due Friday 12/23

notes on pages 159-67 (stop at "completing the structure")

due next week

due Monday 12/19 (C block) or Tuesday 12/20 (A block) and worth one homework grade:  create a political cartoon that reflects one of the arguments presented in the primary source readings given out in class on Thursday and Friday.

Due Tuesday 12/13

Due Tuesday 12/13:

Find a current news story (published within the last 3 months) from a reputable (reliable, credible, high quality) news source that represents the best or worst of American democracy.  Try to be thoughtful and original in your choice of topic.  Please do NOT just search "best or worst of American democracy" - it will be apparent if you've done that.  Instead, read through the recent news and consider what stories meet the criteria.

When you have made your choice, write a one-paragraph response to the prompt that summarizes the article and explain how it demonstrates the best or worst of the current state of American government.  As always, please type and follow the rules of both MLA formatting and proper, formal academic writing.  Please include a source citation for the news story and cite from the source (internally) in your response itself.  (You may also choose to include a copy of the article itself, but that is not required).

Due in hard copy (as always) at the start of class on Tuesday 12/13 and worth 15 points for term 2.
Grading will be based on thoughtfulness of the selection (topic), quality of the source chosen and quality of writing, including use of proper MLA format.

Due Thursday 12/15:  notes on pages 149-56

American Revolution study questions

They are here.  Test is Thursday 12/8 - same format as last time (multiple choice and one free response question).

Please take this survey in class when directed, or by the end of the week if you miss class on the day we do it.

upcoming assignments

Due Monday 11/21 (C block) or Tuesday 11/22 (A block):  Declaration of Independence and questions.

Due Wednesday 11/23 (both classes):  timeline of 10 key events from the war for independence, based on pages 131-141.  The template is here.  In each box, clearly indicate the name of the event(s), date(s) and a description.  You may need to combine a few events into a single box if they happened around the same time or in the same area.  You should be able to fill the boxes with details.

Read 141-6 by Tuesday 11/29 and write 5 big ideas from the reading.

Due Thursday 12/1 (note the change to give you more time):  American Revolution site visit assignment.

Here are the document stations from class on the course of the war itself.  The article on the Gadsden flag wasn't included, but you can find it here.

due Thursday and Friday (11/17-11/18)

notes on pages 124-31due Thursday 11/17 for both classes

Here is a link to the mock town hall meeting description, and here are all of the roles for the activity - due Friday 11/8.

mock election resuls!

President:
Hillary Clinton: 79.4%
Donald Trump: 15.5%
Gary Johnson: 6.6%
Jill Stein: 5.4%

MA Ballot Question 1 (Slot Machine Parlors)

Yes: 27.9%
No: 73.2%

MA Ballot Question 2 (Expanding Charter Schools)

Yes: 20.3%
No: 81%

MA Ballot Question 3 (Animal Rights and Cruelty)

Yes: 75.9%
No: 25.3%

MA Ballot Question 4 (Legalizing Marijuana)

Yes: 46.1%
No: 55.5%

due Thursday 11/10 (C block)

Be ready to perform your scenes.  Reminders:  grading (out of 15 points) will be based on depth of understanding demonstrated, creativity and originality of approach, energy and enthusiasm in performance.  Scenes should be one minute long (or a bit over that is fine).  Feel free to bring visual aids and props!

due next week (10/31-11/4)

105-111 due Monday 10/31 for C block, Tuesday 11/1 for A block
111-116 due Thursday 11/3
116-123 due Friday 11/4

Here are the document stations from class on Thursday/Friday, in case you missed any.

town meeting this week

Be ready with research and arguments on Thursday10/27 (C block) or Friday (A block).  Here is the description, assignment and issues.

due next week

notes on pages 99-105 due Monday 10/24 for C block, Tuesday 10/25 for A block

link to Friday's class activity

Click on this link for the class when directed.

due next week (10/17-10/21)

Due Tuesday 10/17:  personal connection to history project - view the description here.

Test on chapters 1-3 of Brinkley (exploration and colonization of the Americas) Thursday 10/19.  Format will be multiple choice with a free response (writing) prompt or essay question.  Study questions are here, and here are the last few review questions C block generated in class.

due Tuesday 10/11 for both classes

Chapter 3 guided reading - questions can be found here.  Keep in mind that this is a whole chapter, so plan accordingly!

Also, here is the article about Trump and the Pequots from class Thursday, if you're interested.

Links to be viewed in class Friday 10/7:
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/colonialhouse/history/
https://www.plimoth.org/learn/just-kids/thanksgiving-interactive-you-are-historian

due next week

notes on 54-63 for Tuesday (C block) or Wednesday (A block)

Due 9/26-9/30 and link to Jamestown activity to be done in class

A block:
Watch about 20 minutes (or more!) of the presidential debate Monday night
Due Wednesday 9/28:  notes on pages 40-49
Due Friday 9/30:  notes on p. 49-54

C block:
Due Monday 9/26:  notes on pages 40-45 (note the change - this is shorter than originally assigned)
Watch about 20 minutes (or more!) of the presidential debate Monday night
Due Wednesday 9/28:  notes on pages 45-49
Due Friday 9/30:  notes on p. 49-54

When directed, open this link in class.

You may also find this article about the White map of Roanoke interesting, and this article about confirmed cannibalism is Jamestown is also pretty captivating (though not for the faint at heart!).

due 9/20-9/23

Due Tuesday 9/20 for both classes:  response (U.S. IS or U.S. ARE?) - see previous post for the link.

Due Wednesday 9/21 for A block, Thursday 9/22 for C block:  notes on p. 32-40.

due 9/12-9/20

Due Tuesday 9/13 for all classes:  reading/notes on pages 9-14.

Due Thursday 9/15:  reading/notes on pages 14-21

Due Friday 9/16:  reading/notes on pages 23-30 (you can skip p. 22, as it's one of those colored sections you're not required to read).

Due Tuesday 9/20:  typed one paragraph response to the following question:
In America today, which notion prevails most strongly:  the United States IS, or the United States ARE?  (Consider the implications that changing that one word has on the meaning of the statement. The first step to responding to this question is to determine that difference).

Requirements for the response:
- This is an opinion-based question, but needs to be substantiated with fact.  Cite from one reputable source in your response.  Remember to include both internal and source citations.
- Follow the rules for formal writing on this (and as a general default).
- Properly format in MLA throughout the response, as with all formal written work.  Please look up the requirements (on the Purdue OWL site, or another MLA resource site) if you're not sure what they are.
-Due in hard copy (printed) at the start of class on Tuesday.  (Worth 10 points, or 2 homework grades).

due this week (9/6-9/9) for all classes

Please return the completed half sheet of paper (with signatures, parent and technology information) by Friday 9/9.

Due Thursday 9/8:  what does it mean to be an American?  visual assignment (on the back of the fact or myth sheet given out in class Tuesday)

Due Friday 9/9:  Read and take notes on pages 2-9 of the Brinkley textbook (note the correction).  Stop at the first new section heading on page 9 ("Europe Looks Westward").  You may skip the special colored sections (e.g. the blue "where historians disagree section " in this assignment) and can do so on all future reading assignments.  1.5 pages of handwritten, original notes required for full credit on this assignment.

Class activity:  open this file when directed in class.

First post of the 2016-17 school year

Here is the course syllabus.