This Week

This week was SHORT. Thank you to any and all parents who came to parent-teacher conferences. I enjoyed meeting with you!

Some highlights from this week:

Monday
- We completed an activity where we looked at problems in the cities and how we (as city planners) would fix them. It was really interesting to see what you came up with. Many of your ideas were kept to the time period (which was good- 1898 wouldn't see plumbing and electricity in houses as a norm!), although some groups did go a little futuristic on ideas. But that's okay. Progressive (forward) thinking IS good and it's what drives our country forward!

Tuesday
- We discussed political machines and how they were "good, bad, and ugly." We looked at the structure of political machines in major cities during the late 1800s/early 1900s and how they really DID have a focus to help the citizens of cities (even if it meant "getting a vote" come the next election). We looked at how the political machines were bad- CORRUPT, CORRUPT, CORRUPT!!! with graft and patronage happening in politics. And then we looked at the ugly- the situation with Boss Tweed in NYC and how he stole over $200 million from the taxpayers in the city, to line his own pockets. Overall story: political machines while good and necessary don't always have the best ways to get things done.

Wednesday
- This was a short day. If you were in 2nd/5th blocks (co-teaching blocks), you worked on some statistics information from the Gilded Age. Anything to get those skills in! If you were in 6th block, we finished up the political machines lesson with work on skills- political cartoon interpretation.

ENJOY YOUR 4 DAY WEEKEND! And be ready to hit things hard next week. We have a benchmark coming up!

Oh- and DCN 9.1 is due on Monday. DON'T FORGET!! :)

October 22

It's been awhile since I last posted... so here is an update from the past couple of weeks:

1) We have been talking about the growth of industry and how railroads helped those industries.

2) We spent a week talking about Big Business and monopolies, tycoons, entrepreneurs, trusts, anti-trusts, etc.

3) We spent half a week on labor unions: looking at the different unions out there, the types (craft and industrial), and how labor affected outcomes in the workplaces, through strikes.

4) We also have been talking about immigration- old v. new; why people came to America to begin with; Angel Island (CA) v. Ellis Island (NY); Asian immigraton v. European immigration; and laws that were put in place to slow down immigration into the US (during the late 1800s and early 1900s). You had a RAFT assignment with these, which won't be graded until late next week, BUT look good from what I've seen. :)

5) This week is SHORT, but we'll be talking about life in the cities and try to fix urban problems. We'll be talking about political corruption in the cities and how political machines were a big factor for that. And we'll end the week with an activity on statistics practice, by looking at statistics from the Gilded Age.

6) A REMINDER THAT DCN 7.3 is DUE on Wednesday. 9.1 is DUE on Monday, November 1.

Tuesday, 10/5

Today, our topic was the Farmer's Problems. We went over the solutions that the farmer's came up with to stop the abuses they felt they were getting from large industries, Wall Street, and the government.

THOSE SOLUTIONS ARE (in case you forget):
1) INFLATION!!!!!!!

2) The Grange Movement

3) The Farmers' Alliance


We then started talking about POPULISM- the "people's party." You need to know that. Imprint it in your brain (Poplism = the people's party). Repeat it over and over again as necessary. And don't forget it! You received a "Populism Cheat Sheet" that gave you the basic structure of how we go from complaints in the labor and farming communities into the Populist Party (3rd party politics). Keep that handout. It gives you the platform information and helps keep everything organized for you on what Populism is all about.

Monday, October 4

I'm trying to get ahead of myself this week, since it's going to be a crazy one for me... so here is the run-down for Monday.

We will wrap up the Homestead Act discussion, and then start on the issue of Populism. We will look at the problems that the farmers in America had and how they wanted to solve those problems. We will also be doing a short simulation on how inflation works.

REMINDER: 5.3 DCN (over Populism) is due.

Block Day and Friday

BLOCK DAY
On Wed/Thurs (depending on when you saw me), we finished up the Native American Culture class assignment. We watched a short video on the Battle of the Little Bighorn, we unpacked that flashpoint battle, we analyzed the assimilation policy of the US government (which culminated in the passing of the Dawes Act), and we listened to the (very cool) Dave Matthews Band song "Don't Drink the Water." I don't know if you liked the song or not. It SHOULD have bothered you. A lot (or at the very least- a little bit). Or at the very least, the pictures should have clued you in as to what was going on. But, it was very powerful in spreading the message it was supposed to send: that American History can sometimes be HARSH! That is one of my favorite things about teaching this class- not everything is going to be "pretty" and "nice" and fit into our little box that we label "American History." Sometimes things are MESSY and AWFUL and HORRIBLE. But that's okay. Because history is the story of people and how we move from one period of time to another. And people sometimes make mistakes. I'll get off of my soapbox now... but I hope you liked the Native American lesson. It's near and dear to my heart.

FRIDAY
Today we kind of toned it down a little, and did some map reading/Cattle Trail discussing/Homestead Act reading. The map reading and interpretation is a necessary skill, not only for your EOC, but for life, as well. Which is why you were asked to write questions. Interacting with data (maps, charts, graphs- the stuff you all love to hate) is extremely important. So we'll do things like that from time to time.

We talked Cattle Trails and why they were important to the settlement of the West.

We started to talk Homestead Act. We'll finish it on Monday.

In the meantime, HAVE A GOOD, SAFE, AND FUN WEEKEND! And remember- your 5.3 DCN are due on Monday!

Tuesday, September 28

So today we worked some more on our topic of "Native Americans v. the US" (Culture Clash). We read and did a case study-type activity on the Sand Creek Massacre. We didn't get much more done than that, BUT you need to make sure you have completed #1-11 and #14 BY THE TIME YOU GET TO CLASS on the block day. This assignment will be collected at the end of class on that day.

Also, some reminders:
1) Check PowerSchool tomorrow (Wednesday) for your test grade.
2) 5.2 DCN is due on Friday. You could have a quiz. So please be ready with those notes!
3) You don't have another test until November 5. That is a long time away, so please make sure you are studying your notes and class stuff every night to keep the information fresh in your mind. You'll be getting a study guide (sometime in the next couple of weeks). I don't want to give it to you too far in advance that you lose it, but I want you to have enough time to work on it.

See you on the Block Day- get excited. We are going to be rocking out to Dave Matthew's Band and their song "Don't Drink the Water" which they wrote in regards to Native American policy. It's a pretty powerful song. I think you'll like it. And we'll also be watching a video. So LOTS of stuff to do on Wednesday/Thursday. COME TO CLASS READY TO GO! See you then!

Monday, September 27

Today we started Unit 3. You will be receiving a calendar tomorrow with due dates for DCN and test dates (which is the November 5, by the way). You should have done 5.1 DCN for today. IF you didn't get it done, then please finish it for tomorrow.

We started by discussing Native Americans and the Culture Clash the US had with them. We looked at the concentration policies of the United States in regards to Native Americans. You all did a great job on the map analysis part of the assignment. IF YOU DID NOT GET FINISHED with #1-7 in your packet, YOU NEED TO HAVE IT DONE BY TUESDAY. This is very important. We will not have any more time in class to work through the map analysis, but this packet will be due later in the week.

Have a great night!

This week in review

This was a CRAZY BUSY week... so here is everything in a nutshell that we did:

Monday- we wrapped up the Reconstruction skits and performed them.

Tuesday- we discussed the problems that occurred due to Reconstruction, especially the black codes, Jim Crow laws, voting problems that African Americans had to deal with.

Block Day- we looked at the legacy of Reconstruction and what it did and did not fix. If you need the notes from that, please check the assignments section for unit #2.

Friday- we took the test for Unit 2. More information to come on this at a later time.

Friday, September 17

TOMORROW IS HOMECOMING! GET EXCITED!! That means that today's classes were a tiny bit shorter than normal (but it was still enough to make a difference!). We worked in our small groups today and wrote our scripts for our newscasts, which are due on Monday (half-way through the class).

Thursday, September 16

Classes were super short today, due to the extra-early release time. We worked on a chart for you to fill in one of the Reconstruction plans that were created by Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, and the Republican Party (mostly by the Radicals in that group) in Congress. Ultimately, the Republican plan went through, but Lincoln and Johnson's plans to reconstruct the South after the Civil War were still looked at.

You were also put into a group that will eventually put together a newscast on your particular Reconstruction plan. More on that tomorrow.

We ALSO turned in DCN over 4.4. No quiz today, just notes. If you didn't turn them in, you received a POI notice. You must serve that detention by Wednesday, September 22, or the grade turns into a "forever zero." Just a FYI reminder!

Tues/Wed, September 14-15

Life is all about change, and so this week we made a change and had our block days on Tues-Wed, instead of Wed-Thurs. We were able to talk through the end of the Civil War and saw some pictures of some of the craziness that was April, 1865 (the end of the war, assassination of Lincoln, etc.). If you need the notes, get them from the sidebar, titled Ending of/Impact of the War (or very close to that!). We also did an activity where you had to give a persuasive argument as to why your side would win (North or South) based on the advantages that side had. The South would definatly have a harder time with this, but they DID have advantages as well! Afterwards, we discussed major effects/consequences of the Civil War.

Monday, September 13

Today was the beginning of Homecoming week! It was great to see so many students dressed in their PJs today! How fun :) Enjoy the week of dress-up days, parades, assemblys, games, and of course, dancing on the weekend.

Anyway, in class today we talked about Vicksburg and Gettysburg and how they were turning points in the war. Then we went through a battle matrix to keep the battles straight in our minds. They can get a bit smooshed, when trying to recall who won which battle. The matrix allows you to keep it all together. Download both matrix and/or the notes (Turning Points) if you need them.

Friday, September 10

So this is late. Sorry. Life happens, and things get busy, but better late than never!

Anyway, a quick recap from Friday: we discussed the Emancipation Proclamation (unless you are in 6th block, in which case we also quickly went over the battles of the 1st Bull Run/Manassas and Antietam). But regardless, we unpacked the Emancipation Proclamation that President Lincoln gave in September of 1862, and which freed all slaves in the Confederate States of America (i.e.- the South) on January 1, 1863. REMEMBER THAT DATE! January 1, 1863. It's important. We answered some questions, discussed how important that proclamation actually was, and tried to get into the mind of Lincoln himself: why would he proclaim something in September and not have it go into effect immediately? Why would he only free slaves in the South, rather than in the border states. As President, he could have gone either way... but in war time, well, he had important decisions to make! Like how to keep states IN the Union, among other things. Whether or not you agree with that particular decision, it's how it went down. Of course those slaves were freed- later.

Anyway, most of you did a great job with the questions. Keep remembering to always analyze a situation from a HISTORIC perspective, rather than just your own opinion. That is key to success in a history class.

A REMINDER: you need to have COMPLETED DCN 4.3 for Monday. You will be having a quiz. The quiz will also have stuff from 4.2, so make sure EVERYTHING is done. Collection of the actual DCN may also be a possibility. So you need to have it done.

Well... see you on Monday! It's Homecoming week. Dress in your pj's and be ready for a crazy ride of a week. The schedule is NOT normal, but we'll all get through it. Enjoy the Homecoming festivities. :)

Block Days (9/8 & 9/9)

Today we continued with the Ft. Sumter simulation. You had to decide what Lincoln should do when a state up and decides to leave the Union (called SECESSION. Know this word! It's important.).

After discussing pros/cons/etc. to a very difficult Presidential decision, we discussed how the start of the Civil War came about. You received a chart called "The Civil War" (original... I know). Anyway, as we went through some brief notes/charts/etc. in class (see "Am Hist- Civil War: The Early Years" in the assignments area), you were able to fill in statistics and notes in that chart. Keep it. You'll use it as a useful study guide later on. :)

Tuesday, 9/7

This is late as I didn't have access to a computer, BUT, here is the update for the day.

Everyone was given a copy of the Unit 2 Calendar. Unfortunately it is in the wrong format to upload to the blog, but here are the major dates:
- Wed/Thurs (9/8 & 9/9)- 4.2 DCN Due
- Monday (9/13)- 4.3 DCN Due
- Thursday (9/16)- 4.4 DCN Due
**This DOES NOT mean they will necessarily be collected on that day. It JUST means that you should have it done. Quizzes may happen. (And are likely.) However, we do reserve the right to collect on these days.

Other than that, we started unit 2- the Civil War and Reconstruction. We went over Lincoln's first inaugural speech, to get us ready for a simulation on the block day. Stay tuned...

It's Friday!

So today we turned in DCN, took a SHORT quiz, and then received a packet about important EOC stuff. That was it! Enjoy your weekend of no homework, and the extra time off. See you on Tuesday!

AND ONE MORE THING

OPEN HOUSE is Thursday night. Remind your parents to come to Truman at 6:30. I want to meet them! So please don't forget to remind them. Thanks!

Block Day: 9/1 & 9/2

Today we discussed major events that led up to the Civil War (Missouri Compromise / Nullification Crisis of 1832 / Compromise of 1850 / Kansas-Nebraksa Act of 1854). We completed a chart, made a "GIS-type" map (remember what that means from geography class???) and then wrapped up with the Election of 1860, when Lincoln was elected and the South soon began to secede from the Union.

So, basically, we covered about 40 years of history in 1 day. Way to go!

Anyway, if you need any of the items from today (except the map- I was unable to scan it to myself at school and so I don't have it in electronic form), just see the side bar.

Oh- A REMINDER: DCN p. 52-53 / 2.3 / 3.3 / 4.1 is DUE on FRIDAY. This is the same day as your "quiz" over Unit 1. I am using that term lightly. But still. Both are on the same day. MAKE SURE YOU STUDY the Declaration of Independence stuff, anything about the Articles of Confederation, anything about the Constitution, Manifest Destiny stuff, and the events that led to the war. (We completed charts about MOST of this stuff... so use them to study!).

See you Friday!

Tuesday, August 31

Today we discussed the theme of slavery. We looked at various misconceptions about slavery. We discussed how cotton prices and slave prices affected the institution of slavery over time. And we took a few notes on major abolitionists, revolts, and the Dred Scott Supreme Court case.

If you need anything: check the sidebar!

Also... stay tuned this week. You will be receiving a packet of information on Friday (after your quiz) that will be something to help you as you prepare for your EOC this year. That's all I'm gonna say right now, but it's gonna be cool.


Oh- ONE MORE THING! What is DUE on FRIDAY?? That's right! Your DCN. Do it. You'll be glad you did.
(p. 52-53, 2.3, 3.3, and 4.1).

Monday, August 30

Today we wrapped up our discussion on Manifest Destiny. We watched a quick "video" (well, more or less an animated map) of the expansion in the US between 1783 and 1854. We then completed a study guide chart for the expansion of the US. If you need the chart, please check the sidebar and print out the "Expansion in the US" chart. See you tomorrow for our discussion on the causes of the Civil War (and more specifically- slavery). We'll discuss the other causes on Wednesday/Thursday, as well as the Election of 1860, and then wrap up with a quiz over Unit #1. Make sure you have your DCN (p. 52-53, 2.3, 3.3, 4.1) done for Friday.

Friday, 8/27

MANIFEST DESTINY. The belief in American History that we have the right to expand our national borders from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean.

This was our topic today. We did a lot of stuff: we analyzed an article by John O'Sullivan on the merits of manifest destiny. We analyzed a photo that is the epitome of manifest destiny. We also began looking at just how America expanded her territory from 1803-1854. If you need any of the notes or the chart, see the documents section of the website.

Wednesday/Thursday, 8/25-26

Today we did NOT get to the Manifest Destiny stuff that was scheduled for today, SO we are moving the DCN assignment over 4.1 back to Monday, 8/30 and the quiz over Unit 1 will now be next Friday, September 3. (The DCN bundle will also be due that day too- so p. 52-53, 2.3, 3.3, and 4.1.)

What we DID do today was work through the rest of the Constitution stuff, as well as discuss federalism in depth and take a look at various conflicts in the early history of our country that were conflicts for federalism. The graphic organizer is not on the blog, so if you weren't in class, you need to see me, and I'll get that to you.

One of the issues that we looked at was the dispute between Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson during George Washington's term of presidency. After we looked at the dispute and the problems it caused for federalism, we determined which of the two men we most agreed with from a political perspective.

Stay tuned for a post on manifest destiny later this week!

What We've Done So Far...

School's in session and we are off with studying the first 90 years of America's history before the Civil War. What we've done so far:

- Friday (8/20): learned and practiced DCN (Double-Column Notes) over p. 52-53 (and then assigned chapter 2, section 3 on top of that) for this past Tuesday (8/24).

- Monday (8/23): We discussed the Declaration of Independence and worked through parts of the Articles of Confederation.

- Tuesday (8/24): Took a quiz using our DCN (chapter 2.3), then wrapped up the Articles of Confederation government, and started on the Constitution.

If you need notes from any of these days or any of the class handouts, see the "assignments and documents" section on the blog! If something ISN'T on there, it's because I don't have an electronic copy of it, so just see me and I'll get it to you!

Welcome to American History!

Welcome to the American History blog. You need to use this site! There will be posts that are useful to you throughout the year. There may be articles for you to read, videos for you to watch, deadline reminders, activities/notes/other things from class. Therefore, it is in your best interest to check this site often. Especially if you are absent and need things from class. Or especially if you are prone to losing things! You can find everything right here.

And one more thing- welcome back to school! It's going to be a great year!