homework for December 19

Over the weekend, finish up the map you started in class today.

On your freehand map of the United States you should have the following:

all states as of 1800
all unorganized territories as of 1800
all foreign held territories as of 1800
The Mississippi, Missouri and Ohio Rivers
The locations of all British forts prior to the war of 1812.

Use colors to differentiate between the territories, and be sure to include a legend!

Homework for December 9

Today in class we looked at the first Ten Amendments to the Constitution (a.k.a The Bill of Rights).  The powerpoint from the class is linked up here.  For your homework tonight, use your imagination to think about what it would be like if some Amendments went missing from the Constitution.  The sheet to help you with this is linked up here. Fill that out tonight, and we will discuss it tomorrow.

Homework for December 2

For tonight, you should read in the digital textbook the selection entitled Ratifying the Constitution.

You can find this by going to digitalhistory.uh.edu, select the Early National Period, then click the Textbook tab.  Scroll down the page to the section The Constitution and the Bill of Rights, and the link for Ratifying the Constitution is in that section. Or you can just click the link above and it will take you there!

The Constitution Projects

At the start of class today, we went through the evolution of the governing documents of the United States from the Declaration of Independence up through the Constitution.

In class today, you were presented with two options for projects about the Constitution.  The advertising project is linked up here, and the citizenship project is linked up here. The citizenship questions for the project are linked up here.

With your partner, work on completing your project.  Both are due December 3rd.

homework for 11/18

Tonight you should read through Articles III, IV and V of the Constitution.  If you can't find the paper copy you were given, you can get the free copy in iBooks.  Tomorrow we will talk about whether or not having discussed Article III first made it easier or harder or made no difference to your ability to understand it as you read it.

Homework for November 14th--Quiz info!

On Monday, you will have a quiz on the vocabulary from the Preamble.  The words are:
union
establish
justice
domestic
tranquility
promote
welfare
secure
liberty
posterity
ordain

The first part of the quiz will be defining the terms, and the second part will require you to rewrite the Preamble in your own words.

Those of you who did not finish the Article II investigation sheet in class should finish it up for homework and hand it in on Monday.  If you've lost the sheet, it is linked up here!

Be sure you have the Constitution in your iBook!

Homework for November 13--Section 8

For tonight, take a look at Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution, and answer the prompt posted in Google Classroom.

The Preamble...

SchoolHouse Rock's version of the Preamble.
Yours are coming next!

Declarations of Independence

Take a look at the videos you all created!

http://youtu.be/Nc3nfCH5yco

Article I homework

In class, we worked with Article I of the US Constitution.  You should have the free iBooks version of the US Constitution installed on your iPad, and getting the free US Constitution app is also a good idea.  Keep the paper copy we gave you today as well--we will be adding to it in the coming days!

For tonight, in your Classroom folder is a journal prompt: In Article I, Section 2 and 3, the requirements for holding office in the House of Representatives and the Senate are described.  Do you think that those requirements are enough?  If yes, why?  If no, how would you like them to be changed?  Write an answer to the prompt on the Google Doc in your file, and don't forget to click Turn In when you are done!  Remember, you are making an argument with us, so be sure to support your points with evidence to back them up!

The Constitution of the United States of America

We are going to be looking at the Constitution of the United States of America for the next 10 days or so.

Please go to iBooks Store and download the free copy of the Constitution that you will find in the store.  There are paid copies, but don't buy it!  There is also an iPhone app for the US Constitution that you could get, but be sure you have the iBook as well. We will be looking at it electronically and on paper as we go through this unit.

The first thing about the Constitution is the Preamble.  You are going to memorize it and video yourself reciting it!  Details on this project are linked up here.  The project is due at the start of class on Wednesday, November 12.

Parent Teacher Conferences Sign ups

If you would like to sign up to meet with Mr. Whitten about your child's performance in Modern America, or with Ms. DelLlano and Mr. Whitten about your child's performance in US History I, please use the link below to go to a Google form that will allow you to select a time on Monday, November 10th between 7:30 and 2:30.  Mr. Whitten will also be available in the evening from 6:30-8:30 on Thursday, November 13, and by appointment outside of those dates if neither is convenient.  You can contact him at whitten@bpsk12.org to set up a separate appointment.

Link to schedule a Monday Conference:
http://goo.gl/forms/t5ZaVKjL8h

Homework while riding the sugar high on Monday

For homework over the day off, read in Digitalhistory.uh.edu.  Go to Early National Period, click the textbook tab.  Then read in The Critical Period the Introduction through the section on Economic and Foreign Policy Problems. We talked about this in class, so brush up on whatever you found confusing!

Homework for October 30

For tonight, take what we discussed today about the Articles of Confederation, and what we did in the game (which, if you like is linked up here for you to play at home!) and fill out the New Government Report Card, which was handed out in class and is linked up here.  Give each subject area a grade, A-F and explain why you gave it that mark!

Homework for October 28

For tonight, read over the summary of the Articles of Confederation that are posted here.  Tomorrow we will be going over the A of C to see how it worked or didn't work, so if you prefer to work with paper documents, then please print out a copy at home and bring it to school.

Homework for October 27

For tonight, go back into your google classroom folder and look at the feedback for your submissions for the three big questions to see what you needed to do better.  We are going to talk about the third question as a group in class tomorrow.

An extra credit assignment for any student interested

Oddly enough, for such a seminal event in American history, Hollywood has done a consistently poor job of using the American Revolution as a setting for films.  And the films that have been made...well...let's just say that they are "unique." Or perhaps "special" is a better word...Below are a list of films that have been about the American Revolution. (There's even a musical!)

For students who are interested in film and film studies, you may watch a movie and write a review of the film as an extra paper mark. (This should not keep you from doing the regular work for the unit!  It is an extra!)  In your review, you must do the following things:
1) Summarize the plot of the film.
2) Identify the actors and the characters they play
3) Critique the actors' performances--were they believable as the character?
4) Critique the plot of the film for historical accuracy--how much does the film appear to get right?
5) Offer a recommendation for the film--should people see it or not and why?

Film reviews will be due at the same time as the rest of the work for the projects are due, which is by the end of the class on October 20th. They should be typed and double spaced and submitted via google docs.  No paper submissions will be accepted!

Films:
1776 (released in 1972) a musical about the Declaration of Independence
Guns Along the Mohawk (released in 1939) about a couple living in upstate New York who must contend with Native American raids instigated by the British
The Howards of Virginia (1940) A couple with different views on the question of revolution
The Patriot (2000) Mel Gibson goes berserk on the British in South Carolina
Revolution (1985) a trapper drafted into the Continental army and a Loyalist girl who is rebellious
Sweet Liberty (1965) a comedy about a movie company's attempt to adapt a history professor's novel about the revolution.

Due dates for the Revolutionary Unit

We've embarked on an inquiry based exploration of the American Revolution that is attempting to answer three big questions:
1) Was the Revolutionary War inevitable?
2) How did the colonists manage to win the war?
3) What were the consequences of winning for America?

To do that we are completing a number of tasks.  The official list of activities that each student must complete is listed on the document linked up here.

Students are encouraged to input the due dates into their Notifications app on their iPads and set up reminders for themselves to make sure that they keep track of what is due and when!

Homework for October 2

Today in class you did a group activity where you tried to solve the problems Britain faced at the end of the French and Indian War. Having heard about Britain's actual choices in the matter, your task tonight is to think about what the colonists would have thought of each of these decisions.  Journal Entry #4 asks that you put yourself in the colonists' shoes to respond to British actions.  The Journal Entry #4 sheet is linked up here, and is in your Classroom folder as well.  Please complete and submit the entry through Classroom.

Homework for the weekend of September 25

You have your first test on Monday!  The test will cover the Colonial Era.  The structure of the test is as follows:
Part 1) Geography. You will have to correctly place (from memory) the 13 colonies on a blank map.
Part 2) Fill in the blank.  You will have a word bank and 10 fill in the blank sentences. There will be more words than blanks. Write the correct word in the space.
Part 3) Short Answers. There will be 5 questions.  Choose three and write complete, short answers to the questions asked. You must use complete sentences.
Part 4) Multiple Choice. There will be four questions. Answer them all.

You should review your notes from class over the weekend.  Try to ask yourself questions or have a friend ask you questions.  Obviously multiple choice questions focus on details, and the short answer questions are less detail-oriented.  You can practice putting the colonies on the map on your own as well. You have a list of vocabulary that you can use to create flash cards.  There are many ways to prepare for this test.  Don't wait until 11 pm on Sunday night to do so!

Homework for September 23

Today in class we started your first project: design a way for a person to memorize the locations and names of the 13 Colonies.  The rubric for the assignment is linked up here and it is available in Google Classroom.  You will have some time tomorrow to work on the project, but not a lot, and it is due at the end of the class period.

In class tomorrow, you will have a writing assignment to complete.  Your prompt will be: Based on your identity, could you have lived in the colonies?  Provide proof from each of the 7 areas to support why or why not.  The seven areas we've discussed are: Housing/clothing, Government system, Native American relations, Money/Economics, Food, Religion, and Wars.  You should pre-plan your writing tonight, but you will actually be writing it in class tomorrow without the aid of notes!

Homework for September 22

Today in class we wrapped up the French and Indian War, took a vocabulary quiz, and took a look at the religions found in the colonies.  That presentation is linked up here.

For homework tonight, write Journal Prompt #3, shared with you in your Google Classroom folder and linked up here.  Given what you've learned about the wars, relationship with native Americans, and religions, could you live in the colonies?  Be sure to give evidence to support your claims, and be sure to address each of the three areas mentioned!

Homework for the weekend of September 19

Today in class we looked at the relationship that existed in the Colonial Era between the Native Americans and the colonists leading up to and through the French and Indian War. The powerpoint from today is linked up here. We will finish it up on Monday.

Over the weekend, you should study for our first vocabulary quiz.  We recommend the use of the app Quizlet as a way to help to create flashcards.  The link will take you to the App Store if you want to download it.

The list of vocabulary terms is below.  We will also be having our first test next Friday! More information to come, but it will be comprehensive and cover everything we've been doing since school started...

Vocab List
Demographics
Identity
Indentured Servant
Slave
Money
Monopoly
Specie
Pound
Shilling
Pence
Wages
Mercantilism
Cash Crop

Homework for September 18th

Tonight, you should go to the digital textbook: digitalhistory.uh.edu. Once there, click the link on the left "Colonial Era."  Once in the "Colonial Era" section, click on the "Textbook" tab at the top under the banner, then scroll down to the link to The Seven Years War.  Open that selection and read it.  There will be a reading check on the section tomorrow when you come to class!

Homework for September 16th

In class today we worked with four documents that had to do with the Colonial and British Government. (each student looked at two documents) Each document had a slightly different task.  The documents by Hobbes and Locke had questions to answer along with them, and they were posted in Classroom.  The documents themselves are linked up above.  The descriptions of the British and Colonial systems of government are linked up.  For those documents you need to diagram what the government looked like (while giving an explanation if you like) using Explain Everything, and share your links with Mr. Whitten and Ms. DelLlano via email, or through the app itself. (whitten@bpsk12.org, Delllano@bpsk12.org)

For tonight, finish answering questions or making your drawing for the documents you worked with in class.  We will work with the other two documents in class tomorrow.

Homework for Monday, September 15

Happy Constitution Week!

Today in class we talked about the idea of money, and discussed how it was used in the colonies.  The presentation from today is linked up here, in case you want to go back and look at it again.

For homework tonight, go to The Diary of Manesseh Minor, a man who lived in colonial New England.  Read his entries for April, May and June 1707. (They are all pretty short!) Consider what his life must be like if these are the things that he chooses to record in his diary.  Does his life sound fun? Exciting? There's nothing to write here, but his diary entries will be coming back to you later in this unit, so you may want to jot down a few impressions as notes to refresh your memories later on.

The weekend of September 12th

Is a no homework weekend!

You should be sure that you have submitted the past assignments--check google classroom and past posts to ensure that you have all the homework done!

Welcome Parents

We wanted to welcome the parents to our classroom for tonight so they could learn more about what is happening in the class!  To better foster communication between home and school, we would like to invite parents to provide us with some contact information, so we can better be in touch about the progress their children are making in our class.  Please fill out the google form embedded below to let us know how to best reach you to share information and update you on what is happening in US History I!

Homework for September 11th

Today in class we went over the types of houses people lived in during the Colonial Era, and spent some time exploring the clothing that people wore here in the colonies.  The presentation we saw is linked up here, and the web address for the Colonial Williamsburg clothing site is here.

For your homework tonight, go to your Classroom folder and type an answer to the prompt you see in Journal Entry #2.  Remember to click Turn In when you are finished!

With a little luck...

Hopefully we have the filter problems resolved and you can now see this blog!

Today in class we make our identity masks.  If you did not finish the mask in class, please do so for homework tonight.

Additionally, please go back to your Classroom folder in Google Drive and check for an assignment called "Journal Entry #1." At the top of the page, there is a button with the words "Turn In" on it.  Be sure to click that button once you have written the assignment!  Some of you wrote the entry by hand, and if that is the case, please type it up on the google doc--these journal entries need to be kept in one digital folder so you can easily refer back to them as we go through the class.  So check to be sure that you have submitted it--there is no late penalty for it if you haven't! If for some reason you have trouble accessing the Classroom folder, be sure you entered the code correctly to join the class! The code is: 465xtt.

Tomorrow we'll be looking at the houses people lived in and the clothing that they wore in Colonial America...

Homework for September 9--Mask Preparation

Today in class we went over how other people's labels and descriptions can impact a person's identity.  Tomorrow in class we will wrap up the identity unit with the creation of masks that represent our internal and external identities.  You will have access to masks, markers, crayons, pencils, glue and scissors in class, but if you wish to have pictures, or typed words, you should gather that information yourself tonight and bring them to class tomorrow.

Homework for September 8--Journal Prompt #1

For tonight, you are to type a response to the following prompt:

Experiences help us define who we are and who we are not. Identify an experience that shaped your identity. Describe this event or experience and then explain the impact it had on how you answer the question: "Who am I"?

A google doc has been shared with you through your US History I Classroom folder.  You may write the answer to the prompt on the doc there, or you may compose your own.  If you compose your own, please copy and paste the prompt from above and type your answer below.  Then share the document with Ms. D and Mr. Whitten.  Printed copies will not be accepted, nor will hand-written ones.

This will count as a homework grade.

If you did not finish your bio-poem in class, you must do so for homework.  That may be handwritten and illustrated and fancy, or it may just be typed and simple.

Homework over the weekend

Happy Friday! In class today we started a conversation about the American identity. We began with looking at a short selection from The House On Mango Street, by Sandra Cisneros, called My Name. In this selection Esperanza talks about her name and what it means to her.

Over the weekend, you are to construct your own identity chart or picture that illustrates who you are and the things that make you, you. Below is a picture of mine to give you a sense of how you can construct your own. It is just a guideline, you don't have to make yours like mine! (Because that wouldn't be your identity, now, would it?) 

Please have a paper copy of your identity chart to hand in at the start of class on Monday.

Demographics!

Today in class we went over some of the basic demographic information for the 13 colonies leading up to the American Revolution.  The in-class questions are available in Google classroom and are linked up here if you would like another copy.  The presentation slides are linked up here and are also posted in Google Classroom.

Tonight for homework take a look at a digital textbook we will be using from time to time.  The link to the textbook is www.digitalhistory.uh.edu. Bookmark this site! When you get there, you will see this screen:

Down in the bottom left corner, in the column called ERAS is the hyper-link to the Colonial Era.  Click that link and explore what is there. You do NOT have to read it all, just poke around a bit.

Maps for homework

For tonight, you should finish making your copy of the 13 Colonies Map. The copy of the map we used in class is below.  After you finish making the map, take a picture of the map with your iPad so you have a digital copy of it.  You will be handing in the paper copy at the start of class tomorrow.  It will count for a homework grade. (Your first grade of the term! Woo Hoo!)

Once that is done, please go to classroom.google.com and explore a little. When prompted to enter a code to join a class, enter 465xtt which should get you to the US History I classroom site, but if it doesn't, don't panic!    

First day!

Welcome to US History I!  To get you familiar with us and the course, you need to read the Course Expectations Handout, which is linked up here.

A big shift!

For those of you who are not my students but who follow this blog, I wanted to give you a head's up that my teaching assignment has changed. As a result, this blog will no longer be about AP World History, and instead will be shifting to US History from 1700-1900.  I will leave up all the past resources and past lessons for any and all to view, but the focus of this blog will shift to support my 9th grade class.


Here we go!

Ukraine project update

Tonight, use hashtagify.me to check out some of these hashtags to see which two you'd like to use.

Hi folks-

I'm out at a conference today.  So in class, you have two things to do.  First, go to the spreadsheet and continue to watch promotional videos.  Then get back together into the groups that divided the questions about Ukraine.  Go to the questions you labeled "closed" and find and post answers to them in the google doc.  You can do them together as a group or break them up, whatever floats your boat.  I'll have the voting page up on the blog later this afternoon. Tonight, for homework, cast your votes.  Voting will be open until the start of class Thursday.

May Madness Round 1!

Off and running with May Madness

For tonight, you should be looking into your leaders.  Do some research, figure out who this person is and what he or she did to get into this competition.

Your promotional material/presentation is due on Tuesday, May 27, as is your short biographical sketch.  Don't forget that you'll need a bibliography to accompany the biography!  You should format it using Chicago/Turabian style. A quick reference for the style can be found here.

Where do we go from here?

Now that the AP exam is over, the class will be shifting to two simultaneous activities.

The first is the traditional May Madness game, where each of you will take on the rolls of "great" leaders from world history and have a tournament to determine which was the "greatest."  The description of the project is linked up here, and details about the rounds are linked up here.  Much of the work for the tournament will be your homework and will be completed outside of class time. We will draw names for the tournament on Monday.

In class we will be working on a current events project.  The class will select an area of the world and an issue in that area.  The regions are aligned with those we've been looking at all year long, and the issues reflect the themes of AP World's curriculum.  After the region is identified, the class will generate a list of questions that need to be answered in order to be informed about the current issue the region is facing.  The class will then find answers to those questions.

Students will then be tasked with finding where the conversations about this issue are taking place.  Is it being discussed on Twitter? Facebook? Instagram? Newspaper comment boards? UN security council minutes? Students will then analyze the conversation to determine who the responsible players are; join the conversation, become a credible participant in the dialog, seek to present solutions/ways forward, and get feedback on their ideas.  We will flesh this out more as we go along.

For homework this weekend, visit each of the following links for each of the topics below, read the short articles about the issues, and come into class with a set of priorities about what you want to get involved with!

1) Boko Haram and the kidnapping of girls in Nigeria
2) Chinese aggression in the South China Sea
3) Russian aggression in Ukraine
4) Israeli/Palestinian peace prospects
5) Protest/unrest in Venezuela

Infographics

8000-600BCE

600BCE-600CE

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6g37NuvmmJgODV2ZmRWUzhLTUZYNTY1YUl3VXFRQ0N1VExj/edit?usp=sharing

https://magic.piktochart.com/output/1946787-new-infographic

https://magic.piktochart.com/editor/piktochart/1950424#

https://magic.piktochart.com/output/1947142-greeks

https://magic.piktochart.com/output/1946676-the-silk-road
http://www.prezi.com/-avqc_w2otmk/

600CE-1450

https://infogr.am/post-classical-south-asia?src=web

https://magic.piktochart.com/output/1946900-postclassical-china

https://magic.piktochart.com/output/1950198-postclassical-era-southeast-asia
https://infogr.am/post-classical-europe-and-africa?src=web
https://infogr.am/post-classical-middle-east?src=web

1450-1750

https://magic.piktochart.com/output/1945760-africa-in-the-global-interaction

https://magic.piktochart.com/output/1945772-the-americas-during-global-inter#/pikto-block-0

https://magic.piktochart.com/output/1946441-middle-east

infogr.am/global-interactions-japan-china-and-southeast-asia?src=web 

https://magic.piktochart.com/output/1947086-india-during-global-interactions
https://magic.piktochart.com/output/1952802-europe-and-russia-global-interac

1750-1900

https://magic.piktochart.com/output/1945475-chinajapan-global-interactions

https://magic.piktochart.com/output/1956058-mother-russia-during-the-age-of-

https://magic.piktochart.com/output/1957935-great-britain-1750s-1900s

1900-Present

https://magic.piktochart.com/output/1940508-asia
https://magic.piktochart.com/output/1946952-north-america-1900s-now
https://magic.piktochart.com/output/1945629-south-america
http://visual.ly/europe-1900s-now
http://visual.ly/europe-1900-now
http://visual.ly/europe-1900s-now-0
https://magic.piktochart.com/output/1941072-africa-conflict-copy

Sharing is caring!

link to AP essay chart: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Aqg37NuvmmJgdDEweU5jU2JiQnRuOXhGRFJoYUtfTmc&usp=sharing

link to AP past essay topics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/18Gnd7wbjIjuK9y7KqaQAuBhtnlItyFMjYAZ7m7obFoc/edit?usp=sharing

link to end of the year powerpoint: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1hrpDoEoSv6M0v-8Zu5ueN70jgLpO6avzZvmiQypxwqw/edit?usp=sharing

link to the map of the world, AP Style: http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/orig/121813705.png

You have been placed into groups based on time periods.  Your task is to make an infographic to sum up what the world is like/what's going on in that time period. Can you boil that down to one or two words?  can you encapsulate the changes and continuities by region? What happens in multiple places? What is unique and distinctive about each region? What is a good visual way to represent what's going on?  Examples of infographics can be found at dailyinfographic.com.  You can create infographics using a number of tools: visual.ly, infogr.am, piktochart.com, prezi (to a lesser extent) or you can just make up one yourself using a presentation app. I'd like to have these done by the end of class on Tuesday so people have a chance to use them to review.

May 8th

For tonight, go to www.getafive.com. The class code is FLFF6LG.  Register for the site and take the diagnostic test. It is 39 questions and is not at all graded; it will just give me a look at what we can/should target in our review.

The site also has other review options for you, though as Twinkle said, some of it doesn't work as well as others--I don't recommend making it your only source of review materials!  Think of it as a supplement to what we do in class.

Tomorrow we will wrap up the end of the cold war and start looking at the review process!

Homework for May7 redux

Hi folks-

sorry this didn't post the first time around.  The homework for tonight is to read pages 1097-1106.

Homework for May 6

For tonight, read pages 1063-1067.  I'm assuming that you remember the Korean War and Cuban Missile crisis from US history, and that you are aware of the space race, McCarthyism and the Civil Rights movement as well.  If you don't know about any of the above mentioned, (and by that I mean, you don't recognize the main topics--you don't need more than that) then feel free to read what the textbook has to say on the subjects. Otherwise, read pages 1077-1081. 

homework for May 5

For tonight, read pages 1037-1047. This is about the fighting in WWII and we won't be talking about it in class!

Homework for May 1

Welcome to May!

For tonight, please read pages 1031-1037 about the start of World War II.  This will NOT be part of the test on Monday!

homework for April 30

For tonight, read pages 1013-1020; stop at the section on Latin America.  We won't be talking about this section much, so be sure to read closely.

The test will be held on Monday, not on Friday.  It will cover chapters 33-36 and consist of 40 multiple choice questions and an essay outline.

homework for April 29

For tonight, watch the first 29 minutes of the documentary Stalin Man of Steel, linked up here and available on YouTube at: http://youtu.be/OfhjV5E0j1o

Then, to add further cheer, watch the first 22 minutes of the biography of Mao that is linked up here. It has been taken down from YouTube, but may be available elsewhere on the web.

Ponder similarities and differences between these two men, both as individual humans and as political leaders. We'll talk about them a bit in class tomorrow.

Homework over april vacation

We've read up to page 927 in chapter 33.  The consequences of imperialism and some of the Japanese and US actions are covered in the rest of the chapter, so if you have questions about today's content, feel free to read the remaining pages for greater clarity.

Over the vacation, read chapters 34 (World War I) and 35 (the age of anxiety/inter-war period). We will touch on those chapters when we return, but not in any depth, so you are on your own for that content.

That will give us chapters 33-35, and we will cover 36 the week we are back.  I'm planning for a test on those chapters (same format as before: 35 multiple choice questions and an essay outline) on Friday, May 2, a date that won't be negotiable, so do plan ahead.

If you wish, you may complete the book/film report for an extra essay grade, but there is no requirement that you do so over this vacation.  Should you choose to submit it, the grade will be entered into the essay category of your mark.  Should you choose to submit it and it is poorly done, it will hurt your mark.  Should you choose to not do it, it won't hurt you at all.  Choose wisely!

And have a great vacation.  It will be a crazy two weeks when we get back, so rest up!

Homework for April 15

For tonight, read pages 910-919 in the textbook.  Ask yourself: when have I ever read 900+ pages of a textbook before? Pat yourself on the back...

Homework for April 14

For tonight finish up making your map.  Then look at it and write down any questions that you have that come up from looking at the finished map.

You can use this map as a model, or you can pick another one off the interwebs.

homework for the weekend of April 11

For the weekend, read pages 909-915.

Your test on Monday will take 45 minutes.

It will consist of 35 multiple choice questions, and an outline of either a change over time or a compare and contrast essay. (there will not be choice).

The test will cover material in chapters 29-32. Be sure to look at the blog's past posts for pages that you need from each chapter!

Homework for April10

For tonight, read the excerpt from The White Man's Burden on page 913. Answer the italicized question on your blog.

Some clarification

Hi folks-

A few emails usually means that there are more questions, so just to clarify:

• Each one of you needs to create your own, unique political cartoon.
• Cartoons should be visible, but not huge--a regular sheet of paper will do! (81/2 x 11)
• The political cartoon must come from the empire you were assigned to in your group. It should not incorporate all the empires!
• Most political cartoons are not like cartoon strips with multiple panels, they exist in only one panel.
• Most political cartoons work on a metaphorical level, not a literal level, so you can feel free to exaggerate to make a point!

A recent example:

In class for April 8 and 9th

EMPIRES IN DISTRESS Project

There will be four groups around the room.  Each group is responsible for creating something (paper or digital) that communicates information about the Empire in distress to share with the rest of the class. There are categories below, but in general, you are to address the following questions:

1. What the problems are, when they arise and why they arise;

2. What the proposed reforms are when they arise;

3. Who the players are on both sides--for and against reform;

4. What the outcome is both short term and long term: If the reforms fail, why do they fail?  If they succeed, why do they succeed?

The group’s creation is to be shared with the class by the end of the period on Wednesday.

As an individual, you are responsible for composing a political cartoon that represents either the issues/problems or the reforms for your empire. This cartoon is on a topic of your choosing; the group does not need to all do the same thing! This cartoon must be done on paper, to be handed in at the start of the class on Thursday.  The cartoon must be accompanied by two typed paragraphs; the first should explain the historical context of the cartoon, and the second should be an explanation of the cartoon itself. (Imagine telling a person who can't see it what it contains.) This is to be printed out and ready to hand in on Thursday as well.  The cartoon will not be graded on the basis of your artistic abilities!

Some prompts to guide your thinking:

What are the problem(s) the empire faces?

Who in the empire is affected by these problems?

Who are these troublemaker(s)

Ottoman: Muhammad Ali (1805-1848), Young Turks

Russian: the Intelligentsia, The People’s Will,

Chinese: Hong Xiuquan, British Opium Traders, The Boxers

Japanese: Commodore Matthew C. Perry

Who are the reformer(s)

Ottoman: Sultan Mahmud II, Tanzimat

Russian: Tsar Alexander II, Sergei Witte

Chinese: Self-Strengthening Movement, Emperor Guangxu, Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao

Japanese: Emperor Mutsuhito/Meiji,

Who are these resistor(s)

Ottoman: Religious conservatives, Abdul Hamid II

Russian: Tsar Nicholas II

Chinese: Empress Dowager CiXi

Japanese: none in Japan! (why is that???)

Rubric for the cartoon is linked up here. The item you share with the class is not going to be graded.

Groups:
Japan 1 -- Nikhil, Paul, Aman
Russia 1 -- Michael, Eric, Hammad
China 1 -- Colin, Prateek, Danny
Ottoman 1 -- Twinkle, Jay, Hiren, Anu

Japan 2 -- Kevin, Praveen, Xavier
Russia 2 -- Ashwini, August, Yash
China 2 -- TJ, Harsha, Ansh
Ottoman 2 -- Stuti, Julia, Manas

Homework for April 7

For tonight, feel free to skim over 892-900, about China. We didn't get to discuss the Boxer Rebellion in class, so be sure to pay closer attention to 898-899.  Then read Lin Zexu's letter to Queen Victoria on page 895 and answer the italicized question on your blog.

Homework for April 4

over the weekend, read pages 887-892 (Russia) and pages 900-904 (Japan)

Homework for April 3

For tonight, please read pages 879-887 in the textbook. You can skip page 886.

Homework for April 2

For tonight, read about the global impact of industrialization, pages 836-842, and then check out what's going on in our neighbor to the north on pages 853-854 and 864-865.  Be sure to hum "O Canada" while reading...

homework for April 1

For tonight, read the Communist Manifesto. You can skim over much of it, but pay close attention to the last part: where he lists the components of the changes to society. It is linked up here.

Class plan for Monday, March 31

Sorry to not be with you today! For class, here's what I want you to do:

First, watch the Crash Course video on the Industrial Revolution linked up here. Argue about whether or not he is a Euro-centrist on your own time.

Second. As John Green points out, for about 15,000 years of human history, little changed when it came to work.  Who did it, how it was done, where it was done, all of that stayed the same.  Everything people needed was crafted within walking distance of their homes.  Specialized labor made it so that local needs were met by local people.  Exceptions to this rule were luxury items like silks and porcelain, which were imported over great distances and, thus, were expensive luxury items.  But even those were made by hand, by people (artisans) living in villages and towns.  And a luxury good is something that people want, not exactly what people need. (An important distinction!)

So people worked from sunrise to sunset, generally on their own or with an apprentice or a partner.  They mostly worked at home, or in a place really nearby to home (so as not to waste daylight hours walking). They were paid based on what they made.  So shoe-makers didn’t get a daily wage, they got paid when the shoes were made or repaired, and the owner came to purchase them. Or when they dropped the shoes off at the person’s home on the way home from work.

The food they ate was grown/hunted/raised within a day’s journey of their house, though since you can dry apples, and you can make beef jerky, some food could be transported over longer distances.  And for such items, there was someone in the town who owned a horse and cart, and who hired them out to travel to the larger town/city, where such items could be procured, and then be transported back to the village for the people to buy from him.

If we consider the earlier European “revolutions”: The Scientific Revolution, the Artistic Renaissance, The Reformation, The French Revolution, American Revolution, etc., has daily life really changed for the average person on the street? No. (Though, yes TJ, you could argue that the death and violence experienced by urban dwellers in the last two were an impact on daily life.  Fine.  Are the overall conditions of working different as a result? No. Moving on…)

So locally made/grown goods, sold in a local market, with the proceeds remaining local was the norm.

Then the Industrial Revolution happens.  Suddenly goods are made by machines, in large quantities, in a factory, owned by a wealthy guy, far from home. Specialized labor is no longer needed. Electric lights mean the sun isn’t the master of the length of the workday. Goods can be transported large distances, and so can people...

On your blog, after you talk about this with the people around you, post a list of the changes to people’s lives that will come about as the result of the Industrial Revolution.  By changing the very concept of work, how do the social, political, religious, and economic aspects of people’s lives change? How does the concept of the family change? How does the concept of “wealth” change?

Third, take a look at the Luddite response to the Industrial Revolution as described by Horrible Histories, linked up here.

In the same blog post, explain how does our discussion of the actual meaning of the words Radical, Liberal, Conservative and Reactionary help to describe why some responded to the Industrial Revolution in the way they did?

For homework, read pages 825 (Industrial Society) to page 833 (stop at the Socialist Challenge). We will discuss Utopian Socialists and their ideas tomorrow.

Homework for March 28

Over the weekend, read pages 798-811.

Homework for March 27

For tonight, read pages 786-798.  The French Revolution is important for us as a template for revolution: what happened there is repeated, sort of, elsewhere.  So as you read, the details of the revolution are less important than the overview; read accordingly!  The activities of Napoleon are important to pay attention to, and subsequent actions by Bolivar and in Haiti are the primary focus of this assignment.

Homework for March 26

For tonight, watch the TED talk by Niall Ferguson (@nfergus) entitled "6 Killer Apps"  Post a response to him on your blog.

Enlightenment! Homework for March 25

Read pages 781-784 (stop at the American Revolution).

Then read the following excerpts from Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations.  Reading #1, Reading #2.  Be prepared to discuss the ideas he puts forth, and remember that they are mind-blowing for the time period, though you may not find them to be so revolutionary...

Some words you may want to look up before you read the selections:
commodity
subsistence
effectual (and effectual demand)

And you are warned: Adam Smith was a pretty smart guy, so don't expect that he's going to talk down to you as he explains his concept!

Homework for March 20

For tonight, read pages 770-775 in the textbook. We will talk about the Ottomans etc. tomorrow and then take some time to review for the test if people have questions.

Homework for March 19

For tonight, read pages 754-762. Yes, it is the next chapter. No, it will not be part of the test on Friday.

The test will be 70 multiple choice questions, just like the ones before.

Homework for March 17

For tonight, read page 748 and answer the italicized question on your blog.

We will not be meeting tomorrow due to the MCAS schedule.

The video about the Samurai is linked up here. We will be finishing up the scene we were watching on Wednesday, but if you want to watch the whole thing, feel free!

Our test will be on MONDAY, not on Friday!  This does give you some extra time, but it also means that we will be starting the next chapter (it won't be on the test, but we can't lose the day at this point in the year) before the test happens.

And we have a long period on Wednesday, so that means we will have a DBQ to write in the first part of the class!

Homework for March 12

For tonight, read pages 723-731 in the textbook.

I'm looking at a test next week on either Thursday or Friday.  Sounds like there is a Chem test on Thursday, which would make Friday be the day. Check your schedules for Friday and let me know if that day is crowded with other tests.

I'm going to reserve the right to tweak this somewhat, but as of now, the test will be covering the following information:

Chapter 19--Sub Saharan Africa (all)
Chapter 20--page 522-534 (Growth of Christianity through Crusades)
Chapter 21--Latin America and Oceania (all)
Chapter 22--page 576-590 (plague and recovery, early exploration)
Chapter 23--page 612-624 (Trading posts, Russia and Columbian Exchange)
Chapter 25--The Americas and Oceania (pages in class from video project posted earlier, pages 676-686)
Chapter 26 Africa and Atlantic slave trade (all)
Chapter 27 China and Japan

Skip Chapter 24--there are ppts on the blog for the topics we covered.

The test will be the same format as before, 70 multiple choice questions.

Homework for March 10

For tonight, read the selection from Olaudah Equiano on the Middle Passage on page 710 in the textbook.  Compose an answer to the italicized question on your blog.

Homework over the weekend of March 8th

Today in class you should write a practice DBQ. 55 minutes is what you should take to write it. This will not be graded! It is just to practice putting the pieces together, so if you don't finish, don't worry! Once that is done, make a map that combines the two maps in the next chapter about Africa.

Over the weekend, your homework is to read pages 696-712, finish the map if need be, and post on your blog a reaction to writing the essay; How was it? what was easy/hard/surprising about it? What went well/ was challenging?

homework for march 6

For homework:
1) Bring your DBQ packet to class tomorrow!  We will be taking the first 55 minutes of the class to write a practice essay based on those documents.  I will have some extras, but you won't have your notes/groupings to build off of if you have to use one of the spares. The rest of the class will be spent on mapping Africa in the next chapter.

2) Post on your blog:  On what would you assess the promotional video projects in your topic areas from last night? What do you think matters the most? What matters the least? Who did a good job with the project and why?

Come to the New World!

For tonight: look at the promotional materials you have been assigned: Topic 1 look at Topic 2; Topic 2 look at Topic 3; Topic 3 look at Topic 1. This is what I have as of 5 pm.  I'll update with whatever else I get by 7.

Topic 1 (Spaniards to the New World) links:
http://www.showme.com/sh/?h=TvsWhWK
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6g37NuvmmJgcG5VUUZXa0prWURMek5NanhkRVlKcDBFbWg4/edit?usp=sharing
http://www.touchcast.com/dpiotti97/come_to_south_or_central_america
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6g37NuvmmJgaE5idmQyX3Uyb3I5SUdTYnl4SW5MeUhLWkl3/edit?usp=sharing



Topic 2 (Europeans to North America) links:
 http://www.touchcast.com/facetattoo/8647e48ecd. 
 http://iphone.childrenslibrary.org/cgi-bin/view.py?b=enq4wg5ws5554icnawlt
http://www.touchcast.com/praveentalks/north_murica
http://iphone.childrenslibrary.org/cgi-bin/view.py?b=rqt4gjpusk67jfssaxrm



Topic 3 (Portuguese to South America) links:
http://www.touchcast.com/col_me_maybe/come_to_south_america.
http://www.touchcast.com/y12pats/55430c9ad6. 
http://www.touchcast.com/kevin_o/e97efe24c7.

What to do in class while I'm away

Hi folks-

So while I’m at this conference, here’s what I’d like you to do to work with the contents of the next chapter in the textbook, chapter 25.

In pairs (listed below) create a promotional video for one of the following topics:

1) Recruiting Spaniards to the Central/South American continent as colonists. pages 664-673, 676-680

2) Recruiting Europeans to the North American continent to settle. pages 673-675, 677, 682-684

3) Recruiting Portuguese to the South American continent as colonists. 671-673, 676-678, 681-682

In your video you must make reference to the geography/climate, economic prospects, social opportunities, and the political system of the “new world.” You should include images and text to supplement your voice and pictures. Your grade will be based on how well you cover the above areas, and all members of the group must be seen and heard in the final product.

It doesn’t matter what app you use, but the final product must be exportable/share-able.  So edmodo, showme, touchcast are suggested options, as is iMovie if you have that app.

This project will be due at the end of the period on Wednesday. Viewing them will be your homework for that evening. In the event of a snow day on Monday, we will slide the project by one day and it will be due on Thursday.

The pairs (and 1 trio) are: Topic

Harsha, Danny 1

TJ, Manas 2

Yash, Prateek 3

August, Colin 3

Ashwini, Julia, Ansh 2

Xavier, Hammad 1

Praveen, Eric 2

Kevin, Stuti 3

Anu, Michael 1

Hiren, Aman 2

Jay, Nikhil 3

Twinkle, Paul 1