Interview comments

Hi everyone, I have briefly looked at a few of your interviews but have not yet watched ALL of them! We will highlight some in class as we get time. Thanks for trying to use technology for this interview project. It was/is a learning experience for all of us. As we (teachers) are encouraged to integrate more and more technology into our classes, I figured this would be a fun way to get you online and begin posting your work online. As time moves, I am sure we will only get better and better. And more comfortable. 

So, here is a bit of my father's immigration story for you. He was born in Indonesia to a wealthy father and mother. My grandmother was French Indonesian and my grandfather was Dutch Indonesian.  During this time Indonesia was struggling for independence from their foreign rulers, the Dutch. My father tells how the people really hated his family and it became harder and harder to go out without endangering their lives. I have pictures of my dad in a dress with his personal nanny, all in front of the huge mansion. My dad does not remember this time as he was too small. His parents took the family to Holland to live. There, they were considered to be Indonesian and again were not fully accepted. While most of the family money was lost in the move...their wealth was mostly in land, which they obviously couldn't take with them. My grandfather had dreamed of moving to America so he put his family on the lottery system. This worked under a quota system as we have discussed in class. Every year a certain number of people were chosen to immigrate to America. After 11 years of waiting and hoping they finally were able to move here. They went through New York to then cross the country to get to Venice, California. 

My dad was put into St. Monica's in Santa Monica. No one spoke Dutch so he and his siblings had no choice but to learn English. But his parents were not as quick to learn. My father took great advantage of this as he ditched class to nap in his neighbors houses as they were away at work. He wrote notes and tricked his parents into signing them to excuse him from school. It took almost two years for everyone to catch on and for him to get kicked out of his high school. He was happy about this as he then could attend Venice High with his "hot" neighbor. (ends up being my mother) He succeeded (mostly because he got my mom to do all his homework for him) and went on to marry and have two WONDERFUL children. wink wink. 

Alright, enough for now, hope you have a good night. See you tomorrow. Don't forget we will have an immigration quiz on Friday.

Mrs. Spotts 

Interviews here...

Hi everyone! You can post your interview links to the comment area of this post. Remember, you can email your links as well. The interviews are due on Dec. 1, any time before midnight. 

Have a happy Thanksgiving! 

Mrs. Spotts

Clever funny

Hi all (three of you who are checking here!) I am figuring that I might add some pizzaz here for the sake of getting more of you to check every day. So, to start, just something frivolous for the last of my two prizes. (the handful of peppermint patties, OR the fabulous locker mirror!) 

 Add a link to a political cartoon about immigration (past or present) to the comments section of this post. I will pick a name from whoever does this for the first choice of these really outstanding prizes!

Starting tomorrow I will have another contest, but this time it will be for some extra credit points. You will have to gather all your friends together for this one so be ready. I will post the directions tomorrow to the little game. 

Now, just to remind you of our class today, we worked on political cartoons that gave a look into the opinions of people at the turn of the Century on this topic. Which was your favorite? Be ready to get your drawing arm to work tomorrow as we will be making our own cartoons in class. 

Mrs. Spotts

Hunter...take II

Hi Hunter! You out there? 

Ok all, we are on Immigration at the turn of the 2oth Century. You should know why the people were coming. Where they were coming from. How they came. And finally, what they did once they got here. 

Vocabulary for the day (something new for you!) Quotas, tenement houses, pogroms

Alright. I am sure you need to get back to America's Next Top Model, or something equally as interesting. ;)

Til tomorrow!

Mrs. Spotts

Hi Hunter!

Ok, since Hunter is the only one reading this as far as I can tell, maybe I should just personalize this to be just for you! ;)

I said I was going to write, so here I go.

Do you have any ideas for your immigration interview?  If you are interested, I have seven students in my Third Period that have been in the United States for less than a year. You are more than welcome to come in and claim one to interview! 

Now, can you remember how many people immigrated to the United States during the world's largest mass movement in history? Whoever can post the answer to this first can have a choice of the following (fabulous) prizes! 1. locker mirror (gotta look fab at all times people!) 2. handful of peppermint patties (as many as you can grab!) 3. the rest of the bag of Hershey's Kisses, depends on how many I eat as I am writing this! 

Good day to all, do your homework, be nice to your parents, complete your chores, and sleep well! ;)

Mrs. Spotts

Ladies are in the House!!! ;)

Ok, are you getting sick of that? I didn't think so. So I will continue. (wink)

You should have completed your Bill of Rights study cards with explanations and pictures. There are ten in all. (but you would know this...right?)

Our study of the Constitution is coming to an end, but be sure that you put your time in to study this as it will continue to come up through this class, in your Gov classes next year, and of course, throughout your life as you enjoy the rights you have as Americans. (can you hear that background music? I think it is the Star Spangled Banner!) 

I hope everyone has a safe and productive/restful/fun weekend.

Mrs. Spotts

Hi Ladies!

Your test is graded. Please check your grades on Parent Connect. I will do make ups for those absent and therefore I do not pass back scantrons. 

As we are discussing our Constitution, be forewarned that our next quiz will cover what we are studying, AND will include memorizing the Bill of Rights, that is the first ten Amendments. If you need a head start to memorize, make your study cards now!! 

Bright, white, and lots did fight....

Ok, so I added that last bit after thinking of some ways to have a new rhyme. (remember many of the Framers did fight in the war?)

News of the day was that we will have a test on Monday. It is my absolute least favorite day for a test, but you all seem to like the idea so you win. We will spend tomorrow finishing up and reviewing. Come ready with questions. Bring your workbooks to review. And be ready to learn what the electoral collage is. Ok? Ok. 

Mrs. Spotts

It's been a while...

Hi people! Sorry I have been away from this! As some of you know, I was administering a test for three days last week and that left me away from the classroom. Also, unfortunately, my family is moving through some hard times as our nephew has been in a terrible accident. I appreciate the well wishes that many of you have offered.  As there is more information, I will give it to you here instead of at school as I am such a baby and get too emotional talking about it! As of now, Chris is slowly coming out of his coma, but it is apparent that he has brain damage. We are happy to say that he is able to smile, but so far there is little body movement and no talking. We are all hoping that he will have a full recovery. 

So, I am back here now and hope that this site continues to support your classroom learning. 

Here is an update for the day:

Review for our test that will take place on Friday. We will cover colonization all the way through the Constitution. 

Today we discussed the problems with the Articles of Confederation along with its successes. What is the one thing that many historians believe is the biggest success under the Articles?

There is no homework if you finished your workbooks. But do be prepared to turn those in on Friday. 

See you tomorrow! We will discuss the Constitutional Convention...good stuff!! ;)

Mrs. Spotts

Say You Want a Revolution

So, we are beginning our study of the Revolutionary Period. We will begin with a film. This will be good as I have a conference tomorrow during 5th and so we will have a sub. I will follow this film with discussion and then we will move to our study of the Constitution. 

See you in class tomorrow if you are in 4th, Wednesday if you are in 5th.

Mrs. Spotts

Trivia Time! (again!)

Ok, since Google exists, you are too fast. I am going to give a second bonus question to you, same prize, same rules. 

As you learned, there were many forms of religion being practiced in the colonies. Because of this, celebrated holidays differed from colony to colony. But there were four that most did agree to celebrate. Can you name all four? Please include the dates that they were celebrated.

First to answer wins!

Mrs. Spotts

Trivia time!

Ok all you scholars out there! Here is your trivia question...

When Pocahontas went to London she was given a special gift. What was it? Who gave it? And post a link to the picture of it. (really that is two questions and a task...but the prize is so fabulous that you will have to work for it!)

Ready? First one to post the correct information wins!

GO!

Have fun everyone! and I will see you tomorrow!

Mrs. Spotts

ps, and don't forget to remind your parents about Back-to-School Night!

Anyone want to play?

Just for fun today. All I ask is that you remind your parents about Back-to-School night on Wed. at 6:00. That's all! I have to also remind anyone who would like to re-try the USA map quiz to come at lunch. Knock because sometimes I am there with the lights off. Taking a nap. Haha. j/k

Ok, so all you have to do to win a fabulous prize today is to add a comment to this post by midnight! I will pick a winner in the morning.

Good luck!

Mrs. Spotts

I take away my "hi" to Savannah...

and say "hi" to Sara instead. Oh, and hi to Carloline too! ;)

And finally, don't forget to do your essay!!! I am fine if you don't type it, just be sure it is neat enough for me to read without a struggle. Ask here if you have questions. I will check in from time to time.

Bye for now,

Mrs. Spotts

The questions....

So, I just have a minute, I will give you some questions to think about before your head hits your pillow though....

What is one difference between primary and secondary sources?

What is historical interpretation?

Who authored the Dec of Ind?

Ok, and one more since you guys are so great...What is an artifact? (be able to identify an example)

See you tomorrow!

The Quiz....

is tomorrow!! (Friday) Ten questions on "Intro to History" and a USA map quiz. I am going to post some questions from the quiz here when I get a chance, so if you are not seeing them now, check back. They will be added as soon as I get a minute to decide which questions I want to post for you....;)

Mrs. Spotts

And the winner of our 1st contest is....

Jisoohan!!!!!!

Good for you! See me in class for your prize!

Mrs. Spotts

Such a challenge!

Hi there! I hope you were geographically challenged in class today. ;)

This is a reminder that if you want to be entered in the contest to win a fabulous prize, you must comment to the below post no later than 11:59 tonight, Sept. 12. Do not comment to this post for the prize, but you can comment just for the conversation if you would like. As some of you know I randomly check in so maybe I will be in where you are and we will say "hi" to each other! How fun. Also, add any questions that you have and I will try to answer all of them. 

Ready for your Essay Question? ........... I knew you would be. So, here it is:

Write a five-paragraph essay that answers the following question:

Have Americans lived up to the ideals expressed in the Declaration of Independence?

Your essay must include the following elements:

1. An introduction, including

• a hook that creates interest in the topic of your essay
  
• a thesis statement that clearly states your perspective on the essay question
  

2. Three body paragraphs that each include

• a topic sentence that clearly states one argument supporting your thesis statement
  
• at least two pieces of evidence (visual details, facts, data, examples, or quotations) that support the topic sentence. For the first two body paragraphs, use evidence from Placards 2A through 2R. For the third body paragraph, use evidence from current events or from your own experience.
• a one or two-sentence explanation of how each piece of evidence supports the topic sentence or thesis statement.
  

3. A conclusion that includes

• a reworded version of your thesis statement
  
• a brief summary of your main arguments
  

Ok! That is it for now! I will be discussing "stuff" that goes with this essay question all week, so stay tuned!

Have fun this weekend!

Mrs. Spotts

The Question

Our essay question is going to be posted tomorrow as I have a little conflict with one little detail. Do not worry, I am going to give an extra day to complete the essays, which would mean that they will not be due until Monday, Sept. 22. Lots and lots of time. 

Anyone interested in a prize? Make a comment to this post between now and tomorrow (lots of extensions tonight!) and I (my kids) will pick a winning number to be announced on Monday morning. 

Did you begin studying your USA maps? I hope so. You will have a quiz on this soon so don't wait until the last minute. Look in the sidebars for a link to some games to practice.

Mrs. Spotts

Ok Blog Readers!!

If you are reading this, you are doing just fine here! Now. Ready? Today we covered the Five American Ideals that we will discuss throughout the course. Can you name them? Next, there is a little survey for you to take. Look to the right to find it. Questions #1 to #5.  Yes! You see it! Right there! Good. Now. Take that survey. 

Whew. This is a lot for after class. But there is more. If you did not post in the comment section of yesterday's post, do so after you finish reading this. That is the post right below this one. FINALLY...one more thing. You need to complete your homework. The two things are: 1. your Columbus pictures and 2. your Student Timelines (due Thurs.)

Have a great afternoon and evening. I will see everyone tomorrow!

Mrs. Spotts

Yes this is the place!!

To post your name and your interest that is. I am sorry it is late to be added, I ended up getting stuck by life getting in my way of me logging on here. 

Here is one goodie for you. I made a mistake in posting my date for your Timeline project. As you will notice, I have amended the mistake. Go check out the due date now...see it? 

Thanks Josh!

Josh came to steal my computer twice today. What a guy! 

So, I need to talk homework with you now. First the Student Timeline. You should have read the directions and you should begin working on it this weekend so that you don't wait until the very last minute. (Which would be 11:26 for 4th Period and 1:06 for 5th Period on Thursday, Sept. 10...not that you would do that!) You do need to know that I am expecting something that really looks pretty spectacular hanging on my walls or sitting on that back shelf area. I DO NOT want a lined piece of notebook paper with some sketched notes on it. You are more than welcome to use my paper, I have big, medium, small, and some colors. Look in the drawer marked "Paper" and just help yourself. You don't have to ask as long as you take it before or after class. Also, I am particularly interested in your future goals. I hope to see that you put some thought into that part of this project. Whether that is going to collage, moving to New York, taking a trip around the world, you decide. But do make sure to put the details of how this will happen. I will add some tips for future goals on the right sidebar so keep checking back.

Next, (this one is just for 5th Period) I forgot to collect your Class Information sheets with the signatures. Please leave them for me on Monday. It is a great and easy way to get some points! Plus I ran out of time to tell my story. So, instead of writing it here I will finish it on Monday in class if you remind me.

Alright students! Time for me to play "Crowns and Gowns" with my little girl. I hope she lets me be Sleeping Beauty this time. ;)

Have a fun weekend,

Mrs. Spotts

First problem...

Sorry but I am having a problem adding my links to the files for Class Info and Homework. I am going to contact my tech people and try again later...sorry again, hope you didn't misplace these papers from today!

Is this sign language?

So. First day fun, eh? My favorite question for the day was 20 minutes into a class a kid asked, "Is this sign language?" Which makes me wonder, did I use my hands a lot or something? Why else would the kid have sat there for 20 minutes? And just to give them a little credit, the Sign Lang. class is next door so they were very very close. ;)

What did we learn today students? ......cyber silence......

Ok. I will just tell you then. We learned that history is fun and great! Right? Ok.  If you didn't learn that yet, I will just let you in on what we really need to know from the day. What is a "primary resource?" What is a "secondary resource?" And why does history really matter? 

Don't forget that I gave you a Class Information sheet for your parents to sign. If you already lost it, or left it at school, or whatever, I have one linked on the first page of this blog. This is due tomorrow. And last but not least, read and get ready to begin your Student Timeline project which will be due September 11. Did you misplace that too? Well, I am feeling friendly and will post that here too. I will put that on this page. Look over there to the right...do you see it? Good. Now read it. And get ready to start it. Or start it now if you want. 

See you all tomorrow. See if you can post anything here. If you can't I will need to fix the settings tomorrow. 

Mrs. Spotts

Hello everyone!

Welcome to my blog! Hopefully you will enjoy this. After you have signed in and have been approved to post, you will have the freedom to add posts and make comments here. Please be aware that there are some rules to follow. This is not My Space so please don't treat it that way. This is hopefully going to be a "smart", clever, and fun area to chat about class. You are welcome to just read this without ever posting, but be aware that every now and then I will have contests here as well as little incentives. (like hints or even the actual questions for our Daily Quizzes) If you are an expert on all things blog-related, please let me know. I am quite the novice at this and can use the assistance of my tech savvy students!

Again, welcome to class. Glad you made it to C-3, and also glad you found the class out in the cyber world! 

Cheers, Mrs. Spotts