Snow Day!

Hi everyone,

If you did not receive a copy of the take home test, you must come see me on Monday! This is due on January 8, but it is far too much work for you to do if you receive the assignment in January.

I hope you have all made it home safely! Enjoy your snow day and your weekend!

Those of you who did not receive a permission slip, please see me on Monday! If you do not have it on Tuesday, you will not be permitted to view the film!

CE Dates

The following are your currently scheduled Current Events due dates. Should we have a snow day or other event that changes the current A/B rotation, your due date will move to the next day of class.

January 12
February 18
March 16
April 27
May 26

These dates should provide you with a full four calendar weeks between due dates.
Please see me if you have any questions or problems.

Factors that Handicapped the Crown's Ability to Wage Effective War

PBS has a series called Liberty!, which presents lots of information in a teacher's guide to accompany the series.

Follow this link to find the list they have prepared of Factors that Handicapped the Crown's Ability to Wage Effective War. We can certainly consider these to be either American advantages or British disadvantages.

Current Events

When printing articles from a website, make sure you are printing directly from the site. On any reputable news source's webpage, you will find a link to "Print this." Doing so will remove any ads and other junk for you, but will still include any relevant source information. This ensures that you have not only completely cited your source, but that you have also not modified the document in any way.

For example, click on this link and then hit the print button under the picture: Greece
Notice how all the ads (except the small one at the top) have been removed, saving space and paper. (I am unable to provide you with a direct link to the printer friendly version).

Copying the information into a document and printing that is a way to save paper (since you can remove the ads and pictures), but does not ensure the accuracy of the source.
For example: Greece

Publish at Scribd or explore others:

Please don't hesitate to see me if you have any questions!

Primary Source Homework

Our focus next week will be on the following topic:
"Resolved: American slavery is an oxymoron."

Your homework for Tuesday is to prepare to discuss this topic as one of the following individuals: Thomas Jefferson, Venture Smith, George Washington, Abigail Adams, Benjamin Banneker, Lord Dunmore, and Phillis Wheatley.

Your number (assigned in class) will identify which person you are responsible for researching. Your homework is to click on the link associated with that person's name and read the primary source (or information provided) for December 9... in some cases, you will have to click on the picture to the left to access the primary source information.

Group 1--Thomas Jefferson
Group 2--Venture Smith
Group 3--George Washington
Group 4--Abigail Adams
Group 5--Benjamin Banneker
Group 6--Lord Dunmore
Group 7--Phillis Wheatley

Homework for 12/3

Read pages 133-138 (Iroquois and the British)

You should take outline notes on all readings, but the focus of your notes should be to compare British advantages and disadvantages with American ones.

Locke v Jefferson Ppts

Period 1/2

Period 7/8

**FYI, ScribD is not allowing me to upload all these powerpoints, because they have cited copyright infringement. This is not, I am pretty sure, because of anything other than similar documents were submitted. I have written to them explaining the situation, but have not yet received a response, but for now, you can access the powerpoint created by Period 7/8. It will have almost the exact same information as your class's. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to see me.**

Close Reading of the D of I

**THIS IS NOT HOMEWORK!! It will be a class activity**

Look at this website: http://www.ushistory.org/Declaration/document/congress.htm

It presents to you Jefferson's original draft of the Declaration of Independence as submitted to the Second Continental Congress (and seen debated in 1776).

Your job is to identify the reasons behind each change. Generally, they will fall into one of two groups (although some will fall into both): grammatical or political.
Make a chart in which you write down the change (you can write the first three or four words then the last three or four words, with an ellipsis in between), and then identify the reasons for the change.

In this task, you will be closely reading the Declaration of Independence as well as identifying the reasons they made the changes they did. Think carefully about the Age of Enlightenment, and what affect the ideas and ideals of that time would impact the words and changes.

Government: Ltd or Absolute?

Your homework for Friday is to:
1. Study for your map quiz.
2. Complete the worksheet linked below. Read each of the excerpts and answer the questions that follow. You may print if you wish or you may write the answers to the questions in your notebook.

Govt Ltd or Absolute

Get your own at Scribd or explore others:

Causes of the Revolution Test

Your test will be on Monday, November 17.

Review the Causes of the Revolution project. For each causes, be familiar with:

• Background to the event
• What happened and why?
• Any significant dates (it's a great idea to learn them with their dates)
• the results: How did colonists/the British react to the event? What were the consequences?
• Which colony is affected the most?
  

Be familiar with these terms:

• tyrant
• duties
  
• sovereign
• the American idea of representation
• the British idea of representation
• Join or Die
• Lexington and Concord
• The Coercive Acts, aka: The Intolerable Acts
  

Homework for 11/11 (Veteran's Day, Armistice Day)

Your homework is to read pages 117 (The Philosophy of Revolt) through 124. Please respond to the following questions:

1. How did the colonial view of the nature of the British Empire differ from the view by George III and his supporters?
2. What was the "political outlook" that gained a following in America and ultimately served to justify revolt?
3. Why was the Tea Act seen by many Americans as a threat to themselves and their institutions?
4. What were the Coercive Acts? How did the Quebec Act help to unite the colonies with Boston in opposition to these acts?
5. How and why did taverns become a central institution in colonial American social life? What circumstances and events helped make taverns central to political life as well?
6. What role was played by Committees of Correspondence in the American protests?
7. What were the FIVE major decisions made at the First Continental Congress? What was their significance?
8. What British leaders spoke out in support of the American cause? What were their reasons for doing so?
9. What were the circumstances that led to the fighting at Lexington and Concord?

Homework, due 10/30

Your homework for Thursday is to read pages 110 (The Colonial Response) through 117 (stop at The Philosophy of Revolt), and answer the questions below.

Your notes will ONLY be accepted/given credit if they have a stamp.

To get a stamp, you must bring your completed assignment to Mrs. Wegryn. For a 5 cent fee, she will give you a stamp, which will earn you credit. She will NOT give a stamp after 8am on Thursday morning OR if the assignment is not complete.

The questions:

What initial policy changed occurred when George III ascended the throne? What were the king's motives for these changes? This can be found on page 109

Why was King George III the wrong monarch at the wrong time for England in regard to its North American colonial empire? This can be found on page 109

How did Prime Minister George Grenville change British policy toward her colonies in North America?

What was it about post-1763 British policy that would cause colonists in every section to see the disadvantages rather than the advantages of being part of the British Empire?

Why did the Stamp Act so antagonize the American colonists?

How did actions by the Stamp Act crowd raise questions of whether protests in the colonies represented more than opposition to British policies?

What was England's response to the American protests over the Stamp Act.

Explain how the policies of Charles Townshend and of Lord North differed.

What role did Samuel Adams play in the American protests? How did his view of the need for American independence differ from those of most other colonial leaders at the time?

How did the Boston Massacre add to the growing tensions between the colonists and the British presence in North America?

Product List

Please see here for a list of possible products for your Causes of the Revolution Project.

Homework

This is due on Friday, October 24.
Read pages 90-97.
Answer the following questions:
1. How was the Halfway Communion [Halfway Covenant] a move to address these tensions?
2. What was the First "Great Awakening?" Who brought it about? What groups in colonial society were most attracted to this religious movement?
3. Identify the differences between the "Old Lights" and the "New Lights."
4. What were the effects of the Great Awakening?
5. What was the Enlightenment? How did it differ from the Great Awakening?
6. What colonial colleges were in operation by 1763? Why was each founded, and what subjects were studied in the mid-18c?
7. What evidence was there that the influence of the Enlightenment was spreading in America?
8. Explain the working of the law in colonial America--the concepts on which it was based, and the way it functioned.

Life in the Colonies Essay

Due on October 22.

See your handout for more instructions.

**If you are in the situation of having two Chemistry assignments due on this day, PLEASE see me during period 5 in room 109 on FRIDAY**

Being a

The Bill of Rights Institute is running an essay contest, and YOU are eligible!

The Question: What civic value do you believe is most essential to being an American? Trace the enduring importance of this value throughout the American story by discussing: a Founding document that reflects this value; a figure from American history who embodies this value; and ways you can personally put this value into practice.

The Prizes: 180 prizes will be awarded totaling nearly $200,000. Top prize winners will win $5,000 cash and a trip to Washington, D.C. for an Awards Gala and Weekend!
Submitting an Essay: Our teacher-only submission of high school student essays began on September 2, and ends December 1, 2008, so you’ll need to give your essay (in digital form, please) to Ms. Roy.

For detailed rules, click here.

Email Alerts

Did you know you can get an email when this blog is updated? Go to Yahoo Alerts, click on Feed/Blog, and enter the information. You can select to receive emails once a day or as they are published.

You will need to create a yahoo account, if you don't already have one, but you can have all mail going to your yahoo forwarded to whichever email you use. Feel free to see me if you want help on forwarding.

Current Events due Dates

November 3
December 2
January 13
February 23
March 23
May 4
June 2

**These dates are subject to change!!** You will, however, be given notice if that is the case.

Test Review

US I Unit 1 Test

Found the Colonies, Ch 2 (and the last few pages of chapter 1)

Key questions

• · What are the similarities and differences among Africans, Europeans, and Native Americans in political organizations, social organizations, economic systems, and values (religion, gender roles, nature)?

• · What were the religious, political, and economic motivations that sent Europeans off to the Americas?

• · Why did so many risk the dangers of indentured servitude?

• · Interactions with Native Americans—what comparisons can be made between them in New England, the mid-Atlantic, the Chesapeake, and the Southern colonies?

• · How were early colonies established and governed?

• · How did gender, property ownership, religion, and legal status affect political rights in the colonies?

• · What political, social, economic tensions were there, and how did they lead to violent conflict between the colonists and their governments?

• · What were the religious groups in colonial America, and what role did those religions play in the communities?

• · How and why did family life differ in the northern and southern colonies?

Major topics

• · English motivations for New World colonies—north, south, middle?

• · Successes and failures of each colony

• · Dissent in the colonies; establishment of new colonies

Format

• · Short answers. May consist of lists, analysis, identifications

• · You **may** see a Multiple Choice question or two

• · Test will take approximately 40 minutes

• · Tests will be taken in pen

Homework due 9/25/08

You are to read two documents for understanding. Please take any notes you feel necessary to facilitate your ability to participate in a class discussion about these documents.

First is the Mayflower Compact, which was written aboard the Mayflower in 1620.

Next is A Model of Christian Charity, written by John Winthrop in 1630. Be aware that this is a much longer document, so be sure to allot yourself sufficient time to read it and read it well.

Focus your reading on identifying the goals of each settlement.

Some comments on Current Events

• "This article is about..." Don't do it! It's not good writing. Rather, just come out and say it. For example, "This article is about the snow falling in July" would become "Last July, snow fell in New Jersey."
  
• Summary is IN YOUR OWN WORDS what the article says. Analysis is your thoughts about the event.
  
• Many students like to include a quote from someone quoted in the story. In general, this is unnecessary. If the point is important, you could just as easily put it in your own words. For the most part, however, a single quote is not so important to our understanding of the event.
  
• Focus on the event, not the article. Remember that the article is a report about the event, and you should react to the event itself.
• Don't forget to cite your source and date on your write up as well as having it attached to your article.
• Half a page, when following the formatting rules, is about 12 lines. Keep this in mind, but also remember that a full and insightful short analysis will always be better than a long one with no real thought, organization, or analysis.
• Be sure to choose EVENTS. Just because something is in the newspaper doesn't mean it is an event. For example, you don't want to select an opinion piece or an interview. Instead, see if you can find an article reporting about the topic described in the opinion piece or interview.
  

Change in Late Policy

Because of my crazy schedule, I've realized it is very difficult for you to see me with late work outside of class. SO, I've changed my late policy to the following:

• Late work will lose ten percent per CLASS day
• Late work will be accepted no more than 5 class days after the due date
  

Slavery vs. Indentured Servitude

Please read "Our Plantation is Very Weak."

As you read, please focus on how the system of indentured servitude worked, and what conditions were like for indentured servants.

OR

Please read "The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano..."

As you read, please focus on what conditions he describes, and how he contrasts slavery in Africa with that in America.