Sunday, October 31, 2021

Boston Massacre Printmaking

 


The most famous example of propaganda in United States history is the Paul Revere print of the Boston Massacre. The fact that we still refer to this incident as a massacre is proof of that.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_Massacre#/media/File:Boston_Massacre_high-res.jpg

The real story of the 'Boston Massacre' is more complicated than a bunch of soldiers indiscriminately firing into a peaceful crowd of Boston citizens. As we examine the evidence as revealed in the trial of the soldiers and find out the true story we need to ask ourselves why would Revere lie? What purpose did it serve? Who benefitted from the false narrative and who was harmed?

Your assignment will be to create a print using the facts of the incident. Obviously the medium we are using will make details very difficult so keep that in mind as you work on the design. 

EQ: Why did Paul Revere create his famous Boston Massacre print?

Engage:
Explore:
  • Vocabulary: massacre, mob, cudgel, deposition, manslaughter engraving, print, propaganda, brayer, art
  • John Adams miniseries video of Boston Massacre
  • Boston Massacre Wikipedia
Explain:
  • What is propaganda?
  • Why did Revere create an inaccurate print of the Boston Massacre?
  • Do you think the soldiers were justified when they fired into the crowd?
  • What do you think was the effect of John Adams representing the soldiers on his career?
Evaluate:
  • Students will create a factual print of the Boston Massacre.
Extend:

Government and Economies of Latin America

EQ:

  • What are the governments and economies like in Latin America?

Engage:

Explore:

Explain:

Evaluate:

  • Assessment

Extend: 

Monday, October 25, 2021

The Halloween Tree

  


EQ: What are some of the influences for today's Halloween celebration?

Engage:

  • The students will watch The Halloween Tree

Explore:

  • What happens in Egypt?
  • What happens in England at Stonehenge?
  • What happens in France?
  • What happens in Mexico?

Evaluate:

  • None

Extend:

  • Read Ray Bradbury's The Halloween Tree

Friday, October 22, 2021

Road to Revolution


After examining the role of the Seven Years War in the last lesson, today your job is to find out how other events continued to pave a path to independence. I have identified fifteen events that I want you to research. Tell me what happened and why it is important to the Revolution. 

You will click on the link to the worksheet, put in your name, and start researching the events. All fifteen events need to be completed, you need to work with a purpose. 

As a bonus, if we have time you will make a digital timeline of the events as well. Of course, you only get to do that after the worksheet has been completed. See me when you think you are ready to do it. 

EQ: What events led to the American Revolution?

Engage:
  •  Quick review of the Seven Years War
Explore:
Explain:
  •  How did each event lead us closer to the American Revolution?
Evaluate:
Extend:

Thursday, October 21, 2021

Dia de los Muertos

 

By José Guadalupe Posada - ArtDaily.org, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1485430Add caption

Today's lesson surrounds the Dia de los Muertos celebration in Mexico. Translated Dia de los Muertos means the Day of the Dead. We will watch a National Geographic video on what it is and then we will read about it. 

Next we will look at the artist Jose Posada and examine his work La Calavera Catrina which is an iconic piece of artwork that may be the artistic symbol for Dia de los Muertos. 

There has been a lot more interest in this holiday thanks to movies such as the Disney film Coco and  Guillermo del Toro's The Book of Life.

Essential Question:

  • What is the Day of the Dead and why is it celebrated in Mexico? 
  • Who is Jose Posada?
  • Why is the image La Calavera Catrina important to the Day of the Dead in Mexico?

 Engage:

Explore:

Explain:

  • Why does Mexico celebrate Dia de los Muertos?
  • Who is Jose Posada?
  • Why is La Calavera Catrina important to Dia de los Muertos?

Evaluate:

  • Notebook Page: Jose Posada
  • Day of the Dead 5 W's and H worksheet

Extend:

  • Day of the Dead Wordsearch

Tuesday, October 19, 2021

The Seven Years War

 Now that we have a pretty good handle on what it was like to be an early colonist in the Americas, let's jet ahead a few years and look at the first defining event in the American Revolution.


Why is this the first defining event? Watch and see.


Here is a little more information on the Seven Years War with a little lagniappe thrown in. What new information is provided? Does that also move us closer to the Revolution?


What does smuggling have to do with taxes? What does taxes have to do with the American Revolution? What other events took place that bring us to the Revolution?


EQ:

  • How did the 7 Years War contribute to the unrest in the colonies?
  • Why was smuggling so important to the colonists?
  • Why did the colonists not want to pay taxes?

Engage:

  • None

Explore:

Explain:

  • What caused the war?
  • How did the war end?
  • What were the consequences of the war on the colonies?

Evaluate:

  •  Worksheet

Monday, October 18, 2021

Salem Witch Trials

Happy Halloween! Today we are going to learn a little about the Salem Witch Trials, where mass hysteria and a couple mean kids caused the death of over 20 people. Is there anything more Halloween-like than that? Unfortunately real people suffered for things we tend to enjoy, the confluence of life and death.


As you watch try to identify what caused the trials to begin and what caused them to end.



As you watch see how many cultures are represented by the holiday. Also, when did Halloween as we celebrate it come into being?

EQ:
  • What were the Salem Witch Trials?
  • What is the history of Halloween?
Engage:
  • Don't really need any, it is Halloween
Explore:
Explain:
  • What started the Salem Witch Trials
  • Why did the trials end?
  • What are the historic roots of Halloween?
  • When did the modern version of Halloween start?

Map of Mexico

  


This is a political map of Mexico. You will color the states, but do not label (otherwise there will be way too much writing on the map when we are finished.) 



https://www.mapsofworld.com/mexico/mexico-political-map.html

Here is the physical map that you will use to label the names provided on the checklist


https://www.ezilon.com/maps/north-america/mexico-physical-maps.html

EQ: Where in Mexico do you find the important landforms and cities?


Engage:
  • Ask if any students are from Mexico. If so, have them identify on the map where they are from. 
  • Mexico Geography Now (18:20) 
Explore:
Explain:
  1. Label the physical landforms listed below.
  2. Color the states of Mexico on the paper map.
  3. Checklist
  • Rio Grande River
  • Rio Santiago River 
  • Rio Bravo River
  • Yucatan Peninsula 
  • Isthmus of Tehuantepec 
  • Baja California 
  • Mexican Plateau
  • Sierra Madre Del Sur, 
  • Sierra Madre Occidental 
  • Sierra Madre Oriental Mountains
  • Pacific Ocean 
  • Gulf of Mexico 
  • Gulf of California
  • Caribbean Sea
Evaluate:
  •  Map of Mexico
Extend:

Columbian Exchange and Atlantic Slave Trade

  Today we are looking at how choices made by Europeans fundamentally changed Europe and the Americas.


In the first video we will look at what scholars call the Columbian Exchange. It encompasses the exchange of plants and animals, diseases, and ideas. As you watch identify the positive and negative exchanges. How important were they to the Americas? How important were they to Europe?



The second video is on the importation of kidnapped Africans to the Americas to be slaves. This, along with the attempted genocide of the indigenous peoples of the America, is the most shameful act of the European colonists of the Americas and later of the citizens of the United States. 


EQ:
  • What were some of the effects of the Columbian Exchange on Europe and the Americas?
  • Understand the inhumanity of the transatlantic slave trade.
Engage:
  •  None
Explore:
Explain:
  • What foods did Europe gain from the Americas?
  • What diseases were transferred from Europe to the Americas? 
  • What diseases were transferred from the Americas to Europe?
  • How many Africans were forcibly moved to the Americas?
  • What was the life expectancy of a kidnapped African in a British Colony in the 1700's?
Evaluate:
  •  Student Worksheets
Extend

Wednesday, October 13, 2021

Massacre at Mystic

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pequot_War#/media/File:Pequot_war.jpg

The Pequot Wars started with the death of one man and ended with making use of the word Pequot a crime. We often put the Puritans on a pedestal, due mainly to the pride many Americans have with being remotely descended from a passenger on the Mayflower as well as politicians constantly referring to them when they talk about our Judeo-Christian culture.

Essential Question: Is violence inevitable between indigenous peoples and colonists?

Engage:
Explore:
  •  Watch the video Massacre at Mystic 
  • Vocabulary: wampum, concessions, subjugated, diplomatic
Explain:
  •  What was the relationship between the Pequot and Puritans before the massacre? After?
  • What differences in ideas about land and property caused so much trouble?
  • Why did some Native Americans fight with the Puritans against the Pequots?
  • How much responsibility do you place on the Puritans actions leading to the massacre?
  • How did the massacre change the colonies going forward?
Evaluate:
  •  Class Discussion questions during the watching. 
 Extend:
  • Read p. 118 of Lies My Teacher Told Me by James Loewn
  • Read about the Pequot War

Sunday, October 03, 2021

Canada Vacation

Mr. C is wanting to visit Canada next summer. He wants you to come up with an itinerary for the trip. His only instruction to you is he wants to see the real Canada, not the one portrayed in movies like Strange Brew!!!'

You will need to come up with 6 places Mr C absolutely, positively, without a doubt must visit while there.  


After watching the video above, what other sources will you use to to find information about 'must do' places in Canada? Here are some of Mr. C's suggestions:

1) Do a Google search of places to visit in Canada.
2) Do a Youtube search of places to visit in Canada.
3) Ask around to see if anyone has visited Canada, and ask them.
4) Ask Mr. C if he knows someone who might be willing to to answer some of your questions about Canada. (Don't wait until Friday) 
5) Visit the library, maybe they have some of those old things called 'books' that might have some information.
6) Check Wikipedia, maybe they have some good information.
7) Do a search for the Canadian Visitors Bureau. 
8) Sit around until Friday and write down any junk you think of. (This one is probably not a very good suggestion, but you know how Mr. C likes to joke.)

Mr. C has worksheet for you to use to gather information. 

Assignment Requirements

  1. Find the 6 most Canadian places for Mr. C to visit.
  2. Use this worksheet to gather your information.
  3. Write down each place with your explanation of why he should visit there.
  4. Add some pictures of each place. Mr. C does require you to cite where you get the picture from and to make sure the picture you picked is copyrighted so that you can use it legally. Creative Commons has a search engine you might want to use https://search.creativecommons.org/
  5. Hyperlink the address where the picture came from.
  6. Create a Google Slideshow using this template 
  7. Share your slideshow with Mr. C when completed
  8. Make sure it is finished on Wednesday. Late work will be accepted, but you will have to do it on your time. Class moves on!
EQ: Where are the most 'Canadian' places to visit in Canada?

Engage:
Explore:
  • Students will identify a variety of sources to gather information from with an eye on tourism.
  • Possible choices would be visitor bureaus, wikipedia, youtube etc.
Explain:
  • On a document, take notes with links to original sites.
  • Name 6 places that epitomize Canada and explain why.
  • Identify pictures to share and create hyperlinks 
Evaluate: