Hello, America!

• Use Animoto for creating your video ( you will need your group’s email username and password to access your account)
• Use a rhyming dictionary to help you create your lyrics – try rhymezone
• Use your Pop-Up, SOLpass.org, and a Cutlip book to help with your facts
• Use Altavista to look up images.  (This is so much better than Google Images!)

Enjoy!

US History I Students,

In an episode of The Simpsons, an Indian immigrant takes his citizenship test.  The last question he is asked is about the cause of the Civil War.  Here’s what was said:

Exam Proctor: All right, here's your last question: What was the cause of the
Civil War?
Apu: Actually, there were numerous causes. Aside from the obvious schism
between abolitionists and anti-abolitionists, economic factors, both
domestic and international, played a significant...
Exam Proctor: Hey, Mate.
Apu: Yeah.
Exam Proctor: Just say slavery.
Apu: Slavery it is, sir.  Yes, I am a citizen!

What do you think?  Was the Civil War only over slavery, like the proctor said, or was there a something else, like Apu was saying?  Post your thoughts about who you think is right and why.  Feel free to comment on other students’ comments, as well.

Who was Sentaor McCarthy and how did he affect the whole country with his accusations?  Read all about him in this How Stuff Works article (use the “next page” button to scroll through the article) and answer one or more of these questions for extra credit:

1. Who was Senator McCarthy?  What was his background?
2. Before McCarthy began giving speeches about how bad communism was, what three events took place to make Americans fearful of a communist take-over.
3. Who were Julius and Ethel Rosenburg, and what happened to them (and why)?
4. What was a lasting effect that McCarthyism had on America?
5. How and why did McCarthyism finally end?

USII Students,

Use this link to complete your Post-WWII Preview page:

Baby Boom Link

When you’re finished, feel free to comment on what you learned by visiting this site.

Enjoy!

U.S. History I Students,

Investigate this picture that illustrates the idea of Manifest Destiny. (To look at a larger version, click here.)

Think about these questions as you look at it, and write a short paragraph that explains your ideas about what this painting means.

1. Who are the people on the ground?
2. Who is the woman in the air?
3. Why is she wearing white?
4. What do you think she is doing?
5. How do the people on the ground feel? How can you tell?
6. Use what you know about Manifest Destiny to form an idea about what you think this picture has to do with Manifest Destiny.

Write your paragraph on p. 103, for our preview activity.  You may post a comment, too, when you’re done with p. 103!

USII Students,

With your partner, visit the link below to the National Holocaust Museum, and look through the list of topics. Choose the topic that interests you both the most.  Together, answer these questions in a comment to this post:

1. In your own words, tell me what information you learned from your topic link that surprised you?  Why did it surprise you?
2. How would you have responded to the Holocaust if you had been alive in the 1940s?  Why? Why do you think it was possible for one country to commit such horrible crimes?

Holocaust Topics

Holocaust Topics 2

USI Students,

Read the info on these sites to find out about who Benjamin Banneker was.

Benjamin Banneker 1

Benjamin Banneker 2

George Washington was lucky to have Benjamin Banneker working for him.  What two events in Banneker’s life caused him to become the right person to help design Washington, D.C.?  Tell me what you think in a response to this post.

USII Students,

This website has an awesome video/slideshow that will answer your questions about the order of who joined which side in WWII.  Watch it, and record on your WWII Maps page the order each country joined in the war, and record which side they joined.  Enjoy!

WWII Map Slideshow

Use the links below to help you understand what type of government the Articles of Confederation created.  In your comment, tell what one weakness of them was and why it was a weakness.

The Articles of Confederation (try all the links on the sidebars)

More Articles of Confederation

Another Teacher Blog

We’ll try Reader’s Theater when everyone is done!

Dust Bowl (map, pics)

Dust Bowl

Dust Bowl Pictures

On your preview page, record these questions and answer them using the above links about the dust bowl.

1. Which states were most affected by the dust bowl?
2. What were the storms during the dust bowl called?
3. What year did the droughts that caused the dust bowl begin?
4. In what year did the drought finally end with the arrival of rain?
5. Describe what the dust storms were like.
6. Why was the Dust Bowl such a big deal? Name three effects of the Dust Bowl.
7. How did the dust bowl affect the people who lived in those states?
8. Using the second link, find as many connections to things we’ve already learned that you can.  List them.

When you’re finished with this preview activity, feel free to share your thoughts on the Dust Bowl by posting a comment.