Welcome back from Spring Break! I hope you had a wonderful time and are well-relaxed. We have only a short sprint to go before the end of the school year! Take every advantage of opportunities to get your grades in good shape between now and then!
150 years ago this week the US Civil War began. While slavery was the main issue, as we learned last year in US history (and will next year, for you sophomores) there were a great deal of issues that divided the North and the South. Take, for instance, the name of the war itself. In the North it was called a civil war (which means that different parts of the same country are fighting each other). In the South it was (is) referred to as "The War Between the States." To southerners the word "state" had always meant the same thing as "country" (look it up in a dictionary). Some have said, then, that the war was fought over a verb! The North liked to say "The United States is..." while the South said "The United States are...". And you thought verb conjugation brought trouble to YOUR life!
Can you actually imagine things getting so bad in our country today that an internal war would break out? How much tension and anger would have to build up before you were willing to take up arms and fight your neighbors...or your brother? For your assignment this week I want you to research a topic of the Civil War in Kentucky. You might consider the Breckinridge family - two brothers (one would be a US vice president) were generals on opposite sides of the war! President Lincoln's wife Mary Todd Lincoln was from Lexington, KY, and her brother was a Confederate general - which had to make the holidays a tad strained, wouldn't you think? You might consider a battle (there were many in Kentucky) or a community's involvement in the war.
In the light of the scope of world history, the US Civil War plays a fairly small role. However, it's implications would affect history on a global scale (for one thing, hundreds of Confederates fled the country after the war - there's a huge Rebel celebration held every year in Brazil for Portuguese-speaking descendants of southern soldiers!). It would also mark the end of western countries' holding onto the notion that slavery was acceptable. Everything happens for a reason!
Please remember to meet the requirements of these assignments. Good luck and happy hunting - be sure to cite your sources!
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Sunday, March 27, 2011
March 28-April 1, April 4-8
Hello! Because so many students will be travelling this week and next week is spring break, please enjoy a two-week hiatus from history homework! I will, however, offer an extra-credit assignment for those of you who have a desire to improve your grade. For 5 bonus points added to your test grade write an essay about Joan of Arc and post it as a comment (remember to cite your sources). You may do a second essay for the same amount of credit; research the wife of any American president and share your findings in an essay. These must be posted before midnight, April 10, for any credit.
A word of caution - after two weeks with no history homework over the Christmas vacation some of you had a hard time getting back into the habit of keeping up with your assignments. Don't let it happen this time!
A word of caution - after two weeks with no history homework over the Christmas vacation some of you had a hard time getting back into the habit of keeping up with your assignments. Don't let it happen this time!
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Homework 3, Due March 25, 2011
In American history classrooms not too long ago one might have been convinced that all the important contributions to human history were made by wealthy white men. In the documentary we watched (partially) earlier this year by Dr Jarred Diamond entitled "Guns, Germs, and Steel" we learned why white Europeans, who as recently as five or six centuries ago were woefully primitive in comparison to their middle-eastern and Asian contemporaries, would become the dominant culture through the age of imperialism and colonization. And, because of western social structure (much of which comes from the Bible) and physiology (men tend to be physically stronger than women), men have usually occupied the positions of leadership in society.
The modern study of history emphasizes the contributions of all parts of society. Indeed, rather than "great individuals" moving history, the opposite was often the case - doors of opportunity were opened to those in leadership because of the collective actions and decisions of ordinary people - regardless of race or gender. In an effort to remind us that history is about everybody, not just the powerful and wealthy few, historians now celebrate the history of previously underreported segments of society by dedicating a month to their story. Just as February was Black History Month, March is Women's History Month.
Your assignment this week is to visit the link http://womenshistorymonth.gov/ which is hosted by the US Library of Congress and follow the link entitled "Exhibits & Collections". There you will choose an article to read and report back to the class. Share what you learn and comment on what knowledge we would lose if we focused solely on the "great men" of history while neglecting everyone else.
Remember to meet all the requirements for this assignment and to post your essay on time for full credit. Have a good week!
The modern study of history emphasizes the contributions of all parts of society. Indeed, rather than "great individuals" moving history, the opposite was often the case - doors of opportunity were opened to those in leadership because of the collective actions and decisions of ordinary people - regardless of race or gender. In an effort to remind us that history is about everybody, not just the powerful and wealthy few, historians now celebrate the history of previously underreported segments of society by dedicating a month to their story. Just as February was Black History Month, March is Women's History Month.
Your assignment this week is to visit the link http://womenshistorymonth.gov/ which is hosted by the US Library of Congress and follow the link entitled "Exhibits & Collections". There you will choose an article to read and report back to the class. Share what you learn and comment on what knowledge we would lose if we focused solely on the "great men" of history while neglecting everyone else.
Remember to meet all the requirements for this assignment and to post your essay on time for full credit. Have a good week!
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Homework 2, Due March 18, 2011
I'm sure you have been as saddened as I have been to witness the terrible effects of the earthquake and resulting tsunami in Japan. It will take years to fully comprehend the extent of the damages and how it will affect Japan and the rest of the world. We already know that thousands have died and many more have lost everything they owned; it is possible that multiple nuclear reactors have suffered melt-downs, which potentially could be worse than than the natural disaster itself.
Natural disasters remind us of just how small we humans are in comparison to the earth we inhabit. Follow the link http://www.livescience.com/4927-worst-natural-disasters.html to Live Science's list of some of the largest natural disasters in history. Choose one to research and find accurate sources to give you more information.
After reporting on the natural disaster, answer these questions: what should countries do to prepare for such events? What natural disasters do you feel threaten our region the most?
Remember to post the assignment on time and to fulfill all the requirements for these assignments.
Natural disasters remind us of just how small we humans are in comparison to the earth we inhabit. Follow the link http://www.livescience.com/4927-worst-natural-disasters.html to Live Science's list of some of the largest natural disasters in history. Choose one to research and find accurate sources to give you more information.
After reporting on the natural disaster, answer these questions: what should countries do to prepare for such events? What natural disasters do you feel threaten our region the most?
Remember to post the assignment on time and to fulfill all the requirements for these assignments.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Homework 1, Due March 11, 2011
Because the comments part of this assignment is not due until Sunday, March 13, and I hope to have my grades posted before that, this assignment will be the first of the fourth quarter. That reminds us that the end of the year is is sight!
In honor of the Industrial Revolution, which is the topic of our upcoming lectures, this assignment will focus on the modern technological revolution, which shares many characteristics with the era we are studying. Every day you observe developing technologies and their results, and it hardly surprises anyone when some new invention or website appears that seems to change everything.
Your assignment will focus on some current inventions and changes that perhaps aren't as visible but still hold great importance. Follow the link
http://www.rand.org/pubs/monograph_reports/MR1307/MR1307.sum.html
to see a report by the RAND Corporation dealing with observations and predictions for the year 2015. RAND (Research and Devlopment) has been around for decades (same people that make the RAND/McNally maps) as a non-profit "think-tank", providing information to the government, researchers, and businesses in order to help them make better decisions.
Go to the RAND report and read and report on one of the following sections: THE REVOLUTION OF LIVING THINGS; THE REVOLUTION OF MATERIALS, DEVICES, AND MANUFACTURING; or META-TRENDS AND IMPLICATIONS. (Feel free to read the complete report, but it's rather lengthy). In your report answer the following questions: Are the changes, as a whole, an improvement for humanity? Of the concerns mentioned, which seems most important to you, and why? And finally, if you were asked to make a single prediction in the area upon which you are reporting for the year 2050, what would it be?
Be sure to follow the requirements for these assignments. They have a great impact on your grade!
In honor of the Industrial Revolution, which is the topic of our upcoming lectures, this assignment will focus on the modern technological revolution, which shares many characteristics with the era we are studying. Every day you observe developing technologies and their results, and it hardly surprises anyone when some new invention or website appears that seems to change everything.
Your assignment will focus on some current inventions and changes that perhaps aren't as visible but still hold great importance. Follow the link
http://www.rand.org/pubs/monograph_reports/MR1307/MR1307.sum.html
to see a report by the RAND Corporation dealing with observations and predictions for the year 2015. RAND (Research and Devlopment) has been around for decades (same people that make the RAND/McNally maps) as a non-profit "think-tank", providing information to the government, researchers, and businesses in order to help them make better decisions.
Go to the RAND report and read and report on one of the following sections: THE REVOLUTION OF LIVING THINGS; THE REVOLUTION OF MATERIALS, DEVICES, AND MANUFACTURING; or META-TRENDS AND IMPLICATIONS. (Feel free to read the complete report, but it's rather lengthy). In your report answer the following questions: Are the changes, as a whole, an improvement for humanity? Of the concerns mentioned, which seems most important to you, and why? And finally, if you were asked to make a single prediction in the area upon which you are reporting for the year 2050, what would it be?
Be sure to follow the requirements for these assignments. They have a great impact on your grade!
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Homework 9, Due March 4, 2011
Let's turn our attention this week to current US politics and what the budget negotiations in Washington, D.C. mean for us. If the Republicans in the House of Representatives and the Democrats in the Senate (and President Obama) fail to agree on a budget for the second half of this year, the government will "shut down". This has actually happended several times, one of which was very politically important. To catch you up on the current situation I'd like you to read the article from the Christian Science Monitor located at the link http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2011/0223/If-a-government-shutdown-occurs-what-actually-happens .
Looking back to 1995, the Republican Party had just won massive victories in the midterm elections, taking control of the House of Representatives and the Senate while the Democrats controlled the White House(sounds familiar, right?). Like today, the two sides immediately clashed over spending. The Republicans wanted to cut spending by reducing government programs in order to reduce the deficit (government debt) and lower taxes. Democrats argued that the government spending was necessary and that people would suffer if the programs were eliminated. The Republicans were led by Newt Gingrich who was Speaker of the House of Representatives and Bob Dole, the minority leader of the Senate. Of course, Bill Clinton was President
A very short, clear summary of the events can be found at the link http://www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/en/Federal_government_shutdown_of_1995 . To read the transcript of a PBS newscast during the dramatic negotiations, go to the link http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/clinton/etc/11131995.html . The newscast is rather long, but if you read a some of it you'll get a sense of the tension surrounding the political fight in Washington.
Answer the following questions: How important is compromise in the political system? If we send elected officials to Washington to represent our beliefs and values, when is it appropriate for them to concede some of those beliefs in order to meet the other side in the middle? What is your opinion of the current budget battle? Are there differences between now and 1995? (Need I remind you that rude or disrespectful posts will be deleted, meaning that you will receive no credit for the assignment?).
The requirements for this assignment are exactly the same as all those that preceded it. Have a good week!
Looking back to 1995, the Republican Party had just won massive victories in the midterm elections, taking control of the House of Representatives and the Senate while the Democrats controlled the White House(sounds familiar, right?). Like today, the two sides immediately clashed over spending. The Republicans wanted to cut spending by reducing government programs in order to reduce the deficit (government debt) and lower taxes. Democrats argued that the government spending was necessary and that people would suffer if the programs were eliminated. The Republicans were led by Newt Gingrich who was Speaker of the House of Representatives and Bob Dole, the minority leader of the Senate. Of course, Bill Clinton was President
A very short, clear summary of the events can be found at the link http://www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/en/Federal_government_shutdown_of_1995 . To read the transcript of a PBS newscast during the dramatic negotiations, go to the link http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/clinton/etc/11131995.html . The newscast is rather long, but if you read a some of it you'll get a sense of the tension surrounding the political fight in Washington.
Answer the following questions: How important is compromise in the political system? If we send elected officials to Washington to represent our beliefs and values, when is it appropriate for them to concede some of those beliefs in order to meet the other side in the middle? What is your opinion of the current budget battle? Are there differences between now and 1995? (Need I remind you that rude or disrespectful posts will be deleted, meaning that you will receive no credit for the assignment?).
The requirements for this assignment are exactly the same as all those that preceded it. Have a good week!
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Homework 8, Due February 25, 2011
As we’ve been studying the French Revolution and the individuals who played key roles in its beginning and its outcome, it is important to remember that it is ideas which are the great force that moves the course of history. God’s Word sets forth truth, yet humanity seems bent on finding its own way. For generations an idea proclaimed to be truth will create a political, social, and economic status quo, only to have another idea, usually its opposite, sweep it away.
Take recent theories on parenting, for instance. The generation that survived the Great Depression raised their children strictly, insisting on hard work, stern discipline, and thrift. The children came through World War II and experienced a fantastic economy in their early adulthood. The result is that they raised their children in a manner that was completely opposite to their own Spartan childhoods – they raised the Baby Boomer generation, which gave us the hippie movement and Jerry Garcia.
In like manner, the Enlightenment was a rejection of the conservatism and religious effects of the Reformation. Your assignment this week is to read about the Enlightenment and its chief pupil, Napoleon Bonaparte. Read the essay about the Enlightenment at http://www.mrdowling.com/705-enlightenment.html . On the same page (just an inch or so under the head line) you’ll see a link to an essay about the life of Napoleon. Read them both and answer these questions: How did the Enlightenment gain such popularity with Europeans? How did the ideas of the Enlightenment shape Napoleon? How much impact does the Enlightenment have on today’s society? (Give examples).
Remember the requirements of these assignments and make every effort to complete your work on time.
Take recent theories on parenting, for instance. The generation that survived the Great Depression raised their children strictly, insisting on hard work, stern discipline, and thrift. The children came through World War II and experienced a fantastic economy in their early adulthood. The result is that they raised their children in a manner that was completely opposite to their own Spartan childhoods – they raised the Baby Boomer generation, which gave us the hippie movement and Jerry Garcia.
In like manner, the Enlightenment was a rejection of the conservatism and religious effects of the Reformation. Your assignment this week is to read about the Enlightenment and its chief pupil, Napoleon Bonaparte. Read the essay about the Enlightenment at http://www.mrdowling.com/705-enlightenment.html . On the same page (just an inch or so under the head line) you’ll see a link to an essay about the life of Napoleon. Read them both and answer these questions: How did the Enlightenment gain such popularity with Europeans? How did the ideas of the Enlightenment shape Napoleon? How much impact does the Enlightenment have on today’s society? (Give examples).
Remember the requirements of these assignments and make every effort to complete your work on time.
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