could travel anywhere in the world where would it be?
C)  Where did your ancestors come from before your family decided on Gresham?
D)  The majority of your grade for this assignment is from creating your Google map or you can complete the alternate assignment below!  Your goal is to make a map that contains three separate places you enjoy on the map.
Go Here for More Instruction
The first place could be somewhere you like to eat or enjoy some sort of consumable.
The second needs to be a spot that is a place you like be when your not in school with friends or family.
The third place needs to be a place that you like to travel to outside of town.
Give explanations in the map, then make it public!  Copy the URL then submit it with the rest of your answers.  One of your maps will be selected to publish to our site under "Student Work".
Alternate assignment:
Make a map of your neighbor hood by using graphing paper or by using a ruler.  Mark all important land marks then include a key of important information.  Bring the map to school, or use fax, but make sure it gets to my inbox!

Let me know if you have any questions, Good Luck!

The Citizen and His/Her Government Unit 5

TBA

The American Party System Unit 4

TBA

United States Governments Unit 3

TBA

History of Governments Unit 2

TBA

The Macroeconomy Unit 5

TBA