Forced Choice, Day 1 - Class Recap

Fireworks over Niagara Falls, in 2009. Turning in your historical investigation today is worthy of some fireworks!

Hi everyone,

Welcome to your weekend - a weekend blissfully free of work on your historical investigation, I hope! Here's what we did today in class:

Learning Targets Addressed: 
SS.HS.RE.ALT.04: I can use evidence from my research to effectively address the research topic.
SS.HS.CO.ALT.01: I can organize ideas in a logically sequenced manner and in a way that is appropriate to the content area.
SS.HS.CR.ALT.04: I can evaluate information and explanations within a given context and develop a relevant conclusion.
SS.HS.RE.ALT.02: I can access relevant information from multiple and varied sources.
SS.HS.CR.ALT.05: I can justify and support arguments or interpretation with appropriate evidence.

Soundtrack: “We Like To Party!” by Vengaboys. Selected for today because, again, you should feel like having a party with your historical investigation done! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 2/28/14:
News Brief
Share Time
Forced Choice

Homework: Have a great weekend! Read the blog! Next news brief: Stacey.

News Brief: Today's article was brought in by Isidro, who selected this story: FOXNews.com - Alabama girl, 4, dies after being attacked by dogs, police say. We talked a bit about the legal implications of this story, and whether or not the owners of the dogs might be held accountable. A sad way to start out the day, for sure.

Share Time: Next, I split up the class into about groups of 3, and had students just check in with each other for a few minutes about how the historical investigation went, the research question and answer, and just generally how things are.

Forced Choice: The rest of class was spent doing a forced choice debate, which I always enjoy. These were the questions I asked students to answer with a Yes or No, with no in between. We talked about the first four - we won't do all of the rest next class, but we will probably do some, then write a reflection.

1. Giving up some of our rights (like our phones being listened to without a warrant) is necessary for our own protection.
2. The Second Amendment (A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.) means that everyone in the US has the right to have any weapons that they want.
3. Same-sex marriage should be allowed everywhere.
4. Marijuana should be legalized everywhere for recreational use.
5. Organized prayer in public schools should be allowed.
6. It bothers me that the National Security Administration/federal government can see whatever we do online.
7. The government of a country should have the power to make decisions that the majority of the people in it do not support.
8. Should the motto “In God We Trust” be removed from our currency?
9. People in power are always corrupt in some way.
10. Democracy is always the best form of government for anywhere in the world.

Thank you for your active participation here! I also really appreciate the respect and open minds displayed. I hope that you enjoyed this activity as much as I do. Next class, we will talk a little bit more about this, then really get into the Civil Rights unit. Have a wonderful weekend!

Historical Investigation, Day 6 - Class Recap

The light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter! At the start of next class, your historical investigation is due. I hope everyone is on track to turn it in on time and hit all the learning targets we have been working on! Picture taken at Cape Kiwanda on the Oregon Coast in 2009.

Hi everyone,

I hope you are reading this with the confidence that your historical investigation research project is done, or almost done! The entire final draft of the project, along with the rubric, is due next class (Friday). Here's the recap:

Learning Targets Addressed: 
SS.HS.RE.ALT.04: I can use evidence from my research to effectively address the research topic.
SS.HS.CO.ALT.01: I can organize ideas in a logically sequenced manner and in a way that is appropriate to the content area.
SS.HS.CR.ALT.04: I can evaluate information and explanations within a given context and develop a relevant conclusion.
SS.HS.RE.ALT.02: I can access relevant information from multiple and varied sources.
SS.HS.CR.ALT.05: I can justify and support arguments or interpretation with appropriate evidence.

Soundtrack: “Help Yourself” by Sad Brad Smith. Selected because today's peer review day was in the hopes that you would help yourself by getting feedback on your historical investigation. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 2/26/14: 
News Brief
Peer Review
Independent Work Time

Homework: Historical Investigation due next class! Read the blog! Next news brief is assigned to Isidro.

News Brief: Today's news brief was helpfully brought in by Cassey, because I forgot to assign it last class. She chose this story: CNN.com - California couple strikes gold after finding $10 million in rare coins. Wow! That would be a pretty fun discovery if you were walking around where you live! Thanks, Cassey.

Peer Review: The entire rest of the class was devoted to peer review and work on the historical investigation. If you missed class, or want to see the form again, here it is to download:

Google Drive - Historical Investigation Peer Review Sheet

If you would like to see the overview of the entire project again, here it is:

Google Drive - American Studies Historical Investigation Research Project Overview

If you are interested in exactly how you will be graded, please see the learning target rubrics here (the formatting is off - there are extra copies in class):

Google Drive - Historical Investigation Rubrics

If you are looking for details about any specific element of the assignment, links are here on the blog, or just comment and I will post whatever you need. I am here to help, but ultimately, it is up to you to make sure that the project is done and ready to turn in next class!

Independent Work Time: After peer review, there was time in class to keep working on the project. I made sure, once again, to talk to every student in class about how it was going and offer a pass to the computer lab or library if needed.

See you next class - please bring your entire revised Historical Investigation printed and ready to turn in, with the grading rubric on top! Thank you!

Historical Investigation, Day 5 - Class Recap

Independence Hall, in Philadelphia. This is where the US Constitution was debated and signed! Photo taken in 2011.

Hi everyone,

Thanks for another day of hard work! Hopefully, you are feeling confident at having a product to bring next class for some peer review. This means you should really try to have a rough draft of everything, ready to go! Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets Addressed:

SS.HS.RE.ALT.04: I can use evidence from my research to effectively address the research topic.

SS.HS.CO.ALT.01: I can organize ideas in a logically sequenced manner and in a way that is appropriate to the content area.

SS.HS.CR.ALT.04: I can evaluate information and explanations within a given context and develop a relevant conclusion.

SS.HS.RE.ALT.02: I can access relevant information from multiple and varied sources.

SS.HS.CR.ALT.05: I can justify and support arguments or interpretation with appropriate evidence.

Soundtrack: “Two Days in February” by Goo Goo Dolls. Selected because there are now two days (in February) left of class before your historical investigation is due! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 2/24/14:

News Brief

Parts D and E

Computer Lab S210 

Homework: Historical Investigation due this Friday! Bring everything, printed, for peer review next class. Read the blog!

News Brief: Nina had the news brief today and chose this article to talk about: NBCBayArea.com - Girl Scout Does Brisk Business Selling Cookies Outside San Francisco Pot Club. An amusing start to the day - thanks Nina! I forgot to assign the next news brief, which would be Isidro, but I will just see if I can talk to anyone from class tomorrow or before the day to do it - unless I have any volunteers? :-)

Parts D and E: The last two sections to go over for the historical investigation! Here are two documents that might help with explaining how to do this:

Google Drive: Historical Investigation Parts D and E, Explained

Google Drive: Ms. DeFrance-Gilman's Part D Analysis Example

Basically, Part D is your own thoughts about how the evidence you summarized and presented in Part B helps answer your research question. This should be one page or more. Part E is the conclusion to the paper, which should be a paragraph, including a thesis statement.

Computer Lab: For the rest of class, we went to the computer lab again and worked. This is the last time we will do this as a class for this project. I was more than happy to write passes to the library or computer lab for your study hall. I also would love to provide assistance or support through comments on the blog, emails, or before or after school! Please let me know how I can help you be successful on this!

Come next class with everything you have, printed and ready to be looked at for a peer review, please. This is an important step in the process. Thanks! See you next class!