Homework 7, Due May 20, 2011

This will be the final history assignment of the year (congratulations, especially to you juniors, for whom this will be the last of your high school career!). I would like to end this year much the same as we did last year, with an opportunity to reflect on what we've learned. In your essay I would like you to choose a) an era other than the present that you think would have been the most interesting/exciting to have lived in and explain why; b) a non-biblical person we have studied that you think has had the most positive influence on the world and explain why; and c) an event that we have studied that you would have loved to have taken part in, and explain why.

Please make sure to post your homework on time, to comment on the posts of your classmates, and to follow the guidelines for these assignments. Only a two more weeks until we wrap things up! God bless!

Homework 6, Due May 6, 2011

There are so many topics that would be a great fit for this week! This week marks the fortieth anniversary of the heroic “Freedom Riders” that travelled the South to force the integration of bus stops and restaurants that were refusing to honor Supreme Court decisions concerning the rights of minorities in the US. Also, this week the eyes of the world will turn to Kentucky for the “Run for the Roses” – the Kentucky Derby, arguably the world’s most famous race (with a world-wide viewing audience that is bigger than that of the Super Bowl, the World Series, or the NBA finals). The history of horse racing is closely connected with our state’s history. Not far from where you are sitting to read this thousands of spectators used to gather at the home of Revolutionary War hero William Whitley to witness the first horse races in Kentucky. Our state boasts two of the best-known race tracks in America (Churchill Downs in Louisville and Keeneland in Lexington), the world’s most expensive horse auction (Keeneland’s annual sales events), and is home to many of the most successful horse farms in the world. Each year hundreds of thousands of people travel to Kentucky to enjoy what is our state’s signature industry.

However, I feel that it would be appropriate to take this time to focus on a theme that is more closely connected to the material we are covering in lecture. As we continue to study World War II there are so many notable events and people that deserve our attention. For this week's assignment you can choose to research and report on the role of women in the war effort (there's more to the story than "Rosie the Riveter", as you will find at the excellent link http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/2WWwomen.htm - please mention at least three) or you may choose to examine US propaganda efforts by means of war-time posters. These posters were produced and distributed by the government with a purpose in mind - examine and analyze at least three at the link http://digital.library.northwestern.edu/otcgi/digilib/llscgi60.exe?QUERY=jpeg®ION=M8561Z&db=0&SIZE=10&SORTBY=M260C and explain the significance of these posters. Also, do you think they were effective in World War II? Does the government propagandize current wars? If so, how?

Please make every attempt to complete this assignment on time. Respond to the essays of others in the class with thoughtful comments that challenge deeper thinking. Remember to meet all the requirements of these assignments. Thank you and have a great week!