2011 Brown Summer High School

Student Evaluation

for: XXXX

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

This form describes student performance and participation in Brown Summer High School, a four-week enrichment program for local high school students. Students take two courses designed around essential questions. Courses are taught by teams of students enrolled in the Master of Arts in Teaching and Undergraduate Teacher Education Programs at Brown University.

Course info: Competing Visions of Human Rights: Questions for U.S. Policy

History 5B

Instructors: Ms. Boateng and Mrs. Chelukhova

Mentor Teacher: Mrs. Grey

Attendance: XXXX attended 17 of 17 classes and was late once.

XXXX had no excused absences and no unexcused absences.

Note: At BSHS, we have a strict late policy for when students are late for class after 8:00 a.m. Three late arrivals are equivalent to one absence. An absence is excused if a student has brought in a note to the principals.

Instructor Comments:

In History 5B, we focused on three essential questions in addition to the central questions above:

1. Do we all have the same rights?
2. How does conflict affect our rights and responsibilities?
3. What rights and responsibilities come with power?

We explored these questions by analyzing case studies of the Civil Rights Movement and the genocide in Rwanda. We began by defining “power” and “rights.” Then we studied how access to education in the United States has been denied to black Americans and other people of color, and we examined how race functions in the United States. Students completed activities such as creating protest posters, making a human timeline, and took notes about the history of the subject. We then discussed the idea of prioritizing human rights as a way to transition to the topic of the genocide in Rwanda. We studied the ways in which boundaries between the Hutus and Tutsis were artificially created by the Europeans during colonization. Next, we analyzed how concepts such as “hierarchies” and “colonization” affected the genocide in Rwanda. Lastly, students were asked to participate in a debate about whose responsibility it is to protect the rights of the powerless from the powerful.

XXXX has been a joy to have in class. XXXX is a talented, motivated, and highly-disciplined student of history. We would like to compliment her on the effort she put into overcoming her initial reservation about public speaking. XXXX takes obvious pride in her work, and her written assignments boast of eloquent style, solid grammar, and coherent arguments. XXXX always came to class prepared and ready to try new things. Although in the beginning XXXX kept many of her thoughts to herself or wrote them in her journal, by the end of the class she emerged as a natural leader. When XXXX participated in the final discussion assignment, we asked her to be the leader of her group, which she did with much skill, attention, and care. In the future, we encourage XXXX to remember that she has much to offer to other students, who will benefit greatly from her unique and observant perspectives.

We recommend that XXXX receive credit for her work in History 5B this summer.

Respectfully submitted by: Sylvia Boateng and Alla Chelukhova