"I don't know the future. I didn't come here to tell you how this is going to end. I came here to tell you how it's going to begin. I'm going to hang up this phone, and then I'm going to show these people what you don't want them to see. I'm going to show them a world without you. A world without rules and controls, without borders or boundaries. A world where anything is possible. Where we go from there is a choice I leave to you." - The Matrix

During this project, we have looked at the world around us and have identified real problems and have imagined real solutions. Maybe your opinions and perspectives have changed since we begun this project. Maybe you see some things differently than you did at first.

So this is my question, what would you do to change the relationship between Mexico and the United States? If you had the power, what would you do?

Acehnese children chant slogans near Lhokseumawe to protest against military oppression.

Students (you all) have more time, more energy and more passion than almost every single adult. Adults are bogged down with deadlines and traffic lines. But you all can do a lot to change the world... if you want to.

My question this week has to do with what we can do -- What are our skills? What are our passions? What are the problems that you see?

This question is challenging, but I'd like you guys to give this some serious thought. Changing the world is nothing something that you can only do if you are grown-up -- you can start now.

(but how?)

much love
(& all my faith)

kay

We are one week shy of our all-day debate tournament! You may be nervous, but do not worry! One week is a lot of time to prepare.

After burning your eyes with researching and straining your minds with debating, you may be wondering why we are going to so much trouble to do this project. You may even be wondering, "What does debate have to do with humanities?"

Humanities are about our stories -- and doing debate is way to get better at telling them. Here are, in my opinion, the top 4 reasons why we should debate.

5) It improves critical thinking - or being able to look at ideas for both their strengths and their weaknesses. If ever someone offers you an idea, you need to be able to test it and see if it's a good or bad idea. Some of the things we do are harmful to our lives! But we do not think critically about ideas, or actions. Debate helps you do this.

4) It helps you know how to research -- if ever you have a question about anything, you could either ask someone who knows the answer, or you can find out for yourself. Debate gives you the tools you need to understand how to find out information on your own, so that you can rely on yourself to find answers to your questions. This is knowledge, and knowledge is power.

3) It improves your ability to listen - in life, with whoever you are around (family, friends or classmates), you need to be able to listen when other people talk to you! How many arguments happen simply because we do not understand one another? If you learn to listen well, you will understand people more, and save yourself a lot of trouble!

2) It helps you communicate confidently and effectively -- debate helps you organize your ideas, and in debate, you also practice delivering your ideas to your audience. We work on finding ways to really say what we need to say. Communication opens so many doors! And your words can change the world.

1) Debate is fun! (Right?!)

Do you have other ideas about why people debate? How has this project gone for you? I know it has been a frustrating experience, but I think Team Alpha is going to rock the house next Friday at our tournament! You guys are great!

Question to ponder: What if the Native Americans told the Pilgrims that the border was closed, and they could not immigrate? Where would we be then? Technically, the pilgrims were illegal immigrants!

Onto the OT...These assignments are designed to help prepare you for your first debates, which will happen on the Tuesday after we get back from break (November 27). The more work and research you do, the better prepared you will be to win your rounds and argue with style.

1) Write a blog post on the question, Why does the world have borders?

2) Try to finish your book, Breaking Through – we will have two literature circles the week we get back, so it needs to be finished by Friday, November 30

3) Write a Negative brief against your own case, with at least 5 pieces of evidence

4) Refine your Affirmative case – make sure that it is 8 minutes long and try to correct any problems that you have found with it during piranha packs

5) Challenge assignment: Contact an expert about the border (by email or phone).

You can call the government and ask questions about policies, and you can also contact many authors by email. See what connections you can make, and what kind of information you can find. Document this contact and show me after break.

Have a great Thanksgiving, and keep checking the Humanities blog for more information and updates.

As you could see when the debaters came on Wednesday, debate is a valuable tool that will teach you public speaking, critical thinking, notetaking, persuasion and poise. In order to gain these things, you must work hard on creating your affirmative case! Writing an affirmative case is hard work, but it is within your power! As with any assignment, please do the best you can.

Here are some helpful questions that will guide you as you write your affirmative case (due TUESDAY).

1. Do you have a catchy introduction?
2. Do you state the resolution, "Resolved: That the United States should significantly change one or more of its policies towards Mexico"?
3. Do you have definitions of words from the resolution, defined with a dictionary?
4. Do you have at least two harms, or problems with how things are right now? (e.g. smuggling, or illegal immigration)
5. Do you have evidence to prove your harms? (Evidence is expert testimony or research from credible sources. You will need to research to finish your case!)
6. Do you have a plan to solve your harms? Remember that you can do anything you want! You can remove the border, or create a wall. The sky is the limit!
7. Do you list your agent (probably Congress and the President), your enforcement (probably the Border Patrol) and your funding (probably taxes)?
8. Do you have at least two advantages, or good things that happen because of your plan?
9. Do you have a conclusion, that encourages your audience to vote for your case?
10. When read out loud, does your case take 6-8 minutes to read?

You may have noticed that high school is getting harder to manage! We are knee-deep in projects all over the place, and we need to work together to stay on top of our assignments. If you need help, please email me. I would like to be a resource for you!

In addition to your affirmative case, you should also continue to read in your book, Breaking Through and you need to post a blog (approx. 10 minutes) answering the question, "How does the US benefit Mexico and how does Mexico benefit the US?"

Debate is hard, but it is worth it! We will be concentrating on this topic for the rest of the semester. Please let me know how I can help you, and I will do my best to guide you through problems.

best of luck.
Kay

Hola mis estudiantes! As announced in class today, we will begin working on our first affirmative cases. Remember that "affirmative" means that you will argue for the resolution, "Resolved: That the United States should significantly change one or more of its policies with Mexico."

An affirmative case is written in a very specific way, but you have complete freedom to choose what you want to write about.

Your affirmative case must outline:
I. Definitions: What words in the resolution are difficult to understand? What words would you like to clarify? Please define at least two words (use a dictionary).
II. Harms: What are the harms of the current system? How do United States policies harm Mexico? Or, how does Mexico abuse United States policies and harm Mexcio? Please list at least two harms.
III. Plan: What steps can we take to fix the problems? Think about how we can solve these problems, too. For example, list mandates (what is your plan of action?), the agent (WHO will be in charge of passing your plan), the enforcer (who will make sure your plan is carried out), and the funding (how we will pay for your plan).
IV. Advantages: What are the good things that come from your plan? Have you solved the harms? Please list at least two advantages.

Affirmative cases take a lot of thought and you will need to do this as outside thinking! Remember that you will be partnered with someone with a similar commitment level to their work, so do a good job on your case outline so I can see how much you want to succeed at this project!

As always, if you have questions, do not hesitate to ask.

Best,
Kay

This week we will concentrate on finding harms (or problems) with United States policies towards Mexico. Our main question is: How does the United States harm Mexico and how does Mexico harm the United States? On Friday for our FIRST thing, many of you talked about different harms you have noticed in the current system. Several people commented on illegal immigration, smuggling, language barriers and the border wall.

By Monday, you should post your opinion about the problems of the US-Mexican border (200 words). You may need to research in order to develop your opinion. If you are having trouble finding harms, please comment back to me on this post or email me.

Looking ahead to the week, we will be reviewing our ideas about San Diego and Tijuana, the differences between Mexico and the United States, and beginning to develop our first Affirmative cases. On Friday, you will also host our first Literature Circle on the book Breaking Through. Be sure to read pages 1-47 so that you can be prepared to discuss the book with your group. Keep checking this blog for more updates!

See you soon.
Kay