And Now We Are A Country

This week we concluded our study of The American Revolution by reading about the contributions of Deborah Sampson and the 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. 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 addition to 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 finally 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

This week you will be taking your final assessment for the American Revolution. The assessment will be in two parts: an in class objective activity and a take home which will ask you to respond to two out of four open ended questions about the war. You will have some class time to prepare for the assessments. Make sure to review your text, the worksheets in your folder, and of course the trusty blog. 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 questions, students often to 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.

Current Events

On Tuesday we will have current events. For this assignment we will be focusing on stories from the Business section or stories about the economy. This past week, pollsters have identified the economy as the number one issue on the minds of voters. As our first states of Iowa and New Hampshire get ready to cast their ballots they will be asking the candidates more questions about plans to grow our economy. The stock market has been on a slide for the past few weeks, the price of gas is over $3 a gallon, and fewer quality jobs are being created. Voters will want to know how the candidates propose to deal with these challenges.

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.