Week of 5/20-5/26 (LAST BLOG OF THE YEAR)

Well, my History Minions, the party's almost over.  Que lastima!

My class may have been difficult for some of you.  Some students said they had never written a thesis statement prior to AP US History.  Nine students told me they never had to study for class before.  Some of you said you had never before worked with a study group.  Some of you said you were learning how to organize yourselves, your materials, and your time.  Several students admitted they had never before read a textbook!

I hope you have gained positive experiences from my class.  I know what my goals for you were, and what I hoped you would learn!  So let's take a few minutes to reflect.  Pick one or more of these and write:

• What have you gained from the experience of this AP class?
• Was the AP test what you expected? 
• If you could take the class over, what would you do differently the second time?
• What did you most enjoy?
• Do you think any differently about US history now?
• Are there US history topics you wish you had more time to pursue now?
• How did you feel about having to complete blog posts?
• What have you learned about yourself?
• Have you gained any new skills or insights?
• What advice would you offer new students?
• Will this class help you in the future?  If so, how?

As always, happy blogging to you!  I wish you all the very best next year and beyond!

Week of 5/06-5/19/2013 (6th Week of 4th 9 Wks)

Greetings History Minions!

I really liked some of the information posted last time.  You are all busy studying for AP exams, so this post is good for TWO weeks :)    This ought to give you a little help with Civil Rights topics too!

Pick Option 1 OR Option 2:

Option 1) How did the African American Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s address the failures of the Reconstruction?

Option 2) "Between 1960 and 1975, there was great progress in the struggle for political and social equality."  Assess the validity of this statement with respect to ONE of the following groups during that period. 
         African Americans
         Asian Americans
         Latinos
         Native Americans
         Women

Week of 4/29-5/19/2013 (5th Week of 4th 9 Wks)

Greetings History Minions! 

This week I have two similar questions for you. Select one and impress your classmates with detail and historical fact.  :)

You should contribute NEW information to the discussion, and you should do so with your reply as well.
 
Option 1)  Analyze the effects of the Vietnam War on ONE of the following: the presidency, youth aged 18 to 35, or Cold War diplomacy. 
 
Option 2)  Analyze the ways in which the events and trends of the 1970s diminished the nation's economic power and international influence, and challenged Americans' confidence in both.

Amazing, I know!  Happy blogging!

Week of 4/22-4/28/2013 (4th Week of 4th 9 Wks)

Greetings History Minions!

Let's be careful to contribute factual information--in your own words.  I encourage you to go back to the textbook and to look things up online, but you need to think about the ideas and make them your own.  In college, taking credit for someone else's work is called plagiarism and is a serious offense that can get you kicked out of class or worse.

Prompt: Select ONE and analyze the extent to which it transformed American society OR politics in the 1960s and 1970s:

• The Civil Rights Movement 
• The antiwar movement
• The women's movement
• Wounded Knee 1973
• Kent State Massacre 1970
• Watergate Scandal 1972
• The Black Power Movement

Don't forget to post a factual reply to a classmate.  :)

Week of 4/15-4/21/2013 (3rd Week of 4th 9 Wks)

Greetings History Minions!

This week's blog is being posted on Tuesday because I have been waiting for students to complete make-up posts.  Please be good Study Group members and encourage each other to get their work completed.

Our next topic takes us to the end of WWII and return of the United States as an active participant in world events.  I want you to look at how the Cold War came about and how it affected the United States at home and abroad.

Analyze developments from 1941 to 1963 that increased suspicion and tension between the United States and Soviet Union.  What were the Cold War fears of the American people in the aftermath of the Second World War?  How successfully did the administration of President Dwight D. Eisenhower address these fears?  How successfully did the administration of President John F. Kennedy address these fears?  What were the effects on our economy?  Society?  Foreign relations?  Education?  What specific events should we discuss?

Don't forget to complete two posts and to use facts.  :)  Happy blogging!

Week of 4/8-4/14/2013 (2nd Week of 4th 9 Wks)

Greetings History Minions!

Let's talk about American society.  Compare and contrast United States society in the 1920s and the 1950s with respect to ONE of the following: 

• race relations
• role of women
• consumerism

This gives you a lot of options to talk about advertising, court cases and legal issues, entertainment, work, civil rights, mass production, impact of technology, literary developments, intolerant attitudes, etc.  Don't forget you need TWO blog posts.  Be sure to add a new fact to the discussion. 

Happy blogging!

Week of 4/1-4/7/2013 (1st Week of 4th 9 Wks)

Greetings History Minions!  Welcome to the first blog of the LAST nine weeks!

First check out some of these images of the Great Depression.  I think we are all familiar with the image "Migrant Mother." 

The Great Depression is extremely well documented, thanks in part to the work of photographer Dorothea Lange, who was hired thanks to the New Deal.  These are her photos.  http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/lange/ 

This blog post deals with the Great Depression and President Franklin D. Roosevelt's response to the economic crisis. 

Prompt: Analyze the response of Franklin D. Roosevelt's administration to the problems of the Great Depression.  How effective were these responses?  Who was left out?  What worked?  And how did they change the role of the federal government? 
Be sure to stick to the period 1929 to 1941.