Some U.S. History Updates Before Break!

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Dear Students and Parents,

Welcome to our U.S. History blog for 2011! This site will be a forum for class updates, discussions, and student showcases for all things Honors U.S. History.

I wanted to provide some updates on what students have been doing class, what they will be doing in the future, and how you can engage students in history! So, here’s the first installment:

1. Our Immigration/Migration Theme

2. History Fair

3. History Fair “unofficial” field trip

1. Immigration/Migration

For much of this quarter we have studied the historical theme “Immigration and Migration” in which students investigate the question “is movement across borders a human right?” To begin answering this question we have already examined the voluntary migrations of Europeans to the American colonies, the forced migration of slaves from Africa during the Middle Passage, the forced removal of Native Americans during the Trail of Tears, and America’s westward expansion into Mexico and the Pacific.

In the coming months we will explore old and new immigration, the Great Migration, the Great Depression and the debates over modern day immigration. I encourage you to start a dialogue with your child about our class work, home work and discussions—and if you feel so inspired to comment or answer our essential question—create a free blogger account and post comments on our blog!

2. History Fair

Students in Honors U.S. History will be competing in our annual History Fair competition. Winners of the school fair will have the opportunity to compete for prizes and bragging rights against local and regional schools. Students choose their own topics in one of five formats: exhibits, documentaries, performances, essays, or websites and then perform independent research to create their project. Here’s a schedule for History Fair:

December:

• Annotated bibliography of six sources due (12/10)
• Research question and thesis should be complete
• Students turn in first outline and revised thesis statements (12/10)
• Begin one on one conferences between students and teacher.
• Begin design plans for display boards and storyboards for documentaries.
• Provide Saturday sessions and/or days over winter break for assistance on design and layout of projects.

January:

• Final thesis and storyboard/outline (with 10 images/primary sources for your topic) due 1/6-7
• Rough draft of summary statement and 12 annotated sources due 1/13-14
• Two field visits to be completed by January 31^st (field visits include visiting a public library, archive, museum, or other approved site related to your topic—it does not include the school library or virtual sites!).
• Revised summary statement and 18 sources due 1/24-25

February:

· Rough draft of projects due 2/3-4

· LMSA History Fair on 2/16

· Winners advancing to regionals announced 2/17-18

March:

· March 5^th regionals held at the Illinois Institute of Technology

3. History Fair Field Trip

Students in our classes will have the opportunity to gain free admission to the Chicago History Museum to conduct research for History Fair. Because we are not in session, this is an “unofficial” field trip and students have to have their own transportation to and from the museum. The museum is located at 1601 N. Clark Street—just north of Downtown. We will meet at 10 A.M. and stay approximately 2-3 hours. Students can fulfill a portion of their History Fair requirements by visiting the museum and can earn some extra credit as well!

I hope you find this website useful and feel free to contact me at mpond@mrpond.org with any comments or concerns. Stay tuned for more updates and Happy Holidays!

Mr. Pond

Welcome to a new year!

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Hi all:

Welcome to our U.S. History blog! Here you will find regular postings by me about news, homework, projects--anything and everything to keep you in the loop!

I also hope this blog will be a play for us to share stories and experiences, as well as a place for students to showcase their work.

A little about me:
This is my fourth year at Lindblom and it is one of my favorite places on Earth! This year I will be teaching 3 sections of U.S. History--so this blog might get a little crowded at times--but that's ok since we have plenty of room on the Internet.

I am married to my beautiful wife and we have a little boy named Henry who is going to be 16 months old. We love to travel and in fact just returned from a family trip to Yellowstone National Park. I'll try to post pictures later this month.

A little about the course:
This will be a thematic class that will use Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States 1492-Present as the primary text. It will be supplemented by several additional readings as well as digital and visual media.

Our first theme will be "Government & Leadership." We will study government while trying to answer our essential question: what is good government and how do we know when it is effective?

Students will have several Constitution quizzes and a Constitution test in the form of a project (more on that to come).

In the meantime--feel free to post any general questions or comments you may have. I'm looking forward to a great year with all of you!

Wii the People

Friday, April 9, 2010

Hi All,

Well, we're back in full swing! For the next five weeks students will be examining the role that individuals play in government for our unit on the Constitution. Over the coming weeks students will be working on a Living Constitution Project in which each student will create a blog and then write 15 blog entries about specific principles found in the Constitution and how those principles relate to our modern society.

The entries will be part citation, part fact-finding, and part opinion/analysis. Students should think of themselves as Constitutional journalists who are out there to fact-check our politicians and media. It should be a good platform for students to show their creativity, let their voices be heard, and demonstrate their civic responsibilities.

I've posted a sample entry below for you and students to check out. The project will begin on Monday and end on, or around May 14th. I encourage you to look at student blogs once they're up and please feel free to post your own opinions with supportive or constructive feedback. I'm looking forward to having fun with this project!

Mr. Pond

Sample Blog Post:

Source: "Senators voice doubts on nuke treaty with Russia." April 9, 2010

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/apr/09/senators-voice-doubts-on-nuke-treaty/print/

Constitutional Connection:

Article II, Section 2: "[The President] shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur[The President] shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur"

Analysis of the Connection:

The founding fathers gave limited powers to the executive branch of government because they were fearful of another monarch or tyrant coming to power. Still, the founders recognized that strong, central leadership was necessary in order to make decisive decisions, otherwise the U.S. could face another rebellion such as the one led by Daniel Shays.

The founders compromised on the power of the president by creating a system of checks and balances. The president would have the constitutional power to make treaties, but the Senate must ratify them with a 2/3rds majority vote--to prevent a tyranny of a simple majority.

Obama and Medvedez sign START Treaty in Prague

In the article "Senators voice doubts on nuke treaty with Russia," Arizona Republicans John McCain and John Kyl voice their concerns over the START Treaty recently signed by President Obama and Russian President Dimitri Medvedev. Both senators are concerned that the treaty may weaken the U.S.' ability to defend itself from hostile nations or terrorists.

I for one, disagree. I think Jon Stewart said it best on yesterday's Daily Show when he proclaimed "so the U.S. and Russia have now reduced their nuclear stockpiles to only just over 1,500 for each country. That's only enough to blow up the entire world 7-12 times!" Frankly, the START Treaty is just that...a start...as it was when it was first signed in 1991. The real goal should be the elimination of nuclear weapons altogether, but the chances of that occuring in this climate of partisanship are unlikely.

"So easy a baby can do it!"

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

In this blog:

1. Three Days left!!!!
2. Zinn
3. P.S. my baby loves Zinn!

1. Hi all--well, there's only three...er, make that two class days left in the trimester now. Many students made significant strides...some are stuck in place...and some...well, let's just say there's always room for improvement. Grades are fairly accurate in the online gradebook now, but I do have two assignments still to be graded. Also, and most importantly: students have their 5 page essay on the question: When, if ever, is it appropriate for people to rebel against authority. Students must use 3 protests/rebellions from their recipes to support their thesis. The essay is worth 100 points and is due Monday (no unexcused exceptions). Students have the rubric for how they will be scored and will use part of class time on Thursday to work on the papers. Students may also email me or stop by my room ANYTIME I do not have classes to ask for help.

If students complete their essays early, they can take advantage of an extra credit opportunity to revise their recipes for rebellion into a nicely presented cookbook. This cookbook will add 10 points to their final score (or, if you prefer, if a student scores and 80 on their essay, it really becomes a 90).

Also, students have a 20 point homework assignment on protest art due Thursday. Students worked on this in class over the past 2 days, so those who were on task should have little to do. The art pieces and assignment are posted on my website: www.mrpond.org

2. After weighing comments from parents and students, I'm going to make some changes next trimester to better support students reading from the Zinn text. The struggle with Zinn (and perhaps reading in general) was especially evident in an OPEN-BOOK quiz that I gave last week (making it open book was my gift to students for a recently ultra-positive class) in which 1/2 of all students score a 60% or lower (the quiz consisted of 5 short answer questions).

Essentially, the open-book did not help because too many students didn't read the chapter and thus spent too much time searching the book for answers (and not enough time writing them). For my part, I will try to be better about getting parents daily assignments in advance--but I also need your help in asking students about their assignments to keep them on task.

3. Lastly, my son Henry seems to love Howard Zinn--as evidenced by this picture! See, it's so easy a baby can do it! ;o)

February

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Hi All,

Sorry for the delay in writing! I want to give you an update as to where we’re at in class and where we’ll be going through the end of the trimester. I’d also like to start a conversation about our class book—A People’s History of the United States—because I notice few students actually reading the text. So, here’s the order of topics:

1. What we’ve been doing
2. Where we’re going
3. Upcoming homework
4. Book discussion

1. What we’ve been doing
For the past two weeks we’ve been continuing our study of Protest and Rebellion. We learned about slave experiences and protests through our creation of “primary source poetry” and we’ve studied the causes of America’s biggest rebellion—the Civil War. We just wrapped up studying Reconstruction—the period of rebuilding following the Civil War—and began looking at labor and race protests of the early 20th century. Students did a nice job during an in-class simulation on the Chicago Race Riots of 1919—if you get a chance, ask them about what they did.

2. Where we’re going
In the remaining weeks we’ll be looking at women’s struggles for suffrage, Great-Depression era strikes, the Civil Rights Movement, the Delano Grape Strike led by Cesar Chavez, and finally the women’s liberation and Gay-rights movements of the 1970s. If time, we’ll also look at the conservative protest movements of the 1990s and today.

Our next unit will be based on the theme “Leadership in Government” and we’ll start that after Spring Break. We’ll also take the Constitution Test at the end of that unit (probably early May). The Constitution Test is a graduation requirement and I will do my best to prepare students and have review sessions. Students will be able to retake the exam if necessary.

Our final unit is “Conflict and Reconciliation” and that will begin in mid-May and carry us until the end of the year. Essentially it will be a study of war and peace.

3. Upcoming Homework
• Due Monday 2/22: Complete “Race Commission Recommendation” form from our simulation. The documents and forms can be viewed and downloaded from our class page at: http://www.mrpond.org/forstudents_ushistory.html
• Due Wednesday 2/24: Recipe for Rebellion #5
• 5 page essay on Protest & Rebellion due Friday, March 4
• There will be an in-class Assessment for the unit on Monday, March 7th

4. Book Discussion
This is my second year using Zinn’s A Peoples History of the United States at LMSA. All of the other U.S. History teachers use it as well. It is a big, intimidating-looking, 900 page college-level book. An extensive vocabulary (or a willingness to look up words) and some basic historical knowledge is needed to read it.

It is evident from class discussions and homework that few students are actually reading the book—or even attempting to. In meetings with students the arguments I have heard against the book are: “its too hard,” “it’s too long,” “it’s too big,” “it’s too boring.” Ironically, I chose to use Zinn because I find him so much more interesting than a traditional textbook and because of his pop-culture appeal (he was referenced in “Good Will Hunting”).

I do agree with student sentiments on the book (just not the “too” part). It is hard, it is long, it is big, and it can be boring (if you don’t know the vocabulary, anyway). I’m not ready to scrap the book just yet (although I may next year—after some feedback and reflection).

I used A Peoples History at my old school with greater success. My last school was not a selective enrollment school, but rather one where many students struggled to read and write at a high school level—and for that matter many struggled just to stay in school. They bought into the book, I think, because so many people in their lives told them they couldn’t do it. They weren’t smart enough to read a college-level book. So they read and struggled through it as their form of protest—or at least that’s what I’d like to believe.

I need to make some changes to better convince students they can succeed in reading this book and I probably need to create better tools to support their efforts. But I’m curious as to what you think—and as to what they tell you about the book. What changes do you think need to be made? Feel free to post your thoughts for the community to comment on, or email me if you’d prefer them to be private.

All the best!

Mr. Pond

Howard Zinn

Friday, January 29, 2010

On Wednesday Howard Zinn, author of our class book A People's History of the United States, passed away at the age of 87.

Howard (he wouldn't approve of being refered to as "Zinn") was a personal hero of mine. He grew up in a working class Jewish family in Boston and served as a bombadier in World War II. Following the war he became a civil rights advocate and a professor at Spelman College. He was later fired from Spelman for participating in a Student Non Violent Coordinating Committee protest against the college's orders. He was insubordinate, and I loved him for that.

In 1980, while teaching at Boston University, he published A People's History. His argument was history was subjective and not objective. He argued most governments supported the status quo and not the people. He argued no writer is without bias and nor should they claim to be.

I didn't agree with everything Howard said or wrote, but I admired him nonetheless. He was a tireless advocate for peace and social justice.

I would tell Howard to rest in peace, but he wouldn't want that--he'd prefer to protest and raise some hell.

While our students might dread hauling around his voluminous book, he was an outstanding writer whose impact influenced generations of future leaders. I hope our students learn from his example--and whether they agree with him or not--we can all gain hope and inspiration from his example.

Updates for the Week of January 25th

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Hi All,

I have a few updates for everyone listed below:

1. Progress Reports
2. History Fair
3. What we've been up to

1. GRADES
Progress Reports go out this weekend. The reports are a combination of the 1st and 2nd trimester grades. Because the 2nd trimester hasn't been completed yet, the 2nd trimester grades are not weighted as highly as the 1st trimester grades (confused yet?). So here's an example:

1st trimester percentage: 60%
2nd Trimester percentage: 80%

If the trimesters were equal, the average would be 70%--a C--but since we are only half way through the 2nd trimester--the 2nd trimester grade is worth half as much--so the progress report percentage would be 65%--still a D. So while a student's percentage went up--the grade from first trimester remains the same (for now--if the work level continues, then it would go up for 2nd trimester report cards).

If you have questions about grades, please feel free to email me at mpond@mrpond.org.

2.HISTORY FAIR
It was ambitious to have a research essay and History Fair completed in the same trimester, and I'm realizing one assignment needs to be cut. After speaking with the class, History Fair will now be optional (except for students in the U.S. History Skills Colloquium). Students who compete in History Fair (and I still STRONGLY encourage it) will receive significant extra credit.

Our school fair will be held on February 24th. and those who advance will compete in the city regionals at the Illinois Institute of Technology on March 13th.

3.WHAT WE'VE BEEN UP TO
Last Thursday we had a classroom simulation for the Seneca Falls convention in 1848 (I encourage you to ask students about what they learned) and it went very well. On Monday we discussed women's rights in the 19th century--including the Lowell Mill strike and powerful, yet largely unkown women like Lucy Stone, Elizabeth Blackwell, and to a lesser degree, Sojourner Truth.

Students are presently working on a Primary Source Poetry Slam to understand slavery and how to use evidence to make an argument. On Monday students will present a poem based on the life of a former slave. Students are using the Library of Congress' "Born in Slavery" website to research slave narratives collected during the Federal Writers Project. A link to the site can be found here.

When creating their poem, students can ONLY use the words of the ex-slave--they may, however, re-arrange the words any way they like. They must have at least 16 lines of no more than 8 words per line. We'll have a classroom stage and set for students to perform on and students can earn extra credit for coming in period costume. A sample poem that I wrote with the words of Mary Reynolds will be posted at the end of this blog.

On Thursday we'll have a Civil War re-enactor coming in to show us what life was like for soldiers and surgeons in the Civil War. It should be pretty cool.

That's all for now--please email me with any questions and check out the sample poem below:

Mary Reynolds

They was things past tellin’
I got scars on my old body
Niggers, men and women
I seen them put in the stock
Hands screwed down in the holes
Feets tied together
Naked behinds to the world
The overseer beat them with a big whip
A big whip
The massa look on

They cut the flesh and bones
They cut flesh and bones
So they never get up again
They cart them down to the graveyard
Bury them shallow
The buzzards don’t come around
And niggers mourn now
But them days was no time for mournin’

We prayed
We prayed
One day we’d only be slaves of Gawd
We prayed
We prayed
Gawd don’t think different of blacks and whites
We prayed for the end of tribulation
We prayed we could have special
Special meat to eat

I prayed
I prayed to rot in the ground
Cuz I hated when they beat me
Beat me for no reason
Beat
Me naked as the day I was born

Slavery was the worst days
And I got scars on my old body

Holler if you hear me!

Sunday, January 10, 2010

"When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation."~excerpted from: The Declaration of Independence, 1776

Our nation was born out of protest and since then, various protests and rebellions have led to the end of slavery, the 8 hour workday (and weekends), women's suffrage, and...at least in theory...equal rights for most.

I'd like to hear of any instances where you or a family member participated in or witnessed some type of protest and/or rebellion. Please post your stories here and in the next few weeks we'll have an online conversation about these protests and the ones we discuss in class. I look forward to hearing from you!

Kicking off the New Year

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Tomorrow is the first school day of the new year and we're diving right in. We've got a lot of work to do for History Fair--which will most likely be held the first week of March. We've also got an interesting unit on Protest & Rebellion which will seek to answer a fundamental question: when, if ever, do people have the right to rebel against authority?

To help answer this question students will write 5 "Recipes for Rebellion" and a 5 page research paper. The instructions for this project are here. I also have a sample recipe I created to give students an idea of what their recipes could look like. This is also available on my website here. I encourage students to be creative with their recipe designs and thorough with their research. Their recipes will help them write the research paper, so the better the recipes are, the better the paper should be.

We will do a lot of multi-tasking this trimester with this unit and History Fair. I plan on devoting some class time to work on both History Fair and the research for the essay to ease the homework burden.

I'd like to invite all of you to talk about the essay and History Fair projects at home. And please, if you have any comments or questions feel free to post them here or email me at: mpond@mrpond.org

Happy New Year!