A Conversation....about the Nation

Sometimes people change their mind. I have changed my mind. I am no longer going to require you to have a conversation in front of the class about the five topics we have been talking about in history class. I think there are other ways to get more out of our time together. Instead of having a conversation with another human being in real life, you are going to have a conversation with an imaginary person on The History Book. This change will have multiple effects. First, you can think about the conversation more, you can have a better conversation, you won't be nervous or feel awkward, you can talk to whoever you want, you are still thinking and discussing the topics, the list goes on.... What you need to do is pick some imaginery person, (real or made up, living or not living, someone you know or someone famous) and have a conversation about them. You will obviously be typing both sides, but pretending you are actually talking to that person. This conversation needs to cover all five topics from your sheet, the topics we have been covering in class. Pretend the person you are talking to knows nothing about the five topics. So you are informing them. The person you are talking to, no matter who you select, is very interested in the topic and wants to know as much as possible. Write this assignment using the correct format of a conversation. For example:

Me: "Hey, Mr. Kennedy, how are you?"

JFK: "I'm great Dan, and yourself?"

Me: "Fantastic. I can't believe i'm actually talking to you."

JFK: "Yeah, I feel the same way."

Me: "Do you know anything about the U.S. during the time of Washington and Adams?"

JFK: "No, I know absoltely nothing."

Me: "Well, do you want me to tell you about Washington's Presidency?"

JFK: "Yes, please."

DUE: Sunday, February 8th, Right before the Super Bowl.

Points: 50. (1o points for each topic covered)

Launching a New Nation: Early Challenges Faced

For this blog assignment, you are to select one challenge America faced during the Administrations of Washington and Adams and explain what that challenge was. From the list on the hand-out, you need to pick one of the following: Whiskey Rebellion, Neutrality, the West, Problems with Europe, or Washington's Farewell. In order to satisfy the requirements of this blog post, you must explain the challenge America faced in AT LEAST 5-6 sentences, so basically a paragraph.


Points: 20


DUE Date: Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010.

Creating a Resource: The Presidents of the United States

Final List: The Presidents of the United States Quick Guide
I want you to learn about all 43 Presidents. Having you research and learn about all the Presidents would take far too long for our one week unit. Therefore, in order to learn about all the Presidents, we are going to work together to research and learn about each and every President this great country has had. (notice I said "great country," not "great presidents." They have not all been great.) This resource will be the starting point for your Presidents interdisciplinary unit you will be starting in a couple weeks. (However, the president you are researching isn't necessarily the president that will be assigned to you for that project.) This resource, that you are helping to create, will be a great starting point for all students to start researching their presidents. We are going to cover each president not in-depth, but just a few basics, to give us an idea of who each of them are. Working together as a class, we will be making this resource by having each student research 2 presidents. You will post your findings on this blog, for this post. When we are done, the comments on this post will be a list of all the presidents in order, with some basic information about them. Pay attention very closely to the following steps:
1. Click on the link on the side of this page called "Presidential Resource Assignment List" This will tell you what two presidents you are responsible for.
2. After you have figured out who you are to research, open up Microsoft Word. You will have to type your information on Word because we want this list to be in order. So you can NOT post whenever you want, you have to wait until its your turn. When it is you turn, simply copy and paste your information from Word into a comment box.
3. Here is what you need to find out about each president:
Name
Where From?
Years in office
Political Party
Vice President
3 things about him. (not long, just short, quality statements)
Famous Quote

Example:
President: Dan Klumper
From: Worthington, MN
Years in Office: 2012-2016
(insert political party here) :)
Vice President: Jason Bisbee
1. Started career as a teacher
2. Shingles houses during the summer
3. Led the USA through a war with Canada.
Quote: "I remember long ago when I taught the finest group of 8th graders known to man." -Dan Klumper during his inaugural address


Good Luck. Remember, your work is for the betterment of all your fellow classmates. Thank you.

20 Points per President.
DUE: January 14th, 2010

Articles of Confederation Vs. Constitution

Assignment: Use this Prezi to fill out your graphic organizer comparing the Articles of Confederation with the Constitution.
DUE Date: Thursday, December 17th, 2009.
Points: 20

Alternate Ending: British Win the Revolution

Let's pretend for a moment that the British actually won the Revolution. The patriot rebels, though fighting gallantly in the open fields of battle, were no match for the British. Despite honorable efforts by Washington, Gates, Greene, and Lee to lead the Continental Army, the American Uprising was squashed by the most powerful force in the world, leaving America under the control of the Crown. What would have happened had this been true? As we have talked about and read about, this war was by no means a "blow-out" for the patriots. The odds were stacked against us quite heavily, especially in the early goings of 1776. Victory was NOT a forgone conclusion when Thomas Jefferson penned the Declaration of Independence. Certain factors led to American victory, one of which was luck. Let's think, (yes, think) about what would have happened had the British won the war. I have provided a few websites for you to read about this scenario. Now, be careful. These are websites for you to read, not copy. Just because a website says something, doesn't mean that is what you should believe. Use what these websites say to help you form an opinion on what things would have been like had the British won the war. Post a comment on what you think.

Websites:

Yahoo! Answer

Trivia Library (Good one)

Educational Forum

Length: At least 200 words (which is the length of what I have typed above.)

Points: 30

DUE Date: November 13th, 2009. 10:00 pm

Words can not express how much I enjoy working with you people everyday. I appreciate your hard work and positive attitude a great deal. Thank you.

Thank You, Sir

Write a Thank you Letter to a founding Father. People to Choose from: George Washington, Patrick Henry, Samuel Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Paine, or a Patriot Soldier. Use the PowerPoint on the right to help you think about what to Thank these people for. You are writing the letter to the person as if they are actually going to receive it. Your first paragraph should tell them about yourself. The second and third paragraphs should be used to thank them for what they did. In these paragraphs, besides thanking them for what they did, state what they did that was so important. Tell them why you are thankful, explain to them why you are thankful for the significant things they did. Explain to them how much what they did meant to you and to America. Perhpas you have a question for the person you selected, well ask 'em then! You will not get a response, obviously, but it will give the readers of the Brandon Valley Challenger something to think about. Perhaps you would like to include one of their famous quotes and explain why you like that quote/how you feel. Do a good job. Try hard. Do the best you can. Make it a meaningful assignment. Actually pretend that you are writing to this peson for real and you will actually experience the feeling of thankfulness for real. Trust me.

Grade:
Type your Letter for an "A"
Hand write the letter on the paper I handed out for a "B"

DUE: Tuesday, November 10th, 2009.
Points: 30

What's that Picture?

Through various modes of learning, we have covered the American Revolution from its beginning conflicts up to major battles. As Dr. Mullin stated, the American Revolution is often described as pre-1776. Post-1776 is considered the War for American Indepedence. Either way, it is an amazing time period in the history of our country. We should not take for granted the sacrifices made by the founding fathers. Would you be so brave as to sign your name to a document that meant death if captured? This is more than a simply something you learn about in school, it is one of the greatest stories ever told. The powerpoint I have posted takes you through a picture review of what we have talked about thus far. We discussed in class the significance of these pictures. Not everybody gets to share everything they want in class. The History Book, however, provides that ability. By posting a comment, you can share what you think/know about what we have covered thus far.

**Select 3 pictures from the PowerPoint**
1. State what picture you have selected.
2. Explain why that picture is important/what the picture represents.

Goal: To review via blogging the major events of the American Revolution.

Points: 20
DUE Date: November 6th, 2009. 10:00 p.m.

Continental Army Vs. British Army

As we enter the Battles of the American Revolution and the eventual surrender of the British Army (sorry to ruin the ending), we are going to take a look at the state of the Continental Army and the British Army. We are going to discuss the advantages both had and the disadvantages both had. At first glance, looking at the colonists going up against the most powerful military in the world, it may seem that the colonists did not have any advantages. That, however, is untrue. Using your discussion notes in class or reviewing the powerpoint, discuss the advantages and disadvantages of both armies.



Task:
1.Describe the state of the Continental Army in the early goings of the American Revolution.
2. Describe the advantages the British army had and HOW the Continental Army took those advantages away.
3. Describe the Advantages of the Continental Army
4. Describe the Disadvantages of the British Army
5. Describe the Disadvantages of the Continental Army. How did the patriots turn their disadvantages into advantages?

Points: 20
DUE Date: October 30th, 2009

On the Path Towards Independence

Between the First and Second Continental Congress meetings, many things happened to increase tension between the Colonists and the Crown. Things such as Lexington/Concord, Bunker Hill, and Battle of Dorchester Heights. These three items seemed to suggest that War between America and Great Britain was a sure thing. As these things were going on, it appeared quite obvious to some that there was no turning back. The Second Continental Congress decided to form a committee to write a document declaring Indepedence from Great Britain. One man was instrumental in raising support for this cause. His name was Thomas Paine. Paine wrote and published a book called "Common Sense" which we have discussed in class. At first, Paine published this book anonymously. For this blog post, we are going to look at Paine's "Common Sense" and the Declaration of Indepdence itself.

Task #1: Why was Thomas Paine's book "Common Sense" so important? What did it do? Why do you think Paine published "Common Sense" anonymously at first? What made this book so popular among the colonists? Do you think that most colonists would have supported Indepednece without "Common Sense" ? Answer all questions I have just posed.

Task #2: The Declaration of Indepdence, written and published by white males, officially announced our break from Great Britain and our quest for Independence. However, the Declaration of Indepdence excluded a few groups of people such as Native Americans, African Americans, and Women. Why was that? How come these groups of people, groups of people who had many people in the thirteen colonies, get excluded from the Declaration? In a document based on equality and individual rights, did it "miss the boat" with these other groups of people?

Points: 20
DUE: October 30th, 2009. 11:00 p.m.

Revolution Begins: Attempts at Peace--Movement Toward War

As the American Revolution is about to begin, the Continental Congress formed to decide what to do about King George's repeated refusal to listen to them and his continuing moves to make things harder. The continentl congress was split as far as what to do about the British. Some wanted things to remain peacefully and others wanted to go to war and solve the issue with violence. It was decided that a compromise would be reached in which the Continental Congress would continue to seek peace, yet prepare for war. For this blog post, I want you to explain to me what attempts the Continental Congress made to achieve a peaceful solution and what the Continental Congress did to move towards war.

***You should have 4 attempts at Peace and 4 examples of movement toward War.***
Number each example in your lists.

Points: 20
DUE Date: October 16th, 2009. 10:00 p.m.

American Revolution Website Search

Your task is to search the World Wide Web (Internet) and find a website that deals with the American Revolution. There are many, many good websites out there, so this task should not be difficult. If the website you find and publish has already been found by another student, yours will get deleted and you will have to find another one--so don't wait too long to do this!
Details:
1. Find a website about the American Revolution.
2. Post a comment with the website address so I can create a American Revolution website list
3. Along with the website address, tell me what you thought about the site.
What was good about it?
What was bad about it?
Is it a cool site?
What are the features? (ie. games? audio? video?)
Who owns the site?
Grade the site with the standard Letter Grade system
Done.

Money: $5,000
Points: 20
DUE Date: October 13th, 2009. 10:00 p.m.

Indentured Servitude: What does it mean?

The Facts: Indentured Servants are people who had their trip to America from Europe paid for by someone. Once in America, the person had to work for 7 years without getting paid to pay off their trip or "debt" to the person who paid for it. Despite the facts, there are questions about what Indentured Servitude is, exactly. Is it Slavery? Is it an opportunity? It is an interesting question. A question you will be thinking about, writing about, and reading about. Though the article talks about indentured servants coming from Europe to Canada, its the same principles as indentured servants going to American colonies.

Your task is this: Read the following article about Indentured Servitude. After reading the article respond to the questions below.

1. The early goal in the America's was not British Settlement, however, they soon realized that the best way to protect their "real estate" was to do what?

2. The trip across the Atlantic was expensive. Only the rich could afford it. Therefore, the "wrong" type of people were coming to the Americas. What does it mean by the "wrong" type of people? What type of people were needed? Why?

3. Farmers, blacksmiths, and innkeepers all needed apprentices to learn the trade in America. In Europe, the Industrial Revolution caused huge job loss, homelessness and crime. How did these factors contribute to indentured servitude? How did indentured servitude help this problem?

4. What does "debt slaves" mean?

5. There are many angles as far as who became indentured servants. Discuss the different ways people (or kids) would find themselves in indentured servitude.

6. Share your opinion. Is Indentured Servitude slavery? Is it an opportunity? Is it welfare? Is it a business move? Support your opinion with at least 4 points.

DUE: In-class blogging. If you do not get finished, it will be homework.

Points: 40 Points

Great job. You have really done well today. I appreciate your hard work. Don't forget that.

Jamestown Vs. Massachusetts Bay Colony

You are about to embark on some intense in-class blogging. Good Luck. If at any point during this class period you start to feel dehydrated from blogging, pause for a moment and catch your breathe. For this post, you are going to compare and contrast the Jamestown Colony vs. the New England Colony, which is basically the Massachusettes Bay colony. We discussed Jamestown together via PowerPoint. You had a chance to read about the New England colony. Now you have a chance to look at both and how they compare to one another. There is a specific way in which I want you to do this, so pay close attention to your task below. A few things to keep in mind as you do this: one: these colonies are going on at roughly the same time. Although Jamestown started first, the New England colonies were not far behind. Two: do not type like you are text messaging. Practice good typing skills and good language/grammar skills. You will be heavily docked for writing in "text" lingo. Finally, three: one of the great aspects of blogging is that you get to respond to each other, so do that. Respond with an agree/disagree with each others' comments. Do it RESPECTFULLY, though.

Task: Compare similarities and differences between the Jamestown Colony and the New England Colony by doing the following:

1. State the reasons why people came for both colonies. Why did people go to Jamestown? WHy did the Puritans/Pilgrims leave Europe? Then point out what is similar and what is different.

2. State how each of the colonies got started. Who had an easier time? Why? Point out how the start of each colonies were similar and different.

3. Describe the economy of both colonies. State how they are similar and different and why. Also, discuss the impact each colonies economy had on the colony itself. (Hint: tobacco plantations in Jamestown, smaller farms in New England)

4. Native American interaction occured with both colonies. Describe Native American interaction with each colony and point out similarities and differences. Tell us why you think Native Americans interacted differently with each colony.

5. Which Colony is better? Why? Support your opinion with at least 4 points.

DUE: In Class.
Points: 40

Great Job. You have completed the most intense blogging on The History Book to date. You should be proud of yourself because I am very proud of you.

Current Events

Welcome, faithful bloggers of The History Book. For current events this week, we are going to try something new. Due to some printer issues last week, our current events this week will be posted on The History Book. So breathe easy, no need to find a printer this week, just the internet. The format of your current event will remain the same: 1 paragraph summarizing the current event, 1 paragraph explaining your thoughts, opinions, and then the CORRECT citation. We will still be sharing them on Friday.
Task: Post your current event on The History Book
Points: 20
Due: Friday, Sept. 18th noon.

The Columbus Questions

The Columbus Question is this: Is Christopher Columbus a Hero? Or a Mass Murder? Was anything his fault?
To dive into the Christopher Columbus Question, we must first be informed on the topic. Review the powerpoint to get a base of Columbus knowledge. In order to form an opinion on whether or not Christopher Columbus was a hero or a villian, you must first have the facts. Now, ask yourself some simple questions: What was the impact of his voyages? What things (good or bad) did he bring to the America's? What things (good or bad) did he bring back to Europe? What did his voyages lead to? What were the consequences? Understanding the impact of his voyages and consequent voyages by others, we can begin to see the impact of his exploring. Now, before you stand up and scream "Murderer!" Be careful. Was what happened as a result of his voyages his fault? Would the exact same thing have happened if someone else would of been the first? Was he a victim of the times? Perhaps the old saying is true in this case: Wrong place at the wrong time? Think about it. Was Columbus a Hero or a Murderer?

Task: Share with us what you think is the answer to the Columbus Question.
Due Date: September 15th, 2009. 10:30 p.m.
Points: 20
Money to be Earned: $1,000

Lakota Way of Life VS. Our Way of Life

Watch this video depicting the Lakota way of life. The video is 3 minutes, so watch the entire thing all the way through first without stopping and without writing anything. After you have watched it completely through, play it again. On the second time through, you will be doing some thinking, writing, comparing and contrasting. The video is broken up into segments of text explaining different parts of the Lakota way of life. Your assignment is to choose 5 aspects the video talks about. Tell me in a brief explanation, the five aspects you chose. After that, you are to compare those five aspects of Lakota way of life to our way of life here in 2009. What is similar? What is different? Think deep-perhaps some of there ways are NOT that different from our ways? Maybe they are? You need to make those conclusions.

Task: Watch the Lakota Way of Life YouTube video. Choose five aspects the video talks about. Explain them in a brief paragraph. Compare the five aspects you chose to our way of life in 2009. Explain how they are similar and/or different.
Due Date: Sunday, September 13th. Midnight.
Points: 20
Money to be earned: $1,000.

Good Luck! Thank you for your effort. You really are a very enjoyable class to work with. I appreciate it.