President Harry S Truman + The Orwellian Dystopia of 1984

Today the Gr8s:

• Did some oral drill of the pictures of U. S. Presidents from Truman through Ford
• Watched, pausing to discuss, parts of two videos on President Harry S Truman:
• Truman Film Clip - 1st 10:32
• Truman Documentary - The American Experience - 2:17:12 - @1:27:42 - FDR-->Truman
• Analyzed highlighted items in 1984 - Teacher's Annotated Text, most of which are key aspects of the Orwellian dystopia. Students are asked to explain what each of the yellow highlighted terms is.

Assignments

For Wednesday - Finish explaining the yellow highlighted terms in 1984 - Teacher's Annotated Text.

For Monday- Quiz over next 13 words in Vocabulary - Brief Summary of the Cold War

For Future Reference:
Presidential Lost Archives: Harry S Truman - 42:29

1984 Discussion + McCarthyism Documentary, cont'd + Reading 1984

Today the 8th Graders:

• Discussed how political parties in the early Cold War Period might have used Orwell's 1984 and McCarthyism to advance their political goals
• Viewed more of the documentary on McCarthyism we began watching on Friday
• Read some of Ch. 4 of 1984

Assignments 

For Tuesday: Read and come prepared to discuss Ch. 4 of Orwell's 1984.

For Friday - Quiz over next 20 words in Vocabulary - Brief Summary of the Cold War

Ch. Summaries of 1984 + Documentary on McCarthyism + Reading 1984

Today the 8th Graders:

• Wrote summaries from memory of Ch. 1 & 2 of Orwell's 1984
• Discussed McCarthyism
• Viewed the first 17+ minutes of Enemies Within: Joseph McCarthy - 1:32:07
• Began reading Ch. 3 of 1984

Assignment for Monday - Finish reading Ch. 3 of 1984

Vision/Hearing Screening + Time Line + 1984 + Truman Domestic Policy + McCarthyism

Today the 8th Graders:

• Had their vision & hearing screened
• Examined a Time Line of U. S. History Since World War II, focusing on:
• The Cold War
• The interplay between the Cold War and domestic politics
• McCarthyism
• Korean War
• Vietnam War
• Briefly discussed 1984
• Began reading the pages on the online U. S. history textbook on Truman's Domestic Policy ("Domestic Challenges") & McCarthyism

Assignments for Friday

1. Finish reading "Domestic Challenges" & "McCarthyism."
2. Review Ch. 1 & 2 in 1984 discussion and possible pop quiz.

Korean War Documentary + Orwell's 1984

Today the 8th Graders:

• Watched, pausing to discuss, this Korean War Documentary
• Began reading Ch. 2 of Orwell's 1984
• 
  

Assignment for Thursday

1. Finish watching the Korean War Documentary
2. Finish reading Ch. 2 of Orwell's 1984 and come prepared to discuss it.

Korean War Videos

• Korean War in Colour (Documentary) - 1:25:05
• History Channel Documentaries HD Korean War Documentary BBC 2015 - 1:21:58
• Korean War: Fire and Ice - Part 1 of 4 - 44:21

Korean War + Orwell's 1984

Today the 8th Graders:

• Shared analyses of the 4-map sequence on the Korean War
• Supplemented the color 4-map sequence with information from another sequence. Both are found on this PPT, Two 4-Map Korean War Sequences.
• Read a summary and began reading a 1997 Newsweek article on the Korean War
• Began reading Chapter 1 of George Orwell - 1984

Assignments for Wednesday

1. Finish reading the packet on the Korean War including the 1997 Newsweek article.
2. Read and come prepared to discuss Chapter 1 of 1984.

Sp/Vocab Quiz + Korean War

Today the 8ths:

• Took their Spelling/Vocab Quiz over A Brief Summar of the Cold War
• After the Quiz they did the 4-Map Sequence on the Korean War. - Due Tuesday (tomorrow).

Assignment for Tuesday - Finish the 4-Map Sequence on the Korean War

Vocab QuizPrep + Cold War Begins + Online US History Textook on Cold War + Evaluation of Truman's Cold War Policies

Today the 8th Graders:

• Discussed the words for Monday's Quiz over Vocabulary - Brief Summary of the Cold War
• Began focusing on the first of a series of key Cold War topics
• Focused today on The Cold War Begins (the first 5 years of the CW): Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan, Berlin Airlift, NATO, Point Four, & Korean War
• After reading and discussing a chronological descriptions of the events, students read the following pages from the Online US History Textbook: (clicky clicky)

1. The Cold War Erupts
2. The United Nations
3. Containment and the Marshall Plan
4. The Berlin Airlift and NATO
5. The Korean War

• Wrote an evaluation of President Harry S Truman's handling of the first five years of the Cold War

Assignments

For Monday 

1. Turn in the evaluation of Truman's handling of the Cold War beginnings
2. Quiz over Vocabulary - Brief Summary of the Cold War

Cold War Quiz Celebration + Chronology of the Cold War + Where Historians Disagree About the Cold War

Today the 8th Graders:

• Got back their graded Quiz: A Brief Summary of the Cold War
• Worked on the Chronology of the Cold War assignment they were supposed to have done before they arrived to class today.
• Built on a Quiz question assessing who was more responsible for the Cold War by reading and discussing an essay in the Where Historians Disagree series called Origins of the Cold War

Assignments

For Friday - Finish reading Origins of the Cold War, writing notes in the margin on various historians' arguments as to who was more responsible for the Cold War.

For Monday - Quiz over Vocabulary - Brief Summary of the Cold War

Cold War Quiz + Chronology of the Cold War

Click here for enlargeable view.

On this very day the 8ths:

• Took the Quiz over a Brief Summary of the Cold War
• Began working on a Chronology of the Cold War

Assignments

For Thursday - Finish the Chronology of the Cold War

For Monday - Quiz over Vocabulary - Brief Summary of the Cold War

Crash Course Video on Cold War + Brief Summary of the Cold War + Quiz Prep on Cold War

                                              Click here for enlargeable view.

On this day, the Gr8s:

• Viewed, pausing to discuss, a Crash Course Video on the Cold War
• Finished reading & discussing Brief Summary of the Cold War
• Collaboratively studied for tomorrow's Quiz over Brief Summary of the Cold War

Assignments

For Wednesday - Quiz over Brief Summary of the Cold War

For Monday- Quiz over Vocabulary - Brief Summary of the Cold War


For Future Reference

America in the 20th Century: The Cold War - 2:11:55 - YouTube

Overview of the Cold War, cont'd + Illustrating the Cold War

                                        Click here for enlargeable view.

Today the 8th Graders:

• Continued reading & discussing the Brief Summary of the Cold War
• Continued adding pictures to illustrate key Cold War people, events, & topics mentioned in the Brief Summary.

Assignments

For Saturday, Sunday, Monday: Enjoy your 3-day weekend! Happy Presidents Day!

For Tuesday
1. Finish reading Brief Summary of the Cold War.
2. Add pictures illustrating various aspects of the Cold War mentioned in the Brief Summary.

For Wednesday - Quiz over Brief Summary of the Cold War

For Future Reference
The Cold War - Crash Course World History
The Cold War - Crash Course US History
The Cold War in Asia - Crash Course US History
The American Experience: The Cold War - 2:11:55

Cold War Overview, cont'd + Illustrations of the Cold War

Today the Grade 8s:

• Continued reading and analyzing the Brief Summary of the Cold War.
• Used the maps and online photos to emphasize various points made in the Brief Summary
• Began finding and pasting into the Brief Summary pictures illustrating the various people, concepts, and events.

Assignments

For Friday - Finish finding and pasting pictures into the Brief Summary of the Cold War, as begun in class today.
You only have to do the first two sections by tomorrow (Introduction & The Iron Curtain & Containment).

For Tuesday - Quiz over Brief Summary of the Cold War

Code Talker Battle PPT, cont'd + Cold War Overview

Today the 8ths:

• Continued making their PowerPoints of a battle described in the book Code Talker; see the instructions in yesterday's blog post
• Began reading a Brief Summary of the Cold War

Assignment for Thursday - Finish the Code Talker Battle PPT

Tuesday, 9feb16 - Code Talkers Video(s) + Mapping a Battle from Code Talker

Please cooperate with our substitute today, students.

• Our focus will be on the Navajo Code Talkers.
• You will do two main activities:

Video-Navajo Code Talkers

• Go to the Navajo Code Talkers Website. (Clicky clicky.)
• Look the site over and then chose one of the Code Talkers Videos to watch.
• Open Notes During Code Talkers Video document & follow the directions.
• Please complete this by tomorrow (Wednesday).

PPT of a Code Talker Battle
1. Choose any one of the following battles described in Code Talker. (Each student should take a different battle.)

• Bougainville - Ch. 18
• Guam - Ch. 21
• Iwo Jima - Ch. 24, 25, 26
• Okinawa - Ch. 27

2. Make a PowerPoint to illustrate what is described:

• Map of the Battle - from departure from the ship to the beach landing to the battle to their leaving the island
• Pictures of the Battle - Look especially for things mentioned in the book.
• Approximate route taken by the book's story teller
• Approximate location of anything he describes.
• Anything else you could include that would be appropriate

3. Get as much done on this today as you can.

• It will not be due tomorrow.
• I will check with you on Wednesday to see how far you have gotten and decide on a due date then.

Assignments

For Wednesday - Video Notes on Navajo Code Talkers

For Thursday or Friday - PowerPoint on Code Talker Battle

Patton Speech(es) + Results of WW II + Code Talker

Today the 8ths:

• Watched an excerpt of the famous opening speech in the movie Patton
• Compared this with an excerpt from an actual speech by General George S. Patton
• Finished taking notes on Results of World War II
• Read some of the final chapters from Code Talker

Assignment for Tuesday: Finish reading Code Talker through p. 224. (Ch. 27, 28, 29, & Author's Note)

Results of WW II + Code Talker

See other useful Cold War maps here.

Today the 8ths:

• Took notes and examined maps and pictures on Results of World War II
• Read as much as they could of Ch. 23-26 in Code Talker

Assignment for Monday: Read and come to class prepared to discuss Ch. 23-26 in Code Talker.

Saving Private Ryan + Code Talker List & Discussion

Today the 8th Graders:

• Watched the D-Day sequence of Saving Private Ryan in order to get an idea of what it was like to participate in an amphibious assault in a Higgins boat
• Listed the most memorable and interesting parts thus far of Joseph Bruchac's Code Talker
• Discussed Ch. 15-18 of Code Talker

Assignments for Friday
1. Finish your list of Code Talker highlights & post it to the Google Document.
2. Read Code Talker, Ch. 19-22 and come prepared to discuss them.

Finished the WW II Video + Read More Code Talker

Today the 8th Graders:

• Finally finished the long color video surveying World War II
• Read Ch. 15-18 in Code Talker

Assignment for Thursday: Finish reading Ch. 15-18 in Code Talker and come prepared to discuss it.

WW II Video, cont'd + A-Bomb Debate

Today the 8ths:

• Watched the WW II in Color video from right after D-Day to Okinawa
• Continued the Atomic Bomb Debate, today doing it online

Assignment for Wednesday -

1. Finish the A-Bomb Online Debate by the time you arrive for class
2. Read and come prepared to discuss Ch. 12-14 in Code Talker

Organizational Matters + WW II Video, cont'd + A-Bomb Debate

Today the 8th Graders:

• Spent a while making sure all required assignments were available for grading
• Watched the D-Day portion of the World War II in Color video
• Debated, without being fully prepared, "Should the United States have dropped the atomic bombs?"

Assignments for Tuesday
1. Continue the a-bomb debate. Read back over the a-bomb packet and come fully prepared.
2. Read Ch. 7-11 in Code Talker. Come prepared to discuss these chapters.

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.

Quiz over WW II in Pacific +Atomic Bomb Packet

Today the 8th Graders:

• Took the Quiz over WW II in the Pacific
• Began reading a packet of opinions on the question, "Should the United States have dropped the atomic bombs?"

Assignment for Friday

1. Finish reading the atomic bomb packet.
2. Come prepared to discuss and informally debate the propriety of dropping the a-bombs.

World War II in the Pacific + Discussion of Code Talkers

Today the Gr8s:

• Got back yesterday's graded WW II Quiz over Allied Victory in Europe & North Africa
• Used a map to trace the steps in the Allied Victory in the Pacific
• Did some drill in preparation for tomorrow's Quiz over the Pacific Theater
• Discussed Ch. 1-6 of Joseph Bruchac's Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two

Assignment for Thursday: Quiz over the Pacific Theater in WW II

Today the 8th Graders:

• Took the Quiz over World War II: Allied Victory in Europe & North Africa
• Began studying the chronological map on Allied Victory in the Pacific.
• 
  

Assignments

For Wednesday - Read & come to class prepared to discuss Ch. 3-6 in Code Talkers.

For Thursday or Friday - Quiz over map/info over Allied Victory in the Pacific

World War II Video, cont'd + Quiz Prep

Today the 8ths:

• Watched the conclusion of the Pearl Harbor video begun last Tuesday
• Continued watching the World War II in Color video begun Thursday, 1/14/16
• Studied collaboratively in preparing for tomorrow's Quiz over Allied Victory in Europe/North Africa

Assignment for Tuesday: Quiz over Allied Victory in Europe & North Africa

Review of Allied Victory in Europe & North Africa + Quiz Prep

Today the 8th Graders:

• Shared key facts about World War II with their former classmate visiting from out of town.
• Studied for Tuesday's Quiz over the Allied Victory in Europe & North Africa

Assignment for Tuesday: Quiz over the Allied Victory in Europe & North Africa

1. Learn the numbered chronology of the battles.
2. Learn the brief descriptions of the battles running down the right side of the page.

For Future Reference

D-Day Animated Maps

BBC - History - World Wars: Animated Map: Operation ...

D DAY, Normandy beaches map - YouTube

The Normandy Landings - War Times Journal

D-Day interactive charts and maps - Britannica

WW II: Allied Victory in Europe & North Africa + Readings in Ambrose's The Good Fight

Today the 8th Graders:

• Studied, color coded, & annotated a step-by-step map of the Allies' defeat of the Axis Powers in Europe & North Africa
• Read relevant chapters in Stephen Ambrose's WW II book, The Good Fight

Assignment for Friday: Finish reading these chapters in Ambrose:

• p. 22 - Battle of the Atlantic
• 27 - 28 - Operation Torch (N. Africa)
• 32  - Operation Husky (Sicily)
• 34-36 - Campaign in Italy
• 44 - The Air War Over Europe
• 48 & 52 - D-Day

Click here to enlarge.

Other useful maps:
Here, here, here, here, here, here, here.

Pearl Harbor Debate + Book on Navajo Code Talkers

Today the 8th Graders:

• Did an excellent job of debating the question, "Why was the United States caught off-guard at Pearl Harbor?" Click here to see notes on their opening arguments.
• Began reading Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two

Assignment for Thursday: Read and come prepared to discuss pp. 1-18 in Code Talker.

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!

Quiz over WW II in Europe/N. Africa: Dark Days for the Allies 1939-41 + WW II Color Video + Pearl Harbor

Today the 8th Graders:

• Took a Quiz over WW II in Europe & North Africa: Dark Days for the Allies, 1939-41
• Viewed the first 20 minutes of a color film on World War II
• Began reading a packet dealing with the question of why the United States was caught off-guard at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941; we will debate this next week.

Assignments for Friday

1. Finish reading the first two pages of the Pearl Harbor packet, "The Question of Pearl Harbor"
2. Finish your chart based on the first two pages showing the names of each historian and his arguments as to why the U. S. was caught off-guard at Pearl Harbor.

Axis Aggressions Leading to WW II + Dark Days for the Allies: Axis Conquests 1939-41 + Ambrose's The Good Fight

Today the 8th Graders:

• Studied the Animated Map of Axis Aggressions Leading to World War II
• Took a Quiz over the Axis Aggressions
• Examined a map and chronology of Dark Days for the Allies: Axis Conquests in Europe & North Africa, 1939-41
• Began reading pp. 4-8 in Stephen E. Ambrose's The Good Fight: How World War II Was Won

Assignments for Thursday--
1. Quiz over Map-Dark Days for the Allies: Axis Conquests, 1939-41

• Be able to identify the 6 Axis Conquests (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9) and the 3 Axis Failures (5, 7, 9).
• Use the maps given you in class, plus the Animated Map-Dark Days for the Allies 1939-41 if it helps.

2. Read pp. 4-8 in Stephen E. Ambrose's The Good Fight: How World War II Was Won

Crash Course Videos on WW II + Chronology of U. S. Neutrality

Today the Grade 8s:

• Finished watching, pausing, and analyzing two Crash Course Videos on World War II
• Analyzed a Chronology of U. S. Neutrality During World War II, focusing on the question, "How neutral was the United States from 1939-1941?"
• They color coded events on the two-page chronology by highlighting as follows:
• Pink = Policies toward Great Britain
• Orange =  Policies for the Western Hemisphere
• Blue = Policies for U. S. Military Preparedness
• Yellow = Policies toward Japan 
• They then analyzed the extent to which the U. S. was neutral with regard to each of the four color-coded policies.

Assignment for Wednesday - Complete the analysis of the Chronology of U. S. Neutrality.

Crash Course on WW II + Video on Hitler & the Third Reich

Today the Mighty 8ths:

• Got back their graded Quiz over A Brief Summary of World War II
• Viewed and discussed the Crash Course Video on World War II-Part 1
• Worked on the assignment due Tuesday (see below).

Assignments

For Tuesday - Finish viewing the Video on Hitler & the Third Reich and take notes on everything you see that you've already learned about Nazism and key facts that are new to you.

For Future Reference
Wikipedia on Native American Code Talkers

Quiz over WW II + Video on Hitler & Nazis

Today the Grade 8's:

• Took the Quiz over A Brief Summary of World War II
• Viewed video footage on Hitler and Nazism and applied their knowledge of fascism and Nazism to what was shown and heard

Assignments

For Monday - Nothing due.

For Tuesday - Finish viewing the Video on Hitler & the Third Reich and take notes on everything you see that you've already learned about Nazism and key facts that are new to you.

Introduction to Fascism & Nazism (cont'd) + Quiz Prep: Brief Summary of WW II

Today the Grade 8's:

• Examined, analyzed, and discussed the basic principles of Nazism & Fascism
• Studied for tomorrow's Quiz over A Brief Summary of WW II

Assignment for Friday - Quiz over A Brief Summary of WW II

Fascism & Nazism: A Brief Introduction

Assignments

For Thursday - Take notes from an encyclopedia or other sources on the 10 characteristics of Fascism & Nazism found on the handout studied in class: Front Page + Back Page

For Friday - Quiz over A Brief Summary of World War II--Page 1 - Page 2 - Page 3 (Map)

Brief Summary of WW II + Axis Aggressions Leading to World War II

Today the Eighthies:

• Continued reading, analyzing, and discussing A Brief Summary of World War II--Page 1 - Page 2 - Page 3 (Map)
• Continued focusing on the Axis Aggressions Leading to World War II
• Viewed the brief video of British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's return Germany with the Munich Agreement, signed on my mother's 12th birthday (30 September 1939)

• Began finding pictures illustrating the Axis Aggressions Leading to World War II and attaching them to the chart of the Aggressions

Assignments

For Wednesday - Finish finding and attaching pictures illustrating the Axis Aggressions

For Thursday - Quiz over the Brief Summary of World War II


For Future Reference:

Animated Map-Axis Aggressions Leading to World War II

Welcome Back + World War II: Brief Summary & Comparison of WW I & WW II + Quiz Prep

Click here for enlarged view.

Today the 8ths:

• Were welcomed back from their Christmas Hols
• Shared important events from the hols
• Began reading and discussing the Brief Summary of World War II
• Collaborated on a GooDoc showing collages from World War I & World War II

Assignments

For Tuesday--Finish your collaboration on the GooDoc comparing WW I & WW II

For Thursday- Quiz over Brief Summary of WW II