Another Level of AWESOME for APUSH!!!

What is up, APUSHers?

As promised. APUSH is now on FACEBOOK!!! Here's the link! Don't just like it! LOVE IT!!!

Here is an AMAZING website. HippoCampus! CLICK HERE TO ACCESS!

What's so cool about this, you might ask? Well, this site takes our textbook (the American Pageant), and breaks it down, almost page by page, linking it to informative lectures directly related to the topics covered on those pages! I think it will be extremely helpful to everyone, as ehy work their way through this difficult material.

Assignments Tuesday 9/14-9/18/2010

Hello, APUSHers:

Here are your assignments for the rest of the week.

Tuesday Night 9/14/2010: Due 9/15

1. Click HERE to set up your account with POWER MEDIA PLUS. You will need this account, as sometimes you will be asked to watch videos for this class at home. DON'T WORRY! IT'S FREE! Enter the following passcode (copy and paste works best) Xqy2BeX79m. Answer only the starred (*) questions. Use our school's address (3465 192nd Street Flushing, NY 11358)

2. TUESDAY NIGHT IS MOVIE NIGHT!!! So, after registering for your Power Media Account...Tonight's Feature Film....Click the link below. When you are finished viewing the video, click here for the video/podcast worksheet. Print out, and complete the worksheet.

The Unfinished Nation: From Days before Time

Recounts the first wave of Spanish exploration and colonization in the Americas, emphasizing the Spanish influence on North America and its impact on future historical events. Beginning with the arrival of the Paleo-Indians and the establishment of various Native American cultures and societies, the program chronicles the journeys of Christopher Columbus and other explorers who landed in Central and South America while searching for a route to the East. Noted historians discuss the savage and domineering rule of the conquistadors over the Aztec and Incan people as well as highlight the more gentle attempts by Franciscan missionaries to spread Christianity among the native population. The Spanish colonial system is highlighted, including the monarchy’s desire for gold and silver that created the slave trade in the New World. A look at the Spanish influence on Native American society and agriculture reveals the complex relationship between the colonizer and the colonized.

Wednesday Night 9/15/2010: Due 9/16/2010. PODCAST WEDNESDAY! CLICK HERE for the Link to the Podcast "Columbus Day" .

When you are finished viewing the video,click here for the video/podcast worksheet. Print out, and complete the worksheet.

Thursday Night 9/16/2010: Due 9/17.

Pre-Read Chapter One of your Textbook. CLICK HERE for the Chapter Notes. Your assignment is to 1) Read the Chapter Summary 2) Highlight the key points of the chapter summary, and create an outline. Your outline should be NO MORE THAN ONE PAGE!!!

Friday Night 9/17/2010: Due 9/20.
1. GO TO THE WJPS APUSH Facebook PAGE. CLICK "LIKE."

2. Begin Reading Chapter One of Your Textbook. CLICK HERE for the Link to Chapter One
3. Complete the Chapter ID's and Guided Reading Questions 1-6 for Monday Sept, 20th. CLICK HERE for the link to the Chapter One ID's and Guided Reading Questions.

CLICK HERE FOR A LINK TO AUDIO VERSIONS of THE TEXTBOOK! (Sorry, chapters one and two are not posted yet!)

WELCOME APUSH-ers! (aka the TWO-PERCENTERS!)

Hello! Welcome to the exciting, and INTENSE world of AP American History. Having been selected to participate in this class, you have instantly become part of of what could be called the “two percent club.” Only two percent of all high school students (around 300,000 last year) in the United States took the APUSH national exam. This course is a big commitment, and it is important that both you and your parents understand the caliber of work that is necessary for success at the AP level.

The Advanced Placement program in American history is designed to provide students with the analytical skills and factual knowledge necessary to deal critically with problems and resource materials in American history. The students should learn to assess historical sources – with respect to their relevance, reliability, and importance – and to weigh evidence and interpretations given by historians. An advanced placement history course develops skills necessary to arrive at conclusions on the basis of informed judgment and

to present ideas clearly and persuasively. To some extent, the AP course is taught bycollege format, with emphasis on multi-media based lectures, independent reading, and graded writing assignments.

The advanced placement course is designed to give students a background in the chronological development of American history and in the major interpretive questions that are derived from the study of selected themes. My approach is to conduct a survey course in American history in which a textbook, backed by supplemental readings, provides both a chronological and thematic coverage. Our objective in this course is to prepare to take the AP exam (given May 2010) and the New York State Regents (given June 2010). While the Regents exam is a requirement for a high school diploma in the state of New York, scoring high enough on the AP exam can earn you up to SIX college credits!

As we begin this long, tough, but extremely rewarding journey, here are some things to keep in mind:

• Like any sport, instrument, or skill we want to develop, hard work is required. The homework and required preparation for this class is intense. In order to be successful, you will have to do at least 6-10 hours of reading/homework a week including textbook assignments (approximately 30 - 60 pages a week), outside readings and journal assignments. That works out to roughly 60 to 90 minutes a night). You should read AT LEAST 5 to 6 pages per night in your textbook, including weekends!
• Class participation is more than physical presence and it represents meaningful contributions to discussions and class activities.
• You MUST make up missed work on the next school day even if you don’t have this class. You will be required to take notes on class lectures, presentations, and video content.

Understand that you are not alone. There are thousands of kids taking this class, and there are hundreds of websites to guide you. I will be posting them as I come across them. Conquer the FEAR. We will work together, and be successful!

Assignment #1

►1. Get all of the supplies for this class by Monday!. CLICK HERE FOR THE SUPPLIES

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2. CLICK HERE - Download, print and read the "Student Letter." Please read the letter with your parents, and have them sign it (you have to sign it, too!).

2. Click here. Download and print your student contract,

3. Click here. Download and print the list of procedures

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4. Read the contract with your parents and sign it.

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5. Bring everything with you to school on MONDAY September 13th!

Assignment #2: Due TUESDAY SEPT 14th

Due Date: Sept 14th (TUESDAY)
Click here, and download the following excerpt from "A People's History of the United States." . In order to download the document, you will have to "right click" and "save link as."

You may need to download ADOBE READER for your computer in order to see these documents. You can download ADOBE READER by clicking HERE

After downloading the document and reading it, answer the following questions. Please answer each question in a thoughtful paragraph, and use "complete sentences."

1. According to Zinn, what is his main purpose for writing A People’s History of the United States?
2. According to Zinn, how is Columbus portrayed in traditional history books?
3. What is Zinn’s basic criticism of historian Samuel Eliot Morison’s book,
Christopher Columbus, Mariner?
4. What major issues does Bartolome de las Casas bring up regarding Spanish expeditions in the Caribbean?
5. Identify one early and one subsequent motive that drove Columbus to oppress indigenous peoples.
6. What was the ultimate fate of the Arawak Indians?
7. Write down the five most important things Zinn says about Columbus (include page numbers). Write down the two most important things Zinn says about the writing of history.

Assignments Week of 5/24

Hello, APUSHers:

Here are the assignments for this week.

Monday Night - DBQ ESSAY! DUE Tuesday! - Will count as a 2.0 (weighted) exam grade!

This is the Cold War DBQ that we worked on in class Friday and Monday. Here is a link to the DBQ

http://web001.greece.k12.ny.us/files/filesystem/USHG_DBQs/USHG_DBQ_08.06.pdf

NO EXCUSES WILL BE ACCEPTED. If you fail to complete the assignment, a zero will be given for the assignment.

Tuesday Night: Movie Night! Double Feature! Pick any TWO of the Following

The Unfinished Nation: Restless Society

Follows the shifting position and responsibilities of the president of the United States during the 1960s, focusing specifically on John F. Kennedy, Richard M. Nixon, and Lyndon B. Johnson, with additional coverage on Barry Goldwater. The program provides discussion on important social legislation--the effects of the New Deal, welfare reform, urban renewal, the Elementary and Secondary Education acts, and the Voting Rights Act--during this time, and profiles important events and people influencing the civil rights movement. Traveling to Birmingham, Alabama, and meeting the likes of Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., and leaders of the Black Panther Party, the presentation probes the issues of race riots and segregation, stressing the urgency for change during the era. Play

The Unfinished Nation: Determined to Be Heard

Chronicles the excitement and turbulence of the 1960s and 1970s, decades of intense social and political activism. Tracing the increasing importance of identity and civil rights to young Americans in particular, the program observes counterculture life in San Francisco, California, and discusses the catalysts behind the student-lead protests at Columbia University in 1968. From Black Power to the Indian Citizenship Act and impact of such leaders and artists as César Chávez, Patricia Schroeder, and Francis Ford Coppola, the documentary addresses the many different forms of activism during the era. Respected historians probe the issue of affirmative action and describe how the events of the Vietnam War and Wounded Knee changed American politics and society, especially for previously disadvantaged minorities and women.

The Unfinished Nation: Crisis of Authority

Documents the foreign and domestic policies enacted during the presidency of Richard Nixon and the negotiations led by Henry Kissinger. The program examines Nixon's strategies in Vietnam, focusing on the Christmas bombings, Vietnamization, the fall of Saigon, the signing of the Paris Peace Accords, and anti-war protests at Kent State and Jackson State universities. Showing how Nixon concentrated on relations with China and established détente with the Soviet Union, the presentation notes how, simultaneously, Kissinger negotiated an end to fighting in the Middle East and practiced shuttle diplomacy, working out a separation agreement between Israel and Egypt and Israel and Syria. Touching on the American economy, the program highlights the effects of the OPEC boycott, end of the Bretton Woods System, and the Smithsonian Agreement. The program wraps up with a look at the Watergate scandal, including Nixon's impeachment trial and resignation.

Thursday: Podcast Thursday, and study for a QUIZ on Chapter 39 (FRIDAY)

Here's the Podcast:

1968: The Year That Rocked the World
According to Bryan Le Beau's guest this week, Mark Kurlansky, "There has never been a year like 1968, and it is unlikely that there will ever be one again." Kurlansky discusses his reasons for this statement and his latest book, 1968: The Year That Rocked the World. Airdate: July 25, 2005.

Friday Night: Read Chapter 40. Complete GRQ's and ID's . BE PREPARED for a Quizzito on Monday. You have been warned.

HW Assignments: Week of 5/17/2010

Hello, APUSHers:

I apologize for my absence. Nonetheless, you are expected to keep up with your assignments. Here's your HW for the rest of the week.

Tuesday Night: Movie Night DOUBLE FEATURE. Due Thursday

Please watch two of the following movies, and complete a podcast/movie review sheet for each. If you watch all three, you can get GEM points.

The Unfinished Nation: The Other America

Reflects on pivotal domestic and international events that occurred during the presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower. The program examines the origins and achievements of the early civil rights movement, focusing on the impact of landmark Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, and also highlighting the significance of Martin Luther King Jr., the NAACP, chief justice Earl Warren, Rosa Parks, the 1957 Civil Rights Act, the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and the tactic of civil disobedience. Shifting to foreign policy, the program explores the ideological roots of the cold war and surveys critical global conflicts including the Korean and Vietnam Wars, CIA-sponsored coups in Guatemala and Iran, and the Suez Crisis. Play

The Unfinished Nation: A Nation Torn

Depicts domestic and international affairs that transpired during the 1960s. Beginning with the presidency of John F. Kennedy, the program examines the factors involved in the Cuban Missile Crisis, including Cuban exiles landing at the Bay of Pigs, the leadership of Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev, the threat of nuclear weapons, and the conflict over Berlin. The program examines the Vietnam War under the leadership of Kennedy and Johnson, covering such topics as the leadership of Ngo Dinh Diem, the division at the seventeenth parallel, the demonstrations in Saigon, the efforts of U.S. ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge Jr., the Gulf of Tonkin incident, and the Tet offensive. Illustrating the wedge created between the American people and their government as shown through student antiwar demonstrations and draft avoidance, the presentation notes how the final years of the 1960s brought about major riots, violence, and racial tensions that resulted in the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr., and Bobby Kennedy. National guard troops deployed to protect the White House and the outbreak of violence at the Democratic National Convention held in Chicago are two major events probed in particular

The Unfinished Nation: The Way We Were?

Profiles American society during the 1950s, beginning with Edmund Teller’s creation of the hydrogen bomb and the ushering in of the atomic age and the implications of America's emerging middle class. Considering the unattainable images of success in the “American Dream,” an ideology consuming the nation during the post–World War Two era, the program looks at the rise of consumerism and the growing popularity of television and automobiles, then exposes the realities of poverty rampant among African Americans and other minority groups. The documentary measures the international relations between the United States and Britain, notably with Winston Churchill, as well as with the Soviet Union during the early days of the cold war. With Sputnik, the space race, and nuclear arms appropriation, America found itself challenged to grow as an economic and political superpower. Play

Thursday Night: Podcast Thursday. Click on the link and listen to the Podcast. Complete a Podcast Sheet for credit.

Cold War, Cool Medium
The Cold War was a period of international, fear and anxiety. And, much of the Cold War was covered on television literally brought into the homes of millions of Americans. Our guest this week, Thomas Doherty, the author of Cold War, Cool Medium, examines one aspect of that phenomenon, television and McCarthyism with Talking History's Linna Place . Airdate: June 13, 2005.

Friday Night: Read/Review Chapter 39