Civil War

The Civil War began in 1861. Why was it 1863 before Lincoln committed the Union to the emancipation of slaves?

You post is due by 9:00 PM Sunday, December 13.

Manifest Destiny

Assess the validity of the following statement, "James K. Polk is one of America's near great presidents." Do you agree that he should be so highly ranked? Why or why not?

You can watch a little ditty about James K. Polk for inspiration!


You answer is due no later than 9:00PM on Sunday, November 22.

Andrew Jackson

Please answer the questions below. Your response it due by 9PM on Sunday, November 15.

If you had been living in the age of Jackson, would you have been for or againist the following: nullification, veto of the bank, and Indian removal? Justify your position.
and...
If you had to rate Andrew Jackson's presidency on a sacle from 1 to 10, what rating would you give? Why?

Education- Daniel and Michael K.

Transportation- Arjun, Andrew, and Scott

Art and Literature- Karl and Allison

Immigration- Nolan and Meghan

Westward Expansion- Eric and Evan

Life Under Slavery- Adeola and Kiaya

Industrialization- Jordan and Kinsey

Thomas Jefferson

Assess the Jeffersonian presidency. What do you think were his three most important legacies? Explain your choices.

Your post is due Sunday, October 18 by 9:00PM.

1763

1763 was a turning point in American history. To what extent is this statement true?

Remember to include specific, factual information in your answer. You should also use correct grammar and spelling. Your post is due by 9:00 PM Sunday, 9/20/09.

Settling the Colonies

Assess the validity of the following statement, "Although colonists both north and south were bound together by a common language and a common allegiance to Mother England, they established different patterns of settlement, different economies, different political systems, and even different sets of values."

Be sure to include specific, factual information in your answer.

Your response is due Sunday 9/6/09 by 9:00PM.

Blog Rubric

Blog Post Rubric


Excellent- 10pts
-use of higher order thinking in response to the problems, statements, and/or questions listed in the assignment
-introduces a new perspective to the topic at hand
-concludes with application to the outside situation
-generates further analytical responses from class members
-no significant grammar issues

Basic- 8pts
-articulates comprehension in response to the problem, statements and/or questions listed in the assignment
-compares posting to other posted messages, text material, or class content
-1-2 grammatical mistakes that distract the reader

Approaching Basic- 6pts
-minimal response to problems, statements, and/or questions listed in the assignment
-restates central issues in context of content
-plainly states the authors beliefs and practices respect among classmates
-3-4 grammatical mistakes that distract the reader

Unacceptable- 4pts
-discussion shows no understanding of problems, statements, and/or questions listed in the assignment
-5 or more grammatical mistakes that distract the reader

"Why Study History" by Peter N. Stearns

Imagine you are talking to your best friend and he/she is trying to convince you the study of history is not important. Using the arguments of Peter N. Stearns, how could you convince your friend the study of history is important and valuable in your life? Please use at least two specific reasons from the article (without quoting) in your response.

Welcome to APUSH

Welcome to APUSH! I am so excited to have you in class this year! Get ready to work hard and learn a lot. We will use this blog throughout the course to discuss various topics related to U.S. History. You will have a blog post due each Sunday night by 9:00PM. These posts will give you an opportunity to deepen your understanding of history, practice your writing skills, and have meaningful discussion with your classmates outside of the classroom. I look forward to reading your thoughtful comments throughout the year!

Let's practice using the blog! In the comment section below, please answer 1 of the following questions:

A) If you could have dinner with 3 famous Americans, past or present, who would you choose and why? Please be detailed in your response!

or

B) If you could go back in time, which period of American history would you choose to live in and why? Please be detailed in your response!

Review Questions

What topics/ questions do you want to make sure we review? I'm planning our review now, so I would like your input on the areas of U.S. history you want to make sure we go over. Please look over the comments posted last week and list 3 items you would like to review. Be as specific as you can! (i.e. say politics of the 1960s instead of just the 1960s)

Sorry for posting your question so late this week!

Decade by Decade

In ONE clear, concise sentence, directly state the major change over time for the decade you selected in class. Then, list six bits of specific factual information from that decade to support your change over time statement. Please list these bits of information in descending order of importance. For ONE piece of information, write a clear direct statement that shows HOW or WHY that specific factual information proves your change over time.

Please take this assignment seriously! Your classmates are counting on you to provide good information for review. If you do not complete your post, the class will be missing a decade of review.

You can use the format below for your post:

Decade:
Change over time statement:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Analysis/Interpretative commentary statement:

Your post is due Sunday, April 19 by 9:00PM.

WWII

FDR and the New Deal

Analyze the ways in which the Great Depression changed the American social fabric in the 1930s. Be sure to cite specific examples from your reading and notes.

Your post is due by 9:00pm Sunday, March 22.

The Politics of Boom and Bust

Historians have not looked too kindly on the presidents of the 1920s, usually judging them as mediocre. Do you agree with this evaluation of their performance? Explain using specific, factual examples from your readings and notes.

Post is due by 9:00pm Sunday, March 15.

1920s Clash of Cultures

For this post, you will be discussing the juxtaposition of traditional America with the new, liberal ideas of the 1920s. Looking at your assigned topic (topics listed below), examine the photographs, cartoons, diagrams, and documents on the following site:

Clash of Cultures Homepage

What do these photographs, cartoons, diagrams and documents reveal about your topic? How are traditional ideas changing? How are these changes manifested in your topic? What resistance/opposition was there to these changes? Please cite specific documents in your response.

Topics:

1- Prohibition
2- The Scopes Trial
3- The New Woman
4- Anti-Immigration and the KKK

Your post is due by 9:00pm Sunday, March 8.

American Imperialism

Using your notes and your readings rank the following in terms of their ability to explain American interest in "imperialism" at the end of the nineteenth century:

A. racial theories
B. international rivalry
C. trading interests
D. religious humanitarianism

Justify your ranking.

Your post is due by 9:00pm Sunday, March 1.

Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt is sometimes called the "first modern president." Interpret this phrase and explain how it fits Roosevelt's conduct in office. Please use specific examples from your readings and notes.

Response due Monday, February 23.