Hello, America!

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.

The Jazz Age

USII Students,

Here are two links for two topics about America’s culture shift that took place in the 1920s.  Check out the links, and follow the directions for your response.

1. The Great Migration – Skim the information and focus on the statistics (the numbers information).  In your response, please tell me two statistical facts you learned from the site – IN YOUR OWN WORDS.  (For example: Over the course of 5 decades, 1/2 a million African Americans moved from the South to Chicago.)

2. The Roaring Twenties or were they?  A you-choose website that allows you to learn facts while deciding just how “roaring” you think the 1920s really were.  If you have time, check out the other links on the homepage sidebar, like the video.  In your comment, tell me what facts surprised you on this website and why.

Have fun on these sites!

USI Students,

Check out these websites to learn more about life in the colonies.

Colonial Life

Colonial Trades

In a response to this post, tell me two new things you discovered about what life would be like in the colonies.  What jobs did they have back then that we don’t have now?  Why don’t people do those jobs anymore?

Students,

Use these links to complete your timeline projects.

Timeline Link 1

Timeline Link 2

Timeline Link 3

Timeline Link 4

Timeline Link 5

U.S. History I Students,

Use your notes and these links about life in the colonies to help you complete your processing activity.

New England Daily Life

13 Colonies Facts

Interactive Colonies

Now that you’ve finished your processing activity and have explored these websites, tell me whether you would have lived in the New England, Mid-Atlantic, or Southern colonies and why.  What would have been easy for you about life in that colony?  What would have been hard for you?

U.S.II Students,

As we wrap-up our unit on the Progressive Era, including African American reformers, I want you to give me your thoughts about Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois.  We know that both men wanted similar goals, but they had very different opinions about how to accomplish equality for blacks.  Use your notes and these four sites to think further about which man you believe had the best ideas.  Don’t forget to think about the time period they lived in and how that affected their goals.  Who would you have agreed with if you had lived during the late 1800s?  Why?

Remember: A thoughtful, well-written response will earn you extra credit!

Links to sites:  Booker T. site 1 site 2 W.E.B.  site 1 site 2

For additional research, use the search results from our library media topical search:  Library Search (type the name of the man you would like to search, or both, into the keyword search and choose select all in the list of sources, then press search.)

Students,

We’ve discovered wordles this week and we’ve all really enjoyed making them.  Feel free to explore more, and I encourage you to use the FAQ tab to answer any questions you have about how to make a wordle.  One hint: repeating a word more than once will make it bigger than the rest.  The more you repeat that word, the bigger it will appear.

Also, when you’re done with your wordle, you can always take a screen shot by holding down the apple, shift, and 3 keys, and you will have an image of your wordle, like mine below.

American Ideals Wordle

U.S. History II Students,

Let’s explore these Progressives.  Who were they?  What ideals and goals did they stand for?  Check out the links below and then post a comment telling about what you’ve learned from these sites.  How did these links help you better understand the Progressive Era?

Unions: IWW WTUL Homestead Strike Homestead Strike

Women’s Suffrage: Timeline Click on the quote on the left! 19th Amendment

Muckrakers: Ida Tarbell Lincoln Steffens Muckrakers

Temperance Movement: Temperance Song Temperance Document Temperance Story 18th Amendment

U.S. History II Students,

We’ve learned about the immigration that took place at the same time that many Americans were moving west. Today you will use the link below to help you answer these questions in a response to this post.

1. Why do you think “‘Promised Land’” is in quotation marks?
2. The webpage says that the immigrants in the photo are experiencing “mixed emotions.” Which emotions do you think they’re having? Why?
3. Look at this map to help you if you need it. Where did most of the immigrants come from during this time period? Name three countries that they may have been from.

Now, to visit the link, hold down your control key, and click on this immigration link, and then choose “open link in a new tab.” (If you open a new tab, you can switch between this blog and the immigration page easily.)

When you are finished, if you still have time before I call an end to our investigation, please check out this site about one immigrant who made history in an interesting way. What is Samuel O’Reilly famous for creating? From what country did he emigrate?

U.S. History I Students,

We’ve talked some about how the First Americans made their way into North and South America, but now it’s your turn to do some more research. Follow the directions below.

First, hold down your control key and click on this link for the Bering Land Bridge National Park. Choose, “open in a new tab.” (A tab is a new webpage that opens in the same window you’re using. Look up at the top of the window to see your open tabs and switch between the websites you have open.)

While you read the webpage about the Bering Land Bridge, pay attention to these pictures. Look at the continents and see for yourself the route that the First Americans may have taken to get to North and South America.

Answer these questions in a comment to this post:

1. Why did the people cross the Bering Land Bridge?
2. Using the maps, tell what continent the people came from and where did they cross to get into North America?
3. Use this link to a video presentation to help answer this question:  How were people able to cross the Bering Land Bridge?  What was the Bering Land Bridge?  Add a comment to this post with your thoughts. (Follow the comment posting rules under the “About” tab.)

We’ll discuss what you discover, so be prepared to share your thoughts about what you think is the most interesting piece of information on Bering Land Bridge National Park webpage.