June 13

Class pics.

My all time fave Ronald Reagan pic.  Thanks to Jeff Cougar for finding it.  I think it exemplifies the Gipper’s optimism and most likely his wit and spontaniety as well.   Nancy doesn’t seem too thrilled about it which makes this even more memorable.

 

Love you guys.  I will miss you over the summer.  Enjoy Mr. Sherman’s technology-free classroom next year.  We will start review sessions in March 2013 so stay tuned.  Also, I will post an optional, cool-swaggalicious summer reading list on here shortly for your consumption if you find yourself w/ nothing good to read this summer.  I will have read most if not all of the books on this list.   Your test date is Wednesday, May 15, 2013.

1st Hour

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2nd Hour

 

 

 

 

 

3rd Hour

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5th Hour –  

 

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January 5

History Book Club – Empire of the Summer Moon

January 31, 2012 – Tuesday, 3 p.m. 

We’re getting together to talk about the epic story of the Comanche Indian tribe as described in the book, Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History by S.C. Gwynne. 

Excerpt from the first chapter here: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/11/books/review/excerpt-empire-of-the-summer-moon.html?pagewanted=all 

Here’s a lengthy (but good) interview with  the author on C-Span. http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/296792-1

 (just a pic, not embedded, sorry).

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October 3

JFK Profiles in Courage Essay contest

Check out the criteria for this 1,000 word essay that could win you $10,000 and a free trip to Boston.  In his book, Profiles in Courage, Kennedy wrote about eight American elected officials who he believed demonstrated political courage. 

www.jfklibrary.org 

The due date for submission is January 7, 2012.  Your job, if you choose to accept it, is to write about and analyze an act of political courage performed by a U.S. official who served during or after 1956 (the year Profiles was published).  The issue that you analyze can be at any level – local, state, national or international.  You are encouraged to use primary sources and use a variety of sources (including one non-Internet source). 

You have to register online here –http://www.jfklibrary.org/Education/Profile-in-Courage-Essay-Contest/Registration-and-Submission/Registration-and-Submission-Form.aspx

Read previous winning essays here – http://www.jfklibrary.org/Education/Profile-in-Courage-Essay-Contest/Past-Winning-Essays.aspx  (note that only one senior has won in the past seven years). 

As always, I am willing to help you with this.  Good luck.

September 26

1st APUSH Book Club selection

Hi, folks. 

After much consideration and deliberation, I’ve decided to go with A Nation Rising: Untold Tales From America’s Hidden History by Kenneth C. Davis.   This book focuses on six powerful, little-known stories in American history that occurred between 1800 and 1850. 

Our choice for October / November

A book review can be found here.  Also, it is available at Barnes and Noble or at Amazon where you can find it for $10 in paperback or even cheaper if you want to buy it used. 

 
Our tentative meeting date is Thursday evening, November 3 in my room, B-16 at 7 pm.  If you would like to help out with refreshments, let me know at my school email address (gw02bps). 
 
Thanks again. 
 
Geoff Wickersham
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August 31

New due dates, War of 1812 Contest and other stuff

1. Hey folks, I forgot that the original due date that I had given you for all of the finished Mayflower work (Parts 3 and 4 questions, vocab on the Google Doc, and blog below)  is Tuesday, Sept. 6th, not today, Wed. August 31st.  If you’re all done w/ the work, bonus for you.   If you want to get started on the school year’s homework, it’s already posted at my Fusion page (http://tinyurl.com/wick25). 

Link to Google Doc for Mayflower vocab: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ag_7cJC2L8hqdEo2UjAwTEdQWmNYVk8wdnNWeXFycUE&hl=en_US 

“1491” article link – https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=1HjvrLQOhFQ3VYPe80m8y33clvOIw6QRW7kz6Yej9tlLr4BsNIfKev_SEZ8zb&hl=en

Reading instructions for “1491” – https://docs.google.com/document/d/1skWnixOehpc9CNexTWUbsPfO29J9cPFZc4oarh_2s2k/edit?hl=en_US

2. There is an essay contest on the effects of the War of 1812 on Michigan sponsored by the Michigan Council for History Education.  $100 for 1st place and $50 for 2nd place.  Here’s the criteria:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dT6ZbnOQ15eCQW9HgUlQbavkwE2NB3FuQ-qe6UtrTMI/edit?hl=en_US

Best part is that it’s not due until early April and it’s only 1,000 max.  I will help anyone who wants to do this.  I’d like to see several entries from Groves entered in this contest. 

3. I’m thinking of starting a APUSH book club that might meet once a month or every 45 days, depending upon the school schedule.  This will be open to both students AND parents and will meet in the evening (say around 7 p.m.) and will last for about an hour where we’ll talk about the book.   And after Early APUSH is over, you will still be invited to come b/c we’ll move on into the stuff that we’ve covered as a class last year but read cool books about it.  It will be a good way for you to keep the history info fresh in your head and probably learn new stuff along the way.  There will be no extra credit for any of this.  It’s just to make ourselves smarter and to hang out and have a good time. 

 4. One of our first projects is for you to make a very short (less than five minute) mockumentary / advertisement for one of the original 13 colonies – the premise being that you are trying to encourge Europeans to come to your colony to emigrate and prosper.  This will include both classes 1st and 4th hours, so figure out who you want to work with, but don’t set your hopes on any particular colony.  You cannot shotty Pennsylvania or Massachusetts.  More details about the criteria to follow. 

5. Another essay contest – sponsored by the Bill of Rights Institute –

How does the Constitution establish and maintain a culture of liberty?

Similar specs for the essay in #2 (1000 words max) but you must submit it between Sept. 17 – Dec. 15, 2011.  Details for rules and regulations, click here: http://my.billofrightsinstitute.org/page.aspx?pid=1193  Prize money is much more substantial since it’s a national contest: $1,000, $500, and $250. 

Again, you will have my help with getting this done. 

6.  Google the term “flipping the classroom” and then tell me what you find in the comments section.  Do you think it’s do-able for our class?  Why or why not? 

Thanks.  Your feedback is always appreciated. 

Da Boss

August 24

QR code for Mr. Wickersham’s Fusion / School Page

The green page w/ assignments and links to everything you should need.

Oh, boy, 21st Century teaching and learning, here we come.  Ready or not!

 
By scanning this with your phone / iPad / etc., this QR code should take you to my school page where you will find links to this page (how helpful), the APUSH wiki, and the file at the bottom of the page with all current homework assignments. 
 
Enjoy. 
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May 24

The End of Men Atlantic article

Earlier this year, women became the majority of the workforce for the first time in U.S. history. Most managers are now women too. And for every two men who get a college degree this year, three women will do the same. For years, women’s progress has been cast as a struggle for equality. But what if equality isn’t the end point? What if modern, postindustrial society is simply better suited to women? A report on the unprecedented role reversal now under way— and its vast cultural consequences

This is the article that we discussed in class. 

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2010/07/the-end-of-men/8135/

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April 24

FYI -Pastor Terry Jones in Dearborn

Pastor Terry Jones’ representative states that he is here in Dearborn to protest Sharia law (Islamic law) and in Dearborn b/c the city is a symbol – it has the largest mosque in North America.

Here is a link to his brief press conference outside of a court house when a Dearborn judge told him that he couldn’t protest.
http://www.detnews.com/section/videonetwork?bctid=914115861001

Here is his representative speaking at the court house:

It gets extremely angry at the end, as you could imagine.  For some reason, Pastor Jones feels that the 1st Amendment is under attack here in Michigan.