Mark your calendars

Study session for Unit 1 Test....September 6th, 2:45-3:45. Come prepared with questions. I will have summer assignments ready for you to pick up on Tuesday as well.

Unit 1 Study Guide  can be found here. Also remember that you can earn 3 extra credit points for taking reading notes--format is here.

If you want to try your hand at some multiple choice questions, check out the quizzes here.

Unit 1 Test: September 7th (A Day) and September 8th (B day)

"How to take Good Notes in less than Five Hours".....September 12th, 2;45-3:45. Bring your reading notes with you.

I've been really pleased with your efforts and participation so far--keep up the good work!

Day 1 Homework--Howard Zinn

Please read the first chapter of Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States. You can stop when you get to the line, "That, being as blunt as I can, is my approach to the history of the United States. The reader may as well know that before going on."  You DO NOT NEED TO PRINT IT OUT OR READ THE WHOLE CHAPTER; however you should take notes for extra credit.

Some of this material will be familiar to you based on your summer assignment. Read it not so much for the content, but for the style and point of view. What kind of evidence does Zinn use? What kind of bias does he present? What version of history does he claim to talk about? Be prepared to discuss these questions in our next class.

Website Changes

If you are looking for the primary source analysis questions, or the content questions, please use these links or look at the Summer Assignment page. I've had to move things around a bit as we get ready for classes to start.

Current Event #10: US Issues New Deportation Policy's First Reprieves

Immigration has been an issue for a long time in this country, but is has also, at points in our history, had enormous benefits for our nation. This article talks about how the Obama administration is going to alter its deportation policy. Who is it going to protect? Does this make sense to you? What do you think our immigration policy should be like? (Consider--should there be limits to who is allowed in? Who is deported? What about children who come to this country at a young age or who are born here to illegal immigrant parents?)

Please be aware when you write that although you may believe that illegal immigration is wrong, it is also a fact that in our city and state there are many people who have immigrated here, some legally and some without papers. So please, state your opinions, but be respectful in your tone and understand that there may be a great variety of ideas and feelings on this topic, based on our own experiences, interactions, and backgrounds.

This is the last current event I will post; I'm looking forward to seeing all of you on Thursday & Friday. Good luck finishing up your assignment!

I have had a few questions about the quiz.

There will be no word bank. Welcome to the big time, boys and girls.

Current Event #9: 8 Republican Candidates Trade Attacks

The Republicans had an early debate last night. Read the recap here or check out the debate itself here. How do you see the Republican nominating process turning out? Who do you think will be the likely nominee, and why?

You might notice...

A few changes on the website over the next couple of days. All the things you need for your summer assignment will still be there, but I need to start getting us ready for the school year and we will continue to use this blog a lot. So, please be patient and look around if you can't automatically find the page you are looking for. It's there. And if you really can't find what you need or have questions, just shoot me an email. I'm happy to help.

You're all probably done with the assignment already, right? So this next point really doesn't matter:

Any comments posted after midnight on Wednesday, August 24th, will be counted as late and I will knock some points off. You need to go to bed early...you have school the next day.

Current Event #8: Arne Duncan to Override NCLB

This one hits a little close to home, because it's all about schools. Read the latest news on the Obama's administration's plan for No Child Left Behind. Then tell us what you think--does it make sense to let states or schools that are not meeting 100% proficiency to get out of that requirement? Think about your own experience in public schools--is high-stakes testing meaningful, perhaps not as a way to gauge all of your learning, but at least as a way to set minimum requirements? There is a lot to talk about here.

Also, note that current events 1-3 are locked and you can no longer comment on them. I will try to post a few more possibilities this week as we get closer to school. 

Good luck!

Current Event #7: Could a 3rd Party Work?

The frustration with the Republicans and Democrats over the debt issue  has left some pundits wondering if perhaps this is an opportunity for a 3rd party to make a difference. Read the New York Times editorial on the issue, and let me know what you think. Is there room for a 3rd party in American politics? If so, whose voice do you see it representing? Do you think this organization, Americans Elect, has a chance?

August is Upon Us...

Which means its crunch time for summer assignments. A reminder to read the whole assignment before you get to work.

While the online comments and responses are important, don't forget that on day 1 you will be quizzed on content and vocabulary AND that you will need to turn in hand-written copies of the answers to the content questions and primary source analyses.

Enjoy the last few weeks and let me know if you have questions!