Extra Credit Opportunity

What can I do for some extra credit?

As a way to earn some extra credit points for the first semester, you may read a book and report on it. You are allowed to choose any book (historical novel, biography, book on a specialized subject, etc.) on America's history that you would like as long as you get it approved before reading it. Spend some time choosing one with a topic that interests you -- no one enjoys slogging through a long, uninteresting book. 
What book should I read? 
First of all, you may not select a book that you have previously read. Mr. Shoop can offer you some suggestions, and a librarian would be willing to help you find a worthy choice as well. For some ideas, consult the following lists: 
http://www.ouhsd.k12.ca.us/lmc/ohs/read/USHist.htm
http://www.amazon.com/Copes-AP-History-Reading-List/lm/3M8ZBMTGUPEBF
Not all of these books may be age-appropriate (because of mature themes or the reading level), so make sure to get your choice approved by Mr. Shoop.
What will my book report look like?
You have many options for how you will report on what you have learned. Choose one of the following ideas or propose an alternative to your teacher:
1. Plan out a detailed classroom lesson that would teach your classmates about your book's contents and major themes.
2. Find a critical review of the book and explain in 1-2 pages why you agree or disagree with the reviewer's opinion.
3. If the entire class had been required to read your book, what test would you give them to evaluate their knowledge of the book's contents? Provide eight questions along with an answer key.
4. Design an attractive and unique book jacket accurately reflecting the contents of the book.
5. Write out twenty trivia questions (with answers) based on the book you read.
6. In more than 300 words, evaluate the book from a Christian perspective. What biblical themes can be found?
7. Write a 400-word essay on how the book helped you understand the historical period in which it was based. (Some of the ideas above come from Bring History Alive!, 32-33)

Extra credit points will be given out in proportion to the quality of the report and how challenging the book is. Finally, remember that you must get the book approved by Mr. Shoop. Happy reading!

Wall Street Protests: Who Are the 99%?

We have mentioned the Wall Street protests a few times in class recently. For today, we will find out what it is all about. In order to do this, complete the three tasks that follow.

1) Read the New York Times newspaper's overview of the Occupy Wall Street protests found here.

2) Using that information, complete the background questions handed out to you in class. 

3) After this is finished, post a comment on this blog by writing a 5-7 sentence paragraph answering the following question: would you think about joining one of these protests?

Check out these two websites to help you decide:

http://wearethe99percent.tumblr.com/ (says that the protests are a good thing)

http://the53.tumblr.com/  (says that the protests are not a good thing)

Historical Scene Investigation: Jamestown

For our assignment today, we are going to be doing the work of a detective. Click on the link below to access the webpage that contains the historical clues in the case. 
http://web.wm.edu/hsi/cases/jamestown/jamestown_preview.html

Evaluating Columbus's Impact

Columbus Day will be commemorated in America on October 10, less than one month away. Whenever this day comes around, people debate whether Columbus and his men were a good thing for the New World they encountered in 1492. Some hail him as a fearless hero and explorer who discovered new lands and brought civilization to two continents of people. Others say he that he was a slavetrader and a thief, a man who cared little for others and would do anything for gold and glory. In class today, you will look over two different links covering both sides of this issue: was early Spanish involvement in the New World a good thing for the people who lived there?

Read through the following directions carefully.
1. You and your partner will read through these two links: 
http://www.osia.org/documents/Columbus05_factvsfiction.pdf (Just pages 9-11)
Extermination Account (Start reading under the heading "Extermination")
2. On a scale of 1-10, 1 being "strongly disagree" and 10 being "strongly agree," evaluate the following statement: Early Spanish involvement in the New World was a good thing. Write or type out five sentences that justify your response. Once you show Mr. Shoop your five sentences, go on to step 3.
3. After you have written your response, access Voki through the following link: Voki.com. Copy and paste your response into the avatar of your choice and post the link to your finished avatar in your comment. Your comment will contain your five sentences and a link to your avatar. Remember the guidelines for this blog -- keep it appropriate and education-oriented.
4. You will have a quiz on Monday. It will cover 1) Christopher Columbus’s journal and the vocabulary words (disposition, prostrate, ingenious, disposed) we learned 2) your opinion on whether Columbus's exploration should be celebrated today, and 3) the Colombian exchange (textbook pages 25-26) -- know what the Colombian Exchange was and three products from each “side” of the exchange.

Oral History for September 11

Here are a few guidelines for doing your oral history on the events of September 11. If possible, record the interview. Transcribe the interview into Q/A format, word for word as best as you can. Edit and type the Q/A into the final oral history -- this is where you will smooth it out. Before you hand in the assignment, you will have your interviewee (if possible) check out the final draft. 

Q/A Format 

Q: So you really weren't that excited to be coming here?

A: Well, no, not really. I mean, think about it. Would you be? I mean, you live in one place your whole life and then suddenly your parents tell you, "Look, we've decided it's best for all of us to move to America. Your father has a better job and we'll be much happier there."

Q: Why didn't you want to come here?

A: Well, all of my friends were in Taipei. They were all that mattered to me.

Oral History Format

No, I wasn't all that excited to be coming here. I mean, think about it. Would you be? You live in one place your whole life and then suddenly your parents tell you, "Look, we've decided it's best for all of us to move to America. Your father has a better job and we'll be much happier there." At that time, all of my friends were in Taipei. They were all that mattered to me. 

Feel free to email me with any questions. You may post a comment below as well and I will respond. You must bring your Q/A sheet in by Wednesday, September 14. The final oral history will be due Friday, September 16.

The text above is taken from: http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/newamericans/foreducators_lesson_plan_09.html

First Assignment

In class we will be looking over a few blogs to see how they are set up. After previewing, you will consider what makes a blog a blog. What are its vital components? What is the purpose of the blog? How long are the postings? 

Your task will be to post a link to a blog. You will do this by writing a comment after this post. After doing so, provide at least three sentences answering the following question: what makes a blog different than a normal website? 

Welcome!

Welcome to our blog for U.S. History. Each of you will soon be receiving a blog site through Blogger. Using your blog, you will be writing about:

  1) Local, national, and world news

  2) Topics and issues covered in class

  3) Other topics such as health, technology, trends, sports, entertainment, etc.

  4) Writing assignments given in class

We will be blogging this year for a few reasons. Writing online is a great way to get others to read and comment on your writing. If you know that you will have an audience, it encourages you to reflect on what you are trying to say and how you say it—your audience will be more than just your teacher. Communicating online will give all of you an equal voice in discussing or debating topics.

You will not be getting a blog right away. As a class, we will follow these steps over the coming weeks:

      1) Read well-written blogs on the internet and see how they are set up

      2) Comment on postings on your set’s class blog to get a feel for publishing online

      3) Set up your own personal site (we will take time in class for this)

      4) Select one area of the world as your “focus area” for blogging

      5) Provide feedback for each other after being put into blogging groups

      6) Respond to prompts and posts from Mr. Shoop throughout the semester

A few guidelines for our classroom blogs:

1. Do not link to your personal blog, Facebook account, etc., from your school blog; you might reveal information on there that you do not want to reveal on your school blog.
2. If you want to write your opinion on a topic, make sure you are not going to be offensive to anyone.
3. Always make sure you check over your post for spelling and grammar errors.
4. Never disrespect someone else in your blog, whether it's a person, an organization, or just a general idea.
5. Never share someone else’s last name. Do not use school names or addresses.
6. Watch your language! We're not at home -- we are at school. Keep it education-oriented. That also means that you will not be discussing your plans for the weekend.

These rules have been adapted from the following link:

http://budtheteacher.com/wiki/index.php?title=Blogging_Rules