Extra Credit and Evidence Packet....

Some of you might want to more closely inspect the pictures on the evidence packet for our trial this week. You can look at the document here.

And many of you might be interested in extra credit over Winter Break! Completely successfully, this will earn you up to 3 points on your midterm exam. This, plus reading notes on Chapters 17-18, could result in a total of 6 points extra credit on the exam. (What???? Is Ms. Harris crazy????!)

What you need to do:

1) Go to this website and pick out a podcast to listen to. Look through the archives to find something that is appealing to you. Part of the goal of this assignment is to have you explore an interest that hasn't been satisfied in class and to learn some of the stories that we haven't had time for but that make history great. Some shows that I have listened to and enjoyed are: A City Upon A Hill, All Hopped Up, Rules of Engagement, Mission Accomplished, and Grassy Knolls. You can download them, listen to them through this site, or access them through Itunes podcasts.

2) Listen! Don't listen in an environment where you are easily distracted.  Go walk your dog (that's what I do). Or listen while you're running on the treadmill or sitting in a car on the way to see family. Listen to the whole thing. 

3) Write a one page response to the following questions:

• How is listening to this podcast different from reading your textbook? 
• What makes it better or worse as a learning tool? What do we gain/lose from hearing more anecdotal stories from history? 
• What is the theme of the podcast you chose? If you could pick one story that you think was worth sharing with the class, what would it be, and why is it so important? How did this story add to your understanding of the larger theme?

Due date: January 6th by 2:45...for ALL CLASSES. 

Hope you enjoy! And, more importantly, I hope you have a wonderful, restful, and fun-filled break! See you in 2014!

Inventions...

We didn't have a chance to watch this in class, but, if you enjoyed our debate about the most important inventions, you might like this 5-minute Ted video:

Keep scrolling down for the midterm questions!

2013 Midterm Essay Possibilities

On midterm day, I will post 2 of the 6 questions below. You will choose one of those questions to write a response to. I would strongly encourage you to work through and prepare responses to questions over the break (or even before!). I'll respond to email over break, but I can't promise how quickly....

2013 Midterm Essay Possibilities

1. Compare the ways in which TWO of the following reflected tensions in colonial society: Bacon’s Rebellion (1676); Pueblo Rebellion (1680); Salem witchcraft trials (1692); Stono Rebellion (1739)
2. Although the power of the national government increased during the early republic, this development often faced serious opposition. Compare the motives and effectiveness of those opposed to the growing power of the national government in TWO of the following: Whiskey Rebellion, 1794; Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions, 1798-1799; Hartford Convention, 1814-1815; Nullification Crisis, 1832-1833
3. The Era of Good Feeling (1816-1824) marked the appearance of issues that transformed American politics in the next 20 years.  Assess the validity of this generalization.
4. American reform movements between 1820 and 1860 reflected both optimistic and pessimistic views of human nature and society.  Assess the validity of this statement in reference to reform movements of THREE of the following areas:

Education                               Utopian experiments

Temperance                          Penal Institutions  

Women’s Rights

5. The South never had a chance to win the Civil War.  To what extent, and why, do you agree or disagree with this statement?
6. Discuss the political, economic, and social reforms introduced in the South between 1864 and 1877.  To what extent did these reforms survive the Compromise of 1877? 

Review and reminders

Hello all! Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving break!

A reminder that B day will test on the Civil War and Reconstruction tomorrow (Tuesday, December 3rd), and A day will test on Wednesday, December 4th.

I will be available afterschool today to review--there is a review guide online as well (see the above tab).