Influential American Project - Groups and Topics

PROJECT - The Most Influential American

On Friday, May 31 (the day of our final exam), we will have a tournament to determine who is . . .

The Most Influential American

in American History

Here are the rules:

• What is an American? For the purpose of this project, an "American" must be someone who did most of their significant life's work or accomplishments in America. Alexander Hamilton was born in the Caribbean, but there is little doubt that he is an "American." Albert Einstein fled Germany in 1933 to come to the US. He became an American citizen in 1940. Einstein made significant contributions to the US and the world. However, I would not consider Einstein an "American" for the purpose of this assignment.
• The Steve Jobs Effect. Steve Jobs is one of my favorite Americans, and his products and genius influence me every day. However, this challenge asks you to speak to American history. Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Beyoncé, and the like are risky choices because they don't yet have a long-term, lasting historical legacy. If some of their greatest achievements happened in your lifetime, I don't think they're a good choice for you. Although Beyoncé did have a pretty amazing half-time show at the 2013 Super Bowl.
• No POTUS. You may not choose anyone who has served as President of the United States. Too easy. Besides, you know Lincoln is my favorite American, and I don't want someone to win with Lincoln and then be accused of playing favorites. :)
• How the tourney works. There are 38 students in each class, so divide that in half and you have 19 groups. In order to have a proper tournament, you need to have 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 (and so on) number of teams. Therefore, we will have a wildcard round before the Tournament of 16. Those teams that get FIRST pick in the "person drawing" on Monday will get the reward of having first pick, but will also have the extra challenge of having to go through an additional wildcard round in order to qualify for the Tournament of 16.
  There are a total of four rounds (not including Wildcard): Opening Round, Quarter Finals, Semi-Finals, and Finals.

Sample Tournament Bracket here:

http://betterbracketmaker.com/#!/8710083317915

• Wildcard Placement. The last 14 teams to choose their American will automatically be placed in the Tournament of 16. The first 5 teams to choose their American will compete in the Wildcard Round. The theory behind this is that the first 5 teams had the greatest advantage because they got to choose their American first. In this round, we will hear arguments from 5 teams, and of those 5 teams, I will pick the top two to take the final two open spots in the tournament.
• Wildcard Round. The Wildcard Round will be unspoken. You should place the best of all the evidence you would plan to use for EVERY round on a single 8-1/2x11 piece of paper (front side only). As an alternative to paper, a digital copy may be substituted; it must be the equivalent of an 8-1/2x11 piece of paper. Based on that evidence alone (no oral argument or presentation will be made in the wildcard round), I will evaluate all 5 wildcard teams and judge which two teams I feel are the most prepared for the tournament. Those two teams will then enter the tournament as WILDCARD 1 and WILDCARD 2. The Wildcard entry must be submitted no later than the end of your class period on Friday, May 24. You may physically submit the piece of paper, or share your digital version via Google Docs. Do not leave class that day until you have confirmed with Mr. Ippolito that he has received your entry.
• Judging. Mr. Ippolito will be the judge of each tournament round. In each round, you must make different arguments and use different evidence than used in previous rounds. The strategy is such that you want to use enough good evidence to help you win the round, but not so much that you run out of evidence for the next round, should you advance. Therefore, the overarching strategy is that you should get to know your "influential American" very well. Very well.
• Arguments and Opposition Bashing. The best arguments will speak to the merits of your individual, and should avoid trying to tear down your opponent, or simply trying to prove why your opponent's individual is not as worthy as your own.
• Alternate Speaking. Each team of two people shall alternate speaking roles in each successive round. Teams may choose to tag-team during each round (allow each team member to have equal time each round), or may choose to alternate rounds (one team members speaks entirely in one round, and the other speaks entirely in the next round). If you choose to have only ONE team member speak during one round, then that team member is not allowed to speak AT ALL in the next round.
• Timing for each round. Timing shall be as follows:
• Opening Round (16 arguments total) - 2:30 each (40 min total)
• Quarter Finals (8 arguments total) - 1:30 each (12 min total)
• Semi Finals (4 arguments total) - 2:00 each (8 min total)
• Finals (2 arguments total) - 3 minutes each (6 min total)
• Technology/Visual Aids. You know that Mr. Ippolito is all about technology. However, for the sake of this project (and for the sake of time), you are not permitted to use as part of your presentation anything that requires plugging in (computer, projector, iPad, iPod, iPhone, etc.). You may use paper (of any size) or other non-electronic visual aids, so long as the setup and/or display of these visual aids does not take up additional time beyond your allotted presentation time. Also, any visual aids, or other aids used in the presentation of your argument, should not constitute an unfair advantage that your opponent could not reasonably have access to, or that would cost an unreasonable amount of money to obtain.
• Fairness and Unwritten Rules. I have some pretty smart and resourceful people in this class. Ultimately, there may be some unforeseen expression of creativity that I have not accounted for in the above rules. If you are unclear whether or not a tool, argument, or visual aid will be acceptable in competition, ask Mr. Ippolito in advance. Otherwise, I will have to render judgment at the time of the competition to determine whether or not it constitutes an unfair advantage.
• Grading Rubric. Grading will be based on two things: preparedness and presentation of argument. Every group should have some evidence of a prepared argument--points that you could make that could take you all the way to the final round, if necessary. Be prepared to share these materials with Mr. Ippolito at the conclusion of the tournament. Again, this is a rare moment when Mr. Ippolito asks that all evidence be on paper, so please have that ready the moment you walk into my classroom on Friday, May 31. There will be no additional time in class on May 31 for preparation of paperwork or materials. Wildcard Teams do NOT necessarily need to re-present your evidence, as you will have already done so on May 24. This project will be worth 50 POINTS.
• The Lone Wolf Clause. You didn't get to choose your partner. I chose for you. Therefore, if you have some disagreement or lack of communication with your partner, you can each prepare the project separately and be graded separately at the time the project is due (still working on the same "American"). This will make more work for each of you, but can be done.
• Absence. If you are absent on Friday, May 31, it is your responsibility to get your materials to me on or before the day the project is due. I will be submitting final grades for the course at approximately 12:45 p.m. on Friday, May 31, so please plan accordingly. A zero out of 50 will have a big negative impact on your final grade in the course.

All our Collaborative Presentations

Answers to today's final exam

AFTER 12:15 p.m. today, you can find the answers to the exam here:
http://www.twitter.com/IppAPUSH

Themes of AP US History

TimeGlider American History Timeline

Click here for the TimeGlider American History Timeline:
http://timeglider.com/timeline/ea27ac39bccda4dd

War review - 5/2/13

Constitution Review - 4/30/13

Essay Feedback - 4/26/13

Reagan DBQ - 4/24/13

Writing a good DBQ (Document-Based Question) Essay

From the College Board

Remember to follow these steps:

1. Read the question -- that is, the prompt -- three times. Remember that in this instance "AP" stands for "address prompt."
2. Identify the task. State in your own words what you are being asked to write.
3. Circle or underline the main words, especially words of direction, such as "analyze," "explain," "compare and contrast," "evaluate," "assess," and "to what extent."
4. Briefly outline the main events of the historical time period addressed. Unlike AP Euro, you will be expected to bring in outside knowledge into your DBQ.
5. Read each document, noting the source or the title. Briefly write the main point of each document. If the prompt requires you to take one position or another, group the documents on the basis of those positions.
6. Use the source or the title when referring to the information in the document. Do NOT use the word "document" in the narrative of your essay. (Writing "Document A says," "Document B says," and so on results in a laundry list of documents instead of an essay.)
   
   For example:
   DON'T WRITE: "Document A says that Ronald Reagan was ineffective . . ."
   DO WRITE: "According to an article from a December 1981 issue of Time magazine, President Reagan was ineffective . . ."
   
   DON'T WRITE: "The chart in Document H says that . . ."
   DO WRITE: "The U.S. Census Bureau reported that from 1981 to 1989, actual civilian employment . . ."
7. You may use the words (Doc A) or (Doc D) in parentheses as a reference to a specific document at the end of the information you have included from that document. These notes help you organize your use of the documents throughout your essay. Essential note to remember: Students write the essay; documents don't write the essay.

American Innocence Lost - 4/16/13

President Johnson's Daisy Girl Ad - November 1964

Cuban Missile Crisis: Three Men Go to War

Watch Three Men Go To War on PBS. See more from Three Men Go to War.

I Have a Dream and JFK Inaugural - 4/8-10/13

Two Speeches - 4/10/13

Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" Speech - August 28, 1963

President John F. Kennedy's Inaugural Address - January 20, 1961

Mean Center of Population - 3/28/13 (Minimum Day)

The Cold War - 3/26/13

Here's the Truman Doctrine reading, HERE.

Unit 10 Exam - 3/20/13

Please check the Digital File Cabinet for College Brag Sheet instructions.

APUSH Live! 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. TONIGHT!

7:00 to 9:00 tonight at http://www.todaysmeet.com/IppAPUSH

Japanese Internment - 3/18/13

The Arsenal of Democracy - 3/14/13

The New Deal - 3/12/13

Unit 9 Exam - 3/6/13

20s Debate - 3/4/13

Videos on the 1920s from The History Channel

Prohibition


The Harlem Renaissance

The Roaring 20s - 2/28/13

The Birth of Modern Conservatism

Read the Harding reading - "Return to Normalcy" and Reagan's First Inaugural and answer the question, "What is conservatism in America?"

Propaganda in WWI

Click here:

http://www.firstworldwar.com/posters/usa.htm

The Legacy of Woodrow Wilson - 2/22/13

Woodrow Wilson Museum Project

The New Museum Project

Woodrow Wilson

The West Coast does not currently have a single museum, monument, or library dedicated to Woodrow Wilson.  A piece of property has just been acquired in Los Angeles, and you have been asked to help design a 21st century museum dedicated to him.

Design the layout of the museum. What will we see on the walls?  What statues or other pieces are in the main hall?  How do the elements of this main hall reflect the life and values of the man to whom this museum is dedicated?  What galleries will be included in the museum? What will the outdoor space/gardens look like, and how will they reflect the legacy of President Wilson? Include at least FOUR elements you learned from your study of Wilson and include at least four colors in your design. Please place your design on an 8-1/2x11 piece of paper.

Do THIS project or the WWI Tabloid Magazine Project (one or the other). It is due on Tuesday, February 26.

America on the Eve of War - Tabloid Cover HW

It's 1917. The Zimmermann telegram has just been intercepted by British intelligence agents, and shared with President Wilson. News has now spread across the country of the communique from German foreign secretary Arthur Zimmermann and the American public is furious.

YOUR ASSIGNMENT: Design a modern 21st century tabloid-style magazine cover as though it were depicting the events of February through April 1917 on the eve of American entry into WWI (sometime between the interception of the telegram and Congress' formal declaration of war). It is due on Tuesday, February 26. Feel free to be creative, but you must include the following:

• An example of anti-Mexican, anti-Japanese, and/or anti-German propaganda
• A reference to at least two other events that led up to America's entry into the war
• A quote from the Zimmermann telegram
• A quote from President Wilson
• A reference to former President Theodore Roosevelt
• A reference to an American who is opposed to going to war
• Must be on an 8-1/2"x11" piece of paper (standard size)

Here are some tabloid magazine cover examples to inspire you:

The Progressive Era - VIDEO

The Jungle - 2/12/13

Upton Sinclair's Jungle and the Meat Inspection Act

Tony Montana and the Progressive Amendments

In the horrible 1983 movie Scarface starring Al Pacino, Pacino's character, Tony Montana, teaches the young Manny about how things work here in America. His quote, summarized is . . .

"First you get the money, then you get the power, then you get the women."

When we think of the Progressive Amendments, think of them this way:

"First you get the money, then you get the power, then you get the liquor, then you get the women."

This translates to:
MONEY - 16th Amendment (direct income tax)
POWER - 17th Amendment (direct election of senators)
LIQUOR - 18th Amendment (prohibition)
WOMEN - 19th Amendment (women's right to vote)

Labor Day in America

Triangle Fire - 2/8/13

Absent? You can download the handout in the Digital File Cabinet, and view "Triangle Fire" online at PBS.org here:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/triangle/

See the full gallery on Posterous

Unit 8 Intro - 2/8/13

Unit 7 Exam - 2/4/13

Best of Times, Worst of Times - 1/31/13

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The West - 1/29/13

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Historic and Racist Valentine Day Cards

Our study of the early 20th century is just around the corner, and so is Valentine's Day. BuzzFeed is featuring images from several antique Valentine's Day cards that demonstrate just how pervasive and accepted these stereotypes were at the turn of the century. Check it out here:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/leonoraepstein/15-unbelievably-racist-antique-valentines-day-car

How the Other Half Lives - 1/25/13

The History of Land-Grant Colleges

Tips for Saturday's SAT

Some of you may be taking the SAT this Saturday, January 26.  If you're taking it at Canyon High School, I'll be there too!  I have been proctoring the SAT for the past 16 years.  That means I'm one of the teachers that helps administer the test.  The College Board has "official" tips for you here: http://sat.collegeboard.org/register/sat-test-day-checklist

And having done this for many years, here are MY tips for you:

• Bring your admission ticket and photo ID.  There was a recent identity scandal last year (someone taking the test for someone else), so don't expect to get in at all without a photo ID.  Driver license or student ID are fine, but it MUST have a photo and it must be current (no junior high ID).  For an exact list of what is and is not an acceptable form of ID, check out "Test Day Checklist" at the end of this post.
• Know your test location.  I'm proctoring at Canyon High School (where most SCV students take their exam).  Get there early enough so you're not in a rush to find things.  By the way, if you're at Canyon your specific testing room will likely be posted on the C or D Building.  That's right in the front near the front staff parking lot.
• Find the right room.  Once all the rooms are posted (around 8:00 a.m.), make sure you find the room that has your last name for your test.  Pay attention to the difference! Remember, there are two different tests being offered:  the regular SAT and the SAT Subject Tests.  If you're looking too quickly, you may find your part of the alphabet for the wrong exam.
• Bring a #2 pencil.  Actually, bring a few, and have them pre-sharpened.  The College Board does not allow you to use a mechanical pencil (the thin lead was ripping through the answer documents so they banned them), so you MUST use a good, old-fashioned wooden pencil.
• No cell phones.  Period.  The temptation is so strong to constantly check our phones--to check the time, see what we've missed, who's called, texted, tweeted, Facebooked.  If you are caught even looking at a cell phone while you are on the testing site, EVEN on a break, you could have an Irregularity Report filled out on you, and that can be nasty.  It can delay your scores, launch an investigation, and in general make your life miserable.  Give your proctor NO reason to write you up.  If you absolutely must bring your cell phone with you, keep it in your backpack or pocket and powered down the entire time.  According to the rules, as supervisors we can even dismiss you immediately or confiscate your phone if you have it out.
• No parents.  The closest they can get during testing time is to sit and wait in the car in the parking lot.  They can't meet with you on a break, and they certainly can't be in the testing room with you.  Most teens don't want their parents anywhere around them anyway when other teens are present, but this can raise suspicions of cheating, so ask you folks to stay away.
• Dress in layers.  Your testing room could have the heater or air conditioner blasting, and your test supervisor may not know how to (or may not be willing to) adjust the temperature. Wear a zip-up sweatshirt that is easy to remove if it gets really warm in the room.
• Follow the rules.  You might get a test supervisor who just doesn't care about the rules.  Or, you might get someone like me.  I've been doing this for many years now because I do my job well and I take it seriously.  I have ONE main job as an SAT supervisor--to make sure the test is administered fairly and everyone follows the rules.  When someone doesn't follow the rules, I fill out an Irregularity Report and then let the College Board sort it out.  There is a good (a little weird, but good) video created by the College Board that recites the actual "Instructions Script" that we read.  It literally contains every instruction I give on test day.  Plus there's dancing at the end.  Like I said, weird.  You can find it here: http://sat.collegeboard.org/register/sat-test-day-simulator
• Bring a calculator and bring a back-up.  If you are relying on a calculator for the SAT (all math problems can be solved in your head, by the way), then make sure you have fresh batteries and a backup calculator just in case the first one malfunctions.  Listen to the rules regarding calculators because there are times when you can have it out, and times when it must be put away.  If you break these rules you could get written up.
• Take steps to lower your anxiety.  Think of all the things that could cause your stress level to go up.  Running late.  Being in an unfamiliar place.  Not knowing exactly what to do.  Being hungry.  Feeling unprepared.  Take steps now to reduce these potential causes of anxiety.  Go to bed early tonight.  Wake up early.  Have a good, healthy breakfast.  Get to your test location in plenty of time so you get a good parking spot, and know exactly where to go.  Be prepared in advance so you know what to expect in advance.  The College Board has a nice "Test Day Checklist" here: http://sat.collegeboard.org/register/sat-test-day-checklist

Good luck with your exam!

Industrial America - 1/23/13

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How the Other Half Lives reading

"How the Other Half Lives" by Jacob Riis Download the reading here - http://d.pr/f/hAzs

Princess prompt

How to Develop a Good Thesis - 1/18/13

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Welcome to APUSH Second Semester - 1/14/13