Class Updates 6/11 and 6/12

Yesterday and today, we have been working on the Immigrant Guides, which will be due tomorrow.

Desktop Documentary

Here is my documentary on what it means to be an American:

Class Updates 6/7 and 6/10

Friday, June 7th, we continued to work on our Immigrant Guides.

Today, June 10th, we presented our Smithsonian Badges. We talked about the process and how to plan for the future, along with how we should go to college to learn, not necessarily to become something.

Class Updates 6/4 and 6/5

Yesterday, June 4th, we worked on our Immigrant Guide projects.

Today, June 5th, we worked on our Smithsonian Quests. My badge, Time Traveler, is done but waiting for approval.

Class Updates 5/31 and 6/3

On Friday, May 31st, we started to work on another project. This is a project for both English and History, an "Immigrant's Guide to the West". We need to include information on how to build a soddie, how to set up a homestead, how to deal with animals and other threats, and more.

Today, we didn't have class because it was a half day.

Class Updates 5/29 and 5/30

Yesterday, May 29th, we reviewed what we've learned so far in the Imperialism Unit. We compared times when the United States acted like a good neighbor (or seemed to be acting as a good neighbor) and when they were acting as an Imperialist power. We went over the Monroe Doctrine, the Platt Amendment, the Roosevelt Corollary, Dollar Diplomacy, and Moral Diplomacy. Most had some imperialist properties, and some good neighbor policies.

Today, May 30th, we had a series of debates over the Bush Doctrine. The Bush Doctrine the United States' foreign policy. It stated that the US will strike an enemy first if they're suspected of holding weapons of max destruction or if they threaten anyone; they would act alone if necessary, and they would spread their ideas. Most people in our class agreed that this is a bad policy; it leads to more war and bad relations, and the people might not want or need our help.

Class Updates 5/23 (with article) and 5/24

Yesterday, May 23rd, we went to the computer lab and did activities on the American intervention in Latin America, Mexico, and Haiti. The USA sent troops into Nicaragua, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, and Haiti. They also interfered with the Mexican Revolution.

What do many of the Americans in Haiti think of Haitians and how do the Americans treat the Haitians? (2-3 paragraph news article)

The Haitians are viewed as black savages in battle. They are seen as stupid and hungry in the story of King Christophe at Sans Souci.The Haitians are seen as unfit to govern themselves, and "steadily retrograding into barbarism". They are also seen as lazy and dirty. The Haitians are thought to be ignorant and inhospitable. None of these stereotypes were true.

On the contrary, the Haitians are cultured, clean, and well organized. Port-au-Prince is a clean and beautiful city, as are many of the cities and villages in Haiti. The Haitians often sweep their streets until they are cleaner than some places in the US. The Haitians are some of the cleanest people; they import more soap than any other country in the world. Many people work hard, carrying their produce on their heads, and hardly anyone simply sits around. There are no cars, so the people walk. The Haitians are kind and hospitable. There is hardly any crime. The Haitians are intelligent and creative, but illiterate. The Haitians are nearly the opposite that most people believe.

The Americans killed thousands of innocent Haitians. They treated them as hardly even human, and took over every aspect of life. They believed that they made Port-au-prince into the wonderful tropical city that it was, but it was really the Haitians. the only good things that the Americans did were improving the hospitals, enforcing modern sanitation, and building roads. however, hard labor was used to create the great road. The Haitians were taken from home, beaten, and forced to work without going home. The US did not try to improve public education, as they had done in the past with other countries. The Marines treated the Haitians badly, including rape and murder. They hurt and killed many innocents. The American actions and attitude led to fierce prejudice.


Today, May 24th, we continued to work on our Smithsonian Quests.

Breaking Barriers Video

Here is our (Kiersten Flodman, Emily Booth, Scott Buckless, and me) Breaking Barriers video of Magic Johnson. Magic Johnson broke the barrier of AIDS/HIV and the stereotypes of the disease. He created the Magic Johnson Foundation, which tests and provides treatment for many people. He showed that anyone could get HIV/AIDS, not just homosexual men, and proved that it could be beaten back.

Class Updates 5/21 and 5/22

Yesterday, May 21st, we went over the Roosevelt Corollary. We read and analyzed it by paragraph in groups, then rewrote it in our own words. We also talked about how the world looks at the United States.

Today, May 22nd, we finished the Roosevelt Corollary and talked about Dollar Diplomacy. We also talked about upcoming projects and the final.

Class Updates 5/17 and 5/20

Friday, May 17th, we shared our yellow journalism headings and voted on which was best.

Today, May 20th, we looked at political cartoons and talked about President Theodore Roosevelt's actions. There were two political cartoons on the Panama Canal. We read a speech by Roosevelt justifying his actions and discussed whether or not he did the right thing.

Class Update 5/14 and 5/15

Yesterday, May 14th, we continued to work on our quests and projects.

Today, May 15th, we broke into groups to create "yellow journalism" headlines for events. Yellow journalism is using exaggerated headlines to draw the reader in, and having poorly-researched articles, mostly based on assumptions. We created headlines for the 1890s ("The United States Approaches World Domination during the Gay Nineties"), Alaska ("Will Seward's Folly Turn to Seward's Fame?"), Hawaii ("Revolution Started by American Planters leads to American Control"), Cuba Libre (Death by Chocolate: How taxes led to the death of a beloved poet"), Weyler and Reconcentration ("Mad Dog in Power, 100000 innocents butchered"), yellow journalism itself ("How Do You Know You Aren't Being Lied to?"), war fever ("'Weak Bidder' Afraid of War"), the Maine ("Spaniards Sink Our Ship!"), and cautious McKinley ("Rapid American Leaders Hungry for War").

Class Updates 5/10 and 5/13

On Friday, May 10th, we read the short story To Build a Fire by Jack London, set in Alaska. We compared instinct and knowledge, and which was more important to survival.

Today, May 13th, we worked on our Smithsonian Quests and anything else we needed to do for the class.

Class Updates 5/8 and 5/9

Yesterday, May 8th, we learned about Red Cloud. We read primary and secondary sources, then answered questions. Red Cloud was a warrior, diplomatic, and leader of the Lakota tribe. He fought against the USA (especially on the Dawes Act that separated the land into farming sections, much like the Homestead Act), using physical force when necessary and otherwise words.

Today, May 9th, we learned about Sitting Bull; again by reading primary and secondary sources. He was a warrior, spiritual leader, and chief of the Lakota tribe. He had many visions that proved true and helped the Lakota in their battle with the USA. He was the last to surrender, and even after that he was rebellious.

Class Updates 5/3 (Cherokee Poem) and 5/6

Friday, May 3rd, we had a fishbowl debate on what should happen to the Cherokee people, which led up to the Trail of Tears. President Jackson didn't like the Amerindians, and passed the Indian Removal Act. The Cherokee, being one of the civilized tribes, went to court to demand the right to stay on their land. They had a treaty and should have stayed on their land, but Jackson ignored them. He could easily have been impeached for his actions, but many Congress members were with him. Here is a poem I wrote based on the White Man's Burden, changed to be the Cherokee Burden:

"Pile on the Cherokee Burden,
Send them to lands unknown,
Drive them from their homeland,
Through where Winter's breath is blown.

Pile on the Cherokee Burden,
Plunder their few possessions,
Use the land you swindle
To fuel your petty progressions.

Pile on the Cherokee Burden,
No pleasant roads he shall tread;
Exile of the living,
Marked by the dead.

Pile on the Cherokee Burden,
Feed them with your lies.
Yet it shall weigh upon your soul
Whenever one of them dies.

Pile on the Cherokee Burden,
For throughout the future years,
The exile you've commanded
Shall be known as the Trail of Tears."


Today, May 6th, we worked on our Smithsonian quests.

Class Updates 5/1 and 5/2

Yesterday, May 1st, we continued watching the movie/ working on projects.

Today, May 2nd, we studied "The White Man's Burden" by Rudyard Kipling. This poem viewed imperialism as a responsibility and burden that the white men should take up. Imperialism is dominating another country socially, economically, and politically; the imperialists saw it as "helping" the people by showing them "the better way". We also looked at parodies of "The White Man's Burden" (The Poor Man's Burden" and "The Black Man's Burden"), then created our own. Allie's and my poem (short and somewhat unfinished) on imperialism was:

"Pile on the Burden
To those who suffer in pain.
Pile on the Burden
To those nearest at your door.
Pile on the Burden
To serve your selfish greed."

Class Updates 4/29 and 4/30

Yesterday and today, we have been working on our Oregon Trail game projects, watching a movie about cowboys, or finishing up anything else we needed to. The cowboys in the movie were more dramatic and violent than real cowboys, who only needed to look after the cattle. I posted my project last night, and it made its way to an online newspaper.

Oregon Trail Game

Here's the link to my game:

The Oregon Trail: Choose Your Own Adventure

Class Updates 4/24 and 4/25

Yesterday, April 25th, we went to the library computers to research farming tools used on the prairie. We broke into groups and each group created a Google Presentation on their invention to try to convince a group of "entrepreneurs" to buy it. My group was the reaper; an invention that made it easier to harvest grain.

Today, April 25th, we presented what we did yesterday. The "entrepreneurs" chose to buy the thresher and the reaper, but not the barbed wire or the steel plow.

Class Updates 4/22 and 4/23

Yesterday, April 22nd, we started on our "Triton 16% Plan" projects. We created our own accounts on a Smithsonian website to earn badges from doing quests. What we do will be seen by a group of experts who will judge our work and give us recognition.

Today, April 23rd, we did a few activities to see what life in a sod-house would be like. We smelled sod, planned out how people would sleep and eat in a sod house, and tried to stay still as long as possible to see what old-fashioned pictures would be like. Near the end of class, we turned off the lights (there are no windows in the classroom) and put a campfire image on the projector to simulate what being in a sod house would be like. These activities were a fun way to imagine what life would have been like. Living in a soddie would be difficult. There would be little light and little space. The smell could affect you, or you might get used to it. There would also be a lot of hard work to do for farming. I probably wouldn't last too long. I like to read most of the time, which I would need to go outside to do and only if the weather was nice. Being outside in the open and seeing the various animals would be fun for a time, but there is only so far you can go in a day, and only so much to see. We might have been able to make up games, but those would eventually get tiring, as would the view. I probably would have stayed in the city, depending on how well my family was doing economically. If we were really struggling and needed the cheap land, then I might have gone, though. 

Class Updates 4/11 and 4/12

I was out sick both yesterday and today. The class did skits on Manifest Destiny yesterday, and today they watched something about Push and Pull Factors that convinced people to go west.

Class Updates 4/8-4/9 and Erie Canal Diary Entry

Yesterday, April 8th, we has a substitute and did a bunch of worksheets on the Oregon Trail.

Today, April 9th, we read about the Erie Canal and made a chart on the effects of it.


Diary Entry (New Yorker):

I don't like the new Erie Canal. The canal brings strangers. Strangers bring disease and crime to our peaceful town. The dreaded cholera disease spreads like weeds, without a hint of stopping. On top of that, when the feeder canal freezes, our streets flood.

The trade is good and many people are prospering economically, so I suppose it isn't all bad. Goods are cheaper and easier to ship. More job opportunities have arisen. People can travel easier. Bridges have been built in nearby farms that were cut in half by the canal.

 Still, I prefer my quiet town. I might seek out new land to the west, to get away from all this hustle and bustle.

Class Updates 4/4 and 4/5

Yesterday, we talked about slogans from the War of 1812. We broke into groups and made a slogan, icon, and poem for a group from the war (the militia, the women, the Canadians, the British, or the Native Americans).

Today, we didn't have class because it was a half day.

Class Updates 4/2 and 4/3

Yesterday, we did the debate (last post).

Today, we didn't have class because of the Accuplacer test to practice for college entrance exams.

Snap Debate Reflection

Today, we had a debate on what was the main cause of the War of !812; impressment, the Chesapeake Affair, Orders in Court, or incitement of Native Americans. At the beginning and end of the debate, I thought that impressment was the main factor. Impressment was when the British pressed Americans into service for the British navy. They still saw the Americans as British citizens, even after they declared citizenship. Most of the impressed people were American, not British. This angered the Americans, especially since the British considered it perfectly legal. I think the debate was a good idea. It allowed us as students to have a more interactive learning experience and it challenged our assumptions from the beginning of class..

Class Update 3/28 and 3/29

Yesterday, March 28th, we worked on our e-books, which I posted last night. It was annoying website and ended up crashing a few times because everyone was trying to finish publish their books at the same time.

Today, March 29th, we went to a website and went through an interactive story of the Lewis and Clark expedition. We wrote diary entries after every event, which I posted earlier today. I had a few problems with my computer, but I managed to get on eventually.

Diary of the Corps of Discovery

Here is a link to a diary entry that I wrote in class today.

Diary of the Corps of Discovery

Civil Rights E-Book

A Story of Civil Rights

Class Updates 3/26 and 3/27

Yesterday, March 26th, we talked more about the Black Panthers. We are also going to be testing out a flipped classroom for the fourth quarter.

Today, March 27th, we worked on our historical fiction narrative of the civil rights movement that is due tomorrow night.

Class Updates 3/22 and 3/25

On Friday, March 22nd, we learned about the Civil rights Act of 1964. This was pretty much the same as the Civil Rights Act of 1875, but now the government allowed it since the representatives and Supreme Court changed.

Today, March 25th, we learned about the Black Panthers. This civil rights group advocated for violence and wanted a communist nation for the African-Americans.

Class Updates 3/19 and 3/20

Yesterday, we didn't have class because of a snow day.

Today. we compared and contrasted Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X and listened to speeches by them.

Class Updates 3/15 and 3/18

Friday, March 15th, we learned about about Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. Malcolm X believed that all white men were devils and that their civilization would be destroyed. He wanted a state where black people could be free and separated from the whites. He also that the African-Americans should stand up for themselves. Martin Luther King Jr believed in non-violent protests and turning the other cheek. He hoped to gain equality through love.

Today, March 18th, we finished the worksheets from Friday. Mr. Boyle also talked to us about gaining skills, creating things, and managing time as opposed to learning everything for a test then forgetting it or waiting until last minute to finish a project. He said that we will probably not have another test until the final.

Desktop Documentary: Edward Brooke

Class Updates 3/13 and 3/14

Yesterday, March 13th, we learned about the sit-in techniques of the civil rights movement.

Today, March 14th, we learned about the Freedom Rides. The whites responded with violence and tried to kill the passengers with a fire bomb.

Class Upadtes 3/11

We did not have school on Friday, March 8th, because of a snow day.

Today, March 11th, we talked about segregation in modern days. We learned about the Jena Six, who were teens who were racist and beat a white man unconscious. One of them was charged with attempted murder. Nooses were also hung by whites in a tree, which was a reminder of lynchings. We also learned about Little Rock, where the president sent in armed troops to make sure the African-Americans would get to and from classes safely. We then talked about segregation in our schools. Though people are not segregated by race, most people separate themselves into groups and cliques.

Class Updates 3/6 and 3/7

Yesterday, March 6th, we watched a video on the murder of Emmett Till. Emmett was beaten, shot, then drowned, all for whistling at a white woman. The murders were not punished or convicted. This sparked the Civil Rights movement.

Today, March 7th, we learned about the Montgomery Bus Boycott. The African Americans had been forced to sit in the back of the bus, while the whites sat in the front, but they had had enough and boycotted the bus business. It was successful because it hurt the bus business (most of the riders were African American), it was non-violent, and the people were committed to the cause.

Class Updates 3/4 and 3/5

Yesterday, March 3rd, we learned about the Scottsboro trials. Nine innocent African-American boys were accused of rape and sentenced to death, but the trials were reviewed multiple times until the sentences were reduced to long imprisonment or the suspect declared not guilty. We wrote diary entries from the point of view of either the supposed rape victims, the convicted men, or the jury. My group wrote as Haywood Patterson, one of the convicted men.

Today, March 4th, we learned about the Brown vs. Board case on the segregation of public schools. The African American schools were generally less well maintained, so several people tried to sue the board of education and make the schools more equal or combine them.

Class Updates 2/27 and 2/28

Yesterday, February 27th, we learned about Marcus Garvey and the U.N.I.A.. He wanted to move as many African Americans back to Africa to start a new life and country, since they would have little success in America as it was.

Today, February 28th, we read poems, listened to music, and looked at paintings, all from the Harlem Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance was when the African Americans moved north to Harlem (part of Manhattan Island) and expressed themselves in new ways.

Class Updates 2/25 and 2/26

Yesterday, I wasn't in class, but I think an assembly took up most of class.

Today, we read documents by Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois. Washington was born a slave, and believed that the African-Americans should work from the bottom to the top, gaining respect from the white people after they worked hard enough and gained enough wealth. This plan would take a long time, if it ever would work. Dubois was born in MA, so he was pretty much free, and he wanted immediate equality.

Timeline

Class Updates

Yesterday, we didn't have snow because of the snow.

Today, we worked on our Reconstruction projects.

Class Updates 2/6 and 2/7

Yesterday, February 6th, we took notes on and talked about the Jim Crow laws. Then we had some time at the end of class to work on our Reconstruction projects. We reviewed the steps of Reconstruction.

Today, February 7th, we learned about sharecropping. We looked at a contract used for sharecropping and discussed if it was fair or not.

Class Updates 2/4 and 2/5

I was out again yesterday, but the class took notes on the 15th Amendment.

I made it to school today. We talked about what equal really means, not exactly fair and not exactly the same. We also talked about the Plessy v. Ferguson case.

Class Updates 1/30 and 1/31

I was out sick again yesterday. The class used the textbook to complete a worksheet on the Reconstruction plans.

Today I finally made it to school! We read Andrew Johnson's obituary, then talked about the impeachment process and the Radical Republicans.

Class Updates

I was out sick again. I did the worksheets on the Black codes and the South that the class did yesterday. Today, they learned about the 14th Amendment.

Winnie the Pooh Quiz

So... I was out sick again today, but I checked Mr. Boyle's blog and did the quiz on Winnie the Pooh. I thought I would be Rabbit or Piglet, though I don't like the shows or movies. Not many of the questions really seemed to relate to me, but it came up as Pooh.


You are Winnie the Pooh. Oh, bother. You are sweet, simple, and popular for your honesty and goodwill. Though you may be the biggest personality in the woods, you sometimes need the help of others in the brains department!

Class Updates 1/14 and 1/15

We have been reviewing for the midterm the last two days. Our midterm is on Friday.

Class Updates 1/9 and 1/10

Yesterday, January 9th, we had a test on the Civil War.

Today, January 10th, I was out sick, but I think the class got review sheets for the midterm. In the morning (not during the history class period, but it was for an integrated English and history project) they presented the cause projects.

Class Updates 1/7 and 1/8

Yesterday. January 7th, we took notes on the Anaconda Plan and we had the memorization quiz on the Gettysburg address. The Union planned to circle the Confederacy, then close in, slowly "strangling" its prey.

Today, January 8th, we took notes on the end of the Civil War. General Lee (Confederacy) realized that his troops were no longer in a state to fight and further war would only cause more destruction, so he met with General Grant (Union) for the terms of surrender.

Class Updates 1/3/13 and 1/4/13

Yesterday, January 3rd, we talked about the Emancipation Proclamation since it recently had its 150th anniversary, and we talked about the Gettysburg address. The Emancipation Proclamation didn't really do much, but it allowed the African-Americans to join the army and inspired the soldiers to fight. We need to memorize part of the Gettysburg address for a quiz on Monday.

Today, January 4th, we examined a picture of the Robert Gould Shaw Memorial in Boston and we talked about the 54th Massachusetts Regiment. The 54 Massachusetts Regiment was one of the first all African-American units in the Civil War.