Vietnam

We started the class evaluating the lyrics of "Blowin' in the Wind." We discussed the meaning of the song. The song was used as a transition from Civil Rights to Vietnam.

We are going to complete a small project over the next couple of class periods. We were given the option of having the project worth 5% or 25%. This provides those of us who need/want a last minute boost to grades to get it while also providing others who do not want to have the project impact their grade much at all.

The project will address five course standards and can be found here. We had today to work on it and we will have Wednesday as well. We will need to have the project submitted to this link before class on Friday so we can review the student work.

Other Activist Groups

Today we finished our comparisons of MLK jr. / Malcolm X / Cesar Chavez.

We also read about the activism of women, American Indians, Asian Americans, Disabled Americans, gays, and the elderly. After having explored the methods of gaining rights by these groups we compared their actions with the actions of MLK jr. / Malcolm X / Cesar Chavez. We then identified which of the three men's actions most closely resembled the actions of the other groups.

Civil Rights leaders Compared

Today we used the wiki pages for Martin Luther King jr, Malcolm X and Cesar Chavez. Working in groups of three, we recorded notes about their actions, inspirations and actions they inspired, as well as what similarities and differences we see in/between them? After a while we started creating a visual to compare these people and their actions. It was suggested that the groups make either a flow chart or triple venn diagram. However, groups could create any type of visual that showed the similarities and differences of these people.

Final Race

Today we reviewed the previous sessions and then finished our notes on "The House We Live In."

After the video, we continued our discussion. Once finished we took a quiz on the content. First we took the quiz individually and then took it a second time as a group.

slides 19-24

Still More Race

Today we created a line graph that reflected the changing views on "race" in the United States. We created these line graphs in the groups we created on Wednesday.

We also created two "quotes" that reflected US views on "race" at two points of time. The purpose of both these activities was to identify the ever changing views on "race" by the United States.

We finished the day by watching and collecting notes on the first part of the third episode of the video Race: The Power of an Illusion. There were note taking guides provided for this episode. We will complete this video on Tuesday.

We used slides 15-18 from this link. If you were not in class you should contact Mr. Williams and let him know. He can then get you access to the videos so you can come to class on Tuesday, fully prepared.

Race and History

Today we worked in groups as we recorded notes. We used these notes with the second portion of the documentary "Race: Power of an Illusion." We will continue with these groups on Friday.

The groups will work in cooperation on a couple assignments. We will have a quiz at the end of this sub-unit and each group is responsible for the success of all members of their group.

slides 12-14 from this link

More Race

Today we reflected on the quiz we took last Thursday. We used that quiz to help identify the assumptions we have about race and created a list of those assumptions. We shared our lists in small groups after discussing how to discuss this topic without judgement but instead through the lens that we all had/have flawed assumptions about race and that we need to allow ourselves to be open to changing our perception about race so as to eliminate these flawed or inaccurate assumptions.

We then watched "The Difference Between Us" which is a an episode of "Race: he Power of an Illusion" documentary. We then discussed our assumptions and identified which were incorrect and why.

We used slides 3-10 from this link.

Race

Today we shifted away from the cold war and into race. We worked in groups to take a quiz about race. The quiz had 20 questions and we discussed each question before coming to a response. After determining the answers for the questions Mr. Williams checked the answers and let us know how many we had correct. We then went through again and answered again trying to identify which questions we had correct and correcting the answer we thought we had wrong.

In the end we were given the correct answers and the explanations to the answers. It turned out that we had many flawed assumptions about race.

Chapter 57

Today we read chapter 57 and then used that content to align with eight cartoons from the era and key words for each.

For each cartoon we had to explain the historical events that it is in reference to and explain the cartoonists perspective on the issue. The resources (cartoons and key words) can be accessed through the slides we used in class 68-70. 

Chapter 40 quiz

Today we took a quiz on the content from chapter 40.

We also played another game that recreated the suspicion, mistrust and wild accusations that existed during the Cold War. We then discussed the parallels between the game and the Cold War.

Slides 65-67 

Oppenheimer and the Cold War

Last week and today we've been watching a documentary about Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer. Before we began we reflected on the ideals of the Declaration of Independence and how they have shaped our actions as a nation. We then reflected on some of our actions during the Cold War and tried to identify the ideals that shaped those Cold War actions. Each person came up with their own Cold War ideals but when we discussed them it was agreed that the ideals were generally negative in nature (e.g. fear, intimidation, mistrust).

As we watched the documentary about Oppenheimer we took notes on how the Cold War ideals we created were impacting the life of Dr. Oppenheimer. We discussed some of our findings along the way.

Today we played a game that required us to identify students who were given slips with red dots. The games turned into accusations both false and true. This reflected the McCarthyism of the era.

With about fifteen minutes left in class we started reading Chapter 40. We worked through slide 65 from this link

The Cold War Expands

We continued using these slides. We worked through slides 44-52.

We finished our paired discussions about how the Cold War started (as the USSR and the US). We then wrote a very short piece with a thesis statement and at least two pieces of evidence to support the position. The support was to come from the note we took as we spoke to our US/USSR partner.

We finished the day by reading chapter 39 and then playing a Jeopardy style game about the content from chapter 39.

WWII ends Cold War begins

We continued using these slides. We progressed through slide 43.

We worked in pairs to respond to the questions listed. One person served as the voice of the USSR and the other was the voice of the US.

We asked each other the questions but we each had to record the answers on our own sheet of paper. We were instructed to record detailed answers because we will be using those details when we finish.

Quarter 3 make-up assignment

For students who want to redo or do their quarter three project they may do so. The criteria however is slightly different.

You will do the exact same project but you must apply what you should have learned from the experience we have completed with the project. Additional things you should have learned include but are not limited to the following:

• Waiting to the last minute is not good practice
• many who did, did not finish
• many who did could not resolve issues that arose
• many who did could not create a product at the level of quality that they could have
• many who did could not include as much as was necessary
• Choosing a good presentation method is critical
• what is easiest to create is not necessarily best for consumption (and this project is about having your views consumed)
• Utilizing the resources Mr. Williams makes available should make things easier
• if you do not have the tools you need, you should access the tools that others offer you.
• Have fun with it
• the students who applied their personal interests into their project made better presentations
• the students who had fun with the project made better presentation

Here is the handout that explains the details of the assignment.

Here is the link to submit the project once you are finished. Your bibliography needs to be at the top of the Google Doc that you have already shared with me (quarter 1).

Below is a few of links to projects that were examples of projects from both the Modern World History classes as well as the US History classes.

http://screencast.com/t/n8scVBhhK9Ch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_73T3cM0RRE&context=C4a867f2ADvjVQa1PpcFNU44Xb6wY33cpEEu5M-lFBgCE4F-ziqq4=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09K9Vl-pdws&feature=plcp&context=C4a9fe88VDvjVQa1PpcFOCKveIKhvoyYRBPHykm1SeuQ5hwa2ogyY%3D&safe=active

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vD4Wh4tZNQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKjMQU0uwNc&context=C4713921ADvjVQa1PpcFOmV5ch0VcvHD3TwxzPb9H4x8wNjv2XiQA%3D&safe=active

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvbzrJK53Ic&feature=youtu.be&safe=active

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgxaPdvzH18&feature=g-upl&context=G20f3318AUAAAAAAAAAA&safe=active

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLC-Ay0s66E&feature=youtu.be

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hgh-wOSLdfU&safe=active

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MY488qKKAWo&safe=active

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncIHHiHIGb0&safe=active

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWfrGG8_FBQ&list=HL1332740803&feature=mh_lolz

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkQc2Mj8Mto&safe=active

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwC433FK5cY&safe=active

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJnAorVOhis&safe=active

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwFqz26jkZQ&feature=youtu.be&safe=active

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4buxAggvtw&feature=youtu.be&safe=active

http://www.youtube.com/watchv=J7n4oqjSOVo&context=C4411b69ADvjVQa1PpcFONLG4xG60ohhXZVDoxCkDCHOVtPUG_7FA%3D

http://youtu.be/Z4buxAggvtw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBtU2SweR6Y&safe=active

Cuban Missile Crisis

Today we performed a roll play activity where we worked in a small group as either Cuba, the Soviet Union, and the United States. Through the activity we were given information about the Cuban Missile Crisis from the perspective of whichever country we were pretending to be. We then mixed our groups and worked with the other two countries to try and negotiate a peaceful conclusion to the crisis.

After the roll play, we discussed as a class what we each lost through the crisis as well as what was motivating our actions.


We worked with the this slide presentation and went through slide 21. This activity cannot be done individually and students who missed class will need to see Mr. Williams to get an alternative.

Students who did not complete a quarter 3 project will need to come and see Mr. Williams during non-instructional time. He will provide those who come and see him to an option to do the project. It will be slightly different than the original project so do NOT work on it without first speaking to Mr. Williams.