UNITED STATES HISTORY
Assignments and Projects
1. Homework will make up approximately 50% of the final grade.
2. Students are strongly urged to regularly
complete this work on time.
3. Assignments submitted late will be penalized 10% per day to a max of 3 days.
Examinations and quizzes
1.
An examination will conclude each of the major units.
2.
All tests and quizzes should be made up immediately upon
returning from absences.
3. The student is responsible for scheduling the time and site for making up tests and quizzes, and should arrange this with the teacher the day you return from an absence.
Grading Policy
1. All grades
will be based on a point system.
2. Each
assignment will be given a relative value and points will be totaled at
semester’s end.
3. All grades
are cumulative and the following scale will be used to determine a student’s
grade:
93-100%=A
85-92%=B
77-84%=C
69-75%=D
68-00%=F
Check your grades:
http://www.iasdpowerschool.cc//
This site will help with the activity on the Bonus March during the Great Depression:
http://www.worldwar1.com/dbc/bonusm.htm
or
http://www.ecommcode.com/hoover/hooveronline/hoover_and_the_depression/bonus_march/index.html
http://www.historynow.org/03_2009/index.html
Extra Credit Essay Contest: www.firstfreedom.org
|
Newspaper Project |
3. Consider who, what, when, where, and why? |
| 1. Create a newspaper front page with stories related to the rise of dictators. | 4. Do not cut and paste a project together, translate information found into your own words. |
| 2. Be sure to cover Tojo, Mussolini, and Hitler as well as Japan, Italy and Germany in the 1930's. | 5. You will be quizzed on the rise of dictators upon completion. |
Bombing of Pearl Harbor
Background
In the early summer of 1940 the British government had to deal with the greatest defeat ever suffered by the British army.
Casablanca Notes:
- 1.War will not end through negotiation.
- 2.Axis powers must surrender.
- 3.Victors will decide the fate of the defeated.
- 4.Germany and Japan must be prepared to fight to the bitter end.
- 5.Assure the Soviets that we will not cut a deal with Hitler and leave them on their own.
Click on the illustration:
Why the Bomb was dropped:
Video Worksheet Information
Follow hyperlink for information:
The
Korean War Internet Search
Choose one of the
following topics to research on the web:
- Analyze
the provisions of the Geneva Convention regarding the treatment of
prisoners. Assume the role of investigators for the International Red Cross
seeking to determine if POWs in Korea were being treated as required by the
Geneva Convention. Prepare a report for the class.
One possible venue to investigate is the Korean War Project web site
at:
- Research
the Advisory Committee on Prisoners of War.
Specifically the uniform standard of conduct for members of the armed
forces, Presidential Order 10631. Prepare
a brief for a group of new recruits on the standard of conduct to follow
should they fall into enemy hands in wartime.
- Investigate
the Korean conflict as the first military use of United Nations forces in
wartime. Be sure to discuss the
UN Security Council vote to create a multinational military force to fight
under UN auspices in Korea, and how the use of force fits into the charter
of a peacekeeping organization. Analyze
for the class the pros and con’s to using the UN as a peacekeeping force
in the world.
- Following
WWII, the military had worked hard on improving its organization, and
develop military technology. Review
and report on some of the traditional technology and innovations of the
Korean conflict. Try to find
out what the innovation was, what it replaced, how it affected the military,
and what impact it had on civilian society. Create a power point
presentation to educate the class on your findings.
End of Directions
The Lieutenant Commander Scott Zellem Essay Contest
Veteran’s Day
The Lt. Commander Scott Zellem Essay Contest was created in 2004 to honor the memory of Lt. Cmdr. Scott Zellem, a Navy Pilot and 1987 Indiana High School graduate who was tragically killed during a training mission near Japan. Lt. Cmdr. Zellem served his country honorably by attending the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD, and then as a Navy Pilot during Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Lt. Cmdr. Zellem had the distinction of escorting the flight that landed President Bush on the USS Lincoln in the Persian Gulf in May, 2003.
This year’s theme is:
VETERANS DAY 2011
Lt. Cmdr. Scott Zellem Essay Contest
As we remember the 70th Anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7,
how can America maintain a balance between security and freedom? What roles do the military,
government officials, and civilians play in achieving that balance?
300-word essays are due to your Social Studies teacher by the end of the day on
Thursday, November 3. Winners will be recognized at the 2011 Veterans Day Assembly.
The top three essays will receive U.S. Savings Bonds.
Questions for the reading Challenge to McCarthy:
1. What had Lamont done to receive a subpoena?
2. How did the press play a role in McCarthyism?
3. What conditions existed in the 1950's that encouraged McCarthyism?
4. Identify 4 of the various tactics used by McCarthy against Lamont.
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In February 1950, a senator from Wisconsin made his mark in Cold War history with the following speech. As the Cold War was beginning, Joseph McCarthy warned America about the communist threat from within the government. In the following excerpt, McCarthy names several people working within the State Department and describes their crimes in detail. Those he accused lost their jobs and were branded communist -- but McCarthy never proved their guilt. Joseph McCarthy's speech on communists in the State Department (excerpt)Ladies and Gentlemen: Tonight as we celebrate the 141st birthday of one of the great men in American history, I would like to be able to talk about what a glorious day today is in the history of the world. As we celebrate the birth of this man, who with his whole heart and soul hated war, I would like to be able to speak of peace in our time, of war being outlawed, and of worldwide disarmament. These would be truly appropriate things to be able to mention as we celebrate the birthday of Abraham Lincoln. Five years after a world war has been won, men's hearts should anticipate a long peace, and men's minds should be free from the heavy weight that comes with war. But this is not such a period -- for this is not a period of peace. This is a time of the Cold War. This is a time when all the world is split into two vast, increasingly hostile armed camps -- a time of a great armaments race. Today we can almost physically hear the mutterings and rumblings of an invigorated god of war. You can see it, feel it, and hear it all the way from the hills of Indochina, from the shores of Formosa right over into the very heart of Europe itself. ... Today we are engaged in a final, all-out battle between communistic atheism and Christianity. The modern champions of communism have selected this as the time. And, ladies and gentlemen, the chips are down -- they are truly down. Lest there be any doubt that the time has been chosen, let us go directly to the leader of communism today -- Joseph Stalin. Here is what he said -- not back in 1928, not before the war, not during the war -- but two years after the last war was ended: "To think that the communist revolution can be carried out peacefully, within the framework of a Christian democracy, means one has either gone out of one's mind and lost all normal understanding, or has grossly and openly repudiated the communist revolution." And this is what was said by Lenin in 1919, which was also quoted with approval by Stalin in 1947: "We are living," said Lenin, "not merely in a state but in a system of states, and the existence of the Soviet Republic side by side with Christian states for a long time is unthinkable. One or the other must triumph in the end. And before that end supervenes, a series of frightful collisions between the Soviet Republic and the bourgeois states will be inevitable." Ladies and gentlemen, can there be anyone here tonight who is so blind as to say that the war is not on? Can there be anyone who fails to realize that the communist world has said, "The time is now" -- that this is the time for the showdown between the democratic Christian world and the communist atheistic world? Unless we face this fact, we shall pay the price that must be paid by those who wait too long. Six years ago, at the time of the first conference to map out peace -- Dumbarton Oaks -- there was within the Soviet orbit 180 million people. Lined up on the anti-totalitarian side there were in the world at that time roughly 1.625 billion people. Today, only six years later, there are 800 million people under the absolute domination of Soviet Russia -- an increase of over 400 percent. On our side, the figure has shrunk to around 500 million. In other words, in less than six years the odds have changed from 9 to 1 in our favor to 8 to 5 against us. This indicates the swiftness of the tempo of communist victories and American defeats in the Cold War. As one of our outstanding historical figures once said, "When a great democracy is destroyed, it will not be because of enemies from without but rather because of enemies from within." The truth of this statement is becoming terrifyingly clear as we see this country each day losing on every front. At war's end we were physically the strongest nation on Earth and, at least potentially, the most powerful intellectually and morally. Ours could have been the honor of being a beacon in the desert of destruction, a shining, living proof that civilization was not yet ready to destroy itself. Unfortunately, we have failed miserably and tragically to arise to the opportunity. The reason why we find ourselves in a position of impotency is not because our only powerful, potential enemy has sent men to invade our shores, but rather because of the traitorous actions of those who have been treated so well by this nation. It has not been the less fortunate or members of minority groups who have been selling this nation out, but rather those who have had all the benefits that the wealthiest nation on earth has had to offer -- the finest homes, the finest college education, and the finest jobs in government we can give. This is glaringly true in the State Department. There the bright young men who are born with silver spoons in their mouths are the ones who have been worst. Now I know it is very easy for anyone to condemn a particular bureau or department in general terms. Therefore, I would like to cite one rather unusual case -- the case of a man who has done much to shape our foreign policy. When Chiang Kai-shek was fighting our war, the State Department had in China a young man named John S. Service. His task, obviously, was not to work for the communization of China. Strangely, however, he sent official reports back to the State Department urging that we torpedo our ally Chiang Kai-shek and stating, in effect, that communism was the best hope of China. Later, this man -- John Service -- was picked up by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for turning over to the communists secret State Department information. Strangely, however, he was never prosecuted. However, Joseph Grew, the undersecretary of state, who insisted on his prosecution, was forced to resign. Two days after, Grew's successor, Dean Acheson, took over as undersecretary of state, this man -- John Service -- who had been picked up by the FBI and who had previously urged that communism was the best hope of China, was not only reinstated in the State Department but promoted; and finally, under Acheson, placed in charge of all placements and promotions. Today, ladies and gentlemen, this man Service is on his way to represent the State Department and Acheson in Calcutta -- by far and away the most important listening post in the Far East. I have in my hand 57 cases of individuals who would appear to be either card-carrying members or certainly loyal to the Communist Party, but who nevertheless are still helping to shape our foreign policy. One thing to remember in discussing the communists in our government is that we are not dealing with spies who get 30 pieces of silver to steal the blueprints of new weapons. We are dealing with a far more sinister type of activity because it permits the enemy to guide and shape our policy. This brings us down to the case of one Alger Hiss, who is important not as an individual anymore but rather because he is so representative of a group in the State Department. It is unnecessary to go over the sordid events showing how he sold out the nation which had given him so much. Those are rather fresh in all of our minds. However, it should be remembered that the facts in regard to his connection with this international communist spy ring were made known to the then-Undersecretary of State Berle three days after Hitler and Stalin signed the Russo-German Alliance Pact. At that time one Whittaker Chambers -- who was also part of the spy ring -- apparently decided that with Russia on Hitler's side, he could no longer betray our nation to Russia. He gave Undersecretary of State Berle -- and this is all a matter of record -- practically all, if not more, of the facts upon which Hiss' conviction was based. Undersecretary Berle promptly contacted Dean Acheson and received word in return that Acheson, and I quote, "could vouch for Hiss absolutely" -- at which time the matter was dropped. And this, you understand, was at a time when Russia was an ally of Germany. This condition existed while Russia and Germany were invading and dismembering Poland, and while the communist groups here were screaming "warmonger" at the United States for their support of the Allied nations. Again in 1943, the FBI had occasion to investigate the facts surrounding Hiss' contacts with the Russian spy ring. But even after that FBI report was submitted, nothing was done. Then, late in 1948 -- on August 5 -- when the Un-American Activities Committee called Alger Hiss to give an accounting, President Truman at once issued a presidential directive ordering all government agencies to refuse to turn over any information whatsoever in regard to the communist activities of any government employee to a congressional committee. Incidentally, even after Hiss was convicted, it is interesting to note that the president still labeled the expose of Hiss as a "red herring." If time permitted, it might be well to go into detail about the fact that Hiss was Roosevelt's chief adviser at Yalta when Roosevelt was admittedly in ill health and tired physically and mentally ... and when, according to the secretary of state, Hiss and Gromyko drafted the report on the conference. According to the then-Secretary of State Stettinius, here are some of the things that Hiss helped to decide at Yalta: (1) the establishment of a European High Commission; (2) the treatment of Germany -- this you will recall was the conference at which it was decided that we would occupy Berlin with Russia occupying an area completely encircling the city, which as you know, resulted in the Berlin airlift which cost 31 American lives; (3) the Polish question; (4) the relationship between UNRRA and the Soviet; (5) the rights of Americans on control commissions of Rumania, Bulgaria and Hungary; (6) Iran; (7) China -- here's where we gave away Manchuria; (8) Turkish Straits question; (9) international trusteeships; (10) Korea. Of the results of this conference, Arthur Bliss Lane of the State Department had this to say: "As I glanced over the document, I could not believe my eyes. To me, almost every line spoke of a surrender to Stalin." As you hear this story of high treason, I know that you are saying to yourself, "Well, why doesn't the Congress do something about it?" Actually, ladies and gentlemen, one of the important reasons for the graft, the corruption, the dishonesty, the disloyalty, the treason in high government positions -- one of the most important reasons why this continues -- is a lack of moral uprising on the part of the 140 million American people. In the light of history, however, this is not hard to explain. It is the result of an emotional hangover and a temporary moral lapse which follows every war. It is the apathy to evil which people who have been subjected to the tremendous evils of war feel. As the people of the world see mass murder, the destruction of defenseless and innocent people, and all of the crime and lack of morals which go with war, they become numb and apathetic. It has always been thus after war. However, the morals of our people have not been destroyed. They still exist. This cloak of numbness and apathy has only needed a spark to rekindle them. Happily, this spark has finally been supplied.
|
Margaret
Chase Smith: "Declaration of Conscience"
delivered 1 June 1950
Mr. President:
I would like to speak briefly and simply about a serious national condition. It is a national feeling of fear and frustration that could result in national suicide and the end of everything that we Americans hold dear. It is a condition that comes from the lack of effective leadership in either the Legislative Branch or the Executive Branch of our Government.
That leadership is so lacking that serious and responsible proposals are being made that national advisory commissions be appointed to provide such critically needed leadership.
I speak as briefly as possible because too much harm has already been done with irresponsible words of bitterness and selfish political opportunism. I speak as briefly as possible because the issue is too great to be obscured by eloquence. I speak simply and briefly in the hope that my words will be taken to heart.
I speak as a Republican. I speak as a woman. I speak as a United States Senator. I speak as an American.
The United States Senate has long enjoyed worldwide respect as the greatest deliberative body in the world. But recently that deliberative character has too often been debased to the level of a forum of hate and character assassination sheltered by the shield of congressional immunity.
It is ironical that we Senators can in debate in the Senate directly or indirectly, by any form of words, impute to any American who is not a Senator any conduct or motive unworthy or unbecoming an American—and without that non-Senator American having any legal redress against us—yet if we say the same thing in the Senate about our colleagues we can be stopped on the grounds of being out of order.
It is strange that we can verbally attack anyone else without restraint and with full protection and yet we hold ourselves above the same type of criticism here on the Senate Floor. Surely the United States Senate is big enough to take self-criticism and self-appraisal. Surely we should be able to take the same kind of character attacks that we “dish out” to outsiders.
I think that it is high time for the United States Senate and its members to do some soul-searching—for us to weigh our consciences—on the manner in which we are performing our duty to the people of America—on the manner in which we are using or abusing our individual powers and privileges.
I think that it is high time that we remembered that we have sworn to uphold and defend the Constitution. I think that it is high time that we remembered that the Constitution, as amended, speaks not only of the freedom of speech but also of trial by jury instead of trial by accusation.
Whether it be a criminal prosecution in court or a character prosecution in the Senate, there is little practical distinction when the life of a person has been ruined.
Those of us who shout the loudest about Americanism in making character assassinations are all too frequently those who, by our own words and acts, ignore some of the basic principles of Americanism:
The right to criticize;
The right to hold unpopular beliefs;
The right to protest;
The right of independent thought.
The exercise of these rights should not cost one single American citizen his reputation or his right to a livelihood nor should he be in danger of losing his reputation or livelihood merely because he happens to know someone who holds unpopular beliefs. Who of us doesn’t? Otherwise none of us could call our souls our own. Otherwise thought control would have set in.
The American people are sick and tired of being afraid to speak their minds lest they be politically smeared as “Communists” or “Fascists” by their opponents. Freedom of speech is not what it used to be in America. It has been so abused by some that it is not exercised by others.
The American people are sick and tired of seeing innocent people smeared and guilty people whitewashed. But there have been enough proved cases, such as the Amerasia case, the Hiss case, the Coplon case, the Gold case, to cause the nationwide distrust and strong suspicion that there may be something to the unproved, sensational accusations.
As a Republican, I say to my colleagues on this side of the aisle that the Republican Party faces a challenge today that is not unlike the challenge that it faced back in Lincoln’s day. The Republican Party so successfully met that challenge that it emerged from the Civil War as the champion of a united nation—in addition to being a Party that unrelentingly fought loose spending and loose programs.
Today our country is being psychologically divided by the confusion and the suspicions that are bred in the United States Senate to spread like cancerous tentacles of “know nothing, suspect everything” attitudes. Today we have a Democratic Administration that has developed a mania for loose spending and loose programs. History is repeating itself—and the Republican Party again has the opportunity to emerge as the champion of unity and prudence.
But I don’t want to see the Republican Party ride to political victory on the Four Horsemen of Calumny—Fear, Ignorance, Bigotry, and Smear.
I doubt if the Republican Party could—simply because I don’t believe the American people will uphold any political party that puts political exploitation above national interest. Surely we Republicans aren’t that desperate for victory.
I don’t want to see the Republican Party win that way. While it might be a fleeting victory for the Republican Party, it would be a more lasting defeat for the American people. Surely it would ultimately be suicide for the Republican Party and the two-party system that has protected our American liberties from the dictatorship of a one party system.
As members of the Minority Party, we do not have the primary authority to formulate the policy of our Government. But we do have the responsibility of rendering constructive criticism, of clarifying issues, of allaying fears by acting as responsible citizens.
As a woman, I wonder how the mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters feel about the way in which members of their families have been politically mangled in the Senate debate—and I use the word “debate” advisedly.
As a United States Senator, I am not proud of the way in which the Senate has been made a publicity platform for irresponsible sensationalism. I am not proud of the reckless abandon in which unproved charges have been hurled from the side of the aisle. I am not proud of the obviously staged, undignified countercharges that have been attempted in retaliation from the other side of the aisle.
I don’t like the way the Senate has been made a rendezvous for vilification, for selfish political gain at the sacrifice of individual reputations and national unity. I am not proud of the way we smear outsiders from the Floor of the Senate and hide behind the cloak of congressional immunity and still place ourselves beyond criticism on the Floor of the Senate.
As an American, I am shocked at the way Republicans and Democrats alike are playing directly into the Communist design of “confuse, divide, and conquer.” As an American, I don’t want a Democratic Administration “whitewash” or “cover-up” any more than a want a Republican smear or witch hunt.
As an American, I condemn a Republican “Fascist” just as much I condemn a Democratic “Communist.” I condemn a Democrat “Fascist” just as much as I condemn a Republican “Communist.” They are equally dangerous to you and me and to our country. As an American, I want to see our nation recapture the strength and unity it once had when we fought the enemy instead of ourselves.
It is
with these thoughts that I have drafted what I call a “Declaration of
Conscience.” I am gratified that Senator Tobey, Senator
Aiken, Senator Morse, Senator Ives, Senator Thye, and Senator Hendrickson have
concurred in that declaration and have authorized me to announce their
concurrence.
Text Source
CIVIL RIGHTS PICTURE BOOK
A visual representation of information used in cooperation with a thinking process, which results in a creative product. A visual project will aid thinking, capture information, promote understanding, and improve problem solving.
Pick a Topic:
| 1. Plessy vs. Ferguson 1896 | 20. Selma March/Voting Rights Act 1965 |
| 2. Muhammad Ali | 21. Jo Ann Robinson |
| 3. Jesse Owens | 22. Malcolm X |
| 4. Autherine Lucy | 23. Mahatma Gandhi |
| 5. NAACP | 24. Jackie Robinson |
| 6. W.E. B. Dubois | 25. Thurgood Marshall |
| 7. Frederick Douglass | 26. SCLC |
| 8. Marcus Garvey | 27. Booker T. Washington |
| 9. John Brown | 28. Birmingham Church Bombing |
| 10. Billie Holiday | 29. Roy Wilkins |
| 11. Rosa Parks | 30. Medgar Evers |
| 12. Barack Obama | 31. Mississippi Burning Case |
| 13. Ernie Davis | 32. Sit-Ins Greensboro NC |
| 14. James Meredith | 33. Claudette Colvin |
| 15. Jim Brown | 34. Martin Luther King |
| 16. Jimmy Lee Jackson | 35. Emmett Till Case |
| 17. Crisis @ Little Rock | 36. Freedom Rides |
| 18. Brown vs. Board of Ed. | 37. Diane Nash |
| 19. Cesar Chavez | 38. 761st tank battalion |
| 39. A. Philip Randolph |
Research the Topic:
A. Research and take notes on your topic. Do not cut and paste information, do not plagiarize information.
B. Cover who, what, when, where, and why.
C. Analyze the effects this person or event had on other individuals, groups, society, and or governments and nations. Focus mainly but not exclusively on their role in helping African Americans achieve civil rights.D. Be prepared to take a quiz on your topic. You will need to become an expert on this person, place, or event.
E. Submit a rough draft of your information on the following date: January 25, 2012
Create
a Picture Book or Slide Essay:
Draw a picture book that contains illustrations of the story covered in your research. Samples from previous years will be passed around for you to analyze. The work should include a cover page, and about 20 more drawings that convey the history and significance of your topic. Use the pictures to complement your story, don't write the story around the pictures. No stick figures should be used.
If you are not quite as artistic and would prefer an alternative assignment you may choose to create a slide essay with your topic rather than draw a picture book. This assignment requires you to include 20 photos, pictures, or drawings to accompany your summary of the topic. They should complement your story. You must include a work cited page with at least 3 sources!
Clip art Must not be used.
| Cover Page | 5 points |
| Neatness | 5 points |
| Punctuation, spelling, and grammar | 5 points |
| Collection of Pictures | 10 points |
| Coverage of the topic & translation in your own words | 20 points |
| Work Cited Page | 5 points |
This will be worth 45 points and will be due no later than: February 6, 2012
Interview 3 people. They should be at least 55 years of age or older. (Must be able to accurately remember what happened in 1963.) Ask them to answer and explain the following 3 questions:
1. Where were you when Kennedy was shot? How did you and others react when you heard the news of the assassination?
2. What did you think when Ruby shot Oswald? Why?
3. Do you believe in the Lone Assassin Theory or the Conspiracy Theory? Explain why?
Click for pix to the JFK Conference November 2006
The John F. Kennedy Library Foundation invites US high school students to write an original essay on the political courage of a U.S. elected official. You could win scholarship money and expense-paid trip to Boston. For contest information, registration and to submit your essay online visit the Profile in Courage Award Program at www.jfklibrary.org.
The
Cuban Missile Crisis Worksheet
- Intercontinental
Ballistic Missiles
- U-2
Planes
- Fidel
Castro
- Bay
of Pigs Invasion
- Nikita
Khrushchev
- Dean
Rusk
- Ex
Comm
- Robert
McNamara
- Dean
Acheson
- Adlai
Stevenson
- Robert
Kennedy
- How
did the United States discover the missiles in Cuba?
- Why
were the missiles in Cuba considered such a threat to the U.S.?
- How
were the missiles secretly transported from the Soviet Union to Cuba?
Government and military leaders like Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara and General William Westmoreland began a public relations campaign to convince the American public that we were making progress in the Vietnam war.
In 1968 these assurances were called into question when the VC launched the TET offensive. Most of the fighting was done house to house. Enemy snipers were a problem as they fired down on our troops from rooftops and in well covered holes. Civilians suffered heavy casualties.
Powerful footage of the severe struggle from behind the wall at the University of Hue was one of the most intense of the offensive. The Battle of Hue ended after 24 days as the VC were driven out of the city and order was restored.
Vietcong rebels left mass graves of civilians. The VC suffered 50,000 deaths in the TET offensive alone. American soldiers received 4,000 casualties in what appeared as a military victory but was considered a psychological defeat for the United States.
Americans were disheartened when popular evening news anchor Walter Cronkite announced that it appeared the Vietnam War could only end in a stalemate.
People were displeased with the draft, because of the several loopholes such as going to college and getting married could excuse people from going. Many famous people spoke out against the draft, such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Dr. Benjamin Spock, Muhammad Ali and Bill Moyers.
LBJ was challenged by Democrat Eugene McCarthy in the first primary. When McCarthy did better than expected Johnson announced he would not run in 1968. Protests against the war became more radical and violent. At the Democratic National convention in Chicago the police and protestors had it out as angry marchers shouted "the whole world is watching!"
Richard Nixon, Republican, won the presidential election of 1968 and called for peace with honor. Nixon calls for the "silent majority" to come forward and support the government and their troops fighting in Vietnam. The effect of this tactic only led to the country and it's people being more torn apart.
President Nixon fired up college activists when he secretly bombed Cambodia. This lead to a riot on the campus of Kent State in Ohio. Four students were killed and 9 others wounded. 500,000 marchers would later descend on Washington D. C. including Vietnam Vets who will throw away their medals to show their disgust with the war. Besides the many casualties of the war the effect of the TET offensive was that people began to think they could not trust their government.
Music in History: the 1960's. Extra Credit Assignment
3 Bonus Points - Vietnam Unit
1. Pick one song that relates to the social history of the 1960's. It may involve the Vietnam War, social unrest, pro or anti-government. It must have a message of protest or support, issue, or message oriented lyrics.
2. Write the lyrics to the song on a piece of paper or print them from the Internet.
3. Show the lyrics to the teacher for approval. (No foul language or suggestive lyrics will be permitted.)
4. You will be assigned a day to bring in a tape, CD, or mp3 of the song. Songs will be reserved on a first come first serve basis. I must see the lyrics before I will approve the song.
5. Play the song and display the lyrics to the class on your assigned day.
6. Describe or interpret the lyrics in detail. Review the song, include any historical or social significance to the song. How does it relate to class? Social, political, cultural meanings should be explained. Include a description of your favorite line in the song and tell why you liked it.
7. You will have until the end of our unit on Vietnam to participate. (One song limit.)
The Court-Martial of Lt. William Calley
If you missed the trial of Lt. Calley in class, you can make up the assignment by researching and answering the following questions. There is a link from this webpage to a site that will help you find appropriate information.
Questions:
1. Should we apply legal rules to incidents arising out of warfare? Explain your answer.
2. What should a soldier do when he is given an order that he thinks is unlawful? If Calley had been ordered to “waste” civilians, was he obligated to disobey such an order because it was clearly illegal?
3. How do you explain what happened at My Lai?
4. Which was worse—the massacre or the cover-up?
5. What relevance was it that atrocities had been committed against U.S. servicemen in the area in the days immediately preceding the My Lai operation?
6. Was justice done in the court martial of Calley?
7. What role did the media play in exposing the My Lai massacre and explaining its significance?
8. What was the public reaction to this trial? How do you explain this reaction?
9. What is the lasting significance of My Lai? Did it substantially change public attitudes toward the Viet Nam War? Has it changed how we prepare our soldiers for war?
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/mylai/
1970' s Museum
Interview 2 people from the older generation.
Brainstorm a list of 5 interview questions.
You make up the questions!
Here are some samples:
A. Were you ever afraid of nuclear war?
B. How did you spend your Friday and Saturday nights?
C. What movies, music, and TV programs did you like?
Interview 2 people, 5 points per person interviewed.
Due Date: May 16, 2012
Bring in an artifact for our 1970's museum!
Old magazines, newspapers, peace symbols, albums, mad magazines, yearbooks,
lava lamps, black light posters, baseball cards, etc.
The artifact will be worth 3 bonus points.(3,1,1)
Check out some of previous year's artifacts!
The Carter Administration Timeline
Create a timeline by putting the 9 following events from the Carter Administration in chronological order. Be sure to include a specific date, and a 2-3 sentence description of each event that explains it's historical significance. Due: __________________. Need help? See links @ the bottom of this page!
-
The Carter-Reagan debates
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Camp David Accords
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1980 Olympic Boycott
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Iran Hostage Crisis
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The Malaise Speech
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Carter pardons Vietnam draft evaders
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Three Mile Island accident
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The Bakke Case
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Panama Canal Treaty
The
Carter Presidency
1. Energy conservation was a prominent element of President Carter's national energy plan. Today, while conservation receives less attention than it did previously, new tensions in the Middle East make it potentially more important than ever. Think up two ways to conserve energy:
a. one should be a personal action (that is, something that you and your family can do to reduce your own energy consumption) and the other should be a
b.
political
action (that is, a change in government policy designed to reduce national
energy consumption. Discuss each of
them in turn to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses. How much energy might
they save? Would they be especially costly? In the case of voluntary changes,
would enough Americans go along with them?
2. Read about the Iranian hostage crisis, and explore the
special feature 444 Days, about the news coverage and
Americans' reactions to the crisis. Imagine that you are a senior advisor to
President Carter at the start of the hostage crisis. Write him a memo in which
you present at least three different options for handling the crisis and outline
the advantages and disadvantages of each option. Your memo should end with a
recommendation for the president to choose a particular option. (Remember that
this memo is being written at the start of the crisis, so you will not know
about any events that occurred later in the crisis.)
3. Read about the peace talks at Camp David and study the essay on Camp David's legacy. You may also want to examine the special feature, Brokering Peace, which describes the day-to-day events at Camp David. The following places have all been sources of dispute between Israeli and Arab governments: Sinai Peninsula, West Bank, Gaza Strip, Golan Heights, and Jerusalem. Prepare a report for the class that includes: (a) the geographic location of the place (each group should identify the place on a wall map); (b) the population of the place; (c) the circumstances under which the dispute over ownership of the place arose; (d) how this question was resolved (if it has been resolved) or the current status of the dispute. Discuss the following question: should Carter have sought a comprehensive peace agreement for the region rather than the approach he followed at Camp David?
America's Time Ronald Reagan Video:
Reaganomics - 3 point plan:
1. Fewer Regulations
2. Lower Taxes
3. Less money for social programs
America saw a dramatic escalation in violent crime. The decade of the 1980's would see a 33% increase in large part due to the spread of the dangerous drug "crack cocaine."
The Bonfire of the Vanities is a novel, but it is based on the same sort of detailed on-scene reporting as Wolfe's great nonfiction bestsellers, The Right Stuff, Radical Chic & Mau-Mauing the Flak Catchers, and The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test. And it is every bit as eye-opening in its achievements. It is a big, panoramic story of the metropolis—the kind of fiction strangely absent from our literature in the second half of this century—that reinforces Tom Wolfe's reputation as the foremost chronicler of the way we live in America. The novel of the 1980's.
Companies like Foodcraft Inc. of Williamsport, PA fought off a hostile corporate takeover attempt by corporate raiders seeking to buy up companies, take over, and soon sell off all of their assets, making a quick profit.
SDI Video Information
The initial winner in the bureaucratic battle was the Pentagon's leading theoretician and hawk, Richard Perle, who convinced the administration to adopt the zero option: the removal of all Soviet intermediate-range nuclear weapons from Europe and Asia in exchange for a U.S. promise not to deploy the cruise and Pershing missiles.
How did people of the former USSR remember Ronald Reagan? Well, first of all, they all remember him by coining the term "the evil empire." Such catchy phrase is still used nowadays. However, as far as foreign affairs are concerned, for a number of countries the US remains no lesser "Evil Empire" than the USSR once was.
Margaret
Thatcher was the United Kingdom’s first woman
prime minister. She came to office in May 1979 and remained until her
resignation in November 1990, making her the longest continually serving prime
minister in 150 years.
Mrs Thatcher is both admired and despised by many in her country: to some her
radical economic policies reversed decades of decline and reinstated Britain as
a major economic power on the world stage; to others her harsh economic policies
caused social friction and divided the nation.
Two key phrases of the Gorbachev era: "glasnost" (openness) and "perestroika" (reform). Hoping to shift resources to the civilian sector of the Soviet economy, Gorbachev also began to argue in favor of an end to the arms race with the West. He would give a speech at the United Nations offering to reduce his military arsenal.
Reagan Video Key Terms
| Ronald Reagan | Reaganomics(3 pt. plan) | Yuppies | Corporate Raiders |
| Space Shuttle | Apple Computer | Christa McAuliffe | MTV |
| AIDS | SDI | Contras | Grenada |
| Mikhail Gorbachev | Perestroika | Lech Walesa | Fall of the Berlin Wall |
Consider entering this essay contest for extra credit:
http://stosselintheclassroom.org/essaycontest.php