We the People Art Project

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Constitution_We_the_People.jpg

EQ: Who are the people in We the People?

Engage:

• When written in the Constitution 'We the People' referred mostly to white men who owned property. What does it mean today?

Explore:

• Lead the class in a discussion of what 'We the People looks like today. Who are 'the people' today? 
• How did the 13 Amendment Abolition of slavery change it?
• How did the 19 Amendment Women's suffrage change it?

Evaluate:

• Create a picture of what 'We the People meant in 1787 and what it means today. How will you show the changes in meaning?

Conquest of America: Southwest

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Coronado-Remington.jpg

Francisco Coronado heard a story about the Cities of Cibola, the Seven Cities of Gold, from a friar named Estevan. He decided he would mount an expedition to find these cities. What did Coronado plan to do when he found these cities? Did he eventually find them? What controversy surrounds the expedition?

Essential Question:   Why did Coronado explore the southwest part of North America?

Engage:

• What would you do to get rich?

Explore:

• Conquest of America: Southwest video 

Explain:

• Was Coronado suitably punished for his role in the death of the 'Turk'?
• Do you think Coronado was a hero or villain? 

Evaluate:

• Vocabulary 
• Discussion Questions Worksheet

Extend:

• Coronado's Wikipedia page 
• Map of Coronado's expedition
• History Channel's page on Coronado

Purpose and Form of Government (1.2) Day 1

https://giphy.com/gifs/clioawards-1-countdown-1oGXIfTqZgO7TcMvno

Essential Questions:

• What is the purpose of government?
• What are the different kinds of government?
• What are the characteristics of different kinds of government?

Explore:

• Take Me To Your Leader (2) Read the passage  
• A Social Contract (3) Read the passage and do Hobbes vs. Locke: Venn Diagram worksheet.
• The American Experiment (4) Read the passage.
• What Is the Purpose? (5) Read the passage. Watch the videos. Do the Preamble Matching activity. 
• Defining a Government (6) Read the passage and do Forms of Government: Main Idea Web worksheet.

Explain:

1. Write the definitions of the vocabulary words (those in blue with links to explanation page) using your own words. Do not copy the definitions. 
2. Draw a picture of the vocabulary word. 
3. Use the vocabulary word in a sentence that shows understanding of the content you are learning. 

Algiers (1938) Movie Review

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029855/mediaviewer/rm3536917504

This review was written by Angelica, an 8th grade student in Mr. Chamberlain's Film Class.

The film Algiers come out in 1938. It is directed by John Cromwell. The screenwriter is John Howard Lawson and the Screenplay is by James M. Cain. The film focuses on Pepe le Moko, Ines, and Gaby who are played by Charles Boyer, Hedy Lamarr, and Sigrid Gurie.

Pepe le Moko is a thief who escaped from France with lots of jewels. He has been hiding in a a maze-like impenetrable casbah for two years. The police have failed to capture him during the two years. Having a sly inspector who is is friends with Pepe le Moko hasn't made it any better.

During the time Pepe has been in the casbah he has thought of it more as a prison which he can't get away from. He misses Paris, so when a girl named Inis who is from Paris shows up, he takes an interest in her upsetting his girlfriend Gaby who is from the casbah which he hopes to get away from, resulting in a sort of love triangle.

The films techniques are different than modern times now. It was in black and white and the setting was very dark. The lighting focused on the important things leaving the rest dark.

Overall this film gets a rating of 6.7 out of 10 on IMBD.

I would recommend this film if you like an old fashioned drama/mystery/romance film.

The Silk Road and World Trade: What led to Columbus Re-Discovering the Americas?

Map of the Silk Trade Route

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Silk_route.jpg

Marco Polo's Route

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Travels_of_Marco_Polo.svg

Voyages of Zheng He

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Zheng_He.png

The trade routes that we collectively refer to as the Silk Road started as far back as 2,200 years ago. Although the types of trade goods were varied, it is called the Silk Road because of the demand created for silk from China. 

While we may tend to emphasize the economic implications of these trade routes including cities created as stopping points that became wealthy, a much more important trade was taking place throughout this period, the trade of culture. Languages, mathematics, literacy and religion were all shared throughout large areas of the world because of these trade routes. 

Essential Question: What led to the rediscovery of the Americas and its colonization?

Engage: 

• We know that Columbus 'rediscovered' the Americas, but what events led to the need for this exploration?

Explore:

• The Silk road and Ancient Trade: Crash Course World History #9 (10:30)
• Int'l commerce, Snorkeling Camels, and the Indian Ocean Trade: Crash Course World History #18 (10:14) 
• Columbus, de Gama, and Zheng He 15th Century Mariners.: Crash Course World History #21 (10:37) 
• The Renaissance: Was it a Thing?: Crash Course World History #22 (11:32)

Explain:

• Answer 5 of the 9 questions, then find others who have answered the questions you have not and have them explain the answers. Explain your answers to them as well. 
• How did trade drive the sharing of culture?
• Why did Columbus look west for a route to India?

Evaluate:

•  Video review questions. 

American Government: Purpose and Form of Government (1.2)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government

Essential Questions:

• What is the purpose of government?
• What are the different kinds of government?
• What are the characteristics of different kinds of government?

Engage:

• What Should a Government Do? Watch the Hurricane Ike video and do the After a Natural Disaster activity.

Explore:

• Take Me To Your Leader (2) Read the passage and do State: Vocabulary Chart worksheet.
• A Social Contract (3) Read the passage and do Hobbes vs. Locke: Venn Diagram worksheet.
• The American Experiment (4) Read the passage.
• What Is the Purpose? (5) Read the passage. Watch the videos. Do the Preamble Matching activity. 
• Defining a Government (6) Read the passage and do Forms of Government: Main Idea Web worksheet.
• To Rule with an Iron Fist (7) Read the passage and create a chart similar to the Types of Government graphic organizer. Fill out the chart for the section on Monarchy.
• Other Forms of Authoritarian Rule (8) Read the passage and fill out the chart for the sections on Oligarchy, Dictatorship, and Totalitarian State.
• Direct vs. Indirect Democracy (9) Read the passage and fill out the chart for the sections direct Democracy and Indirect Democracy.
• By the People, for the People (10) Read the passage and fill out the chart for the sections Unitary Government, Confederate Government, and Federal Government.
• Types of Government (11) Read the passage and fill out the chart for the sections Presidential Government and Parliamentary Government. 

Elaborate:

• Governments and Freedom: Investigation (3) Read the map and answer the questions.

Evaluate:

• Read the Review carefully.
• Assessment

Creating a World Map

In this lesson you will take a quick pre-assessment to see how many continents and oceans you remember. Then you will hand draw the continents and label them and the oceans. You will finish up by coloring them. 

Essential Question: Can you label the continents and oceans of the world?

Engage:

• Pre-Assessment- Continents and Oceans
• Continents and Oceans Game

Explore:

• Identify the continents and oceans of the world

• The Geography Song (2:51)

Explain:

Evaluate:

• Hand draw, label and color a map. Identify the continents and oceans. 

Extend:

The First American Immigrants

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Glyptodon_old_drawing.jpg

The history of the Americas started well before Columbus. Unfortunately, because of the lack of or destruction of written histories, archaeologists have to rely on the discovery of artifacts to further our knowledge of these peoples. In this lesson we will learn about different theories of migration and also discover that this area is constantly changing and updating do to new discoveries. 

Essential Question: Where and when did the first immigrants to the Americas arrive?

Engage:

• Review the Kenniwick Man lesson

Explore:

• Video: In Search of History The First Americans (42:15) (1998) IMDB Page
• Tracking the First Americans (2015) National Geographic Magazine
• Kenniwick Man Wikipedia 

Explain:

• How did the first immigrants come to the Americas?
• When did the first immigrants come to the Americas?

Evaluate: 

• Video Worksheet

Extend:

• Tracking the First American (2015)  National Geographic Article
• How did the Clovis Point Become an Archaeological Icon?

Which Right is Right? Kennewick Man

Essential Question: 

1. Should scientists be allowed to study the remains of indigenous peoples?

Engage: 

• What would you think if a scientist dug up the remains of your ancestor?
• On occasion, archaeologists have dug up the remains of ancient Native Americans. Should scientists be allowed to study these remains? Native Americans feel such remains should be immediately reburied according to Native American customs. Scientists worry that if reburied, the remains will deteriorate and lose their value for present and future scientific study.

Explore: 

• Discover Magazine: The Earliest Immigrants video (25:02)

Elaborate: 

• The Kennewick Man Finally Freed to Share His Secrets Smithsonian.com Sept. 2014
• Easy to read copy of above article.
• Kennewick Man Wikipedia Article

Evaluate:

• How did this story evolve over time?
• What eventually happened to Kennewick Man?
• What should have been done with the remains?
• What would you want to have done with the remains if they were your ancestor?
• According to the map below, what indigenous people group use to live here in southwest Missouri? 
• What should you do if you find the remains of an indigenous person?

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Early_Localization_Native_Americans_USA.jpg

Extension:

• Who Owns the Past? Documentary (56:14)

Even the Founders Made Mistakes: Why the Articles of Confederation Was Replaced by the Constitution

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Articles_page1.jpg

The Second Continental Congress, after signing the Declaration of Independence, had to come up with some rules with which they could govern the colonies. They created the first constitution, the Articles of Confederation, which lasted through the winning of the American Revolution. Eventually its weaknesses were exposed and was replaced by the US Constitution.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Constitution_of_the_United_States,_page_1.jpg

Essential Question: What events led to the writing of the US Constitution?

Engage:

• What Were the Articles of Confederation? video (2:28)

Explore:

• Video The Making of the Constitution (54:08) from the series Liberty: The American Revolution published by PBS

Explain:

• How did Shay's Rebellion expose the weakness of the Articles of Confederation?
• Who were the Federalists? Anti-Federalists?
• Why did some of the Framers demand a 'Bill of Rights'? 

Evaluate:

• Student Questions PDF

Extend:

•  Liberty Episode 6 Site
• Philadelphia 1791 Newspaper

Does the Foot Soldier of Birmingham Statue have Historical Value?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revisionist_History_(podcast)

In this lesson we are using the podcast The Foot Soldier by Malcolm Gladwell to discuss inherent bias.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Birmingham_campaign_dogs.jpg

In this lesson we will look at the above picture and try to decode it. What are we seeing happen here? Then we will listen to the podcast by Malcolm Gladwell. Is what we believe to have happened what actually happened?

After the lesson you will need to answer these questions:

1. Can the art we create be used to influence belief systems? 
2. As we examine the story as well as look at the statue and the picture from which the statue comes, what can we learn about ourselves and how we react based upon what we have learned?
3. How will this change your view of historical artifacts as we move forward?

Essential Question: Does the Foot Soldier of Birmingham statue have historical value?

Engage:

• Birmingham in Early 1963: The March (4:35)

Explore:

• Podcast Revisionist Thinking: Foot Soldier of Birmingham 
• Transcript of the podcast.
• Birmingham Campaign Dogs Picture 

Explain: 

• The statue is a misrepresentation of the facts. Does this matter as an art piece? 

Evaluate:

• The students will question if the statue is a reliable historical source.

• Does the Foot Soldier of Birmingham statue have historical value?

• Can the art we create be used to influence belief systems? 

• As we examine the story as well as look at the statue and the picture from which the statue comes, what can we learn about ourselves and how we react based upon what we have learned?

• How will this change your view of historical artifacts as we move forward?

What Are Our Rights In School? What Are Our Responsibilities?

In 1776 a group of men were meeting to discuss how to react to their country's lack of response to questions about their rights as citizens. A group of these men decided that independence was the only way to address their grievances, effectually breaking ties with a government they felt was not respecting their rights. Before they could bring their idea to a vote, the decided to form a committee to explain why they felt they needed independence. The Declaration of Independence identified rights that all men have 'certain unalienable Rights, that are among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.

In 1789, inspired by the United States, the French National Constituent Assembly created the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. Its second article defined the rights of man as, "liberty, property, safety and resistance against oppression."

In 1848 in Seneca Falls, New York the Seneca Falls Convention was held. It was organized by female Quakers from the area along with Elizabeth Cady Stanton. During that meeting the Declaration of Rights and Sentiments was passed, which was modeled after the Declaration of Independence. It stated, "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness;..."

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Woman%27s_Rights_Convention.jpg

If we had to come up with our Declaration of Student Rights, what rights would it identify? Let's create a statement that identifies these rights and finish the sentence below.

We the students of Noel Elementary hold these truths to be self evident; that all students are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights: that are among these.......

https://everythingfunny.org/funny-quotes/41193/attachment/today57-4

What does it mean to be a responsible student? Here is the definition of responsibility:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/responsibility

How do we show responsibility in the classroom? In the school? What things should we be responsible for while at school?

Make a list of 5 responsibilities you have at school. We will compare these with the other students. Can we identify five together that we agree are important?

Artefact Historique: The Mystery of the Tombstone

Photo by Me

This is a tombstone that resides in my yard. It has been there as long as I can remember (45+ years). Today we will be looking at this artifact and try to learn as much as we can about it.

Your assignment is to come up with 20 questions that I will be able to answer with a yes or a no. I will then answer 20 of these questions for you. You will then write down everything you know about this artifact. 

I will finish by telling you all I know about this artifact, and some of the conclusions I have drawn about it. Will what you write match my story?

Art as Inspiration: Using "Washington Crossing the Delaware"

Emanuel Leutze "Washington Crossing the Delaware "

The painting of "Washington Crossing the Delaware" by Emanuel Leutze is a historically significant piece of art in the United States. It is so iconic it has become inspiration for pop art. Read about pop art here. 

Below is one example of using the painting to create a pop art piece. Compare the two pieces of art, what is similar and what is different?

By WatermelonRat

Assignment

1. Create your own piece of pop art using the knowledge you learned from the Wikipedia page. Use "Washington Crossing the Delaware" as your inspiration.
2. Check with me if you have any questions.

Art History or Art as History?

Washington Crossing the Delaware is a very famous painting. Its use in popular culture probably even led to a contest to pick the best George Washington impersonator to re-enact the crossing every year. Watch this video to find out more about the contest. 

Being George

After watching the video, lets look at the paining. What do you see? Can you find any historical inconsistencies? You can find more information about the painting of Leutze's Washington Crossing the Delaware.

Emanuel Leutze "Washington Crossing the Delaware "

The painting creates a lot of questions. Why was this painted? Is it historically accurate? Who is the artist Emanuel Leutze? Check out the article below to find out these answers.

https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-iconic-american-history-painting-facts-wrong

Assignment 

In the comment section of this post answer the following questions:

1. In "Being George" why do you think portraying George Washington is so important to the contestants?
2. Why did Leutze paint "Washington Crossing the Delaware"? 
3. Identify three historical inaccuracies in the painting. 
4. Should art be historically accurate? Explain why or why not. 

Copy and paste the following frame for your comment:

1. Portraying George Washington is important to the contestants because
2. Leutze painted "Washington Crossing the Delaware" because
3. Three historical inaccuracies in the painting are
4. Yes, art should be historically accurate because/No, art should not be historically accurate because 

Oregon Trail

Click Here to Play

If you are as old as I am, you remember playing this game on the school's old computers (Apple II's or maybe Commodore 64's). If you don't remember, or simply aren't old enough then take a few minutes to play through an early 'video' game that kids used to love.

Southern Europe Activities

Write a story where a Roman god visits you. Use the story to explain who the god is, what he or she is responsible for, and what he or she looks like. (250 words) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Roman_gods

Compare and contrast five Greek and Roman gods who are the same, but might have different characteristics. There is a comparison table at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Similarities_between_Roman,_Greek_and_Etruscan_mythologies but to find their differences will require more research.

Samorost

Samorost 1 is a crazy cool game. The idea is to get the character, Samorost, to explore the space ship that he finds flying towards his planet. To play this game you simply point and click until you find out how to progress. You will have to collaborate on this one, don't be selfish when you figure out the puzzles!

Check out Amanita Designs other stuff here.

....

Art as History?

Washington Crossing the Delaware is a very famous painting. It's use in popular culture probably even led to a contest to pick the best George Washington impersonator to re-enact the crossing every year. Watch this video to find out more about the contest. 

Being George

After watching the video, lets look at the paining. What do you see? Can you find any historical inconsistencies? You can find more information about the painting of Leutze's Washington Crossing the Delaware.

Emanuel Leutze "Washington Crossing the Delaware "

Next listen to the story behind the painting on NPR's Morning Edition from October 28, 2002. Has your opinion of the painting changed? Does it have more or less meaning for you now? 

NPR Morning Edition October 28, 2002. This NPR program discusses the painting.

Now, check out these pop culture homages of the painting. 

Add An HTML Game to Your Blog

https://www.htmlgames.com/html5-games-for-your-site/

Today you will pick an html game to place in a blog post. Follow the directions and you can have a game like this on your blog.