Tuesday, March 31st

Advanced American History

1.  Complete preparation for mock trial.    Mock trial will be conducted on Wednesday.

American Studies

In class, we finished notes on the context of the Civil Rights movement.  Items discussed included the development of Jim Crow laws and the beginning of change in the 1940's.  Understand the following:

Dejure/Defacto Segregation

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

Impact of WWII

Truman's desegregation order

Brown v. Board of Ed (1954)

Assignment:  Read p. 589-96, questions 4,5,6.

Monday, March 30th

Advanced American History

Mock Trial -- New Deal v. The People.  The New Deal has been charged with providing false hope, spending the nation into bankruptcy, steering the nation recklessly toward socialism, and giving Roosevelt too much power.  

If absent, see Mr. Brice to learn your role for Wednesday's trial.

American Studies

Today, we introduced the Civil Rights Movement by discussing the context for the beginning of the movement in the 1950's. 

Assignment:  Read pages 580-88.  Answer questions 3, 4 & 5.  

Thursday, March 26th

Picture above of FDR signing the Social Security Act of 1935 courtesy of ssa.gov

Advanced US History

You will be working in the LMC to develop your group presentations on the Social Security program in class today.  Again, you belong to one of the four following groups:

1.  Historians

2.  Operations

3.  Problems

4.  Solution Providers

Links to all relevant documents and websites can be found HERE!

Your task with your group members is to find the answers to the questions associated with your group and develop a short powerpoint to assist in explaining the nuts and bolts of your groups questions to the group at large.  You may choose to answer put each question and answer on a different slide and have a different group member explain each slide.  You may choose to develop more of an overview format, rather than going question by question.  As a group, decide on the best path and what you are most comfortable with.  Presentations should ultimately take somewhere between 4 and 8 minutes.

Be sure to save your presentation on the network so we may access it in class on Friday.  Feel free to ask the substitute or Mrs. Koehler/Mikulski for a pass if you need extra time to finish.

American Studies

Work on exam review guide.  Cold War Exam is slated for Friday with the following components:  multiple choice, matching, maps, political cartoons, and reading comprehension.

Wednesday, March 25th

Advanced American Studies

1. Great Depression Quiz #2 (based on FDR and the New Deal)
2. Discussion of the Second New Deal, including the WPA and Social Security.

Assignment: Begin Social Security analysis for group presentations on Friday.

FYI: Like to review some of the key concepts we discussed? Check out historynow.org for a variety of Depression era resources.


American Studies

JFK assassination -- examine competing theories about the assassination of JFK at this website.

Tuesday, March 24th

Advanced American Studies

In class, we discussed the first 100 days of FDR's presidency and key items in the first New Deal.

Assignment: Finish New Deal organizer (p.404-411)


American Studies

As we finish the film 13 Days, we will examine some of the telegrams sent between the US and the USSR in the conflict. If absent, be sure to get the copy of the discussion questions that go with these telegrams.

Monday, March 23rd

Inauguration of FDR above courtesy authentichistory.com

Advanced American History
Today's focus is the election of 1932. We will review President Hoover's response to economic collapse and begin to look at why Roosevelt won in such a landslide in the 1932 election. Also, we will examine Roosevelt's inaugural address from March 4, 1933.

Assignment: Read p. 396-403. Complete notes organizer on the First New Deal.

Friday, March 20th

Advanced American Studies

1. Quiz #1 -- Based on content from Ch. 12.
2. President Hoover's response to the economic crisis--why it failed? (questions & discussion).
3. The Bonus Army

Thursday, March 19th

Advanced American History

After culminating a discussion of the causes of the Great Depression, we are going to examine some of the immediate consequences including an unemployment rate nearing 25%, massive bank failures, and the seizing of the entire economic system. Secondly, we are going to examine some statistics from the Dust Bowl (handout).

Assignment: Read 12.3 "Hoover's Response Fails" p. 384-88.


American Studies

For the next three days, we will be viewing the film 13 Days. As the end of the quarter nears, be sure to make up any recent quizzes missed due to absence ASAP.

Wednesday, March 18th

Photo above courtesy of Businessweek.com

Advanced American Studies
1. Today's focus is a discussion of the causes of the Great Depression. We will discuss flaws in the 1920's economy (uneven distribution of wealth, easy credit, etc) and policies that exacerbate the problems of economic collapse (protectionism/ Hawley-Smoot, etc)

Assignment: Read "Americans Face Hard Times 373-381


American Studies

1. Cold War Quiz #2
2. Discussion of Kennedy years (1960-63)

Mon/Tues Mar 16-17

I am away at the Wisconsin Council for the Social Studies annual convention. Sub plans are as follows:

Advanced American History

Mon -- Grapes of Wrath reading
Tues -- Fireside Chat (handout)


American Studies

Mon -- Video "Happy Daze"
Tues -- Ch. 18.1. -- The Election of 1960 and JFK administration.

Friday, March 13th

Advanced American History

As an introduction to the Great Depression, we discussed current economic news and compared that to events leading to the Stock Market crash of 1929. We focused largely on the Crash of '29 with a discussion of how a market can 'crash'.


American Studies

1. Discussion -- Ch. 16.3 -- Eisenhower and the Cold War
2. Nuclear hysteria -- "The Shelter"

Thursday, March 12th

Advanced American Studies

Assignment: Read/Notes on Ch. 12.1--"Causes of Great Depression" p. 366-72.


American Studies

In class, we examined the Cold War in the 1950's during the Eisenhower years. Chapter 16.3 was analyzed (handout). Finally, we took a look at a "duck and cover" film from the 1950's.

Wednesday, March 11th

American Studies

1. Cold War Quiz #1
2. Notes - The Second Red Scare (Ch. 16.4)

Tuesday, March 10th

American Studies

Today, we collectively shared our political cartoons on life in the 1950's (Ch. 17 Sec. 1-4).

Assignment: Complete Chapter 16.4 "Second Red Scare" handout. Quiz Wednesday.

Monday, March 9th

Advanced American History

As a bit of a break from NHD projects and essay writing, we are going to spend the first few days of the week viewing a film related to the transition from the Roaring Twenties to the Great Depression. The film Cinderella Man, is the true story of boxer James J. Braddock in the late 20's and early 30's.


American Studies

In class today, we are developing our own political cartoons to represent some aspect of postwar life in America (1945-60) as explained in Chapter 17. Small presentations of the cartoons will happen in class on Tuesday.

Assignment: Complete Cartoons. Cold War Quiz #1 on Wednesday.

Friday, March 6th

Advanced American History

1920's Objective test!


American Studies

10 Days that Unexpectedly Change America -- "The Day America was Rocked" (handout in class)

Thursday, March 5th

Advanced American Studies

LMC-- DBQ Essay on the 1920's


American Studies

In class today, we examined a number of pictures of life in Green Bay in the 1950's. In doing so, we analyzed a number of economic and social trends in the fifties, from consumerism to the interstate highway system.

Wednesday, March 4th

image above of Duke Ellington courtesy of authentichistory.com

Advanced American Studies

To tie up some loose ends about the 1920's, the following questions were discussed in class:

1. Why was prohibition instituted and why did it fail?
2. What were some of the most noteworthy developments of the Harlem Renaissance? Why Harlem? Why did these developments all take place in the 1920's?
3. Some historians have compared the 1920's to the last 15 years. Why?

Reminders: Thursday DBQ essay / Friday Objective Test


American Studies

Class today involved research and writing of news articles on Joseph McCarthy.

Assignment: Completed articles due Thursday

Tuesday, March 3rd

Advanced American Studies
Joint class today -- auditorium viewing of the film "The Great Gatsby".


American Studies

After finishing class notes on the Korean War, we began a mini-project on Senator Joe McCarthy and the onset of anti-communist hysteria in the early 1950's. Project directions are included in an in-class handout (found in blue folder).

Monday, March 2nd

Advanced American Studies

It's over! NHD projects are due today!

Assignment: Read Ch. 11.5 (354-58) for Wednesday. Twenties essay in class on Thursday and objective exam is slated for Friday.


American Studies

We continue our study of the Cold War period with an analysis of the Korean War. In class notes were taken.