Friday, December 21, 2012

Class Updates 12/20 and 12/21

Yesterday, December 20th, we broke into 2 groups to make posters on the Battle of Gettysburg and the Campaign for Vicksburg. My group had the Battle of Gettysburg, but we fell a bit behind because the website wasn't working and wouldn't let us see the information we needed; we struggled for a bit, then looked it up in the textbook instead.

Today, December 21st, we didn't have class because a Holiday Assembly/Concert.

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Class Updates 12/18 and 12/19

Yesterday, December 18th, we talked about the writ of habeas corpus and how Lincoln suspended it. The writ of habeas corpus is the right to not be imprisoned without just cause. President Lincoln suspended habeas corpus to keep the Union strong; he justified his actions by using the Constitution, "The privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion of Public Safety may require it." This wasn't right, because it infringes on rights stated in the Bill of Rights, and he should have had approval from the legislative branch. Under Lincoln's orders, people were imprisoned who spoke out against the Union, evaded the draft, or were "guilty of disloyal practices".

Today, December 19th, we reviewed the battles of the Civil War and talked about the Emancipation Proclamation. The Union soldiers were inexperienced and not well trained; it took them 4 days to move 25 miles to the battleground, and their retreat from the first battle was known as the "Great Skedaddle". The Emancipation Proclamation was created to gain a military advantage in the Union. It only freed slaves in the states under rebellion (Confederate Sates of America), but it also inspired more people to enlist so they could be part of a battle for freedom.

Monday, December 17, 2012

Class Updates 12/14 and 12/17

Friday, December 14th, we went to the computer lab. We created a Google Presentation as a class showing advantages and disadvantages of the North and South during the Civil War. We will use this information to write an essay due this Friday.

Today, December 17th, I was out sick, but the class went on a QR scavenger hunt for the battles of the Civil War.

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Class Updates 12/11 and 12/12

Yesterday, December 11th, we read primary sources on South Carolina's secession and talked about the reasons why they thought they could secede.

Today, December 12th, we talked about Lincoln's situation as president. He had to keep up with the requirements of the Constitution, while tackling the issue of slavery and the secession of the southern states. Lincoln refused to see the seceded states as a country, and wanted to keep the country united.

Monday, December 10, 2012

Class Updates 12/10

Friday, December 7th, we didn't have class because of the half day.

Today, December 10th, we studied a section of the Declaration of Independence, Proverbs 25:11, and Lincoln. We talked about how Lincoln referenced those documents in his speech "Fragment on the Constitution and the Union". He called the idea of "Liberty for all" (paraphrased from Declaration) the "apple of gold" (Proverb), and the Union/Constitution the "picture of silver" (also Proverb).

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Class Updates 12/5 and 12/6; Monthly Goal

Yesterday, December 5th, we had an EdCafe on the people of the 1850s. Everyone argued that their person was the most important. We came to the conclusion that Lincoln was most important overall, but everyone was important in some way.

Today, December 6th, we had a test on the 1850s. It was relatively easy, but most people took until the bell to finish. There was an essay on it that took most of the time.

Daily Words:
Expedient: adj. fit/proper under the circumstance; n. a means to an end
Temerity: n. rashness, boldness
Scion: n. heir

Monday, December 3, 2012

Timeline



Timeline Link

Class Updates 11/30 and 12/3; Monthly Goal

Friday, November 30th, we did a worksheet on the secession of South Carolina because there was a subsitute.

Today, December 3rd, we looked at a political cartoon of the Election of 1860. Lincoln was fighting with Douglas over the West, while they both tore up the map of USA; Breckenridge was either tearing off the South or helping to piece it back together; Bell was on a highchair trying to glue the map back together.

Daily Words:
Prosaic: adj. dull, metter-of-fact, or unimaginative
Sybarite: n. a person devoted to luxury
Lucifugous: adj. avoiding light

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Class Updates 11/28 and 11/29; Monthly Goal

Yesterday, November 28th, we went over the Lincoln-Douglas debates and started talking about the Raid at Harper's Ferry. John Brown wanted to free the slaves in the South by started a chain-reaction of revolts. With a group of abolitionists and slaves, he stormed the federal arsenal and took weapons, but they were captured. Brown was hanged for his crimes of treason to Virginia and murder only two months later; the South was eager to be rid of him.

Today, November 29th, we read primary source documents on the Harper's Ferry Raid. It was interesting that all three were different; John Starry testified on the numerous murders and deaths; Robert E. Lee gave a military opinion; and John Brown claimed that he never meant to commit murder, treason, or incite the slaves to rebellion, only that he wanted to free them.

Daily Words:
Biblioklept: n. someone who steals books
Inveigh: v. to protest strongly

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Class Update 11/26 and 11/27; Monthly Goal

Yesterday, November 26th, we talked about the Dred Scott case. Dred Scott was a slave who sued his master for false imprisonment and battery. Many slaves in similar situations had done so and won their freedom, but Scott had bad timing. He presented his case at a time where arguments over slavery were strong and aggressive. Roger B. Toney, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, said that slaves were property and could not be taken from their owners. He also said that every state was a slave state, and there was no such thing as popular sovereignty.

Today, November 27th, we learned about the Lincoln-Douglas debates. Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas were running for Senator of Illinois , divided by the main issue of slavery. Stephen Douglas supported slavery and popular sovereignty, while Lincoln opposed it. It was interesting to see that Lincoln was rather racist; he said "there is a physical difference between white and black races which I believe will for ever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality."

I have been falling a little behind in my goal, especially because of the vacation.
Cairn: n. a heap of stones set up as a landmark, monument, tombstone, etc
Disbosom: v. to reveal, confess

Monday, November 19, 2012

Class Updates and Monthly Goal

Today, November 19th, we talked about the Fugitive Slave Act, Uncle Tom's Cabin, and Frederick Douglass' Fourth of July Speech. We also talked about how fair doesn't always mean equal, and vice versa. The Fugitive Slave Act punished everyone evenly for helping slaves, though it wasn't fair. Frederick Douglass was upset that the Americans celebrated the Fourth of July when there was still slavery.

According to the worksheets (since I won't be in class tomorrow), on November 20th, we will talk about the Kansas Nebraska Act, "Bleeding Kansas", and a murder in the Senate over slavery.

Daily Words:
Ogle: v. to eye or look at at, especially flirtatiously
Terpsichorean: adj. pertaining to dancing
Ramose: adj. having many branches

Friday, November 16, 2012

Class Updates 11/15 and 11/16; Goal Update

Yesterday, November 15th, we talked more about the Mexican War and the decisions Congress had to make. Since both slave and free states had equal representation in the Senate, no laws could be passed banning or supporting slavery. Congress couldn't agree on anything until 1850, when they agreed to support the Compromise of 1850 as separate bills; admitting California as a free state, abolishing the slave trade while still allowing slavery in Washington DC, enforcing a harsher fugitive slave law, popular sovereignty in New Mexico and Utah, and smaller Texas debt-free.

Today, November 16th, we looked at a painting of slaves escaping that differed from what we expected, and we talked about Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Stow. Harriet Stow wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin in response to the harsher fugitive slave law, and it is about slaves escaping. We read a chapter of it in class; when one slave named Eliza escaped with her child, and people are trying to catch her.

Daily Words:
Bird-dog: v. to investigate; n. a dog trained and bred to hunt birds; n. a talent-scout
Repugnant: adj. distasteful or offensive; contrary

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Class Updates 11/13 and 11/14; Monthly Goal

Yesterday, November 13th, we went to the lab and looked at a map showing the Missouri Compromise ( http://bit.ly/BLosI ). We compared the North and South land and population, then how the Missouri Compromise changed the map.

Today, November 14th, we went over the Missouri Compromise and learned about the Mexican War. We compared textbook definitions, again finding that the sources varied. We watched a video on the Mexican War, then took a video quiz at the end.

Daily Words:
Nares: pl. n. nostrils or nasal passages
Bivouc: n. military encampment made with tents or other temporary shelters
Aplomb: n. calm self-assurance or poise; or the vertical position
Imperturbable: adj. calm or incapable of being upset
Pigeonhole: v. to lay aside for use in the future; n. small open compartment in desks for storage, or the white space between words and lines in printing.

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Class Updates (11/7 and 11/8) and Month Commitment

Yesterday, November 7th, we took notes on slavery before the Civil War and on defending slavery. Eli Whitney's cotton gin made slavery more useful in the South and boosted cotton production. Even small farms could afford slaves to use the gin and produce cotton products. The two types of slavery were gang labor (all slaves doing the same task at the same pace with very few breaks) and task labor (specific jobs, such as carpentry and working at the docks, sometimes lent to other slaveholders, and the slaves were allowed to work for themselves if part of their wages went to the slave owner). I completely disagree with the "Mud sill" theory by James Henry Hammond for defending slavery. He claimed that there had to be an inferior race to do the hard jobs, otherwise there could be no progress. He also claimed that they were doing the slaves a favor; and that the north had "slaves" that were much worse off (the manual laborers and lower class).

Today, November 8th, we took notes on the Underground Railroad and how slaves escaped. The Underground Railroad was a secret network of white abolitionists and escaped slaves that helped more slaves escape. It went from the south to Canada. Harriet Tubman was one of the most important and famous conductors, leading over 300 slaves to freedom in 19 trips. Most of the slave songs and stories were codes to find the path to freedom, especially "Follow the Drinking Gourd". We read ten different textbook definitions of the Underground Railroad, and found that they didn't all match up.

Daily Words (Month Commitment):
Quid: n. A piece of something that is chewed, but not swallowed.
Hustings: n. The political campaign, or any place where campaign speeches are made
Vecoce: adj. Played at a fast tempo, or simply fast

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Class Updates 11/5 and 11/6

Yesterday, November 5th, we compared the slave narratives from Friday and learned about the main opponents and defenders. Most of the slaves were treated very poorly, with cruel beatings and poor living conditions, though some had kind masters or mistresses. Some defenders of slavery were John C. Calhoun and James H. Hammond. Some defenders of slavery were William L. Garrison, Abraham Lincoln, and Frederick Douglass.

Today, November 6th, we had a fake voting sesssion and we read about how the Constitution could be seen as pro-slavery or anti-slavery.

I will learn a new word every day for 30 days.

Friday, November 2, 2012

Class Updates 11/1 and 11/2

Yesterday, November 1st, we presented our Integrated Projects for the American Revolution and Julius Caesar. All sophomores displayed their projects in the library, and we went down to see them in class.

Today, November 2nd, we broke into groups and read narratives of people who were slaves, then made a storyboard on it. My group read about a girl who had a good childhood and a kind mistress until she was twelve years old and her kind mistress died. She was sent to her mistress' sister's daughter as part of the mistress' will.

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Class Updates

Yesterday, October 29th, we didn't have school because of Hurricane Sandy.

Today, October 30th, we worked on our Integrated Projects. My project is an alternate ending the same length as Act V based on the idea that the conspirators in Julius Caesar wrote a Declaration of Independence.

Friday, October 26, 2012

Class Updates 10/25 and 10/26

Yesterday, October 25th, we reviewed the American Revolution, including the Battle of Saratoga, Valley Forge, Yorktown, and the Treaty of Paris.

Today, October 26th, we had a "quest" on the Revolution.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Timeline



Timeline

Class Updates

Yesterday, October 23rd, we went on a QR scavenger hunt for the American Revolution. Mr. Boyle put QR codes around the school with questions on the American Revolution, and we went around in groups to find, scan, and answer the questions. The first group to finish got an extra 5 points on the quiz grade. It was interesting and fun.

Today, October 24th, we watched a slide show presentation on art about the American Revolution. We studied Copley's Paul Revere and Watson and the Shark, Trumbell's The Death of General Warren at the Battle of Bunker Hill and The Declaration of Independence, Leutze's Washington Crossing the Delaware and Washington Rallying the Troops at Monmouth, and Wood's Midnight Ride of Paul Revere and Daughters of Revolution.

Friday, October 19, 2012

Class Updates

Yesterday, October 18th, Mr. Boyle wasn't at class, so we had a substitute. We each read The Crisis by Thomas Paine, and wrote an essay on how "These are times that try men's souls."

Today, October 19th, we reviewed most of the Revolution and The Crisis. We talked about the economic problems in the United States and discussed whether or not "these are times that try men's souls" today. We also learned about the battle that America lost at New York City, then victories of the battle of Trenton and the battle of Princeton, and also a bit on Valley Forge.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Class Updates

Yesterday, October 16th, we read the Declaration of Independence. We broke into groups to summarize sections and make a fake tweet on it in under 140 characters. My group had the introduction, which stated that we have the right to be free from the government if necessary and if it doesn't protect our rights as a citizen. They wanted to share their reasons with the world. The preamble stated that the people have the right to abolish the government and the natural rights of life, liberty, and property. The indictment pointed out what the king did wrong, such as not passing laws, interfering with the legislature and judicial branch, sending troops to stop rebellion, and holding unfair trials. The denunciation warned Britain of their problems and thoughts of change, also saying that the states will be separate from Britain. The conclusion declared independence and established the United States of America as a free country.

Today, we went over the declaration in more detail and talked about trust. We discussed how the signing of the Declaration of Independence was partly a matter of trust, and proof that the signers would hold up their duty to the United States. We also connected it to Julius Caesar, when Brutus said that they didn't need a written oath, trusting everyone to their part. We talked about how much you trust someone depends on your view on life; if you are positive, you would tend to trust people more often than a negative person would. We also talked about our duty to the country according to the Social Contract: if the government isn't protecting our rights, we should improve it. If someone doesn't like the government, and doesn't want to change it, they could move.

Monday, October 15, 2012

Class Updates

Friday, 10/12, we learned about the Second Continental Congress. We broke into groups and read one of three documents: the Olive Branch Petition, Common Sense, and Plain Truth. The Olive Branch Petition , written in June 1775 by the Continental Congress, wanted to compromise with the king and stay loyal to him. Common Sense, written by Thomas Paine in January 1776, encouraged the colonists to break free from the king and become independent. Plain Truth, written by James Chalmers after Common Sense, went against Common Sense and tried to get the colonists to stay loyal to the king.

Today, we presented our Revolutionary Replicas. Everyone had one person to research and make a life-sized replica of. I think this was an interesting way to learn about the people involved in the Revolutionary War. Some of the people were Betsy Ross, Sam Adams, John Hancock, General Cornwallis, and King George III.

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Class Updates 10/9 and 10/10

Yesterday, October 9th, we talked about "the shot heard round the world". We watched a Ted-Talk video about eyewitness accounts, showing that the mind recreates memories based on what could have happened, not what actually happened. I found it interesting that our memories aren't what we think they are, and witnesses most likely didn't see what they thought they saw. We compared primary documents from both the British and American sides of the war, and both accused the other side of firing the first shot. One admitted that he couldn't tell who fired the first shot.

Today, October 10th, we learned about the Battle of Lexington and Concord, and the Battle of Bunker Hill. In the Battle of Lexington and Concord, the British wanted to get to the colonists' weapons supplies. The night they set off, Revere, Prescott, Dawes, and others rode to warn the colonists and militia that the Regulars were coming. In Lexington, Britain won a quick victory, and was confident they would win the next battles, but they were wrong. The colonists gained control of the high land, meaning the British would need to shoot up to reach the American militia (the way the muskets fire, barely any would hit the colonists). The British troops started to retreat, and the colonial militia fired at them from hiding. The Americans won with less than 100 casualties; the British had over 300 casualties. At the Battle of Bunker Hill, the colonists and British were fighting over the Charleston Heights (Bunker Hill and Breed Hill) to gain the advantage of high ground. The colonists took them at night, and in the morning, the British saw them and wanted to the hills back. Unfortunately for them, they had to wait for the tides to come in to get to the beach, while the Americans prepared for the assault. The British marched up and down the hill twice, suffering great losses each time. On the third time up the hill, concentrating only on Breed Hill, the British won because the Americans ran out of ammunition. The British won the land, but the Americans had less casualties. We made a Search Story in Google for the battles, but it took a long time to load.

Friday, October 5, 2012

Class Updates

Sorry I haven't posted the summaries...I didn't know when we were supposed to start...
In history class, we have been studying the events that led to the Constitution, the Constitution itself, the Bill of Rights, the three branches of government, and the events leading to the Revolutionary War.
On September 4th, we talked about and defined the ten civic values: courage, initiative, vigilance, honor, justice, perseverance, moderation, respect, responsibility, and resourcefulness. We came up with solutions to various problems using these values.
On September 5th, we signed up for the various websites we would be using throughout the year, such as blogger, timetoast, voicethread, slidebombacademy, iCivics, diigo, and classroom collaborize.
On September 6th, we made a list of important issues Congress had under the Articles of Confederation, such as no power to raise money, problems with representatives not attending meetings, no military, bad relations with foreign countries, states being able to make their own currency, and a weak central government.
On September 7th, we went over the Articles of Confederation problems and Shays' Rebellion.
On September 10th, we talked about the Philadelphia Convention and the Preamble to the Constitution.
On September 12th and 13th, the class learned about representation and the legislative branch.
On September 14th and 17th, we learned about the executive branch and the powers of the president.
On September 18th, we reviewed the powers of the three branches and made an infograph on their powers and responsibilities in groups.
On September 19th, we learned about the Federalists (support Constitution) and the Anti-Federalists. We made posters on the ideas of both sides.
On September 24th, we learned about the Bill of Rights. We looked at a hypothetical case in which the rights of the people were not respected, and how it could go wrong.
On September 25th, we learned about the Federalist Party (not the ones who supported the Constitution; this party didn't value the states' rights and thought the USA should be ruled by a well-educated elite) and the Democratic-Republic Party (believed that the states should have the most power, and they took control of the government in 1800).
On September 26th, we had an Ed-Cafe on the 1st Amendment.
On September 27th, we ended the Constitution unit with a "quest" (combination between quiz and test).
On September 28th, we learned about the three colonial sections: New England, Middle Colonies, and Southern Colonies. We made voki people (online speaking avatars) for one of the three sections.
On October 2nd, we learned about the French and Indian Revolution and the Royal Proclamation preventing colonies from settling the newly won land.
On October 3rd, we worked on our Event Profiles for the Ed-Cafe (on the Stamp Act, the Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea Party, the Intolerable Acts, or the First Continental Congress). I think it would have been better to go over these events in class, so everyone would have a basis for the conversation.
On October 4th, we had another Ed-Cafe. This one was different, because the leaders of the conversation had to explain their event to the group, not leaving much room for discussion. Some groups also ran out of time. The Ed-Cafe is a good idea, but we still need to get used to it.
Today, October 5th, we went over the events from the Ed-Cafe to make sure we were all on the same page. Then, we read "Paul Revere's Ride" by Henry Longfellow. We learned about the real ride of Paul Revere, then, seeing that the poem wasn't historically correct (for one, there were other riders who went in different directions carrying the same message) we made our own versions telling the true tale of the night.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Constitution Timeline

EdCafe Review

I think the Ed-Cafe went well, especially since this was the first time. It is a new idea and will take some getting used to. There were some blank spots in the converstaions where no one talked, and sometimes eight minutes felt like a long time. In one conversation about the press, we quickly filled the time and the leader still had more notes to talk about. The length depends on the topic and the people taking part in the conversation. It only works if people try to contribute and listen to what the others have to say. I think this is a good way for everyone to become involved in the conversation and have a chance to talk. This is what I took away: the freedom of religion allows people to express religion without punishment, and we don't have any religious wars because of it; the freedom of speech should be protected, unless what you say causes someone to commit suicide, and the freedom of speech can lead to positive change; the freedom of press should be slightly limited because the press has gone overboard with personal information about celebreties and false advertisements that fool people into buying bad products, but, on the other hand, the freedom of press is good for showing opinions and encouraging people to support a certain idea; the freedom to peacefully assemble should still be protected, but people can use other methods to communicate, such as online conversations; the freedom of petition is an important right that can lead to positive changes. 

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Branches of Government Infograph

Group Infograph by me, Kiersten Flodman, Eliza Mullen, and Allie MacIsaac
 

Friday, September 7, 2012

Three Artifacts About Me



                The first artifact would be my iPod touch.  First, someone would need to find a way to turn it on.  Otherwise, it wouldn’t be very useful.  A few of my apps are for writing and sharing stories.  A kindle app also gives an idea of what I like to read (when I can’t find the book I want at the library or bookstore), mostly medieval fantasy.  I read a lot in my spare time.  I also have some Celtic and instrumental music on my iPod, nothing loud or punk/rock.  There are many pictures of where I’ve been on vacation recently, and some fantasy-based pictures that I found online.  I go on vacation a lot with my family; at least once a year to Orlando, Florida and usually to Mount Desert Island in Maine, and somewhere over the summer.

                Another artifact would be my report card.  It would show that I am a good student, since I usually get straight A’s and all Honors.  It would also show what classes I’m interested in, such as French, Singers, Web Design and Computer Animation.  I am smart and studious.  I’m not very athletic, but I can still manage to get A’s in P.E.

                A third artifact would be a dolphin figurine.  Dolphins are one of my favorite animals, and I would like to work with them in the future.  Dolphins are playful at times, curious, smart, and loyal to their pod (family), as am I.  I also like the sea and swimming in the summer. I am sometimes easily entertained and laugh a lot; dolphins usually seem to be smiling.