History Talk

Following up our discussions in class, American Presidents preside over the issues that face the nation during a particular time in history.  Looking at the websites provided, what conclusions can you draw about the differences between the time in which George W. Bush, Sr. was President as opposed to George W. Bush, Jr.???

George W. Bush, Sr.:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/gb41.html

George W. Bush, Jr.:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/president/

Here are some websites for my political cartoonists in American History class:

http://cagle.msnbc.com/politicalcartoons/

http://www.cagle.com/teacher/

Submit your entry ASAP!

For students who are struggling with writing in the content area and want to check a few grammar rules before handing in that essay:

http://www.tc.umn.edu/~jewel001/grammar/

Here is a short biography of Jimmy Carter:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/jc39.html

Here is information about The Carter Center:

http://www.cartercenter.org/homepage.html

Have you ever thought of becoming President???

Our current events discussions in class regarding the Virginia Tech incident have sparked much debate over the need for stricter gun control laws.  Below are articles on this topic.  Where do you stand on this issue?

 http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/guncontrol/Gun_Control_and_the_Second_Amendment.htm

The students of William Cullen Bryant High School send their sincerest condolences to the family, friends, faculty and students of Virginia Tech.  We acknowledge and share your grief and pain and hope you will find comfort in knowing that we are thinking about in your time of despair.  Peace.

For my fellow watchers of The History Channel Show "Digging For the Truth", check out the Far Horizon's Archaeological & Cultural Trips website and newsletter.  "It's fun to dream about far away places."

http://www.farhorizons.com

Blog with us about the far away place you would like to visit during your lifetime.

One of my students found this really inspiring quotation called "What's Your Life's Blueprint? which was delivered by Dr. Martin Luther King to students at Barrett High School in Philadelphia, PA.:

"Don't allow anybody to pull you so low as to make you hate them.

Don't allow anybody to cause you to lose your self-respect

to the point that you do not struggle for justice

--however, young you are.

You have a responsibility to seek to make your nation

a better nation in which to live.

You have a responsibility to seek to make life better

for everybody.

And so you must be involved in the struggle

for freedom and justice."

Studying for the Test: Tips for the Student

• Begin studying soon after the school year starts. Keep organized notes for review and keep up with homework.
• Listen for hints from the teacher about what'll be on a test. Ask her for hints about where to concentrate your efforts.
• Determine the most important information in your study materials and learn that first.
• Begin your intensive studying early in the afternoon or evening before the day of the test.
• Develop a practice test, either alone or with a study mate. Before you begin intensive studying, you may want to write a list of questions that could appear on your test; this list can guide you through your study. Or you might ask a friend to give you a practice test near the end of your study to catch any items you may have overlooked.
• Use positive self-talk. Research shows that students who work on their self-confidence as they study perform better than those who don't. Thoughts such as "I'm well prepared and will do fine on this test," for example, can help maintain a calm and clear mind.
• Gather all test-taking materials the night before. Having to borrow a pencil right before the test can break your concentration and get you off to a bad start.
• Don't stay up too late, and eat a good breakfast on the morning of the test. You'll perform better with a rested mind and an energized body.

Taking the Test

Step 1: Review the Test

• First and foremost, read the instructions very carefully and follow the directions exactly. Missing something here can cost you dramatically. For example, your instructions might say "Answer one of the following two essay questions"; if you missed those instructions, you could waste half your test-taking time writing an unnecessary essay.
• Quickly read through the entire test, noting which questions are most difficult, which count the most, and which you don't understand. Then,
  • Ask questions about anything you don't understand. If you're shy, you may need to practice how to ask for clarification.
  • Budget your time, allowing more time for essay questions. ("I'll spend 10 minutes on the true/false section, 20 minutes on the multiple choice, and 30 minutes on the essay.")
• Take a deep breath. It'll help you relax and think more clearly.

Step 2: Take the Test

• Write clearly.
• Answer the easiest questions first. Not only does this build confidence, it's good time management.
• Go back to the more difficult questions, but don't spend too much time on any one question until you've completed all of the others.
• Pay attention to clues and key words in each question. Some options in multiple-choice questions, for instance, can often be eliminated because they'd make the completed sentence grammatically incorrect.
• Put something down for every question, even if you don't know the answer, unless instructed otherwise. You may know more than you think you know. Note: You may be instructed, while taking standardized tests, that incorrect answers will cost you more deductions than answers you've left blank. Make sure you know the exact instructions for each test and make your choice accordingly.

Step 3: Review

• Review every item on your test carefully before turning it in. You may catch a careless error or have a last-minute insight.
• Use all the time allowed. The longer you review your answer, the more chances you have to discover mistakes.

Source:  lhsparent.org

Our discussions today regarding the enduring lessons of the Vietnam War were terrific! Keep up the good work!

At your request, literature on the Vietnam War:

Ambush Valley - Eric Hammel

The Things They Carried - Tim O'Brien

Going After Cacciato - Tim O'Brien

A Rumor of War - Philip Caputo

Fallen Angels - Walter Dean Myers

NEW YORK CITY CELEBRATES THE FOURTH ANNUAL
IMMIGRANT HISTORY WEEK - April 16-22, 2007

For information about FREE events, click on:

http://www.NYC.GOV/IMMIGRANTS

                                          
Following up our discussion of the 1950s in class today, some of you were looking for more detailed information about the cultural and social life of this period, click here to explore and find our more:

http://www.fiftiesweb.com/

http://writing.upenn.edu/~afilreis/50s/home.html

Click here to see the exam schedule published by the New York State Education Department:

http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/osa/schedules/june07.htm

STUDY! STUDY! STUDY!

Anyone who needs additional American History study guides, please stop by Ms. Tutino, Room 153

By popular request, here are links to baseball history written by researchers and baseball historians:

http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/history/index.htm

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/

Article on the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Bay of Pigs:

http://library.thinkquest.org/11046/days/bay_of_pigs.html

Do you think the United States response to the Cuban Missile Crisis was a good idea or a bad idea.  Why or why not???

Below are links to

National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.:

http://www.nasm.si.edu/

National Aeronautics and Space Administration:

http://www.nasa.gov/

Video Link to our first steps on the Moon:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4166049933953240830

Article on the benefits of a NEW SPACE RACE:

http://www.thespacereview.com/article/137/1

Do you think we need to continue growing our Space Programs????

                                       Demonstration in Washington, D.C.

There have been many inquiries about the conflict that led to the Vietnam War.  More specifically, on the antiwar movement.  Click on these links to find out more about citizen and student activism:

http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/vietnam/antiwar.html

http://content.lib.washington.edu/protestsweb/index.html

      Prisoner of War Bracelet

Check this site for oral histories of Korean War Veterans:

http://oralhistory.rutgers.edu/

Here is a site regarding "Demolition Frogmen", like my Dad, during Korea:

http://www.navysealmuseum.com/heritage/history.php

                                    Underground Bomb Shelter

During the Cold War, shortly after the Atomic Bomb was dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, people started building underground bomb shelters, sometimes referred to as "Fallout Shelters".  Read more about the nuclear fear of the 1950s and 1960s at:

http://archives.cbc.ca/IDD-1-71-274/conflict_war/cold_war/

http://archives.cbc.ca/IDC-1-69-1587-10775/life_society/60s/clip4

http://www.nebraskastudies.org/0900/frameset_reset.html?http://www.nebraskastudies.org/0900/stories/0901_0132.html

If you were in charge of building a fallout shelter for your family, what would you put in the shelter???  Share your thinking.

I am looking for suggestions for blog topics.  Let me know what YOU are thinking! 

Following up our discussions in class about the War in Iraq and the past conflicts between the Sunnis vs. Shi'ites, I found an interesting article detailing the history of the conflict in the March 5th edition of TIME magazine.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1592849,00.html

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