Ms. Fuller and Ms. Diana's SS Blog

Hello, my brilliant political scientists!

Here are the two links that we will be using in studying the electoral college and making predictions about the outcome of Tuesday’s big election:

www.fivethirtyeight.com

http://news.yahoo.com/election/2008/dashboard

We’ve been thinking hard about our essential question for this unit, “Did the Civil War move America towards its ideals?” I think we can all agree that though America may have moved a little closer to the ideal that “all men are created equal,” it didn’t reach that goal after the Civil War. There was still a definite lack of equality between different groups of people in the U.S.

Take a moment to think about everything that you’ve learned about the Civil War and Reconstruction.  What people, events, or actions do you think made a positive impact on history?  What people, events, or actions do you think made a negative impact on history?  What do you think SHOULD HAVE happened after the Civil War?  How could America have moved even closer to its ideals? 

Discuss the following question:

Did Reconstruction (Freedmen’s Bureau, Sharecropping, Black Codes, and the 15th Amendment) move America towards its ideals (”All men are created equal”)?

Use specific evidence/examples from the readings that we’ve done.

If you aren’t sure about something, ask questions.

If you can answer someone’s question, do it.

Welcome to your Social Studies blog!

We’re starting off the year by studying the United States Civil War and Reconstruction.

Our Essential Question for this unit is: Did the Civil War move America towards its ideals?

Our assessment for this unit will be a persuasive essay

Hello my fabulous historians,

I know that some of you would like to look at some more DBQs from past years.  Here is a link to those: http://www.nysedregents.org/testing/scostei/socstudies8.html

You are all going to do great on this test.  Review the strategies we learned in class and do your best.  You are all brilliant!  Just think of this as an opportunity to show off your skills as historians.  Don’t stress!

Here is a copy of the literacy test that we looked at in class:

http://rights.teachingmatters.org/files/Louisiana_Literacy_Test.pdf

This was used to deny African-Americans the right to vote because it was nearly impossible to pass this test.

For our final unit of the year, we will be studying different civil rights movements.  We will be using the Teaching Matters Civil Rights program to focus our work.

The website is:  rights.teachingmatters.org  (no www)

Use these documents to create questions for your DBQ (Document Based Question) Test.  Please be sure to write the number of the document that you are asking a question about.

Document #8:

“Persons of Japanese ancestry arrive at the Santa Anita Assembly Center from San Pedro. Evacuees lived at this center at the former Santa Anita race track before being moved inland to relocation centers.” Clem Albers, Arcadia, CA, April 5, 1942.

Click on photo to see clearer, larger image

Use these documents to create questions for your DBQ (Document Based Question) Test.  Please be sure to write the number of the document that you are asking a question about.

Document #7:

Timeline of America’s Reaction to the Holocaust

1933:

Jan. 30 — Adolf Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany.

March 20 — The Nazis establish their first concentration camp at Dachau.

March 27 — Huge anti-Nazi rally held at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

1938:

March 13 — Germany annexes (takes over) Austria.

July — President Roosevelt holds a conference in France to discuss Jewish refugee (people being forced from their homes or trying to escape from torture) problem.  Little is accomplished; most countries are not willing to accept Jewish refugees.

1939:

June — Wagner-Rogers Bill proposes admitting 20,000 German refugee children to the U.S.  Congress never votes on the bill, therefore it is never passed.

Sept. 1 — Germany invades Poland.

Sept. 3 — Britain and France declare war on Germany.

1941:

July — Jewish newspapers in New York write that thousands of Jewish civilians have been massacred by Nazi soldiers.

Oct. 11 — The New York Times reports on massacres of thousands of Jews.

Dec. 7 — Japanese attack Pearl Harbor (U.S. military base on U.S. territory)

Dec. 8 — U.S. declares war on Japan.

Dec. 11 — Germany (who is allied with Japan) declares war on the U.S.

Source: pbs.org

Use these documents to create questions for your DBQ (Document Based Question) Test.  Please be sure to write the number of the document that you are asking a question about.

Document #6:

Sign in store window during World War II