Selma-Conclusions/Portfolio

At the end of our viewing of the powerful film Selma, we'll do some brainstorming writing about our impressions of the film and the history it represented.  Students are encouraged to think about the following ideas and people as they brainstorm:

• power -- its various forms and complexity
• politics -- the ways politics are used, limitations, and necessity
• courage -- physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and political
• activism -- means and ends
• Martin Luther King, Jr. 
• Lyndon B. Johnson
• Jimmy Lee Jackson
• John Lewis
• George Wallace
• Jim Clark

After the initial brainstorming, the portfolio entry for the film is an open response, but students are encouraged to think about the title of the unit (Citizens test the Constitution) and the central question of our year (What does it mean to be an American) in composing a response.  Think of this a 1/2 to one page, single spaced. Turn in both the brainstorming and the full response with your portfolio.

Letter From Birmingham

After our look on Friday at the Sit-In movement and the children's marches in Birmingham, today we went over your responses to Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter from Birmingham City Jail in order to understand the blueprint for protest that he provides. We then discussed the impact of the Birmingham movement and the violent uprisings that followed as we watched the next part of the Birmingham video (through John Lewis' speech). This section also sets up your homework for tonight.

Brown v. Board of Ed., Lynching and Emmett Till

Today, we'll start with a quick review of the Brown decision that you prepared for homework. We'll discuss the holding and the reasoning and then identify the importance of the Brown II decision.
We'll then segue into the topic of lynching by looking at Without Sanctuary, a short film with images of lynchings put to the music of Billie Holliday as she sings Strange Fruit.  A different version of the images can be found HERE (although it has narration rather than the music) Click on the "Movie" tab after going to the site. The song can be found HERE.
We'll respond to these questions about the film (this will become an entry in your portfolio):

• First response/reaction.
• Narrow your focus, what images or lyrics stay with you and why?
• What are these images? Why do they exist?
• How does seeing this connect to your thinking about Brown? About Dubois or Washington?

We'll then take a look at the story of Emmett Till, a lynching that takes place after the Brown decision. We'll use this notetaking guide over the next several days as another addition to our portfolios.

NAACP Legal Strategy

Mr. Kramer guided us through how the NAACP embarked on a strategy to change the "separate but equal" standard from Plessy by using the presentation linked below. Students will take notes during the presentation.
Students will read and answer questions about the Brown decision for homework.

Reviewing the Test and Working with Jim Crow

Today we went over the Civil War/Antebellum Test.  Students are encouraged to do test corrections for half credit back by following these directions. Students have until winter break to finish and may do it in small increments if that's helpful.
During the rest of the period, students will finish the Jim Crow Web Activity.

The Jim Crow Era

Today in class we'll discuss the Plessy decision and its implications. We'll see what kind of society it helped create by learning about Jim Crow while we complete sections 1A and 2 from this WEB ACTIVITY.

Reconstruction Continued

First, we went over the new assignment sheet and the Portfolio Assignment, which will be the assessment for this unit.   Readings and portfolio assignment for the next unit are all posted on the assignment sheet. 

Then we went over the adjustments to the Lincoln Essay assignment. 

• Not a full essay.
• Full thesis statement (this might be multiple sentences given the question)
• Full paragraphs for TWO of the three sections -- this is the crux of the assignment
• The remaining "paragraph" will be simply a topic sentence and a list (in order) of the evidence that would have been used. 
• The body sections should be in chronological order.  This means that the "outlined" section may be first, second, or third. 
• No conclusion. 

After all of this business, we got down to business and looked at the work on Reconstruction students had done with their web activity.  In small groups, students focused on the social, political, and economic impact of Reconstruction and tried to make a judgment as to the success or failure of Reconstruction.

Beginning Reconstruction

In order to facilitate our look at the period of Reconstruction following the Civil War, we will be completing this web activity: Reconstruction Web Activity. The full activity will be due before class on Tuesday, 12/1. In order to pace your in class and out of class work for the Monday when you come back after Thanksgiving, you should follow this suggested sequence . Complete Sections 1 and 2 for class on Monday.  Then, in class on Monday, you will do sections 3 and 4 , then 5-7 for homework on Monday night.  

And here is a Thanksgiving message from Abraham Lincoln (click on the link below the image for the full text):

Proclamation of Thanksgiving

Total War

Today, in honor of the 152nd anniversary of Lincoln's delivery of the Gettysburg Address, we'll begin class by hearing the new version of it that we created at the end of class yesterday.
We'll then follow the progression of the war by watching two additional episodes of Ken Burns' documentary; Can Those Be Men and Sherman's March. We'll take notes using yesterday's study guide and then discuss the concept of "total war".
We'll finish by evaluating Lincoln's 2nd Inaugural Address, using this WORKSHEET to do so.

Gettysburg

Today we'll explore the meaning and legacy of the Battle of Gettysburg . We'll start by finishing our look at Frederick Douglass' Men of Color to Arms. We'll then review the information about the Battle of Gettysburg from your homework from today. We'll take a look at the episode Bottom Rail on Top from the Ken Burns' documentary, using this STUDY GUIDE to take notes. We'll finish by exploreing how Lincoln addressed all of these issues by focusing on his Gettysburg Address. We'll use this worksheet to do so: Gettysburg Address Worksheet.

**Note-as you continue to prep your Lincoln essay, you should also be studying for next week's test. Here is a study guide to focus your work. Antebellum/Civil War Test Study Guide

Emancipation

Today we'll begin with a short look at Sullivan Ballou's letter to his wife prior to the Battle of Bull Run.
Then we'll work to trace Lincoln's ideas as they lead up to the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation. We'll look at the documents that you annotated for today by following the questions listed in the Lincoln Worksheet 2 that we started in class yesterday. We'll look at the section The Higher Object from Ken Burns' Civil War documentary in order to help frame our look at the Emancipation Proclamation. If time, we'll explore Frederick Douglass' response to it by reading Men of Color to Arms and answering the questions about it.

The Cause of the War

Today we'll finish our look at Lincoln's First Inaugural Address. When finished, students will submit their Lincoln Speeches Worksheet to turnitin.com.
We'll then spend some time reviewing important facts and details from Foner before taking a closer look at the documents that you annotated for today. To do so, we'll work through this worksheet together. Lincoln Worksheet 2.

John Brown and the Election of Abraham Lincoln

After watching the episode The Meteor from Ken Burns' Civil War documentary, we took a reading quiz on John Brown's last statement to the court.
We then watched the episode Secessionitis from the documentary, exploring the events immediately leading up to the Civil War.
We'll use this STUDY GUIDE to take notes during the film segments today.
We closed class by taking a closer look at Lincoln's First Inaugural Address.

Abraham Lincoln, Stephen Douglas and the Politics of Slavery (1858)

Now that we are grounded in the judicial (Dred Scott) and political (Compromise of 1850-Kansas/Nebraska Act) issues surrounding slavery in the 1850s, it's time to move to an examination of the debate through the lens of the actual senatorial campaign debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas in 1858.  First, review the CONTEXT of each document.  Make sure you understand that, and then make your own copy of this document: Lincoln Speeches Questions, then follow the instructions in the document.  You are to complete the questions on the "House Divided" Speech and the excerpts from the Lincoln-Douglas debates during class today.  The questions for the First Inaugural Address are for Monday.  

Dred Scott

Today in class we reviewed the Kansas-Nebraska Act by looking at the first half of the Crash Course on the Election of 1860. We then took a closer look at the Dred Scott decision that students prepared for class today, first by tracing the progression of the case in the courts and then by taking a closer look at the Supreme Court's Majority Decision, identifying the questions being asked, the holdings, and then looking carefully at the reasoning.

Fugitive Slaves

Today, we'll be trying to make some conclusions about the risks that slaves took and the methods they used when attempting to escape.
To do so, we are going to examine Sydney Howard Gay's Record of Fugitives using this worksheet to keep track of what you discover.
We'll then take a look at the impact of the fugitive slave law of 1850 by watching the story of Anthony Burns from Africans in America: Judgment Day.

Your groups/partners for today are:
Group 1: Eli, Zoe, Allison
Group 2: Jesus, Charlie, Matt
Group 3: Seth, Alina, Gil
Group 4: Aaron, Isabel, Miles
Group 5: Sarah, Luke, Mackenzie
Group 6: Andrew, Zach, Anthony
Group 7: Dani, Will
Group 8: Hope, Meshi

Compromises over Slavery?

Can a compromise be constructed over the moral and legal question of slavery? Is it possible to compromise over such an issue?  These are the questions that the United States was struggling with since its inception.
Today we will review the attempts at compromise over slavery beginning with the Constitution and continuing through the Missouri Compromise and into the Compromise of 1850. We'll consider the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 and if time, watch an additional excerpt of Africans in America: Judgment Day, using this study guide for notes.

HW due tomorrow is to read and take notes from Foner 378-the top of 390.

Civil Disobedience

Today, we'll use this worksheet to explore Thoreau's Civil Disobedience in depth.
Civil Disobedience Worksheet.

Manifest Destiny

Today in class, we'll answer any questions about the Preamble Essay and then go over the research component.

We'll then see if there are any lingering questions about the origins of the Women's rights movement that you discussed in groups last Friday.

The main focus of our work today will be on the concept of Manifest Destiny and how the Mexican War was a culminating point of that idea. We'll begin by looking at Thomas Gast's painting below and then explore some definitions of Manifest Destiny found at the beginning of this handout.  We'll then use this packet of evidence to determine whether the ideas of Manifest Destiny justified the Mexican War.

12 Years a Slave

Today in class, we'll take some time to continue to process the film, 12 Years a Slave. With time remaining, you will have an opportunity to work on the formal response to the film that you can find HERE.  You should submit this response to turnitin.com by Friday, October 30.

Beginning the Fight for Women's Rights

Today in class we'll finish the abolitionist chart that we started yesterday. Then, we'll respond to the questions in this WORKSHEET in order to analyze the documents that you read for today (Declaration of Sentiments and Stanton's Address to the Legislature of New York on Women's Rights)

Meet the Abolitionists

Today in class, we'll finish the video we started yesterday.
Then, after hearing and discussing Frederick Douglass' Independence Day Speech at Rochester, we filled in the corresponding row in this CHART. We then split into the groups below to share information from the documents we read last night and discuss which of the abolitionists seemed most threatening to the status quo and why.

1. Eli, Andrew, Alina, Meshi, Miles
2. Jesus, Dani, Isabel, Allison, Gil
3. Seth, Hope, Luke, Matt, Mackenzie
4. Aaron, Zoe, Zach, Sami, Anthony
5. Sarah, Charlie, Will, Talia

The Culture of Slavery

Today in class we'll discuss the Preamble Evaluation Essay.

Then, we're going to focus on the impact of slavery and the rise of abolitionism by watching the first 35 minutes of Africans in America: Judgment Day, using this STUDY GUIDE to take notes.

Your HOMEWORK for tomorrow requires the following:
Read and take notes from Foner 348-356
Read and annotateyour assigned document from one of the four abolitionists below. All documents are in The American Reader. For your selection:

• Make sure you read the introduction carefully.
• Annotate for the author's tone, language and argument.
• As you annotate, pay attention to what was effective about the argument and what the biographical information suggests about the person's perspective.

Look for where your name falls alphabetically in the following list in order to determine your reading:

1. David Walker (AR 175): Bush through Goltsman
2. William Lloyd Garrison (AR 179): Gorden through Jones
3. Theodore S. Wright (AR 184): Kuzhiyil through Murphy
4. Angelina Grimke (AR 188): Paz through Simmons
5. Henry Highland Garnet (AR 192): Ury through Wolski

Evaluating the Nation

Today you'll continue to identify main ideas and key facts from your Foner readings. Remember, as you review your notes and the text, you should be making conclusions about how the nation was accomplishing (or not accomplishing) the goals set forth in the Preamble.
Your task for today is to continue your work on this CHART. The entire chart needs to be completed by Monday, 10/26.

Indian Removal

On Friday in class, you'll be working to learn more about the Indian Removal policies of the 19th Century. To do so, follow the instructions and complete the activities in this document:
Indian Removal: Policy and Impact. You should be able to complete this during class. If not, please complete for homework in addition to what's scheduled on your assignment sheet. When you're finished, please upload the completed document to turnitin.com.

Mapping the Antebellum Period

Last Friday, you took your first Foner assessment quiz which have been graded and you'll receive back as soon as everyone has taken it. In the future, the STUDY SPACE linked to your textbook may provide some helpful tools. Click on the chapter at the top of the page to access the study materials for that chapter.
Today, after having a brief discussion on your blog posts about Columbus, you will be using a series of maps to gather information and make inferences about the expansion of American society and increasing sectionalism in the late 18th and first half of the 19th centuries. You'll receive a packet of maps in class and then with a partner, work through as many of the tasks on this Mapping the Antebellum Worksheet as time allows.

Judging the Nation contd.

After reviewing our work on the Jefferson Presidency from yesterday, we'll use this CHART to continue to explore the growth of the new nation, remembering to classify the main ideas and details we are citing as either helping to accomplish or going against the goals set up in the Preamble.
Also, note that there will be an open note quiz tomorrow on Chapter 8 (not open book).

New groups for today:

1. August-Anthony-Alina
2. Eli-Mackenzie-Isabel
3. Jesus-Gil-Luke
4. Seth-Miles-Zach
5. Aaron-Will-Zoe
6. Sarah-Meshi
7. Andrew-Matt-Allison
8. Dani-Charlie-Hope

Judging the New Nation

Today in class, we'll continue the work that we did on Monday where we used Washington's Farewell and information from Foner in order to distinguish between main ideas and supporting facts and details. Today, we'll use this CHART in order to review information from Monday as well as make conclusions about the Jefferson Presidency that you read about for today.
In groups, you'll first work through each section of the chart individually and then discuss your conclusions before moving on to the next section of the chart.  Begin with the section on the Adams presidency, then do the Jefferson presidency, and if time, return to the Washington presidency.
Here are the groups for today:

1. August-Eli-Jesus
2. Seth-Aaron-Sarah
3. Andrew-Dani-Hope
4. Zoe-Charlie-Alina
5. Isabel-Luke-Zach
6. Will-Meshi-Allison
7. Matt-Sami-Talia
8. Miles-Gil-Mackenzie-Anthony

Washington's Farewell

Today in class we reviewed the political viewpoints of Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson. Then we examined George Washington's Farewell address, first annotating it while hearing it read aloud and then answering the questions listed at the end of the document that is posted HERE.

Strengthening the New Government

We will begin by taking a short quiz covering the reading that was prepared for today.
Then, after discussing the quiz, our focus for today will be on the debate and political ideas presented by Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson.
After watching the clip from the John Adams miniseries, students will work with partners to complete the tasks in this worksheet-Hamilton and Jefferson: Two Views.

Working on the Constitution Test

Today will be a work day on the written portion of the Constitution test. As you draft your responses, you should consider the RUBRIC that I'll be using to assess your work.  Also note that the new assignment sheet (including homework due tomorrow) is posted in the link list to the right and in the Unit 2 tab above.

Review Day

Reviewed for MC and worked on brainstorming for written portion.
Reminder to use target sheet and notice section on Illinois Const. and section on knowing your government officials.

Bill of Rights and Review

Today we reviewed the Bill of Rights and went over the requirements of the written test.   The last 15 minutes were devoted to work time. Here is the brainstorming sheet for the written test which is due at the end of class on Monday,

The Bill of Rights

Today we'll review the scenarios about the Bill of Rights that you began in class last Friday. We'll use those to guide our discussion of Amendments 1-10 and the corresponding worksheet.
Also to be assigned today is the WRITTEN PORTION of the Constitution Test.
I'll also handout the TARGETS (review guide) to know for the Multiple Choice Portion.

Articles 4-7 and the Bill of Rights

Today we'll discuss Articles 4-7 using our annotated Constitutions and worksheets.
When finished, before going over the details of the Bill of Rights, we'll try to apply them to real scenarios by using this worksheet: You Be the Judge. In groups, students will talk through the scenarios and keep track of their responses in their notebooks.

Constitution Day

This week in U.S. History class we'll be reviewing the tenets of the United States Constitution. On Wednesday we reviewed Article One, today we'll look at Articles Two and Three, tomorrow we'll look at Articles 4-7 and on Monday we'll examine the Bill of Rights. We'll use our annotated Constitutions as well the worksheets to guide our discussions.

Today is CONSTITUTION DAY (or Citizenship Day) in recognition of the day when the delegates at the Constitutional Convention in 1787 signed the document they created and sent it to the states for ratification.

9/11

Today is the 14th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.  While all Americans have been affected by these events, students today have never known a United States without that experience.  

After viewing this film together, please respond in your blog to the prompt below: (Remember that this is public, so please do your best to pay attention to spelling and grammar.  If it is easier for you, write the post in a google doc, and then copy it to your blog.) 

We have been talking about what it means to be an American since the first day of class.  Whether you have considered this before or not, your understanding of that question has been indelibly marked by the events of 9/11 and their aftermath.   How do you believe your country and your understanding of what it means to be an American has been impacted by these events?

After you have written your post, please read this commentary (if the link doesn't work, click HERE) Now go back to your post and add a comment.  What issues are raised for you in this piece?  How is your experience similar to or different from that of the author?
-------------------------------------------------

After sharing our thoughts from our blog posts, we'll return to our discussion of the Constitution, focusing on our notes about Article One. 
Your homework for Wednesday is to finish the questions from the Article One worksheet and annotate Articles 2 and 3. 

Ratification

Today we watched the end of the film, Liberty and discussed the ratification debate, identifying details about the Federalists and Anti-Federalists that we learned from the Foner textbook as well as the film. We finished class by working on some interpretations of what we learned using this format:
When Foner/the Film is arguing ___________ about the Federalists or Anti Federalists, does that mean__________? If so, then I wonder _____________(what's the implication).

There has also been a change to the homework that is reflected in the assignment sheet. For HW, students received a printed copy of the Constitution and are directed to read Article I for tomorrow. As they read they need to define each of the seven phrases of the Preamble and then make an annotation for each Clause found in Article I that defines or identifies the meaning of that clause.  If you missed class, you can print out the Constitution from home at this LINK.

Founding a Nation

Today we'll begin to explore the creation of the Constitution of the United States. We'll supplement our homework for today with a look at the film, Liberty that will help us to answer the following key questions:
1) What were the primary weaknesses and strengths of the Articles of Confederation?
2) How would the new Constitution balance competing claims of local self-government, sectional interests, and national authority?
3) Who would be considered full fledged members of the American people, entitled to the blessings of liberty?
4) What were the arguments for and ratification put forth by the Federalists and Anti-Federalists?
As you watch the film today, please use this GUIDE to take notes as you watch.  If you need to review the film, you can see it below.


Liberty! The American Revolution_ 6_6 by waja100

Declaring Independence Contd.

Today we finished reading and discussing the Declaration of Independence (see prior post) and then divided the Foner section on the Revolutionary War (158-165) into six parts. The class was divided into groups with each assigned one of the six sections. Each group was then directed to turn their section into an episode of an HBO miniseries titled "The Revolution". Each episode needed to have: a title; a list of main characters; a plot synopsis; an image; and a brief review. All of the information is on a poster displayed in the classroom.

Declaring Independence

After sharing our work on the Liberty documents, we summarized Foner by making a list of British actions and American responses leading to independence . To illustrate the violence of some American responses we watched this scene from the John Adams miniseries.
We then talked about the decision to declare independence, watching John Adams' argument to the Continental Congress in favor of it (you can also read the text of his speech here).
We finished class by taking a close look at the Declaration of Independence which you can find on page 38 of AR or here, using these questions.

Notions of Liberty Contd.

Today we'll discuss the definitions of liberty identified in the Foner reading for today. We'll then expand our definitions by reading John Adams' Liberty and Knowledge in the American Reader.
Then, after filling out Adams' column in the chart, each student will be assigned to read either Andrew Hamilton's Defense of the Freedom of the Press or James Otis' Argument Against the Writs of Assistance. With a partner, students will discuss the readings and fill out the remainder of Part I of the chart.

Materials used today include:

• Your hw notes
• The American Reader
• Liberty Chart
• Andrew Hamilton's Defense of the Freedom of the Press
• James Otis' Argument Against the Writs of Assistance

What is Liberty?

Today in class homework was checked in and we received our seats for the quarter. We then did some brainstorming about the notion of liberty, responding to the following prompts:

• What is your definition of liberty?
• What is its purpose?
• Who has access to it?

We ended class by trying to come to some conclusions about what Foner was trying to say about liberty in the chapter prepared for today.

HW for Wednesday is on the assignment sheet in the Unit One tab above.

Early "American Values" and Ebook Instructions

Today in class, we'll begin class by asking a few students to share their most recent blog post about what it means to be an American. Then we'll make a list about the American values and ideals that emerged from these readings or our common cultural experiences. Next, we'll see how some traditional "American values and ideals" have their roots from the earliest American settlers by exploring two documents, The Mayflower Compact and John Winthrop's Model of Christian Charity. 

For HW for Monday, you have an assignment in your textbook. Our primary textbook this year is Give Me Liberty (Brief: Fourth Edition) by Eric Foner. We will be using the online book for which you should have received your access code from Mr. Kramer. Here are your Ebook registration instructions:

To redeem your code, visit:http://books.wwnorton.com/books/webad.aspx?id=4294981961 
Then:

• Click the Access button on the left of the page.
• If you are not logged in, you will be prompted to do so. If you do not have a Norton account, please follow the instructions to create one.
• Once logged in, you will be taken to a product registration page, where you will choose your state and high school and then enter your registration code.
• After registration, you will be taken to your dashboard. To read the ebook, click “access”.
• After you have clicked “enter,” a VitalSource window will pop up and will prompt you to register for a Bookshelf ID. Please be sure to temporarily disable pop-blockers so that you may view this window.

That’s it! You can read your ebook online.

• For offline access:
• Once you have completed VitalSource registration and have opened the ebook, click “Bookshelf” in the upper left corner.
• At the top of your Bookshelf page, you will be prompted with the question, “Want to read your books offline?” and may select download instructions for your device.
• Once you’ve created a VitalSource Bookshelf account and have downloaded the VitalSource Bookshelf App for desktop or mobile, you can read your ebook offline through the app on your device.

What Does it Mean to Be an American Sharing Day

Today, your task will be to do some reflection, analysis and interpretation about how the essays that you read for today are influencing your answer about what it means to be an American.

1. Begin by reviewing your annotations from last night. Gather your thoughts (potentially even do a short prewrite in your notebook) then make a new post to your blog in which you respond to the following: What do these readings suggest about what it means to be an American? (You might want to think about political, social, economic, and cultural issues.)  How are the two readings similar/different?  Using your annotations, identify the passages/ideas that you agree with and/or disagree with the most.  Discuss why.  
2. Next, you will be commenting on what your fellow group members wrote about the essays that they read. You'll begin by reading the excerpted version of their reading in your packet in order to give you a bit more context about their post. Then read the post that your classmate wrote and post a comment to it. Make sure that you publish this comment. Repeat this step for as many rounds as you can until your teacher says to stop.

Round	Person A	Person B	Person C	Person D
1	Blog on your own readings: Boorstin and Zinn	Blog on your own readings: Baldwin and Reagan	Blog on your own readings: Billington and Kushner	Blog on your own readings: Kingsolver and Gregorian
2	Read excerpts from Baldwin and Reagan.  Read and respond to D’s blog	Read excerpts from Billington and Kushner.  Read and respond to A’s Blog	Read excerpts from Kingsolver and Gregorian.  Read and respond to B’s Blog	Read excerpts from Boorstin and Zinn.  Read and respond to C’s Blog.
3	Read excerpts from Boorstin and Zinn.  Read and respond to C’s Blog.	Read excerpts from Baldwin and Reagan.  Read and respond to D’s blog	Read excerpts from Billington and Kushner.  Read and respond to A’s Blog	Read excerpts from Kingsolver and Gregorian.  Read and respond to B’s Blog
4	Read excerpts from Kingsolver and Gregorian.  Read and respond to B’s Blog	Read excerpts from Boorstin and Zinn.  Read and respond to C’s Blog.	Read excerpts from Baldwin and Reagan.  Read and respond to D’s blog	Read excerpts from Billington and Kushner.  Read and respond to A’s Blog

3. For tomorrow-adding a layer
1. Read the comments on your blog.
2. Read the Crevecoeur and Stegner selections (end of your packet).
3. Final blog post: Where are you now in your thinking?  How do Crevecoeur and/or Stegner influence what you said before? How have the comments to your initial post influenced your thinking? Be sure to identify at least TWO speicific readings/comments that challenged you to think differently or expand your thinking.  

Entering the Public Square: Let's Blog

Welcome to U.S. History! Today you will all become part of what is known as the blogosphere, a modern day adaptation of the public square.  In a tradition that has it's roots in early American society, the public comes together to explore the interesting and provocative ideas of the day.  In 2015, that universe has expanded to allow anyone's ideas to be put into the marketplace for the world to see or hear.  Today, you will set up your blog that will allow you to do just that.  Our blogs will have a variety of different uses over the course of the year, allowing us to explore United States History and to continue to delve deeper into the question of what it means to be an American?

So, let’s make a blog! (Note-make sure that you are signed in with your school gmail account).  We are going to use Google's Blogger platform to create our blogs.  Find it in your Google Apps or you can click here.  Note-it may ask you to create a Google+ profile which you may (although this takes longer) or you can continue with a limited blogger profile, either one should work for our purposes. Then:

1. Click the button to create a new blog. 
2. Decide on a catchy title for your blog.
3. Identify an available URL for your blog.
4. Choose a template to begin (don't worry, you can customize this later)
5. Then click "Create Blog" 

Some things to consider as you begin to blog

• Choosing a design-many different templates and ways to customize  Click on the Template link on the left side to choose.
• The layout tab allows you to change the layout of your blog and add gadgets-gadgets allow  you to post links, add pages, have newsfeeds, etc.
• Click on the settings tab and then language and formatting to change to Central Time Zone.
• Warnings before going too far
  • Audience
  • Privacy - no full names, personal information
  • Expectations - tone, respect, acceptable topic

Blogging-so now that your blog has been created, you are ready to post.  You can create a new post from your blogger dashboard or from your blog itself (as long as you are signed in).  Remember, anyone can see and comment on your post so consider your audience.  You can also incorporate images, videos, and links in your posts.  As we continue to blog this year, I will show you how to do this.  You will be doing your first post in class tomorrow.

Need help?     

·         http://www.google.com/support/blogger/

So, by tomorrow, you will need to :

1.  Create a blog!
2.  Think of a catchy title.  Make sure you add a description of what you want your blog to be or to express.
3.  E-mail Mr. Kramer with the name of your blog and its URL address.  He will create a link to it on the class blog.
4. Complete step one of the assignment posted on the assignment sheet.