Social Studies January 2nd through 19th

Welcome back students and parents from Christmas break.

On our first day back, students learned about the story of  Oregon's wandering wolf, OR 7.  All students were given an extra credit story to tell their parents and have them sign.

We are studying imperialism over the next few weeks.  I had the study guide up the entire Christmas break for the final exam.  Students who did not copy down the study guide can check out a book after school from the library to obtain the answers.  

We will be learning about the reasons for imperialism, the United States takeover of Hawaii, and the Spanish American War.  Most of the work will be done in class.  I am encouraging all students to go online and check their grades so they can come in after school and make up any missing work.  I am available after school and at lunch to help and assist sutdents in improving their grade.

Extra Credit Western Films Due December 1st

Students were learning about the settling of the West, and I told them I would post some extra-credit opportunities. Here are the movies, and they are allowed to write up and submit for extra credit but for only up to two films. 

Here's the list:

• True Grit 2010
• Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid 1969
• High Noon 1952
• Dances with Wolves 1990
• The Searchers 1958

I had to make a choice---there were so many great Westerns out there.  For each film, you will need to write a paragraph answering the following questions if applicable.

What is the main conflict or main conflicts?

What is the main mission of the main characters?

How is the conflict resolved?

What examples of violence are in the film?

What are some things in the film that show life in the old west? (horses, wagons, sod houses, food)

October 27th through November 17th

We are having very busy weeks in social studies.

We have been learning about immigration:

Students learned about Minik, and eskimo boy who was taken from his home in Greenland to America.

They read the picture book the Arrival by Sean Tan.  They also looked at and made observations of Jane Addams Hull House maps that featured the many different groups that lived around Hull House in Chicago.

We also discussed assimilation for immigrants.  Students also looked at and made observations about the Orphan Trains that sent many children out of the crowded American cities into the country.

Students are also writing an inclass essay about treatment of African Americans in the Post Civil War South and the great migration of blacks to the Northern states.

November 13-17th will be about the settlement of the West.

October 16th through October 20th

Students' six week grades have been updated:  I am working closely with students to make sure they are making up any missing work.  Parents are also being contacted.

This week we are doing the following in class:

Robber Barons slide show and worksheet

Great Strikes Quiz

The Gilded Age of New York:  slide show quiz and notes

On Thursday and Friday, students will have their first geography tests for landforms and countries  Landforms and Countries .  It can be retaken in January for a higher grade.  All students have the list of countries in orange in their binders.

September 27th through October 6th

In class students are making observations about the Industrial Revolution and we have finished reading our first novel, Finn Reardon.   We will be learning about different political ideologies that also developed during this time.  Here is our homework assignment that will be due next week:

HOMEWORK assignment---no LATES--due OCTOBER 10th and 11th (changed date)

All students will have been given a sheet with the CHILD LABOR PRIMARY DOCUMENTS on September 26th and 27th.  

All students will be writing letters (no typing for this assignment) from two different viewpoints depending on the first letter of your last name.   Students will all be using, however, the same set of Primary Documents which has been given on September 24-25th. It is on a green sheet with their social studies papers.

 You may type or write the letter on lined paper.

Also you are free to "make up" information to make your letter more interesting.  You are also free to research and use supplemental material as long as you are not copying the same words from the source.

If you type the letter, make sure you use the 12 point times new roman font.

All letters will be written to this address--which is the real address and name of the editor of the New York times at the time of these documents:

Mr. Adolph Ochs, Publisher
New York Times
229 West 43rd St.
New York City, NY

If you last name begins A-P  You will do the following:

You will write the letter as Lewis Hines, himself:

First paragraph should be about how Hines wants to end child labor

Second paragraph should be about some of his observations of child labor (from the Green Documents)

Third paragraph should be about laws that need to change to prevent child labor

Sign the letter as LEWIS HINES (but make sure you put your real name on the letter)

If your last name begins Q-Z You will do the following:

You will write as a  citizen (yourself) who is concerned about child labor

First paragraph should be about why you think some parents have their children work.

Second paragraph will be about why child labor is so bad...some of the harsh working conditions

Third paragraph should be what concerned citizens should do to end child labor.

Sign the letter as yourself, and then add the words, Concerned Citizen after yoursignature

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2017

Welcome Freshman Students

This blog will be your portal to what we are doing in class.  I will be posting weekly what we've done and what assignments are due.  All classes will usually be at the same spot.

During the week of September 6-8 we have a shorter week.   You will have the new Oly day, and then classes formally started on Wednesday, September 6th.

All students were given their first assignment which will be due on Thursday (A day) or Friday (B) day next week the 14th or 15th.  They are to interview someone about their experience on September 11th, 2001 when the world trade centers were attacked.  Students will be gathering a primary document from a parent or someone else they know.

We are already starting our novel Finn Reardon, and students will also be viewing the movie Lyddie about a girl during the Industrial Revolution.

THURSDAY, APRIL 6, 2017

Information for the 1920's Exam to be given on May 1st

Here is the information you will need to know for the multiple choice test I will be giving you on May 1st (all classes).  We may still be studying the 1920s, but the test will be given on this date.  Note I have moved back the date to the MAY 1st as we will not finish the unit until then..

1.  After immigration laws were tightened, and Chinese and Japanese and Eastern Europeans were limited in their ability to immigrate to America, jobs went to immigrants from Canada and Mexico.

2.  The Red Scare which was about supposed Communists coming into the United States was a response to the Russian Revolution.

3.  Productivity rose in the 1920's because of new resources, new technologies, and new management methods.

4.  Some states banned the teaching of evolution in their schools because it contradicted or opposed the Bible's account of the creation of man.

5.  No doubt, the most exciting hero of 1920s baseball era was Babe Ruth

6.  President Harding and President Coolidge based their foreign policy on isolationism..

7.  On unexpected result of Prohibition during the 1920s was the rise in organized crime.

8.  The Ku Klux Klan targeted these groups in the 1920s:  African Americans, Catholics, Jews, and immigrants.

9.  Republican presidents in the 1920s generally favored policies that promoted the growth of business.

10.  Charles Lindberg and other heroes meant that Americans recognized the virtues of the good old days.

11. One group that suffered economically in the 1920s were farmers.

12.  Clubs in Harlem New York were the place to hear Jazz music.

13.  Flappers represent women's desire to break free from the past.

14.  African Americans moved to the North to find jobs.

15.  At first women did not vote in great numbers (after they were given the right to in 1920) because of many reasons:  some did not feel comfortable voting, they could not leave their children to go to the pools, or their families discouraged them from voting.

16.  Many Americans believed that Sacco and Vanzetti were executed because they were immigrants with radical beliefs during the Red Scare.

17.  The economy grew in the 1920s as consumers began to buy goods on credit.

 18.  This desire for exciting new products led to an increase in personal debt.

19.  Henry Ford's dream was to sell cars that ordinary people could afford.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017

April 3rd through April15th

We are busy in Social Studies during our first few weeks back from Spring Break:

1.  Students have received their main handout on the 1920s
2.  Students will be doing many activities that will show up on the gradebook:  they include the following:

Fact or Opinion about the African American migration out of the South
1920s Prohibition Pro and Con Argument with Primary Documents
Reading about the Alaskan Diptheria Run
Learning about Charles Lindbergh, Amelia Earhart and other heroes of the 1920s.

We are going to also have centers---and students will hold some artifacts and letters from the National Archives in their hands.

Extra Credit opportunities that were posted before Spring Break are due by April 14th---whereupon the they will expire.  I will post new opportunities on the 15th.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15, 2017

EXTRA CREDIT RUSSIAN REVOLUTION and QUIZ for week of March 20-23

Students are studying the Russian Revolution and other revolutions before Spring break.

Here are some extra credit opportunities.  They will be due no later than April 14th--Friday--which will be the CUT OFF DATe.  hopefully some of you can watch the videos over spring break.

 One, students can draw an Imperial egg from the Faberge Jewelry Workshop.  I have the actual worksheet for that---so it needs to be done on that.

 I can give some extra credit for the following viewing opportunities---just have your parents sign a slip that you watched them.  Please be honest (really don't need to say that--but am, anyways)

On NETFLIX--look for Raiders of the Lost Art---there is an episode on the Faberge Eggs, the one that was found in 2014, and speculation where the other lost eggs may be.

The film REDS is about the American John Reed and his involvement in the early days of the Russian Revolution.  This film was rated R, so there are some more adult parts.  Please write a brief paragraph about what he saw during the early days of the revolution.

We will be studying the 1920s directly after this--so here are some more films about this time--again, since this is out of class, I am not responsible for any violence or adult parts that may be in them:

UNTOUCHABLES--great film about Al Capone and Chicago during Prohibition
The STING--another film about a "set up" of small time criminals  during the 1920s
THE SPIRIT of ST. LOUIS (the film with James Stewart)  We will be learning about Charles Lindbergh's historic flight so this film is a great introduction to the story.  The special effects are a bit dated--but it's still good.

You can also watch any documentaries on BONNIE and CLYDE that run at least over 45 minutes long--make sure they are documentaries.  I will not give credit for the movie which is something I will not give credit for.


ALSO:  we will be having a Multiple Choice Quiz on the Russian Revolution so here is the information that will be on it---we will probably be taking it on Wednesday or Thursday March 22 and 23rd depending on what period your class is.

1.  The ideas of the Russian Revolution came out of the Industrial Revolution
2.  Communists believed that Russia was the ideal place for the Revolution to occur because it was not as industrialized--so the industry that grew would be owned by the state instead.
3.  Religion was not considered part of the Communist beliefs.
4.  World War I was a short term cause of the communist revolution
5.  Even before the overthrow and assassinations of the Tsar and his family, there had been many protests about unfair conditions in Ruissa.
6.  Sometimes the Tsar blamed Jews for the problems in Russia and they were targeted for violence.
7. Vladimir Lenin was not able to take power immediately in 1917--he actually had to escape to nearby Finland---and then he returned to take power.
8.  In order to end World War I, and get Russia focused on the Revolution, Lenin offered to give up vast amounts of Russian land to German control
9.  These lands, however, did not remain in permanent control of the Germans---after the Germans lost World War I---these countries became separate nations
10.  At the end of World War I--Germany had many smaller revolutions caused by communists--however, German soldiers who were returning from the war still had guns and they killed the communists or eliminated the threat of a revolution
11.  Stalin was successful in having two of his FIVE YEAR PLANS to industrialize Russia.  He got money by selling off paintings and jewels and even the eggs from the Romanovs to pay for tractors.  He ordered FORD and JOHN DEERE tractors to be shipped over to Russia to help transform farming.  However, because of World War II, he was not able to get the third of the five year plans finished.
12.  A lot of Russian industry that had been created by the two five year plans was ruined by the destruction on World War II.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, 2017

World War I TEST coming on March 7th and 8th

A 41 question test will be given about World War I on March 8th (Period 6) and March 9th (Periods 2,3,4).  Most of the material is covered in class and on your guided notes.  However, I did not have time to cover everything, so here is some extra material for you to review.

I have NUMBERED them, but the number is NOT THE SAME on the test.

1.  Many of the leaders were related to each other.  The king of England, the Tsar of Russia and the Kaiser of Germany were all cousins.  As relatives, they were rivals and often saw their family relationships reflected in the power of their country.
2. Each side thought the war would be over by Christmas
3.  Americans were divided because over 1/4 were descended from Germans.
4.  The Zimmerman telegram--which tried to get Mexico to attack America was the most ludicrous reasons for the U.S. to enter the war--but many took this threat seriously.
5.  You must know the years of the war.
6.  When Russia gets out of the war because of a peace treaty signed with Lenin, the new communist leader, remember that the German soldiers who were fighting the Russians now move over to the Western front.
7.  Airplanes were mainly used to scout enemy positions.
8.  Communist revolutions, though not as large as what was happening in Russia, also occurred in Germany during the last days of the war.
9. Germany lost the most men in  World War I,
10.  The Germans at first refused to sign the Treaty of Versailles.
11. During the war, the U.S. used price controls to prevent unfair profits because of war.
12.  Remember what sedition is:  limiting free speech that might harm the war effort.
13.  We now pay for our wars with taxes.
14.  Remember, the United States did not join the League of Nations.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2017

EXTRA CREDIT FILMS: WORLD WAR I

Each film will be 10-15 points depending on content and length.  All extra credit slips must be just a piece of paper signed by parent that you watched the film.  Slips will be due no later than March 3rd--approximately when we finish World War I.

Paths of Glory (black and white film---interesting content)
Sergeant York (black and white film--Alvin York won the Medal of Honor, and this film outlines his growing up years and courageous deeds)
Flyboys (rated PG-13)  This is the story of the American pilots who went over before the US joined the war.

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Back to School: Assignments and work through September 22

Freshman students are busy in my class during the first few weeks.  Also here is the READING LIST of NOVELS for both semester (Extra Credit)  READING LIST for FRESHMEN

Here is what is due:

On Thursday and Friday (A day and B day) September 14th through 15th, students will be turning in their primary document where they talked to someone about where they were on the day of September 11, 2001.  Though this is out of the class's time frame (1865-1945), students will gain a better understanding about what a primary document is.

In class, students are reading the novel, Journal of Finn Reardon, Finn Reardon Worksheet and they are finishing watching the movie, Lyddie, here is the Lyddie Worksheet about a girl working in the cotton mills.  Both these pieces introduce students to the challenges faced by children.  It also introduces them to working conditions, labor rights, and disease and other hazards of life in the 1800s.  In case you don't have the syllabus signed, here it is, too: Syllabus Freshmen

During the week of September 18-22, students will be learning more about working conditions and child labor.  They will view the photographs of Lewis Hines.  On October 6th, they will have another homework assignment that is due.  I will be passing out the materials for that in class and posting the instructions here next week.  Students can plan to have a homework assignment every two or three weeks.  Even though I will not be handing out the materials until next week, I am including the instructions for this assignment at the bottom of this posting.

Geography terms including countries and landforms will also be passed out on an orange sheet.  Here are the terms in case the student loses the sheet: Geography Test Countries and Landforms Students will be taking this test at least three times this year.  First semester, we take it twice, with the highest score be taken.   Our first day for the geography test will be on October 19/20th.  It is multiple choice with maps in front of them, so it is not something they have to pull out of their heads.  Most students enjoy this kind of test because they are only competing against themselves.  By the end of the year, they are doing well.

Students also have a vocabulary list in their binder.  The definitions are in the back of their textbook, but I go over these words in class and also give students some time to take the definitions down.  Their final exam in January will include a definition/vocabulary section.

HOMEWORK assignment---no LATES--due OCTOBER 5th and 6th

All students will have been given a sheet with the CHILD LABOR PRIMARY DOCUMENTS by September 22.

All students will be writing letters from two different viewpoints depending on the first letter of your last name.   Students will all be using, however, the same set of Primary Documents which has been given to them prior to the Thanksgiving break.  It is on a green sheet with their social studies papers.  You may type or write the letter on lined paper.  Also you are free to "make up" information to make your letter more interesting.  You are also free to research and use supplemental material as long as you are not copying from a source.  If you type the letter, make sure you use the 12 point times new roman font.

All letters will be written to this address--which is the real address and name of the editor of the New York times at the time of these documents:

Mr. Adolph Ochs, Publisher
New York Times
229 West 43rd St.
New York City, NY

If you last name begins A-P  You will do the following:

You will write the letter as Lewis Hines, himself:

First paragraph should be about how Hines wants to end child labor

Second paragraph should be about some of his observations of child labor (from the Green Documents)

Third paragraph should be about laws that need to change to prevent child labor

Sign the letter as LEWIS HINES (but make sure you put your real name on the letter)

If your last name begins Q-Z You will do the following:

You will write as a  citizen (yourself) who is concerned about child labor

First paragraph should be about why you think some parents have their children work.

Second paragraph will be about why child labor is so bad...some of the harsh working conditions

Third paragraph should be what concerned citizens should do to end child labor.

Sign the letter as yourself, and then add the words, Concerned Citizen after yoursignature

Welcome Freshman Students

This blog will be your portal to what we are doing in class.  I will be posting weekly what we've done and what assignments are due.  All classes will usually be at the same spot.

During the week of September 6-8 we have a shorter week.   You will have the new Oly day, and then classes formally started on Wednesday, September 6th.

All students were given their first assignment which will be due on Thursday (A day) or Friday (B) day next week the 14th or 15th.  They are to interview someone about their experience on September 11th, 2001 when the world trade centers were attacked.  Students will be gathering a primary document from a parent or someone else they know.

We are already starting our novel Finn Reardon, and students will also be viewing the movie Lyddie about a girl during the Industrial Revolution.

Information for the 1920's Exam to be given on May 1st

Here is the information you will need to know for the multiple choice test I will be giving you on May 1st (all classes).  We may still be studying the 1920s, but the test will be given on this date.  Note I have moved back the date to the MAY 1st as we will not finish the unit until then..

1.  After immigration laws were tightened, and Chinese and Japanese and Eastern Europeans were limited in their ability to immigrate to America, jobs went to immigrants from Canada and Mexico.

2.  The Red Scare which was about supposed Communists coming into the United States was a response to the Russian Revolution.

3.  Productivity rose in the 1920's because of new resources, new technologies, and new management methods.

4.  Some states banned the teaching of evolution in their schools because it contradicted or opposed the Bible's account of the creation of man.

5.  No doubt, the most exciting hero of 1920s baseball era was Babe Ruth

6.  President Harding and President Coolidge based their foreign policy on isolationism..

7.  On unexpected result of Prohibition during the 1920s was the rise in organized crime.

8.  The Ku Klux Klan targeted these groups in the 1920s:  African Americans, Catholics, Jews, and immigrants.

9.  Republican presidents in the 1920s generally favored policies that promoted the growth of business.

10.  Charles Lindberg and other heroes meant that Americans recognized the virtues of the good old days.

11. One group that suffered economically in the 1920s were farmers.

12.  Clubs in Harlem New York were the place to hear Jazz music.

13.  Flappers represent women's desire to break free from the past.

14.  African Americans moved to the North to find jobs.

15.  At first women did not vote in great numbers (after they were given the right to in 1920) because of many reasons:  some did not feel comfortable voting, they could not leave their children to go to the pools, or their families discouraged them from voting.

16.  Many Americans believed that Sacco and Vanzetti were executed because they were immigrants with radical beliefs during the Red Scare.

17.  The economy grew in the 1920s as consumers began to buy goods on credit.

 18.  This desire for exciting new products led to an increase in personal debt.

19.  Henry Ford's dream was to sell cars that ordinary people could afford.

April 3rd through April15th

We are busy in Social Studies during our first few weeks back from Spring Break:

1.  Students have received their main handout on the 1920s
2.  Students will be doing many activities that will show up on the gradebook:  they include the following:

Fact or Opinion about the African American migration out of the South
1920s Prohibition Pro and Con Argument with Primary Documents
Reading about the Alaskan Diptheria Run
Learning about Charles Lindbergh, Amelia Earhart and other heroes of the 1920s.

We are going to also have centers---and students will hold some artifacts and letters from the National Archives in their hands.

Extra Credit opportunities that were posted before Spring Break are due by April 14th---whereupon the they will expire.  I will post new opportunities on the 15th.

EXTRA CREDIT RUSSIAN REVOLUTION and QUIZ for week of March 20-23

Students are studying the Russian Revolution and other revolutions before Spring break.

Here are some extra credit opportunities.  They will be due no later than April 14th--Friday--which will be the CUT OFF DATe.  hopefully some of you can watch the videos over spring break.

 One, students can draw an Imperial egg from the Faberge Jewelry Workshop.  I have the actual worksheet for that---so it needs to be done on that.

 I can give some extra credit for the following viewing opportunities---just have your parents sign a slip that you watched them.  Please be honest (really don't need to say that--but am, anyways)

On NETFLIX--look for Raiders of the Lost Art---there is an episode on the Faberge Eggs, the one that was found in 2014, and speculation where the other lost eggs may be.

The film REDS is about the American John Reed and his involvement in the early days of the Russian Revolution.  This film was rated R, so there are some more adult parts.  Please write a brief paragraph about what he saw during the early days of the revolution.

We will be studying the 1920s directly after this--so here are some more films about this time--again, since this is out of class, I am not responsible for any violence or adult parts that may be in them:

UNTOUCHABLES--great film about Al Capone and Chicago during Prohibition
The STING--another film about a "set up" of small time criminals  during the 1920s
THE SPIRIT of ST. LOUIS (the film with James Stewart)  We will be learning about Charles Lindbergh's historic flight so this film is a great introduction to the story.  The special effects are a bit dated--but it's still good.

You can also watch any documentaries on BONNIE and CLYDE that run at least over 45 minutes long--make sure they are documentaries.  I will not give credit for the movie which is something I will not give credit for.


ALSO:  we will be having a Multiple Choice Quiz on the Russian Revolution so here is the information that will be on it---we will probably be taking it on Wednesday or Thursday March 22 and 23rd depending on what period your class is.

1.  The ideas of the Russian Revolution came out of the Industrial Revolution
2.  Communists believed that Russia was the ideal place for the Revolution to occur because it was not as industrialized--so the industry that grew would be owned by the state instead.
3.  Religion was not considered part of the Communist beliefs.
4.  World War I was a short term cause of the communist revolution
5.  Even before the overthrow and assassinations of the Tsar and his family, there had been many protests about unfair conditions in Ruissa.
6.  Sometimes the Tsar blamed Jews for the problems in Russia and they were targeted for violence.
7. Vladimir Lenin was not able to take power immediately in 1917--he actually had to escape to nearby Finland---and then he returned to take power.
8.  In order to end World War I, and get Russia focused on the Revolution, Lenin offered to give up vast amounts of Russian land to German control
9.  These lands, however, did not remain in permanent control of the Germans---after the Germans lost World War I---these countries became separate nations
10.  At the end of World War I--Germany had many smaller revolutions caused by communists--however, German soldiers who were returning from the war still had guns and they killed the communists or eliminated the threat of a revolution
11.  Stalin was successful in having two of his FIVE YEAR PLANS to industrialize Russia.  He got money by selling off paintings and jewels and even the eggs from the Romanovs to pay for tractors.  He ordered FORD and JOHN DEERE tractors to be shipped over to Russia to help transform farming.  However, because of World War II, he was not able to get the third of the five year plans finished.
12.  A lot of Russian industry that had been created by the two five year plans was ruined by the destruction on World War II.

World War I TEST coming on March 7th and 8th

A 41 question test will be given about World War I on March 8th (Period 6) and March 9th (Periods 2,3,4).  Most of the material is covered in class and on your guided notes.  However, I did not have time to cover everything, so here is some extra material for you to review.

I have NUMBERED them, but the number is NOT THE SAME on the test.

1.  Many of the leaders were related to each other.  The king of England, the Tsar of Russia and the Kaiser of Germany were all cousins.  As relatives, they were rivals and often saw their family relationships reflected in the power of their country.
2. Each side thought the war would be over by Christmas
3.  Americans were divided because over 1/4 were descended from Germans.
4.  The Zimmerman telegram--which tried to get Mexico to attack America was the most ludicrous reasons for the U.S. to enter the war--but many took this threat seriously.
5.  You must know the years of the war.
6.  When Russia gets out of the war because of a peace treaty signed with Lenin, the new communist leader, remember that the German soldiers who were fighting the Russians now move over to the Western front.
7.  Airplanes were mainly used to scout enemy positions.
8.  Communist revolutions, though not as large as what was happening in Russia, also occurred in Germany during the last days of the war.
9. Germany lost the most men in  World War I,
10.  The Germans at first refused to sign the Treaty of Versailles.
11. During the war, the U.S. used price controls to prevent unfair profits because of war.
12.  Remember what sedition is:  limiting free speech that might harm the war effort.
13.  We now pay for our wars with taxes.
14.  Remember, the United States did not join the League of Nations.

EXTRA CREDIT FILMS: WORLD WAR I

Each film will be 10-15 points depending on content and length.  All extra credit slips must be just a piece of paper signed by parent that you watched the film.  Slips will be due no later than March 3rd--approximately when we finish World War I.

Paths of Glory (black and white film---interesting content)
Sergeant York (black and white film--Alvin York won the Medal of Honor, and this film outlines his growing up years and courageous deeds)
Flyboys (rated PG-13)  This is the story of the American pilots who went over before the US joined the war.

Information for the Checkpoint Quizzes

Socials Studies 9 students are studying World War I.  They will have two checkpoint quizzes.  The first checkpoint quiz will include this information that you will need to know.  The quiz is multiple choice.  Each quiz is 15 questions.

The first checkpoint quiz will be given between February 6-10th  and the second check point quiz will be given between period 13-17th.  STUDY these questions (which are mostly from your notes) AND YOU WILL DO WELL.  I will be double weighting the exams.

Checkpoint quiz 1:

1.  Was the assassination of the archduke unexpected?
2.  Why were the Serbian anarchists angry?
3.  Know these alliances:  France+Russia+England  Germany+Austria-Hungary+Italy   England+Belgium
4.  The invasion of this country brought England into the war
5.  What is the lesson from the rapid start of World War I that should be remembered for future world history?
6.  Were most propaganda posters fair and balanced?
7.  Did the Pals battalions continue through the war?
8.  What country instituted the first gas attack?
9.  Did the type of gas remain the same through the war?
10.  What was the number one mistaken belief about what would end the war?
11.  Why were they not able to end the war after the first few months?
12.  How did Germans find out about what cargo was put onto enemy ships?
13.  What does the term "Loose Lips Sink Ships" which was a saying and also used on posters mean?  14.  What is the correct word for the massive killing and bloodshed in World War I?

Checkpoint quiz 2

1.  What war weapon killed the most men in World War I
2.  What group led the peace movement and went overseas to put pressure to end the war?
3.  What country usually had their soldiers depicted as abuse beasts or apes, of women and children?
4.  What country was blamed for the sinking of the Lusitatinia?
5.  What is the area called No Man's Land?
6.  What battle still holds the world record for most men kill in one day of battle for one side?
7  Did the Germans continue to honor the Sussex Pledge about U boat attacks?
8. What was the American attittude toward the Zimmerman telegram which encouraged Mexico to attack America and gain parts of Texas back?
9. Did all Americans agree with going to war for Europe?
10.  What were the main reasons for the United States going to war?
11.  What did Alvin York do to win the Medal of Honor (just have a general idea)
12.  Out of the Selective Service Act, how many were selected for service?

SECOND SEMESTER BEGINS: Welcome students---including a few new ones!

Second semester began on Monday, January 30th.  Students were barely alive, but we began with a crash---by learning about the sinking of the Titanic.  Students also went on the National Geographic 100 Titanic site and watched a few CGI reproductions about the wreck.  They also took a brief quiz.

The story of the Titanic is important:  it foreshadowed the hubris---or pride that many countries in Europe had at the eve of World War I.  It seemed as if the major countries of Europe were sleepwalking toward disaster.  

Like the Titanic's unpredictable sinking....war broke out unexpectedly with the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand...soon, within two months, over half a million Europeans were dead.  The war would not end for four more years and the final death toll would be 17 million.  America would also become involved a provide the final push to defeat Germany.

We will be spending the next few weeks studying the war---after all, we hope that there will only be two World Wars to study for the next ten thousand years....two world wars are enough!

We will be learning about all the different weapons developed, how the war couldn't be ended with just one battle, and why the United States eventually entered the war.