Happy Holidays! December 14, 2007

Today in History: December 14, 1897: Margaret Chase Smith was born on this day. She was the first woman in the United States to serve in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

• AP US History: view a documentary over Reconstruction and Western Expansion.
• AP US Government: group public policy presentations.

December 13, 2007

Today in History: December 13, 1862 - Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia repulses a series of attacks by General Ambrose Burnside's Army of the Potomac at Fredericksburg, Virginia. The defeat was one of the most decisive losses for the Union Army, and it dealt a serious blow to Northern morale.

• AP US History: Career Cruising (in the computer lab).
• AP US Government: Group Public Policy Presentations.

December 11-12, 2007

AP US History:

• Today, students will complete a Chapter 15 Review.
• Wednesday, students will take a 3-Week Exam covering material through Chapter 15.

AP US Government:

• Today, students will write a bill using their group public policy project.
• Wednesday, students will be in the computer lab working on a college/career investigation program.

December 10, 2007

Today in History: Martin Luther King, Jr., was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on December 10, 1964.

AP US History:

• Today: we will conclude the video and conduct a Socratic discussion over the significance of the battle of Antietam. Objectives include: Can students discuss whether the Union and Confederate generals understood how important the battle at Antietam would be in the course of the Civil War? Can students explain what effect Antietam had on the public's morale and attitude about the war?
• Tuesday: students will complete a Chapter 15 Review.
• Wednesday: students will take a three-week exam over Chapters 14-15.
• Thursday: Third, Fourth, and Fifth periods will be in the computer lab working on a career/college investigation program. Second period will have a study hall since they have already completed the program.
• Friday: students will watch a video on Reconstruction.

AP US Government:

• Today: students will work on their group public policy project. This is the last time they will have to work on the project in class. Objectives include: can students apply feedback from the panel discussion to the group public policy project?
• Tuesday: students will write a bill using their group public policy project.
• Wednesday: students will be in the computer lab working on a career/college investigation program.
• Thursday and Friday: students will present their group public policy projects.

December 7, 2007

Today in History: President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed that December 7, 1941, was a day that would "live in infamy." On that day, Japanese forces attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. This event marked the official beginning of the United States' involvement in World War II.

• AP US History: students will view a documentary on the battle of Antietam. Objectives include: Can students discuss whether the Union and Confederate generals knew how important the battle at Antietam would be in the course of the Civil War? Can students explain what effect Antietam had on the public's morale and attitude about the war?
• AP US Government: students will work on group public policy projects. Objectives include: Can students apply feedback from panel discussions to complete group public policy projects?

December 6, 2007

Today in History: On December 6, 1941, Franklin Delano Roosevelt made a personal appeal to Emperor Hirohito of Japan. Roosevelt was trying to keep the United States out of World War II.

• AP US History: Today students will be taking a quiz over Chapter 15. Objectives include: can students demonstrate reading mastery of Chapter 15?
• AP US Government: Today students will apply feedback from panel discussions (yesterday) to their group public policy project.

December 5, 2007

Today in History: The Montgomery Bus Boycott, led by Martin Luther King, Jr., began on December 5, 1955.

• AP US History: Students will create and present information from the assigned reading, Chapter 15: pages 440-450. Objectives include: can students create an engaged presentation about a section of "The Fight to the Finish;" including the Emancipation Proclamation, Copperheads, Election of 1864, and Sanitary Commission.
• AP US Government: Students will participate in a panel discussion on their group public policy project. Objectives include: can students explain the affirmative and negative positions of their public policy topic?

December 4, 2007

Today in History: The first agricultural society of importance in the U.S. was founded on December 4, 1867. It was called the Grange.

• AP US History: today, students will create and present PowerPoint slides for pages 429-440 in the Divine textbook. Objectives include: can students explain how the Union and Confederacy "adjusted to total war?"
• AP US Government: today, students will prepare for a panel discussion (scheduled for tomorrow) on their group public policy project. Objectives include: can students research a current policy, present it, and debate the efficacy of the selected policy?

December 3, 2007

Today in History: The first heart transplant, which was performed by Dr. Christian Barnard, took place in South Africa on December 3, 1967.

AP US History:

• Today, we are completing a jigsaw activity over pages 423-429.
• Tuesday, we will discuss Chapter 15, pages 424-440.
• Wednesday, we will discuss Chapter 15, pages 440-450.
• Thursday, we will take a quiz over Chapter 15.
• Friday, we will watch a video on the Civil War.

AP US Government:

• Today and tomorrow, we are working on our group public policy project.
• Wednesday, we will conduct a panel discussion over the affirmative and negative sides on the group public policy project.
• Thursday and Friday, using information obtain from the panel discussions, we will continue work on the group public policy project.