Matt’s little book of

self-help poetry

60 moons of Saturn

the other day,

the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft found another moon

orbiting Saturn.

They called it Frank,

but might have just as easily called it

an ounce more of patience or perseverance or passion.

how often we refuse to grow unless forced.

and how often might we grow without the nag.

circling and circling in my Cassini-Huygens,

I might never have noticed that

sixtieth moon, had I not been paying attention.

Another metaphor for the same

is a keyboard:

Begin with an octave,

push outward, heading toward the distant eighty-eight.

Growth is expanding that range note by note,

sometimes quickly, sometimes less so.

And,

if we are not expanding our range we are stagnating.

What do chords look like?

How about an organ with multiple keyboards, even one for feet,

or a band or a symphony.

The limits are not even in sight.

Nor can I hear them.

Stale, Rancid, Moldy, or Rotten

Are you stale?

Have your buns gone dry? Do they leave you less satisfied?

Simply heat your bread to 140F to reverse staling,

the starch will regelatinize, and you’re good to go.

Here’s a trickier question: Are you rancid?

oxidation can be a bitch. not reversible like the staleness.

another question: Moldy?

as you know, mycelium like to eat the dead.

Among this planet’s most amazing intermediaries

carrying that which was alive

to that which is alive.

which is why they don’t often dine on that which is still with us.

Rotten?

bacteria are less discriminating about the living and the dead

but they like to play with each other for scraps,

so lets’s keep a multiplicity around.

disrepair must be reckoned with,

taken seriously, so-to-speak.

fruits

A few years ago in Sunday School,

(along with flannel-graphy and bible verse memorization and the fear of hell)

I was taught that

the fruit of the Spirit is:

love joy peace patience kindness goodness faithfulness gentleness self-control,

but I didn’t get enough of a living example,

the workshop stopped short in theory, and we didn’t get to the living part.

so, the other day, I resolved

to look at the fruit when considering the tree.

yes, keeping in mind that trees have seasons,

and off years, and downright grumpy periods.

none-the-less, I’ll be looking to you to find out

the quality of your Spirit-filled-ness.

chronic and acute

old-time disease chops off a few, throw in a parasite or two.

but new-fangled stress offs more of us by the hour, by the minute.

watch the kick as I react to a stressor:

blood pressure, heart rate, breathing, digestion, inflammation.

now watch after the letdown:

blood pressure and heart rate still high, try angina or stroke,

asthma, arthritis, diabetes?

all of this doesn’t even consider

the likely affects of less libido.

kindness

when grooming we opiatize our partner

some say gossip does the same.

and what of human solidarity?

we resonate with that capacity in others

language

do you agree with Poe Ballantine

that kindness can never be wasted?

How about a backrub?

We’ve Reached Peak Phosphorous

When I say such things, I get scoffed at.

Much like the scoffing in response to Peak Oil.

But I’m serious.

Serious about the peak and the need to act differently.

At a turning tipping tilting point.

The bullshit can only survive

for so long.

Before, we’ve lost ourselves…irretrievably.

internal & external

Your only safety,

says Mary Strong,

is to be within the center of your kingdom,

living from within out, not from without in.

sweet sour bitter salty umami

Kai and I were talking about food

I told him that some cooks think about flavors

is as a balance between sweet, sour, bitter, and salty

and there’s that other one, that Japanese word

that can’t quite be translated.

He inquired how spicy fit into this mix.

Good question.

And let’s consider the mouthfeel of fat.

Hey daddy, he jumped, that’s why people like lemon pepper.

Finding additions with multiple functions is a good way to go.

depression

Depression is a bullshit word

used as a bucket to throw it all in.

What we need is a taxonomy of sadness.

This here is a paper-thin sadness.

But there’s a ream of melancholia.

Check out this pile of dredge from the depths.

No, Forget the taxonomy. Sometimes categories

serve to swerve our emotions into more recognizable domains

which has the effect of denying us the feeling that first came

which also denies us the feelings that might have come after

and the ones after that.

pretty soon, we are so far away from ourselves,

that it takes a lot of work to find home again.

instead, let’s not let the words take us too far from home.

my friend Matthew

he's sensitive. damn sensitive.
which means…right now…he's volatile.

but someday soon, he'll find a way of being
sensitive without being volatile.

or,
he'll discern a means to ride the volatility vehicle
sitting safely seatbelted in the sensitivity car.

until then, or Until Then,
he'll medicate to take the edge off
the sensitivity…which (paradoxically?) pumps up the volatility.

like an overripe mango
or an atom missing one electron in it's final valence
or a stool with two legs.

Judgment

I’m judgmental.

Source natural, familial?

None-the-less, when faced with a friend,

I’m able to pluck him out of my categories,

Remove him from my stereotypes,

Withdraw him from my schema.

I can then be a true friend and face him as the person he is.

In his golden splendor rather than in his tarnished hole.

I’m the one who has the chance to limit him,

or to let him exult in the infinite possibilities of shittiness and of wonder.

I know what it feels like to sit in that chair of judgment.

And I know what it feels like to sit in a different posture…

one of openness to a wider array of who he is.

No matter who I’m talking about.

growth

Each year we have on Earth is a Gift,

a chance to grow into a more whole,

more amazing human being.

When we were 8, we were.

At 18, we’ve grown,

fired a few billion new neural pathways.

Now that we are 28 or 48 or 88,

we’ve got to be in more amazing places.

If not.

There are few with excuses.

No excuses to rest on yesterday’s truths

or yesterday’s categories or yesterday’s limitations,

instead to use our fuller capacity to think critically and tap into our wider range of emotional awareness.

What a treat when we are no longer surprised by the growth of a person.

bibliography:

501 minutes to Christ by Poe Ballantine

A different kind of teacher by John Taylor Gatto

Contingency, irony, and solidarity by Richard Rorty

Cross-pollinations by Gary Paul Nabhan

Ill Nature by Joy Williams

Lifesigns: Intimacy, Fecundity & Ecstasy by Henri Nouwen

Teaching to transgress: education as the practice of freedom

by bell hooks

The continuum concept by Jean Liedloff

The mindful brain by Daniel Siegel

The politics of experience by R.D. Laing

Walking on water: reading, writing, and revolution

by Derrick Jensen

Raids on the unspeakable by Thomas Merton

Why zebras don’t get ulcers by Robert Sampolsky

Your Inner Pharmacy by Robert Blaich

Today was our final day of class (final day is next Monday). I felt really good about today. We went over the syllabus to see how we fared. We did seem to meet the course objectives "by the end of the year, we will..." and we talked about most of the topics/concepts/themes I intended to cover. I also shared about a dozen books and some of the ideas promulgated by them. We had active discussion by many in the class. I read an Adbusters piece about industrial eating. Everyone got something from today, although different for each person, I'm sure

I clarified the big three assignments.

!) 1-5 page essay connecting "Men with Guns" with Frontline coffee video with handout about diamonds & apartheid with Starbucks article (and anything else we've learned)
2) film project
3) final: either a narrative description (written from Matt's point of view) written to your parents or an expansive "What I learned" integrating the whole year's worth of learning.

We watched a couple more segments of "TV Nation"

I gave an in class assignment to write 5 Nothings & Somethings. A Nothing is question in which the answer is exact and closed. A Something is a related question which is open for many answers and is open.

I read more from The Power of Mindful Learning by Ellen Langer.

James Williams gave a presentation about school reform and an invitation to join a group meeting this summer to discuss such. Caitlyn gave a short presentation about Diana Abu Jaber. She had the opportunity to have dinner with her the other day. Paul & Max gave a "presentation" about "Canadia", their second attempt. I gave the last seven vocabulary words of the year.

Assignment: vocabulary words: liberation theology, nationalize, privatize

I handed out the writing by Derrick Jensen about diamonds/DeBeers and apartheid. I emphasised the beginnings of a cash economy and the forcing of indigenous peoples to farm cash crops to pay taxes. This is the previous situation which creates the "men with guns" scenario which is the setting for "Men With Guns." We watched a video about coffee growers in Guatemala and Mexico and the bottomed out coffee market and the desperation of many growers. It talked about fair trade coffee as a working alternative. We also watched the following segment of this particular Frontline which was about Sherpa women climbing Mt. Everest.

Assignments
--paragraph written response to two editorials about the Iraq war and its aftermath
--1-5 page essay connecting "Men with Guns" with Frontline coffee video with handout about diamonds & apartheid with Starbucks article (and anything else we've learned)
--remember to do your film project

Shortened periods today. I read a selection from A Language Older Than Words by Derrick Jensen. It's connected to "Men With Guns." I told briefly about the connection. Thursday I will hand out that selection and we will discuss further.

We finished "Men with Guns"

We began watching "Men with Guns" (directed by John Sayles).

Assignment: movie project. (due June 5)

We had a presentation about Jello Biafra by Ashley.

Eric Schlosser is speaking for free tonight at 7.30pm at the First Congregational Church tonite. A marvelous opportunity for all.

We went to the computer lab to do more research.

Assignment: define these vocabulary words: capital, capitalism, cash crop, city-state, civilization, Cold War.

I read the first chapter of Derrick Jensen's A Culture of Make-Believe to the class. We then went down to the computer lab and did further research on topics.

Today we learned a bit about the Nazi holocaust through the "lens" of the movie "Schindler's List." Kaylee and Shannon showed us a few significant segments and gave us some background information to help us know a bit about this horrible historical situation.

We talked about some current events, especially events in Iraq. We did a whirlwind tour of the past 4.7 billion years of this planet. I showed several overhead maps of various movements in geological and human history.

Assignment: define these words: Berlin Wall, bilingual, Black Market

I started the class with some show & tell books, and some more 20th centuries most important events (from a book of that title).

This weekend I went to hear a speaker as part of the Ilahee Environment Matters Series. Derrick Jensen is an extraordinary human being. I was moved by presence and words and I tried to express some of what I learned from him to class. I will try to post more about him.

Assignment: define these words. agricultural revolution (12,000 years ago) animism, anti-Semitism, apartheid, aristocracy.

We did some geography, lots of little map stuff (ie: what defines Polynesia, where is the Black Sea, what countries reside in both Europe and Asia) as well as general historical connections: Irish Potato famine, Machu Pichu, food exports and starvation, Japanese Internment. We're looking at a book called 365 Most Important Events of the Twentieth Century and deciding whether we think they belong. So far, we've decided that many of them belong in a parallel book about Events in the US rather than the world. We talked about Eurocentrism and Americo-centrism (there has to be a better word) yesterday.

I shared several books. We discussed the idea of this class since October about a framework rather than facts. Then we did a bit with the world map.

Several students presented current events. We discussed Anthony Swofford's visit. We went to the computer lab and continued researching topics.

We had Anthony Swofford speak to us about his book, his Marine experiences, his life, his opinions. I think most of us thoroughly appreciated what we learned.

I introduced a new research project. I gave 60-70 options. We spent the rest of the period in the computer lab.

We had a discussion of several items including Wednesday's assembly.

We had a long rambling discussion about many issues, punctuated by important tangents and non-tangents. Among the topics: advertising, our lives, happiness, moneylaundering, Anthony Swofford, current events, assignments, bells.

We watched the first segment of PBS's "The Ad and the Ego", an excellent documentary about the effects of advertising on our culture and psyches.

Assignment: find a current event article, post, videoclip, etc. that relates to something we've learned in class this year. Be prepared to present it to class. (due Friday)
Assignment: write a "review" of "Three Kings" that incorporates what we learned from "Faces of the Enemy", distance and killing, "What War Looks Like" (Zinn article), Killing Fields, etc.

We finished watching "Three Kings".

I passed out a "review" of "Three Kings" from yesterday's New York Times. We watched another segment of "Three Kings."

Assignment: read the review of the movie and be prepared to discuss it when we finish the film on Thursday.
Assignment: (due no later than noon this Friday) write "what I learned" this quarter, give yourself the grade you think you deserve based upon your learning, justify that grade, evaluate my (Matt's) teaching this quarter.

We listened to a brief segment from last weeks "This American Life",an NPR show with Anthony Swofford sharing his reactions to TV coverage of the current Gulf War.

We watched the first segment of "Three Kings" which takes place just "after" the first Gulf War. Tomorrow I'll hand out a review from yesterday's New York Times which each person will read.

Assignment: write a review of "Three Kings" incorporating what we have learned about war from On Killing, the Zinn article, "Faces of the Enemy", etc.

I read A Fine, Fine School to the class, which is a wonderful childrens book related to previous discussions we've had about schooling and learning.

We watched the last part of "Faces of the Enemy" and discussed it briefly.

Remember, next Thursday is the last day of the quarter.

We went to the computer lab and continued working on what we started on Tuesday. I also gave another assignment:

Assignment: go to matthewpliesusdiscuss.blogspot.com and follow the instructions posted Monday.
Assignment: find 4-10 web news sources that you trust and turn the list in to me, preferably by email: matthewplies@hotmail.com

We took a few minutes to relax back into school. We did the Harper's Index. We had brief discussion of "The Killing Fields".

Yesterday and today we viewed and finished the "Killing Fields". We had some brief discussion about it.

I gave a portion of Jarhead to several students who requested it. We watched the first portion of "The Killing Fields". We stopped at a couple of points to clarify historical context.

We discussed current events. I told the class what we'd be doing for the rest of the week and gave some background on Cambodia which is the setting of "The Killing Fields" which we'll watch this week. We watched another short segment of "Faces of the Enemy".

Assignment: write a one page essay integrating one of the following sets of topics. Be sure to include opinions and synthesis.
Zinn's article, "On Killing", "Faces of the Enemy", war in Iraq, other war related topics.
OR Mechanical mirror / Organic Lamp, schooling vs. learning, John Taylor Gatto, drugs, media, Matt's philosophy of education, your own philosophy of education.

We talked more about schooling and learning.

We had some discussion about drugs and drug usage.

We had a few current events. Then we had a semi-discussion about schooling and the continuum of life-orientations: from organic lamp to mechanical mirror. I read almost the whole first chapter from an book called Dumbing Us Down by John Taylor Gatto. For more, see his website.

Some current events talk. We almost finished "Faces of the Enemy."

assignment: read Howard Zinn handout

A bit of current events discussion. A bit of discussion about war, killing and distance. We almost finished "Faces of the Enemy".

We discussed some current events: the 6000 people who die each day for lack of clean drinking water, the pope's admonition to Bush to not go to war, the career diplomat's resignation in protest of the Bush administration's drive toward war.

We watched more of "Faces of the Enemy" and discussed it briefly.

Assignment: talk with family and friends about enemymaking, war, wars, holocausts.

We had some learning and discussion of the impending war with Iraq. We watched the first part of "Faces of the Enemy", an excellent video by Sam Keen about the process of making enemies out of people before we ever do violence against them. Propaganda, etc.

Assignment: read the handout about Iraq.

We continued our discussion from "The Merchants of Cool". I was terribly disappointed with the level of discussion.

We finished "The Merchants of Cool" and had a short but good discussion.

Some current events. We almost finished the "Merchants of Cool" and had some discussion of it.

Some talk about school year, budget, strike, the current stuff which affects us.

We watched the first half of an excellent PBS Frontline from a couple of years ago called "The Merchants of Cool" which concerns marketing to teens. This is a part of a greater "media literacy" I hope students get in the next few weeks.

I read an antiwar poem by Mary Oliver, I read a brief essay by Eduardo Galeano. We discusses current events. I told the class what was coming up. This week we will be doing some "media literacy" and examining media and advertising. In following weeks we'll talk about "enemies", war, holocaust, and peace.

Assignment due next Monday: write an integrated essay integrating at least 6 elements of what we've learned so far. Some topics: Amazonian rubbertappers, Ladakh, NAFTA/FTAA/GATT/WTO, water, oil, antiAmerican sentiment, war in Iraq, Empire, World Social Forum, antidotes to corporate globalization, nonviolence, ecological footprint, consumption, media, Palestine/Israel, economics, et cetera.

We had some discussion of current events.

After a lockdown drill which lasted far too long for our class which did not hear the ending signal, we did some review. I printed this blog since the beginning of the semester and told students I would be assigning a paper next week which would require integration of many of the things we've learned this semester.

We heard from three more groups presenting their article summaries.

Shannon mentioned a speech given from the Senate Floor by Robert Byrd which passionately and declaratively called for the Bush administration not to continue the drums of war. The Oregonian reprinted part of the speech in today's op-ed section and here's a link to the full speech. When I was searching for that link I came across another speech he made a decade ago under a different Bush with a similar situation. The parallels are remarkable. 1991 Gulf War speech

We had an impromptu discussion about Black History Month. This discussion was disturbing because of the extraordinary lack of awareness of American history. Many people had strong opinions without having much historical awareness, a dangerous combination. I hope to continue this discussion but in a more intelligent way.

We heard short presentations from a few people on their assigned articles.

Assignment: notes on presentations.

We discussed our learning in this class. We are working on a balance between being focused on one particular subject and paying attention to a variety of current events and other global studies topics. We discussed the nature of required curriculum and after some time most of us agreed that the college model would be more effective for hight school. That entails two electives each year, two required core (math/science/English/social studies) classes, and two classes in a "major". More choice would help students to be more focused on their learning because of interest. Though brief, it was a good discussion.

For all of you TV watchers: "60 Minutes" is devoting an entire segment to Michael Moore this Sunday, Feb. 16, on CBS, 7pm ET/PT
CBSNEWS link

We learned from Levi, Lincoln's student body president, about the World Social Forum. He was able to participate in this amazing event in which Porto Alegre, Brazil hosted 100,000 people who want to make the world a better place. He told us (warned) a bit of about traveling alone without planning to a country whose language you do not speak. He told us a bit about Brazil, about anti-American sentiment, about activism, about public art, about FTAA-ALCA, about the "race to the bottom." Check the World Social Forum website for more info or alternatives for a better world.

We spent the rest of the period on some current events and a bit of discussion. I read a piece from today's Oregonian by Barry Lopez concerning the state of our nation and "a consolidation of power in the executive branch of government together with the emergence of an ideology of righteousness" and its 20th century parallels to Germany, the Phillipine's, and Reagan's America. If you'd like to read it, Here's the article.

Talked about some current events, specifically the rest of the school year and bargaining and the possibilities of a strike and furlough, etc. etc. We must think ahead and think about contingencies. The most extraordinary possibility is that March 7th could be the last day of school. A horrible thought, but one we must be aware of.

We talked about "antidotes" to corporate globalization. Fair trade is one way in which producers can be more closely connected to consumers. We watched a video called "Farm to Market" which highlighted some of the ways farmers are connecting directly to consumers. In addition to growing and raising food , farmers are also processing and marketing their own foods. Local economies have been falling to the wayside in in the past 50 years of globalization. This kind of local economics of connecting producers with consumers is a return to that way.

We did a bit of catching up, a tiny bit of discussion, some book sharing.

Assignment: define these words--discretionary spending/budget, regressive tax (& example), progressive tax (& example), deficit, balanced budget, unearned income.

We had a relaxed day. Discussion group dealt with some of the questions of recent concern: school funding, ecological footprint & globalization, responsibility for Ladakhi cultural degredation or rainforest destruction, I versus we thinking, economics.

For the last 10 minutes, we wrote on "what I learned this week."

We spoke of many things today. I read an excellent speech given by Arundhati Roy at the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre, Brazil a couple of weeks ago. She spoke passionately about corporate globalization, more properly called Empire and how we must unite and lay seige to it in the name of justice. Roy won the Booker Prize for an amazing novel called The God of Small Things and has been extremely active in writing and speaking against corporate globalization and for grassroots movements, particularly regarding hydroelectric dams in the southwest of India. I have great respect for as well as amazement at her writing.

I encourage everyone to read it (again), print it, distribute it, talk about it, do something about it. Here's a link: Arundhati Roy's written speech

We talked about ecological footprint, reviewed some old and learned some new acronyms of global importance. Good class today.

We had some general discussion about schooling and learning and education and the frequent disconnections between them. I refered to two educational thinkers/writers I respect and gain inspiration from, both have websites. Alfie Kohn and John Taylor Gatto

I'd encourage you to visit this site to tour the history of American compulsory education.

We talked about a lot of current events today. For the last part of class, small groups filled out a survey, list of questions concerning school funding and other issues from last week.

Today was chaotic but rich with learning. We discussed mostly our current issues: the school calendar, media accuracy/inaccuracy, strike possibilities, district actions, legislative inactions, CIM, implications, cuts to state police, prisons, and those who cannot care for themselves (mentally ill), et cetera. There is so much going on and so much to try to understand. We are trying to gain an integrated understanding of it all.

I gave three assignments, all due next Thursday:
1)reflect/respond to yesterday's presentation on ecological footprint. Did it make you defensive? guilty? angry? apathetic? Respond to it personally, not dryly academic. 1-2 pages.
2)integrate your learning about media, globalization, ecological footprint, consumption. Be personal, don't bore me when I read these papers. (1-2 pages)
3)calculate your ecological footprint with the sheet I handed out in class. or use one of the web calculators in yesterdays blog.

We welcomed Amy Wilson from METRO to our class today to teach us a bit about a concept called "ecological footprint" which is "a measure of the ecologically productive land needed to provide resources for consumption, storage for wastes, and other ecological services." (National Audobon's definition) Though the US and Canada contain 5% of the earth's human population, we consume 56% of natural resources. Amy said that "we won the lottery by being born into this country", but we need to think more realistically and responsibly about how much we consume. We talked about some ways of reducing this ecological footprint in these areas: food, housing, clothing, transport, recreation, water, and garbage. A few ideas: local&organic foods, less meat, smaller housing, non-car transportation, more frugal water use, composting. We must do this not only for ourselves and our personal health, but for others who suffer because of our overconsumption as well as our children and grandchildren and great grandchildren. She left us with the image of 65 enormous 18 wheeler semis which leave the Portland area each day full to the brim with garbage heading to the Arlington landfill 150 miles east of us.

I was particularly excited by the fact that eating less meat and local&organic foods is both healthy and good for others and for the world's ecosystems. The same for transportation. Biking, walking, busing are all less stressful ways of transporting ourselves which is to say that they are good for our mental and physical health as well as being good for others and the world's ecosystems.

Then we looked at some particular areas of the world and their possessions and their consumption and their waste. This was a rich day in class and this brief writing cannot more fully capture it. We'll talk more tomorrow and in coming weeks about this.

I encourage you to fill out one of the online ecological footprint quizzes: QUIZ from Redefining Progress
or QUIZ from the University of Texas

We discussed some current events. We talked about globalization a bit more. We finished "The Burning Season"--a powerful film about Chico Mendes and his advocacy for the rubber tappers and the people of Cashuera, Brazil, in Amazonia.

I handed back finals and evaluations. Most of the finals were wonderful. Way to use those hearts and brains.
We watched most of the rest of the "Burning Season" which we began on finals day.

More presentations today: tobacco and diseases.

We had presentations on the politics of nuclear weapons, terrorist groups, overpopulation, and hunger/starvation.

At the end of class, students evaluated my teaching, then they evaluated their learning and gave themselves a grade that they felt they deserved based upon their learning.

Today was chaotic. We did a bit of discussion and we had one project presentation on oil & natural gas. Thursday will be more constructive.

Global Studies final

I hope that all of you have learned a lot this semester. You¡¦ve probably noticed that my style of teaching is fairly informal and the content of what we¡¦ve learned can seem random. This is my design. I believe that most learning happens informally and randomly, so I¡¦ve tried to create as many opportunities for true learning (inside and outside the classroom) to take place as possible. My most important goal for this semester has been that you begin to form a worldview concerning all things global. There are a lot of details to learn, and they are forgotten readily by many, but we can find them in our sources/readings/videos/etc. On the other hand the worldview never fades from memory; it evolves into more mature versions of itself. What you begin to learn in this class can become a framework of your future worldview about all things global.

My goals for you according to the syllabus are: think more critically and creatively; see the effects of globalization in our world; recognize perspective and bias; evaluate events and movements based upon our values; and live life more fully. I think we¡¦ve gotten a good start on these, but we have a distance to go. Feel free to prompt me back on track.

What I want from you in this final is proof that you have begun to form that worldview. Some of you already began to do this with your Ladakh papers. In light of what I¡¦ve just written, here is your final, due on Wednesday, January 22nd:
________________________________________________________________________
Describe the world of human cultures and economics and interactions using the examples you are familiar with. Many of these are listed below. (and at the class weblog) State your opinions. Back them up with facts. Write fluently. I expect somewhere between 2 and 20 pages of writing. If you choose to demonstrate your understanding in another way (artistically, with a presentation, et cetera), be sure to provide some written documentation of what you are trying to do.

For those of you concerned about grades:
This final can contribute as much as 50% of your grade if you demonstrate to me that you have a clear understanding of what we¡¦ve learned so far. For those of you who have already demonstrated shown a clear understanding of what we¡¦ve learned so far (with your assigned work), this final can be a smaller part of your grade. Let me restate: If you have been a slacker regarding assignments, this final is your chance to catch up by proving to me that you have learned a lot this quarter and done some synthesis (putting it together). However, if you are a diligent student, this final can be a less important part of your semester grade.

Some of the things we¡¦ve covered inside and outside of class (in reverse order of study):
„X families as cultures
„X Martin King assembly
„X NAFTA: Michael Moore moving his TV show to Reynoso, Mexico
„X Palestinian situation with Allyn & Holly Dhynes
„X US foreign policy and its fascination with petroleum. Adbusters ¡§Got Oil¡¨.
„X "Let's move DC to Tijuana" by Michael Moore
„X the Himalaya region
„X the Dolpo culture featured in ¡§Himalaya¡¨ (the film) and their culture
„X Ladakh
„X NAFTA, FTAA, GATT, WTO, EU as trade agreements
„X Bill Moyer¡¦s "Trading Democracy" concerning NAFTA & MTBE & MMT
„X tobacco and bananas as trade examples from "The Alphabet Soup of Free Trade"
„X Ladakh modernizing/Westernizing/globalizing influences: tourism, compulsory schooling, highway development, foreign movies, imports of cheap grain, new retail.
„X "guilt" in the decimation of traditional Ladakhi culture: the Indian government, the Global Capitalist System, "Modern Ideas", the US, tourists, and the Ladakhis.
„X The continuum of economic systems. Command Economy--------------Free Market.
„X the importance of "we" rather than "I" thinking
„X The ¡§10 chairs if inequality¡¨: ten students (US people) sat in ten chairs (US wealth) illustrating perfect equality of wealth. Then Sam played the role of the top 10% of wealth in the US and sat on 7 of the chairs, leaving 7 people to fit on three chairs.
„X subsistence: hunting/gathering, herding, horticulture, industry, information?
„X conversations with parents/adults about globalization.
„X Bias, perspective
„X comparative advantage
„X urbanization
„X carrying capacity
„X hierarchy
„X Eurocentricism
„X globalization of McDonalds
„X endangered species
„X human rights
„X US alliance with Saudi Arabia and
„X microloans to 3rd world entrepreneurs (Grameen Bank or Cascadia Revolving Fund)
„X lactose intolerance is a global issue
„X chocolate
„X global weapons trade
„X sweatshops
„X global illicit drug trade
„X slaughterhouses
„X what is culture?
„X elements of culture: beliefs, behaviors, & "artifacts"(tools, clothes, homes, etc.).
„X the ¡§global pencil¡¨ and other global products (coffee, copper, etc.)
„X The Kurds and their unique place and political situation
„X Michael Moore's learning approach, especially with "Bowling for Columbine"

We had a chaotic class today where we talked about a lot of things. A bit of discussion about the Martin King assembly last Friday.
We had one presentation today and the rest are all slated for Tues, Thurs, Friday.
We watched a few more minutes of the Michael Moore video.

assignment: notes on presentations

We talked about families as cultures and many told of their particular family traditions surrounding Christmas. We discussed the upcoming Martin King assembly briefly. We watched a part of a Michael Moore video about NAFTA in which Moore goes to Reynoso, Mexico and tries to relocate his tv program there and take advantage of NAFTA's benefits. We'll finish it Monday.

We had Allyn & Holly Dhynes come to speak to us today. They work in Palestine & Israel doing advocacy work on behalf of the poor. The work for an organization called World Vision and are involved in a wide variety of relief and development and advocacy and public education concerning the plight of many Palestinians. They work with groups like Rabbis for Human Rights and other organizations that work to stop violence against children. They gave a presentation.

We discussed a few current events, including US foreign policy and its fascination with petroleum.

We spent the remainder of the period in the computer lab researching presentation topics for next week.

Assignment: read Michael Moore's chapter "Let's move DC to Tijuana" about NAFTA.

Here are some helpful links for your research:

nuclear weapons politics

overpopulation

overpopulation, with many links

population trends from the UN

terrorism

more terrorism

Center for Defense Information concerning American military presence

water

more water

more water

CIA greatest hits

from the CIA's website

world progress forum

We discussed a few current events. I passed around a couple of Himalaya books. I read a part of one that was the same story as the movie we watched before the break. We talked about culture a bit. I reiterated an assignment about culture.

Assignment: write about your family culture. If you were an outsider, what would you observe about your distinct family culture.

We discussed the Ladakhi papers, which I handed back. Some were excellent. I requested that students continue to use a first person voice when writing and tell me about what you are actually learning (ie: "I used to think...But now I realize")

We finished "Himalaya" today and talked a bit about culture. We'll talk more when we get back from break.

Have a great break!

A few announcements, brief discussion of the walkout, some catching up about the movie, and we watched the bulk of "Himalaya."

This beautifully filmed movie, it is a great introduction to our study of culture. For more info about the movie see the movie's official website.

I clarified the group projects which we will work on after the winter break. Students are welcome to work on it during break or welcome to wait until we get back.

We watched the first portion of a beautiful movie called "Himalaya". It will help launch an extended discussion about culture which we'll continue after the winter break.

I clarified the trade agreements that we talked about and read about last week: NAFTA, FTAA, GATT, WTO, EU.

We watched another part of "Trading Democracy" which showed the NAFTA suit against California for its banning of MTBE. Then the US Ethyl Corporation's suit against the Canadian government for banning MMT (another gas additive).

I gave a quiz on "The Alphabet Soup of Free Trade" then we discussed/corrected it. We then went over two of the three examples given in the handout: tobacco and bananas.

We had a full day. We spent some time discussing the Ladakh. Papers about the Ladakh were due today. I talked about the accuracy/inaccuracy of our predictions concerning the modernizing/Westernizing/globalizing influences of: 1) tourism, 2) compulsory schooling, 3) highway development, 4) foreign movies, 5) imports of inexpensive barley & wheat, 6) new retail stores. Then we discussed the "guilt" of each of these parties in decimating traditional Ladakhi culture: the Indian government, the Global Capitalist System, "Modern Ideas", the US, tourists, and the Ladakhis. The class as a whole assigned the most guilt to the Indian government and the least to the Ladakhis.

As an important tangent, we talked briefly about the continuum of economic systems. Command Economy------------------------------------------Free Market.

I told students to make sure they have read "The pressure to modernize & globalize", which is also available from the Lincoln website.

We discussed NAFTA briefly then watched the first part of a Bill Moyer's video about NAFTA's affect on national and state laws. The specific example we learned about are a Canadian company's legal action (in a NAFTA secret tribunal) against California for its banning of the gasoline additive MTBE. We'll finish the video tomorrow.

By popular demand, we will have presentations on a variety of global topics like we did a few weeks ago. Groups formed and chose new research projects/presentations that will be presented near the end of January.

Assignment: read the handout "The Alphabet Soup of Free Trade" in preparation for a quiz tomorrow.

We talked about current events, particularly two events in Portland yesterday. First, the state issued its revised economic forecast which means that PPS will lose an additional $4.5 million. In response, the Portland School Board almost decided to cut spring athletics and Outdoor School. Almost...because the school board left before they would have voted. I talked about the importance of "we" rather than "I" thinking.

Next, an activity. Ten volunteers (US people) sat in ten chairs (US wealth) illustrating perfect equality of wealth. Then Sam played the role of the top 10% of wealth in the US and sat on 7 of the chairs, leaving 7 people to fit on three chairs. We talked about why the inequality exists and I told them that this inequality was even more extreme when looking at the world population.

We had some discussion of globalization, Ladakh, and other things we're learning.

I explained methods of subsistence: hunting/gathering, herding, horticulture, industry, information?

Though the class was (as it turns out) unretrievably antsy, we discussed several current events. A few students shared their conversations with parents/adults about globalization.

Assignments: 1-5 page paper about globalization and Ladakh which is in yesterday's posting.

Today we discussed school funding and the near future of this school district. Mr. Hamilton wrote a note to students which I read.

Our last two presentations were today: coffee and the slave trade.

I asked the class to look at their predictions for how modernization/Westernization/globalization--in the form of tourism, compulsory schooling, highway development, foreign movies, imports fo inexpensive barley & wheat, and new retail stores--will affect the Ladakhi. Then we watched the last half of the Ancient Futures video which shows how those globalizing elements play out. The movie concludes with some words of admonition to Westerners to learn from the traditional Ladakhi about the value of local economics and the value of staying connected to others around us. There is much more about this video that is profound and I hope you all learned (and will continue to learn) something from it. I encourage you to reread or skim the Helena Norberg-Hodge article: "The pressure to modernize and globalize" so that you might write intelligently about globalization and the Ladakh, which brings me to...

your assignment: using the Ladakh video, the "The Pressure to Modernize" chapter, the vocabulary words, and our class discussions; write 1-5 pages using the Ladakh as an example of globalization's effects. (due 12/12)

we spent the remainder of the period going over the other three vocabulary words: comparative advantage, urbanization, and carrying capacity, which are pertinent to the Ladakh learning.

After some current events and announcements, we had two presentations. On was about the globalization of McDonalds and the other was about endangered species. We have two more presentations that we'll do on Thursday. I'll collect notes from presentations when the last one is done.

Thursday we'll go over the vocabulary words that we're due today and continue with the Ladakh.

We did a bit of catching up today.

We had one group present on human rights. The other four groups will present tomorrow.

We went over two of the vocabulary words: hierarchy and Eurocentric, all five words are due tomorrow (12/3)

We did a brief check in with a few people at the end of the period.

We had a fire drill today.

Each day we begin class with announcements, show and tell of books that I think are interesting and relevant, a reading from a short story or poetry book, and current events

We discussed some current events such as the US alliance with Saudi Arabia and microloans to 3rd world entrepreneurs (both in Tuesday's Oregonian).

We talked about how great it was to have presentations which fleshed out our abstract learning about globalization. The presentations so far have been quite good.

Assignments and potential assignments:
-tell, in one solid paragraph why lactose intolerance is a global issue (due 12/10)
-tell, in one solid paragraph about how the Grameen Bank or the Cascadia Revolving Fund work (due 12/10)
-define the five words given yesterday (see yesterday's posting) (due 12/3)
-talk with a person (aged 21 or older) about what you've learned about globalization so far and get their feedback. Write a page or so about what you said and how they responded. (due 12/6)
-using the video, the "The Pressure to Modernize" chapter, and our class discussions; write 1-5 pages using the Ladakh as an example of globalization's effects. (due 12/12)

We learned from three group presentations: on chocolate, global weapons trade & sweatshops.

Assignment:
-find definitions to the following five words: hierarchy, Eurocentric, comparative advantage, urbanization, and carrying capacity.
-finish reading Helena Norberg Hodge article by Monday so that we may have an intelligent discussion about Ladakh and globalization after we finish the video.

We were supposed to have two presentations today, but we lacked a projector/computer. In the future, students must request a projector/computer a day or more in advance.

We reviewed a bit about globalization and I gave a short assignment about the Ladakh.
I handed out a chapter written by Helena Norberg-Hodge that students should begin reading.

assignment:
Make predictions on what will happen when the Ladakh "modernize", Westernize, and globalize. How will these 6 areas of "Western cultural invasion" affect traditional Ladakhi culture: 1) tourism, 2) compulsory schooling, 3) highway development, 4) foreign movies, 5) imports fo inexpensive barley & wheat, 6) new retail stores.

We had some shadowing 8th graders as guests today.
We took a brief informal quiz on globalization using the computer program Powerpoint.
We learned about global illicit drug trade and about slaughterhouses from two groups who presented their projects today.

assignment:
-notes from all presentations

We held a brief discussion of what is culture is in preparation for our viewing of "Ancient Futures: Learning from Ladakh."

Then we viewed 21 minutes of this video with students taking notes, particularly on these elements of culture: beliefs, behaviors, & "artifacts"(tools, clothes, homes, etc.).

We spent the remainder of our time in the computer lab with students emailing nonprofits involved with globalization, working on their projects, or working on anything else necessary.

assignments:
-notes on video (we will have another part to this assignment)
-email to nonprofit
-group project
-letter/response to Senator/Rep.

Today we caught up on what assignments are coming up. Then we spent some time working on projects.
The one paragraph about the chosen product (coffee, copper, etc.) was due today.

Current assignments
--email/letter to organization telling what we are learning and requesting information/curriculum
--Kurds article map & summary
--group project (due this Friday)
--paragraph answer to Sam's question
--letter & response to/from senator or representative.

Today we reviewed a bit about globalization. We went over the quiz.

I talked about filmmaker Michael Moore's approach to learning. His curiosity drives him to seek out answers to persistent questions which is exactly what he's done in his most recent movie where he pursues the question of why gun violence is so much more prevalent in this country compared to all other industrialized countries.

Possible assignment: see "Bowling for Columbine" & write a review and/or what you learned.

Other current assignments:
--write one paragraph about chosen product (coffee, copper, etc.)
--email/letter to organization telling what we are learning and requesting information/curriculum
--Kurds article map & summary
--group project

A reminder: your assignment is to research your topic with its relevance for global studies. Use today to find images that you can print or save, find charts/graphs, and find relevant information.

Look at www.matthewplies.blogspot.com for a few suggested websites for some of your projects.

Global Studies reading and movie recommendedations. Extra credit always available.

Our dumb century, Dispaches from the tenth circle, and Ad nauseam by The Onion
Out of it by: a cultural history of intoxication by Stuart Walton
State of the world (2003) by the Worldwatch Institute
Power politics by Arundhati Roy
Cost of living by Arundhati Roy
Resource wars: the new landscape of global conflict by Michael Klare
Blowback: the costs & consequences of American empire by Chalmers Johnson
To kill a nation: the attack on yugoslavia by Michael Parenti
Against Empire by Michael Parenti
When corporations rule the world by David Korten
Zapatista Reader edited by Tom Hayden
Iraq under siege: the deadly impact of sanctions & war edited by Anthony Arnove
Eyes of the heart: seeking a path for the poor in the age of globalization by Jean-Bertrand Aristide
Jihad vs. McWorld by Benjamin Barber
Bananas, beaches & bases: making feminist sense of international politics by Cynthia Enloe
Killing hope: US military & CIA interventions since World War II by WIlliam Blum
Rogue State: a guide to the world's only superpower by William Blum
Roge States: the rule of force in world affairs by Noam Chomsky
Salvador by Joan Didion
Material world: a global family portrait by Peter Menzel
Field guide to the global economy by Sarah Sanderson
Inevitable revolutions: the United States in Central America by Walter Lafeber
Longitudes & Attitudes by Thomas Friedman
From Beirut to Jerusalem by Thomas Friedman
We wish to inform you that tomorrow we will well be killed with our families: stories from Rwanda by Philop Gourevitch
Upside Down by Eduardo Galeano
Betrayal of trust: the collapse of global public health by Laurie Garrett
Ends of the Earth: a journey to the frontiers of anarchy by Robert Kaplan
Culture & imperialism by Edward Said
Safe Area Gorazde: the war in eastern Bosnia 1992-95 by Joe Sacco
Israel/Palestine: how to end the war of 1948 by Tanya Reinhart
Water wars: privatization, pollution, & profit by Vandana Shiva
Stolen harvest: the hijacking of the global food supply by Vandana Shiva
Deliver us from evil: peacekeepers, warlords & a world of endless conflict by William Shawcross
India: a mosaic edited by Robert Silvers & Barbara Epstein
Freedom as development by Amartya Sen
Earth odyssey: around the world in search of our environmental future by Mark Hertsgaard
Guns, germs, & steel by Jared Diamond
Power of nonviolence: writings by advocates of peace introduced by Howard Zinn
Democratizing the global economy by Kevin Danaher
Commanding Heights: the battle for the world economy by Daniel Yergin & Joshph Stanislaw
The Prize: the epic quest for oil, money, & power by Daniel Yergin
In the footsteps of Mr. Kurtz: living on the brink of disaster in Mobutu's Congo by Michela Wrong
On killing: the psychological cost of learning to kill in war & society by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman
Dirty war: a Russian reporter in Chechnya by Anna Politkovskaya
Nine parts of desire: the hidden world of Islamic women by Geraldine Brooks
Scheherazade goes west: different cultures, different harems by Fatema Mernissi
Tournament of shadows: the great game and the race for empire in central Asia by Karl Meyer
Basque history of the world by Makr Kurlansky
Hard times: an oral history of the Great Depression by Studs Terkel
Low Life: lures & snares of old New York by Luc Sante
Discoverers: a history of man's serch to know his world and himself by Daniel Boorstin
From dawn to decadence: 500 years of Western cultural life by Jacques Barzun
Holy war: the crusades and their impact on today's world by Karen Armstrong
History of bombing by Sven Lindqvist
Sprezzatura: 50 ways Italian genius shaped the world by Peter D'Eprio & Mary Despond Pinkowish
Civilizations: culture, ambition, and the transformation of nature by Felipe Fernandez-Armesto
Memory of fire trilogy (Genesis, Faces & masks, Century of the wind) by Eduardo Galeano
Lords of the horizons: a history of the Ottoman Empire by Jason Goodwin
Humanity: a moral history of the twentieth century by Jonathan Glover
King Leopold's ghost: a story of greed, terror, & heroism in colonial Africa by Adam Hochschild

open media pamphlet series listing found at www.sevenstories.com