U.S. Constitution WebQuest

First, take a look at the Declaration of Independence by clicking here, then the Constitution by clicking here (same site), and the Bill of Rights. You can also check out an interactive constitution here.

Next, try your hand at your America IQ by going to the channel one site (click here) and trying the quiz.


Finally, look up the names of the Federal Government Officials on page 73 (on the back, inside cover) of your constitution workbook.
Fill in all of the Federal Government officials (first eight), the Secretary of State, and the Representative from your district (your district is the 5th—make sure that it is the federal Representative. His initials are R.E.). You don’t need to fill out the other ones.
Transfer that information to page 6, #98-104, in your Constitution Practice Test.

Chapter 32 WebQuest

1) The Presidential Election of 2000
First we will read about the 2000 election in your textbook. Then, take a look at these two sites about he election:

CNN
Wikipedia

Who won the election? Who got the most votes?

Next, compare that to the up coming 2008 presidential election. I know that it’s early but check out these sites:

http://www.270towin.com/
Have the called Illinois for the Republicans or the Democrats? Which are they predicting to win the election?

http://www.electoral-vote.com/ (this site has the 2004 results on the top, but scroll down to the bottom to see current polls)
Who is favored in Illinois for the Democrats? For the Republicans?

2) Chapter 32 Practice Quiz
Go to https://mlas.classzone.com/ and log-in. There you will find a practice quiz for Ch 32. Take it with a friend and see how you do.

3) 80s Trivia Hunt
Guess what? I don’t know the answers to our trivia questions. I didn’t check my answers until after I printed up the questions and the website doesn’t have the answers. Look around the Internet and find the answers to these:

Which of the following was the first video to be aired on MTV?
Down Under by Men at Work
Money for Nothing by Dire Straits
Physical by Olivia Newton John
Video Killed the Radio Star by the Buggles

Which of the following was not a character on the Smurfs?
Wild Smurf
Slouchy Smurf
Forgetful Smurf
Clumsy Smurf

Which of the following video games did not lead to a Saturday morning cartoon?
Pac Man
Joust
Q-bert
Donkey Kong

Which of the following nations did not boycott the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles?
U.S.S.R.
East Germany
Romania
Albania

Which of the following Transformers was not a decepticon?
Megatron
Jazz
Starscream
Soundwave

In what year was the major league baseball season cut short by a 50 day strike?
1981
1982
1983
1984

Which of the following television shows was the first to debut?
Head of the Class
Growing Pains
Perfect Strangers
My Sister Sam

In October of which year did the US stock market crash?
1984
1985
1986
1987

Which of the following was not a Billboard #1 hit?
Rock Me Amadeus by Falco
Material Girl by Madonna
Take On Me by A-Ha
Jack and Diane by John Cougar

The famous "Where's the Beef?" commercial was a commercial for which fast food chain?
McDonald's
Burger King
Wendy's
Roy Rogers

Iraq & Vietnam

We are discussing Ch 30 on Vietnam in school now and comparing the War to the current war in Iraq.




WEBQUEST
Find websites that chronicle what life is like for U.S. soldiers in Iraq. You can then use this information to help you write your letter with realism and creativity. Be prepared to share what you find with the class.









Assignment
Chapter 30 Assessment
Comparing the Vietnam War and the current Iraq War
You have been called up for active duty!

You were recently called up for active duty for the armed forces. You will need your notebook, folder, and textbook. Warning: There may be spies in our midst and sensitive information could fall into enemy hands. You may not share your supplies or information with anyone. You may use information from any sources and your own knowledge, but you may not share it with other soldiers.

To start writing this letter, we will use the RAFT formula.

R is for Role. You are a solider but what kind? Where in Iraq?
You could also be:
· a nurse or doctor
· a soldier from another country in Iraq like Poland or England
· a civilian at home in the U.S. writing to someone in Iraq
· an Iraqi civilian or police officer writing to family in the U.S.

A is for Audience. Imagine who you will be writing to: Will you be writing to your fiancé? Family? Mother? Sibling? Friend? Don’t forget to write in letter format and keep in character.

F is for Format. I’m asking that you write a letter, but you could also write diary entries, rather than to a person. You can also write the letter as an email instead of a paper letter. Just remember, whichever format you choose you must have an introduction and conclusion.

T is for Topic. The topic is the similarities and differences between the Vietnam War and the current Iraq War, and whether you think that the Wars should be compared or not.

Your grade for the letter will be based on:
- Accuracy of information
- Your comparisons of similarities and differences, using details and examples
- Whether you think that comparing the Wars is acceptable or not
- Your creativity and connections in your letter

See the rubric on the other side for the details of how you will be graded.

Genocide In Darfur

As we have discussed in class, Genocide is not confined to the history books. It's happening right now in Darfur, a region of Sudan in Africa.

We've discussed what's happening there, watched a video on it, and most importantly talked about what students can do to make a difference.

We'll be taking more direction action fourth quarter but seeing this recent political cartoon shows that the issue is still on America's conscious--as it should be.

To learn more check out SaveDarfur.org

Anti-Nazi, Anti-Fascist Campaign

After spending time in class talking about Nazis, fascist and the murder and hate that they bring, I think that it’s time for action. As I reported earlier, the store Hot Topic (which I’m told is in many malls in the Chicago area) has buttons for sale. Great, not a problem, right? Well yes, except apparently some of them feature the swastika on them.

How do you feel about that? I personally am shocked and offended. Do they understand what the symbol means? What it stands for?

My mission to you, the youth of Chicagoland, is to
-Gather pictures of the buttons at Hot Topic stores. If you can put a date stamp on them it’s great. Note the time, date, and mall name. Try to take the picture so that we can see the button and also that it’s in the store. Send or bring the digital picture (or print if you have to).

-Ask the people who work there questions like these: “Do you know you sell them?” “What does the swastika mean to you?” Ask the manager about them.

-Tell them what you think about the buttons.

-Don’t buy the buttons!

My plan is to gather information and pressure Hot Topic to apologize and stop carrying the buttons.

Got any other Anti-Nazi tips? Let me know.

2006 Year in Review with Political Cartoons

We've talked about political cartoons throughout the year. I often use Daryl Cagle's MSNBC site. He's posted an interesting, although not to easy to navigate review of 2006 here. Enjoy

Top News Stories of 2006

It seems like a lot of the top stories of the year happened over the winter break this year and even into early January. If the poll went up to today (1/7/07), I imagine that Saddam’s execution and Gerald Ford’s death would be on the list as well.

I didn’t have much time to look around but according to the AP (via CBS news) these were the top stories of 2006 (with a tie for seventh place) with my comments.

1. IRAQ: What started in 2003 as a supposedly straightforward drive to topple Saddam Hussein deteriorated during 2006 into a dismayingly complex and savage struggle, with Iraqis by the thousands killed in sectarian reprisal attacks and the U.S. military death toll nearing 3,000. President Bush dropped talk of "staying the course" but balked at embracing many of the key suggestions of a bipartisan study group; Iraqi authorities struggled to assert control and avoid fracture.

We’ll see what, if anything will change with the Democratic Congress and Bush’s impending speech on what we’re going to do in Iraq in the near future.

2. U.S. ELECTION: Unhappiness with events in Iraq was one of the driving forces behind the Democrats' surge in the Nov. 7 election. They took over the House with a large majority, gained a narrow edge in the Senate, and also advanced in statehouses nationwide. Nancy Pelosi, assailed by the Republicans as a "San Francisco liberal" during the campaign, will become the first female speaker of the House.

I just caught an interview of her this morning on CBS. She talks the talk and I like what she has to say but I’m cynical about whether the Dems can bring about any real changes for the better. I wish ‘em luck and will be watching them closely.

3. NUCLEAR STANDOFFS: The United States and its allies were frustrated in their efforts to rein in nuclear programs in North Korea and Iran. North Korea tested a nuclear bomb in October, and Iran — despite a threat of sanctions — pushed ahead with plans to bring its first nuclear power plant on line in late 2007.

With no more nuclear tests from N Korea and Iran’s recent elections, these stories have cooled down but I’m sure will be seeing more in 2007.

4. ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION: Congress tried to confront the influx of illegal immigrants from Latin America, but the effort collapsed amid deep divisions over whether to stress a crackdown or include provisions to help some illegal immigrants work toward citizenship. The get-tough approach triggered huge protests by immigrants-rights supporters.

Again, this was a big story over the summer. I hope more happens than trying to build a wall between the US and Mexico. At least historically walls have all long proven track record of keeping people out—oh, wait they don’t. Can you hear the sound of your tax dollars being flushed down the toilet? Or is that just the sound of the government paying grossly inflated prices to some friend of a politician to build an ineffective-at-best wall.

5. SCANDALS IN CONGRESS: Several Republican congressmen were brought down by scandals, including Mark Foley, who resigned over sexually explicit messages sent to male pages, and Randy Cunningham, who pleaded guilty to accepting bribes from defense contractors. House Majority Leader Tom Delay resigned after being indicted on campaign finance charges in Texas, and Ohio's Bob Ney pleaded guilty in connection with the probe of lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

A tough year for Republicans but just wait for the Dem scandals once they’re back in the power position.

6. SADDAM CONVICTED: Saddam Hussein was convicted in the slaying of 148 Shiite Muslims, including children, following an assassination attempt against him in 1982. He was sentenced to death by hanging, but proceedings against him continued on genocide charges stemming from a chemical attack on Kurds in 1987. (Saddam was executed by hanging on Dec. 30, 2006.)

7. MIDEAST FIGHTING: Israel and the Lebanon-based Hezbollah militia fought a monthlong war in the summer; more than 900 people were killed and much of southern Lebanon was battered. Lebanon's Western-backed government emerged more embattled than ever, while Hezbollah claimed increased popular support.

I’ve got nothing to add. I wish we could just all get along. I feel so powerless when it comes to conflict in the Middle East or anywhere. I still can’t understand why people litter, let alone understand why people are willing to kill each other. I know that this sounds naive, and I understand that there are times where fascist and the like must be stopped with violence. . .but what if they gave a war and no one came?

7. RUMSFELD RESIGNS: As conditions worsened in Iraq, President Bush publicly stuck by his defense secretary. But a day after the midterm elections gave Democrats control of Congress, Bush announced Donald Rumsfeld's departure. Though his brusque style initially won some admiring reviews, Rumsfeld was seen as underestimating Iraq's challenges while alienating the military brass and members of Congress.

Good riddance.

9. AIRLINER PLOT: British authorities said they narrowly thwarted a terrorist plot to bomb several jets over the Atlantic. The disclosure led to tough new restrictions on the contents of carry-on luggage.

Quite a boom for zip-lock bags. Recently when I was at O’Hare, they really didn’t enforce this. But in the Podunk airports they’ve got special people assigned to checking the 3 oz. regulation.

10. DISASTER IN DARFUR: Violence worsened in Sudan's Darfur region, where fighting between rebels and government forces has killed more than 200,000 people. The United Nations approved a 20,000-strong peacekeeping force, but Sudan blocked its deployment.

We will be talking about this one in class soon when we cover genocide. Just horrible.

Just missing out on the Top 10 was mounting concern over climate change and global warming, highlighted by the release of Al Gore's movie, "An Inconvenient Truth," and alarming new warnings from many scientists.

Several voters remarked on how Iraq — and its ripple effects — dominated the year.

"All news paled in comparison to the developments in the Middle East, which are beginning to be felt in every community," wrote Ken Stickney of The News-Star at Monroe, La.

You can read the full article here.

We’ll be brainstorming this list in class on Monday and Tuesday. I’m curious to see what stories students come up with.

You can also click here and vote for which story you think is #1 for 2006 and read more.

Know of any other lists? Post a comment.
Ideas on the most under-reported stories of 2006? Post a comment.

"If Cuthbert troublesome eliminate him."

I came across this very interesting article. I don't think that anyone could have made up the details.

Ambassadors to Honor Female WWII Spy

In this photo copied from an exhibition at Arlington National Cemetery showing Virginia Hall of Baltimore, left, being awarded the Distinguished Service Cross by Maj. Gen. William J. Donovan, founder of the OSS, Nov. 27, 1945. In 1942, the Gestapo circulated posters offering a reward for the capture of 'the woman with a limp. She is the most dangerous of all Allied spies and we must find and destroy her.' (AP Photo/The Baltimore Sun)

Read the article here.

Ch 24 WWI Crossword

We are working on this in class 12/1 & 12/4. If you need to finish it or check your answers, you can go to www.classzone.com to find it or just click here.

Enjoy

Ch 24 Section 1 WWI Quiz Questions study sheet

Date of Quiz: 12/5 or 12/6

If you take the quiz without your worksheets, you can earn an A. If you take the quiz with your worksheets, the highest grade that you can get is a C+.

What were the four MAIN causes of World War I? Explain what the MAIN causes where and give an accurate synonym if possible.


What was the SPARK that ignited the War? (answer in a sentence)


Which four countries that made up the Central Powers at the beginning of the War?



On what side did the United States finally enter the War?


There were many reasons why the U.S. finally entered the War. Identify three of the reasons and make sure to explain them.