Show Time!

Our work on the Civil War projects continued this week. This is your last weekend to get together with your partner to finalize your display, make your 3 D object, and compile your annotated bibliography. Keep in mind you must demonstrate to the judges critical thinking skills, so go beyond telling the story of your topic and strive to analyze and critique. Next week will be the time to make your note cards (which will be collected) and to practice your presentation.

Please go ahead and deliver your letter of invitation this weekend and on Monday I will give you credit for the assignment. In a perfect world we would have had time on Friday to review your draft letter but because of events beyond our control, I will ask you to go ahead and issue your invitation this weekend. You will receive extra credit if one of your guests is able to attend. The Fair is a fun and festive time for all as you get to demonstrate your abilities to think and act like historians, and parents, guardians and friends take pride in seeing you present.

On Monday I will give you a final check list of items required for the event. Make sure to come prepared on Thursday the 17th, dress appropriately, and feel confident. I know it is going to be a great event!

If you need any last minute assistance, I am available before school and will be available after school on Monday. Do not hesitate to stop by if you need some one-on-one guidance.

Uncle Tom’s Cabin

This week we also finished watching the video of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” In our UpFront magazine, an article on the top 100 influential people in American History listed Harriet Beecher Stowe as number 41. Her novel is credited with educating the world on the cruelty of slavery and pushed our country closer to Civil War. When President Lincoln (ranked number 1) met Harriet Beecher Stowe, he is supposed to have said “So this is the little lady who started this big war.”

While the video does modify the original story it adheres to the basic story line, showing how slaves were treated and the degradation they endured as families were torn apart. Stowe also included the positive role that many groups, especially the Quakers, played in helping slaves escape to freedom.

Happy Mother’s Day

Julia Ward Howe, best know for writing the words to The Battle Hymn of the Republic, is often credited with supporting the efforts to set aside one day a year to honor mothers. In this morning’s Newport Daily News (C9), a column by the Reverend Amy Bowden Freedman reminds us that Howe spent many summers on Aquidneck Island. The article goes on to speak of her upbringing and the significant role she played in the Civil War as an advocate for abolition and an organizer on the home front.

Mother’s Day received national recognition in 1914 when President Wilson signed a joint Congressional Resolution observing the second Sunday in May as a time to celebrate our mothers.

Mothers have played an important role in our history. They are often credited as pushing our government to act in a more humane and generous spirit. Many historians credit the mobilization of mother’s against the Vietnam War as a turning point in that long and bloody conflict. Today, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) has proven to be a highly effective advocate for measures that reduce the number of lives lost to drivers impaired by alcohol.

Every day, mothers and others who provide mothering skills take on a wide range of responsibilities, from caretakers of the home to leaders in many professional fields. They devote long hours, and years, to the care and upbringing of all of us. So take a moment today, and every day, to say a word of thanks. Your Mother will hear you no matter where she may be tomorrow.