Class Update: 10/29/12 and 10/30/12

Yesterday (10/29/12) we didn’t have school due to Hurricane Sandy which left a huge effect on New England and several areas in the United States, this hurricane caused coastal flooding and power outages. Today in class (10/30/12) we worked on our Julius Caesar and the American Revolution Intergraded Project, for my project, my group created a board game.

Class Update: 10/25/12 and 10/26/12

Yesterday in class (10/25/12) we went over the end of The American Revolution. In the winter of 1777 British changed battle strategies and tried to separate New England from the rest of the Colonies. In October 1777 The Battle of Saratoga took place. This battle led to a Continental Army victory, and the French now decided to ally themselves with the Continental Army. In the winter of 1777-1778 at Valley Forge, PA, the Continental Army trained in traditional European style of welfare. In October of 1781 Cornwallis surrendered to the Continental Army, and this ended the American Revolution. The Treaty of Paris marked the technical end of the American Revolution. The United States was given their Independence, and gained land between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River. Today in class (10/26/12) we took our second Quest, which was on the American Revolution. 

Timeline for the American Revolution

VoiceThread: Vigilance and Resourcefulness

Class Update: 10/23/12 and 10/24/12

Yesterday in class (10/23/12) we had a scavenger hunt on the Battles of the American Revolution. We went around the school and found QR codes, the person with a device scanned the codes and we wrote down the questions. After that we went back to the classroom and answered what battles the questions described, and the date of the battles. The first person to finish the scavenger hunt got 5 extra points on their quiz.

Today in class (10/24/12) we listened to a slide show presentation about Art of the American Revolution. We learned about the paintings Paul Revere and Watson and the Shark painted by John Singleton Copley, The Death of General Warren at the Battle of Bunker Hill and the Declaration of Independence painted by John Trumbull, Washington Crossing the Delaware and Washington Rallying the Troops at Monmouth painted by Emanuel Leutze, and lastly Midnight Ride of Paul Revere and Daughters of Revolution painted by Grant Wood.   

Class Update: 10/18/12 and 10/19/12

Yesterday in class (10/18/12) Mr.Boyle wasn’t in school, we had a substitute. We read “The Crisis”, Number 1 by Thomas Paine. After that we wrote an essay on how "These are times that try men's souls”. We didn’t have much to time to write our essays because the substitute talked seventy percent of the class.

Today in class (10/19/12) we went over “The Crisis” for further understanding. Then we went over economic problems that faced the United States in today’s society. I think that people are so worried about have the newest IPhone, the Newest BMW, the nicest house, and everything else that consume are generation, that people are spending money they don’t have. This a huge problem because basically people are setting themselves up for a lifetime of expenses that will never ends including: credit card debt, car payments, house payments etc. We also learned about the battle at New York City, the battle of Princeton, and the battle of Trenton.

Class Update: 10/16/12 and 10/17/12

Yesterday in class (10/16/12) we read the Declaration of Independence in groups. Next we were assigned to summarize section 3 and 4 which both were about Indictment.  This section points out what the King did wrong including: Not passing laws or allowing people to create laws, he makes it difficult for the legislative branch, and he interferes with judicial duties. After this we put are summaries into a fake tweet and shortened it as much as possible.

Today in class (10/17/12) we went over everyone else’s assigned section summaries. This included: Introduction, Preamble, Indictment, Indictment (cont.), Denunciation, Conclusion, and Signatures.  After this we engaged in an intense discussion about the importance of voting. We talked about The Social Contract which allows the government to control certain aspects so we can keep are natural rights. These rights include life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. As United States Citizens at the age of 18 we have the right to vote for who we think is best suited to protect are rights and do what’s best for our country. Basically if you choose not to vote you are not doing your job as a citizen, and you are just encouraging things to stay the same. We also talked about how anyone has the right to petition to the government even if you are under the age of 18. This means if you ever feel the need to address any problems to government officials, you can do so.

Class Update: Friday 10/12/12 and Monday 10/15/12

On Friday the 12^th we learned about the Second Continental Congress. In groups we read about:  The Olive Branch Petition, Common Sense, and Plain Truth. The Olive Branch Petition came about from the continental congress in July 1775. The main purpose of this petition was to avoid war with Britain, this meant agreeing with the King of Britain to avoid any problems. Common Sense was written by Thomas Paine in January 1776. The main purpose of this was to allow the people freedom from the King. Plain Truth was written by James Chalmers. Chalmers was against the idea of people having freedoms from the King; he wanted everyone to continue to be loyal to the King. All of these documents show the diversity of ideas and opinions that are nation is filled with today and years ago.

Today, Monday the 15^th, we presented are Revolutionary Replica projects. Everyone was asked to cut out a life sized replica of their person, explain to the class who they are and why they’re important to the American Revolution. I got Molly Hays McCalley, who was a woman who was awarded for her heroic actions during The Battle of Monmouth on July 28. The Battle of Monmouth on July 28, 1778 was an important battle during the American Revolution. The battle was fought between the British who were commanded by Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton, and Continental forces that were commanded by General George Washington. During this war several soldiers were dyeing due to the heat. Molly Hays McCalley received the name “Molly Pitcher” because she brought the soldiers pitchers of water during this battle. In addition to bringing water Molly helped many wounded soldiers. During this battle Molly’s husband could no longer fight; Molly took his spot on the cannon and continued to fight. General Washington found out about her actions in the Battle of Monmouth, He then named her Sergeant Molly. I think that Molly Hays McCalley was significant towards the American Revolution because she was one of the first few women to fight in war during that time period.

Voice Thread- Molly Hays McCally

Battle of Bunker Hill

Class Update: 10/9/12 and 10/10/12

Yesterday in class we watched a 20 minute Ted-Talk video. In this video the distinction between what people think could have happened, was compared to what actually happened. The example that was given pertained to 911. People knew what time the second plane hit the tower, but what they think could have happened didn’t really happen. Basically when we know something and witness it, are mind can play tricks on us. Next we talked about the war between the American’s and British. We viewed and compared several documents, throughout the documents there were differences in who was believed to fire the first shot, or essentially “start the war.” Today in class we learned about the battle of Lexington and Concord, and the battle of Bunker Hill. The battle of Lexington and Concord resulted in 300 casualties to the British and more than 100 for the Colonists, and the Americans were victorious. In the battle of Bunker Hill the British and Colonist were fighting for high ground. This battle actually took place on Breed’s Hill. The Colonists gained control over night; the British became angry and wanted to take back the areas. To get back to the beach the British were forced to wait due to the tides, this gave time for the Colonists to prepare for an attack. In the end the British won because the Colonists ran out of ammunition. Although the British had a “victory” The colonists gained confidence.

class update: 10/4/12 and 10/5/12

Yesterday in class we had are second Edcafe which didn’t go to well. Everyone basically summarized the events they had, instead of discussing their opinions on them. These events included: The Royal Proclamation, The Stamp Act, The Townshend Act, The Intolerable acts, and the first Continental Congress. Today in class we took background notes on the information we talked about in the Edcafe. After this we wrote a sonnet about the true events that leading up to the battle of Lexington and Concord. It’s interesting because when most people think of “Paul Revere” they think of: “The British are coming! When truly Paul Revere stated the “The Regulars are coming out!”

Class update: 10/2/12 and 10/3/12

Yesterday in class we received a sheet with the colonies on it. After filling in the correct states we took a few notes. New England was established by the puritans who were seeking religious freedom. The Middle Colonies were established as the proprietary colonies, which is land given out to friends or the kings. Lastly, the Southern Colonies established as business colonies to make money and slavery become the foundation for their economy. After this we received a reading on George Washington’s French and Indian War. After reading this we went over it and summarized what happened. In this reading, After Washington won an early victory against the French, he prepared for a counter-attack. These are the first few battles in the French and Indian War. The British eventually won after some earlier losses. Today in class we went to the lab and made a slide/PowerPoint on our topic for the Edcafe, I got the Boston Tea party.

Comic Strip ( Honor and Justice)

Justice: http://Pixton.com/ic:f5p8ezb4

Honor: http://Pixton.com/ic:qugo5c88