Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Swinging Sixties and Seventies mini-project introduction





For your final project of the year you will be composing a two page achievement-focused biography on a prominent figure from the 1960s or 1970s.

In order to get you ready for writing the paper, prepare a blog or creative assessment answering TWO of the questions that you must prep for the interview (answer them in first person in a blog, diary entry, video interview or any creative format you like, must be 200 words):

1. What achievements in your life are you most proud of?
2. Identify one decision or experience from your life that you truly regret.
3. If you could meet anyone from history (fact or fiction), who would it be and why?
(Ms. Francis)
4. What are your views on the a) civil rights b) feminist c) anti-war movement?

CITE YOUR SOURCES!!!

Blog due Saturday, 5/31

Paper/ Project Due Tuesday, 6/3

Paper/ Project Requirements:

A biographical blog, paper or creative assessment (poster, scrapbook, powerpoint, etc.) identifying the key achievements and enduring impact of the person you selected - at least 300 words PLUS three works cited in MLA format. (One must be a primary source.)

Additional notes for speed dating are fine.

This will be a project grade so dress the part. (+10!)

Rubric:
Paper will be worth 40%, graphic organizer 30% and blog/ notes for the dates 30%


Choices for your leader include: (YOU MUST SIGN UP ON MY DOOR SO WE DON'T HAVE DOUBLES)

Civil Rights - Martin Luther King, Jr. Ella Baker, Jim Zwerg, Medgar Evers, John Lewis, Fannie Lou Hamer, Angela Davis, Malcolm X, Jo Ann Gibson Robinson, Rosa Parks

Women's Rights - Gloria Steinem, Betty Friedan, Rachel Carson, Margaret Chase Smith

Political Leaders - John F. Kennedy, Robert "Bobby" Kennedy, "Bull" Connor, Jacqueline Kennedy Onasis, Dwight Eisenhower, Lyndon Johnson, George Wallace, Richard Daley

Latin American and Chicano Rights - Feliepe Luciano, Denise Oliver, Cesar Chavez, David Sanchez

American Indian Movement Leaders- Leonard Peltier, Maxine Hong Kingston

Black Power Leaders- Stokley Carmichael, Hewey P. Newton, Elaine Brown

Counter culture leaders - Abbie Hoffman, Patty Hearst, Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell,
Joan Baez, Allen Ginsberg, Tim Leary

Gay Rights Activists - Harvey Milk, Craig Rodwell, Brenda Howard

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

WWII and modern conroversey debate reflection

This week we debated three ethical questions in relationship to their historical context as well as modern current events:

a) Should nuclear weapons be proliferated (destroyed)? Is the use of weapons of mass destruction ever justified?

b) Should the US boycott Olympic games held in nations associated with human rights abuses?

c) Is the detention/ internment of cultural minorities in the interest of national security constitutional?

Your blog assignment OR creative assessment is to respond to one of these questions but NOT the topic you were assigned in class. Be sure to explain how this topic relates to WWII and modern society. Your assessment must be at least 200 words and include specific historical details and modern-day examples. Cite any outside research you conduct in MLA format OR provide hyperlinks.

You must respond to at least one other post if you blog.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Regents Practice Essay instead of Blog or creative assessment this week - due Monday 5/ 19

Directions: You will write or type a draft of this essay by Monday 5/19 .

The draft will be peer edited in Ms. Provosti's class on Monday - students who have Journalism will submit their drafts to me for editing. Revisions will be due next Wednesday, 5/21.The draft will count as a homework in US History and Lit or Journalism.

The revision will be graded on the 5 point Regents rubric and that essay grade (E-F) will count as a major assignment in both US History and English (Lit or Journalism) for the final marking period.

Please bring two printed copies of your work to Lit (or History if you are in Journalism) class on monday. If you handwrite your essay, try to make a photocopy of it before coming to class.

THEMATIC ESSAY QUESTION

Directions: Write a well-organized essay that includes an introduction, severalparagraphs addressing the task below, and a conclusion.

Theme: Equality

Task: You may use any geographic feature from your study of United States history.

Some suggestions you might wish to consider include: African Americans, AsianAmericans, Native Americans, Indians, women, and persons with disabilities.You are not limited to these suggestions.In United States history, the rights of “life, liberty, and the pursuit ofhappiness,” as stated in the Declaration of Independence, have oftenbeen denied to certain groups of Americans.


  • Identify one group from your study of United States history.
  • Use two historical examples to show how the group has beendenied the rights of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”
  • Identify and discuss two efforts that have been made to help thegroup attain “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”
  • Evaluate the extent to which the group has achieved equality today.
THEMATIC ESSAYGENERIC SCORING RUBRIC

Score of 5:
-Shows a thorough understanding of the theme
-Addresses all aspects of the task
-Shows an ability to analyze, evaluate, compare, and/or contrast issues and events-Richly supports essay with relevant facts, examples, and details
-Is a well-developed essay, consistently demonstrating a logical andclear plan of organization
-Introduces the theme or problem by establishing a framework that is beyond a simple restatement of the task and concludes with a summation of the theme or problem

Score of 4:
-Shows a good understanding of the theme
-Addresses all aspects of the task
-Shows an ability to analyze, evaluate, compare, and/or contrast issues and events
-Includes relevant examples and details, but may not support all aspects of the task evenly
-Is a well-developed essay, demonstrating a logical and clear plan of organization
-Introduces the theme or problem by establishing a framework that is beyond a simple restatement of the task and concludes with a summation of the theme or problem

Score of 3:
-Shows a satisfactory understanding of the theme or problem
-Addresses most aspects of the task or addresses all aspects in a limited way
-Shows an ability to analyze or evaluate issues and events, but not in any depth
-Includes some facts, examples, and details
-Is a satisfactorily developed essay, demonstrating a general plan of organization
-Introduces the theme or problem by repeating the task and concludes by repeating the theme or problem

Score of 2:
-Shows limited understanding of the theme or problem
-Attempts to address the task-Develops a faulty analysis or evaluation of issues and events
-Includes few facts, examples, and details, and may include information that containsinaccuracies
-Is a poorly organized essay lacking focus
-Fails to introduce or summarize the theme or problem

Score of 1:
-Shows limited understanding of the theme or problem
-Lacks an analysis or evaluation of the issues and events
-Includes little or no accurate or relevant facts, examples, or details
-Attempts to complete the task, but demonstrates a major weakness in organization
-Fails to introduce or summarize the theme or problem

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Is it time for a New New Deal? (blog or creative assessment challenge)

Keynesian economics (pronounced /ˈkeɪnziən/, "kane-zeean"), is an economic theory based on the ideas of twentieth-century British economist John Maynard Keynes. This theory became popular in the United States during President Franklin Delano Roosevelt under his New Deal programs that were aimed at helping the nation recover from the Great Depression (1929-1936.) The state, according to Keynesian economics, can help maintain economic growth and stability in a mixed economy, in which both the public and private sectors play important roles. In the United States, this theory became popular during President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal regform programs that required vast government spending in order to restore the economy and help the nation recover from the Great Depression (1929-1936.)

Consider what you have learned about the New Deal as well as the positive and negative aspects of government spending to relieve poverty and social programs. Then read the following article:
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/moneymag_archive/2007/02/01/8398768/index.htm

Respond to the author's question "Is it Time for a New New Deal"? Be sure to support your position with facts from class and the article itself.

Your response should be 200 words and must include a response to another post.

CREATIVE ASSESSMENT OPTION
If you prefer, you may create a poster or power point on the New Deal instead. Your poster or power point must include ALL of the following:

a) a 150 word summary (in your own words, of course) of the New Deal program and how it relates to modern US society.

b) Written analysis and inclusion of TWO primary sources (photos, political cartoons, quotes, etc.) related to the topic. Include at least one visual source. (at least 50 words more of your own analysis, for a total of at least 200 words.)

c) an MLA works cited list of works beyond class materials that helped you create this project.

DUE MONDAY 5/12 AT THE BEGINING OF CLASS

Remember to do something nice for your mom or someone who is like a mom to you on Sunday, which is Mother's Day!

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

FDR's Presidential Reforms: The New Deal in Political Cartoons

(From Wikipedia)

New Deal was the title that President Franklin Delano Roosevelt gave to a sequence of programs and promises he initiated between 1933 and 1938 with the goal of giving relief to the needy, reform of the financial system, and recovery of the economy of the United States during the Great Depression. Based on the assumption that the power of the federal government was needed to get the country out of depression, the first days of Roosevelt's administration saw the passage of banking reform laws, emergency relief programs, work relief programs, and agricultural programs. Later, a second New Deal was to evolve; it included union protection programs, the Social Security Act, and programs to aid tenant farmers and migrant workers. Thus, the "First New Deal" of 1933 aimed at short-term recovery programs for all groups in society, while the "Second New Deal" (193536) was a more radical redistribution of power. The Supreme Court ruled several programs unconstitutional (some parts of them were however soon replaced, with the exception of the National Recovery Administration). Nevertheless, there are several New Deal programs remaining in operation, some of which still exist under their original names, including the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). The largest programs still in existence today are the Social Security System and Securities and Exchange Commission—the primary regulator of publicly traded U.S. firms.

1. With your group, analyze THREE of the cartoons on the topical page your group was assigned. For each cartoon, give the title, identify the topic and policy it relates to. If there are symbols, important figures, laws and/or events identified in the cartoon, identify and explain them. Summarize the message of each cartoon separately.

2. Prepare a 5-8 sentence paragraph summary on what the set of cartoons you selected tell you about the policies and legacies of FDR and the New Deal.

Be prepared to share your work with the class. You have 30 minutes to complete this assignment.

Group A - Waiting for the New Deal
http://www.nisk.k12.ny.us/fdr/FDRnewdeal.html

Group B- Supreme Court Reform and Court Packing
http://www.nisk.k12.ny.us/fdr/1937/index.html

Group C- Foreign Issues and Policies
http://www.nisk.k12.ny.us/fdr/FDRforeignrelations.html

Group D - Farm issues and agricultural reform
http://www.nisk.k12.ny.us/fdr/FDRfarmissues.html