Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Taxes & Smuggling - Prelude to Revolution: Crash Course US History #6





The video will give insight as to why American's and the British became embroiled in the Revolutionary War.  This will be followed by a document read...Thomas Paine's Common Sense.

American Independence

August 22, 25

The question we will attempt to answer is:  "Was American independence necessary?"

Part 1:  We will examine 3 different documents and determine if American independence was necessary or was reconciliation possible.

Part 2:  We will examine the Declaration of Independence to determine the reasons for declaring independence.

 Write a conclusion answering the topic question, "was American Independence necessary?".  MUST include evidence, quotes, and references to documents.


Step 1.
Identify the 3 documents...What is the Source?

Describe the context in which each document was written.

Close read:  What claim is made by the author in each document?
                    What evidence is offered to support the argument?
                    What specific words are used to gain people's trust or support?
                    What information is NOT given in the document?

Corroboration:  How are the three documents similar?  Different?

Step 2.
Examine the Declaration of Independence...
Source?
Context?
Read?

Corroboration...complete handout.

Monday, August 18, 2014

Evaluating Sources

Lesson for August 20, 21

As we saw in your interviews for your autobiography, different people have different accounts of events that happened in the past.  So, how do you determine what to believe?  What makes one story more trustworthy than another.

Review the following questions with your group and complete the statements.

(Note:  This lesson was taken from sheg.stanford.edu - Evaluating Sources)


Name_______________

Evaluating Sources

1. Historical Question: Who was present at the signing of the Declaration of
Independence?

Source 1: Hollywood movie about the American Revolution made 2001.
Source 2: Book written by a famous historian who is an expert on the
American Revolution, published in 1999.

Which do you trust more? Why?

2. Historical Question: What was slavery like in South Carolina?

Source 1: Interview with former slave in 1936. The interviewer is a black
man collecting oral histories for the Federal Writers’ Project.
Source 2: Interview with former slave in 1936. The interviewer is a white
woman collecting oral histories for the Federal Writers’ Project.

Which do you trust more? Why?

3. Historical Question: What was the layout of the Nazi concentration camp
Auschwitz?

Source 1: Interview with 80 year-old Holocaust survivor in 1985.
Source 2: Map of concentration camp found in Nazi files.

Which do you trust more? Why?

4. Historical Question: Why were Japanese Americans put in internment
camps during WWII?

Source 1: Government film explaining internment from 1942.
Source 2: Government report on Japanese Internment from 1983 based on
declassified government documents.

Which do you trust more? Why?

5. Historical Question: Did American soldiers commit atrocities during the
Vietnam War in 1969?

Source 1: Sworn testimony by American Sergeant in Congressional hearings
in 1969.
Source 2: Speech by American General touring the United States in 1969.

Which do you trust more? Why?

6. Historical Question: What happened at the Battle of Little Bighorn?

Source 1: High school history textbook from 1985.
Source 2: Newspaper account from the day after the battle in June 1876.

Which do you trust more? Why?


Discussion...which did you choose and why.  What other information might you need?  What is "corroboration"?  Why is it important in studying documents?

Autobiography



Our goal in history is to learn to think like a historian.  We need to be able to look at documents and determine their validity, reliability, and bias as documents.  This is done by looking at the source (the author), the context (time period in which it was created), read it for information, and compare it to other documents.  We should rely on our own knowledge, as well as research to determine the importance of the documents.  This lesson is a beginning step in learning to "read/think like a historian".

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Welcome to US History

August 18 and 19
Welcome back and I hope everyone had a great summer break.

You are in U.S. History with Mrs. Perry.  We will be together for a full year so lets make the year a great one.

Class rules:
Be on time and prepared.
Be respectful.
Be responsible.

These pretty well summarize my expectations. If you follow these, you will not a have a problem.

Is this "Good Enough"?  NO

This blog is your "go to" place for class information.  If you are absent, it is expected that you will have visited this sight to get make up work.  Make up work is your responsibility and should be completed upon your return.  Unexcused absences could result in a zero for class work so be sure to come to school or get your absence excused.

The textbook is McGraw-Hill United States History.  You will check it out from the Media Center and it will be your responsibility to return it at the end of the school year.  Reading assignments and homework will require the use of the textbook.

Needed materials:
1. pen or pencil  EVERY DAY
2. notebook or binder to stay organized and keep notes.
3. spiral notebook for bell work, vocabulary, and assignment descriptions.
4. Occasionally we will have projects that require markers, crayons, posters, construction paper, copy paper...in many cases I will provide the materials, but you may wish to purchase some supplies now while they are cheap.

Write this information down in a safe place.
Mrs. Perry  751-7004 ext. 2168
ushistoryperry.blogspot.com