Do you KNOW the Constitution?

Take a look at this question, and answer fully on this blog. Feel free to respond to your classmates' answers as well. Here goes:

"Some historians contend that the Constitution, by providing the structure of government and powers necessary to perpetuate a strong union, 'saved' the fledgling American Republic from collapse and ruin under the Articles of Confederation. Evaluate this argument utilizing your knowledge of the problems of the United States in the 1780’s."

Post your answer by Fri. evening, 10/8, please. Can't wait to see this!!

Knowledge is power...

Time to know the Constitution....

APUSH Gang,

We're going to be studying and analyzing the Constitution this week, and one thing that is important when analyzing a topic as all-encompassing and relevant as the supreme law of this land is this: what can you do with it?

First, read and explore this website: www.usconstitution.net/constquick.html. This is a quick summary of the Constitution, what the different articles say, and all of the amendments that have been made to it. Pay particular attention to what the authors of this website have to say about religion...just click on the hyperlink in the section for the 1st Amendment.

Next, read the article found at this website:

http://blog.beliefnet.com/flunkingsainthood/2010/09/before-you-attend-jon-stewarts-rally-read-this-from-james-calvin-davis.html?source=NEWSLETTER&nlsource=11&ppc=&utm_campaign=Bible&utm_source=NL&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_term=yahoo.com

Now, answer these question (a blog comment is fine): 1.) "Do you agree, or disagree, that the traits of civility and tolerance are needed in the post-9/11 world, or did 9/11 change that?" 2.) "What do you think the Founding Fathers would say about today's Ground Zero mosque controversy and potential Quran burnings?"


After you've done that, make sure you listen to the podcast at this link: http://college.cengage.com/history/lecturepoints/part01_lecture07/part01_lecture07.html

Welcome to APUSH!! Now, get busy...

Hi, APUSH gang! I hope you've had a restful and (mostly) uneventful summer. A few of you have emailed with questions and concerns, and I WOULD apologize for not getting back to you in a timely fashion, but here's the deal: you need to learn to start answering your OWN questions. Sure, I could tell you what to do, what I want...but I'm much more interested in seeing what y'all come up with on your own, or collaborating together.

Obviously, you have some assignments due in the next week: 1.) Your book review on "Lies My Teacher Told Me" by James Loewen; 2.) Your discussion questions and precis for the first three chapters of Howard Zinn's "A People's History of the United States;" 3.) the assignments for the first five chapters of Digital History's online textbook, and; 4.) the 11th-12th grade US Constitution assignment. I know, that's a lot.

Something else I want you to take a look at before we convene on August 19th is the following current event: the proposed construction of a mosque near Ground Zero in New York City. You guys are pretty smart (I hear), and this is a tremendous opportunity for you to amaze me with your knowledge of current events, your ability to argue a point, and the strength of your convictions. On this blog, reply with your well-reasoned answer to this question: "Should a group of Muslims be allowed to build a mosque and Isalmic Cultural Center near the site of Ground Zero in New York City? If no, with what authority can the construction be stopped and how? If yes, under what authority should it be allowed?"

Have fun! Play nice...

The Roaring Twenties

APUSH students:

This week we'll be analyzing the myths and the realities of the Roaring Twenties. Your Ch. 31 & Ch. 32 Study Guides are due by Mon., 3/22. Your DBQ on the 1920s is due by Wed., 3/24 (I'll need something to read on the plane to San Diego on 3/25!!).
The end of the 3rd quarter is upon us. Make sure you complete these assignments, plus keep up with all readings and exam preparation.

Wilsonian Progressivism & World War I

APUSH Gang,

We are going to spend a couple of days on the pre-WWI years of President Woodrow Wilson's presidency. As we will see, economic and social reforms took priority under President Wilson's leadership, but he also put his own stamp on American foreign policy. Later in the week, we will explore World War I, the "War to End All Wars"...until two decades later, when it proved to be only a dress rehearsal for WWII. We will cover World War I into next week as well, as we navigate our schedule through FCAT. Let me remind you, you are AP students: the "no homework" rule for FCAT week does NOT apply to you. Most of the knowledge you gain on the Wilson years and World War I will be on your time.

Assignments for this week and next:

1.) Chapters 29 & 30 Study Guides - given in class on Tues., 3/2...due Mon., 3/8.

2.) Zinn - "People's History of the U.S." - "The Socialist Challenge" & "War Is the Health of the State" - due Fri., 3/12. Use your time wisely on this...there are a lot of questions.

-You may choose 25 questions to answer from "The Socialist Challenge": you MUST include #2, #4, #7, #14, #16, #24, #28, #29, #32, #35, #38; all questions for "War Is the Health of the State" must be answered.

3.) I am assigning to each of you a little yellow book of "just the facts." Read Ch. 14 about President Wilson's first term (1913-1917) & Ch. 15 about WWI. You may be quizzed about the information in these chapters...they're very short, and not hard to read. Use the questions at the end of each chapter to cover the salient points.

4.) I have two short films for you to watch; you may download them at your leisure. "World War I: The War in Europe" & "WWI: The Homefront" will take a little less than an hour to view back-to-back. These are meant to strengthen your knowledge of the WWI era in American history. Same thing as last time: the Video Quizzes (Item #2) and Post-Tests (Item #3a-3c) will be due on Fri., 3/12. You may find the materials for both films on my webpage...answer all post-test short-answer and essay questions for both films.

5.) Extra-credit opportunity!!! Find the 1979 made-for-TV version of the WWI-era epic novel "All Quiet on the Western Front", by Erich Maria Remarque, a former German soldier. This film stars Richard Thomas and Ernest Borgnine as German soldiers in the trenches of WWI. After watching the film, see me for the companion piece: "Great Books: All Quiet on the Western Front". After viewing the film, you will write a poem about your war experiences. This will be worth 25 extra-credit points upon the completion of the poem. (Due Mon., 3/15)

The Progressive Era

APUSH Gang,

This Thursday, you will take an exam on Ch. 27 & 28 of "American Pageant". Many questions will be like your previous two tests, but some may be from another source. If you have a memory stick, I would like to allow you the opportunity to watch a short film (30 minutes or so) titled "America in the 20th Century: The Progressive Era". You may download this film to your memory stick sometime today or tomorrow, watch it, and complete the following activities found in the Adobe file on my webpage titled "The Progressive Era":

-Video Quiz - 10 T/F questions
-Post-test - 10 Multiple Choice, plus the 8 short-response items
-Discussion Questions - choose any three

-Then, answer the following on this blog:

"What three reforms during the Progressive Era do you think have had the biggest impact on today's world?? Explain why..."

Yeah, all of this is required.

Ch. 26 - "Empire & Expansionism" & Ch. 27 - "Progressivism & The Republican Roosevelt, 1901-1912"

This week and next, APUSH students will be studying the Age of American Expansionism between the years 1890-1899, and the years of Theodore Roosevelt's presidency. To strengthen your knowledge base of this important era in American History, the following assignments will bne completed by the due dates given:

1.)Ch. 27 & Ch. 28 Guidebook assignment - complete Sections II for each Guidebook assignment; KNOW Section III as well. (Due Mon., 2/22)

2.) Read Ch. 12 of Howard Zinn's "A People's History of the United States" - questions for this reading assignment are below. Please type your responses, or print them in blue or black ink. (Due Tues., 2/23)

3.) Practice quizzes on http://college.cengage.com/history/us/kennedy/am_pageant/14e/ace/ace27.html & http://college.cengage.com/history/us/kennedy/am_pageant/14e/ace/ace28.html. Choose "ACE the Test" for both chapters, and email your results to me at scottfields@mckeelacademy.com. You will need to send me verification that you scored at least 90% on both.

4.) All other classwork assignments for this week & next.

-You will have an exam on Ch. 27 & 28 on Fri., 2/26.


Zinn Questions for Ch. 12 ("The Empire & The People"):

1.) Why might Theodore Roosevelt have thought that the U.S. needed a war in 1897?

2.) What happened at Wounded Knee in 1890?

3.) In what sense was overseas expansion "not a new idea"? If it was not new, then why did it not begin until 1898?

4.) How many times did the U.S. gov't intervene in the affairs of other nations between 1798 and 1895?

5.) Senator Henry Cabot Lodge believed that the U.S. needed to control the balance of trade in the Pacific. Which island and countries did he believe were key acquisitions toward attaining such a goal?

6.) Senator Albert Beveridge argued in 1897 that "the trade of the world must and shall be ours." What might his motivations and reasons have been for making such a statement?

7.) The ideology justifying American aggression in 1846-48 was similar to, or different from, the same ideology of 1896? Explain your answer.

8.) U.S. business interests favored an "open door" policy over the conquest of colonies. From this point of view, what were the pros and cons of intervening in the Cuban revolt that began in 1895? Why did intervention ultimately win out?

9.) How did the Cuban rebels react to McKinley's ultimatum to Spain?

"Interviewing an Immigrant" Assignment

APUSH Gang:

Here are your directions for conducting your "Interviewing an Immigrant" assignment.

You will be interviewing an immigrant in your community, and writing a profile that documents the interviewee's experiences. You will base your profile on salient comments made by the interviewee about such issues as his/her arrival in the U.S., his/her adjustment to American life and culture, discrimination, and language difficulties.

Set up a time for you and your interviewee to talk, using the questions given to you as a framework. It is important to actually TALK to your interviewee, and not just hand them the questionnaire. The interview questions given to you should be used, but allow yourself an opportunity to ask other questions as well, especially if an answer given peaks your curiousity.

Some interviewees may be uncomfortable talking about their immigration experiences, particularly about discrimination or language difficulties. Ask your potential interviewee whether or not they are comfortable talking about these experiences before you interview them. If they are, find another interview subject.

After your interview, write your immigrant profile using the directions given to you in class. Try to include a picture of your interviewee and a map of their home country with your finish typed profile.

These are due on Fri., 2/19.

Zinn, Ch. 11 - "Robber Barons & Rebels"

APUSH Gang:

This week, read Ch. 11 of Zinn's "A People's History of the United States". The title of this chapter is "Robber Barons and Rebels". Please post your answers to these questions as a comment to this blog by Friday, Feb. 5:

1.) What successes did the labor movement score in the 1880's and 1890's?

2. Why did the Thibodaux workers go on strike? Was the strike successful? What accounts for its success or lack of success?

3. What were the demands of the Tennessee coal miners in 1891?

4. What was Frick's strategy to break the steel workers' union at the Homestead steel plant? Did the plan work? Provide evidence to support your answer.

5. Why were black workers reluctant to support the Pullman strike?


Other assignments for the week:

-You will have a test on Thurs., 2/4, before you leave for Ybor City (if you're going). You will not be able to make up this test if you miss it unless you arrange an after-school appointment; if that is the case, you will have until Thurs., 2/11, to make it up. This test will cover Reconstruction, the Gilded Age, The Rise of Industrial America, Immigration, The Rise of Unions, and Urban America (American Pageant, Ch. 22-25). There are resources for you to use in preparing yourself that you can find on my website.

-DBQ - Immigration (in-class assignment for Mon., 2/1; essay due on Fri., 2/5).

"The Good Ol' Rebel"

Your class was introduced to the Reconstruction of the South on Tues., 1/5. Please click on the YouTube link below to listen to a song written by a former Confederate Army officer after the Civil War:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkZvNadzlik


Lyrics:


Oh, I’m a good old rebel, now that’s just what I am.
And for this Yankee nation I do not give a damn.
I’m glad I fought agin’ her, I only wish we’d won,
And I ain’t asked any pardon for anything I’ve done.

I hates the Yankee nation, and everything they do;
I hates the Declaration of Independence, too.
I hates the glorious Union, ‘tis dripping with our blood;
And I hates the striped banner – I fit [fought] it all I could.


I rode with Robert E. Lee for three years nearabout,
Got wounded in four places and I starved at Point Lookout.
I cotch [caught] the rheumatism a-campin’ in the snow,
But I killed a chance of Yankees, and I’d like to kill some mo’.

Three hundred thousand Yankees is stiff in Southern dust;
We got three hundred thousand before they conquered us.
They died of Southern fever, and Southern steel and shot;
And I wish they were three million instead of what we got.


I can’t take up my musket and fight ‘em now no more,
But I ain’t gonna love ‘em, now that is certain sure.
And I don’t want no pardon for what I was and am,
And I won’t be reconstructed and I do not give a damn.

Oh, I’m a good old rebel, now that’s just what I am.
And for this Yankee nation I do not give a damn.
I’m glad I fought agin’ [against] her, I only wish we’d won,
And I ain’t asked any pardon for anything I’ve done.



•“The Good Old Rebel” was very popular among former Confederate soldiers who disliked the Reconstruction policies of the federal government.

•Many of these former rebels headed west to Texas and Mexico to avoid Reconstruction.

•This song exemplifies the resistance and anger that many Southerners felt toward the policies of Reconstruction.

•Your task in the next few days is to determine why Reconstruction was so opposed in the South, and which side was more to blame for the ultimate failings of Reconstruction, the North or the South.

Questions


•What were three words or phrases that showed the attitude of the rebels in “The Good Old Rebel?”

•Identify three items that the song seems to dislike.

•Identify any events that seem to be significant to the song’s narrator.