Merry Christmas

We have so many traditions around at this time of year, and of course we all too often become so distracted by the hustle & bustle of the commercial season, that we lose sight of the real celebration. And that too is is a tradition...pointing out that we have forgotten the true meaning of Christmas every year. Well, I for one do not believe we have forgotten the true meaning of Christmas. But I fear that occasionally we mix the 'good will toward men' meaning with the opportunity to reflect upon our faith and what we believe.

Wishing good will toward all is beautiful. It is something we should do everyday. Truly the world would be a better place if this was done universally and consistently. However, we see evidence everyday that this does not take place. So while we wish everyone good will -indeed, I sign every one of my Christmas cards 'Joy, Peace, & Happiness',and I genuinely have that wish for everyone - my greater wish is that we all have that joy, peace, and happiness that comes with knowing Christ. So please give yourself the greatest gift and stop and contemplate your relationship with Jesus. He is there for all of us, and to be aware of Him in your life does make a difference in your life. Does it solve every problem? No. Does it make it easier to deal with every problem? Yes. So whether your problems are personal, financial, academic, emotional, or a combination of 'all of the above' (the case for most of us), embrace Christ in your life and the problems become easier to handle.

May all the blessings of the Nativity be upon you and your loved ones this season and always.

History Revealed is not always what we want to learn

US I students are presently participating in a series of mini-presentations and discussions about various Supreme Court cases that have had significance in our history. Many of these cases are quite recent (since 1950s) but several go all the way back to the very beginning of this republic. Before we begin looking at the cases, two points we try to make clear are important...first, that the court's decisions reflect the time, and second, that not all decisions are good ones.

Regarding the 1st point, we can not hide from the fact that in our history, we did things that today we are not proud of, but at the time felt were totally justified in doing. Slavery...Japanese internment...segregation... abortion. And so the decisions reflect the attitudes about those ideas, actions, and institutions within the context of the times.

The second point recognizes the human factor of the court justices. They are people and people are flawed of course. So decisions reflect some of that, such as Bakke, perhaps the weakest decision over the past 50 years. Other decisions in the past, Dred Scott comes to mind, were based upon poor thinking and biases, and ended up making for awkward or simply wrong consequences.

So once again, I am back to my standard mantra - "history happened to people" - and because we are not perfect, what we learn is that we are the best nation in the world, we have yet to become and have never been the perfect nation in the world.

Research Papers

Today is the official start of the US II Research Paper assignment. This is an important assignment for several reasons - (1) the grade counts as 2 exams plus an additional 50 points for the bibliography, so the impact on your grade for the 2nd term is significant and (2) the process is an opportunity to learn. And nothing is really more important than that. In fact, when you are done with your paper, I intend on asking you "okay, so what did you learn?" Your response might be about the topic, an ancillary topic, or about the process - or even about yourself! - but it is important that you learn from doing this paper. Do not lose sight of that.

A few points of emphasis:
* Get started. This is often the most difficult part of a research assignment. You only have two weeks and that time will go by very quickly. Do not delay, especially if you fear the possibility of possibly changing topics. The deadline for that is Friday Dec. 5.
* Gather information based upon your thesis (your paper's title & subtitle). Do not waste time gathering info about FDR's New Deal if your paper is about FDR's role in WW II. It always amazes me how much time students spend gathering information that is off topic.
* Keep in mind the focus of your paper - to identify the significance of your topic/event. We do not need all the details of what happened as much as we need a detailed analysis of the impact/outcome of it. Your analysis must be thoughtful and evidence an historian's assessment. Your event/topic is not interesting, it is significant. Please make sure you are dealing with that significance.
* Do not be reluctant to ask questions. Pick the brain of someone who knows the topic. Ask me. Ask a parent or neighbor. Email an historian or author. Go to a college and seek out a professor who has an expertise in the area. Asking such questions is a sign of strength and determination, not of weakness.
* Your paper is due December 17. Have it done at least three days before that. Put it aside for a day and then read your paper. Really read it. Then have some one else read it. Get feedback, some proofreading, and polish it up. You will be pleasantly surprised at the improvement you can & will make in your paper by doing this.

Any other problems or issues - see me, email me, but do not come to me the day the paper is due and tell me your printer would not work!

Thanksgiving Weekend

I hope everyone had a great weekend and a great holiday. We should not only take one day to give thanks of course, but we only seem to mention giving thanks when this holiday comes along. So, I am thankful for so much...family, wonderful friends, great working colleagues, students who truly care, good health, and our parish life and relationship with Christ. And then there is so much more, but it usually is all the little things of our society that really do matter very much when compared to the what we just identified.

Our actual holiday was quiet, but the whole weekend was great. Wednesday evening we spent prepping food for Thanksgiving. We always enjoy that. Put on some good music, have good conversation, and peel and chop and stuff away! Friday we did some Christmas shopping, gathered some decorations for the house, and then went to a concert at Showcase Live!...saw a great group called Roomful of Blues. Fabulous...horn section and really were cooking. Saturday a little work at St. Christine's getting ready for our men's ministry presentation on the Creed, a little more hanging wreaths and such, and then went out to dinner with a group of former A.P. students who are now college seniors. We had Duke, George Washington, Holy Cross, BU, UNH, Johns Hopkins, Cornell, & Columbia represented, and had great discussions about the election, the Obama presidency, college courses and adventures, and career plans. Great night and I really enjoyed seeing everyone again. On Sunday we got our tree up, finished putting a few decorations around the house, and then I composed the family newsletter for our Christmas cards. I know some people do not like those letters, but when we don't do it, we get folks saying 'oh, we missed your letter so much this year' so we feel obligated to do one the next year.

So what is this all about? It is about being with others, sharing time and letting each other know how you feel about each other. Whether it be via some decorations you put out, applause for a performance, or sharing a meal and conversation, we spend time with others and gain so much from it. Often my conversations revolve around history and current events, but maybe we talk about family, or sports, or even the weather. What I am most thankful for is having others in my life. How about you?

US II -

We have gone through much of the Gilded Age, and with the completion of reading The Jungle and/or The Alienist, students have gained a realistic perspective of life for the people, illustrating our ongoing theme of "History happened to people". Stop and think a bit about the developments of the period...industry and big business; Social Darwinism & the Gospel of Wealth; labor unions; the rise of cities; the demise of the agrarian society; immigration...and we have not looked yet at the politics of the time nor our emerging foreign policy. Lots to digest and critically important to understand, for this era determines what the U.S. will be throughout the 20th Century.

Ahead - a test on the era, probably Thursday or Friday of next week. Then a research paper! It does not get any better than that, eh?

US I -

We are now beginning our look at the U.S. Constitution. Each class will be broken up into 4 groups, each group to create a PowerPoint slideshow, a song, an oral presentation, a magazine cover, and a few other tasks on their constitutional topic. We will have groups on each branch of government and a group on the powers of government. Group and individual grades will be assigned.

Students will also be assigned a Supreme Court case to research and present to the class. In these cases, we will look at the role of the Supreme Court as well as looking at our rights, what we understand, and what we do not understand, about them.

US I will also be getting a research paper assignment soon. This will be an important grade and one students will need to put a great deal of thought into.

2008 Election - History is Made!

What an incredible night!

No matter one's political party. No matter one's location on the political spectrum. No matter where one might live in this country. We all recognized last night as truly a history making event in our nation's story. I particularly was taken by the emotion of the moment. I have lived through and observed many elections and have seen happiness as a result of the outcome, but never this kind of happiness, this kind of joy. It is remarkable given our nation's past that an African American is actually going to be inaugurated on January 20, 2009. Now, has this cured all the ills of our nation's racial divisiness? Clearly not. However it does indicate the progress that has been made. Steps forward are steps forward, and this happens to be a huge step.

Let's also keep in mind that it took an extraordinary gentleman to make this happen. No matter your position/view once again, but not just any man was going to pull this off. President-elect Obama is special in many ways. Let's pray that his leadership is more than inspirational but genuinely effective and positive, here and around the world.

I was immensely impressed by John McCain's concession speech last night. It was exactly what had to be said and I was proud of him for delivering a wonderful speech. He was gracious, patriotic, and guiding. His followers were disappointed and seeking the right manner in which to respond to the results, and he gave them much needed direction and compassion.

As far as Obama's speech...WOW! I had tears in my eyes, and I was one of millions who did. This man can lead. Let's all pray for him that his advisors and policies also lead in the proper direction and in the proper spirit.

Kudos to Our Candidates

Great job yesterday by Barack Obama (Kayla McGonagle) and John McCain (Catherine Abbott) in a very true-to-life debate. Both candidates were well prepared, carried themselves well, and genuinely presented the views and positions of senators Obama and McCain. We thought about conducting the debate without having the questions known beforehand, but felt the candidates would really be put in a difficult role, so the questions were provided at sort of the last minute, and they did a wonderful job of researching and preparing their answers in a short amount of time.

Hats off also to our audience. Not only did we have a great turn out, but those that were able to attend were attentive, polite, and totally in tune to what was being delivered by the candidates. Our candidates were put at ease in a challenging situation by having an audience that was so supportive and positive. An audience that was inattentive or distracting would have hindered the candidates' abilities to concentrate and especially in trying to respond to what their opponent may have said. So once again, thanks every one for making the debate a success. We can never know if anything that was stated by a candidate changed any one's mind, but the opportunity was there to listen and learn, and you all took advantage of that clearly. BRAVO!

Now on to the election. Tuesday will be an interesting day, here at FBA and out there in the real world. We will try to mimic the voting process here by setting up our polls in the multi-purpose room and having them open throughout the day for students to vote when they choose. The SS classes will be brought to vote by their teachers but everyone else will be on their own. We will vote for president and on the 3 binding referendum questions. If the debate is any indication, the election day activity will be smooth and one of sincere participation. We will try to have our results by the close of school, but no promises.

*N.B. - think about what a great "ticket" Abbott - McGonagle would make!!

Week of October 27

* First - the Fontbonne Academy Presidential Debate on Tuesday, October 28th. - if you are unscheduled or if your teacher wishes to bring your class to the auditorium, please join in listening to Barack Obama and John McCain discuss the issues facing this nation in the upcoming election.

* US I has a test on the American Revolution on Tuesday. Review your text essay assignments. You will be asked to build an essay!

* US I & II will spend much of the week looking at the election...what is the electoral college? why do people vote the way they do? how do TV networks cover election night?

* US II (all levels) should be close to finished with reading The Jungle or The Alienist. Remember the 'collage' assignment that goes with the reading assignment. That will be due by Nov. 7.

US History Bits & Pieces

• Each US II student must complete their outside reading by Nov. 3. Please pay attention to that task! Both stories - The Jungle and The Alienist - are startling in many ways, so no matter which you select to read, you will find iteasy to read and follow. However, you must get moving on that assignment. We hope to be at the Progressive Era in our course by that time, so the readings will be very timely. And pay attention to the assignment that must be completed please.
• Election activities - both Honors sections are working on campaign materials for their respective candidates, and my other US II class is concentrating on the 3 referendum questions on the Mass. ballot. I know a lot of thought and effort has been put into this so far, but be aware of the particulars of each assignment. Most groups have multiple tasks to complete. These are all to be 'ready' by Friday, Oct. 17.
• US II course work:
• Honors - get chapters 18 completed by next week, and chapter 19 the week after.
• US II - you should have completed chapter 9 now and move on to chapter 10 assignments.
• Research Paper assignment will be given immediately after Election acativities are completed. You will have 3 weeks to complete your 3-5 page paper.
• US I coursework:
• Complete American Revolution chapter by end of this week (pages 78-93).
• Test on American Revolution next Friday
• Research Paper assignment will be given last week of October. You will have about 3-4 weeks to complete a 2-4 page paper.

Laura's Wish

We drove out to Ashfield Friday for Laura Kulp's funeral, which was on Saturday morning. We worked our way over to the family's farm (this photo was taken late last autumn) and gathered with the Coleman and Kulp families for dinner. Laura's cousin from Arkansas said grace as we gathered around the table (there were about 25-30 of us) and David thanked everyone for being so supportive and prayerful during Laura's long ordeal. Joe & Natalie (Coleman, Laura's parents) spent most of their time trying to make sure everyone was comfortable, full, and had everything they needed. This is so typical of them. They and their entire family are so welcoming and embracing, one can not help but feel like part of the family, even if you have just met them moments earlier.

Their faith is powerful and it shows throughout everyone that comes in contact with them. And Laura and Elena (our daughter-in-law) are such beautiful examples of that. They too are always so warm and caring about everyone. The weekend was filled with that warmth and care, and Laura pretty much directed the weekend. She had wanted certain music played at her service, and so it was. She selected the readings. And she had insisted that the gathering before and after be joyful. And so it was. There were laughs and tears of course (David had put together a beautiful slideshow on his computer which was just running on loop all day, and everyone stopped to watch and remember in their own peaceful moment amidst the chaos of kids and kitchen!), but mostly the sounds of friends and family sharing stories, the little kids playing hide and seek, wiffle ball, swinging, having adventures in the barn, floating rocks on leaves in the pond, and constantly on the search for another cookie or two. Of course there was enough food to feed a cast of thousands, and at times there seemed to be that many people there. The Colemans just make loving friends of everyone and so do the Kulps, and everyone loves them in return. People came from Arkansas, California, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and of course from all over Massachusetts, and it was a tribute - and a thank you - to Laura and her family. This is family as it should be. We need not be blood-related, but must realize (and live) that we are all related by God's love. It is powerful, peaceful, and beautiful. We often are oblivious to that as we get wrapped up in our daily list of distractions.

Sunday was Emma's birthday (our oldest grandaughter) and we had a smaller gathering again (about 25 or so) after going to Mass together. When Gramma Eileen and I left to return home, it was a parting that was emotional but hopeful. Laura will be missed by so many, but she never felt sorry for herself and insisted that no one else feel that way either. So she has used Christ's strength to empower us all to move on...with hope, love, family, and friends. That was Laura's wish for us all.

Town Meeting Debate Disappoints

Last night's debate settled little, at lesat in my mind. I was hoping one candidate or the other would really step up, be bold, and give us a real vision. I did not feel that either did that. Obama clearly is the more visionary candidate, but he still needs to be more precise in what he says he will & can do. McCain, a wonderful man, continues to disappoint to a greater extent. He said many times last night something to the effect of "I know how to fix that" but never elaborated on how he would do "that" regarding whatever the issue being discussed. It was frustrating sitting there, feeling like screaming at the candidates "Will you give me something I can work with here?" Unfortunately, both reverted to the politics of old with shots at each other, distorting each other's record, slanting every statement about each other as far as they could, and constantly saying little that gave us reason to feel more secure about the future.

I know our future will be fine. Things do work out, even if painfully slow in the process. However, I want to have leadership that makes us feel really good about that future. I think Obama comes closer to making people feel that way, but I still ask him to become clearer in the program he will put together. Come up with a name that we can latch onto to for your program. Whether one agreed with FDR or LBJ or Nixon, they had their New Deal, Great Society, and Silent Majority, respectively, that when mentioned, everyone knew what their program was. We still do not have that clarity (as much as it was) from either McCain or Obama. And I am not optimistic that we will any time before November 4.

Last night Senator McCain came across as resentful toward Senator Obama. His already infamous "that one" reference may be one of the major campaign/debate slips of the tongue in our history (although from what I have read, it was not a 'slip'). And Senator Obama needed to come on with greater clarity and precision. It was not the best debate I have ever seen and left me asking for more. Not more of the same, but more optimism and more clarity.

Laura Coleman Kulp

Many of you know the name Laura Kulp because I have asked you in our daily prayers in class to pray for her.Our prayers have been answered in that now she has passed away but is no longer suffering the pain and heartbreak of cancer. Laura passed away Sunday morning, which somehow is so fitting. Her faith, and that of her entire family, was such a powerful part of her life. For her to leave our physical world on the Lord's Day has some feeling of being appropriate, although that entire thought does somehow feel awkward and inappropriate perhaps.

Laura was 38 and leaves behind her husband David and two beautiful daughters, Lily, almost 6, and Naomi, 3. They have lived the past 2 years on an old apple farm, where they enjoyed catching fireflies, picking apples, running in the fields, fishing with daddy, and growing flowers. We spent a few hours with Laura and family on Sept. 7 participating in the Susan Komen Walk at UMass-Boston. It was incredible to see her spirit and that of David's...always "up", positive, smiling, full of humor and as much energy as could be imagined. Laura struggled that day comprehending everything that was going on, as 7,000+ people milling about is overwhelming for anyone, never mind suffering as she was. But her struggles could not stop her...we took turns pushing her wheelchair, but she was determined to walk the last .2 mile herself. And she did with "thumbs up" for everyone she saw. She knew what her situation was, but it mattered not. That is who Laura Kulp was, and still is.

Let The Campaigning Begin!

With 1 month left in the election campaign, it is time for all Great Americans to rise to the occasion and get involved! Those Great Americans in the Honors US II program are now charged with getting either Barack Obama or John McCain elected in the Fontbonne Nation.

Each Honors section has been assigned one of the two candidates, and they have a series of assignments (policy profiles, policy statements, ads, flyers, and preparation for a formal debate) to tend to, which hopefully will prove to be hectic and exciting, just as running the real campaign must be! It is the task of the 2 sections to convince the students (and entire Learning Community) to vote for their respective candidates. And as we lead this fantasy camp world of mock elections, we also must pay attention to the real world of this all too important presidential election. We live in a remarkable nation where we get to stage a peaceful revolution every 4 years. And this time around, it seems to be much more critical than in other years. We welcome your comments on:

*The Issues
*The Debates - who do you think won the first debate? How did you think Biden and Palin did in the much anticipated VP debate?
*The Candidates - why should we elect McCain? Obama?
*Third Parties - are there ever real alternatives?
*Voting - will you be voting in the real election? It is amazing (and often disappointing) how many people pass up this privilege, one that people fought for decades to gain in this country and still only dream of in many other areas of the world.

Regardless of anyone's authentic political loyalties, the mock election is meant to be a real learning experience as well as an enjoyable experience. Let us all hope the actual election is a positive one for this country and all the people of the world who are impacted by the election.

Financial Problems...History DOES Repeat Itself!

In US II as we go over the Populist era and the plight of the farmers and the demise of the agrarian society, we see some eerily similar situations to today's financial crisis. A couple of students commented about the loans given to farmers in the post-Civil War era and how the ill-suited risks taken by many banks ended up as bankrupty for so many farmers being so much like all the foreclosures of today and the domino effect that has been seen from all of that. It is a good lesson to learn. Whether one agrees with more government regulation or less government regulation, surely we can all agree that circumstances can not be allowed to reach the dire straits that we now see. How many families have been seriously injured by all of this? And how many of the CEOs of many of these financial insitutions have felt similar pain? That is one of the greatest arguments against the bailouts, that often the CEOs do not get hurt, even though they allowed the horrible conditions to develop. We need to ask also "What role does government have?" Do we want smaller government or larger government? If we want smaller govt, can we feel secure in having the financial world regulate itself, or is that a case of having the fox guard the henhouse?

Today's finicial crisis also raises the question about being in a recession. A recession is defined as "a significant decline in economic activity spread across the economy, lasting more than a few months, normally visible in real GDP, real income, employment, industrial production, and wholesale-retail sales." (Wikipedia) So what does that mean? It means we have what we have right now. I am not able to understand why this administration refuses to answer 'yes, we are in a recession' (okay, I do understand why this administration refuses). So we have problems in the areas underlined in the definition above. That is obvious. It has not lasted long enough nor had the devastating impact that would make it a depression ("a sustained downturn in the economy. It is more severe than a recession (which is seen as a normal downturn in the business cycle). Considered a rare but extreme form of recession, a depression is characterized by unusual increases in unemployment, restriction of credit, shrinking output and investment, price deflation or hyperinflation, numerous bankruptcies, reduced amounts of trade and commerce, as well as violent currency devaluations." - Wikipedia), but it sure feels ugly. And while the actual numbers and names may be different, the general issues remain the same as during the Gilded Age. You'd think we'd learn, eh?

US I and II

US I:

You have a test coming up a week from now. Study at least 4 nights, about 20-25 minutes each night.

Make sure you have an understanding of: why colonists came to each region; what types of colonies were established; why were those colonies different from each other; how democracy was developed in the various areas

Vocabulary: we have gone over many terms, but do you know the significance of indentured servants, the headright system, the Anglican church, tobacco, and the frontier areas?

US II:

As we study the settlement of the West, make sure you are establishing a firm understanding of the following:

> the role of technology in the West

> impact of govt policy on: the settlers, on the Native Americans

> reasons why settlers sought to move west

> economic impact on the rest of the nation

> the eventual demise of the agrarian society

Cleaning out the desk drawer

Last night I decided to clean out the back drawer of my own brain. I found these dusty old thoughts stored way in the back corner:

- Ever wonder where all the stuff we erase off the boards goes?

- When my grandchildren arrive at the house, it takes all of 10 minutes for the place look like a hurricane swept through the building, but it takes us hours to clean it all up. I'm not complaining, but it does show how efficient they are and inefficient my wife and I are (I guess).

- It's almost here...Capital of Ohio Day!

- Have I decided who to vote for yet? Yes I have, but I still wish I could vote for Harry Truman.

- Public Education is in a lot of trouble in this era because of some misguided non-educators out there. We have good students and good teachers at Fontbonne Academy, but we are really not much different than those in public schools. Without all the political red tape involved with MCAS, NCLB, Frameworks, and all that, we still provide a solid education, still get students into college, and manage to provide all the extra-curriculars and instill some beautiful values and spiritual appreciation at the same time. If the non-educators had left public education alone, there would be fewer problems in those schools today. As a former public school teacher and adminstrator, I was always proud of what we did, still am, and encourage public school teachers to make the most out of MCAS, etc. but I still wish they had asked real educators to design an improvement plan and possible reforms.

- Have to go now. Have to get dinner ready. Tonight we're grilling salmon with an apple cider glaze. I'll save some for you.

US I & II Progress

So far everyone has been great in class and our discussions and participation has been solid. Let's all be aware of the need to really think when doing the homework assignments from the textbook. I am not a huge textbook fan, but do realize one is necessary for students to have as a foundation/resource. Use it in that way, and when you are doing the essay assignments, use the info in the text, from class, and your own knowledge to present thoughtful and analytical T statements. T statements should not be too factual...they should be insightful and analytical. Do not be reluctant to try this, especially with the HW. That is where/when you want to 'experiment' so that on an exam or assigned formal essay, you have some experience to fall back upon.

Ah yes, HW. The textbook assignments are very simplistic and do not demand any heavy lifting. If you are going through the motions or not putting forth any motions at all, well first - shame on you! - and second, realize that you are putting yourself further behind. If all I see on a test essay is exactly what we discussed in class, then I know that you are not reading and/or thinking when doing the HW. You need to do that so that you become an historian, not just be a student sitting in classroom. I realize I may be preaching to some choir members here, but to the non-choir members...join the choir!

In US II, the first exams were successful overall. A few students seemed to struggle, but most did well. If you had trouble studying, please see me to go over your study routine. Sometimes simple adjustments are all that is needed. US I has not had a major test yet, but will be having one next week, so begin reviewing your notes for 15-30 minutes each day, so that when you have the test the next day you are not going to have to study for hours (which is how too many students approach test preparation).

And let's make sure we keep on arguing! That is the key to studying and analyzing history, exchanging views and interpretations of it.

Election 2008 Vol.1

Well, it is finally getting where we can see some light at the end of this looooooong election campaign tunnel. A little over a month to go, and the race is surprisingly close. I say close because historically when economic times are bad, the party of the current administration usually takes a great deal of the blame and trails badly in the polls. The economic times are certainly bad, but McCain/Palin are in a dead heat with Obama/Biden. This raises several questions.

Would the Democrats have been better off if they had not gained congressional majorities? If they had not, they could lay all the blame on the Republican party for the economic mess. Is race a factor or not? Few people will ever state that they are not voting for Obama - or are voting for him - because of the color of his skin. But one has to wonder how many voters are impacted by this. I hope none are, but my best guess is that is not the case. The most significant question for the Dems right now is "what must we do to put some distance between us and the Rep. candidates? We should be comfortably ahead, so do we get very attack minded now or not?" For the Reps, it would seem that their big question is "How do we maintain the lack of losses? We are doing better than we expected, and maybe the country does not disapprove of our policies as much as was reported!" Let's follow the next 5-6 weeks VERY closely. It will be fun!!

Meet the Shacochis Clan

Well, here is the family you will here me refer to often. In the back row, left to right, is my oldest son Dave, our daughter-in-law (his wife) Elena, our 2nd daughter-in-law Stephanie and our younger son Brian. He is holding our grand-dog..."Tim Johnson". In the fron row is Emma (7 in October), Mrs. Shacochis holding Clare (2 in October), yours truly holding on to Carolina, and Joey is standing to my left.

This was taken on our annual family vacation together. Dave & his family live in Virginia, so we see them a few times a year but not as much as we would like, so we rent some place every year where we can all gather for a week together. This year was out in the Berkshires - an old farm house with a swimming pool. We had a great time!

Essay writing

I hope to have a model for essay writing up soon on my website (still in construction), but for students in both US I and US II, using the "Building an Essay" model that we went over in class is the most efficient approach and you really should get accustomed to it.

Far too many students just start writing, and that is generally not the way to go. You have not thought through your material and you are using a "shoot first and ask questions later" approach which all too often ends up poorly organized, incomplete, and weak. So no matter what format you use, the following steps should be incorporated into your creation of a valid essay:

1. Brainstorm! Look at the question for a minute, then start jotting all terms, events, info thta pops into your head about the topic and the question being asked. This will not be organized at first, but at least get it out there.

2. Categorize/organize...try to create at least 3 categories or subtopics from your thoughts, info, and brainstorming. This becomes the paragraphs for the body of your essay.

3. Revisit the question. Now that you have a sense of where you are going, does it truly answer the question?

4. Create your Thesis Statement (T Statement)...in which you clarify your position and preview the argument you are going to use in your essay.

- a good T statement:
Although it was the initial intent of the national government to unite the nation and get it headed in a unified direction, the failure to recognize the still bitter social and economic differences between the North and South resulted in a failed Reconstruction of the nation.

- a weak T statement:
Reconstruction was a failure because the North wanted to punish the South.

While both of these essays could argue the same points, the first T statement makes a stronger argument and it demonstrates a greater understanding on your part, thus making a better initial impression on the reader (me!).

5. Draft your T paragraph and incorporate your 3 categories into your body paragraphs.

Summer Reading

So now that summer is almost gone, I have to tell you I really enjoyed the opportunity to do some great reading over the summer months. I belong to two book groups, one for my church and one of History teachers. We get together monthly (Church group is just in the summer) to discuss our collective take on our selections for the month. Of course, summer is a great time to read and I wonder if the history group will function as consistently during the school year.

Nevertheless, here's what I was reading this summer and highly recommend to everyone:

The Prayer Chest - a beautiful story of loss and heartbreak, but also of discovery and awakening as one man learns that those around him represent God's answers to our prayers, only we do not always recognize. Saw a lot of myself in this story.

Take This Bread - a nonfiction work by Sarah Miles. Fabulous story of an atheist surprising herself in a journey of faith. Miles wanders into a church in San Francisco, feels welcome and comfort, and is drawn to the eucharist. In her journey, her faith blossoms but not without many moments of doubt. She comes to realize that it is her(our) job to feed each other...to be eucharist for each other. Great story and I highly recommend it.

Thirteen American Arguments - LOVED this book! We all did in my history group. Howard Fineman traces 13 arguments that have been significant throughout our history. He uses contemporary and historical scenarios to illustrate the role each argument has played and still plays. Great overview of our entire history.

Post-American World - Fareed Zakaria's latest work, in which he brings a global perspective to our role. It is not any where close to the pessimistic sound of the title, and Zakaria is very optimistic about our coming role in the world, but recognizes that we must recognize that the world has changed, not only because of terrorism but because of the rising of other nations (China, India, Brazil, Japan, and Russia) as economic influences. Interesting and thought provoking reading.

Freakonomics - a sometimes offbeat sometimes dead-on serious discussion of what makes our ecominc lives tick. The authors have some fun but also make some great points. What I liked best about this book was that if you are not comfortable with economics (and many are not, that's why it often is referred to as "the miserable science"), this puts it in real life terms so that you can see/understand how economics impacts society, without having to first understand all kinds of econ-vocabulary and confusing concepts.

All in all, a good summer of reading. What did you read this summer?

Establishing the routine

While we never want life to be routine, we do seek some routine in life so that we have some sense of confidence/security about how things will go and how things work. We certainly like to have that feeling in class and in school. By now you should be gaining a sense of how our US History class will run. I recognize that my teaching style can be somewhat erratic at times, but beyond that, there are certain routines I follow that you should begin to recognize by now. And it is important that you create some of your own routines as well ---in studying, in how you approach the chapter assignments (quizzes, essay exercises, etc.), are you taking chapter notes? outlining?, vocabulary routines --- all of these must be established by you for you. Be aware of this for yourself. And not just for US History but for all of your classes.

Hope you are following the presidential campaign developments somewhat. We have not had much opportunity to address the campaigns as yet, as we are just trying to get back into the school mindset, but we will be taking a look at this incredible process (and this incredible privilege). In fact, the Honors sections will be running a mock election along with some mock campaign events as we near the November election. Be sure to take notice of the various issues in this campaign, try to categorize the types of political ads you see, and also pay attention to how the media covers events and developments.

And of course, on this day, let us remember the events and the people of 9/11. As noted above in the title of this blog, history is all around you, and never so striking as on that day 7 years ago. It was a day that changed us. We already have seen a multitude of changes but have many yet to come, and of course we can not know those changes...America's role in the world? How we are viewed by this now "Post-American World" (Fareed Zakaria's latest book)? Economic impacts yet to be felt? There is a long list, but still what sticks in my mind will always be the horror of that day.