American Dream Research/Webquest

1. What is the American Dream?
Wikipedia
The American memory:
Wall of Dreams:


2. Why do people from other countries immigrate to America?
One family’s story
Many voices
Citizenship Test


3. When we talk about "The American Dream", what do we mean? What are some of the obstacles to achieving the American Dream?
Freedom?
Liberty?
Money?
Opportunity?

4. Which groups of people have had trouble attaining "The American Dream"? There are a variety of acceptable responses to this question. E.g. Native Americans, Irish Americans, African Americans, Chinese Americans, and Japanese Americans, as well as the poor and women.
Japanese-Americans
Native Americans
African-Americans
Women
Irish Americans

5. Given the obstacles that some Americans have to overcome, what makes the American Dream appealing? Why is the American Dream still a prominent part of American life?



The result of your research will be your essay to answer the question: "What is the American Dream?"
Your essay should have at least 3 paragraphs:
--The American Dream & the world
*Does the world recognize "the American Dream"?
*How does the "American Dream" affect America's international relationships? (What do you THINK?)
*Other questions you create can apply to this topic

--The American Dream in our community/state
*Is the American Dream perpetuated by people in your community or state?
*Do you feel that your community is part of the American Dream?
*Other questions you create can apply to this topic.

--The American Dream & you
*Do you believe the American Dream exists? Is it attainable?
*Is your family living the American Dream?
*How do you plan to live the American Dream in your life?
*Other questions you create can apply to this topic.

*A well-written essay will also have an introductory paragraph and a conclusion :) (So, it will be 5 paragraphs total)!

War of 1812 WEBQUEST

Click HERE to start the webquest. Website: http://teacher.scholastic.com/webquest/ushist/war1812.htm

Bill of Rights--review games & info

Hi everyone!
Here are some activities to help you learn and review the Bill of Rights:


Kid-friendly explanation of the Bill of Rights: click on "Rights".

Review Games:
Identification of Rights: here.
Bill of Rights matching game: http://www.texaslre.org/BOR/billofrights.html

Quiz:
Online quiz on the bill of rights.

Scavenger Hunt

YOUR CLUE:

He will be your teacher next year. Your next clue is on his door.

Growth of the US

Check out this animated atlas!
http://www.animatedatlas.com/movie.html

Inventors Webquest

Use the following links to complete today's webquest:
The Steamboat
The McCormick Reaper
The Cotton Gin
The Steam Engine

When you're done, visit this site. Pick an educational game to play. OR play freerice.com :)

NEW UNIT: Industry, Cotton & Reform

Our new unit will study industrialization and the plantation systems in the South. We will then explore the reform efforts that cropped up around the country. Some, like education, labor reform, and women's suffrage were related to the changes brought about by industrialization. Others, like abolition, were responses to the system of slave labor (remember: the cotton gin created a HUGE demand for cotton, which increased the demand for slave labor in the South).

Textbook Resources:
Chapters 11 & 12 in “America: History of our Nation"

Vocabulary:
Industrial Revolution urbanization cotton gin turnpike
Factory system telegraph slave code corduroy road
Capitalist famine spiritual canal
Mass production nativist discrimination interchangeable parts

Summative:
Planned for the week of 4/7

How to study for Monday's summative...

Study the bellringer questions & answers.

Review the enduring understandings on the back of the quiz I returned on Friday in class.

Know the states of the East Coast and the location of the Indian territory (use the pink map sheet we labeled in class (If you don't have the map, just study the East Coast states & remember that the Indian Territory was located in what is now the state of Oklahoma).

Snow Day!

Hello students.... I hope you are all enjoying today's snow day. Here's an update on what we're going to do in class. 

Today we would have read p 357-358 about the Indian Removal Act of 1830 and the Trail of Tears. We will do these activities in class tomorrow (Wednesday). On Friday, we will have a summative exam covering the War of 1812 & Indian Removal. Use your bellringer questions to study! We will answer questions 15-24 together in class tomorrow! 

Inaugurations in the US-- a brief history