Holiday Sightings

A view of the Bunker Hill Monument from the Museum of Science.

















A Liberty Bell appears among the Christmas cookies!






















One of Santa's elves, enjoying a great book!

"The World Turned Upside Down"

This week we concluded our study of the American Revolution by reading about the contributions of Deborah Sampson and the Rhode Island Black Regiment. Our textbook spends little time talking about the contributions of women and minorities so our extra reading allowed us to explore these neglected perspectives. Many of you actively participated by asking questions, making connections, and citing the text to support your point of view. Great job – I was really impressed! We will be using accountable talk activities in the future so if you had trouble entering into the discussion, start thinking about what you need to do to prepare for our next round table.

History in our own Backyard

This afternoon I took a drive out to Patriot’s Park in Portsmouth and took some pictures of the Memorial commemorating the contributions of the Black Regiment (1st Rhode Island). As I followed along West Main Road, there were numerous blue markers for the Washington-Rochambeau Route. Rochambeau landed in Newport and then in 1781 marched his troops to Yorktown to help Washington defeat Cornwallis.

Treaty of Paris 1783

As good historians, you checked multiple sources and asked questions to learn more about the Treaty due to the brevity of our text on this important document. In the course of finding the provisions of the Treaty, many of you encountered roadblocks along the way: an incomplete index, a text that was silent on the topic, and multiple treaties with the same name. This is a lesson all good researchers learn at some point – that asking what seems to be an easy question often requires making complex decisions to find an answer.

We identified the four most important provisions:

Acknowledgment of independence
Recognition of the Mississippi River as the western most boundary
Navigation rights of the Mississippi River
Fishing rights off the coast of Canada

With the signing of the Treaty, the size of the country was doubled and its access to an important water route for transportation and commerce was secured on paper. Future conflicts lay ahead to protect these provisions but that is a story to come.

Final Assessment for the Revolution

Next week you will be taking your in-class final assessment. You have a study guide to help focus your efforts. In addition to using the study guide and any papers from your portfolio, take the time to talk through the information. Sit down with a friend or parent and tell them the story of the American Revolution. If you find you can talk about the big picture events and respond to questions, you have mastered the most important concepts.

Common Problems and Issues

When responding to any type of historical question, students often forget to give details or examples. A response should be as complete as possible. If you can give examples or illustrate your point, your response is more effective. Vague answers usually do not earn full credit. If a location is asked for, provide the name of the colony or state and a nearby city. For example, the last major battle of the Revolution was in Yorktown, Virginia. If you are asked to provide a distinguishing feature of a battle, you have to look beyond the winning or losing side and say what that victory meant. Saratoga was an important victory because it brought the French into the conflict as allies to the colonists.

Hot off the Presses:

David McCullough, author of "John Adams" has been awarded the nation's highest civilian award, the Presidential Medal of Honor in a ceremony at the White House this afternoon. President Bush said "McCullough shares the lessons of history with enthusiasm and insight." Congratulations Mr. M...a well deserved honor!

Friendly Reminders:

It is important to turn your work in on time. On time means you are ready to hand in your work when it is called for in class. Many times the homework is then used for an in class activity, such as current events. We cannot take class time to go to lockers or print out summaries. We all struggle with technology and the myriad of possible break downs (no paper, no ink, etc.) that can occur, so plan accordingly and please be ready with your work at the beginning of each class period.

Who Will Prevail?

This week you had the opportunity to practice your habits of mind as you worked in your battle groups (periods 7 and 8). In order to put together an effective presentation you had to communicate, negotiate, and organize. In addition, each of you had a critical role to play in gathering information for your presentation. Did you think and act like historians? Did you use multiple sources? Did you look for primary source material? Did you ask questions? Did you try to understand the battle from multiple perspectives? And finally, when it came time to present were you ready to explain the battle using your own words and insights?

Next week, we will finish making the presentations, write a reflective evaluation and then take the quiz. What questions would you ask if you were writing the quiz? While your text has basic information, I have provided you with additional links for each of the presentations: Bunker Hill, Saratoga, Trenton, Valley Forge, and Yorktown.

In addition to the facts and significance of the battles, please take a moment and look at the artists’ renditions of these moments in history. Just as the photos we see from Iraq evoke a strong emotional response, the great paintings of the Revolution captured the spirit and challenges of the times. Today, David R. Wagner, a painter from Connecticut is working on an ambitious project depicting the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary War Route (have you seen the markers along West Main Road?). Some of the paintings were on display at the Colony House and I had the good fortune of meeting him at the Naval War College celebration of the French landing in Newport July 11, 1778 (see blog of July 9, 2005)

Current Events:

Every day 3 you are responsible for bringing in a national or international news article with your summary and comments. This is an opportunity for you to earn extra points as you can earn a 4 if you exceed the standard. Students with the highest grades at the end of the quarter are usually the students who brought in the current event assignment every day 3 and earned the extra credit. You have a rubric that clearly outlines what you need to do to exceed the standard. Common mistakes include selecting an inappropriate article such as a local story or a news brief, copying phrases from the article into the summary and not making a link to another historical event or saying why you selected the article. Since you know the assignment is due every day 3, you have ample opportunity to find a substantive article that is interesting to you.

Interterm Grades

It is that time again when interterm grades are due. We will update the portfolios this week. If you are working on revisions, they are due the next class period. Keep in mind, that extra help is available every Monday after school in room 246.

Coming Attractions:

We will conclude the study of The American Revolution by reading two articles about two groups who contributed to the success of the Revolution but get minimal coverage in our text, women and African Americans. We will then look at the Treaty of Paris and its provisions. Our final assessment will be given out next week and some class time will be dedicated to working on your response.

Period 7 dialogues from "John Adams' are due December 20 and 21.

What Happened?

So what really happened March 5, 1770? Sam Adams named the event the Boston Massacre but was it a massacre? Did the British soldiers fire randomly into the crowd or were they provoked? Was Crispus Attucks the first to fall? We asked ourselves these and other questions as we read through multiple sources in an effort to try to understand the significance of an event that appears in every American history text. In your reflections, one student remarked that we should also have read an account by Captain Prescott, the leader of the soldiers. Definitely, so check out the link. Another student brought in John Pufford’s rendition of the Boston Massacre, a great example of how artists see events from different perspectives.

This historical exercise shows you the necessity to look at multiple sources and perspectives and to ask the hard questions about events. Don’t believe everything you read in a text and be open to different points of view.

The exercise also gave us the opportunity to practice the habits of mind. Working in your groups, you communicated, discussed, reflected and persisted as you grappled with the guiding questions. “A habit of mind is knowing how to behave intelligently when you don’t know the answer.” (Costa and Kailick) We will be talking more about what you can do when you don’t know an answer over the next few weeks.

Let’s design a chart

Using your analytical and quantitative skills, you designed a chart showing the advantages and disadvantages of the Colonists and the British as they entered The American Revolution. We can’t help but wonder if Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and Franklin made the same list in 1776, yet knowing the cause was just, forged ahead in the name of liberty.

Charts can be a very useful tool to help you organize information and to see both sides of an issue or event.

Man your battle stations

This week periods 7 and 8 received the battle report activity. You have limited time to gather information and to present to the class an informative summary of the event and its significance. Should I remind you to use multiple sources, especially primary source documents and to ask questions?

Happy Birthday Gilbert!

December 3 was Gilbert Stuart’s birthday. Stuart is one of Rhode Island’s most famous and was one of the premier painters of early America. Please take a moment to check out the site that commemorates his birthplace in Saunderstown. Of course, you could just take a look at a one dollar bill and see Stuart’s most famous portrait.

Speaking of Habits of Mind

Hearty congratulations to the MHS football team. They persisted and working as an effective group, they were rewarded. You are an inspiration to all!

Current Events

Keep in mind that you have a current event due every day 3. This is an ongoing assignment so you are expected to have the assignment ready at the start of class.

If you are absent

Please keep in mind that our class work continues even if you are not in the class. You are responsible for the work and you must come before or after school to go over the assignments. You have 5 days to complete the work.