1990s, cont'd: Presidents G. H. W. Bush & Bill Clinton + 2000s: Presidents George W. Bush & Barack Obama

Today the lone 8th Grader in attendance:

• Watched the rest of the segment of the American Presidents video on President G. H. W. Bush, plus the sections on Presidents Bill Clinton & G. W. Bush

G.H.W. Bush: 23:07 --- Bill Clinton: 30:01 --- G.W. Bush: 37:32
• Read the Chart-Presidencies of George W. Bush & Barack Obama.

Assignment for Tuesday: Finish reading the above chart and be prepared for an informal debate over the question, "Who was the better president: George W. Bush or Barack Obama?

Watergate Scandal: Video & Essay or Debate Prep

Today the 8th Graders:

• Viewed a 46-minute video on the Watergate Scandal
• Chose between an essay and an online debate over the question, "Should President Richard M. Nixon have been impeached and removed from office for his role in the Watergate Scandal?" 
• Were to use the following as evidence:
• Online Textbook Information
• The video we watched (See above.)
• Other online sources of their choice

Assignment for Monday:

1. Gather additional information about the Watergate Scandal 
2. Use that information plus the other materials we have examined to complete your essay or online debate, as described above.

WW II Video, cont'd + Thinglink Assistance

Today the 8th Graders:

• Continued watching, pausing, and discussing the World War II in Color Video, making it to the cusp of D-Day, June 6, 1944
• Helped the 6th & 7th Graders learn to use the Thinglink online app

Assignment for Monday: Be prepared to discuss/impromptu debate the question, "Should the United States have dropped the atomic bombs?" Underline, highlight, color code the arguments for and against in the A-Bomb Packet given you in class yesterday.

Pearl Harbor Documentary + Pearl Harbor Debate Prep

Today the Eights:

• Watched most of an excellent documentary on the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941
• Continued taking notes in preparation for tomorrow's debate over the question, "Why was the United States caught off-guard at Pearl Harbor?"

Assignment for Wednesday: Finish taking your debate prep notes on all the readings in the Pearl Harbor Packet and come prepared to debate!

World War II Overview Video, cont'd + Pearl Harbor Debate Prep, cont'd

Click here for enlarged view of NYT page.

Today the 8th Graders:

• Continued watching the video overview of World War II
• Choose sides for a debate over the question, "Why was the United States caught off-guard at Pearl Harbor?"
• Continued preparing for the debate by gathering information from a packet of primary and secondary source materials on the Pearl Harbor attack

Assignments - None, EXCEPT, Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and enjoy your 3-day hol!

Visit to Holy Trinity Catholic High School

Today the 8th Graders visited Holy Trinity Catholic High School, leaving their teachers and classmates bereft of their presence. We look forward to their soon return.

Assignments

For Wednesday -

1. Finish analyzing Statistics and the New Deal in preparation for the ND Debate (if you didn't turn them in on Monday)
2. Debate over the question, "Was the New Deal effective in dealing with the Great Depression.

Statistics Analysis + Economic Concepts + Debate Prep

Today the 8th Greaters:

• Prepared for Wednesday's New Deal Debate by analyzing a handout called "Statistics and the New Deal"
• Discussed the economic concepts of deficit spending, public debt, government borrowing, and interest rates

Assignments

For Tuesday - Finish analyzing Statistics and the New Deal in preparation for the ND Debate

For Wednesday - Debate over the question, "Was the New Deal effective in dealing with the Great Depression.

GD/ND Illustrations + Crash Course Vid on ND + Debate Prep

Today the Gr8 8s:

• Showed their illustrations of the Brief Descriptions of the Great Depression & New Deal
• Discussed some subsidiary issues such as "revenue," "expenditures," & "PROFIT."
• Began watching the Crash Course Video-The New Deal together and finished it later
• Were to watch it a second time and take notes for the upcoming New Deal Debate

Assignments

For Monday - View the Crash Course Video-The New Deal a total of at least 2 times & take Debate Notes: Was the New Deal effective in dealing with the Great Depression?

For Wednesday - Debate over the question, "Was Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal effective in dealing with the Great Depression?"

Quiz Return + New Deal Debate Prep + Crash Course Video on Great Depression

Today the 8th Graders

• Got back their graded GD/ND Quiz
• Chose sides for the debate over the question, "Was Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal effective in dealing with the Great Depression?"
• As no students wanted to answer "no," the teacher will defend the negative side against the students.
• Anticipated Debate Date: Wednesday, 12/9
• Watched, paused, and analyzed the Crash Course Video on the Great Depression.
• As we did not finish, students were to watch and take VideoNotes over the video.

Assignments
For Friday

• Finish watching and taking Videonotes over the Crash Course Video on the GD
• As you watch, take note of arguments you can use in the upcoming debate.

For Wednesday - Debate over the question, "Was Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal effective in dealing with the Great Depression?"

Crash Course on WW I, Will's War Ch. 1 & 2, Debate Prep

Today the 8th Graders:

• Reviewed the Crash Course Video on the U. S. in WW I
• Discussed the Prologue, Ch. 1, and Ch. 2 of Will's War
• Continued preparing for tomorrow's debate on the question, "Should the United States have entered World War I?"

Assignments for Wednesday
1. Have your Pro|Con Debate Notes ready to use and turn in.
2. Read and come prepared to discuss Ch. 3 & 4 of Will's War.

Today the Gr8 8s:

• Read one another's Trench Stories on World War I
• Reread the paragraph on U. S. Neutrality during WW I
• Were divided into teams for a mini-debate on the question, "Should the United States have entered World War I?"
• Began analyzing a packet on reasons for U. S. entry into WW I

Assignment for Friday

1. Finish the packet on reasons for U. S. entry into WW I
2. Review the first 19 pages of Will's War for class discussion tomorrow.

Discussion of Ch. 6 & 7 of The Call of the Wild + Continued Prep for Mini-Debate over Causes of WW I

Today the 8th Graders:

• Discussed the last two chapters of The Call of the Wild, focusing on its characteristics as parable, fable, and allegory.
• Continued preparing for the mini-debate over the Causes of World War I
• Hadn't as much time as usual due to half the class being gone for school publicity photos

Assignments

For Thursday - Mini-Debate over MANIA: Causes of World War I (Click for a chart I worked up several years ago over the causes, modified slightly today.)

For Friday - Quiz over A Brief Summary of World War I

Brief Summary of WW I + Causes of WW I

M-A-N-I-A

Today the Eighths:

• Finished reading and discussing the Brief Summary of World War I - Quiz over this on Friday
• Chose a cause of World War I and took notes from an American History textbook in preparation for a mini-debate tomorrow over the question: What was the most important cause of World War I?

Assignment for Wednesday

1. Review Ch. 6 & 7 in The Call of the Wild and come prepared to discuss it.
2. Be prepared for the mini-debate over the Causes of World War I.

The Call of the Wild, Ch. 2 & 3 + Imp Deb Prep

Will the real Buck please stand up?

Today the 8th Graders:

• Discussed Ch. II & III of Jack London's The Call of the Wild
• Took notes in preparation for tomorrow's debate: Was it right for the United States to carry out a policy of overseas imperialism?

Assignment for Wednesday - Imperialism Debate
1. Have all your notes taken & handy for use during the debate.

• A Brief Summary of U. S. Overseas Imperialism
• Primary Sources Packet
• Online Textbook
• Cartoons (optional)

2. Have an illustrated PPT Presentation ready showing your 5 Main Arguments (You may show more than 5.)

3. Come prepared to clash!

Crash Course Vid (fin.) + "The White Man's Burden" + Map on World-Wide Imperialism + Deb Prep from Online U. S. History Textbook

Today our 8ths:

• Finished watching the Crash Course Video on U. S. Imperialism
• Read and analyzed part of the poem by Rudyard Kipling, "The White Man's Burden"
• Examined maps showing that many countries were imperializing world-wide during the late 19th/early 20th Centuries - MH PPT - Imperialism
• Took Debate Prep Notes from an Online U. S. History Textbook:
• 44.  Seeking Empire - Overseas Imperialism
• .               Early Stirrings
• a.             Hawaiian Annexation
• b.             "Remember the Maine!"
• c.             The Spanish-American War 1898 and Its Consequences
• d.             The Roosevelt Corollary and Latin America
• e.             Reaching to Asia
• f.              The Panama Canal 

Assignments for Tuesday
1. Continue preparing for Wednesday's Imperialism Debate: Was it right for the United States to carry out a policy of overseas imperialism?

• Continue taking Deb Prep Notes from the Online U. S. History Textbook.
• Continue analyzing "The White Man's Burden."

2. Read and come prepared to discuss Ch. III of The Call of the Wild. (You do not have to write discussion questions over this chapter.)

Imperialism Quiz + Imp Deb Pre + Crash Course Imp Vid + Cartoons on Imperialism + Primary Sources on Imperialism Debate + The Call of the Wild

Today the 8ths:

• Took a Quiz over A Brief Summary of U. S. Overseas Imperialism
• Continued taking Debate Prep Notes from the Brief Summary
• Watched the Crash Course Video - American Imperialism

• Examined cartoons on U. S. Overseas Imperialism
• Began highlighting Pro-Imp & Anti-Imp primary sources on U. S. Overseas Imperialism
• Continued two assignments on Jack London's The Call of the Wild
• Events That Changed Buck - through Ch. 2
• My Map of Buck's Itinerary - through Ch. 2

Assignments for Monday

• Have the Events That Changed Buck and My Map of Buck's Itinerary completed
• Continue preparing for the ImpDeb
• Have a great weekend!

Pros & Cons of Imperialism - Began Debate Prep - A Brief Summary of U. S. Overseas Imperialism/Maps - Began The Call of the Wild

The 8ths today:

• Examined one another's lists of the pros and cons of imperialism - view them here and here.
• Chose sides for next week's Imperialism Debate: Was it right for the United States to carry out a policy of overseas imperialism?
• Began reading A Brief Summary of U. S. Overseas Imperialism, coordinating the reading with the maps shown on 2 Phases of U. S. Expansion

Assignments

For Wednesday
1. Be studying for the map quiz over U. S. Overseas Imperialism, postponed until Thursday.

• Use the Answer Sheet for the map quiz to help you prepare. We will also do some practice in class on Wednesday.

2. Do the following for the Jack London novel, The Call of the Wild. I'm personally liking this version better, but use the one you prefer.

• Look at the Chapter Titles on p. 3 and speculate what each chapter might be about. Post your speculations at your blog.
• Read Ch. I: Into the Primitive by Wednesday & post 5 discussion questions at your blog. Be sure to include a picture and a link.
• This Vocabulary List could be helpful as you read.

For Thursday - Map Quiz over U. S. Overseas Imperialism