Week of 28 September - 2 October

Freshman World History
Monday: Today students will discuss the fall of Rome and the different causes of Rome's eventual demise. Students will choose one of ten theories and become the expert on it, answering questions about it and then drawing a visual representation and outlining the main ideas behind the theory. For homework, students will complete their picture (with color) and three main ideas.



Tuesday: Today, students will present, discuss, and consolidate all of the theories behind the Fall of Rome. For homework, students will read page 177 in their textbook, and answer #1-3 on a separate sheet of paper.



Wednesday: Today students will finish their group work from yesterday. For homework, students will complete a timeline on the rise and fall of Rome (only the backside!!!) AND finish the Theories on the Fall of Rome WS.

Here is a great timeline to use!



Thursday: Today we will briefly finish discussing the Fall of the Roman Empire, and then we will move onto the contributions of Ancient Rome towards modern society. Students will begin developing a paragraph on the Fall of Rome, choosing three of the top ten theories and arguing them. For homework, students will read Chapter 6.5 (pgs. 178-183) and complete this companion worksheet. Also, students' paragraphs' on the fall of Rome are due on Monday!



Friday: Today we will move onto the contributions of Ancient Rome towards modern society, seeing just what elements of Roman culture and history lasted throughout the ages. Notes are here. Finish your paragraph for homework!!!

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Sophomore Modern World
Monday: Today students will take a quiz to assess what we've learned thus far on the French Revolution, and then we will work on an activity concerning national anthems. For homework, students will have to answer these questions on the American and French National Anthems.



Tuesday: Today students will be comparing the national anthems of America ("The Star-Spangled Banner) and France ("La Marseillaise"). We will then compare and contrast the revolutions that took place in both countries. For homework, students will complete a short reading and some questions on "A Radical Government" worksheet.



Wednesday: Today students will continue comparing the American and French Revolutions by pairing up and tracking the events of each, and how they were similar in scope, yet different in nature. For homework, students will complete a reading packet on the French revolution, due Friday.

Robespierre finally argued against the death penalty later on in life... as in, right before it was used on him.

How I feel some days when students won't stop talking in class...

Thursday: Today we will briefly discuss the parallel events that occurred in the French and American Revolutions, and then we will move on to finish the notes on the End of the French Revolution, so that tomorrow we can start talking about.....



Friday: NAPOLEON!!!!! In class today, we will take some more notes on Napoleon, and also compare a speech from William Shakespeare ("We few, we happy few...") to some speeches from Napoleon himself in order to analyze what type of leader Napoleon was. For homework, students will read 7.3 and 4 and complete this worksheet, due TUESDAY.

VIDEO ON NAPOLEON

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Junior US II
Monday: Today students will begin the new unit on the Industrial Revolution in America by discussing technology and how much we depend on it every day. Students will be working on a paragraph about how they would live their life if they did not have some of the inventions we use every day. For homework, students will read complete a paragraph on what their life would be like without modern inventions and technology.

Tuesday: Today students will complete this worksheet in conjunction with the new chapter in Call to Freedom! We will continue discussing the Industrial Revolution in America after the Civil War. For homework, students will read Chapter 3 in their textbook and answer Questions 1-8 (multiple choice) at the end of the chapter.



Wednesday: Today students will work on completing their Industrial Revolution Graphic Organizers from yesterday. Then, we will watch a segment from America: The Story of Us on industrialization, the Bessemer process, and building skyscrapers (not a fun job!!!)




Thursday: Today we will finish watching the episode of America: The Story of Us, and discuss it. We will then work toward completing our vocabulary packets for the unit. For homework tonight, students will complete the Critical Thinking Activity on page 32 in their books. 



Friday: Today students will watch CNN Student News and work on the chapter vocabulary packet for the Industrial Revolution. For homework, students will draw visual representations OR write original sentences for each of the vocabulary words we went over in class today.

Week of 21-25 September

Freshman World History
Monday: Today students will finish their notes on the Fall of the Roman Republic and the Rise of the Roman Empire. Do not forget your homework packets! Due this Friday. Also, Quiz on Ancient Rome this Friday.



Tuesday: Today we will finish our notes up through the Augustan Age, then backtrack through Rome and discuss the Punic Wars between Carthage and Rome, as well as Julius Caesar's rise to power after the Gallic Wars. Homework packet due Friday! Also, Quiz on Rome from its Origins through the Augustan Age on Friday.







Wednesday: Today students will finish discussing Hannibal and the Punic Wars, and then we will read and act out an excerpt from William Shakespeare's famous play, "Julius Caesar". Lights, camera, action!!! Homework packet is due Friday.

I won't lie, your helmet's freaking me out a little.

Oh yeah? I found it on eBay, got a great deal!

Thursday: Today we will take a look at Pax Romana, which is the Roman era of peace following Emperor Augustus' rule. We will also look at what life was like for a Gladiator, and if we have time, we'll discuss the emperors of Rome and spend any time we have left doing review for the quiz tomorrow. Homework packet due tomorrow!!!

If they had iPhones in Ancient Rome.

Friday: Quiz Today!
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Sophomore Modern World History
Monday: Today students will finish watching the rest of "French Revolution: Instant Expert" and for homework, students will answer four more questions from the movie. 



Tuesday: Today students will take some comprehensive notes on the events of the French Revolution, in preparation for an interesting activity tomorrow. For homework, students will be completing a worksheet on the Estates General (needs to be done for activity tomorrow!).

Just because.

Wednesday: Today students will become members of the Estates General. Students will be assigned as a member of the First, Second, or Third Estate, and will have to convene to discuss the numerous issues plaguing France. The country owes 100 million francs, and the three Estates must come together to resolve the issue. But can each Estate give up satisfy the common goals while still protecting their own rights? We shall see! Homework tonight is to ACTIVELY read the excerpt from "A Tale of Two Cities." That means underlining/annotating!

Very moving quote from A Tale of Two Cities

Thursday: Today we will have a reading quiz on "A Tale of Two Cities" to check understanding, and then we will spend the majority of the class finishing up our Estates General Activity. Let's make some deals! For homework, students will complete a map activity on the French Revolution. Prepare for a Quiz on Monday. 

"Liberty, Equality, Fraternity!"

The first lines of ATOTC

Friday: Today, students will complete the notes on the French Revolution and we will discuss its impact, its outcome, its scope, and what happens next! (Hint: He was terrified of cats and open doors, and to this day it is still illegal to name a pig after him). Homework tonight is to complete a French Revolution worksheet (also has a great timeline on the back) and study for the Quiz on Monday!!!

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Junior US History II
Monday: Today we will be discussing the Gettysburg Address, perhaps the most memorable of any speech delivered by a US President. We will also be answering some analytical questions about it. Here is a video of the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, VA. We will talk about the history behind the Tomb and the Cemetery and how it originates during the Civil War. We will also hear some reenactments of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address.







Tuesday: Today we will finish up our questions about the Gettysburg Address before we discuss the end of the war. We will be moving on to Reconstruction and its successes and failures before our short quiz on Friday.



Wednesday:  Today students will discuss the ending of the Civil War, and students will split into two teams and debate with each other to come to terms on what post-war America should look like. This will begin our lesson on Reconstruction. For homework, finish the last question on your Reconstruction Worksheet, in no less than 3 sentences. Quiz on Friday!



Thursday: Today we will finish our discussion on Reconstruction, and its successes and failures. We'll do some book work in our new textbooks to cover all of the concepts, and we'll also try to review for the quiz tomorrow, which will focus on vocab, so study your vocabulary packets!!!

Friday: Quiz today! We will also watch some CNN Student News if time permits, and prepare for our next unit on the Industrial Revolution.

Week of 14-18 September

Freshman World

Monday: Today we will be talking more about leadership and Julius Caesar. Your homework will be to complete the 4 questions on the excerpt about Caesar and his life in Rome.

"This crown is not nearly as comfortable as I thought it would be."

Tuesday: Today we will be learning about Rome itself, to include some of its history as well as its geography. Our notes are available right here. For homework, students will read a short article about the geography of Rome and complete a complementary worksheet about the different geographical features that helped Rome survive. Also, students will need to bring in their textbook to class tomorrow!!!



Wednesday: Today students will look at the geography of Early Rome, and then we will work in groups on a map of Rome. For homework, students will complete a Scavenger Hunt in their textbooks. Below we see a reenactment of Julius Caesar's speech to his troops before he crossed the Rubicon and took over Rome.

Thursday: Happy Constitution Day! Today we'll be finishing our discussion on the geography of rome and looking at Rome from SPACE!!!!! We will then look at the Roman Creation Myth of Romulus and Rome and analyzing it before we do some more work on our notes. Tonight for homework, students will read an excerpt from the famous epic Aeneid by Roman poet Virgil and answer some questions.




Friday: Today students will be watching CNN Student News for the starter, and then finishing our discussion on Roman mythology from yesterday. We will then look at the first written laws the Romans had in place, called the Twelve Tables. We will then keep working on the notes from earlier this week. Homework will be this Rome Unit Packet, due on Friday, 25 September.

WHAT!?!? HOMEWORK FOR THE WEEKEND!?!?

Sophomore Modern World

Monday: Today we will be discussing more ideas of the Enlightenment. Do you notice any underlying themes in these radical new ideas? For homework, students will complete a two-page worksheet on philosophy and the Enlightenment, available here. This worksheet is due on Wednesday!

Pay close attention, my lords and ladies, and I will
demonstrate how one properly folds a paper airplane.

Tuesday: Today we will finish our notes on Enlightenment and discuss how these ideas spread across the globe and took form in places like America and France.We will also have a debate about government and the ideas of Thomas Hobbes vs. John Locke. We will also discuss a new game in class and how it works. For homework, students must complete last night's homework, due tomorrow!



Wednesday: Today students will review the Enlightenment, do some group map work with the help of their books, and begin discussing the French Revolution. Here are the notes! For homework, students will complete a worksheet on 21.2 and the works of Voltaire, available here.



Thursday: Happy Constitution Day!!!! We will be watching a movie from the History Channel on the French Revolution today, and following along with a Question Guide. For homework, students will complete a packet on the French Revolution.

Friday: Today we will finish watching the movie and having our guided discussion from yesterday. For homework, students will complete at least 10 questions from the Movie Short Answer Questions (not the fill-in-the-blank one!). Students may choose any 10, and please write neatly!



Junior USII

Monday: Today we will discuss more of 9/11, and then take a jump back! We're going to start a short review unit on the Civil War and Reconstruction before we dive into the US after the Civil War. Students will receive a Word Quest Packet in which they will find each word in the book, define it in their own words, and define it visually by drawing a picture to represent the words.

No, no that Civil War!!!




Tuesday: Today we will be watching a quick Crash Course on the Civil War, and discussing the major events and reasons behind the Civil War, including the causes and underlying themes. We will then work on our Key Terms packet definitions, and try to complete them in class. For homework, students will complete the visual definitions on their Key Terms packet. And cue John Green...

Wednesday: Today we will complete the vocabulary packet we've been working on, and for homework, students will complete the visual representations for each vocabulary word. 

Thursday: Happy Constitution Day everyone! Today we will begin class by looking at the importance of the Constitution, and taking a quiz to see what we know about it. Then we will be doing a group activity where each group will look at Summary Cards for big events of the Civil War, analyze them, and discuss why they were so important. Here are some of the events! 

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Friday: Today we will be finishing up our activity on the major events of the Civil War and looking at some pictures that corellate with the events we discussed on Thursday. We may also watch some CNN Student News!

Week of 8-11 September

Freshmen World:

Tuesday: Today we will be setting up our binders in preparation for the year. We will also take a few pre-tests on Geography and Following Directions to see where we stand. Homework tonight is to begin work on your Timeline project, due Friday. You can find the assignment here.

Wednesday: Today we will be discussing the Nacirema Tribe. They are a very interesting and peculiar people, and we will learn to appreciate their ways, and open our minds to learning about different cultures. We will also talk about our own values. For homework, students will finish answering questions about the Nacirema. Here is the reading and the questions. Questions are due tomorrow!



Thursday: Today we will be discussing leadership. What does it mean to be a leader? Why do we need leaders in the world? Do you have to do amazing things in order to be a leader? We'll also look at some profiles of leadership throughout history, leading up to our unit on Rome, where we will discuss the impact of strong leadership on the world. Here's a great speech to get you thinking:



For homework, students must finish their timelines, due tomorrow.

Sophomore Modern World:

Tuesday: Today we will be setting up our binders in preparation for the year. We will also take a few pre-tests on Geography and Following Directions to see where we stand. No homework tonight.

Wednesday: Today we will be working on Social Studies Skills in class. We will practice analyzing documents, which will be something we'll be doing very often this year. We will also talk about some other cultures, and for homework students will read and answer questions about the Nacirema Tribe, available here.

Thursday: Today we will be talking briefly about the American Revolution and the ideas of the Enlightenment across the world in the 1700s.



Here are the notes from today's class. Homework tonight is to read Section 6.2 in your book and identify the key terms on pg. 170.


Junior US II:

Tuesday: Today we will be setting up our binders in preparation for the year. We will also take a few pre-tests on Geography and Following Directions to see where we stand. No homework tonight.

Wednesday: Today in class, students will have their Summer Reading Assessment. No homework tonight.



Thursday: We will be discussing the Second Industrial Revolution today, talking mainly about some big inventions that came about in the late 1800s and how they changed our country back then, and still have a big impact on our lives today. Students will complete the corresponding questions here.

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ALL CLASSES ON FRIDAY - 9/11

I will be gone on Friday, but students will watch "Firehouse Ten", which follows the first firefighters to respond to the World Trade Center on 9/11. The questions and homework are available here. Students must interview a friend/family member about their memories of 9/11 and write one paragraph. We will discuss more when I return on Monday.

Week of 2-3 September

Welcome!!!! This is the blog for Mr. Howe's History Class, feel free to take a look around and familiarize yourself with it, as it will be a good resource for you to find daily work, homework assignments, and reminders. Let's have a good year! And hopefully not like this history class.

And here's a cool video about coming back to school from John Green (author of "The Fault in our Stars" and "Paper Towns"):



For homework, ALL students need to acquire a 1-1/2" binder for History, some filler paper and one divider (I can help with the divider). They also need to have parents sign the Expectations and Syllabus sheet, as well as complete the Student Survey, found here. Below are the class syllabi:

History of the Western World/US Government (Freshmen)
Modern World History (Sophomores)
US History (1877-Present) (Juniors)

Let's go learn something new!