Tonight's HW

Hello, Grade 8'ers.

Based on the video (CLICK HERE FOR THE VIDEO), please answer the following questions...

The Great Depression

1. What was the cause of the 1929 stock market crash?
2. Discuss the causes and consequences of the Great Depression.
3. Describe the attempts made to deal with the crisis.
4. What were Hoover's efforts to resolve the Depression?
5. Explain the purpose ofFDR's New Deal and its accomplishments.
6. List some of the work provided for the unemployed and other methods of direct assistance.
7. Compare and contrast the views of those who opposed and those who supported the New Deal.
8. Describe the cause for the second New Deal and its outcome.
9. Discuss the effect the New Deal had on women and minorities.
10. What were some of the effects the New Deal had on American culture?

tonight's hw 5/27

Hello, Grade 8'ers:

Here's tonight's HW:

Please finish researching any of the topics for the 1920's Mini Project that your group may not have completed.

Here's the link for the information.

HW 5/25/2010

Hello, Grade 8'ers:

Tonight's HW: Due Thursday.

Please complete a proposal letter for your exit project. Your proposal must contain the following:

-What topic/project are you going to do?
-Why did you choose this topic/project
-What will your final product look like?
-What steps will you take to get there?

Today's Assignment

CLICK HERE for the link

Exit Project Options

Hello, Everyone:

I know we've been discussing the question of Exit Project(s). Listed below are series of options that you can choose from in order to complete this requirement for your 8th grade graduation! Please note that if you'd like to do one of the assignments in a different fashion (i.e. podcast, iMovie, etc.) that would be OK, too.

REMEMBER, you are only responsible for completing ONE of the following assignments. It is entirely up to YOU, which assignment you complete.

OPTION #1
Compile a list of the TEN most influential Americans (in your opinion, of course). For each individual include a brief justification as to why you included those individuals. Your justification should explain at least ONE action taken by that person that led to some sort of change in America, as well as changes that came about as result of their actions.

You may use any important person from your study of United States history. Some suggestions you might wish to consider include:

• Frederick Douglass
  (slavery),
• Andrew Carnegie (industrialization)
• Jacob Riis (urban life)
• Upton Sinclair (consumer protection)
• Henry Ford (automobile industry)
• Margaret Sanger
  (reproductive rights)
• Martin Luther King Jr.(civil rights),
• Cesar Chavez (migrant
  farmworkers)
• Bill Gates (software industry).

YOU ARE NOT LIMITED TO THESE CHOICES!

FORMAT - Typed (Times New Roman 12 Font)

Support links for option #1

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200612/influentials;

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200701u/influentials-comments

OPTION #2 The Decades Project
You are responsible for creating a presentation on a chosen decade between 1950 and 1990.
Different formats that may be used (but are not limited to): Graphic collage, scrapbook, display boards powerpoint, photostory, Windows Movie Maker, VoVux)

Focus your decade analysis on areas such as: film, T.V., pop culture,
fads, fashion, food, music, technology etc. This project should provide the audience with an overall idea of what happened during
that decade and what it would be like to live during that time period

FORMAT - Digital

Support links for option #2

http://www.authentichistory.com/

http://www.pomperaug.com/departments/social_studies/ushistory/ush-dp.htm

OPTION #3 The Interview
Your task for this option is to interview a member of your family, a neighbor, or teacher who can provide a first person account of their experiences as they relate to a significant event or events in U.S. History

The following is a list of sample questions and historic events. Feel free to create your own questions, and to discover your own important dates.

You might want to give an advance copy of these questions to your interviewee. Have her/him choose questions s/he would like to answer.

Ideally you and your interviewee would collaborate to select the most appropriate questions. Be certain to get the most basic information
(e.g., full name, date of birth, etc.). You will need it for your introduction and timeline.


1. What is your full name and why were you named it? (Maiden name for females)
2. When and where were you born?
3. Were there any fads during your youth that you remember vividly?
4. Where did you attend grade school? high school?
5. Do you have a college degree? If so what was your field of study?
6. How did you decide on a career?
7. If you served in the military, when and where did you serve and what were your duties?
8. What would you consider the most important inventions made during your lifetime?
9. How is the world now different from what it was like when you were a child?
10. What US. President have you admired the most and why?
11. Ask a question (or questions) about a particular historical event.
12. Are there other important events (local, national, international) that have affected you?
13. Was there a person that really changed the course of your life by something s/he did?
14. Was the most stressful experience that you ever lived through? What helped you get through it?
15. Have you ever met any famous people? Describe what happened.

OPTION #4:
Write a well-organized essay that includes an introduction, several paragraphs addressing the task below, and a conclusion.

Theme: Change — Turning Points

Background: Major historical events are often referred to as turning points because they have led to important political, social, and economic changes. Minimum Length: 5 pages typed

Your task: Identify FOUR major events in United States history that were important turning points and for each:

• Describe the historical circumstances that led to the event
• Discuss the political, social, and/or economic changes that resulted from the event.

You may use any major event from your study of United States history. Some suggestions you might wish to consider include the signing of the Declaration of Independence (1776), end of Reconstruction (1877), Henry Ford’s use of the assembly line (1913), United States entry into World War I (1917), Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954), passage of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (1964), and the fall of the Berlin Wall (1989).

Option 5: Essay - Theme: Equal Rights

Since 1900, various groups in the United States have struggled to achieve

full equality.

Identify one group of people in American society that has been denied

equal rights.

• Discuss a major problem this group has encountered since 1900 in its

struggle for full equality

• Discuss two specific actions that have been taken by an individual, an

organization, or the government in an effort to help this group overcome

the problem

• Evaluate the extent to which this group has achieved equality today

Be sure to support your essay with specific names of persons, laws,

amendments, and Supreme Court cases whenever possible

You may use any group from your study of United States history. Some suggestions you

might wish to consider include African Americans, Asian Americans, Latinos, Native

American Indians, persons with disabilities, and women.

You are not limited to these suggestions.

Authentic Assessment Assignment - WWI Poster

“The Art of Persuasion”
DUE DATE: MAY 17th, 2010

Background: HUGE promotions in 20 major cities, expensive ads in over 10,000 magazines; millions of posters in every corner of the country. Nike vs. Reebok? Coke vs. Pepsi?

Try World War I.

In April 1917, when President Wilson announced he was sending U.S. soldiers to fight in Europe, he was afraid the people would not support his decision. To help sell the war, he set up the Committee on Public Information, which produced a bunch of posters for the war effort. The goals of these posters were to convince people to support the war by:

1. Buying “Liberty Bonds.” A bond is basically a loan that people that make to the government. When you buy a bond, the money goes to the government. In a few years, after the bond “matures,” you get more money than you paid for it.

2. Conserve food for the soldiers. People were encouraged not to waste food, and to limit their consumption of certain foods (wheat, meats).

3. Join the Armed Forces

Task: Imagine that you are alive during World War I, and are working for the Committee on Public Information. Your task is to design and draw a poster that will convince people to support the war effort. You can design a positive cartoon supporting your side, or a negative cartoon against the other side. Your poster should use pictures and words to get its message across. Listed below are websites where you can see samples of different posters.

http://www.firstworldwar.com/posters/usa.htm: 42 pages of posters from WWI.

http://www.authentichistory.com/images/ww1/ww1_posters/Poster21.html: 4 pages of some really cool posters.

http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/sow-seeds/#documents: These posters relate to conserving food for the soldiers.

http://www.ouboces.org/tclc2002/projects/CoynBorhau/lesson01.htm Examples of actual posters created by students. I think you can do better!

CLICK HERE FOR A PRINT COPY OF THE REQUIREMENTS, as well as the grading rubric. Please note that this assignment is due no later than Monday May 17th. Any assignments that are handed in late will be subject to a reduction in the student's grade. Any assignment that is not received by May 24th will receive a grade of ZERO.

Tonight's HW Assignment 4/30/2010

Due: 5/4/2010 (Tuesday)

CLICK HERE FOR THE LINK TO THE VIDEO. Please remember that you will need your PMP password to get into the site

World War I - The Home Front
1. Explain the roles women had on the homefront during the war.
2. What was a result of women's efforts during the war?
3. Discuss how African-Americans felt about the war and why.
4. Explain what the Great Migration was and why it occurred.
5. Discuss some of the causes for the race riots.
6. Describe the Espionage Act of 1917, the Sedition Act of 1918, and their effects.
7. Describe the final events of the war that finally led to peace.
8. List and explain the plan presented by President Wilson with the Fourteen Point Plan.
9. Explain the purpose of the Treaty of Versailles and its outcomes.
10. Explain the purpose of the League of Nations and its outcomes.

Tonight's HW 4/26/2010

Grade 8'ers:

Here's tonight's assignment. Due date is Thursday, but if you hand it in tomorrow, you will get extra credit.

CLICK HERE FOR THE LINK TO THE VIDEO. Please remember that you will need your PMP password to get into the site.

After completing the video, answer the questions below on looseleaf.

1. List and explain the four underlying causes of World War I.
2. Describe the event that catapulted Europe into World War I.
3. Explain why World War I was also known as the "Modern War" and give examples of technological advances.
4. Discuss why the United States wanted to stay neutral and the reasons why it decided to join.
5. Describe how the checks and balance system kept the war from starting before it did.
6. Explain the roles women and African-Americans had in fighting the war.
7. Describe the efforts made by the War Industries Board to control the economy in preparation for war.
8. List and explain some of the efforts the general public could do to support the government and the United States
while at war.
9. Discuss the process the military used in getting ships made and transported over to Europe safely.
10. Explain the battles the United States fought against Germany and their outcomes.

Tonight's HW - 4/23/10

Hello, G8'ers:

Here's tonight's HW.

Based on the lectures you listened to, the videos you watched, and the documents you examined, answer the following question in a blog post of at least 50 words.

Do you believe that the United States has the right to intervene (get involved) in the affairs of another country? In other words, can the United States send troops into another country? Does the US have the right to be the "international police officer?"

In addition to posting your own response, you must write a brief reaction to someone else's post, indicating whether you agree or disagree with that person's position; please state why you agree or disagree.

Tonight's HW 4/20/2010

Grade 8'ers:

Here's tonight's HW.

CLICK HERE. Read the passage carefully, and answer the questions that follow. You can either write them out on looseleaf, or post them on the blog.

Tonight's HW 4/19

Grade 8'ers:

Here's tonight's HW.

Please click here, and complete the assignment, "Imperialism, and the Spanish American War."

Using the documents, your notes, what you learned from the videos, and lectures, answer the questions that follow the documents.

You may post your answers here, or write them on looseleaf paper.

HW Weekend of 4/17/2010

Hello, Grade 8'ers:

Here's tonight's HW.

1. Please watch the video America in the 20th Century - America Becomes a World Power. Remember, you need to have a PMP password in order to access the video.

2. After you finish the video, please answer the questions below. You may, if you are so inclined to do so, post the answers online.

America Becomes a World Power
1. Discuss how the United States tried to become a world power.
2. Compare and contrast the views of Imperialists and Anti-Imperialists.
3. How could the acquisition of Alaska benefit the United States?
4. Discuss some of the causes of the Spanish-American War.
5. Discuss the obstacles the Unites States had to face in order to gain control of the Caribbean and
Pacific regions.
6. Discuss the United States motivation to become involved in China with the Open Door Policy
and its effects on China.
7. Discuss the significance of Roosevelt's Great White Fleet.
8. Discuss the benefits the Panama Canal brought to the United States.
9. How does the Monroe Doctrine, created in 1823, emerge again in 1905?
10. Compare and contrast the foreign policies of the Roosevelt, Taft, and Wilson administration.

Assignments 4/12/2010

Hello, Grade 8'ers:

Here are the assignments for the week.

MONDAY NIGHT: Due Tuesday

1. CLICK HERE for a link to review Foreign Policy. Click on the links, and read the descriptions given. It would be a great idea to print the links, so you can highlight and take notes on them.

Using the internet, and/or other sources, please look up the following terms. Please note that this is not just defining the words. One-Sentence answers will not be accepted. For each term, you must

1. Identify what it is (or was)

2. Its purpose (what was the point of it)

3. Causes and Effects

4. Its importance

1. Louisiana Purchase
2. Monroe Doctrine
3. Manifest Destiny
4. Spanish American War
5. Imperialism
6. Open Door Policy
7. Good Neighbor Policy
8. Organization of American States
9. Nationalism
10. Freedom of the Seas
11. Submarine Warfare
12. Fourteen Points
13. Treaty of Versailles
14. League of Nations
15. Isolationism

Tuesday Night - Due Thursday

Complete Lecture 54 and Lecture 55. Remember, you must complete a PODCAST sheet for each lecture

Assignments for the week of 3/22

Hello Grade 8'ers:

Here's your assignments for the week.

We're going to spend this week working in class and out of class on a DBQ essay. The topic of this essay is Progressivism, which we've been studying for the last few days.

CLICK HERE for the link to the DBQ, and the accompanying essay. The essay is due when you return from Spring Break on Monday the 29th.

The key to a REALLY successful DBQ is adding information that goes beyond what's given to you in the documents, as well as being able to see the "big picture." In other words, can you go beyond just telling the person reading your essay what's listed in the documents? Can you tell them why it's important that they know about this stuff? I KNOW you can!

Here are some links that I think you will find very helpful in completing this assignment.

1. Review the Video, and Lectures that you've already watched on this topic.

2. CLICK HERE for an AWESOME presentation on the Progressive Era.

3. Another Excellent Source!

So, here's how we're going to do this.

1. Monday Night: Please do your best to print out a copy of the DBQ packet. You can get that by clicking on the link above for the essay. If someone you know is having trouble printing, be a good team-mate, and print out a copy for them. I will give extra credit to those people who do that for the community.

2. Tuesday Night: Finish answering the short answer questions (we're going to begin working on that in class)

3. Thursday Night: Using the outline we'll write in class, create a ROUGH DRAFT of your essay for class on Friday. We'll peer review each other's work, and figure out how to fix our essays in class on Friday.

4. Friday - Use the vacation to write your final draft of the essay, and bring it on the 29th.

Class #5 HW

Hello, Grade-8'ers:

Here's your HW for tonight.

1. REVIEW the lecture that you viewed, as well as the notes that you took over the weekend.

2. Using the lecture, your notes, and your knowledge of US History, answer the questions below. Each answer should contain some facts, and details, and should be between three (3) to five (5) sentences each. Please complete your assignments on looseleaf paper (in ink), or type on the computer.

1. What were the problems the Progressives tried to fix?
2. According to the Progressives, what caused these problems?
3. Who were the MUCKRAKERS? What reasons might explain why they are so important?
4. In your own words, describe a "political machine."
5. Briefly explain how the "city manager" system worked?
6. How did companies try to get around laws set up to protect workers?
7. What was so important about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire?

Class #4 HW

Hello Grade-8er's:

Here's tonight's HW.

1. CLICK HERE. Please watch, and listen to the lecture entitled "The Progressive Impulse."

2. Watch the lecture again. This time, while you're watching the lecture, complete the PODCAST SHEET (the same one you used for the movie!)

3. Using what you've learned from the lecture, the video, and other resources you might find helpful, please identify the following KEY TERMS (vocab) and NAMES (ppl)

1. Progressive Movement (Or "progressivism")
2. Muckraker
3. Suffrage
4. Susan B. Anthony
5. Theodore Roosevelt
6. The Jungle
7. NAACP
8. Woodrow Wilson
9. Clayton Anti-Trust Act
10. Federal Reserve System
11. Square Deal
12. Triangle Shirtwaist Fire

If for some reason you can't complete this work at home, feel free to show up to extra help (in room 353) to work on it, and avoid losing credit.

Class #3 HW

Hello, Grade 8'ers!

Here's tonight's HW Assignment: This assignment is due on Friday.

1. Click HERE to set up your account with POWER MEDIA PLUS. You will need this account, as sometimes you will be asked to watch videos for this class at home. DON'T WORRY! IT'S FREE! Enter the following passcode (copy and paste works best) yPNvYtchCh - If for some reason, you can't set it up, please come see me during afterschool, and we can set up your account.

2. Once you've signed into your account, click here to watch the video "America in the 20th Century: The Progressive Era."

3. After you've watched the video, click here and print out the PODCAST SHEET. Don't worry about the "AP US History" heading. I use this sheet for all of my classes. Watch the video again, but this time, fill out the sheet as you're watching it.

Please check back for Friday's assignment shortly.

Class #2 HW

Think about the "Cultural Biography" Exercise we did today in class.

How did you feel?
What emotions did you experience?
What surprised you?
What, if anything made you angry?
How will this help you to do things differently now? What will you change?

Please be open, and honest. Your response should be at least 40 to 50 words. You'll probably write more, and that's OK, too.

Welcome to Grade 8 US History

Greetings, Class of 2014!

Thanks for visiting the blog. I've set this up as a way for us to communicate with each other, and share ideas about Social Studies, school, the world, etc. I'd like to use this a way for us to even complete our homework assignments; saves paper, time, trees, etc.

As 8th graders, you and the other members of our Junior High School Learning Community (JHLC) have been engaged in a rigorous course of study in American History. As you know, it is an extremely challenging course. At the end of this school year, your learning community will take the Grade 8 New York State Social Studies Assessment. Your performance on that exam may enable some members of our learning community to take Advanced Placement (AP) US History next year. This is a college-level course, and if you pass a very tough, very demanding exam, you may earn up to SIX (6) college credits, saving you valuable time and money when you get to college.

So. Here's what I need YOU to do tonight.

1. Complete the short essay we discussed in class today.

2. Click here. Download and print your student contract,

3. Click here. Download and print the list of procedures

4. Please review the contract, and list of procedures with your parents. Both you and your parents must sign that contract, and return it to class TOMORROW.