DUE April 16: Extra Credit

Write a one-page essay on only ONE of the following questions.

1. How have you applied what you've learned in class to your everyday life?

2. What is the most important thing you've learned all semester? Be sure to explain its significance. It can be a topic, event, idea, person--anything we've discussed in class.

Proposal for Final Project

PROPOSAL DUE TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2013 [let me know if you need an extension]

The final project consists of two options:

1)    5 page research paper

2)    2-3 page paper with a creative element to accompany the paper

The proposal is worth 15% of the final project grade. You must submit a proposal and have it approved by me.

The topic of your final project is up to you. I encourage you to think outside the box. Be sure to pick something that actually interests or inspires you. You are not limited to the things we covered in class, so spend some time looking through the textbook or searching online. As long as it has to do with American history sometime from 1877 to the present is a valid topic.

To get started I suggest the following steps:

1)    Consider the time frame of the class and brainstorm. In your opinion, what is the most significant or interesting thing that occurs during this time? Is there anything you have a personal connection with? You will be spending a lot of time researching and writing, so choose something that is actually interesting to you!

2)    Narrow down your topic. Be sure that for your topic you have a defined era and a narrow focus.

3)    Find sources. You need at least three print sources for the project. Find books that cover your topic.

If you choose to incorporate a creative element, here are some broad ideas for how you might interpret a topic beyond just writing a paper: Artwork (painting, drawing, sculpture); create a video; write a song; writing (poem, short story, lyrics, play); food (you could cook something or  compile recipes); sports; theater; create a blog or website, etc. If you choose something that requires more than one person to complete it, you can work in a group. However, you each need to submit your own individual essay to accompany the project.

PROPOSAL: You proposal should include:

1)    Research question

2)    Why is your topic significant? Why does it interest you?

3)    What will your project actually be? Explain if you are just doing a research paper or if you will also be including something you have created, such as a story, video, or song.

4)    Would you like to present your final project to the class?

5)    List your sources

Study Tips

Study Tips

Why do we study? Take tests? This is not so much about regurgitating facts but about deepening your understanding of the material—making it more real to you.

Vocabulary helps to focus in on specific details while essays show our ability to make sense of large amounts of information and provide meaning.

Studying may seem boring but it will strengthen your mind’s ability to focus and to express your own understanding of history.

Vocabulary

1.     Check in with your own knowledge first. Write down what you think the definition is. Do you know what the word means? Do you have a sense of it but can’t necessarily define it? Are you confident to use it in a sentence?

2.     Check to see if your definition is correct or not. Look in your class notes first. If you cannot find it in your notes, look in a history textbook or an encyclopedia at the library. If you still cannot find an adequate definition, check online from a trustworthy website.

3.     Determine a clear and concise definition. A good definition for historical terms should identify not only what the word means but also include the pertinent dates or historical eras associated with the word. You could also provide an example to strengthen the definition.

4.      After creating good definitions for each term it is time to study! Index cards are a great way to test your knowledge. Place the term on one side of the card. On the other side write the definition. Go through the cards and quiz yourself—can you provide the definition from memory just by looking at the word? It can also be helpful to color code the words or create a mental image in your mind to remind you of what the word means.

Essays

There are eight essay questions. Four will be selected for the exam. You will have to write ONE of those selected essays.

So you only really have to prepare for five essays. Choose the five that you are most confident about. Create an outline for each of these essays.

Write a strong and clear thesis. Be sure to consider the historical context of the topic.

Choose three points that will support your argument.

Answer the “so what question” for the conclusion.

If you have time, you could even write sample introductions or essays.

General Study Tips

Plan your time well

·      set aside a designated time to study and stick to it!

·      allow yourself breaks but don’t lose focus—get up, stretch and move around but don’t get lost on the internet or tv

·      give yourself little rewards for your accomplishments

Create a schedule, for example…

12:00-12:30 Look up definitions for vocab

12:30-1:00 Create flashcards

1:00-1:15 Take a break

1:15-2:00 Quiz self on vocab

Celebrate your two hours of studying with a piece of chocolate or something that makes you happy!

Create a good study environment

·      pick a place that is quiet

·      free yourself of distractions

·      turn off your phone and don’t check email or Facebook

·      if you like to listen to music while you study, try to select something that does not contain lyrics

Study with another person

·      share your notes and knowledge

·      quiz each other on vocab

·      create a thesis and sample outlines for each essay and evaluate each other

What to do before the test

·      don’t cram the night before!

·      get a good night’s sleep

·      don’t stress yourself out—you know what’s on the exam so you can be well prepared. Entering the exam with a clear and calm mind will be more helpful than creating unnecessary anxiety for yourself.

·      Try to approach it as a fun challenge—an opportunity to express your innate knowledge and wisdom. You got this!!

Midterm Study Guide

For the midterm there will be vocabulary and one essay. Eight of the vocabulary words below will be on the exam and you must define all of the words. The vocabulary will count toward 40% of the exam grade.

Of the eight essay questions below, four of them will appear on the exam. You must choose one and write an essay with a clear thesis, historical context, detailed examples, and a conclusion. The essay will count toward 60% of the exam grade.

Vocab

industrialization

modernity

Mind Cure

Gilded Age

Plessy v. Ferguson

Progressivism

19^th Amendment

Harlem Renaissance

Great Depression

New Deal

Pearl Harbor

internment camps

Essay Questions

1. Compare and contrast the views of W. E. B DuBois and Booker T. Washington. How do you think they would respond to issues of race today?

2. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century what social and political restrictions prevented African Americans from voting?

3. How did the concept of “buying happiness” emerge at the turn of the twentieth century? What have been the lasting implications of this concept?

4. Describe the Progressive Era and provide examples of successful reforms that occurred during this time.

5. How did notions of gender change during the 1920s?

6. What characterized the Lost Generation? Consider the impact of World War I.

7. What caused the Great Depression? How did America recover?

8. Pretend that you are living in America before the attack on Pearl Harbor—are you an interventionist or a non-interventionist? Make a case for or against entering World War II.

DUE APR 9: 1980s and 1990s Pop Culture

Due Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Create a list of pop culture that defines the 1980s and another list that defines the 1990s. Consider things such as music, television, clothing, films, toys, etc. If you grew up in the 1980s or 1990s what do you remember most about growing up in these decades?

DUE APR 2: Stonewall Documentary

Due Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Watch this PBS documentary about the Stonewall Uprising in 1969, which can be viewed here: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/stonewall/player/. Write a paragraph for each of the following questions (three paragraphs total).

1.     TBD

2.     TBD

3.     The Stonewall Uprising spurred much activism for LGBT rights. Are their still rights that are denied to people who are not heterosexual? Should the government enforce laws regarding sex and sexuality in today’s society?

DUE MAR 26: Civil Rights Movement

Due Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Without looking up any information list the women you can name who were involved in the Civil Rights Movement. Then read these two recent posts: http://thegrio.com/2011/08/25/time-for-america-to-honor-black-womens-role-in-the-civil-rights-movement/ and  http://www.womenundersiegeproject.org/blog/entry/a-forgotten-battleground-womens-bodies-and-the-civil-rights-movement.  Answer the question, why have black women been marginalized in the history of the Civil Rights Movement?

Watch this video featuring songs at the time of MLK's assasination. What was the impact of music at this traumatic time?

Listen to these two speech excerpts by Malcolm X in 1964 known as "The Ballot or the Bullet." Do you agree or disagree with his claims? Why or why not? If you are not familiar with Malcolm X you may want to do some background reading on him.

Take a look at the Black Panther website: http://www.blackpanther.org/ and read through their 10 point platform: http://blackpanther.org/TenPoint.html. Your school has blocked this website as being "extremely offensive." Do you agree or disagree? What do you think caused it to be labeled as "extremely offensive"?