Tuesday 30 August 2011

Colony Projects

In groups of two, students will choose a colony and create a poster of that colony's founding.

Things that need to be included on the poster:

1) Date of founding
2) Reason for founding
3) When the colony attained self-government
4) Economics: How the colony sustained itself (how it made money)
5) Important people connected with the colony (such as founders)
6) Map(s)
7) Pictures - drawings of the earlier colonies
8) Neatness/Quality of appearance

Each of the above is worth 5 points. Total project is worth 40 points. Due date is Friday.

Friday 19 August 2011

Study Questions for Chapter 1 - American Journey

1) Create a chart with a list of Native Americans according to each region. For this chart give dates (if possible) for the raise and fall of the group. Also, include major achievements of each group.

2) What is your general impression of the Americas before the arrival of Columbus?

3) What groups formed the Iroquois League? When was this group formed and for what reason?

4) What are hieroglyphics? What Native groups used them?

5) What type of dwelling was common among the people of the Southwest?

6) What was the first crop raised by Native Americans in Mexico?

REViEW FROM YESTERDAY - you should know and answer the following:

1) What was the population of the Americas in 1491?
2) What advantages did the Europeans have over the Native Americans?
3) How did the crusades effect (or lead to) the discovery of the Americas?
4) What did Europe want in the East Indies (China, Japan, India)?
5) How was Marco Polo important to the Discovery of the Americas?

Friday 12 August 2011

U.S. History Syllabus

U.S. History Syllabus
U.S. History.
Many people view history merely as a set of dates or facts to be memorized and regurgitated, but history is much more. Events in history have different interpretations and viewpoints. Who writes history? Is history bias towards those in power? This course will look at history not as “dates” or “facts” but a series of stories, debates and different viewpoints about what happened and why it happened. It’s not enough to learn history itself; one must learn from history the true essence of the human experience.
This course is divided into periods of time and emphasizes themes throughout American history. Some of the themes and readings will correspond and interrelated with English 11: American Literature. Themes will include the following: the American identity and the American Dream, the history of slavery and its legacies, war and diplomacy, social reform movements and the role of religion in the making of the United States.
Units will include the following:
Unit 1: Colonial History, 1492-1763
Unit 2: American Independence
Unit 3: The Republican Experiment (Articles of Confederation vs. the Constitution)
Unit 4: Jefferson Republicanism: Jefferson, Madison, the Louisiana Purchase, the War of 1812, the Monroe Doctrine, the Missouri Compromise
Unit 5: Jacksonian American: “Trail of Tears”, the Democratic Party, elections of 1824-1840 and Wars with Native Americans during this time.
Unit 6: Manifest Destiny and the Mexican-American War.
Unit 7: The Civil War
Unit 8: The Gilded Age
Unit 9: WWI and the Roaring 20s.
Unit 10: The Great Depression
Unit 11: World War II
Unit 12: The Cold War, Korean War, Vietnam and the 60s Protest.

If we have enough time we will briefly cover the 70s and 80s.

TEXTBOOKS

Appleby, Joyce., et al. The American Journey. New York: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 2003.

Zinn, Howard. A People’s History of the United States. New York: Harper Perennial,
2005.

Additional Readings

Boyer, Paul S., and al. The Enduring Vision. Fifth Edition. Toronto: D.C. Houghton
Mifflin Company, 2004.
Davidson, James W., and Mark M. Lytle. After the Fact: The Art of Historical
Detection. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2004.

Douglas, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. New York: Dover
Publications, 1995.

Grafton, John, ed. Abraham Lincoln: Great Speeches. New York: Dover Publications,
1991.

The will also be various articles and handouts from the teacher from time to time.


GRADING and EVALUATION

Students will be given a variety of assignments including tests, quizzes, homework, essay assignments and projects. Tests will include essay questions, short answer and multiple-choice questions. Essay and projects will be grade on a rubric.

Break Down of Grades:
TESTS – 25%
Projects -25%
Essays – 25%
Homework and Quizzes – 25%