11/7-We read the poem on the Statue of Liberty and how it reflects the influx on people coming to America at the end of the 1800's. Also students looked at the problems the cities had.
11/8-We started looking at political machines and how they gave both positive and negative things to the cities. Most cities were controlled by leaders who were a part of Political Machines
11/9-We finished political machines and how graft impacted things.
11/13-Today we looked at two Civil Rights leaders, WEB Dubois and Booker T Washington. They had differing views on how to tackle equality but both desired long term improvement for African Americans.
11/14-We looked at the Chinese Exclusion Act and why America forced a people group out. It was the first limit to a group of people on immigration in America
11/15-Today we looked at the Temperance movement in America that will eventually result in Prohibition. America struggled with alcohol and several organizations tried to take it on.
11/16-Students finished the Temperance movement work from yesterday
11/17-We had a quiz on unit 3 on Industrialization and Immigration
11/27-We started looking at Muckrakers and how they were trying to help America. Upton Sinclair and John Spargo were the first 2 muckrakers we looked at. Sinclair influenced the meat and food industry and spargo was about child labor
11/28-We continued on with two more muckrakers in Ida Tarbell(monopolies) and Ida Wells-Barnett(lynchings)
11/29-We finished muckrakers with riis who tried to improve living conditions, students then looked at how all the muckrakers helped things improve.
11/30-We started looking at the populist party and how a political party formed to aide farmer's who were struggling in America. Struggling thanks to the railroads and overproduction they sought help in politics. It showed how a group can fight for their rights in a democracy
12/1-We finished looking at the Populist party
12/4-We looked at one of the worst tragedies in American business with the Triangle Shirtwaist fire. Students watched a clip and I briefly discussed how the tragedy impacted America.
12/5-We finished our section on the Progressives by looking at the Results of the Progressives in the book.
12/6-Students did the district essay
12/7-Students looked at the start of the Spanish American War. I talked about the precursor for the War which was that Spain had a colony in Cuba and that they were having problems with the Cubans. Cuba had revolted and Spain was brutal. It all led to the American boat the Maine blowing up. Nobody knew how or why it blew up but it was enough for War. Students began a Google Classroom assignment on the Chromebooks.
12/8-Students finished their google classroom assignment from yesterday.
12/11-We recapped the end of the Spanish American War and then I discussed how that led to the Philippine American War. The Philippines thought they would be gaining their independence but instead we just purchased them at the end of the war. They rebelled and it led to a new war. We looked at the start of that war with a reading. We also looked at the poem The White Man's Burden and how it reflected America's new job as Imperialists.
12/12-We finished reading about the Philippine American War and looked at a couple of first hand accounts. Students finished by looking at different political cartoons from the time period and how America had different views on the war.
Cartoons
12/13-Today we finished looking at the cartoons from yesterday. I went over them and what they were trying to show. First and Second Period also had a short writing assignment on if they shot America did the right thing.
12/14-We finished looking at Imperialism, particularly the Panama Canal. Students finished class by looking at Panama canal, Hawaii, Alaska and America's role in China. (there was a small assignment)
12/15-We began to talk about WWI and what led to America's involvement in the Great War. America chose to stay out of the war for most of it because of our diversity. We had many people from the countries fighting in the war. The second part of class we watched a part of the Century Video Shell Shock on the war in America as an into.
