05 Jan Mechanics & Structure

Week 1 discussion

DQ1 Internal, Aftermath of WWII

Objective: Students will explore the end of WWII and how post world war recovery helped shape policy under the Truman Administration.

As World War II drew to a close, the death of FDR ushered in a new president and a new direction for Americans.

On April 12th, 1945 Truman assumed the Presidency

In July he was made aware of the Manhattan Projects successful nuclear testing. There after, Truman sanctioned the “atomic solution” to end the WWII.

August 6th, 1945, Atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and 3 days later, on Nagasaki.

Japan surrendered August 14th, 1945.

Dropping the atomic bombs not only had a catastrophic effect on the people of Japan, it also set Stalin’s agenda for post world war policies. Despite Stalin alliance with Great Britain and America during WWII, he was not privy to the decision to drop the bombs and he was not a recipient of American post world war relief aid. These factors coupled with differing agendas on post world war recovery caused a sharp distinction between the U.S and USSR.

Read Truman’s Inaugural Address from January 20. 1949 (from Week One Learning Resources)

1st Post: Taking into consideration his address and the economic, political, and social changes that occurred post WWII, what would you argue were Truman’s most significant challenges and forthright aims for the American society and why?

Be sure to include primary source material from your Learning Resources and also cite other references consulted.

Word to the Wise Start good habits but referencing your discussion rubric before you post to the discussions.

2nd & 3rd Post: Read over your fellow students posts. Select two that highlighted a different challenge or aim and counter, agree, and/or add additional information to extent the student discussions.

Be sure to consult the Discussion Rubric and strategies for participating in discussion topic from the course syllabus.

DQ2 External, Foreign Policy

Objective: Students will analyze U. S foreign policy that developed from the Cold War relations.

Post WWII, nations were no longer divided by Allie and Axis powers but by the threat of the Cold War and the balance of power between the east and western nations.

In 1945 the United Nations (UN) form in an effort to maintaining international peace and security, promoting human rights, fostering social and economic development, protecting the environment, and providing humanitarian aid in cases of famine, natural disaster, and armed conflict.

March 12th, 1947 Truman issues forth a doctrine announcing U.S assistance in supporting Greece against the threat of communist takeover.

The National Security Act of September 1947, mandated a major reorganization of the military and intelligence agencies in an effort to build up U.S defense domestically and abroad.

That same year Kennan formulated the policy of “containment,” the basic United States strategy for fighting the Cold War.

By 1948, Truman’s Doctrine on American support against the threat of communism lead to The Marshall Plan and directed its efforts to providing economic support to help stabilize post WWII countries in Europe.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was created in 1949 by the United States, Canada, and several Western European nations to provide collective security against the Soviet Union.

June 1950, under the auspices of the United Nations, U.S military troops were sent to South Korea to provide support against the threat of a communist takeover.

Read Truman and the Cold War, The Truman Doctrine, Kennan’s Telegram, and Marshall Plan and any other additional material under the Learning Resources and Course Resources under eReserves to answer the following discussions.

Week 2 discussion

DQ1 Internal, Ike’s Domestic Challenges

Objective: Analyze the presidency of Ike and the impact his administration had on the American society.

Using the Learner Resources (omit the Brown Vs. Board of Ed), answer the following question:

1st Post: What do you think were President Eisenhower’s greatest domestic challenges during his administration and how did these challenges take on a pervasive roll in American society?

2nd & 3rd Post: Read through your fellow students posts and select two that reveal different challenges. Make appropriate comments. comparisons, additions etc…

Be sure to consult the Discussion Rubric and strategies for participating in discussion topic from the course syllabus.

DQ2 External, Shaping Foreign Relations Through the Cold War

Objective: Assess new forms of Nationalism that formed out of self-determination and how the U.S shaped policy in response to the threat of Communism.

Use the Learning Resources listed under Week Two (omit the Brown Vs. Board document), Course Resources under eReserves, and the links provided:

What is Self Determination?

Self Determination

Nationalism, Ethnicity and Democracy: Contemporary Manifestations

1st Post: How do you think post WWII political ideologies influenced new forms of nationalism and what role did self-determination play in the spread of Communism?

2nd Post: Choose a region and answer the following question:

How did U.S foreign policy respond to the growing threat of communism in ……….?

Middle East

China

Asian-Pacific

Eastern Europe

Place this discussion under your first post.

3rd Post: Read through your fellow students posts before your answer the last question:

How did the concept of self-determination play a role in shaping foreign policy?

You can select a particular region or provide an overall assessment.

Be sure to consult the Discussion Rubric and strategies for participating in discussion topic from the course syllabus.

Week 3 discussion

DQ1 Human Rights or Civil Rights

Objective: Students will examine the development of the NAACP and how the organization raised Human Rights awareness within the Civil Rights Movement.

Post World War II the global community was forever interconnected and the issues of human rights were synonyms with democracy and self-determination. In fact, it was one of the core principles and purpose of the United Nations Organization. However, where people were held accountable for violating human rights all over the globe, here in America many southern black’s basic human rights were being violated. Racial segregation, disenfranchisement, and exploitation of “freemen”, despite the 14th and 15th Amendment to the United States Constitution, still existed in America. At the same time, the NAACP’s mission statement seemingly aligned with the UN yet in 1951 the NAACP charged the UN with a genocide ” against the negro people”. American’s were at odds with each other on the grounds of human rights and civil liberties.

Read the following:

1947- W.E. B. DuBois, “An Appeal to the World”

1948- The United Nations, “The Universal Declaration of Human Rights”

1951- NAACP, “We Charge Genocide”

1st Post: Examining these three documents listed and other resources made available to you in this module (or outside;), answer the following questions:

How do these documents demonstrate a shift from basic human rights to one of civil rights and liberties?

Questions to consider and/or incorporate into your discussions

Why does DuBois think the treatment of American Negros is disastrous to white American as well?

Why do you think the Universal Declaration of HR felt it was necessary to compare the functions of the UN with the treatment of “mankind” in general?

In the introduction to the document, how does Mr. Patterson define Genocide and how does it relate to the Negro citizens of the US?

2nd Post: Post this next discussion under your 1st and answer the question:

Why do you think the integration of “blacks” into a “white man’s” world meet with so much opposition and how could it have been different if they were accepted into society as equal?

This is more an opinion and does not need to include citation material unless your opinion derives from a specific source.

3rd Post: Read thought your fellow students posts and respond to one that views these issues thought a different “lens” than your own. Counter, ask for clarification/supporting evidence, extend, and/or debate but make sure you DO use supporting evidence to qualify your position.

Be sure to use the sources as supporting evidence when you formulate your discussions. Direct quotes are welcomed as long as you cite them in text and with a footnote (Chicago style)

See the discussion guide and rubric for further details.

DQ2 Separate but Equal?

Side PanelExpand side panel

Breadcrumb:

Discussions List View Topic

Settings Help

Search

Search W3D2: Separate but Equal?

W3D2: Separate but Equal? Actions for ‘W3D2: Separate but Equal?’

Subscribe

Hide Description

Objective: Students will examine various Civil Rights cases and evaluate how the interpretation of the 14th Amendment effected the outcome of the case.

Throughout the Civil Rights Movement the rights granted by the 14th Amendment were continually challenged within the southern territories of the United States. Using the sources provided in this module and under the Course Resources, focus on the issue of “separate but equal” and select a court case that reflects the changing interpretation of the 14th Amendment and how: based on the time period, state, context of the case, and outcome- prepare the following information:

Starting with the Constitutional language of the 14th Amendment, go to Cornell University Law school and read the 14th Amendment in its entirety: http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/amendmentxiv

Then look over: http://www.civilrights.org/judiciary/supreme-court/key-cases.html

1st Post: Select a case and post a summary to include the information/focus from the objective.

Include the title in your subject line and attempt to provide a variety of cases for the class to choose from.

2nd & 3rd Post: Read though your fellow classmates posts and select two cases (other then your own) to compare/contrast based on the time period, state, context of the case, and outcome. Don’t forget to support your analysis with quoted material from primary/secondary sources.

Don’t forget to look over your discussion requirements and rubric!

Week 4 discussion

DQ1 Internal, From Kennedy to LBJ

Objective: Students will compare and contrast the administrations of Kennedy and LBJ as it relates to domestic issues within the United States.

1st Post: In what ways did the administration of President Kennedy and President Lyndon B. Johnson respond to the (pick one topic) political or social issues of the United States? Were they similar or different? How and why?

2nd Post: Read through your fellow students first response and select a post that explores the same topic you selected. Add to, extend, debate and/or praise;).

3rd Post: In relation to the Civil Rights Movement, assess the effectiveness of Kennedy and LBJ’s response to desegregation policies and how they were valued by the American people.

Place your third post under your 1st thread.

Use resources, research and your knowledge of the period 1955-1970 to construct your response.

DQ2 Internal, The Counter Culture

Objective: Students will evaluate various social movements that developed from the 1960’s “counter culture” and explore the impact of revolutionary change among the American people.

The 60’s were a groovy time to be alive! The phrase “counterculture” gained it’s name out of societies negative response to the “status quote”. With economic prosperity from the 50’s, a Consumer Culture developed where commodities were affordable and consumers focused there spending primarily on the home and family life. A large part of the population wanted the “status quote”, moved out of the cities and settled in the suburbs where cookie cutter prefab houses lined the streets and every neighborhood child had a place to play. Additionally, where the post WWII generation rarely afforded an advanced education, the parents of the 50’s set aside money for there children to go to college. It is the children of the “status quote” that rejected the conservative culture of the 50’s. The children of middle class families were far enough away from the fears of global war and firmly in-bedded in the “counterculture”.

1st Post: The 60’s is all about a diverging society and a clash of cultures. Select one of the topics listed and provide a detailed summary that properly addresses this weeks objective: evaluate a social movement that developed from the 1960’s “counter culture” and explore the impact of it’s revolutionary change among the American people.

Women’s Rights

Sexual Revolution

Advertisement and Consumerism

Hippies and Flower Power

Free Speech

Experimental Drugs

Political and Social Activism

Music

Environmentalism

Civil Disobedience

War on Poverty

Do you have a movement not listed? Send me an e mail.

2nd Post: Post this next question under your first.

Based on the topic you selected and using the web site provided, identify the following:

The language used to relay change

The group or organization that became a vehicle for change

What or who is the movement targeting and why?

What social, political or economic opposition did the movement face. Why?

Use the information listed under the Introduction to this weeks module and this additional website. You may cut and paste the identifiable markers to complete this post.

http://terpconnect.umd.edu/~jklumpp/spch469a/move.htm

3rd Post: Read thought your fellow students posts and respond to one that views these issues thought a different “lens” than your own. Counter, ask for clarification/supporting evidence, extend, and/or debate but make sure you use supporting evidence to qualify your position.

Be sure to use the sources as supporting evidence when you formulate your discussions. Direct quotes are welcomed as long as you cite them in text and with a footnote (Chicago style)

Week 5 discussion

DQ1 External Cold War Report

Objective: Students will identify one of the top ten most critical moments of the Cold War and how the event shaped foreign policy in the U.S.

World War II had a profound effect on the world. Following the war, two opposing political ideologies emerged: Democracy vs. Communism. The United States was embroiled in a stand off that threatened the very foundation of Freedom. In an effort to contain or extinguish communistic takeover, the U.S engaging in another world war and the Cold War drove U.S. foreign policy for the next 40 years.

Assignment:

Select one of the events listed, research the topic and address the following criteria in your report:

Process for selecting your event: In the past I have pre-selected your event but I want all of you to choose for yourself in case there is something that may pertain to your Research assignment so it will be a “first come” basis. By Wednesday, any topic that is over posted (4-5 students selected the event already) will be off limits and you should look thought the list to select an event that has not meet the posting quota. This way, when you complete your 2nd and 3rd post you will actually have something to compare/contrast.

Define the conflict, cause, effect, resolution and impact of the event in relation to the Cold War.

Select two primary source document that reflects and relates to your report.

Use directly quoted information to support your analysis, identify the source document with Chicago style footnotes.

Provide a bibliography of at least 3 resources in addition to the two primary sources.

This list is not representative of the entire events of the Cold War but they are considered to be the top 10 causes, conflicts, circumstances and events that influenced the nationalist tensions on a global scale.

The Atomic Bombs of August 6th & 9th, 1945.

East Bloc of 1938 to 1948.

Israeli/ Arab Conflict began from 1948 to approximately 1969

Berlin Blockade from June 24- 1948 to May 12, 1949.

Korean War from June 25th, 1950 to July 27, 1953.

Sputnik 1 launched on October 4, 1957.

U-2 spy plane shot down May 1, 1960.

Berlin Wall construction begins on August 13, 1961.

The Cuban Missile Crisis October,1962.

United States enters Vietnam, 1962

Do you have one of your own? Send me an e mail for approval.

1st Post: Submit your Cold War Report

I provided a template for you to follow:

EVENT:

BACKGROUND:

CONFLICT:

RESOLUTION:

IMPACT ON FOREIGN POLICY:

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF RESOURCES:

2nd & 3rd Post: After reading over your fellow students Cold War Reports select two reports that are different from the one you picked.

Identify and explain the role America played in these events and how they contributed to the Cold War conflict.

You may have to do a little outside research to fully evaluate and answer this post.

Be sure to use the sources as supporting evidence when you formulate your discussions. Direct quotes are welcomed as long as you cite them in text and with a footnote (Chicago style)

DQ2 External, The Vietnam War

Objective: Students will explore different perspectives of the U.S involvement in Vietnam and how the war ultimately lead to social upheaval in America.

1st Post: Identify why the US got involved in the War (each of you will have a slightly different perspective or research findings/direction of your inquiry) and how did the US involvement in the Vietnam war heighten social tensions.

Think about these questions as you develop your answers:

Why did so many people in the US oppose the War?

How did the American people respond to the war: in the beginning, middle, and end?

What made this war so much different than the wars of the past?

2nd Post: Take a position, pick a side…whether you fully agree or not but stay on one side of the argument!

Did the United States of America belong in the Vietnam War?

3rd Post: Based on your fellow classmates 2nd post, respectfully engage in an open discussion. (opinion)

Word to the Wise: This is not a discussion based entirely on opinion so don’t forget to support your analysis with credible evidence.

See the discussion guide and rubric for further details.

Week 6 discussion

DQ1 Internal, Political Ideologies

Side PanelExpand side panel

Breadcrumb:

Discussions List View Topic

Settings Help

Search

Search W6D1: Internal, Political Ideologies

W6D1: Internal, Political Ideologies Actions for ‘W6D1: Internal, Political Ideologies’

Subscribe

Hide Description

Objective: Students will consider the terms Democrat and Republican and examine the political ideologies that evolved over time and how these policies created a polarized nation during the 1970’s.

It was not until the beginning of the 1800’s that the terms Democrat and Republican became the terms used to define political affiliation within the United States government. Even then, the terms Democrat and Republican held different meaning then what we have come to understand them to define in the 21st Century. Democrat used to mean “the party for the people”, tracing it origins to the Greek term demokratia which means a popular government and from demos we get the “common people,” kratos means “to rule”. Republic come from the Latin word res publica which translates to public interest and from res we get “affair” and publica means “public”.

Do these two terms equate to the same meaning in today’s world?

Through the course of American politics, the people who put forth political agendas have molded the minds of the American population towards a set of political ideologies. For the 1st 100 years of the United States of America, the political parties were defined as followed:

Non Partisan

Federalists

Democratic-Republican

Democrat

Whig

By the end of the Civil War, the terms Democrat and Republican were solidified in identifying two main parties in America’s political system but as America inched towards global hegemony, these two parties have taken on very distinct characteristics along clearly oppositional lines.Throughout the late 18th and early 19th century the American people witness great turmoil as they became embroiled in two major world wars, subsequently launched an offense on Communism and also turned to the domestic front to deal with the internal struggles of a country that began to doubt the political and social agenda within the United States. The 50’s were known as a time of economic prosperity riddles with social discourse only to be heightened during the 1960’s. By the 1970’s, Americans has begun to lose faith in their government as one president was impeached and the other lead the country into an economic crisis marked by weak governance.

It is no wonder the American people turned towards political discord because the 70’s represent an emerging polarity between the political ideologies of Democrats and Republicans. This polarized view took shape within the political administration and among the American people, creating a great divide that still resonates today: Liberal, Conservative, The New Right, The New Left…

Using the Learning Resources for week 6 (omit the links on Nixon and Vietnam and Phillis Schlafty) also include the links provided:

The polarized Congress of today has its roots in the 1970s

http://www.socialstudieshelp.com/APGOV_Political%20culture.htm

http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.umuc.edu/stable/40543225?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

http://us-presidents.insidegov.com/compare/4-7/Jimmy-Carter-vs-Richard-Nixon

1st Post: Identify one major event in the domestic presidency of Nixon (R) or Carter (D) that polarized Americans views on American politics and why the aligned party was disappointed in the standing president.

2nd and 3rd Post: Read through your fellow classmates posts: select two and make comments, corrections or suggestion that will extend the conversation.

Don’t forget to use the source material and provide in text citations to support your analysis.

DQ2 External, Forign Policy

Objective: Students will select an event/negotiation of Nixon or Carter’s involvement in foreign affairs to explore the complexities of US foreign policies.

1st Post: Select one event from Nixon or Carter’s foreign policy agenda, provide a summary and express to the class how this event/negotiation was viewed by the American policymakers and people.

Nixon: China, Vietnam or the Soviet Union (or one of your choosing)

Carter: China, Vietnam or Soviet Union (or one of your choosing)

Using the Learning Resources for week 6 (omit the links on Phillis Schlafty)

Additional Resource Links (but not limited to):

Carter:

https://www.whitehousehistory.org/teacher-resources/jimmy-carter-and-the-iranian-hostage-crisis

http://millercenter.org/president/biography/carter-foreign-affairs

https://history.state.gov/milestones/1977-1980/panama-canal

Nixon:

http://millercenter.org/president/biography/nixon-foreign-affairs

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/nixon-and-khrushchev-have-a-kitchen-debate

https://history.state.gov/milestones/1969-1976/rapprochement-china

2nd and 3rd Post: Read thought your fellow classmates posts, select two and make comments, corrections or suggestion that will extend the conversation.

Week 7 discussion

DQ1 Internal, Republicanism

Objective: Students will explore popular terms that came to associate the presidency of Reagan and H.W Bush, consider how they reflected the presidents time in office.

What is in a name? You tell me…

Americans become familiar with terms that are directly linked to the presidents/administration with which these names are coined under.

During Reagan and H.W Bush’s presidency many terms became popular fodder for the standing presidents and the media loved to popularize them in sound bites and attention getting headlines.

Select one of the terms listed (or if you have one of your own I may have missed;)

Please look over the terms already posted so we can reduce the about of repeats in the discussion!

Reaganomics

The New Right

The Moral Majority

Star Wars

Evil Empire

trickle-down

War on Drugs

voodoo economics

conservatism

Religious Right

“tear down that wall”

The Second Gilded Age

New World Order

Bush Triangulation

“read my lips”

1st Post: Provide background on the selected term to include the president/administration, how the term evolved, and what it meant to the American people.

2nd & 3rd Post: Read over your fellow classmates first post, select two and ask them the question:

How did this effect you and was it positive or negative?

Again, please look over the discussion posts and ask the question of two students who may not have been asked the question yet.

DQ2 External, The CIA, Reagan, and H.W.Bush

Objective: Students will examine the use of CIA intelligence and how Reagan and H.W Bush used this information to carry out their foreign policy agendas.

During the Reagan and H.W Bush administrations, the presidents utilized information from the CIA in very different ways.

According to John Helgerson a former CIA Officers and author of a book titled, CIA Briefings of Presidential Candidates: Getting to Know the Presidents 1952-1992: “Reagan brought to the presidency deep convictions about key national security issues and felt the need for only limited, very general intelligence information. Bush approached developments abroad as a pragmatic activist and expected from the Intelligence Community an unprecedented level of day-to-day support and detail. Both, however, received Agency officers warmly and were openly appreciative of their support.” (1)

Answer the following questions using the resources from Week 7, the links I provided and any additional research:

1st Post: Select a foreign event during the presidency of Reagan or H.W. Bush and describe how they utilized information from the CIA to determine American actions.

2nd Post: In your opinion and based on the information, do you think the president and/or the CIA acted in the best interest of the American people?

You can post this within the same discussion as your 1st post

3rd Post: Based on who you selected and the event you highlighted, read over your fellow students post and find one that expresses how these two presidents handled the CIA briefings and how they contrasted each other.

Additional Resource but not limited to..:

John Helgerson Book (see Chapter 6 for the information on “A Study in Contrast”)

https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/books-and-monographs/cia-briefings-of-presidential-candidates

Reagan

https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/books-and-monographs/our-first-line-of-defense-presidential-reflections-on-us-intelligence/reagan.html

http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/CIA/Reagan_CIA.html

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/drugs/special/cia.html

http://www.merip.org/mer/mer155/saudi-arabia-reagan-doctrine

Bush

https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/books-and-monographs/our-first-line-of-defense-presidential-reflections-on-us-intelligence/bush.html

https://consortiumnews.com/archive/xfile7.html

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/drugs/special/cia.html

http://spartacus-educational.com/JFKbushG.htm

http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Iraq/Saddam’s_Hidden_History.html

General Information

http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/CIA/CIA_ThirdWorld.html

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article41222.htm

Start a New Thread

Week 8 discussion

Clinton to Bush

Objective: Students will explore the political agendas from president Clinton and G. Bush and evaluate their relationship with the Senate and House of Representatives as they attempt to pass their legislative agendas though Congress.

A short history lesson on government:

Article I of the Constitution outlines the Legislative Branch of the United States Government to be comprised of representatives that hold seats in the Senate and the House. The Senate has 100 seats, two for each state and the House of Representative seats are determined by state population, totaling 435 elected members. The House of Representatives serve two year terms and the Senators serve a six year term which means that the terms stagger and every two years approximately 1/3 of the members of Senate are up for election in January. Out of these 535 people, each representative holds either a republican or democratic (occasional we see an Independent) party affiliation. The relationship between the standing president and the total representation within Congress create a very unique and often times tenuous experience for the American people when there is discourse due to political alliances (R/D).

Under Bill Clinton (D) the assembly of the 103rd to 106th United States Congress convinced which means that political majority in the Senate and House shifted like this:

103rd: Senate/House D majority

104th: Senate/House R majority

105th: Senate/House R majority

106th: Senate/House R majority

Under G.W Bush (R) the assembly of the 107th to 110th United States Congress convinced which means that political majority in the Senate and House shifted like this:

107th: Senate 50/50 & House 50/49 with an Independent swaying towards D

108th: Senate/House R majority

109th: Senate/House R majority

110th: Senate 49/49 with two Independent swaying towards D & House D majority

What does all this mean?

In America,the relationship between the standing president and members of Congress are directly linked to how successful he/she is able to project a political agenda and to pass legislation. From 1900 to 2010, the United States of America’s experienced a roller coaster of legislation as the political pendulum swayed from republican to democrat and back to republican again. Both Clinton and Bush served two consecutive terms and both meet with fierce opposition as they tried to push their agendas through a primarily oppositional Congress. (Note: this is not an unusual occurrence but for this discussion it is being highlighted)

1st Post: Select one piece of legislation (domestic or foreign/passed or failed) from Clinton or Bush’s presidency.

Provide a short summary of the legislation and identify the political agenda set forth by the president, who sponsored the bill and why the bill was proposed.

Example: FDR and the New Deal, post WWI the nation was in need of economic recovery. As a democrat he saw the government as a way to facilitate change so he developed a slew of government divisions to promote jobs, infrastructure, support and domestic revenue…. etc.

Research how the bill was received by the presiding U.S Congress and include details about the relationship between Clinton/Bush and the standing Congress. Was there opposition? Why or why not…Did the bill pass without and issue? Why or why not?

Additional Sources:

Clinton:

https://clinton5.nara.gov/WH/Accomplishments/eightyears-02.html

http://us-presidents.insidegov.com/l/26/Bill-Clinton

http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/time/1998/09/21/clinton.congress.html

http://millercenter.org/president/clinton/key-events

http://partners.nytimes.com/library/politics/clinton-congress.html

http://clinton5.nara.gov/WH/Accomplishments/eightyears-01.html

Bush:

http://millercenter.org/president/gwbush/key-events

http://us-presidents.insidegov.com/l/39/George-W-Bush

http://www.studentpulse.com/articles/246/eight-years-twelve-vetoes-why-president-bush-chose-to-ignore-his-veto-power

This website is a data base for all the legislation passed through Congress. You did not have to go this route but I wanted to provide valuable search options for you:

Legislation of the U.S Congress Search:

https://www.congress.gov/legislation

Process for finding research:

Select your president, legislation and when Congress was presiding during that time. (or just go to the website and find a bill…any bill;)

Go to the Website titled Legislation of the U.S. Congress and on the left side you can narrow down your search:

Under All Legislation since 1979, Congress you need to select more which opens up the list of Congress by numerical order.

Check the box(s) of the # of Congress i.e. 107th, 109th…

Select Bill Type (Key):

H.R or S= house and senate bills

Under All Legislation check one or more options:

Failed on Chamber, Passed One Chamber, Passed Both 7 resolving Differences

Next, select the Policy Area & Chamber of Origin.

See what comes up!

2nd and 3rd Post: Read over your fellow classmates posts and evaluate the legislation proposed, the process and outcome in comparison to the issues you selected.

Assignment 1

Oral Presentation Guidelines

Students will hold an oral presentation on the subject of culture, literature, art, philosophy, or technology and demonstrate how these ideas defined history during the time of this course.

Students will select a topic and post it to the Oral Presentation Discussion under Week 1 so we do not have repeat presentations.

Students can receive an extra 5 points if they post a working thesis in addition to the topic.

Power-point format, 12 to 15 slides.

As per the content of the topic your presentation should include:

images and/or quotes which will serve as primary and secondary sources

maps

short videos

timelines

factual information on the topic

Slides need to be available on a flash drive or sent to me via LEO email PRIOR to your class presentation.

Two directly quoted and primary source documents need to be highlighted in your presentation, with analysis!

Chicago Citation and your total sources listed at the end of your presentation (that slide in not included in the total number 😉

Print out a copy of your presentation and hand it to be BEFORE you begin your presentation.

Presentation Rubric (100 points)

Student successfully interpreted and integrated materials into the power point presentation, with source citations. 30 pts.

Student clearly defined the main point of the presentation and highlighted information relative to oral presentation topic. 30 pts

Student fully explored the topic and brought relative information to the class which was not already provided in the learning resources or class lectures. 20 pts.

Student demonstrated a level of confidence in their presentation and knowledge on the subject being presented. 5 pts.

If a student does not present in front of the class they automatically lose 10 points

Student successfully created a power point presentation that was informative, interesting and held the audiences attention. 10 pts.

Student come to class prepared to present and with a copy of the presentation. 5 pts.

* Extra points if the student engages the class in an open discussion on the topic where knowledge is exchanged and ideas are shared.

Assignment 2

Primary Source Analysis

Instructions

OK, so what is a primary source?

It can be defined as anything created by someone involved in an event, about the event. For example, it could be a diary or a picture. These are the raw bits of history and we use them to understand the people and events under study. Here are resources to help you prepare for this assignment:

What are primary and secondary source documents and why are they so important to use when analyzing events of the past?

Primary and secondary source documents give historians a “first hand” account of issues contemporary to the time and place history is being made. Think of it this: Anne Franks diaries are primary sources, a biography written about her is a secondary source and you can even go so far as to say that an encyclopedia entry about her is a tertiary source. All of these sources are valuable to the time and place she was alive and they are all valuable when reconstructing historical events. Ya see, knowing how to read, annotate, interpret, and analyze historical documents is key in understanding historical events and ALL of your discussions are based on source document readings so understanding what they are and how to use them accurately is a very important element to this course.

I have provided some informational links and a few optional exercises that will help to understand more about source documents and how to use them in your discussions.

Why Study History through primary Sources?

How to Annotate and Understand the MAIN Points of a Source Document

Library of Congress: Teaching with Primary Sources (video and transcript) – definition of primary and secondary sources and why use primary sources http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6632

Library of Congress: Why Use Primary Sources http://www.loc.gov/teachers/usingprimarysources/whyuse.html

Library of Congress: Citing Primary Sources – Chicago style http://www.loc.gov/teachers/usingprimarysources/chicago.html

How do I find Primary/Secondary Sources?

Yale School of Law (Links to an external site.)

Fordham University (Links to an external site.)

Classics MIT Source Document Search (Links to an external site.)

BBC History (Links to an external site.)

Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Links to an external site.)

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Links to an external site.) (note citation information)

Recommended Primary Sources on the Web (Links to an external site.)

Library of Congress: Finding Primary Sources http://www.loc.gov/teachers/usingprimarysources/finding.html

National Archives: Finding Primary Sources http://www.archives.gov/education/research/primary-sources.html

How do I Analyze Primary Sources?

Library of Congress: Analyzing a Primary Source (video and transcript) http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6633

National Archives: Primary Source Analysis Worksheets – You will need the worksheets to complete the Primary Source Analysis assignment.

If you are having trouble working with the formatted pdf, cut and past the information into a word doc and fill it out.

You will not find any cartoons, posters, movie or sound recordings in the ancient world!

Primary Source Analysis Instructions

Find two (2) primary sources and (2) secondary sources that relate to your Document Based Analysis (DBA) on your chosen topic. In addition to filling out the worksheet from the National Archives you will also need to write an annotation linking the source to your DBA topic and explain how you will use the document in your essay and why.

For each primary source you find, create a separate entry that includes all of the following information:

The type of primary source (e.g. written document, artifact, utility item and so on).

Complete the worksheet in detail.

Write a narrative analysis of the primary source, using the information you collected on the worksheet

Explain how the item pertains to your topic

Create a bibliographic entry (as you would include it in your bibliography) for the primary source – in Chicago Humanities style

Rubric:

Each source analysis is worth 20 points (providing it is relative to your DBA)

Proper format, citation, and followed directions is worth 20 points

Submit your work as an attachment(s) via the assignment folder in Week 5 (under Content) or under Assignments (on the NavBar).

Assignment 3

Document Based Analysis

Utilize primary and secondary sources of information to construct an image of a important figure who lived during the time period of this course.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: Post your topic and working thesis to the discussion board by the end of Week Two. Worth 5 extra points if submitted on time.

Execution: What is a Document Based Analysis?

The purpose of writing a document-based analysis is for you to discover, interpret, analyze and utilize specific documents in order to address a specific topic. This type of writing parallels the writing in professional, scholarly history books: the writing is thesis-driven and evidence-based. It seeks to provide substantial evidence in support of a particular position that is established in the thesis. Keep in mind that your answer to the assignment’s question is your thesis. It usually appears in the first paragraph of the essay. Be sure to include all points that you will make in your paper in your first paragraph. A reader should be able to outline the rest of your paper just from the thesis.

The document-based analysis is like other academic writing in history in that it shows how the topic under discussion relates to the time period of your focus. You should, therefore, keep your focus on the documents’ historical context (rather than on contemporary issues) and seek to answer this question: Why did this topic matter to people at that time?

Your primary audience is your professor and perhaps your classmates. However, you should write with an academic audience in mind that is knowledgeable about history, but not necessarily a specialist in the documents you are analyzing.

A few more tips..

Evidence comes from the documents and should be used to support your argument. Analysis of how the documents support your argument is essential.

Explain the context of your evidence and avoid lengthy description or summary of documents. It is better to find a quote that illustrates the point that you want to make. Be sure to explain why or how the quote supports your argument.

Document Based Analysis is not opinion writing but a close examination of primary and secondary sources that provide supporting evidence and support the essay prompt as well as the thesis.

Writing Criteria:

Proper Chicago style format with full name, date, title and citations

4 to 6 pages but not to exceed 7 pages. 12 pt, normal margins, double spaced. The title and citation/bib page are not included in the page count;)

The use of at least 5 to 7 primary sources and secondary sources plus additional references. Usage of sources from each weeks discussion is strongly encouraged!

Evidence is used to support your analysis and link back to the thesis

DBA Rubric:

Content- 55 Points Possible:

Student clearly understood the assignment prompt. 2 pts.

Student utilized the assigned number of resources and included SOURCE DOCUMENTS from the discussions. 5 pts

Demonstrated a solid understanding of material through higher order thinking, research and class content. 20 pts.

Created a solid thesis, in bold, followed in a clear and easily identifiable process throughout paper! 10 pts.

Content is appropriately used to buttress every point with examples that support the thesis statement. 10 pts.

Correct integration of quoted, paraphrased, and statistical material into paragraphs with the proper Chicago Style in text citations, foot notes, and bibliography. 8 pts

Analysis and Logic- 35 Pints Possible:

Analysis is fresh and exciting, posing new ways to think of the material and novel connections are made to outside material. 2 pt.

All ideas in the paper flow logically; the main point are easily identifiable: from paragraph to paragraph. 10 pts.

Creates a succinct pattern of understanding that clearly links evidence in the paper back to the thesis statement! 18 pts.

Presents essay from a historical perspective and in a formal voice.5 pts.

Mechanics & Structure- 10 Points Possible:

Excellent transitions from point to point. 2 pts.

Paragraphs are structured correctly. 2 pts.

Good sentence structure, grammar, and diction, few punctuation and (minor) spelling errors. 2 pts.

Expanded vocabulary and avoids redundancy and repetition of ideas. 2 pts.

Followed citation format criteria completely. 2 pts.

Word to the Wise: wikipedia, blogs, and any website with pop up adds are usually not credible. Follow the CRAAP test when searching for credible sources: credibility, authority, currency, accuracy, purpose, and relevancy before citing the information in an essay.