More Mid-Terms! (still no answers...)

In class, we've created review sheets for Unit One (yesterday) and Unit Two (today).  You should be going through those sheets (in your Google Drive) and adding in information about the various topics.

You should also be mindful that they are not necessarily complete!  You should be going through your notes on your own, as well as the textbook, to be sure that the review sheet that you create is as complete as you can make it!

So in Unit One, we talked about demographics of the colonies, religions of the colonies, food and clothing of the colonies, as well as the colonies themselves and their geography and origins.

In Unit Two we answered three main questions: Was the Revolutionary War inevitable; How did the colonists win; and What were the consequences for America?  You should be sure that you can answer these questions with details--names, events, places!

Remember, multiple choice questions are going to check your memory, definitions and significance check your memory and your thinking, the Constitution section will test your memory and ability to apply that information, and the letter you write will have you synthesize all of your information.  There are several thinking skills involved with this exam, so don't focus on only one way of studying!

Mid-Terms! Everything you need to know...except the answers!

Welcome to Mid-Terms.  We will be reviewing this week, so here's some information you can reference as we go along.

The Mid-Term exam will last one hour and thirty minutes.
The Mid-Term exam will happen on Wednesday, January 21st in our classroom and start at 9:15am.
The Mid-Term exam will be comprehensive, and cover everything we've talked about in class from the first day up through Monday, January 12.
If you miss the Mid-Term due to illness, you need to contact me ASAP to arrange a make-up.  Make-up exams must happen by the end of the week, unless something extraordinary has happened. (like, alien abduction extraordinary...)

The exam itself will contain two parts, one of which you will complete at home, and the other of which you will take in class.

Part One: Email from America. Imagine America were a student who was away from home.  What would America have to say about the first part of her history?  Write an email home as though you were America talking about the four units we've covered. Is America happy? Sad? Enjoying these events or not? Wishing things were better? Satisfied with her progress? Your email must have four paragraphs (one for each of our units) and an introduction.  Your email (being an email) must be typed and double spaced. Handwritten work will not be accepted. This must be handed in prior to taking the Mid-Term on January 21st.  It may be shared electronically or handed in on paper.

Part Two: In classroom test.  Your test on the 21st will consist of the following types of questions:
    Section 1: Multiple Choice
    Section 2: Defining Names/Terms/Events and giving their significance
    Section 3: Constitutional or Not? Read the sentence, circle Constitutional or Not Constitutional and explain your reasoning
    Section 4: Map 1  Locate each of the 13 Colonies correctly on a map
    Section 5: Map 2  Identify the items indicated on the numbered map.

General Study Tips
Sleep, eat and hydrate!  Your brain needs rest, food and water.  DO NOT SHORTCHANGE YOURSELF IN THESE CRITICAL AREAS!

Start to review now.  No one does well when they try to cram everything in at the last minute.  True for eating, true for studying!

Be active! Never just stare at a screen or pieces of paper and call it "Studying."  Your brain will bonk if you do.  Write, speak, move, act, sing...about the material.  Use colors, highlight, underline, re-write, question.  The more you actually can do with the material, the more you will be able to remember and apply it!

ASK QUESTIONS!  That's what I'm here for.  Email, stop by the room, tweet at me, ask questions during class.  If you don't know something, I can probably help you!

Our first review sheet was created in class today, and it is linked up here and you have copies in your Google Drive through Classroom. Fill it out!  It can help you...

We will be creating two more review sheets in class this week, so stay tuned for updates!

Homework for 1/8-Election of Jefferson

For tonight, look at how the textbook describes the election of Thomas Jefferson in the section: The Revolution of 1800. (It is in the textbook section called the Early National Period, in the sub-section The Federalist Era.)

As you read, answer the questions that are in your Google Drive (shared through Classroom.) The questions, in case you can't access the document, are:

1. How was Jefferson described by his opponents?

2. How was Adams described by his opponents?

3. What happens that allows Jefferson to win the election?

4. Why is this section entitled "The Revolution of 1800?"

Homework for January 6 Team Hamilton vs. Team Jefferson

In class we are looking at the ideas of Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton.  You've created posters to represent the ideas of each man in terms of: how they view human beings; what the best type of government is; how they view the Constitution; their political party and its ideas; and their view of the ideal economy.

For tonight, fill out the chart for the man your group was focused on, and bring that chart to class with you tomorrow!

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!