STAB 2019

All hail Lady Anna and Sir Trey!!

Love the mapwork by Carter! Thank you to Chloe P.B. for today's fantastic musical recommendation, Bella Ciao . Malcolm pointed out that the combination of deep operatic voices and the catchy contemporary beat made for a distinctive, harmonious treat. I noticed lots of toe tapping as the students enjoyed the video (and at least a couple of 6th graders who looked ready to jump out of their seats and join in the music). Here's another video by  Maître GIMS , the lead singer from Bella Ciao. I love both the scenery and the singing in this one!

In the last paragraph of his speech at Clermont, Pope Urban asked the Franks to take a "holy pilgrimage" to Jerusalem, to reclaim the holy city. Based on what you learned about Christianity, do you believe that the Crusades were actually a pilgrimage? Why or why not? Sofia : This  was a pilgrimage by definition , but what they did was not holy and was, in fact, against their set of rules (the Ten Commandments). The journey there was a pilgrimage because they were traveling to a sacred place for religious reasons, but they weren't there to worship. They were there to kill Muslims. Chloe Z. : This  was  a pilgrimage, because they were visiting a sacred place. Even if they were going to war, they were doing it for the benefit of Christianity. Their intent was good, and the city of Jerusalem is sacred, so it was a pilgrimage. Justin, Rowen, Isabelle, Alejandra  and  Henry : This  was not  a pilgrimage. A pilgrimage does not include violence. Xavier : Thi...

Today we began studying the  Crusades : a series of military expeditions in which Christians and Muslims fought for control of  Jerusalem  and other cities in Palestine (which was called  the Holy Land  by medieval Christians).  We discussed the reasons that Jerusalem is considered a sacred site by the followers of three major religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. We also talked about why European Christians were so motivated to risk their lives and travel thousands of miles to try to reclaim control of Jerusalem from the Turks.

Abraham: Ur … my life is so ballistic. I can’t believe I was polytheistic. But the characteristics of monotheistics will beat the statistics. #All_the_stars_in_the_sky (by Meg, JaMez, Parker, Kemper  and  Sanaa) Buddha: Just left the FAM, ’bout to JAM Gotta reach nirvana, under a TREE Don’t believe in a DEITY #Hot_bars #Om_mani_padme_hum (by Jack M., Logan, Henry  and  Eden) Jesus: I am the Messiah and I am not a liah It’s true I’m gonna die-a Still, I’ll always be by-ya #here_comes_the_crucifixion :( #but_the_resurrection_too ;) (by Griffin, Trey, Chloe Z.  and  Ilias) Mary: I rated the hotel service in Bethlehem 1 star (they put us in a stable!) #refund (by Hannah, Isabel G.  and  Chloe P.B.) Hinduism: I’ve never been the best at being kind But karma makes me change my mind #moksha_4_ever #karma’s_a_snitch (by Octavia, Justin, Isabelle V., Rowen  and  Colby) ------------------ Today's wonderful Musical Monday selection was made by Jam...

I have been meaning to share an exceptional piece of narrative writing from our Battle of the Ancient Civilizations project.  As you read through this excerpt from Meg's story about Queen Hatshepsut, I encourage you to notice her vivid descriptions and beautifully crafted sentences... Trusted By Meg What seemed like all the female servants in the kingdom scurried around me. They pulled at my hair, kohl accented my eyes, and the finest linens and robes were draped across my body. Studded bands, anklets, and bracelets circled my limbs and the Queen’s Diadem perched gracefully on my hair, soon to be replaced by the Pharaoh’s Crown. My gaze drifted across the dressing room walls. Any inch that was not covered in decorative tapestries was crowded with symbols of beauty and power. The engravings meant nothing to me, for I did not need the assurance of faceless words to tell me that I was worthy of everything coming. I mentally steeled myself. I was Hatshepsut, daughter of Pharaoh Tuthmo...

Today the students wrote tweets (!) from the perspective of ancient religious leaders. This is a challenging exercise, but I saw some excellent collaboration and sharing of ideas. I noticed especially good work from a group in Core 2 ( Ilias ,  Griffin  and  Chloe Z. ) and another in Core 4 ( Meg ,  Jamez ,  Kemper  and  Parker ).

I am beginning to read your paragraphs comparing two of the world religions. Here are several highlights I have come across, so far: Brynne pointed out that Jesus was considered special and sacred from the moment of his birth, when many people immediately believed he was the messiah or son of God. She said that Buddha, on the other hand, became an important leader later in his life -- not until he was an adult (and after he saw the "four sights").  In her paragraphs, Cadigan observed that the Bible stories about Jesus were not written down until many years after his death. The stories in the Qur'an, however, are believed to have been given directly from Allah to Muhammad. She then wrote " That would lead some people to believe that the Qur’an is more accurate to Muhammad's vision of what god wanted than the Bible, because it wasn’t actually written by Jesus. " Wow . Brynne's and Cadigan's explanations are original, deep, and sophisticated. Meanwhil...