1920s/Gatsby

POP QUIZ chapter 4

Split: Projects and discuss chapter 4

1920s/Gatsby

• Chapter 3 POP QUIZ
• Work on projects
• Discuss chapter 3
• Start chapter 4

1920s/Gatsby

Split:

• Projects
• Discuss chapter 2 of Gatsby
• Start chapter 3--FINISH FOR HOMEWORK

1920s/Gatsby

Agenda:

• Half the class will work on projects while the other half works on Gatsby.
• Check out some visual interpretations of the "Valley of Ashes"

Unit-1920s/the Great Gatsby

Today's Agenda:

• Continue/finish chapter 1 of Gatsby--Character quotes
• Here's are some great slides for a point of visual reference to the world of the novel
• Organization of groups for twenties projects/presentations Here is the sign-up and a libguide!

Resources: Check out a list of allusions in the book, as well as pertinent vocabulary!

1920s/The Great Gatsby

Agenda:

• Collect Hemingway paragraphs
• Background/Discussion of new unit
• Talking points
• Calendar
• The Great Gatsby chapter 1!

Hulton Archive / Hulton Archive / Getty Images / Universal Images Group

Rights Managed / For Education Use Only

Imperialism at the Turn of the 20th Century

Today's Agenda:

Summative assessment (2 parts)

• Multiple Choice History Exam
• 1 or 2 paragraphs on the Lit.

Next Unit: The 1920s and the Great Gatsby

World War I

Today's Agenda:

• Finish: Anthem Chapter 18
• Review the history unit: Imperialism at the Turn of the 20th Century
• Lit review
• Unit Exam tomorrow

World War I

Today's Agenda:


Read: Hemingway's Soldier's Home
Discuss: the end of the War
Review: Chapter 18 Anthem

World War I-Propaganda

Agenda:

WWI Propaganda Activity
PROPAGANDA: The organized dissemination of information to influence thoughts, beliefs, feelings, and actions.

• Groups of 2 or 3 
• Go to this website: http://www.learnnc.org/lp/editions/ww1posters/4963
• Each group will be assigned 2 propaganda posters. 
• Go to the Google Doc for your class Block 2 
• For each piece:
• Describe the image and text. 
• What is the overall message? 
• What emotions does it play on? 
• What effect would the poster most likely have on American citizens of the time? 
• What is pointed out that YOU can do directly to help the war effort? 
• How are the symbols, images, and words arranged to convey a message?

World War I and Hemingway

ERNEST HEMINGWAY

In this unit, we will be reading two short stories by Ernest Hemingway, who is an American literary giant. Check out a biography of Hemingway here.

In Another Country

World War I was the largest, international conflict people had ever seen, and it caused people to change their view of the world. People became full of despair, delusional, horrified that everything would fall apart, and it made them lose faith. In Hemingway’s "In Another Country," there is one character in the story who is known as Major. He is a smaller part of the story, but a  perfect example of the kind of “loss of faith” that people were beginning to experience because of the war.

Here are some questions for this story.

Soldier's Home

This story is very ironic in its title and storyline. Hemingway doesn’t bother to tell people why Krebs is the last to return home or what happened in the meantime, but Harold simply comes back late and cannot find his place when everyone else is already settled. It is a great tale that speaks to “fitting in” as well as being “left behind.”

Here are some questions for this story.

"Ernest Hemingway in uniform 1918;" Photo Researchers/Universal Images Group and

"Hemingway;" Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty Images/Universal Images Group

Imperialism at the Turn of the 20th Century

Today's Agenda:

• Intro: the causes of World War I (M.A.I.N.)
• Activity: European Alliances Worksheet
• Literature: Ernest Hemingway introduction

Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand

Imperialism at the Turn of the 20th Century

Today's Agenda:

• Quiz: Zinn article and questions
• View: Spanish-American War
• Chapter 17 Sections 1 and 2

Spanish-American War

Finish the Zinn Article
Response to America in the Philippines: "White Man's Burden"
Response to "White Man's Burden": Other "Burden" Poems

Unit-Imperialism at the Turn of the 20th century

Today's Agenda:

The Spanish American War

• Anthem work: Chapter 17 Sections 1 and 2
• Howard Zinn: the Empire and the People
• How does the textbook portray the Spanish American war versus Zinn's A People's History of the United States?

Progressive Era Wrap-Up/New Unit: Imperialism

Today's Agenda:

Pass Back: Chapter 16 Review
The Progressive Era Open Response Questions
Intro: New Unit on Imperialism at the turn of the 20th century

The Progressives Era

Today's Agenda:

Today we need to finish:

1. any remaining Progressive project presentations (alliteration)
2. the Chapter 16 attack
3. Lecture/Discussion: Content we may have missed (Progressive Era Notes)
4. Video: Crash Course on Progressives

The Progressive Era

Today's Agenda:

• Last day to do research!
• 3 paragraphs are due by the end of the Block
• Prepare/Finalize Progressive Projects

The Progressive Movement

Progressives Group Project!

• There are numerous topics to explore for this project. Your task is to create a multimedia presentation that will be published online.
• Each group should essentially answer the following questions concerning their topic:
• What is the problem/issue?
• Who (individuals or groups of people) addresses the problem?
• What is their approach to the problem?
• What are the results?
• You must cite sources and properly attribute any and all pictures, video, and other media taken from somewhere.
• The method by which you create this presentation is up to you. Most people will probably go the route of Google Presentation; however, we are requiring you to evaluate two presentation tools that are not Google Presentation. 
• Ms. Hopkins has made a great project guide, which has links to numerous presentation tools. Use the Evaluation Worksheet to evaluate at least two of these tools.
• Once your group has evaluated what presentation tool you will use, start creating. Ideally, your presentation should "stand alone," meaning the information/topic presented could be understood by a casual observer.

Unit-Immigration

Today's Agenda:

Discuss: the Immigrant Experience in America
American Anthem Chapter 15: Life at the Turn of the 20th Century
Optional: The Jungle

Unit-Industrialization

Today's Agenda:

Review(Open Note) of Chapter 14-The Second Industrialization
Review; the Jungle Questions from yesterday

Profile in Courage Essay Contest

Profile in Courage Essay Contest

First-place winner receives $10,000!

Second-place winner receives $1,000.

Up to five finalists receive $500 each.

The Profile in Courage Essay Contest invites United States high school students to consider the concept of political courage by writing an essay on a U.S. elected official who has chosen to do what is right, rather than what is expedient. A “Profile in Courage” essay is a carefully researched recounting of a story: the story of how an elected official risked his or her career to take a stand based on the dictates of the public good, rather than the dictates of polls, interest groups or even constituents.

THIS YEAR'S TOPIC:
Describe and analyze an act of political courage by a United States elected official that took place during or after 1956. Include an analysis of the obstacles, risks, and consequences associated with the act. The essay may concern an issue at the local, state, national, or international level.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, including tips, resources, exemplar past-winning essays, etc., go TO THE WEBSITE.

Deadline is January 6, 2016; if you would like any feedback on any drafts of this essay, please feel free to ask! We would be happy to help in any way.

Industrialization

Today's Agenda:

Chapter Attack (14) on Industrialization
Start: The Jungle Chapter 2 and Questions

Unit-Industrialization

Today's Agenda:

View/Answer Questions: America, the Story of US: Cities
Discuss: the relationship between Industrialization and Urbanization
Pass Back: Native American essays (What do we need to work on?)

Unit-Industrialization

Today's Agenda:

Discussion: Introduce the new unit and major topics
Examine: American Anthem Chapter 14 (The Industrial Revolution)

Native American Resistance

Today's Agenda:

Review: Chapter 13 Attack (Open Note)
Native American Paper is due (Print copy please)

Native American Resistance

Today's Agenda:

• Finish: the Native American essay
• Print it out and turn it in Tomorrow (Friday)
• Finish: Chapter 13 Attack

Native American Resistance

Today's Agenda:

• Introduce/Work on the Essay
• Finish: Chapter Attack (13)

Native American Resistance

Today's Agenda:

• Prepping for the essay: Looking at Academic Voice
• In groups, look at the college-level essay on Sherman Alexie's stories, and answer the questions.
• Finish the Chapter Attack (13)

Native American Resistance

Today's Agenda

Finish textbook work/Chapter 13 The American West
Video Clip: Battlefield Detectives-The Battle of Little Bighorn

Native American Resistance

Today's Agenda:

Chapter Attack: 13-The American West (only 3 sections)
Chapter Attack Format (If you do not remember)
Catch-Up: Tonto and the Lone Ranger Fistfight in Heaven

Alexie/Native American Resistance

• Native American Resistance post 1850
• "The Only Traffic Signal on the Reservation Doesn't Flash Red Anymore"
• As you read, look for the quotes provided. Explain the context (what is happening) of the quote, and the meaning (how does it relate to the Native American Identity?).
• Chapter Attack: Chapter 13-The American West

Native Americans and the West

Today's Agenda:

Review: Native American Art Analysis (looking for some examples)
Quiz: "A Drug Called tradition"
Discussion: Notes on "Every Little Hurricane" and "Drug Called Tradition"
Examine: Native American Resistance After 1850

Unit-Native Americans and the West

Today's Agenda:

• Review: What do we already know about Native Americans from AS1? (Brainstorm)
• Examine: November is Native American month
• Analyze: With a partner, choose one of the collections from after 1850 and analyze it. Use specific examples to demonstrate what the Native experience was like. Be creative.
• Here is a guide for doing art analysis.
• Tomorrow: Buj is going to quiz the story "A Drug Called Tradition"

Sherman Alexie

Our first story that we will read is "Every Little Hurricane," followed by "A Drug Called Tradition." Keep in mind where we are headed--how do Native Americans wrestle with their identity, and why?

Answer the questions for both stories FOR FRIDAY.

Reconstruction Assessment/New Unit-Native American Identity

Agenda:

• Reconstruction Assessment: On a separate sheet of paper, answer the questions in complete sentences, as thoroughly as possible.
• Our next unit explores the Native American Identity. Some questions to guide us through the unit: Who are they as people? How has their identity been formed? What was it in the past and what is it now?
• We will read some contemporary fiction from Sherman Alexie, a humorous, poetic writer, and these stories from The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven all revolve around one reservation, and the way of life there.
• As for history, well, essentially our mistreatment and near eradication of Native Americans will be looked at, and how that has also formed the Native American Identity.
• A nice introduction to contemporary reservation life is a 20/20 special, "Children of the Plains."
• Sherman Alexie is charming on the Colbert Report...And again.

Unit-Reconstruction and Huck Finn

Today's Agenda:

• Finish the chapter Attack on Reconstruction (12)
• Open Note Assessment on Monday
• Have a great weekend!

Reconstruction/Huck Finn Assessment

Today's Agenda:

• Assessment for Huck Finn
• Work on the Chapter Attack for Reconstruction (Chapter 12)

Reconstruction and Huck Finn

Today's Agenda:

Review: Huck Finn Chapters 15 and 16

• Moral development, internal conflict, and dramatic irony
• "Stuck in a fog"--Literal (actual) vs. Figurative (deeper meaning)
• How is Huck figuratively stuck in a fog?
• Why does Huck trick Jim?
• How does Jim react?
• What is Twain showing us about Jim?
• How does Huck feel after?
• Dramatic irony--When the reader knows something the character does not
• What is ironic about this chapter?
• Conflict--Internal vs. External
• Man vs. Self, Man vs. Nature, Man vs. Man, Man vs. Society/Ideas
• What is Huck's internal conflict?
• What does Huck do? Why?

Discuss: The Election of 1876 and the End of Reconstruction

Reconstruction and Huck Finn

Today's Agenda:

• Huck Finn
• Review questions on chapters 5 and 6
• Need to know: chapters 7-14
• Read: chapters 15 & 16 FINISH FOR HOMEWORK
• Discuss: the Southern Reaction to Reconstruction
• The Jim Crow Museum

Reconstruction/Huck Finn

Today's Agenda:

• Reconstruction under President Andrew Johnson
• The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
• Need to Know, chapters 1-4
• Read chapters 5 & 6 FINISH QUESTIONS FOR HOMEWORK

Reconstruction/Huck Finn

• Hand in Whitman project
• Lincoln's Reconstruction Plan/Assassination of Lincoln
• Intro Mark Twain! Why is this guy important?
• The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
• Need to Know, chapters 1-4
• Read chapters 5 & 6

Unit Assessment (The Civil War)

Today's Agenda:

• Take: the Civil War Exam
• Finish: Whitman Activity (due tomorrow)
• Preview: Reconstruction and Huck Finn

Unit-The Civil War

Today's Agenda:

Review the Whitman project (due Friday)
Review of the Civil War
Study: Unit Exam tomorrow

Unit-The Civil War

Today's Agenda:

Complete the Walt Whitman activity:

• Poetry 
• Poem
• Picture

Unit-The Civil War

Today's Agenda:

Geography and War Strategy
Shermans March/The End of the War
Poetry of Walt Whitman

Unit-The Civil War

Today's Agenda:

View: Civil War Map
Civil War Trust: Animated Maps of Major Battles
Civil War 150: Another cool website from History.com

Lecture/Discussion on Major Topics associated with the Civil War

Unit-Civil War

Today's Agenda:

Civil War Project Presentations:

• President's speeches on secession
• Political/Military Leaders
• Maps
• Newspaper Editorials
• Personal Narratives

Lecture/Chart: Comparing the North and South in 1861

The Civil War

Today's Agenda:

We have access to more technology today. Use your time wisely to transition from research to "final product."

Some are:

• writing speeches
• preparing presentations
• creating maps
• writing editorials
• writing historical fiction (narratives)
• preparing bio's

Unit 2-The Civil War

Today;s Agenda:

Research: We are in the library today and tomorrow. Reminder, you need to find 3 sources and fill out the source sheets that we handed out yesterday.

• Use our databases! Check out the libguide created by Ms. Hopkins
• What responsibility you have within the project will determine what you search for...
• Speeches should research the men themselves, what their opinions were, events that were happening at the time of secession/surrender...
• Maps & Battles should research geographical advantages, life of soldiers during the time, primary accounts of battles...
• Editorials should research actual newspapers from the time as well as lives of individuals and how they felt about events of the time
• Personal Letters should research various events/trends that affected people (like battles, riots, laws, elections, food shortages, blockades, family crises, etc.), as well as actual letters from the time period
• It is required you have at least three sources (books, databases) with a filled out Research Source Organizer for each source
• You may notice there is a new tab at the header. This is our "Resources" tab that we will periodically be throwing helpful tools, websites, articles, and materials for general classroom/studying use.

Unit 2-The Civil War

Agenda:

• Yesterday we wrapped up Slavery with our unit assessment
• Today, we kick off the Civil War with a Group Project!
• Ms. Hopkins will join us to talk about resources available to us
• Here is a research source organizer

Slavery

Agenda:

• Review American paragraphs...things to work on
• Review unit, hand out Summative Assessment
• What makes a good response? How to integrate quotes?

Unit1-Pre-Civil War America

Today's Agenda:

• Finish: Slave Girl Chapters 29 and 30
• Review questions for Slave Girl should be completed/Handed in
• Election of 1860
• Review Unit 1 (History and Literature)

The Presidential Election of 1860

Unit-Pre-Civil War America

Today's Agenda:

• Review: Slave Girl Chapters 21 and 23
• John Brown: Radical Abolitionist
• Quotes

Unit 1-Pre-Civil War America

Today's Agenda:

• Review: Slave Girl Chapters 15/16
• Examine: the Rise of Abraham Lincoln
• Lincoln Reenactment
• Read: Chapters 21 and 23 in Slave Girl

Unit 1-Slavery/Pre-Civil war America

Today's Agenda:

• Review: Slave Girl chapters 5 and 6
• Dred Scott decision: How did this Supreme Court ruling affect slavery and the abolition movement?
• Dred Scott Questions
• Read: Slave Girl Chapter 15

Unit-Pre-Civil War America and Slavery

Agenda:

• Kansas-Nebraska Act: How did what happened in Kansas serve as foreshadowing for the Civil War?
• Here is a video/lecture
• Slave Girl: Recap 1 & 2; start chapters 5 & 6 (questions) 
• HOMEWORK: Finish reading/questions

Unit 1-PreCivil War America/Slavery

Today's Agenda:

• Compromise of 1850: What impact did it have on slavery?
• Map Activity: What did America look like in 1850? Page 326 of textbook
• Intro Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, read chapters 1 & 2
• NO HOMEWORK!

The American Identity

What does it mean to be an "American"?

The answer to this question is not simple, and has many layers. This is our "Essential Question" for the entire year.

Let's brainstorm!

• What makes up the American Identity? 
• What defines American? 
• What do Americans want? 
• What words, thoughts, opinions, or even images that come to mind when we think of the “American Identity”?

Welcome!

This blog was created by Mr. Jolicoeur and Mr. Bujold to help communicate more effectively with students and parents this year in Comprehensive American Studies II. We will be blogging daily with the class agenda, links to assignments, and links to interesting and informative topics that we see on the internet. You will notice there are two additional tabs: "Unit Handouts" and "Resources." These will provide ample support as we journey through the year.

Here is our class expectations sheet.

Final Exam prep

Here is the handout that Buj created that is an overview of the course.

Be prepared to write the essay on Monday

Modern America

Today's Agenda:

Research: Modern American Presidents project (These are due this Wednesday)
Here is the link to the Final Exam Study Guide

Modern America

Today's Agenda:

Research: Presidents Nixon to Obama
Interesting: Slate article comparing the current "war" on ISIS to Vietnam

Modern America: Nixon to Obama

Today's Agenda:

Organize the cooperative assignment (linked here)
Watch/Finish Born on the 4th of July
Research for the projects starts tomorrow

Post Vietnam America

Today's Agenda:

Block 1: Because of class elections last week, we still need to answer the Vietnam and Things They Carried questions.

Block 2: We are done with the Vietnam summative assessment, so we will be watching Born on the 4th of July

Vietnam/Things They Carried

• Wrap-up Vietnam
• Ron Kovic today
• Quiz/Discuss "Speaking of Courage"
• Prep for assessment (TOMORROW)

Vietnam Questions

Things They Carried

• Quiz "How to Tell a True War Story
• Discuss/Review
• O'Brien's keynote address
• Start "Speaking of Courage;" finish for HOMEWORK

Vietnam/Things they Carried

• The problems with Vietnam
• View: the Tet Offensive
• Review: How to Tell a True War story
• "But what wakes me up twenty years later is Dave Jensen singing "Lemon Tree" as we threw down the parts.
• O'Brien speaking at Brown University about the role of truth and lies in fiction

Vietnam/The Things They Carried

• Questions for "On the Rainy River"
• FOCUS: What  thoughts, opinions, and attitudes does O'Brien share regarding young men being drafted?
• Questions for "How to Tell a True War Story"
• FOCUS: What role does truth have in stories?
• Pre-Reading discussion:
• Have you ever tried to tell the story of a meaningful experience but have been unable to fully capture the "it" of the experience? What do you do when the facts of the experience are not enough?
• What is the difference between reporting an experience and telling a story?
• Does there exist experiences for which you really do have to be there?

Vietnam War Statistics

The Vietnam War

Today's Agenda:

Introduce the Vietnam War
Finish: On the Rainy River by Tim O'Brien