Contemporary History 1-3-11

Students will work in partners to create an I-movie newscast about stories that took place over break 
12-22-11 / 1-3-12.
Newscast must include but not limited to this information:
World news 
Local News
Sports
Economics/Technology
Entertainment

Contemporary History 11-8-11

What if the Secret to Success is FAILURE?

Read the article.
Write your own editorial on the article.
Create two questions or concerns you might have regarding the article.

11-3-11 Contemporary History Class

Write a 600-800 word position paper on any of the particular topics


Essay Topics

Current Events 10-31-11

Students will create a newspaper about the news that took place over the last month.
October 2011, 
Group #1-Front Page Headline News
Group #2-World News
Group #3-Midlands/Local
Group #4-Sports
Group #5-Finance/Technology
Group #6-Entertainment

Minimum of four articles per group

Contemporary History Assignment 9-29-11

Why is it news? Each day, newspaper editors around the world must make decisions about which stories they will publish. Stories make it into newspapers for many different reasons. Invite students to look at the stories that have made the front page of a local newspaper during the last few days and to talk about why each of those stories made headlines. Among the reasons students might come up with are these:

• Timeliness -- News that is happening right now, news of interest to readers right now.
• Relevance -- The story happened nearby or is about a concern of local interest.
• Magnitude -- The story is great in size or number; for example, a tornado that destroys a couple houses might not make the news but a story about a tornado that devastates a community would be very newsworthy.
• Unexpectedness -- Something unusual, or something that occurs without warning.
• Impact -- News that will affect a large number of readers.
• Reference to someone famous or important -- News about a prominent person or personality.
• Oddity -- A unique or unusual situation.
• Conflict -- A major struggle in the news.
• Reference to something negative -- Bad news often "sells" better than good news.
• Continuity -- A follow-up or continuation to a story that has been in the news or is familiar.
• Emotions -- Emotions (such as fear, jealousy, love, or hate) increase interest in a story.
• Progress -- News of new hope, new achievement, new improvements.

American History Assignment 9-15-11

Students imagine they are reporters for a northern newspaper who have been sent to the South to write a blog post about the effects of the war. Each blog should include the physical changes in the South along with the emotional responses to these changes.Civil war website

World History Assignment 4-18-11

Teaching freshmen to use blogger as academic tool!

World History Assignment 4-18-11

Have students work in partners to research and report on a particular aspect of Muslim civilization during the golden age. Assign each group a different topic. Some topics may duplicate due to the number of groups. Possible topics: Social Classes, Economy, Art, Literature, and Science. Encourage students to use Internet resources.  Advise students to use illustrations, maps, charts, videos, or other visual aids

World History Assignment 4-8-11

Use the Internet to learn more about the Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca, today. Then, assume the role of a news reporter in Mecca. Write a news article 1-page in length describing the special customs and rites associated with hajj.

World History 3-16-11

Tell students that they will produce a large-scale time line, called “Byzantium— Constantinople—Istanbul,” to help them see what happened to a single city over the course of about two millennia, from just after 700 B.C. to just before A. D. 1600. The time line will include dates and details about:

• leaders; 

• military expansion or retrenchment; 

• economic developments; 

• social changes; and 

• other major events in the life of the city.

The Dust Bowl Magazine

During the 1930s, the Great Plains region of the United States became known as the Dust Bowl. The troubled region earned its nickname from the dust storms that swept through the dry, drought-ridden area.

Use the links below to research accounts of the Dust Bowl and write a magazine feature article about it.Your magazine must have cover/title page and two separate articles include images. Your article should include references to your research, quotations from accounts of the depression, and should have correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar.



Dust Bowl Time Line

Drought in the Dust Bowl Years

Woody Guthrie

Contempary History Assignment 2-24-11

Make at least on post of 500-600 words on your opinion of a particular topic.


Easy Topic Ideas

American History Assignment 2-24-11

Students will work in partners to create a brochure or pamphlet describing either President Hoover's response to the depression, the overall effects of the depression on Americans, or events surrounding the Bonus Army.

American History Assignment 2-23-11

Complete a 2-3 paragraph journal entry on life and conditions of living in "Hoovervilles" during the 1930's. Include 10 pictures and a description of each picture. Due Thursday 2-24

World History 2-23-11 Writing an Editorial

Write a newspaper editorial supporting or opposing the actions of  one of the following kings: Henry II of England, John of England, Louis IX of France, or Philip IV of France. Be sure to identify clearly which royal action you are discussing.

Contemp History Assignment 2-14-11

Group #2 will argue that television influences our culture and Group #1 will argue that our culture dictates what is on television. The students need to research the internet, gather their information, and organize their case. They should make one media/technology and two posters that help prove their case and that they can use during their debate.

Group #1                                             Group #2

Carmen                                               Colton

Brandon                                              Marissa

Dyani                                                  Dalton

Darien                                                Emma

Jacob                                                 TJ

Shelbi                                                Jennifer

Jeff

World History 2-14-11 Practice TEST

Chapter 8 Practice TEST

World History Assignment 2-4-11 European City Advertisement

Students should research and write a report on the history of a major European City in the middle ages. Students could choose London, Paris, Bruges, Antwerp, Venice or others. Students should discuss the city's population, economic activities, government, social problems, cultural activities, and architecture. Students are responsible to create an advertisement to attract people to their city.

American History Assignment 1-25-11

Create a political propaganda poster encouraging or opposing a particular groups civil rights.

African Americans
Mexican Americans
American Indians
Women

Assignment options:
Word Project Gallery (flyer)
Poster Board (crayons, markers, colored pencils)

American History Assignment 1-24-11

The trial of Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti concerned Americans during the 1920s. Sacco and Vanzetti were anarchists, or people opposed to organized government, and their radical politics became a focus of their trial. Research the history of the case and write a 500 word report about the outcome of the trial. Include information about the crime they were accused of, their defense and the evidence against them, the verdict, and the effect the trial had on the American public. 


The Trial of Sacco and Vanzetti



Sacco-Vanzetti Case

Current Events 1-14-11

Why is it news? Each day, newspaper editors around the world must make decisions about which stories they will publish. Stories make it into newspapers for many different reasons. Invite students to look at the stories that have made the front page of a local newspaper during the last few days and to talk about why each of those stories made headlines. Among the reasons students might come up with are these:

• Timeliness -- News that is happening right now, news of interest to readers right now.
• Relevance -- The story happened nearby or is about a concern of local interest.
• Magnitude -- The story is great in size or number; for example, a tornado that destroys a couple houses might not make the news but a story about a tornado that devastates a community would be very newsworthy.
• Unexpectedness -- Something unusual, or something that occurs without warning.
• Impact -- News that will affect a large number of readers.
• Reference to someone famous or important -- News about a prominent person or personality.
• Oddity -- A unique or unusual situation.
• Conflict -- A major struggle in the news.
• Reference to something negative -- Bad news often "sells" better than good news.
• Continuity -- A follow-up or continuation to a story that has been in the news or is familiar.
• Emotions -- Emotions (such as fear, jealousy, love, or hate) increase interest in a story.
• Progress -- News of new hope, new achievement, new improvements.

World History Assignment 12-06-11

Breakdown of Roman Society in Early Middle Ages

Write a one-page paper describing one of the following society’s existences.  The paper should include major rulers and their accomplishments, cultural influences, government structure and social classes.

1.     Vikings

2.     Saxons

3.     Franks

Current Events September

Students will create a newspaper about the news that took place over the last month.
September 2011,
Group #1-Front Page Headline News
Group #2-World News
Group #3-Midlands/Local
Group #4-Sports
Group #5-Finance/Technology
Group #6-Entertainment

Minimum of four articles per group