Wed 9/30

Test day for US history, bring notebook materials tomorrow

Econ-organized notebooks for first turn in.

Tuesday 9/29

Economics-Took first test of year. Turned in study guides

US History-Finished looking at Bill of rights and then reviewed for test tomorrow

Monday 9/28

Economics we reviewed for the test tomorrow.

US History, We looked over our first quiz of the year and started looking at the Bill of Rights. What it means and how it impacts us today.
Bill of Rights handout

Friday 9/25

All classes went to a seminar on what is taking place in North Korea. US History and Economics has a test on tuesday.

US history study Guide
US Study Guide

Econ Study Guide
Study GUide

Thursday 9/24

Sorry if you were eagerly awaiting this update. It came a little late

US History: We spent the day looking at the debate over whether America should adopt the new Constitution. The debate raged between those called Federalists and Anti-Federalists. The Federalists wanted the new Constitution and the Anti-Federalists did not. This would be the birth of the first two political parties in America. They centered on whether the states or the government should have more of the decisions and rights. Test on Tuesday
Federalist and Anti Federalist

Economics: We wrapped up the first unit by looking at centrally planned economies and the positive and negatives of them. True we typically think communism and socialism is terrible. Though we have every right in America to agree with that, there are still people and nations who feel it has many positives.
Notes from Thursday

Wednesday 9/23

US History: We looked at what is in the Constitution, America's law. It has lasted the test of time, and is still in existence today. It established things we think of as normal now like a President and two branches of government. It also separated our branches of government into 3 branches so that it could keep them in check.
Class Reading and Work

Econ: We looked at Chapter 3 section 4 in textbook on safety nets. Students had to find the safety nets the government provides and describe them. Overall in class we looked at how safety nets are in place to help Americans who fall on hard times. Though they are abused at times and taken advantage of, they are a good things to those who are in need. It is a difficult balance but allows hopefully to help those who do things like lose their job, or have economic difficulties.

Tuesday 9/22

US History: We discussed the questions from yesterday. Trying to make sense of the issues and the results of the Constitutional Convention. At the end students looked at some of the results with the reading. Students then wrote a small summary of the Virginia Plan, New Jersey plan and Connecticut Compromise.
Reading

Economics: Students had quickwrite 6: Why does the government pay for fire and police but not ambulances? Why does the government pay for roads and sidewalks but not driveways? What would happen if the government told the people to pay for it if they wanted these things? Would you prefer this if they lowered your taxes so you had extra money to pay for it.

We then discussed Public Goods, Free Riders, and Externalities. I would strongly recommend those not there to read chapter 3 section 2 in the textbook. 

Monday 9/21

US History: Students took on the role of representing one state in the constitutional convention. They had to pick a state and then do a little research about it. (if making up use 1790 census on wikipedia for your research). After this they had to look at key issues of the convention and try to speculate how and why their state would react, based on the information they have found.

Convention handouts : Issues to read    Questions

Econ: We had a quickwrite and had notes. The topic was how America's free market works. Why it is important to have a little government intervention in our free market system.

Quickwrite 5 and notes

Friday 9/18

US History: America had to set up it's new nation. It new certain things it wanted to avoid, and certain things it wanted to include. The articles of confederation were America's first draft for our country. It was weak, but certainly nothing like Britain. While it had problems, it took Shay's rebellion for people to consider changing it. In class we looked at the weaknesses of the country and what the big deal was with Daniel Shay's rebellion(from wed classwork).

Notes: Articles of Confederation

Economics-We reviewed answers of what different countries with different economic systems look like.

Video clip from class about what markets are important and why we specialize in one or two things for efficiency.

Thursday 9/17

US History: We had our first quiz of the year. This took up most of the class period.

Economics: We looked quickly at yesterday's class work. We then took the free market, mixed market, centrally planned market idea and examined real life countries that reflect those ideas. Can we see patterns in examples of what it is like to live in these different economies.

Handout of comparing countries:
Comparing Economic Countries

9/16 Wed

I was out with a district conference today.
Econ: had a book assignment from chapter 2 section 3 and 4(if absent need to ask for handout)

US history: They were supposed to imagine a situation where you would be creating a new nation. What struggles would you have? What things would need to be put in place? The second part assigned was about Shay's rebellion. It was one of the first big issues America will face with it's new country.

Classwork:
Shay's rebellion
Teenage World

9/15 Tuesday

US History Students continued to look at yesterday's assignment on how we won the war. After that we had one slide of how the war ended with the British help. By 1783 we were finally a new nation. The difficulty would now be how to set up a new country. Quiz on thursday!

Econ: Continued looking at economic systems in particular the free market system of America. Examples are the pope tickets being sold in NY. Is this right or wrong? We also looked at how we have extreme wealth and extreme poverty in a free market. In the beginning of class we reviewed the invisible hand idea from yesterday's homework.

Monday 9/14

In US history we reviewed the Dec of Independence questions from Thursday. Some important notes are the connection between the Enlightenment ideas and America. Much of what John Locke said about rights and equality was included by Jefferson. At the end of class we looked at when the American Revolution began in 1775. The fighting started a year before the Declaration was signed. Many still hoped to avoid a full war though. We watched a clip of the first shots of the war, then began looking at how America was able to win the war against a nation as strong as Britain.

Revolution Handout


Econ:Quickwrite: —How do you think competition makes you better? (sports/business/academics ect..) Why is it important in business? If I had 7 A’s, 7 B’s, 7, C’s, 7 D’s, and 7 F’s to give out this semester. And you were simply competed against your classmates for those 7 spots in every grade. Do you think you would do better or worse? Why?
Began discussing Economies of Chapter 2. Students had to read page 33 and try to illustrate what Adam Smith meant and was trying to show about how a free market works by analyzing his "invisible hand" idea. 

Friday 9/11

US History: We looked at 9/11 and how the date has shaped the world. Below is a video clip which sort of inspired discussing it today. As time goes on we tend to forget what and why this event happened. The bottom clip was just a great look at how intense the action was the day of. 

Students also had 

Quickwrite 5 which asked Why 9/11 happened, How has our world changed since then and to compare 9/11 to Pearl Harbor. 

Video from NYU dorm

Econ: We looked at Chapter 1 Section 2. Costs and Thinking at the margin. There was quickwrite 2, notes and an in class assignment. (to be posted)

Thurs 9/10

US History: (the notes from yesterday's post included the notes from today).
We reviewed why loyalists thought breaking free from America would be a bad idea. We also began to talk about the decision to declare Independence. Lastly students looked at part of the D of I and analyzed some simple things from it.
Reading on Declaration of Independence and Questions

Econ: Finished their business ideas from yesterday.

Wed 9/9

US History: We continued with the notes from yesterday. They are included here. We are basically reviewing the work from last week. It also contains the Quickwrite from tuesday.
Notes and Quickwrite from Tuesday

Econ: We began looking at a couple of key ideas and terms from Chapter 1 Section 1. The final slide has the assignment students did in creating their own business as an entrepreneur.
Econ Notes and assignment

Tuesday 9/8

This blog will be split often with US History and Economics material. Just make sure you are reading the right section.

Economics: Syllabus that needs to be signed and returned.
We began to look at the beginning of what Economics means. Quickwrite # 1 was:
How do we determine what something is worth? Why do things cost money?

I had an Arnold Palmer Arizona and asked what is it worth to you? What would make it more or less valuable?

US History:
We began reviewing and going over the things done last week. We also looked at the Boston Massacre and how the event was largely influenced by the propaganda of Paul Revere. There was  quickwrite on it.  Notes to be updated later.

Friday 9/4

To be loyal, or not to be loyal? That was really the question of the time. Things should be back to regular class come Tuesday thankfully. Until then the last thing you will be looking at this week and early next week is the debate over what the colonists should do? Things have been growing apart between Britain and America but what does that mean? Do they really try to challenge the greatest nation on the planet at the time. Great Britain would essentially squash any country in the world. They had colonies and territories all over the world, how dare America challenge their authority. The colonists were split. Most people living there you have to remember were born in Britain or at least consider themselves British. It would be a difficult decision to do anything crazy, especially knowing it could mean death for themselves. Two major groups formed. Those called "Loyalists" who were simply Loyal to the King and Britain. On the other side were Patriots or Rebels, those that desired Independence. You are looking at the big debate between the two. Common Sense was a small pamphlet by the way that was HUGE at the time. It was the Harry Potter/Hunger Games/Twitter of its day. Though short it was powerful, and gave arguments for why America should become its own country. In the words of Thomas Paine it was common sense to break free. He did his best to convince colonists to agree with him. Have a good 3 day weekend!

Loyalists (IGNORE THE QUESTIONS ON THE 4th PAGE) Use the ones you have if you guys get that far
Correct Questions

Thursday Sept 3

Yesterday and probably part of today you were looking at the widening split. The next part of the split that I want you to look a little closer at is one of the many taxes the British put on the Americans. We will review this next week but there was a good argument why the British had to tax America. Imagine for a second Puerto Rico gets attacked tomorrow by Cuba. They could be conquered but America sends down our military to help them. It ends up costing America 200 billion dollars but we are able to save Puerto Rico from invasion. Would America not ask Puerto Rico to at least help pay some of the costs of saving it? Great Britain had just won a war against France to keep and protect America. All Great Britain was doing was asking us to pay our share of the war. Thus began the beginning of Britain trying to tax America over and over again. The tax that angered colonists more than any other was the Stamp Act. It essentially taxed many things the colonists bought and paid for. Letters, Newspapers, Licenses, Death Certificates. It was one of the many things that led to the snowball growing larger and larger and larger.

I was going to have you write down a few slides but we will save most of it for next week. In your notes section I do want you to write down the following:

I. The growing snowball leading to America's Revolution
    A. The Enlightenment
    B. The Great Awakening
    C. The results of the French and Indian War
    D. The start of taxation

Reading of Stamp Act