Class Recap 11/6, 11/7

Yesterday in class, we were focused on the Constitution. We had to try and figure out whether or not the Constitution supported slavery or opposed it. It was very difficult to differentiate, and to mentally switch arguments quickly. The arguments for and against slavery in the Constitution got me confused, and my group was not of very much help when it came to coming up with valid ideas why the Constitution supported it or why it did not. We were then given each part of the Constitution we were looking at, and it had different arguments to be made supporting each side. It will be a very handy tool when writing the essay at hand that is due next Friday.
Today in class, Mr. Boyle presented a slide show with notes on slavery in early America. We talked about how slavery involved as time went on. When the cotton gin came out, it was supposedly made to help the slaves and to reduce the amount of work. Instead of this, the opposite occurred. It created a higher demand for cotton in America, which pushed the slaves even harder. After we took notes, Mr. Boyle handed each student one of two documents that talked about slavery in different points of view. I read part of Abraham Lincoln's speech, "Address Before the Wisconsin State Agricultural Society" in 1859. It talked about work and the difference between owning, being owned, and working on your own terms. It was interesting. At first, it was a bit hard to understand, but the questions at the end targeted what parts I should be focusing on in the document, and it was extremely beneficial. After reading and filling out the questions at the end, we shared our answers with someone who had the opposite document. We ended class that way.
This morning, I started my new 30 day challenge. Since going to bed early proved to be much too difficult (especially if I wanted to stay up late on the weekends), I decided to change tactics and create a dream journal for the next 30 days. This morning, I was almost excited to wake up to record the dream I had last night. I hope that this journal will make getting up a little easier in the mornings.