Search This Blog

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Update for 12-18-12 through 12-21-12

Tuesday 12-18-12: Going over court cases and writing opinions
Wednesday 12-19-12: Concept Map, Summary, Study Guide
Thursday 12-20-12: Review Study Guide
Friday 12-21-12: Everything Due; Chapter 10 Test
  • Chapter 10 Definitions
  • Chapter 10 Notes
  • Chapter 10 Warm Ups (5)
  • Chapter 10 Summary
  • Written Response #9
  • Court case opinions
  • Chapter 10 Study Guide and shield
  • Chapter 10 Test

Summary Terms for Chapter 10


  • 1st Amendment: Basic freedoms
  • 2nd - 4th Amendments: Protections for citizens against government abuse of power
  • 5th - 8th Amendments: Rights for people involved in legal actions
  • 9th & 10th Amendments: Relationship between the federal government, the states, and the citizens

Concept Map for Written Response #9

Concept Map for WR #9

Chapter 10 Notes (10.6-10.9)

Chapter 10 (10.5-10.7)

Chapter 10 Notes (10.1-10.5)

http://www.scribd.com/doc/117217732/Chapter-10-10-1-10-4" style="margin: 12px auto 6px auto; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none; display: block; text-decoration: underline;">Chapter 10 (10.1-10.4)

Warm Up for 12-18-12

1. How does the 8th amendment protect someone who has been sentenced to prison?

2. Which amendment states that not all rights are listed under the Bill of Rights?

Monday, December 17, 2012

Warm Up for 12-17-12

1. What are the rights listed under the 6th Amendment?

2. What does the 8th Amendment protect you from? (pg 141)

Warm Uo for 12-14-12

1. What are the five rights listed under the 5th Amendment?

2. What is the "Miranda Warning?"

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Warm Up for 12-13-12

1. How many amendments are listed under the Bill of Rights?

2. What are the five rights listed under the First Amendment?

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Warm Up for 12-12-12

1. How did the Federalists persuade states to ratify the Constitution? (pg 133)

2. How did some critics view the Bill of Rights? (pg 134)

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Update for 12-6-12 through 12-11-12

Friday 12-7-12: Complete concept map for written response #8, summary, hand out study guide

Monday 12-10-12: Review study guide, Jeopardy review

Tuesday 12-11-12: Everything Due; Chapter 9 Test

  • Written Response #8
  • Chapter 9 Notes
  • Chapter 9 study guide
  • Chapter 9 Warm Ups
  • Definitions
  • 30 Questions
  • Summary

Chapter 9 Summary Terms

  1. Preamble
  2. Legislative Branch
  3. Executive Branch
  4. Judicial Branch
  5. Checks and Balances
  6. Amendments
  7. Federal System

Warm Up for 12-6-12

1. Which term refers to the powers that are shared by the states and the federal government? (pg 129)

2. Describe the principle of majority rule. (pg 130)

Warm Up for 12-5-12

1. Describe the most common way of making an amendment. (pg 127)

2. Give an example of how power is balanced between two branches of government.

3. Which powers belong to the states? (pg 128-129)

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Warm Up for 12-5-12

1. Describe the most common way of making an amendment. (pg 127)

2. Give an example of how power is BALANCED between two branches of government.

3. Which powers belong to the states? (pg 128-129)

Monday, December 3, 2012

Warm Up for 11-30-12

1. What is the main job of the executive branch? (pg 123)

2. What is the "elastic clause?"

3. What are the heads of executive departments known as? (pg 124)

Warm Up for 11-29-12

1. What is the main job of the legislative branch?

2. What are some of the powers of the legislative branch?

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Chapter 9 Notes (9.1-9.5)

Chapter 9 Notes (9.1-9.4)

Definitions for Chapter 9

  1. Popular sovereignty
  2. Legislative branch
  3. Bicameral
  4. Bill
  5. Veto
  6. Executive branch
  7. Impeach
  8. Judicial branch
  9. Checks and balances
  10. Amendment
  11. Interstate commerce
  12. Federalism
  13. Interest group
  14. Party

Warm Up for 11-28-12

After reading page 119:

1. How is the Constitution organized?

2. Why is the Constitution considered to be a "living document?"

Thursday, November 15, 2012

If you were absent today, read this!



Roots of American Democracy

Stop for a moment and notice the thoughts you have as you read the title of this essay. What ideas come to mind when you read the word roots? How about American? Democracy?

Whatever your thoughts are, they are uniquely your own. But most likely they grew out of something you’ve heard or read, or maybe seen on TV or in the movies. This is how most ideas grow. They start from something outside ourselves. Then we make them our own and sometimes improve on them.

The Americans who led the Revolution and created the Constitution were no different from you. Starting with other people’s ideas, they created the government we live under today. The ideas they drew upon are the roots of American democratic thinking and institutions. Let’s look at some of these roots.

Religious Tradition

One important influence on early Americans was the Judeo-Christian religious tradition. Nearly all the leaders of the Revolution believed in God. Most were Christians whose ideas about human dignity and freedom owed much to the teachings of the Bible. (The Bible includes sacred writings of both Judaism and Christianity.) Many Americans saw human liberty not just in political terms, but as a right bestowed by God.

Leaders like Thomas Jefferson were also influenced by the European Enlightenment. The Enlightenment prized reason and observation as sources of truth. Many Enlightenment thinkers sought a “natural religion” that was based on observing the order and lawfulness of the universe. They thought of God as the architect of this orderly universe. In discovering universal laws such as gravity, they believed, scientists were revealing God’s laws for the natural world. In a similar way, people could find the “natural law” that should govern society. For thinkers like England’s John Locke, this natural law included basic rights that no human law or ruler should violate.

That is why the Declaration of Independence speaks of “the Laws of Nature and Nature’s God.” These words express Jefferson’s belief that liberty and equality came from natural law—the law established by the God who created the world.

The English Parliamentary Tradition

In their thinking about government, early Americans drew on the English parliamentary tradition. They knew it well because they had been English subjects.

As far back as Magna Carta (1215), the English had put limits on the king’s ability to rule as he pleased. For important matters like taxation, the king needed approval from the leading citizens of his realm.

Over time, the English established Parliament as the body that represented the king’s subjects. Parliament was divided into two houses. The House of Lords was made up of aristocrats who held their position for life. The House of Commons was made up of representatives elected by the people.

The framers of the Constitution adapted this tradition and made it more democratic. In place of a king who ruled for life, they put a president who had to run for reelection every four years. In place of Parliament, they created a Congress with two houses. The Senate was designed to be a small, thoughtful body, much like the House of Lords. Unlike English lords, however, senators had to run for reelection every six years. Even the House of Representatives was more democratic. In England, the House of Commons could go seven years without elections. In the United States, every member of the House of Representatives faced election every two years.

Classical Liberal Principles

Another aspect of the Enlightenment was a school of thought called classical liberalism. The most basic principle of classical liberalism was that human beings could be trusted to decide what was best for themselves. The more freedom people enjoyed, the better off society would be. Government should therefore serve the people’s needs instead of the other way around.

These ideas had been argued forcefully by John Locke. His Second Treatise on Government was published in 1690, just as English parliamentary tradition was taking its modern form. Locke’s book spoke of each man’s right to “life, liberty, and estate [property].” Do these words sound familiar? Thomas Jefferson changed them to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” for the Declaration of Independence.

For Locke, property ownership was central to classical liberalism. (And no wonder. He was a wealthy man, with investments in the silk and slave trades.) This aspect of classical liberalism got a big boost from another English thinker, Adam Smith. His book The Wealth of Nations came out the same year as the Declaration of Independence. Smith argued that the best way for a nation to become wealthy was to let people conduct their business as they pleased, free from government interference. This was another argument for the liberty urged by classical liberalism.

Civic Republicanism

Classical liberalism’s optimistic belief in liberty had a weakness. Sometimes people exercise their rights in ways that harm others. What if your next-door neighbor plays loud music at three o’clock in the morning, waking up everyone in your home? Should your neighbor be free to do as he pleases? To keep people from using their freedom in selfish ways, early American leaders relied on the idea of civic republicanism.

Civic republicanism went all the way back to the ancient Greeks, nearly 2,500 years ago. It called for citizens to do what was best for the republic (the whole society), not just for themselves. Civic republicans would actively participate in government. They would put unselfishness before greed, resist political corruption, and play referee when two or more elements of society competed for power. (Notice that this meaning of republican applies to everyone, not just members of today’s Republican Party.)

Many of the nation’s early leaders believed that civic republicanism depended on citizens receiving a good education. “Establish the law for educating the common people,” urged Thomas Jefferson. Today these words are inscribed in the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C. Part of the reason you are asked to study American history is the hope that you, too, will be a civic republican

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Warm Up for 11-13-12

1. Describe the Great Compromise.

2. Describe the Three-Fifths Compromise.

3. Describe the slave trade compromise. (pg 112)

Friday, November 9, 2012

Warm Up for 11-9-12

1. What was representation based on in the Virginia Plan?  The New Jersey Plan?

2. What did the two plans have in common?

3. What do you think would be a good compromise for the two plans?

4. How did Southerners want slaves to be counted in determining representation? (pg 111)

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Warm Up for 11-8-12

1. What was one result of Shays' Rebellion?

2. What was wrong with the Articles of Confederation?

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Warm Up for 11-7-12

1. Name two positive accomplishments that came out of the Articles of Confederation. (pg 104)

2. What do you think was the significance of Shays' Rebellion? (pg 105)

Warm Up for 11-6-12

1. Why were members of Congress so nervous about creating a strong central government? (pg 103)

2. Name and describe our nation's first form of government. (pg 103)

3. Why were the powers of our first government so limited? (pg 103)

Definitions for Chapter 8

  • Territory
  • Arsenal
  • Enlightenment
  • Republic
  • Constitution
  • Compromise
  • Electoral college
  • Ratify

Definitions for Chapter 8

  • Territory
  • Arsenal
  • Enlightenment
  • Republic
  • Constitution
  • Compromise
  • Electoral college
  • Ratify

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Update for 10-31-12 through 11-5-12

Wednesday 10-31-12: Finish chapter 7 notes, Concept map for written response #6, summary

Thursday 11-1-12: Finish summary, finish study guide

Friday 11-2-12: Review study guide, Jeopardy review

Monday 11-5-12: Chapter 7 Test; Everything Due
  • Written response #6
  • Chapter 7 notes
  • Warm ups
  • Definintions
  • Summary
  • Study guide

Warm Up for 10-31-12

1. What were the terms of the treaty that ended the war? (pg 100)

2. Which countries were influenced by the Revolution and how? (pg 100)

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Chapter 7 Notes

Chapter 7 Notes

Warm Up for 10-30-12

1. What was the turning point of the war, and why?

2. Why did Clinton take the war to the south? (pg 96)

3. Who kept the American cause alive in the south? (pg 96)

Warm Up for 10-29-12

1.  How did Thomas Paine impact the war?

2.  What was Washington's strategy after the Battle of Brooklyn? (pg 93)

3. What was the new British strategy? (pg 93)

4. Which two foreigners helped Washington at Valley Forge? (pg 95)

Friday, October 26, 2012

Warm Up for 10-25-12

1. What were the strengths of the Continental Army?

2. What were the weaknesses of the British Army?

3. How did attitudes regarding slavery change after the American Revolution?

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Warm Up for 10-24-12

After reading page 87

1. Why was Martin so bent on joining the Continental Army?

2. What claim does he make about the army in New York?

3. How is the British Army described?

Definitions for Chapter 7

1. Mercenaries

2. Strategy

3. Allies

4. Guerrillas

5. Treaty

Friday, October 19, 2012

Update for 10-19-12 through 10-23-12

Friday 10-19-12: Concept map for written response #5, summary, study guide

Monday 10-22-12: Review study guide, Jeopardy review

Tuesday 10-23-12: Chapter 6 Test; Everything due
  • Written Response
  • Chapter 6 notes
  • Study Guide
  • Warm Ups
  • Summary

Summary terms for Chapter 6

  • Bunker Hill
  • Siege of Boston
  • Olive Branch Petition
  • Common Sense
  • Declaration of Independence
  • Natural Rights
  • Crimes of King

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Warm Up for 10-18-12

1. What are your natural rights?

2. What is the job of the government?

3. Whee does the government get its power?

4. What happened on July 4, 1776? (pg 84)

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Warm Up for 10-17-12

1. What was the significance of Common Sense?

2. What had Jefferson accused the king of?

3. What was the debate over slavery?

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Warm Up for 10-16-12

1. Who spoke the words "Give me liberty, or give me death?"

2. What was Common Sense? (Pg 82)

3. What are our Natural Rights? (Pg 83)

Monday, October 15, 2012

Warm Up for 10-15-12

1. What choices did the colonists have after the conflicts at Lexington and Concord?

2. What was Patrick Henry really saying in his famous speech?

3. In spite of everything that happened in chapter 5, how did most colonists feel about going to war with Britain?

4. Give 2 reasons why you think the colonists should declare their independence, and 2 why they should not declare their independence.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Chapter 5 Summary Terms

  • French and Indian War
  • Laws
  • Taxes
  • Representation
  • First Continental Congress
  • Lexington and Concord

Warm Up for 10-9-12

1. What were some of the ways the colonists responded to the Intolerable Acts?

2. What was the significance of the Battle of Concord?

Monday, October 8, 2012

Update for 10-9-12 through 10-11-12

Tuesday 10-9-12: Warm Up, Concept map for written response #4, summary, study guide

Wednesday 10-10-12: Study guide review, Jeopardy review

Thursday 10-11-12: Chapter 5 Test, everything due:
  • Written response #4
  • Chapter 5 notes
  • Study guide
  • Warm ups
  • summary
  • Chapter 5 definitions

Warm Up for 10-8-12

1. Describe the Boston massacre.  Was it a massacre?

2. How did Paul Revere impact the incident?

3. What was the purpose of the Intolerable Acts? (pg 72)

4. What were two ways in which the First Continental Congress responded to the acts? (pg 73)


Friday, October 5, 2012

Chapter 5 Notes

Chapter 5 Notes

Warm Up for 10-5-12

1. What were the Townshend Acts?

2. How did the colonists deal with them?

3. Why did Lord North enact the Tea Act? (pg 71)

4. What was ironic about the price of tea? (pg 71)

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Warm Up for 10-4-12

1. What were the results of the French and Indian War?

2. Describe the Proclamation of 1763.

3. Why were the colonists so upset with the DStamp Act?

4. What did the Quartering Act require the colonists to do?

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Warm Up for 10-3-12

1. Who were the British at war with in the 1750's? (pg 63)

2. Which problems were Britain left with after the war? (pg 63)

3. How did Britain deal with these problems? (pg 63)

Monday, October 1, 2012

Reminder!

Don't forget that everything is due tomorrow: Chapter 4 test, notes, summary, warm ups, study guide, written response #3.

Friday, September 28, 2012

Summary terms for Chapter 4

  • Economy
  • Rights
  • Class differences
  • Religion (First Great Awakening)
  • Education

Warm Up for 9-28-12

1. Why did women have no trouble finding a husband during the colonial era?

2. What was a "bee?"

3. Describe the events at a colonial fair. (pg. 59, 4.11)

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Update for 9-28-12 through 10-2-12

Friday 9-28-12: Concept map for written response #3, summary, study guide
Monday 10-1-2: Study guide review, Jeopardy review
Tuesday 10-2-12: Chapter 4 test

Everything is due on Tuesday:
  • Chapter 4 Notes
  • Summary
  • Warm Ups
  • Study Guide
  • Written Response #3
  • Chapter 4 test

Chapter 4 Notes

Chapter 4 Notes

Warm Up for 9-27-12

1. What was the First Great Awakening?

2. Which ideals were encouraged and what did they eventually lead to?

3. How many children were expected to die before they reached adulthood? (pg58, 4.10)

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Warm Up for 9-26-12

1. What was the difference, in the way that a person's social class was determined, between the Colonies and England?

2. What was the Middle Passage?

3. What were the Colonies trading with West Africa?

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Warm Up for 9-25-12

1. Describe the typical colonial city.

2. Describe the Magna Carta, Parliament, and the English Bill of Rights.

3. What are blue laws?

Monday, September 24, 2012

Warm Up forn 9-24-12

1. What is an economy?

2. What was the colonial economy based on?

Friday, September 21, 2012

Warm Up for 9-21-12

After reading page 49...

1. What is the main purpose of this passage?

2. What does it tell us about the average colonist?

3. Explain the meanings of each of the proverbs.

4. For whom were the almanacs most likely written?

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Chapter 4 Definitions

1. Economy

2. Rights

3. Parliament

4. Petition (verb)

5. Class

6. First Great Awakening

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Concept Map for Written Response #2

Concept Map #2

Warm Up for 9-18-12

1. What was the significance of the Act Concerning Religion?

2. Why did slaves replace indentured servants?

3. Why was Georgia initially founded?

Update for 9-18-12 through 9-20-12

Everything is due on Thursday:
  • Written Response #2
  • Study Guide
  • Summary
  • Warm Ups
  • Notes
  • Chapter 3 Test
Tuesday: Concept Map, summary, study guide
Wednesday: Review study guide, Jeopardy review
Thursday: Chapter 3 test (Everything due)

Monday, September 17, 2012

Chapter 2 summary terms

  • Indentured servant
  • General assembly
  • Democracy
  • Mayflower Compact
  • Fundamental Orders
  • Duke of York
  • Quakers
  • Act Concerning Religion
  • Slaves 
  • Spain

Warm Up for 9-17-12

1. What was the significance of the Fundamental Orders?

2. How did the Duke govern New York?

3. Who founded Pennsylvania and why?

Friday, September 14, 2012

Chapter 3 Notes

Warm Up for 9-14-12

1. Describe the typical form of government in the colonies.

2. Which group mainly settled in Massachusetts?

3. Explain the significance of the Mayflower Compact.

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Warm Up for 9-13-12

1. What was an indentured servant?

2. What were the economies of the New England colonies based on?

3. Why were people settling in the Middle Colonies?

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Warm Up for 9-12-12

1. Why were people willing to travel across the Atlantic to come to the colonies? (pg 35)

2. In which colonial region would you find fishing? (pg 36)

3. In which colonial region would you find rice, indigo, and tobacco? (pg 36)

4. In which colonial region would you find shipbuilding? (pg 36)


Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Definitions for Chapter 3

1. Indentured servant
2. Cash crop
3. Assembly
4. Democratic
5. Puritans
6. Slave trade

Friday, September 7, 2012

Update for 9-10-12 and 9-11-12

Everything that was supposed to be due Monday (Chapter 2 test, written response #1, warm ups, notes, summary, study guide) will now be due on Tuesday, September 11.

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Terms for summary Ch.2

  • Northwest Passage
  • Columbian Exchange
  • Conquistadors
  • Spanish Borderlands
  • Disease
  • New France
  • Fur Trade
  • Jamestown
  • Pocahontas
  • Tobacco
  • New Netherland
  • New York

Warm Up for 9-5-12

1. What were the Dutch and the Iroquois trading?

2. How did Jamestown finally start making money?

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Update for 9-4 through 9-10-12

Wednesday 9-5-12: Concept map for Written Response #1 (What was life like in Jamestown?), study guide.
Thursday 9-6-12: Review study guide, Jeopardy review.
Friday 9-7-12: Mrs. Whiddon speaking about CST goals.
Monday 9-10-12: Ch. 2 Test

**EVERYTHING DUE MONDAY: 
  • Chapter 2 notes
  • Study guide
  • Summary
  • Written Response #1
  • Warm Ups

Warm Up for 9-4-12

1. What happened to the colony at Roanoake?

2. How did John Smith come to know Pocahontas?

Friday, August 31, 2012

Warm Up for 8-31-12

1. Describe the unique relationship between the French and the Huron in New France.

2. What did Robert de la Salle claim for France?

3. What affect did Pocahontas have on the relationship between the Jamestown colonists and the Powhatans?

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Warm Up for 8-30-12

1. What were the Spanish Borderlands?

2. How did settlement in the Borderlands impact the natives?

3. What attracted the French to New France?

Warm Up for 8-29-12

1. What is meat by the term "Columbian Exchange?"

2. What followed Europeans everywhere they went?

3. Which empires were conquered by Cortes and Pizzaro?

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Don't forget to study for the map test 8-31-12

I've posted a blank map below that you can print out and practice with. I have also posted a map with all of the states labeled so you can study. If they're too small too read, then zoom in on them.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

USA States Map
Blank USA Map

Monday, August 6, 2012

Welcome all 8th grade students; You do have homework tonight that is due TOMORROW.

  • Have a spiral notebook that will be dedicated to this class only.

  • Don't forget to study for the map test (50 states) on Friday (8-31-12). 

 Also, here is the letter I sent home with all of you just in case you lost it:

Welcome to Mr. Davis’ 8th grade social studies class.
Dear Students and Parents:
I would first like to say how excited I am to be returning to Sullivan, and I can’t wait to get to know everyone. This year we will be studying the various aspects of the social studies with a heavy emphasis on American history. This class will cover the early republic (Declaration of Independence, Revolutionary War, Constitution, and The Bill of Rights), Manifest Destiny, Civil War, Industrialism, and everything in between.

Grading: My grading system is very simple: 70% of the overall grade will depend on test scores, 15% will depend on homework, and 15% will depend on in-class assignments. Grading Scale: 90 – 100% = A 80 – 89% = B 70 – 79% = C 60 – 69% = D 59% or less = F
 *Late work will not be accepted.
 *Cheating of any kind (copying, plagiarizing, etc.) will result in a zero for the particular assignment.
 *It is the responsibility of the student to make up work when absent; if it is not made up, it will result in a zero.

Content: Students will be required to read, take notes, complete study guides and various assignments pertaining to each chapter, produce thoughtful written responses (I READ EVERYTHING THAT IS TURNED IN), complete a research paper, and take a test at the end of each chapter.

Behavior and Class Rules: The most important behavior expectation in my class is to show respect to me, other students, other teachers and administrators, and for school rules. I will go over specific classroom rules in person. Consequences: 1. Verbal or visual warning 2. Student and teacher chat 3. Teacher assigned detention/class suspension 4. Office disciplinary action 5. Parent, student & teacher conference

 Required student supplies: • Spiral notebook used only for this class (extremely important) • Pens (blue or black only!) • High-liters are nice to have

Blog: Every homework assignment, update, announcement, in-class note, and study guide can be found on the class blog. If you are absent, check the blog. http://www.sms8thgradehistory.blogspot.com Thank you for taking the time to read this.
 Sincerely,
Joe Davis
 (760) 631-5209 ext. 1329
 joel.davis@bonsallusd.com