U.S Govt Thought Provoker 12/12 - 12/20

As we have looked at various court cases we have used them to inform us of the rights granted by the Constitution as interpreted by the courts.  Choose one specific Supreme Court Case and explain what you learned from it.

U.S. History Thought Provoker 11/18 - 11/23

The experiences of the first world war served as an extremely traumatic event for all that were involved.  A whole generation of artists, authors and entertainers were dramatically impacted by what they experienced in the meat grinder that was the western front.  How do YOU THINK these experiences may have shown up in their works

Government Thought Provoker 11/18 - 11/23

The functioning of our democracy depends on a markedly undemocratic body to function.  Describe the ways that the Supreme Court is undemocratic.

Government Thought Provoker

The Federal Bureaucracy is massive in both scope and power.  Quickly research and describe any possible interactions that you may have had with the bureaucracy on a given day.

U.S Government Thought Provoker 10/7 - 10/11

On a separate piece of paper please explain the difference between the expressed powers and the implied powers of congress, and provide an example of each.

U.S. History Thought Provoker 10/7 - 10/11

On a separate piece of paper please describe the primary differences between the "old immigrants" and the "new immigrants" of the early 20th century.

U.S. Government Thought Provoker 9/23- 10/2

Please respond with your thoughts on a separate piece of paper.

The filibuster developed as an important tool to protect the political minority in the Senate from being completely dominated by the majority party. Describe how the filibuster functions today and contrast that with how it functioned in the past.  Which kind of filibuster do you believe is better for our system? Should the filibuster still have a place in our system?

U.S. History Thought Provoker 9/23 - 10/2

Please respond on a separate sheet of paper with your thoughts. 

During America's industrial expansion around the turn of the 20th century we saw more and more women entering the industrial workforce.  This would have a dramatic impact on the developing movement to secure the right to vote for women. Why?

U.S. Government Thought Provoker

Using the Constitution identify and describe at least three powers granted specifically to Congress 

U.S. History Thought Provoker 9/15-9/20

Describe the primary difference between the development of The Great Northern Railroad and the other major East/West railroads. (Hint: Check your textbook)

U.S History Thought Provoker 9/6-9/13

A single event in the 1800's nearly destroyed the cattle industry in Montana.  What was that event?  

Respond in a complete sentence on a separate sheet and turn it in to me when you return to class. 

                                          Waiting for a Chinook   C.M Russell 

U.S. Government 9/6-9/13 Thought Provoker

If you look at page 3 of your copy of the rough draft of the Declaration of Independence you will notice a paragraph beginning with the phrase, "He has waged war against human nature..." As you read this paragraph you will notice that it seems to refer to the institution of slavery.  We know that because the passage is in italics that it was removed for the final draft.  Why do you think this particular paragraph didn't make the final cut?

Respond on a separate sheet and turn it in to me the next time you are in class.

Usefull Resources

United States National Archive Digital Classroom

Here is another great resource for anyone interested in teaching American history. It provides access to a wealth of government documents that can be used to get students used to working with primary sources. Furthermore, this site provides everything from complete lesson plan packages and training programs for teachers working with the National Archives' collection.

National History Education Clearinghouse

Here is another great site for history teachers. It is an extremely well credentialed site that provides all kinds of resources for teachers. It is produced by a partnership between Center for History and New Media at George Mason University and the Stanford University History Education Group. In particular I found the website reviews to be extremely interesting and helpful. There is even a section about using blogs in the history classroom

Introduction to My U.S History/U.S. Government Blog

Welcome Student and Parents,

                 I have created this blog as both a place to stay informed on what we will be doing in class each week and as a way to further your interest in history and government.  As such, along with post of classroom updates and information, I will be posting interesting historical facts and events for your consumption.  More importantly this will be the place to visit if you are going to miss my class on any given day.  I will be posting a question or problem that you will be asked to respond to as a way to earn your daily grade for any missed days.  I believe that this will be a very informative and fun year for all of us, and I wish you all the utmost success.