Welcome to the Advanced Placement U.S. History summer blog! There will be four modules to complete over the summer in a discussion format. As a student, you will expected to log in several times during each module and post a thoughtful response to the questions posed by Mr. Pondy and Mr. Walker. Your responses are expected to be well thought out and answer the question posed, simple "yes, no, I agree, I disagree" posts or short, one sentence responses are not acceptable and will not count as part of your required participation on the blog.
What is expected during each module? At a minimum, students are required to respond to the questions posed. You should include information gathered from the textbook American Pageant as well as America: The Last Best Hope (once the book has arrived) and combine it with your own ideas. We do not want simple regurgitation from the texts, we want to see your own thoughts imbedded in your responses using the texts to support your ideas. These initial post should be completed during the first week of each module. During the second week of each module, you should log on and read your classmates responses to the questions posed, then respond to at least TWO of your class mates with thoughtful responses in a discussion style format. We expect that you will act in a respectful, intelligent fashion in order to promote thought provoking discussions.
Recommendations as you participate in the blog: You should be reading and completing your outlines as you prepare to participate in the blog. This will help you when it comes to constructing thoughtful and insightful response to the questions we pose. In addition, you will also be a head of the game and your summer work that will be turned in on the first day of class will be completed! Also, please remember that the internet is loaded with resources, some good, some bad. Feel free to use these resources as aids in your summer work, but DO NOT copy these sources as your own. This type of behavior is considered cheating and plagiarism. Mr. Pondy and Mr. Walker are very well aware of these sources and it easy for us to spot this type of activity. Please also remember that your outlines MUST BE HANDWRITTEN, we will not accept outlines that are typed on the first day of class.
I know it's in one of the emails sent out but I'm having trouble finding the answer. Do we need to respond to other students' posts for module 1 and if so, what kind of response should we write?
ReplyDeleteunder module 1, my computer dosent show a spot to post onto the blog. so i am posting it here for you to see.
ReplyDeleteMy name is Jared Trudeau. Jared Trudeau. I decided to take A.P.U.S. History instead of regular U.S. History because I wanted to learn it in greater depth. I also thought that it would be more interesting than the regular U.S. History class. I am very interested in learning about how the U.S. was formed and how each state was created. If I could meet anybody in the U.S. History, I would want to meet Alexander Gram bell. I would want to meet him because he changed the World by inventing the telephone. I would ask him how and why he created it, and to show him how big of an impact his invention has had on the whole earth.
^I can't find a spot to respond under module 1 either, so I will respond here as well.
ReplyDeleteMy name is Olivia Thomas. My user name is olivia.tessa. I decided to take APUSH this year because I wanted to take a more challenging course then GenEd American History. Two things I look forward to learning about this coming year are the Revolutionary War (because it was the start of our country) and the USA's involvement in World War II. If I could meet any American historical figure it would be Orville and Wilbur Wright because they invented the first airplane which impacted how we travel across the country and to other countries today. I would also like to meet Mark Twain. He shaped American literature into what it is today.
Mr. Pondy, I have a post on module 1, and I had trouble posting it before; but for the past 4 days I have been unable to post any replies to a single post. I type my reply, I hit publish, and it says the page is redirecting and my post never shows up. What is going on?
ReplyDeleteI have had the same problem as Augustine.
ReplyDeleteI am having the same problem as Augustine and Dj.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Anna Kaua:
DeleteHey Anna! You make a great point, these were great obstacles our nation had to overcome at that time. Also, Abraham Lincoln is a great choice! I agree, he was a very inspirational man, not only because of his own personal adversities he had to overcome, but also, because he was able to inspire so many through his political writings.
In response to Excel Ortega:
Hey Excel! The Great Depression is a very interesting topic, I chose it also. I find it most interesting because many economists today compare our current situation with that of the Great Depression. However, I do not think our current economy may be as bad as it was, but it is definitely comparable!
I am having the same problem as all of the above student since June 30
ReplyDeleteModule 1 still not showing my post so I am posting comment here. I will delete it once module 1 starts working. Thanks Sorry for being a pain...In reply to Ciaran McGirr: Hi Ciaran! I’m Kyla. I noticed your comment because of your interest in the general of the Union army. I am also interested in the Civil War general, except for the Confederate side. I think it would be interesting to see each of these famous peoples’ opinions on what really happened in that war. Also, I noticed that you were interested in the Vietnam War. I would suggest watching the movie “Across the Universe”. It is a movie set during that time period and has an undertone of anti-war sentiments. It has some good information on the situation in the US during the War. It is also a tribute to the Beatles. What is your opinion on why the United States lost the war in Vietnam?
DeleteI'm having the same problem as all the above students. I have tried it on every internet source I can in my house, so I assume there is something wrong with the site? Here are my comment responses:
ReplyDeleteIn response to Kate McCulley:
Hi Kate, it's Sierra. I think that Eleanor Roosevelt is a great choice of people to meet. Her work ethic combined with her large heart made her successful. Her influence on American citizens was immense, which leads me to wonder: do you think American culture would be different had Eleanor Roosevelt not been alive?
In response to Chris Balzer:
Hi Chris, it's Sierra. I am intrigued with your desire to meet Albert Einstein. I had never considered him as a man who was revolutionary and essential to the way our world works today. Your ideas are truly creative. Who would be your second choice to meet?
I will try reposting the comments later, but they refuse to post for the time being.
As a fellow student having technical issues posting comments, I shall additionally post my comments here.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Julie Engelhardt:
Hey Julie! Similarly I am interested in the Revolutionary War. It is almost inspirational how such a large group of people could ban together for one thing: freedom. And not only did they create a new country but a lot of the original laws that were implemented way back then are still in use today, like the Bill of Rights. It is incredible how laws could stay relevant even with the changing of society from then to now.
In response to Sierra Ruiz (on my post):
I am glad your eyes have been opened to the truth of science! My second choice of a historical figure to meet would probably be Martin Luther King Jr. His life was full of passion for equal rights and even through adversity, he stayed true to what he believed in.
I also am having trouble posting here are my comments
ReplyDeleteIn reply to Heather Peterson (her post)
Hi Heather I am also super interested in learning about the effects of the civil war not only on the country but also on day to day life of regular people! Being the age I am and not having any major wars in my home land for my freedom I feel like that would be something great to learn about.
In reply to Sierra Ruiz (her post)
Hey Sierra! The roaring 20's is just such a fascinating era! Im so excited to be learning about those times and the way everyone was affected. Your idea of learning about the cultural growth and such throughtout the years is genius and I am excited to learn about that as well now!
I was not able to post my comments in module 1, so I'm posting them here:
ReplyDeleteOn Kate McCulley's post:
Hi Kate, I noticed that you wanted to learn more about the Revolutionary War era. That's one of my main points of interest in American history! I'm not as familliar with the Space Race, but I think it's cool that you want to learn more about it! It got me thinking about its affects on our culture.
On Sahil's post:
Hi Sahil! I had no idea that you would choose to meet Abraham Lincoln! I agree with you completely when it comes to his importance. He basically kept our country whole! I was wondering if there was anything else you wanted to learn about World War 2 in terms of the United States.
On Heather Peterson's post:
Hey Heather, it's Julie. I think it's really cool that you're interested in the Civil War and the Great Depression! I'm looking forward to find out how our economy crashed so quickly. I also want to discuss in depth the effects it had on our nation, both socially and economically. If we have the same class period next year, I'd really like to ask you your thoughts about the subject!
Same problem.
ReplyDeleteMy name is Chandler Rosendahl and I am taking APUSH this year because I have always found history interesting and I wanted to challenge my self with an AP class. Two subjects that I'm most interested in learning more about are the Civil war, because it was such a critical battle in how out nation came to be, and also the Cold war because of all the spies and secrets that our nation had and kep from the public. If I could meet one historical figure I would choos Abraham Lincoln becaus of his great role he played in such an influential time period of american history.
In response to Sahil Dalal:
DeleteHey Sahil. I'm also interested in learning about the Civil war. I thought that is was such an important war for our country and we haven't talked about it since 8th grade. Also I think meeting Abraham Lincoln would be interesting too. He seems like a great man for the way he treated people respectfully and helped repair the united states in a dark time.
In response to Justin Chen:
DeleteHey Justin. My goal is to succeed in life too. Good goal. Now thinking about it I would enjoy learning about the American revolution as well. Without that war we may still be controlled by England. I also found it interesting that you picked John Locke. I would have never thought about how big of an importance that he had in American history. I believe without him we wouldnt be the same.
Maybe this idea is impractical, but is there something that you (Mr. Pondy/Mr. Walker) could set up so that we can see whether or not you have recorded that we've made posts and replies? It would be comforting to know if our posts are of sufficient quality to be scored as such, and useful to know if they aren't, or if you're having problems viewing them (for example, I post a comment but you can't see it on your end). Thanks
ReplyDeleteI am having the same problem that I had in module 1, so here are my comments for module 2:
ReplyDeleteIn response to Mia Moss:
Hey Mia! I agree with Chrissy, there were some ulterior motives for Spain and Portugal to lead the European nation into the era of exploration besides the trade routes. Each country wanted to be better and more advanced than all the others. Though the trade routes were still a big part in exploration they were not the main reason which is the impression that your response is giving off. I completely agree with your response to prompt 2, Christianity definitely spread like wildfire. I like your use of ‘wildfire’ in this response because it shows that not only did it spread rapidly, but it was also unwanted. I think the whole response in prompt 2 was put together well!
In response to Kristen Wunder:
Hey Kristen! I think both of your responses were great and worded very well. I completely agree with both of them. Spain and Portugal were always competing with one another which I think was a really important variable in why the New World was discovered. It seems to be overlooked a lot. I also liked how you were specific about the dates in which Columbus arrived in the Bahamas and when the Spanish missionaries arrived in California.
I am having problems posting at all in module 2 so here is my answer as well as my comments:
ReplyDeletePrompt 1: There were many reasons Spain and Portugal found it necessary to expand during the era of exploration. One of the main reasons was to boost their economies. Once the caravel had been built by the Portuguese they were able to access parts of Africa further south than the Sahara Desert. Once there the Portuguese were able to obtain more gold. Also they established a slave trade which was a major new business. The Spanish Conquistadors such as Juan Ponce de León and Francisco Coronado explored North America searching for Gold and the wealth of the Indies. Another reason these two countries expanded was to spread Christianity. Both countries believed that their religion was the only correct one and they strived to change anyone who believed differently..
Prompt 2: There were major affects of the Spanish and Portuguese exploration in the new world. The biggest difference was the disease that the explorers brought to the new world. However there were also many positive changes that came as a result of the explorations. The trade of new materials changed when the explorers came into the new world. The Europeans introduced crops and animals like wheat, rice, sugar, coffee, cows, pigs, and horses into the Americas. In return the Americans Introduced the Europeans to corn, potatoes, pineapples, tomatoes, beans, tobacco, vanilla, and chocolate. Both cultures benefited from the introduction of these new crops into their diets. The Europeans also discovered new creatures like rattle snakes and iguanas. They were able to learn new ways of life that ultimately changed the European culture
In response to Breydan Dotson: I like that you started with the invention of the caravel in prompt 1 because that was the start of the era and without it things would have been very different.
In Response to Ally Davis: I thought it was very different how you mentioned the Metizos in your response to prompt 2. Normally you wouldnt think about that as a change but it really is. Good job!
I am as well having the same issues.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Kate McCulley. Hello Kate! You answered both of the prompts very well and I completely agree with your answers. I also feel that after Portugal extended across the African border, Spain felt as if they had to out do them. This need to compete with each other politically and economically created a race to conquer the New World.
In response to Lindsay Geiser. Hi Lindsay! I agree that Portugal and Spain were in search of many goods. However, they also felt they were in need of expansion politically and economically. Portugal and Spain traveled to the New World looking for God, gold, and glory. Throughout this journey of theirs, they spread Christianity and brought some of their own goods as well.