Week of 27 October - 1 November

World History  - B and D Periods

Monday we will be finishing up the "Terrible Tudors", whose religious affiliations bounced back and forth between Catholicism and Protestantism so many times, it may make your head spin (it makes this guy's head spin!). The notes from class will be posted here.


Here's Jane Grey, Henry VIII's (sort-of) niece, who ruled for a whopping 9 days!



And then enter the Catholic "Bloody Mary" Tudor, who married the King of Spain and cracked down on the Protestants in England.



And when she died, Elizabeth I became queen, beginning the Elizabethan Era (back to Protestantism!).



Tuesday we will discuss the Catholic Counterreformation (there's a $2 word), which was the Catholic Church's efforts to stem the Protestant Reformation. This included a number of things, from the attempts made by the Spanish Armada to invade England....



to the creation of missionaries called the Jesuits, led by a Spanish man named Ignatius de Loyola. Notes are available here. For homework, students will receive a homework packet on the Renaissance, available here, which will be due next Monday.

Not to be confused with Inigo Montoya.

Who knew they served guinea pig at Jesus' last supper?
This will make more sense after we learn about the Jesuits.

Wednesday we will discuss the Spanish Inquisition, which was a less-than-pleasant time to be a Protestant (or anything other than Catholic).

Monty Python fans?

After discussing what it was, we will conduct a mock Inquisition in class. Don't worry, you won't be tortured! (At least, I don't think so). To finish, we will go over any questions students have about the unit before we begin the second half.

Thursday (Happy Halloween!)we will be finish up the Religious Revolutions by talking about John Calvin and his theory of Predestination. Then, we will move on to the second half of this unit, the Renaissance, with a focus on art and music. We will learn about the three main styles of art up to this point, Classical, Medieval, and Renaissance:

Friday we will be analyzing some art in small groups. Don't forget, your homework is due on Monday!!! Friday is also the end of Term 1. 

The School of Athens by Raphael

Pieta by Michelangelo

The Mona Lisa by Leonardo

US History I - A Period

Monday we will be taking a Pre-Test on our next unit, Forming a New Nation, and also going over our Unit Tests from Friday, which the class did VERY well on! Map Quiz on Friday. Also, current events are due Friday. For homework, students will read pgs. 132-137 and write 5 observations, 3 questions, and 1 opinion. Here's a "Crash Course" in what we'll be learning in this Unit.

Tuesday we will talk about the Paris Peace Treaty, which ended the Revolutionary War, and specifically about its terms for the British and Americans.We will also discuss the challenges facing our new nation, as well as all of the different options there were for forms of government. We'll spend the majority of the class discussing the purposes of government (save it, anarchists) and most importantly, What we need a government for.

The Paris Peace Treaty of 1783

Wednesday we will form the Howe Convention, and students will be assigned as delegates of their own states. We will discuss some hotly debated issues facing us as a new country, and see if we can come to any solutions over these issues as we write a charter to govern and organize our new union. For homework, students will read the Articles of Confederation and answer three short questions about it.

Thursday (Happy Halloween!) we will be discussing the different types of government at the time, so we may better understand Congress's thinking at the time as they attempted to create our new government. For homework, students will read pgs. 134-140, complete their current events assignment, and study for the Map Quiz.



Friday we will have our Map Quiz, and discuss the current events which are due. We will then be discussing the Articles of Confederation, which were Congress's first attempt at outlining ow the new government would work. They turned out great............until they failed miserably, as we'll talk about more next week. For homework, students will complete the Articles of Confederation worksheet they began in class, available here.

"Really, guys, this is best you could come up with!?!?"

Week of 21-25 October

World History - B and D Periods

Monday we will be creating Wanted Posters for Martin Luther, and discussing some of the "greivances" the Catholic Church had against him! However, despite being excommunicated and being under the constant threat of death, he proceeded to spend his life preaching what he believed in and trying to "reform" the Catholic Church (not break away from it!). We'll also look at some of the many manifestations of Protestantism by watching this video that compares two of the more extreme denominations: Puritans and Restorationists.


Tuesday will find us talking about how the Protestant Reformation spread to England and was utilized by Henry VIII when he came into some disagreements with the Pope. We'll watch the following video about all of Henry's SIX wives, two of which he had beheaded and two of which he divorced (hint: part of the reason he broke away from the Catholic Church and formed the Church of England, AKA the Anglican Church). we will complete a timeline of Henry's life, and the final version will be placed here. Here's how it would've been if Henry VIII had been around in the age of social media!



Wednesday is a half-day, and we will discuss the shift in the Balance of Power in Europe as the Reformation spreads and the Church struggles to maintain its power. We'll also talk about life during the time of the Tudors, which was pretty funny and pretty interesting at times. For homework, students will select three vocab words from pgs. 423-433 and make a flashcard for each. Here's for all you football fans:



Thursday we will work on creating a Facebook page for Henry VIII in class, which can be found here for Period B and here for Period D. Here are some funny songs to help you remember all of his wives! For homework, students will STUDY!!!






Friday we will have a quiz on the Protestant Reformation and everything we've covered so far in the unit. For those of you looking to do some extra review, the quiz will focus on: Martin Luther and his 95 Theses, the reasons behind the Protestant Reformation, and King Henry VIII and the beginning of the Anglican Church (bonus points if you can name all of his wives!)

US History I - A Period

Monday we will be finishing our project presentations and I will vreate our interactive timeline once we are all complete! And it may be too late to apologize, but it's never too late to reinforce some of the things we've learned in this unit with a catchy song. If this doesn't at least make you chuckle, you are not human! For homework, students will be given a review packet, available here. Quick note: This packet is more for your benefit, not for mine. It will be collected on Friday before the test, but more than being a homework grade, it is EVERYTHING you need to know for the test. If you complete it, you will be all set. We will be covering some of these things in class this week, but it is mainly YOUR responsibility. Also, no current events due again this week, because of the test on Friday.



Tuesday we will discuss the alliance of France, as well as a few other significant things from the Revolutionary War, mainly the ending of the war with the American victory at Yorktown and the Treaty of Paris. Here is our graphic organizer on the Battles/Events of the War.

Party's over, chaps!

We will also discuss what the war really means. Why do we learn so much about it as we grow up? Why is it so important for Americans to understand? And most of all, how did it come to play such a HUGE part in how the nation of America was born (and still plays a large part of our identity today!). For homework, students will read the following speech given by George Washington to his troops at the end of the war, available here. 

And here's a crash course in the outcome of the Revolution:


Wednesday is a half-day and we will spend the class discussing George Washington and his remarkable leadership even through the war's end, which as we've already discussed was one of his biggest redeeming qualities despite the fact that he was not the most brilliant soldier in history. For homework, students will read pgs. 118-123, with only 3 observations, 2 questions, and 1 opinion, because you have your Review Packet due on Friday!

And here's a video showing some of the differences between the Americans and the British Army, only a wee bit exaggerated:


And if you want a quick review of the unit, here's a 12-minute video that covers everything important about the American Revolution (well, kind of). This guy is almost as enthusiastic as me! ;)


Thursday we will play a game of Jeopardy to review everything in the unit before we have our.....

UNIT TEST ON FRIDAY!!!! I know you're all excited - try to calm yourselves. I love tests just as much as you do, but don't forget to study, as this will be a big part of the grade. At the same time, don't worry! If you've been doing the work, you already know it all, you just have to relax and have confidence. It's a free throw!!!

Week of 15-18 October

World History - B and D Periods

Hope everyone enjoyed their long weekend!

On Tuesday, we'll be going over the Unit Exam from last Friday. We'll spend the period reviewing your graded tests (which came out great!) and talking one last time about the Middle Ages, which I'm sure you'll all be disappointed about. ;) For homework, students will be receiving a packet on Chapter 13 of the textbook, to be completed by next Wednesday, 23 October.

On Wednesday, we'll all be spending the day at Camp Lyndon, let's hope for sunny skies!

On Thursday, we'll be taking a brief PRE-TEST (not graded) to see how much we already know about the Renaissance and the Reformation, while I come around the room and check your binders (graded). We will then get to empty our binders (Yay! But don't throw anything away!) and begin discussing revolutions. We'll talk about what a revolution is, and more importantly, what a revolution is not. This will be a good opportunity for everyone to get on the same page before we discuss a whole slew of revolutions that occurred after the Middle Ages, beginning with...

Religious revolution! On Friday, we'll learn a little about Martin Luther (not King, Jr.), who was not afraid to call the Catholic Church out when he had some different ideas. His 95 Theses caused quite a ruckus in the day! But as we'll see, he was not the only one that had some disagreements with the Church. Notes can be found here. Don't forget to work on your homework packets over the weekend!

This will be much funnier after you've learned about Martin Luther, trust me.

Here's a cool rap song that will help you remember everything!


US History I - A Period

On Tuesday, we will learning much more in-depth about some less-discussed topics in the American Revolution: Guerrillas, Insurgents, Mercenaries, and Spies. We'll revisit some old friends of ours, the Sons of Liberty, who were insurgents, and talk about the use of unconventional forces by George Washington, otherwise known as guerrillas, such as the Green Mountain Boys (sort of) and other bands of "rangers," who used tactics like hit-and-runs and ambushes to harass the British Army. 

"Those rabble-rousing devils!" - Anonymous British officer

Rogers's Rangers

This was about 7 seconds before the British realized the good ol' Swamp Fox was throwing them a surprise party!

We'll also touch upon the idea of mercenaries, foreign troops who can be hired out, and who were used heavily by the British, known as Hessians. Finally, we'll discuss the secret world of espionage in the American Revolution, including the Culper Spy Ring, who operated throughout the war to collect intelligence for George Washington. Notes are available here. Your projects are also due today! Late projects will lose 5 points/day. No homework tonight.

And now a lesson from our childhood idol, Walt Disney:

This is how intelligence in NY was passed back to Washington.

On Wednesday, you will be taking the PSATs, so get a good night's rest and eat something healthy for breakfast. I know it sounds lame, but trust me, it helps!

On Thursday, we'll be talking a little more about the war in the South, and how the Patriots wreaked havoc on the British, who were struggling (unsuccessfully) to wage a counterinsurgency. We'll also have an open forum regarding more recent conflicts in the Middle East, drawing similarities and differences between the British in the American Revolution and the US in Iraq and Afghanistan. For homework, students will read a handout on the Battle of Cowpens, which everyone needs to read! (Hint: Another POP QUIZ on Friday!)

Hey, wait, that's not a paintbrush, that's a bomb!!!
One of the earliest Patriot-Terrorists, James Aitken.

Friday, students will be presenting their projects briefly, which will give us an idea of the back-and-forth nature of the war through some of the smaller battles that we don't often get to hear about. Then we can post our massive timeline around the room! For homework, students will be reading an article titled "How Insurgents Won the American Revolution" and answer some short questions. No current events due today.

Week of 7-11 October

World History - B and D Periods

Monday, we'll be learning about cathedrals, which are large churches that house the throne of the local Bishop, and we'll be looking at the architectural technology that allowed cathedrals to go through a revolution in the Middle Ages. Here are some great examples of the largest cathedrals in the world and some of their features. Why did people build cathedrals? We'll also lay out a new activity, in which you'll be working with a small group to list and distinguish all of the features in a Medieval cathedral. The activity can be found here. For homework, students will be reading pgs. 255-260 in their textbook and writing down 7 questions.

Wow!!!!!

Tuesday will find us working for the class period on the Cathedrals Activity. Be sure to finish in class, or it becomes extra homework, and keep in mind, Tuesday is the last night you have to finish your Fictional Middle Ages Character Project! Due Wednesday for 100 points.

Here's a video that shows what Gothic Cathedrals looked like back in their heyday:


And another short clip:

The First Crusade

Wednesday, we will spend the class learning about the Crusades, which were the Holy Wars fought in the Middle Ages. Most of the Crusades were fought between European Christians and Arab Muslims over control of Jerusalem, but there were also Crusades fought against French heretics (people who believed something different from the Catholic Church) and against pagans in Northern Europe. There was even a Children's Crusade, in which thousands of children tried to march to Jerusalem to fight the Muslims!!! Yikes! Notes can be found here in case you were absent. Your projects are due today. For homework, you will be completing a Middle Ages Crossword Puzzle and reading 3 Sections from the Knights and Crusades packet (available here), and summarizing each section in 1 sentence. 

Bet you won't complain about doing homework anymore!

And a lesson from Orlando Bloom:

This video offers up a few causes behind the First Crusade, which was first preached by Pope Urban II in France in 1095 AD:





Thursday, we will be preparing for our Unit Test on Friday. Also, students will have their questions answered. Don't forget that you may use any materials in your binder for the test!!! But make sure you study tonight!

Friday is our Unit Test. This is also the last day I will be accepting any late work from our unit on the Middle Ages, so if there were any "MS"s on your progress report, make up the work and hand it in by today. And prepare for a 3-day weekend!

US History I - A Period

Today we finished watching the John Adams episode that portrays the creation of the Declaration of Independence. For homework, students should finish their Battles of the American Revolution Packet that was assigned last Friday. There will also be Current Events due on Friday - one event will be the current government shutdown and the other event will be of your choice.

"C'mon guys, just sign the thing already, would you???"

Tuesday will find us finishing up notes on the Declaration, as well as talking more about the war itself, once the newly formed United States of America openly broke away from Great Britain and found itself in a full-fledged war with the most vast empire in the world at the time. We'll be discussing how George Washington and his officers kept the newly-formed volunteer Continental Army from being annihilated by the professional British Army, and still managed to threaten the British forces. For homework, students will read pgs. 113-117 and write down 5 observations, 3 questions, and 1 opinion (complete sentences!)



Wednesday, we will look at some significant battles, and follow the war as it rages in the North. In the Red Corner are the Howe Brothers, one on land and one on sea, regrouping and coming back in for the coup de gras - in the Blue Corner is none other than George Washington, with his brand new Continental Army! We'll see how Washington played to his strengths and kept just out of reach of the British until he wanted them to find him.

We may not have rifles, but we are the coolest.

We will also talk about the history behind a little-known Massachusetts holiday, Evacuation Day (17 March). Keep in mind, students who want to stay on track with their Unit Projects should have both of their sources and most of their research done by Wednesday. The project is due October 15th!!! For homework, students will read excerpts from a piece titled "The Crisis" from our old friend, Thomas Paine, and answering some questions. You'll all be shocked to learn that there was indeed one group on Earth he hated more than the British (I know, you're shocked), and that was the Tories!

Washington crossing the Delaware River

It probably looked a lot more like this.

Thursday, we'll see how Washington and the Continental Army suffer bitter hardships in Valley Forge, including starvation, frostbite, and a severe shortage of literacy (last one is a joke). But only so they can serve up their good old 'Underdog Special' to the British, and force the old Redcoats to try a completely different strategy: Relocating down south. For homework, students will read a selection on guerrilla warfare in the Revolutionary War, available here. (Spoiler alert: Reading Quiz on Thursday to see who's been reading and who hasn't - and who's been visiting the blog!)

"My only regret is that I have but one live to give for my country."
- Nathan Hale, America's first spy

Friday, we will talk about the lesser-known side of the Revolutionary War, the world of spies, insurgents, mercenaries, and guerrillas! Much of the war in the South was decided not by organized armies and pitched battles, but by small ambushes and raids from American "insurgents." We'll also take a look tactics of the famed Rogers' Rangers unit - "Don't forget nothing" and "Don't never take a chance you don't have to." However, we will also dispel the myth of the "angry farmer-patriot" winning the war single-handedly. We will also discuss propaganda as a weapon in modern warfare. Be prepared to draw parallels with the modern world. For homework, students will draw a map of the American Revolution up to this point in the War, which you have the template for here. Your project will be due on Tuesday when you return from the three-day weekend. Your  Current Events are also due today.