Class Recap 12/19, 12/20

Yesterday in class, we took a ton of notes on the Civil War up to 1862. It was tedious, but it is always a good thing to get all the information down on paper to study and go over when in need for a reference. The class was drawing to a close by the time we approached the subject of the Emancipation Proclamation. It was an attempt by Abraham Lincoln to really keep the "states in rebellion" in reign. Instead, it started a fire that could only be solved by war. It was strange that he only abolished slavery in the states in rebellion, while there were still some states that were part of the United States who still allowed slavery. It would make sense to abolish slavery once and for all in all parts of the nation. By the time we were done talking about the Emancipation Proclamation and the Civil War up to 1862, Mr. Boyle passed out a couple of sheets to read and answer questions about for homework.
Today, the objective was to create a sort of billboard that displays information about a certain battle. My group was assigned the Battle of Gettysburg. We used our notes, iPhones, and the textbook to get our various facts and organize our thoughts. Letting the boys try to do anything was a bit of a force, especially when Andrew misspelled "the" among other words of similar difficulty, but we ended up finishing a great deal of time before the other group, which, I suppose, makes us the winners. It was the last history class of 2012, and I felt like it went by relatively smoothly.

Class Recap 12/17, 12/18

Yesterday in class, we had another QR code scavenger hunt. This is one of my favorite days because it incorporates the technology with everything that we need to be learning about, making the class period considerably enjoyable. Yesterday was a little different than when we went on a scavenger hunt the first time. We got into groups of 4, so it was easier to "divide and conquer," as Mr. Boyle put it. Now that I have an iPhone, it was even better because I was more involved in the search and also the obtaining of answers. Even though we did not recognize any of the battles that we had to find out about, my group ended up coming in second or third I believe.
Today in class, we read an article about Habeas Corpus. It was interesting because the topic is obviously quite controversial. To put people in jail without real reason or just evidence, or not to? The writ of habeas corpus was a big deal during the Civil War because it meant that Lincoln would have to decide whether or not to be safer than sorry. We had a discussion about if we agreed with it or not based on certain real life situations presented on another paper. It was interesting because it was a question of morality, which is always the best kind of debate.

Class Recap 12/13, 12/14

Yesterday in class we attempted to finish our discussion on Lincoln and how he dealt with the secession of the lower south. We were given a document to read and answer questions on, which was challenging, and then was followed by a discussion. Lincoln refused to allow himself to call the seceded states a Confederacy because it meant that they would now have permission to be their own country. I am not sure how I feel about this. It could be seen as though Lincoln was tragically naive, or it could be seen as a sort of tactic. Today, class was relatively easy and fun. We all met in the computer lab and opened up a Google document that we could all work on together and create a sort of study guide to use later in the week. It was cool to work on something all together as a class at once, and I hope that we get to do something like that again.

Class Recap 12/10, 12/11

On Monday, the class was not surprised to see Mr. Boyle standing outside his door with a stack of papers. We walked in, sat down, and read parts of Lincoln's speech and answered questions. They were a little tricky this time around. Lately, the documents have been really hard to figure out, and it is disappointing because we do not really go over them or learn why they were significant besides the obvious reason of them being excerpts from Lincoln's speeches. The speech was talking about the government and preserving it, the government being an golden apple and the Constitution being a frame around it, protecting it from ever being harmed.
Today in class, we focused mainly on South Carolina seceding from the United States and why they did it. We read some dense documents and tried to answer the questions following the reading, but it was hard and the discussion after we were supposed to figure out the documents was a little bit strained. We also talked about how the rest of the lower south followed suit and left the United States to form a Confederacy.

Class Recap 12/8, 12/9

Yesterday in class, we had a test on the 1850s. It was the first one with an essay, so I made sure to balance my time. I really, really hope that I did well on it. I studied hard and did all of the work leading up to the test, so I am crossing my fingers for a good score.
Today, we had a half day so we did not have class even though we should have. There is obviously nothing to report because of the situation.

Class Recap 12/4, 12/5

Yesterday in class, we looked at a political comic regarding the election of 1860. It was cool because political comics have always interested me. I love the fact that with just a small picture with a limited amount of words, a comic can say so much about the culture, society, the economy, different people, and a whole host of other subjects. Usually political comics are extremely controversial, and it is always conveying a message that wants to raise questions and controversial thoughts. Today, the comic showed how each presidential candidate is dealing with America and how they are acting towards slavery. The four people depicted each were doing different things and interacting. It gave the election a new perspective for me. I really liked looking at it.
Today in class, we had an edCafe. EdCafes are my favorite! I love debating and talking to students about the given topic because it sheds light on new ideas as well as being able to see how kids work together or against each other to solve debates and problems. I like the way that they make me think. It was a good class.

Class Recap 11/29, 11/30

On Thursday in class, I feel like all we did was receive paper after paper after paper (8, in fact, plus a piece of loose leaf to write notes on) regarding John Brown and his raid at Harper's Ferry. We read a document that explains everything that happened, straightforward, and then after we looked it over, the entire class had a discussion and we took notes on what we know to be facts about the day of the raid. After we wrapped up the talk, Mr. Boyle handed out many different views on the occurrings of October 16th and we were told to fill out a chart with certain findings. It was a relatively stressful class considering all of the papers we had to sort through, decipher and respond to.
Today was a day 4, but we did not have class because we were preparing for the ACT test.
My dream journal is going considerably well. I am having an easier time remembering my dreams lately, which is always a good thing and something interesting to think about in the mornings and sometimes even throughout the day. I am almost done with my challenge, but I am not so sure it is helping me in my life.

Timeline 1850s