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Thursday, December 17, 2009

Reading Guide for Chapter 16

For those of you who will not be here tomorrow or would like it early--here's the reading guide for Chapter 16!

Chapter 16 Reading Guide

This is due on the Tuesday after break.

Monday, December 14, 2009

SCHEDULE DECEMBER 14-18

Monday, December 14, 2009

1. Lecture: The Civil War, Part 1

HW Study for test. Test on THURSDAY.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

1. Lecture: The Civil War, Part 2

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

1. The Presidents: Abraham Lincoln
2. Civil War review timeline

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Test: Unit 5 (Chapters 13, 14, 15)

Friday, December 18, 2009

Go over DBQ essay

Homework: Reading Guide, Chapter 16. Due the Tuesday, January 5

Monday, December 7, 2009

SCHEDULE DECEMBER 7-11

Monday, December 7, 2009

1. Lecture: The Road to the Civil War: Slavery and Compromise

Chapter 13,14 Reading guide due on Wednesday

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

1. Lecture: Fireball in the Night: Dredd Scott and John Brown
2. Video: The Presidents

Reading guide for Chapter 13,14 due tomorrow.

Wednesday December 9, 2009

1. Lecture: Lincoln, the Election of 1860 and Secession

Reading Guide: Chapter 15, due on Monday.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

1. Lecture: The Start of the Civil War

Bring book tomorrow.

Friday, December 11, 2008

In Class DBQ—the 1850s

Reading Guide for Chapter 15 due on Monday.

Test over Unit 5 on WEDNESDAY.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Notes About the Nature of History Papers

1. Before you can even write your paper, you need to define for yourself:

HISTORY. FACT. TRUTH.

It is apparent that most of you have no idea about what the definition of history is. And, if you are throwing around words such as “fact” and “truth” you better make sure you know what it means and the context in which you are using the terms.

It may help to define those terms for your reader.

2. Paul Revere was NOT a historian----he never wrote history. Captain Preston was not a historian. The John Adams HBO film is not a documentary.

Don’t equate what people said and did in the past as being the same thing as history. By pointing out that Paul Revere was biased doesn’t make history biased. After all, most of you know that Paul Revere was biased. How do you know that? Through the study of history.

3. Don’t act like the “Boston Massacre” is unique.

Yes, there were two (or more) “sides” to the story. The witnesses claimed different things. But that is the same thing in every court case that has ever occurred on
planet Earth, past or present.

4. Don’t simply recount the inaccuracies found in Paul Revere’s drawing or in the eyewitness testimonies that we discussed in class.

Don’t tell me what I already told you in class and pretend that you are telling me something new. Be original. The inaccuracies themselves are not important. The analysis of those inaccuracies in regard to the study of history is what your paper is about.

5. Research.

In order to present a logical argument, you need to gather information from outside of class. If you are talking about perspective and bias in the study of history, then you need to find evidence of that from historians who have written about the event.
Remember, Paul Revere was not a historian. He was a patriot (or a terrorist, depending on your view).

6. Context for the argument.

Your introduction sets up your argument. Therefore, make sure your introduction has the context necessary for understanding what you are setting out to prove. Don’t ask rhetorical questions. People ask rhetorical questions only when they don’t know what else to say. If your argument is about bias, make sure your introduction is about bias.

Don’t just jump in with your argument. Gently place your argument in the pool.