Notes from the Virtual Ms B

Monday, February 21, 2011

Russia via YouTube

Check out these resources:

Russian National Anthem

Welcome to Russia

Russian Primetime News

Moscow Out - culture & entertainment

Turning left in Moscow

From Russia with Hate

Russian Streetkids (21 minutes)

Sprite commercial

Candy bar for men commercial

McDonald's commercial

Music - Roma Kenga Высоко

Music - "Ya Drugaya"

Music - Timati ft Snoop Dogg

Music - St1m - чернила

BLOG 10 - Russian Culture

Directions: You are a reporter asked to learn about Russian culture for an upcoming article. Access the links below to learn about Russian food, music, fashion/style, family structures, history and language. Write a paragraph summary of what you learned and answer five (5) of the questions below:

Customs & Culture

Comparing & Contrasting Russian and American culture

Russian Culture - (this site was created to inform men about potential internet-ordered Russian brides but it still has good information about the culture and people)

Culture & History

Russian Cuisine

Russian Music


Remember - you have to write a paragraph summary of what you learned and answer five (5) of the questions below (You cannot answer the same questions as the poster directly above you):

1. Describe how a typical Russian family lives
2. Describe gift giving etiquette in your own words. Compare to gift giving in the US.
3. Describe Russia's "communal spirit" - what does this mean and from where does it come?
4. Describe women's roles in Russia. Compare to women's roles in the US.
5. What is the major difference in running a private business in Russia and the US?
6. Describe how Russian holidays differ from those celebrated in the US.
7. What are some of the major issues in Russia's population decline?
8. What is "dusha" and how does it relate to past class topics?
9. How does a typical Russian meal differ from a meal in the US?
10. Describe modern Russian music - compare/contrast to American music.
11. Russia is a multi-ethnic land much like the US. Based on what you have learned, is Russia more successful than the US in creating harmony in diversity?


Respond to your classmates posts for additional credit. Begin your response, with @their-name-here.

Example:
@Mrs B-E, I liked your post about...because...I thought the same thing...

BLOG 9 - The Shapers of Russian History

Directions: Choose either a person(or group) or event to study and write a paragraph summary of that person's life/ group's rise to power/ events' significance to Russian history. Be sure to include a link to more information. Remember, this assignment must be written in your own words.

Each person/group/ event may be discussed no more than 3 times.

Influential People/ Groups:

Kievan Rus
Mongols
Ivan III
Ivan IV (the Terrible)
The Romanovs
Peter the Great
Catherine the Great
Alexander I
Nicholas I
Nicholas II
VI Lenin
Josef Stalin
Nikita Khrushchev
Mikhail Gorbachev
Boris Yeltsin
Vladimir Putin
Dmitriy Medvedev

Significant Events:
The establishment of the Rurikid Dynasty
The Rus-Byzantine War (941, 1042, 1043 - any)
The Christianization of Kievan Rus
Battle of the Kalka River
Mongol Invasion of Russia
The Siege of Kazan
Feodor I gains the throne
The tales of False Dmitriy I, II
Russo - Polish War
Pusso-Swedish War
The Salt Riot
Peter the Great's Westernization of Russia
The Great Northern War
The French invasion of Russia
Emancipation reform of 1861 (serfs freed)
Marxism
Bloody Sunday (1905)
World War I
The Bolshevik uprising
USSR created
Russian famine of 1921
Gulag/ The Great Purges
The Cult of Personality
The KGB
The Cold War
The Space Race
The Cuban Missile Crisis
Chernobyl
The Singing Revolution
perestroika and glasnost
USSR dissolved
The Chechen Wars
Moscow Theater Hostage Crisis
Beslan Massacre
South Ossetian War

BLOG 8 - Russia - Current Events

Directions - Read an article/ watch a video about a current event in Russia or a satellite country. Summarize the events in one paragraph.

Again - 1. this is not a cut & paste assignment and 2. you will not receive credit for posts that do not meet the paragraph requirement.

1. Russian Finance Minister Says Political Change is Needed

2. 10 Die in North Caucasus Clashes

3. Suicide Bombing at Moscow Airport

4. The New START Treaty

5. Нажим на режим ливийского лидера усиливается

6. Ski Resort Security Boosted After Attacks

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Europe via YouTube

Take a look at these clips from Youtube - they will provide you with a look at European countries the book cannot give you...NOTE - I am not responsible for comments or content outside the scope of this class found on YouTube posts

The Netherlands
Study in Holland
Amsterdam

France
24 Hours in Paris
10 Things You Need to Know about Paris
Speak French 101

Spain
Seafood
Barcelona

Italy
Rome
Ancient Rome ???

England
London
Quirky Places to Visit

Ireland
Anthony Bourdain's breakfast
Dublin

Scotland
Edinburgh

Germany
Highlights
After the Wall: East & West

The Czech Republic
Prague

Romania
From WatchMojo
Bucharest

Hungary
Food

Greece
Ancient Greek Gods (mythology)
History & Current Events
Economic Breakdown

Finland
Speak Finnish - Numbers

Sweden
Economic Status
The Ice Hotel

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Political Cartoon - due 2/18 - (XC)

Find a recent political cartoon (2011) that depicts a major political issue in Europe. Bring a copy of the cartoon with a 1 paragraph summary of the issue highlighted or post the link to the cartoon and type a 1 paragraph summary of the issue depicted.

No repeats per class...

Economic Comparisons - Due 2/18

After learning about the different economic systems, complete the task below.

Identify ten (10) countries' economic systems in Europe and Latin America (for a total of 20).

Europe:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Latin America
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

European Inventions - Due 2/16 (XC)

Create a list of the top ten European inventions, innovations, and/ or discoveries over the past two hundred years. Describe how each invention or discovery on the list has impacted inter-regional activities and its impact on the environment (both positive and negative) in Europe.