Modern American History

Today's Agenda:

• Read: Short Story #2 and answer the questions
• Begin: the film Argo
• Look at the handouts for the film

The 1970s/Short Story Lit. circles

Today's Agenda:

• Finish: America's Time "Starting Over"
• Discuss: The Iranian Hostage Crisis in 1979-1980
• Continue: Short Stories

Contemporary Short Stories

As we end the year, we will wrap up with some literature circles. In groups of FOUR, choose THREE contemporary (post 1975) short stories and create a binder that features your discussion and work related to the stories.

Each story gets its own section, highlighting the following (each task is assigned to a different group member—No one should have the same role twice, meaning for each story you take on a different role--see handout for details): 

• Setting/Plot
• Characters
• Line Illuminator
• Discussion Points

Each story should be from a different decade. We will spend time in the library to find short stories (here's a guide you can use). Once you have found your stories, find a teacher or a librarian to help you photocopy--there is a fast and efficient way to do it.

On our assigned discussion days, follow the protocol:
The person assigned to “discussion points” will act as facilitator

1. Go around the circle, each person sharing their assigned work, without any comment from other members. If you have a response to what someone says, write it down.
2. After everyone has shared their initial thoughts, any member can comment further on what has been stated.
3. After that has played out, facilitator shares their first “discussion point.” Once again, go around the circle to get everyone’s initial thoughts.
4. Then free-form discussion.
5. Second “discussion point.” Repeat steps 3 & 4.
6. Third “discussion point.” Repeat steps 3 & 4.
7. Final thoughts

The 1970s

Today's Agenda:

• Discuss: the Watergate Scandal
• Pass Back: Vietnam Summatives assessments
• 9:45-Junior Class Elections
• Current connection: Watergate is being compared to today's "Spygate" in the New York Times

Tell a True War Story

A true war story is not about the “happening truth” but the “emotional truth.” Sometimes fiction can actually feel more true to life than an account of the simple facts. Consider a strong emotion that you have felt about something in your life. Write a fictionalized personal narrative essay using a powerful image or event that possibly never happened, but represents or expresses the emotions you felt in the real moment. In some ways, this is like a tall tale, where you exaggerate or alter the truth to help your reader understand what it really felt like, since they weren’t there and can’t understand the truth.

• Personal Narrative Assignment
• Exemplars

Vietnam

Today's Agenda:

Finish: Vietnam in HD Episode 6 (Peace with Honor)
Review: Vietnam, The Final Analysis
The Legacy of Vietnam

Time Permitting: Protest Songs of the 21st Century

Vietnam Protests

Choose a song (every pair will have a different song)
See this website for songs. Each song has a Youtube link that can be use for your presentation
http://peacehistory-usfp.org/protest-music-vietnam-war/. Don’t simply choose the first song you come across, listen to a few and do some preliminary research.

You will present the following:

• The background of the song (what is the context of the song? Who is the songwriter? Why did he/she write the song? Was there any specific event that caused them to write the song?)
• Analysis of the lyrics (what is the meaning of the words/phrases? What is/are the message(s) of the song?)
• What is most effective about this song? (words, phrases, music)
• A Google Slide presentation with effective images (at least 7-10 images); add the song to the presentation. Play this slide show during the presentation.
• Once you create your presentation, you can add images
• Go to Image Quest (SHS Library)
• Use key words such as “Vietnam War”, “Vietam Protest” to search
• Choose images and download them to your Google Drive
• The citation is under the image and can be copy and pasted into your Works Cited page (can be a document or a slide)
• You can also access images from Wikimedia Commons and Creative Commons
• Be creative: use animation techniques that will enhance the presentation
• When you have completed the presentation, publish it to the Web (under the File tab) so that you can have the slide show present automatically (you can choose how many seconds between images).
• Use the links to Youtube(website above) to play the song in the background.

Vietnam

Today's Agenda:

American POW Experience
Muhammad Ali's reaction to being drafted in Vietnam
My lai Massacre: Survivors recall the atrocities

Recent history: Mitt Romney in NH (2011)

Vietnam

Today's Agenda:

• Review: Chapter 29 in American Anthem
• Continue: reading Things They Carried
• View: Vietnam in HD, the Tet Offensive (Episode 3)

Vietnam

Today's Agenda:

Watch: Vietnam in HD Episode 1
Complete: the Chapter Attack for Vietnam (29)
Continue: reading Things They Carried

Vietnam

Today's Agenda:

Complete: the 2 maps of Vietnam and Southeast Asia
Here is a short interview that Tim O'Brien did on "War Stories."
Finish: On The Rainy River