Thursday/ Friday 19/20 December

Happy Holidays!

Class was based around a lecture on key points in the labor history of the colonies.

Notes began in 1607 with the fact that the founders of the Jamestown colony complained about labor shortages in the "new world."

We left off in 1814 with studying the "Rhode Island System" of manufacturing developed by Samuel Slater.

Remember time is running out to complete work that does not yet demonstrate proficiency!

Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday 16-17-18 December

Recovering from the snow days.

All students should have turned in their Immigration projects as of Wednesday.

The class began a unit vocabulary list that includes:
Labor (singular noun): work
Labor (plural noun): workers
Capital (singular noun): money to finance business
Capital (plural noun): monied business, or people with business interests
Capitalist: someone who uses money to make money
Union: a group of workers organized to increase their power
Corporation: an artificial person who can not die

Class also read and discussed the following:

Monday, Tuesday, (NOT Wednesday), Thursday, Friday, and beyond 9-16 December

It's been a bit of a crazy week.

Monday's blog did not post (my mistake); see below.

Important note for periods 5,6,7: Due to missing class on Wednesday, your Immigration Summation project will be due on Wednesday, 18 December, not on Monday. Period 4 the due date for your projects is still Monday, 16 December.

This week time in class was spent working on the projects. Among other activities the class developed word banks for labeling connections and relationships:

so, in order to, influence

similar, like, just as, in the same way, also

unlike, opposite, as opposed, revise, diverge

to cause, invite, help, increase, allow

discourage, force, prevent, decrease, disallow


Students have been given time to ask one another questions about the policies they propose: questions that begin with words like: how? why? what?

Tuesday/ Wednesday 3/4 December

Class began with a mini-lecture on the relationship between supply, demand, and cost.

Included in this lecture are were these general observations:

high supply = low cost
high demand = high cost
low cost = high demand
high cost = low demand or increased supply
decrease supply = higher cost

The class found examples of this in the real world and began to explore how need for labor and supplies of cheap land can effect immigration.

Next the class reviewed the following rubric and graphic organizers

Monday, 2 December

Most of class was read reading, analyzing and discussing the following article. The class paid particular attention to items that provided new information; items that illustrated conflict over immigration; and information that was surprising to us.

Thursday/ Friday 21/22 November

Class completed viewing Papers.

Mr. Zartler discussed the summation project for the Immigration Unit. Students will produce a project that
A) Explains what they think United States Policy should be in regards immigration.
B) Explains the benefits and the drawbacks of this / these policies
C) Draws connections to historical policies and events
More details will be available after the break.

Students should have reviewed their Immigration Narratives, those students whose work does not yet meet proficiency standards should be working with Mr. Zartler and on their own to meet those standards.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Tuesday/ Wednesday, 19/20 November

Class reviewed the homework analysis of "1965 Immigration Law Changed Face of America" transcript.

Then class did a preview activity for the documentary Papers.

Details of this activity will be posted tomorrow.

Monday, 18 November

All classes studied the following news story (a secondary source): 1965 Immigration Law Changed the Face of America.

This document is one way that the class is finding out information about the status of immigrants and attitudes towards immigrants in the United States between 1920 and 1965.

Periods 5,6, and 7 have homework: They are to identify five key facts from the history presented in the news article.

November 12-15

This week the class reviewed what we have learned about immigration in the three waves:

Wave 1: 1600-1775
Wave 2: 1820-1870
Wave 3: 1880-1920s

The class then began learning about contemporary issues in immigration including
Wave 4: 1965-on

The class read and completed a SOAPS+Claim analysis on the article Dream Act Advocate Turns Failure into Success

After studying this article, the class created a Venn Diagram comparing issues surrounding the Dream Act to issues surrounding the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882.

Mr. Zartler also gave a mini-lecture to discuss terms used in politics, and the ideas normally associated with different aspects of the political spectrum.

November 4-7

This week the class focused on studying the history of Chinese Immigration to the United States between 1880 and the 1920s.

We focused on Angel Island. We studied poems available on this website.

We also watched and analyzed this video Carved in Silence, about the experiences of immigrants from China.

Thursday/ Friday 31 October / 1 November

Before turning in the 3rd Wave European Immigrant Narrative students completed a Self-evaluation / reflection, and read to the class one of their favorite passages.

The reflection responded to the following questions in paragraph forms (except for the question about candy):

1. What did you like about doing the 3rd Wave European Immigration Unit and Narrative?
2. How good is your story?
3. What's your favorite part of the story?
4. Other concerns?
5. What's your favorite candy?

Next classes began looking at some Angel Island poetry as source documents.

Class finished (in some cases) with note taking on a lecture about immigration from Asia to the United States.

Tuesday/ Wednesday 10/29 - 10/30

Mr. Zartler began with a short lesson on the proper presentation of dialogue in narrative writing.

The class began by completing a self-evaluation of the 3rd Wave Immigration Narrative.

Then students followed the following process for conferencing on their drafts:

1. In random groups first share you name and a gift you would like to receive in the near future.
2. 
   
3. Next, each student read their piece aloud.
4. 
   
5. After reading the piece aloud group members said back which aspects of the rubric they heard in the story.
6. 
   
7. If the author wished to ask for additional feedback he / she could.

Next Mr. Zartler began with some lecture notes on Chinese Immigration.

Their was little economic mobility (new vocabulary word) in China.

Many Chinese men (and some women) came to the United States. Frequently they worked in hard heavy labor jobs.

There was a lot of prejudice against these immigrants. There are stories that in John Day Oregon, it was not uncommon for white folk to get drunk at night and shoot randomly towards the Chinese section of town.

Angel Island was the main entry point for immigration from Asia to the United States from 1910-1940. It was sometimes called "the Ellis Island of the West," but was much more like a prison. The vast majority of immigrants were detained for long periods on Angel Island.

Mr. Zartler then shared this poem which was carved into a wooden wall of a barack on the island.

Thursday/ Friday 24/25 October

Class began with a review of and discussion of the positive and negative experiences turn of the century immigrants were likely to have in the United States.

Next Mr. Zartler shared some passages from contemporary novel sharing the story of a Korean family's immigration to the United States that is written in the first person.

Note (the dialogue in this novel is not done according to standard format, and student stories should be).

After this, students worked on writing a scene for their immigrant character once they had arrived in the United States.

Then students read to a partner their stories so far and got feed back according to the criteria for the story.

Typed, complete, rough drafts are due on Tuesday and Wednesday of next week. We will use the following rubric to asses the work on Tuesday.

Tuesday/ Wednesday 23/24 October

Class began with a writing prompt about what it might have been like to watch an immigrant in front of you detained at Ellis Island.

Next the class studied pages 192-194 of History Alive! in order to create a list of the positive and negative things immigrants faced in the United States.

This list can be used for writing about what it was like for the immigrants in their new homes.

A complete rough draft is due in class on Tuesday, 29 October.

Monday, 21 October

Class began with a review of the requirements for the current assignment:

Write a story that:
Shows knowledge and understanding of "push" and "pull" factors affecting 3rd wave (18802-1920s) immigration.

Story = characters + conflict => resolution
Written in the 1st person

Includes scenes in at least three (3) of the following segments: original home; travel; Ellis Island; detention/ deportation; new home.

The story can be told in the form of a journal; letters; a narrative, or a combination of these methods.

The class broke into groups of like origin immigrants to check for understanding and received feedback on the current drafts.

Students were assigned drafting additional sections of the story as homework.

Thursday/ Friday 17-18 October

Classes that had already begun writing from the point of view of a third wave immigrant began by sharing what they had.

Then the class analyzed what kinds of activities physical and mental there could or should be in the story. We reviewed the slide presentation to take note of more setting details.

Next students revised. Most students had to conduct some research (pages 188-189 of History Alive!) were useful so as to include push and pull factors in the story of third wave immigrants.

The current assignment is as follows:
Write a short story from the point of view of a third wave immigrant to the United States. This story should include scenes in at least three of the following settings: original home; travel; Ellis Island; Ellis Island detention; the United States as new home.

We will work on this story in class on Monday.

Monday/ Tuesday 14/15 October

Class began with a few minutes to finish up note taking / map making on Chapter Sixteen (pages 187-192) on Third Wave Immigration to the United States. After discussing some of the more noticeable trends and fascinating ideas Mr. Zartler gave a slide lecture on what it was like to be an immigrant during this period.

Then Mr. Zartler gave instructions for the next major assignment. Students are to write a one to one and half page story from the point of view of a third wave immigrant. The story could include aspects of being in their original country; the journey to America; the experience at Ellis Island; or the arrival in the community where they first settle. A good way to begin is to choose an age, a gender, and a country of origin, then to look through the chapter and / or notes to determine motivations for emigrating/ immigrating, as well as what the experience would have been like.

Wednesday/ Thursday 9/10 October

Here is a link to the class syllabus.

Class began with a review of methods for studying vocabulary. (Flash Cards are the most effective strategy.)

Students then had time to review our current vocabulary list: immigration; emigration; migration; opportunity; displacement; geography; oppression; mortality; fertility.

Next Mr. Zartler lectured on an excellent method for studying from a text book:

Text Book Studying

Skim and Scan
     Titles, headings, sub headings, vocabulary
     Images, repeated ideas and concepts
     Topic sentences of paragraphs

Check Outcomes
     Read summary or Review Questions at end

Review
     Reread titles, headings, sub-heads and topic sentences
     Try to determine the argument / claim the author is making

Read and Take Notes
    Take about one note per heading
    note facts that interest or surprise you
    note facts or arguments that support the authors claim
    take other notes as directed by the instructor


Mr. Zartler then assigned the beginning of Chapter 15 of History Alive! (pages 182-197) to be studied in this way.

During the next class he will give a slide lecture on 3rd wave immigration to the United States and students will begin to work on a 1st person Point of view writing assignment to show what the experience of an immigrant to the US between 1880-1920 would have been like.

Monday/ Tuesday 7/8 October

Class began by reviewing the syllabus for the course, including the grading policy.

Next Mr. Zartler returned to students all of the "Personal History" essays that had been submitted. The "Personal History" essay is a required assignment. Students who received a "Not Yet" mark, or who have not turned the essay in yet, need to be attending Tutorial with Mr. Zartler.

Mr. Zartler went over common editing marks that students might see on returned papers.

Next the class examined the world of a hypothetical Irish person considering emigrating in 1865.

After considering this person's point of view, students wrote a brief first person account of what he or she would have been thinking.

Back to School Night, Thursday, 3 October

United States History   Mr. Zartler    Grant High School 2013-2014

Thank you for coming to Back to School Night if you were able. I look forward to seeing you at Conferences.

Below is the information that I felt was most important to share with you.

THE MOST IMPORANT THING you can learn is the address of our class blog:

ZartlerUSHistory.blogspot.com

This blog is where you son or daughter can be reminded about what happened in class (or what they missed), homework assignments, and project due dates. (It’s my way of getting past dinner conversations that go like this:)

           

            Parent/ Guardian/ Caring Adult: What did you do in school today?

            Adolescent: Nothing

            (Awkward silence.)

My history class is organized around five themes: Immigration; Labor and the Economy; Foreign Relations; Women; and Civil Rights. Students are expected to learn the chronology of US History, but do so by studying the history through these five lenses. The course syllabus is currently online and there is a link in today’s entry on the blog.

You can read more about the course, including the grading policy which is also below by viewing my course syllabus.

GRADING POLICY

Work in this class will be graded based on demonstration of proficiency, exceeding proficiency, and mastery of skills taught. 

Students will be given a variety of assignments and activities to complete, however, only major assignments that are based on clearly defined skills will receive a grade. Grades assigned will be:

C for demonstrating proficiency of skills; 
B for exceeding basic proficiency and demonstrating mastery of skills and exceeding the minimum requirements for work; 
A for demonstrating mastery of skills and significantly exceeding the minimum requirements of an assignment in terms of depth, breadth, and quality of work.

Grading will be cumulative based on the completion of work. However credit will not be granted for the course if proficiency in one or more of the key skills is not demonstrated; therefore students should consider all proficiency assignments to be "exit criteria." The final course grade as well as quarterly grades and mid term reports will be based on cumulative "points." Each proficiency assignments will have a total "point value" and the total points earned and the final grade will be based on the following scale: "C" is equal to 75%; "B" is equal to 85%; "A" is equal to 95%.

Students will be expected to continue to work on the key assignments demonstrating proficiency until the assignments meets minimum standards of proficiency. Extensive use will be made of the Conference Period available on Tuesday and Wednesday from 2:25, and students should seem out the teacher during planning periods and after school for assistance.

COMMUNICATION

If you ever need to contact me email usually works best: jzartler@pps.net

But if you need to phone the number is 503.916.5160 x75-700

Thank you for coming, I look forward to working with you and your son or daughter,

                                                Jamie Zartler

Thursday / Friday 3/4 October

Class began with a group challenge. In small groups students tried to make a list of the steps in solving the immigration questions we studied last class.


Next, students completed the following assignment:

2^ND WAVE IMMIGRATION EXERCISE

There was a failed revolution in Germany in 1848. Revolutions create unrest, as well as change when they are successful. Unrest is a “push” factor in immigration. Approximately how many immigrants to the United States came from Germany in 1852, 1854, and 1856?

How do this numbers of immigrants compare to the number of immigrants from Germany who came in 1845?

It may be helpful to record the steps to follow on the back of this paper.

After finding these four figures, create a graph in the space below to show your findings.

Then write an analysis of what this data could be evidence for on an attached piece of lined paper.

The last project of the day was to create a visual metaphor that responds to the question, 

"What do I want America to be?"

Tuesday, Wednesday 1/2 October

Class today began by considering two metaphors for the United States:

Students recorded the pros and cons of each idea of what a country should be.

Next the class worked with graphs and tables presenting data on mid-nineteenth century immigration.

We practiced combining data from different sources to extrapolate missing information. We found numbers (green) to fill in the missing information suggested from the list written in black to estimate the number of Irish immigrants entering the United States in the 1940s.

In class on Thursday and Friday we will consider the question: "What do I want America to be?" 

Monday, 30 September

Class today was focused on sharing and enhancing the text mark up that students did for homework over the weekend.

As a class we commented on, asked questions about, and made connections on the handout "The North 1800s to 1850s" on immigration.

Class on Tuesday and Wednesday will be centered around analyzing charts, graphs, and other sources of numbers concerning mid nineteenth century immigration.

The current Immigration Vocabulary list is as follows:
immigration
migration
opportunity
displacement
geography
oppression
emigrate

Thursday, Friday 26-27 September

Class began with a pop quiz:

Put the following in correct order, and write down the applicable date:

Bill of Rights 1791
Emancipation Proclamation 1863
End of the Revolutionary War 1785
End of Legal Importation of Slaves to the United States 1808

Students wrote to the prompt: "What do I want from my life?"

Next the class reviewed positive and negative (push and pull) reasons for immigration, and students compared what they want in their futures to reasons people may move from one place to another.

Next Mr. Zartler gave notes about the history of immigration to the United States.

First immigrants came from Asia during the last Ice Age
Before 1930 almost 30% of immigrants returned to their country of origin.

There are four major periods of immigration to America

1st:
1600s to 1770s
Majority of immigrants from Britain
Seeking
     economic opportunity
     religious freedom
     some convicts shipped out of England
    importation of slaves (375,000 by 1808)

2nd Wave:
1820-1870
7,000,000 immigrants
1/3 Irish (stayed in cities near the sea board)
1/3 German (often had money and moved to productive lands in the midwest)

Tuesday/ Wednesday 24-25 September

Class today was focused on analyzing the poem "The New Colossus" as a primary source for attitudes towards immigration in the United States in the 1880s.

We discussed the "Seven Wonders of the Ancient World" as a tangent.

Students considered the tone of the poem; as well as what it directly states.

We added six (6) vocabulary words to the unit vocabulary list:
immigration
migration
opportunity
displacement
geography
oppression

Finally students began developing a list of positive (pull) and negative (push) reasons that people might move from one place to another.

Monday, 23 September

Personal history essays were due today.

Students who had their essay were asked to complete the following self-evaluation:

Given the criteria of:
Thesis/ Topic Sentences/ Evidence being present and connected
Clear explanations for evidence
Generally well written with a conclusion

Answer the following questions including explanations for why:

What did I do well?
What needs work?
What grade do I deserve?

Turn in the evaluation, the final copy, and the color marked draft.

Students who did not have their essay were to turn in the following self-evaluation:
What's going on?
What is my plan to complete this assignment (being very specific)
Will I attend tutorial this Tuesday or this Wednesday?
What help do I need to be successful?


Students then created a "Immigration Unit" section in their notebooks and answered the following question:
Who should live in the area called The United States of America? Why?

Students then were given the following handout to review as homework.

Name ______________________________________ Date _________________ Period ______

The poem below “The New Colossus” is by a woman named Emma Lazarus. The poem is inscribed on the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor. As we read the poem consider whether this poem reflects your views on immigration (and humanity) and whether it reflects our nations current views on immigration.

The Statue of Liberty (Liberty Enlightening the World; French: La Liberté éclairant le monde) is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in the middle of New York Harbor, inManhattan, New York City. The statue, designed by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886, was a gift to the United States from the people of France. The statue is of a robed female figure representing Libertas, the Roman goddess of freedom, who bears a torch and a tabula ansata (a tablet evoking the law) upon which is inscribed the date of the American Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776. A broken chain lies at her feet. The statue is an icon of freedom and of the United States: a welcoming signal to immigrants arriving frrom abroad. (Wikipedia.com)

The New Colossus

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,

With conquering limbs astride from land to land;

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name

Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand

Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

"Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she

With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

My thoughts/ questions / reactions

Vocabulary notes and other notes:

Tuesday/Wednesday & Thursday Friday 17-20 September

Sorry for the delayed entries.

Classes this week were different for fourth period and for 5th, 6th, and 7th because of Mr. Zartler's jury duty.

4th period had a lecture and note taking activity on Tuesday that 5-7 had on Friday. This activity involved the correct order and dates for major events in United States history. The class also worked to categorize these events based on the themes the class will follow this year: Immigration; Labor; Foreign Relations; Civil Rights; and Women.

On Wednesday and Thursday, all classes worked on a variety of activities designed to make sure that the essay on personal history which is due on Monday, 23 September is well done.

Students needing the time line handout or the handouts for writing activities should see Mr. Zartler.

Monday, 16 September, 2013

Homework:
Students have been working on a "Personal History" essay. This essay uses primary source documents to prove who the student is; where they have been; and what they have done.

A FINAL ROUGH DRAFT is due Wednesday for periods 5,6,7 and Thursday for period 4.

The essay should have an introduction with a thesis statement; the thesis statment should some how name or show what is unique about the author.

Body paragraphs should have topic sentences that connect to and support the thesis, and evidence with explanations that show how the primary source supports the topic sentence of the paragraph.

The conclusion should somehow expand the essay; most students can explain what they think their future holds based on who they are today.

Class:
Class today included working on the conclusion of the Personal History essay.

The class spent most of the period examining one of the themes in history we will be exploring.

We began by defining Civil Rights as "Peoples' Rights". We discussed how despite the promise of the Bill of Rights (1789) basic rights have not been universally available to all people in the United States.

We discussed the 1954 Brown Vs. Board of Education decsision that established that "seperate educational facilities are inherently unequal."

Then we read the following article. Be aware that this article contains disturbing facts and language.

The class briefly discussed the importance of bring Civil Rights to all.

Introductions

Welcome to the blog for

Mr. Zartler's US History class at Grant High School.

You can find me in Room #200 at Grant.

It is often easiest to contact me via email: jzartler@pps.net

My phone number is 503.916.5160 x 75-700