America's Promise

1. Timeline

Finish putting your anchor dates figures on your timeline – including new figures that were missing from last week.

2. Read

1. History of US Chapter 4, pgs 25-28.

2. The 18th Amendment to the Constitution and the 3 articles on interpreting the 18th Amendment. (These were handed out in class.)

• Common Interpretation
• The Dark Side of the Noble Experiment
• Good and Bad Reasons For and Against Alcohol Prohibition

3. Article – Was Prohibition a Success or a Failure?

4. Come prepared to discuss the following questions in class:

• Was Prohibition a success or a failure?
• Can you legislate morality? 
• What makes a good law vs a bad law? 
• Is it okay to break a bad law? 

3. Watch

1. Ken Burns Prohibition – Episode 3 (approx. 1 1/2 hours)
   Ways to watch:
   1. Subscribe for 1 month to PBS Documentaries Channel w/ Amazon Prime
   2. Rent from the DVDs from the Library
   3. Buy DVD

4. Writing

1. Read the 3 commentary articles on the 18th amendment (above). Create key notes for all three articles. Bring 1 copy of your 3 keynotes to class to turn in.

1. Timeline

Glue the timeline figures you were given in class to your timeline.

Minimum = figures who are on the Key Dates list

Above & Beyond = all the timeline figures

2. Read

Read History of US chapters.

• Preface to Chapter 2, pp 9-20
• Chapter 8 to 14, pp 41-74

3. Watch

1. The Roaring 20’s: Crash Course US History #32
   
2. Ken Burns Prohibition – Episode 2 (approx. 2 hours)
   Ways to watch:
   1. Subscribe for 1 month to PBS Documentaries Channel w/ Amazon Prime
   2. Rent from the DVDs from the Library
   3. Buy DVD

4. Presentation

Due NEXT week. Prepare a presentation on the topic you chose.

• Must only be 5 minutes long
• Don’t be boring! Find an interesting way to present your information (quiz game, puppet show, short demonstration, crossword puzzle, act out the story)
• Practice at home – make sure you can stay within your time limit and your idea works

5. Writing

Prepare key notes to go with your presentation.

Here’s an example of what they can look like. (This example is based on the WWI NY Times article we read in class.)

• Based on the research you do for your presentation
• One page
• Includes key information about your topic

Bring enough copies to give every person in the class (9 students + 2 teachers)

1. Read Treaties, Trenches, Mud and Blood by Nathan Hale. 

This short graphic novel will give you a great overview of World War I, which is the background starting point of our class.

2. Read this New York Times Article on World War I.

This short article focuses on what did and did not change following World War I.

3. Watch these YouTube videos.

Capitalism, Socialism & Communism Explained Simply

Rules for Rulers

4. Select a cultural topic from the 1920s to do a 5-minute presentation on. 

CLICK HERE to put your name next to the topic you want to do. 

You’ll be doing your presentation the second week of class, and you’ll get more information about the presentation in the first week.

5. Bring the name and email of a Writing Mentor that you will work with throughout the year. 

Your writing mentor will review your writing and give you feedback. First semester, this will only be a few paragraphs most weeks. Second semester, they will help you work on your multi-page research paper.

I’ve attached two pages that describe who to look for in a writing mentor and what you (as the scholar) are expected to do in return. Please note that siblings, other mentors at ASA, and parents CAN NOT be your writing mentor.

(Note: These documents say you will meet weekly with your writing coach. However, in this class you will only meet with them on weeks where you have a writing assignment for them to review.)

6. Please get the following books so you are ready to read them throughout the year.

Fall Semester

History of US – Book 9 

Treaties, Trenches, Mud and Blood by Nathan Hale (due on the first day of class)

The Hiding Place

Hiroshima

Bomb

Winter Semester

History of US – Book 10

Black Like Me

Warriors Don’t Cry

Most Dangerous

Ground Zero

(Here’s the link if you want to buy the entire series of History of US combined.) 

(Note – If you are a voracious reader, there are a few additional books you may want to consider reading during fall semester to enhance your study. We will not be studying these in class.)

Out of the Dust – Great Depression

Farewell to Manzanar – Japanese Internment

A Night Divided – Berlin Wall