Scholarship Opportunity!

I received this e-mail message today and wanted to pass it on to the class:

The First Freedom Center announces the 20^th annual First Freedom Student Competition. This national essay and video contest offers 9^th – 12^th grade students an opportunity to compete for $2,500 awards as they examine the First Amendment and the history and implementation of freedom of religion and conscience in American democracy and the world today. Students then present their evaluation in written essay or video format.
This year's topic introduces students to George Washington's famous Letter to the Hebrew Congregation in Newport, Rhode Island of 1790, where he addresses a new standard for religious freedom and religious equality for citizens of the young nation. Students will identify the basic principles of religious liberty espoused in this primary document and will research and assess how well the United States has lived up to Washington's ideal. For the complete topic, essay and video guidelines, registration, classroom poster, student flyer and other details, visit www.firstfreedom.org, and click on the red First Freedom Student Competition button (center column).

Students must register online on or before Monday, November 12, 2012, and the postmark deadline for mailing the essay or video with its accompanying entry materials is Monday, November 26, 2012. Winners will be announced on Thomas Jefferson's birthday, April 13, 2013.

We look forward to your students' participation in the First Freedom Student Competition!
[And to learn more about George Washington's Letter to the Hebrew Congregation and religious freedom, visit www.gwirf.org and, if possible, visit the Loeb Visitors Center (www.loebtouro.org) at the Touro Synagogue National Historic Site in Newport, Rhode Island. For more information and/or to plan a visit, please see www.tourosynagogue.org.]

Sincerely,
Ambassador (ret.) Randolph Bell
President

Christopher L. Payton
Vice President

Sandra M. Poulsen
Outreach Programs Coordinator

First Freedom Center
1321 E. Main Street
Richmond, VA 23219
804.643.1786 phone
804.644.5024 faxcompetition@firstfreedom.orgVisit us online at: www.firstfreedom.org

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Week #7: Breathe!

That's right...stop, and take a deep breath!  Let's take a minute to appreciate some of the things we've accomplished in class recently:  You took the first Unit Test...and everyone did really well!  I'm very pleased with the scores.  We are just about finished with the first DBQ essay (or partial essay anyways--training wheels, remember??).  And, we met for the first Extra Credit Movie Party...which was really fun!  The good news is that all of the strategies that helped you be successful in the first 6 weeks of class will continue to help you succeed for the rest of the year.  So, like the shampoo bottle says, "Lather, rinse, and repeat!" Or, in other words, keep up the good work--we're off to a terrific start.

This dog stops to smell the roses!

This week we will head into the 1750s to fight the French & Indian War before starting on the Road to Revolution for the American colonies.  We also have a night class on Monday night from 6 - 9 p.m. in Room 108.  Snacks will be provided and I'm looking forward to covering a lot of ground. 

This Week's Question: What is something you have learned to do well without formal teaching?  How did you learn it?  (this could be a sport, hobby, musical instrument, etc.)

Week #6: Colonial Wisdom

In Chapter 5, we learned in the American Pageant that Benjamin Franklin was a very influential writer during the mid-1700's.  Here are a few quotes attributed to Franklin; see how many you recognize and have heard before:

A penny saved is a penny earned.

A place for everything, everything in its place.

By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.

Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.

Guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days.

Honesty is the best policy.

In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes. 

It is easier to prevent bad habits than to break them.

There are three things extremely hard: steel, a diamond, and to know one's self.

Three can keep a secret, if two of them are dead.

                                                              Quotes found at Brainy Quotes website.**

This week we will conclude our study of the North American colonies and their founding.  We need to complete the Colonial Comparison Chart and discuss the 2 book excerpts that you've read.  Wednesday (8/22) will be the Unit #1 TEST, both multiple-choice questions and an essay.  Now that you have an understanding of what was going on in British North America between 1607 and 1750, we'll cover the French and Indian War and the Colonies' Path to Independence in Unit #2.  Hopefully, the transition into the regular school year went smoothly last week and you are starting to get back into the daily routine.  Keep on top of class assignments and don't forget to get the details about this weekend's Movie Party in order to watch The Crucible for extra credit!

**Want to lean more about Ben Franklin's inventions and life?  Check out this website!

This Week's Question:  Why do you think so many of Franklin's quotes are still in use today?  Which one do you like the most?  Do you have any other favorite quotes?

Week #5: Regular Classes Start!!

So the summer is officially over and we're starting the REAL school year....WELCOME!  I really believe it's going to be a GREAT year in APUSH class!  People on campus are already saying good things about our class...especially how fun it was that we had class on a boat last week!  It's also pretty cool that while everyone else is just handing out syllabi and getting started today, we've already gotten through 4 chapters of work.  Remember, each AP class you take is like earning approximately $5,000 towards your college fund.  Break that down for each week of class and you get $125 per week--$500 already!--going into that little piggy bank in an iCloud somewhere until you're ready to go to college. Good job!! 


Homework assignments count "for real" beginning this week, although there will still be regular opportunities to earn extra credit.  The best advice I can give you for homework is this:  Stay on schedule and DON'T GET BEHIND because you are procrastinating!  Remember this class is not a sprint, it's a marathon.  Getting behind is like suddenly putting both of your feet down on a moving treadmill instead of running--picture what would happen at that moment!  Not good!  Don't hesitate to come and talk to me if you have questions about any of the homework questions.  I will also review your answers and give you feedback IF you bring me a draft a few days BEFORE the due date. 

Stay up to date by checking the website and don't forget to answer the weekly blog question!

This Week's Question:  What should every teacher know about you??

Class #4: A Three-Hour Tour or Smooth Sailing?

The first-ever APUSH Class at Sea was a great success!!  The sun was shining, the breeze was blowing and and a few of the marine animals were out playing.  I was a little worried that we might get sea sick, or that it would be difficult to conduct class in strong winds, but God provided some of the calmest sea conditions our captain had ever experienced and the students were super-attentive.  Here's the first edit of some video footage from the trip...more polished versions on the way!

This week's Question: Now that you've been sailing, what do you think would have been the hardest part of being a colonist bound for the new British colonies during the 1600's?  Which colony or region in North America would YOU have chosen to head for...and WHY?

APUSH Sailing Trip!

Photo taken from Capt. Bob Olson's boat.

Greetings!
     I am in Palm Springs for a couple days, having one last mini-vacation before Teacher Work Week starts on Monday.  Just want to let you know that our Sailing Trip is definitely ON for next Tuesday!  I went down to Oceanside Harbor yesterday and met the captain of the boat we'll be taking.  He thinks it's pretty cool that a school class is going sailing...and he likes History, too, so we hit it off well. :) 

     The plan is to meet at school at 4:00 p.m. on August 7.  We'll drive together to Oceanside Harbor (my husband will be coming along as an extra pair of hands & driver).  Then we'll board the sailboat and get underway, enjoying the views and doing some of the things we'd do in a regular class.  We'll sail for 2 - 3 hours depending on how everybody is doing, then make a dinner run by In-N-Out before returning to TCCS for a wrap-up time. 

Here's what I need you to do before Tuesday:
1.  E-mail me back if you are going to be joining us AND let me know if you can swim (Captain Bob would like to know).
2.  Print out and complete the attached permission slip and bring it with you on Tuesday.
3.  YOU MUST WEAR CLOSED TOE SHOES (preferably rubber-soled tennis shoes) for sailing...NO FLIP-FLOPS!
4.  Bring/wear sunscreen and a sweatshirt, in case it gets cool on the ocean.  Girls may want a hair tie to keep hair out of their faces while we're sailing. 

Click here  to learn more about Captain Bob Olson and Manfred Marine Unlimited. 

I think this will be a fun trip for our class (not to mention a cool way to earn extra credit for being in class!) and a good way to gain just a little understanding of what it would have been like to be an Englishman or woman crossing the Atlantic to start a new life in the American colonies.  See you there!