Sunday, May 17, 2009

Civil War Prompts 1 - 5

Please, respond in approximately a paragraph for each prompt. Bring to class ready to share tomorrow morning. You will be getting several of these prompts an evening as preparation for your final main learning reflection of the semester and year.

1) Describe the major trends in the U.S. in the 1800's (besides slavery) that culminated in how the nation was taking shape. Include the ways in which these trends influenced the Civil War.

2) Discuss the history of slavery in the U.S. that ultimately resulted in the Civil War.

(#3 - 4 will be assigned in class to complete by Friday, 5/22).

THIS MEANS #1 - 4 ARE DUE THIS FRIDAY!

3) Describe what youi learned about the actual Civil War from your research and presentation, others PowerPoint presentations, the Burns' video, lessons and discussions.

4) Which lessons and/or insights may be gained from the Civil War for current times or the future?

#5 (to be completed in class Friday, 5/22) Im which ways has studying about the Civil War and this period in history changed, deepened or broadened your own identity about being an American? about being a historian?



These will be used to compile into a rough draft over the weekend (using excellent paragraph structure: topic sentence, minimum 4 sentences main body beginning with linker/transitions or other phrases like WABISUBAWUDA that show relationships in your thinking and opinions.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

CW Research/Presentation 4/20 - 24

Monday in class a packet was passed out for this week and the one following trip week for Civil War mini-research topics.
The first week we will be creating PowerPoints to share with each other about one of two topics: battles or historic figures and the significance of these to the Civil War and how they may be meaningful to the U.S. currently and in the future.

The body of the PowerPoint should contain slides of illustrations, art, cartoons, photos with clear interesting captions, and an introductory and conclusion paragraph should either be included in a slide each or read aloud before and after the presentation.

These must be given in class Friday, 4/24! There is very little makeup time now with the trips and end of the year approaching.

The week following trips we will be doing a parallel type mini-unit on one of two topics: inventions of the Civil War or citizen points of view, e.g. women in the War, African American soldier, and much more.

Again, this week class time will be given for locating illustrations and research but instead of PowerPoint we will be creating a program in Inspiration to share and teach.

Monday, March 30, 2009

Ongoing U.S. Geography

You need to know the location of all 50 states by the end of May. You should be working on this several times a week or a state or two per day depending upon your former knowledge.

Summary of all March Work (Completion Checklist)

The following listed assignments must be completed thoroughly and with good quality by Fri, 4/3, the last day of school before break. Completion of this checklist also counts as an assignment.

Please, complete the following checklist for finished work and turn it in with any work that hasn't been turned in (or emailed) yet.

I. ASSIGNMENT 1 - 3 History Questions:
8th Grade - 3 paragraphs total, one per prompt
7th Grade - 1 paragraph total on all 3 questions

Prompt 1: Who tells or records history? Can we ever entirely know the truth?

Prompt 2: How can we be responsible and intentional with learning, interpreting, analyzing history?

Prompt 3: Given your responses to 1 and 2 above, what are some important perspectives and ideas that we should keep in mind about the history of slavery and the Civil War?

__________Assignment Completed

_________Your assessment of the effort and quality put forth on this assignment.

ASSIGNMENT II - 8th Grade only (7th grade was in dynamics week)
Individual Research on a key piece of the history of slavery timeline/outline:

________NOTES/RESEARCH

________PRESENTATION OF RESEARCH TO CLASS

_______Assignment Completed

_______Your assessment of the quality and effort put into this assignment.


ASSIGNMENT III - Poster, chart, writing, creative mini-project -
Your ideal format to show and explain what you learned about the causes of the Civil War

__________COMPLETED/PRESENTED

_________Your assessment of the quality and effort put forth into this assignment.

ASSIGNMENT IV:
I SEE, I THINK, I WONDER (about photos and music of 1800's)

__________COMPLETED

__________QUALITY, EFFORT

ASSIGNMENT V: UPSTANDERS THROUGHOUT THE HISTORY OF SLAVERY
Notes, Comparison-Contrast of Frederick Douglass and Sojourner Truth

__________COMPLETED

__________QUALITY, EFFORT

Monday, March 16, 2009

Outline of Slavery 1619 - 1800, Monday's Class

The following outline corresponds to the big puzzle box lid of US history 1800's with an emphasis on slavery at the time. The top of the timeline highlights the major historic events and topics that we've studied earlier: colonies, Declaration of Independence, Revolutionary War, The Constitution, and the combo unit on connections in the 1800's between: physical geography, immigration, industrialization, Manifest Destiny, Western Expansion... and now we're adding the slavery piece.

Monday, 3/16, Lesson
Introduction: slavery in ancient and pre-American history – Asia 3500 BC, Greece 400 BC, Mid-East, China, India, Native Americans, Africa-west and east: Moslem, African Empires-Mumbara, Dubian, King Solomon, Zimbabwe, interior of continent outward, African slave trade to 1619 – England, Netherlands, France.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I. Slavery 1619 – 1800 List brief notes as you look at your timeline and listen to lesson: A) Jamestown, 1619

B) Slave Trade, 1619 – 1785, p. 169 – 173 (blue) America Will Be, text


C) Geography of Slave Trade, a “triangle” of locations, geography, resources,
Access and trade routes, economy, movement

D) 1785, Congress Makes Slavery Illegal in NW Territory (see map p. 293, blue)

E) 1793, Whitney, Cotton Gin, Drives up more Slave Trade

F) 1793, Fugitive Slave Law

G) 1800, Gabriel Prosser – Conspiracy, Revolt, Hangings

Outline of Slavery Events 1800- 1875: Topics for Individual Research/Presentation

This brings us to Tuesday’s individual assignments for research and presentation for class about remaining key events for slavery, 1808 – 1865. Some work will need to be completed at home in preparation for your presentation to class on the event and its significance.

II. Slavery, 1808 – 1849
A student for each A, B, C group has been assigned to each event below for II and III.

A) 1808, Congress-Ban on African Slave Importation _______________


B) 1820. Missouri Compromise __________________


C) 1822, Denmark Vessey ____________________


D), 1831 Nat Turner ___________________


E) 1831, Wm. Lloyd Garrison ________________


F) 1846, Wilmot Proviso ___________________


G) 1849, Harriet Tubman ____________________

III. Slavery, 1850 – 1865
A) 1850, Mexican War and Compromise of 1850 – California _____________
Stricter fugitive slave laws

B) 1852, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom’s Cabin ________________

C) 1854, Congress and Kansas, Nebraska,
Repeal of Missouri Compromise ____________________

D) 1857, Dred Scott Decision _________________


E) 1859, John Brown, federal arsenal in W. VA, revolt ________________


F) 1861, Confederacy established, South secedes, starts Civil War_______

G) 1863, Lincoln, Emancipation Proclamation ________________

H) 1865, Lincoln assassinated, war ends, 13th Amendment ________________

Individual Research and Presentation on Key Events and Topics in US Slavery 1800 - 1875

Individual 8th Grade Assignments for Slavery in the 1800’s

At some point during your presentation of research on a key piece of our timeline for American slavery in the 19th Century, you should address the following questions. You may decide to present these in a different order, but each question should be answered completely and clearly. You are required to write at a minimum excellent paragraph each on 1 – 5 and another for 6 – 9. These will be used in your presentation of your research and evaluation of the event for which you’ve been assigned.

*You are strongly encouraged to use these questions below as subtopics for your research note sheet. Of course, you may not be able to answer them in this order and you may need to locate other sources to answer them fully. The computers will be reserved for you as well as two texts and many books in the room.

1) Who was involved?

2) When did it occur?

3) Where did it happen?

4) Why did it happen? If it is more complex than one cause, please, describe which various factors contributed to the event?




5) What is the significance of the event happening in the history of slavery in the 1800’s or U.S. history beyond this period?




6) Is there any connection between your event and “the individual and society” or “identity and spheres of obligation (universe of values)?


7) Is there any connection between your event and “identity, race, and belonging?


8) Is there any connection between the event and inclusion/exclusion (“us and them”)?


9) Is there any connection between your event and the larger historic case study of our bigger study of U.S. history in the 1800’s? (are there connections between your event and Manifest Destiny and U.S. Expansion, immigration, industrialization, physical geography)? Feel free to draw a chart if that makes the complexity easier than words only.