APUSH summer reading assignment

Dear AP U.S. History Students,

Welcome! AP U.S. History is a challenging course that is meant to be the equivalent of a freshman college course and can earn students college credit. It is a two-semester survey of American history from the age of exploration and discovery to the present. This year’s exam will take place nationwide on May 8, 2015. In order to be fully prepared by this date, you will need to devote considerable time to reading, homework, and studying. Emphasis is placed on critical and evaluative thinking skills, essay writing, interpretation of original documents, and historiography.

In order to prepare for the course work ahead, as well as for the AP test, please complete the Summer Reading Assignments as described below. All readings can be found on my teaching blog at http://msjolly.blogspot.com and on the shared class Google Drive.

Read the following:

• Chapters 1-5 - A People’s History of the United States, by Howard Zinn. From its original publication in 1980, and over several revisions, Zinn’s book has introduced new perspectives into the study of American History. Though widely accepted throughout academia, A People’s History of the United States continues to be controversial. This can be bought at most book stores, Chapters 1-5 can be read online at http://www.historyisaweapon.com/zinnapeopleshistory.html. 
• “Why Students Should Study History,” an interview between Howard Zinn and Barbara Miner. This can be found in the shared Google Drive or on my teaching blog. 
• “Howard Zinn's Biased History,” by Daniel J. Flynn. Some conservative historians and authors criticize Zinn and his admittedly leftist leanings. This is an article by conservative author Daniel Flynn, and can be found in the shared Google Drive or on my teaching blog. 

Analytical Essay:
In an analytical essay, evaluate chapters 1-5 of A People’s History of the United States, by Howard Zinn. In your response, address the following issues (do not simply list), citing specific examples from the required readings using parenthetical documentation and MLA format. MLA document and format guidelines can be found in the shared Google Drive or on my teaching blog. Cite EVERYTHING and don’t forget a works cited page! The grading rubric (p. 123-4) can also be found in the Google Drive and on the blog.

1. Purpose - According to Zinn, what is his main purpose for writing A People’s History of the United States? What would you consider to be his thesis? 
2. Perspective – How might a person’s race and social class affect a person’s view of history. How does Zinn address this issue in A People’s History of the United States? On page 14 of “Why Students Should Study History,” Zinn says, “Objectivity is neither possible nor desirable. It’s not possible because all history is subjective; all history represents a point of view.” Zinn says teachers should give their opinions in class. Do you think this is appropriate in a high school course? Why or why not? 
3. Case Study - Find a summary of the Pequot War. (Make sure to cite your source – Wikipedia, other encyclopedias, and History.com-type sites are not valid sources!) Was that source’s summary closer to Flynn’s or Zinn’s summary of the conflict? Explain the similarities and differences. 
4. Interpretation - Compare and contrast Zinn’s and Flynn’s interpretations of the American Revolution. Which one do you agree with more? Why? 
5. Critique - What do you think about Howard Zinn’s approach to history? What did you like or dislike? What criticism does Flynn put forth of Zinn as a writer? Which one of these historians (Zinn or Flynn) would you rather have as your history teacher? Why? (BUT, still keep your paper in the THIRD PERSON!) 

Bring a hard copy of your final draft on the first day of class. You will also need to submit your final draft to the class Google Drive. Remember, this will be the first impression I will have of you – make it a good one! If you have any questions, please email me directly at tierra.jolly@bmhs.org.

Have a productive summer and see you at the end of August!


Sincerely,
Tierra Jolly

Better Know a Justice! A Supreme Court Cheat Sheet

According to a new poll, two thirds of Americans can't name a single member of the Court. Meanwhile, these people are more powerful than they've been in a long time.

Front (L to R): Justices Clarence Thomas, Antonin Scalia, Chief Justice John Roberts, Justices Anthony Kennedy, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Back (L to R): Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Stephen Breyer, Samuel Alito, and Elena Kagan

 It's the second half of August, which means it's the time for vacations, political scandals, and polls about how ignorant hundreds of millions of Americans are about even the most basic questions of modern governance. As to topic three, this week's leader in the clubhouse is a new poll that reveals that two-thirds of all Americans can't name a single justice of the United States Supreme Court. This after a Court term which was one of the most profound and contentious of its generation.

Chief Justice John Roberts led the way in name recognition -- but only one in five respondents could name him. At the bottom of the list was Justice Stephen Breyer, the Clinton appointee identified by only 3 percent of those surveyed. Justice Anthony Kennedy, the swing vote who decides so many of those critical 5-4 cases? Only one in ten could identify him. Do yourself a favor. Right after you read the piece about the poll, read Adam Liptak's interesting piece from Monday in The New York Times.

Read the rest here.

help me raise money for a leukemia cure!

Hola BMHS family! 

In three weeks I'm running the Nike Women's half-marathon with my mom, in an effort to raise money for a Leukemia & Lymphoma Society research grant (LLS has supported my Aunt Sony through her chemo and five years of remission).

I'm coming up on my fundraising deadline, though, and I'm hoping you'll consider donating to do me a double favor: most importantly to help LLS in its work to keep folks like Sony alive and well, but also to help me hit my fundraising minimum so I don't have the entire difference taken out of my bank account.

If you can, I'm eternally grateful. If you can't, would you mind sharing my link?

http://bit.ly/tjrun14

Junior Paper resources

Writing and Citation Support
The Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL)
Research and Writing Step-by-Step
Writing Conclusions
How to Cite Primary Sources
EasyBib  - a free online citation generator
MLA in-text citation guidelines

Primary & Secondary Sources
Jensen's Guide to Reconstruction History, 1861-1877
The Great Depression in Washington State
Immigration Archives of Historical Archives, Documents and Immigrants
The Atomic Age - A Resource Guide
Levittown, Pa.: Building the Suburban Dream
Weblinks - The 1960s

The 6 C's Method

Content: What is the main idea?
Citation: Who created this and when? What type of source is it?
Context: What is going on in the world, country, region, or locality when this was created?
Connections: How does this connect to what you already know from class?
Confusions: What parts of this do you still not understand? What other questions does this article prompt you to ask?
Conclusions: What contributions does this make to our understanding of the article's topic? How did you come to these conclusions?

Don't forget what we do in school.

We do what we have to do so we can do what we want to do.


For instance, right now, I have reading to do before the African American Slavery class I have tomorrow (It's Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 11-11:50am). I can't find it online where the teacher said it should be. So am I going back to bed? No! I need to read this article so that I can discuss it with my classmates tomorrow. I need to read the article so I know why I study the things I study. I need to read the article so that one day, I can teach it to college students in my classroom one day.

So I'm not going back to sleep. I'm calling my professor and asking her if I can borrow her copy. I'm doing what I have to do so I can do what I want to do.

Miracle Workers

By Taylor Mali
www.taylormali.com

I have loved this poem since the first time I heard it, and I wanted to share it with you. This is how I feel about teaching.

Sunday nights I lie awake—
as all teachers do—
and wait for sleep to come
like the last student in my class to arrive.
My grading is done, my lesson plans are in order,
and still sleep wanders the hallways like Lower School music.
I’m a teacher. This is what I do.

Like a builder builds, or a sculptor sculpts,
a preacher preaches, and a teacher teaches.
This is what we do.
We are experts in the art of explanation:
I know the difference between questions
to answer and questions to ask.

That's an excellent question.
What do you think?

If two boys are fighting, I break it up.
But if two girls are fighting, I wait until it’s over and then drag what’s left to the nurse’s office.
I’m not your mother, or your father,
or your jailer, or your torturer,
or your biggest fan in the whole wide world
even if sometimes I am all of these things.
I know you can do these things I make you do.
That’s why I make you do them.
I’m a teacher. This is what I do.

Once in a restaurant, when the waiter asked me
if I wanted anything else, and I said,
"No, thank you, just the check, please,"
and he said, "How about a look at the dessert menu?"
I knew I had become a teacher when I said,
"What did I just say?
Please don’t make me repeat myself!"

In the quiet hours of the dawn
I write assignment sheets and print them
without spell checking them. Because I’m a teacher,
and teachers don’t make spelling mistakes.
So yes, as a matter of fact, the new dress cod
will apply to all members of the 5th, 6th, and 78th grades;
and if you need an extension on your 55-paragraph essays
examining The Pubic Wars from an hysterical perspective
you may have only until January 331st.
I trust that won’t be a problem for anyone?

I like to lecture on love and speak on responsibility.
I hold forth on humility, compassion, eloquence, and honesty.
And when my students ask,
“Are we going to be responsible for this?”
I say, If not you, then who?
You think my generation will be responsible?
We’re the ones who got you into this mess,
now you are our only hope.
And when they say, “What we meant
was, ‘Will we be tested on this?’”
I say Every single day of your lives!

Once, I put a pencil on the desk of a student
who was digging in her backpack for a pencil.
But she didn’t see me do it, so when I walked
to the other side of the room and she raised her hand
and asked if she could borrow a pencil,
I intoned, In the name of Socrates and Jesus,
and all the gods of teaching,
I declare you already possess everything you will ever need!
Shazzam!
“You are the weirdest teacher I have ever—”
Then she saw the pencil on her desk and screamed.
“You’re a miracle worker! How did you do that?”

I just gave you what I knew you needed
before you had to ask for it.
Education is the miracle, I’m just the worker.
But I’m a teacher.
And that’s what we do.