DC US History
2023-2024
Breckenridge High School & Ranger College Dual Credit US History
Calvin Best, B.Ed. & M.A.
BISD Webmaster & BHS Teacher
Director, Sports Information & Livestream Media Productions
calvin.best@breckenridgeisd.org - Teacher Bio
BHS Classroom Phone: 254-212-4730 EXT 1102
COURSE SYLLABUS - US HIST 1301 (Fall Semester) & 1302 (Spring Semester)
Let me welcome you to my classroom web page for Dual Credit American History for the 2023-2024 school year. I'm very excited about what lies ahead, and I really look forward to working with you! We are going to make a major change this year in that I will teach the spring semester in the fall and the fall course in the spring. I am reversing the order, in other words. Why? As most students know, the spring semester at our school is over-the-top busy with softball, tennis, golf, track, and baseball; plus, there's One Act Play and numerous Ag-Science/FFA competitions as well as several academic UIL contests, and there are both college campus tours and Culinary Arts fieldtrips. As if that were not enough, early May is when juniors take their STAAR/EOC in US History. I have never been able to reach the end of the course requirements (such as Gulf War II) by early May because of so many interruptions, which is not a criticism as much as it is an acknowledgement that we need to make an intelligent, informed adjustment to the DC US History scope and sequence. We will begin the Fall 2022 Semester with the Age of Exploration in order to orient ourselves to the story of history in this hemisphere and then leap forward to the Civil War Era, advancing from there. During the spring semester, we will go back and study key topics such as British-North American colonial life, the American Revolution, Native Americans, early Slavery, and the creation of the US Constitution.
Above, you will find my course syllabus, and below you will find the instructional layout for each specific unit of instruction along with supplemental reading and quiz assignments, unit exam requirements, and a variety of media resources.
Cell Phone Policy, Your Undivided Attention, Dress Code & Food/Drinks, & Make-Up Work
CELL PHONES: You will get out your cell phones on the first day of class and place this teacher website on your home screen, and I will also show you how to utilize school district calendars. After that, I never want to see a cell phone in my classroom - EVER! They have become a huge disruption to learning. All cell phones must be placed, as you enter the classroom, in the holster hanging by the door. If I see your cell phone, I will take it and allow you to come and get it at the end of the day. If the problem continues, we will go into disciplinary mode. That's what we will do without exception this year. Last year, many students much too often used their cell phones during class, hiding them behind their Chromebook screens while "supposedly" taking notes, becoming distracted and, subsequently, disconnected from what I was teaching. This year, all of those kinds of contradictions are coming to an immediate halt.
UNDIVIDED ATTENTION: Last year when I was in the middle of interactive teaching, a few students would, from time to time, ignore my instruction. They would work on something that, in their mind, was more pressing during my class and even do so right in front of me. I strongly recommend that you do not do that, as negative consequences will immediately result. I am a veteran teacher who is organized and prepared to teach you bell-to-bell, college-level US History, and I am excited to do so. I expect your 100%, undivided attention and total participation in that process. Please remember that this is an official college class where the responsibilities for learning increasingly shift to you, the student, and where your performance impacts your official college transcript.
DRESS CODE & FOOD/DRINKS: We will follow and abide by the high school's policies regarding dress code, food, and drinks. Please do not push me on these topics, as I will require that you follow our campus rules, and that is also what my bosses, Mr. Armstrong, Mr. West, and Coach Pearce, require me to do, and it's the right thing to do. Please do your part.
MAKE-UP QUIZZES & LATE SUBMISSIONS: All of my UNIT EXAMS utilize an essay format and are open-note and open-resource. They are due at the beginning of class on the day that we establish, and that will be made known to you well in advance. If you turn in your test one day late, then you will receive a subtraction of 10 points before I grade it. If you turn it in two days late, then you receive a subtraction of 20 points before I grade it. After that, you receive a "0" for that major grade. If you miss a supplemental reading quiz (which we have almost daily) for any reason, including being at a school activity, you will be required to make that up with a brief one-page essay that I will assign at that time.
The Gilded Age - Unit #6
Essay Exam Prompt & Requirements
Special ISMS Exam - Short Answer Format - Issued Tuesday, 02/20/24 - Due at the end of class on Wednesday, 02/21/24.
Gilded Age Introduction: What exactly is this era of history all about? The term "gilded" is taken from the title of Mark Twain's 1773 book called "The Gilded Age: A Tale for Today," and it refers to an object that is covered in gold leaf rather than one that is solid gold. In other words, the object is made to look like it's pure gold on its surface but in reality is only an imitation. It's like an attractive Christmas "gift" on display in December at Dillard's. It looks good on the outside, but there is nothing inside the box. That's not a flattering description.
During and after the American Civil War, a second, much more profitable industrial revolution occurred in the United States in large measure because the factory system was by then well established and businessmen were becoming cash-rich at unprecedented levels. This second Industrial Revolution was built upon the original Textile Era of small factories that were based on water power trains. During the Gilded Age, factories shifted mainly to steam power followed by electricity. There were numerous “essential” inventions, including high-strength steel, the combustion engine, the large-scale harnessing of electricity and subsequent power grid, and the creation of venture capital. There was money available, in other words, for investment and for expansion purposes.
This is also the time when the word "monopoly" came into use alongside other loaded terms such as "captains of industry" and "industrial tycoons." Organized labor became a force, and Marxism along with many other ISMS or ideologies launched. Really, the age that you and I live in right now in terms of political theater along with mega-corporations (with their incessant marketing and mass production) along with competing ideologies is in many respects a result of this "gilded" era. It was also the time period when newfangled things like Coca-Cola, the telephone, the light bulb, electrical appliances, and early automobiles were invented -- an era when baseball and amusement parks came into organized existence. This is the time when the overall scale of things shot way up along with literal skyscrapers and mass transportation. Let's look into this time period of history and see what we can learn.
Learning Objectives Expressed through Instructional Questions: 1) Why use the term gilded to describe an entire era of history? 2) How does the increase in scale in things such as businesses, manufacturing, and government translate to the individual? 3) Does an increase in scale make things better, worse, or both? 4) How does a corporation actually work, and what is investment capital? 5) What are isms and ideologies? 6) Why did labor organize, was it needed, and what were the initial outcomes of the early labor movements? 7) What is urbanization, how is that related to immigration, and what effect did both have on the growth and culture of the United States? 8) What were the new, key inventions of the second half of the 19th Century, and how did they radically alter life in America? 9) What is discretionary income and leisure time, and how are those two topics related to the growth of varying forms of entertainment such as baseball and amusement parks? 10) What is Yellow Journalism, and how did it help to fuel division in the United States?
Supplemental Reading Assignments & Quiz Dates
Supplemental Reading #1 – The Expansion of Industry
Thursday, 02/01/24 Quiz over The Entire Article (It's Brief)
Supplemental Reading #2 – The Age of Railroads
Tuesday, 02/06/24 Quiz over The Entire Article (It's Brief)
Supplemental Reading #3 – Big Business & Labor
Thursday, 02/08/24 Quiz over Pages 241 thru Middle of 243
Monday, 02/12/24 Quiz over from Middle of 243 to the End on Page 245
Tuesday, 02/13/24 Quiz over Remaining Pages
Supplemental Reading #4 – The New Immigrants
Wednesday, 02/14/24 - Entire Article
Supplemental Reading Quiz #5 - The Challenges of Urbanization
Thursday, 03/15/24 - Entire Article
Supplemental Reading #6 – Politics in the Gilded Age
Thursday, 03/15/24 - Entire Article
Special Reading Assignment TBA over this article on Social Darwinism.
Helpful Video Resources
Additional Resources
Main Presentation Overview
Online Presentation over Socialism, Marxism, and Communism
Understanding Capitalism Online Slide Show
Social Darwinism & Robber Barrons
Social Darwinism & American Laissez-faire Capitalism
Secondary Presentation Additional Set Industrial Facts
Additional Information with Graphs
Unit #5: The Reconstruction Era of US History
Duration: Monday, 01/08/24 thru Thursday, 02/18/24
SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT FOR THURSDAY, 01/18/24: Read this essay concerning Separate But Equal during class, paying especially close attention to Plessy vs. Ferguson. ESSAY Please take this seriously in that there are important points that we will discuss on Monday, 01/22/24, and we will begin supplemental reading quizzes over this material on Tuesday.
Introduction: Many historians argue that while the North or Union ultimately won the fighting and governmental part of the Civil War, the South ultimately won the post-War crisis known as Reconstruction. The challenges facing the United States in 1865 were formidable and only made much worse when actor John Wilkes Booth assassinated President Abraham Lincoln on April 14th, just a few days after the formal Confederate surrender at Appomattox Courthouse. In this unit, we will take a good look at the complexity of post-Civil War life, focusing on the emerging plans for bringing the South politically back into the United States via a conditional, restored membership in Congress. Moreover, we will examine the Freedman's Bureau (and related initiatives), temporary African American gains, and the main forms of Southern resistance.
Essential Questions: 1) Why was Andrew Johnson such a poor choice for becoming vice president after Lincoln's assassination? 2) What was Lincoln's original plan for restoring the defeated South into the United States? 3) What were the immediate post-War conditions in the US but especially in the South? 4) What was Andrew Johnson’s strategy for reuniting the North and the South? 5) What caused the Congress of the United States to turn so strongly against President Johnson that he only missed being removed from Office by one vote? 6) What was Radical, Militarized Reconstruction -- both in terms of the realities of real life in the South and in terms of the political process for returning states into a restored standing in Congress. 7) What unfolded in the South in terms of resistance to the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments? 8) What conclusions can we reach about the Reconstruction Era of US History and about human nature?
Main Supplemental Reading Article
Reading Quiz - Tuesday, 01/09/24 - Pages 2-4
Reading Quiz - Wednesday, 01/10/24 - Pages 5-8
Reading Quiz - Thursday, 01/11/24 - Pages 9--14
Reading Quiz - Tuesday, 01/16/24 - Pages 15-22
Main Reconstruction Presentation
Examples of Black Codes
History of the KKK PDF
KKK Overview PPT
Population Rates in America 1860
Plessy vs Ferguson Academic Resources Below
Overview of the Famous Case Presentation
Unit #4: The Twelve Main Causes of the American Civil War
Unit Begins: Thursday, 10/19/23
Essay Exam Prompt & Requirements
I am home sick - Monday, 11/13/23. Please read this article and write a summary of the content that is due today at the end of class. Please write it on your own paper, turning it into your substitute teacher before you leave the classroom. ARTICLE
I will remain home one more day - Tuesday, 11/14/23 - but should be back tomorrow - doing much better. Please read and summarize the document below over the Mexican-American War, being sure to hit each topic as presented in this good and brief overview. This will be due at the end of class today. ARTICLE
Unit Overview: With regard to American history, it is likely that there has been more historical research and writing about the Civil War Era than any other time period, although WWII and the Cold War might have finally surpassed the Civil War as the most studied area of US History. Why has the Civil War been so thoroughly studied? At least 600,000 people died in this epic and tragic conflict; that number is especially alarming when we consider that fewer American soldiers have died in all other wars combined, including World Wars I & II. Another reason for high interest also has to do with the implausible breakup of the United States into two distinct nations only eighty-four years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Most people would have thought that impossible. Let’s figure out how this could have happened and what we can learn about division, unity, and integrity.
Learning Objectives Expressed through Instructional Questions: 1) What was really driving the potential breakup of the United States? 2) What were the actual constitutional restrictions against slavery? 3) What could individual states do about the cessation or expansion of slavery over and above the federal government? 4) What was the abolitionist movement? 5) How did the early Industrial Revolution cause a rise in the demands for slaves? 6) Why did many whites fundamentally view people of African descent as inferior? 7) Was there an alternative to war? 8) Why was Abraham Lincoln's presidential victory so divisive? 9) What were the specific reasons for the Civil War?
American Civil War Picture Archive
Thorough Examination of Slavery
Supplemental Reading Quizzes
Monday, 10/23/23: Quiz over Pages 96-100 - Click HERE
Tuesday, 10/24/23: Quiz over This Brief Article over the Cotton Gin
Wednesday, 10/25/23: Quiz over This Chapter - Louisiana Purchase
Thursday, 10/26/23: Quiz over This Article - Missouri Compromise
Monday, 10/30/23: Quiz over This Article - Page 1
Tuesday, 10/31/23: Quiz over This Article - Page 2
Wednesday, 11/01/23: Quiz over This Article- Pages 8-10
Thursday, 11/02/23: Quiz over This Article- Pages 11-12
Monday, 11/06/23: Quiz over Pages 13-14
Possible Additional Supplemental Reading Quizzes
Quiz over Uncle Tom's Cabin Overview - 1st 3 Pages
Quiz over Kansas-Nebraska Act - Entire, Brief Article
Quiz over SCOTUS Dred Scott Ruling - First 2 Pages
Quiz over John Brown over this entire article concerning John Brown
Unit #3: The Early Industrial Revolution - New England Textile Mills & Small Factories
Begins Wednesday, 09/27/23
Essay Exam Prompt & Requirements - Issued Wednesday, 09/27/23
Early Textile Mills Presentation
Unit Introduction: What is the Industrial Revolution? A social revolution is a significant change or series of changes in the main institutions of society: government, military, economic production, education, cultural home life, and religion – the central pillars of life for arguably most people, especially in the late 1700s and early 1800s. With that in mind, the thesis of this unit of instruction is that the industrial “revolution” was a radical change to all of those areas, and it began in the United States (following England's lead) in the early 1800s in New England, and it was centered around textiles mills, rivers, water wheels, and small factories. Once underway, it completely reshaped our culture and geopolitical paradigms with incredible force. The life you and I enjoy and that sometimes really frustrates us actually begins in this time period, for you and I live in the modern era of human existence. Thomas Paine and Thomas Jefferson, by comparison, lived their lives much more in the medieval, feudal world than in the modern one, having arguably more in common with Braveheart of the 13th Century than with their own grandchildren. Let's take a close look at what happened in the early phases of the Industrial Revolution and see what we can learn about mechanization and its transformative power.
Learning Objectives Expressed through Instructional Questions: 1) Why was it that there had not been an industrial revolution or great leap forward concerning the means of production and related technologies until the latter part of the 18th Century? 2) What is "industry" in the broadest sense of the term? 3) What are inventions in general and specifically with regard to mechanized production? 4) What is cottage industry versus production that is centralized? 5) What are the pros and cons of both approaches to production? 6) What do we mean when we state that form follows function, and why is that important in this discussion? 7) What are textiles, and what is a textile mill? 8) What would it take to translate the potential energy of a river into a driveshaft powered, small (and then much larger) textile factory? 9) What would have to change in local culture in order for a factory system to become functional? 10) What is compartmentalized production, and how does that generate interchangeable parts, and how does that process facilitate a truly national and then global industrial revolution? 11) What is conflict dualism and how does that relate to factory work, safety (or lack of it), pay, and the overall system of centralized production? Additionally, how did the factory system lead to the expression "the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing?"
We Actually Began on Thursday, 09/21/23 with An Interesting Consideration: What If the Industrial Revolution had happened 1000 years earlier, or perhaps 2000 or more yeras ago? Is there any evidence to suggest that such a thing could have actually occurred? Let's investigate this idea before beginning this unit and do so via this very well made film: 2000 Year Old Computer - Decoding the Antikythera Mechanism - Overview of Antikythera Mechanism - Overview of the Device
Additional Resources for the Industrial Revolution
Video One Video Two Video Three
Brief Overview of Industrial Revolution
Supplemental Reading Quiz Tuesday, 10/03/23 - Pages 1&2
Supplemental Reading Quiz Wednesday, 10/04/23 - Remaining Pages
Supplemental Reading
Thursday, 10/05/23 - Quiz over Early Industries & Inventions - Entire Article
Wednesday, 10/11/23 - Quiz over Pages 5-7 - Daughters of Free Men
Thursday, 10/12/23 - Quiz over Pages 8-12 - Daughters of Free Men
Note: We will utilize an excellent film called Mill Times. This 2006 video and animated feature will form the backbone of our examination of New England Mill Towns and the overall textile factory system.
Official Video Description: This animated program centers on a small New England community similar to Pawtucket, Rhode Island, where Samuel Slater established America's first textile mill. Live action hosted by David Macaulay, takes viewers from Manchester, England, to Lowell, Massachusetts, explaining technological changes that transformed the making of textiles, a key component of the Industrial Revolution sweeping across Europe and America in the late 18th century.
Unit #2: The Greedy, Condescending, & Unprepared vs. the Righteous, Open, & Committed
Unit Begins Monday, 08/28/23 - Concludes Wednesday, 09/20/23
Essay Question Prompt & Requirements - Issued 08/28/23
We need to ask these two questions: who were the first "European" settlers (during the last part of the Western European Age of Exploration) of North America? Why were the first two British colonies so dissimilar? In this unit we will explore the answers to those questions. We will actually begin with a brief video overview of Roanoke Colony, moving from there into Jamestown (1607) and then Plymouth (1620). Before we do that, however, let's examine North America before the Europeans arrived since it had been inhabited by indigenous peoples for thousands of years.
Concerning Plymouth, we will teach this part of the unit more from a movie than from reading or lecture/discussion. I own and will show Desperate Crossing: The Untold Story of the Mayflower (2006). This exceedingly well made film will bring to light several important truths about what was really going on with the "pilgrims" before, during, and after their famous crossing of the Atlantic Ocean. I think you will really enjoy the film and benefit from its content. You may also be somewhat shocked to know that Thanksgiving actually did happen in a reciprocal, colloborative manner because of an effective alliance and could have set the path for the coming together of two dissimilar cultures.
SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT FOR WEDNESDAY, 09/06/23
Write a one-page essay that summarizes the main points about Pocahontas from these two resources. This will be done in class today and turned into Mrs. McCullough today . . . NO EXCEPTIONS.
The Real Story of the Mayflower
Quiz over Pages 1-3 on Tuesday, 09/19/23
Quiz over Pages 4-6 on Wednesday, 09/20/23
Quiz over Pages 7-10 on Thursday, 09/21/23
Supplemental Materials
About the Mysterious Pocahantas
Jamestown Supplemental Reading
No Quizzes with Short School Week
Plymouth Supplemental Reading #1
TBA
Additional Plymouth Supplemental Reading #2
Pages 109-111 (Up to the English Colonization): TBA
Pages 111-114: TBA
Pages 115-117: TBA
Unit #1: The Western European Age of Exploration
Unit Duration: Tuesday, 08/08/23 Thursday, 08/24/23
ESSAY EXAM PROMPT & REQUIREMENTS - Issued 08/08/23
Overview: First, we need to understand how the Old World (Western Europe) and the New World (the Americas) merged together. The changes were incredible and often tragic. In this three week unit, called The Western European Age of Exploration, we will look at the big picture of global migration, focusing on how remnants of Ancient Roman civilization in Central and Western Europe organized (during the late Middle Ages) into what we now call Nation States. The latter – Portugal, Spain, France, England, and others – set in motion an era of exploration followed by settlement that essentially brought together two distinct, arguably incompatible worlds, creating a new one -- the one in which you and I currently live. That geopolitical, East-overtakes-West shift had profound consequences. The initial death rates that resulted from this collision were catastrophic, and the overall story is epic and full of conflict, triumph, loss, and regeneration.
Essential Questions: Scientists and historians have asked themselves, and the general public, these questions: 1. How is it that Europeans, with relative ease, conquered Native Americans, especially in what is now Mexico? 2. Why were Native Americans so far behind Europeans with regard to technology? 3. Why didn’t Native Americans get on their sailing ships, trek across the Atlantic Ocean, and conquer Europe? 4. Why were the Egyptians building their pyramids in 2500 BC whereas the Aztec Indians in what is now Mexico built theirs in AD 1325, almost 4000 years later? 5. Why were native people in the Americas so vulnerable to European diseases? Why, in other words, did they not have a better immune system concerning a broad spectrum of diseases? 6. Why did Western & Northern Europeans Explore the world? What did they hope to gain? 7. What is the Colombian Exchange? 8. Where (and when) were the first two, permanent British-American colonies?
AGE OF EXPLORATION MAIN PRESENTATION
Main Supplemental Reading Article
Reading Quiz #1 - Tuesday, 08/15/23 - Pages 404-408
Reading Quiz #2 - Wednesday, 08/16/23 - Pages 409-411
Reading Quiz #3 - Thursday, 08/17/23 - Pages 412-414
Reading Quiz #4 - Friday, 08/18/23 - Pages 415-417
Reading Quiz #5 - Monday, 08/21/23 - Pages 417-418
Reading Quiz #6 - Tuesday, 08/22/23 - Pages 419-421
The Colombian Exchange & Global Trade - TBA If Needed
Reading Quiz #7
Reading Quiz #8
We will also examine the spread of diseases; namely, smallpox, arguably the most detrimental result of the coming together of the Old and New Worlds. See the map below, and click on the following website link for an enlargeable version:
Preparing for the US History EOC
Please utilize the below STAAR/EOC released tests. Going through these will really help you on the upcoming history EOC, which takes place on Thursday, May 4th. Notice that I have placed these study guides at the top of this webpage. I want you to know right-out-the-gate what to expect for STAAR/EOC in US History, and we will work on preparing for that standardized test off and on over the school year. My dual credit history students enjoy a 100% pass rate on that exam and have done so since I began teaching this class in 2013-2014. Last year, my DC US History students also achieved a 68% Mastery Level. Let's see if we can get the mastery rate even higher this year.
EXCELLENT VIDEOS FOR US HISTORY EOC PREP
Landmark Supreme Court Cases about Civil Rights
RELEASED US HISTORY EOC TESTS
2013 American History Released EOC
2014 American History Released EOC
2015 American History Released EOC
2017 American History Released EOC
2018 American History Released EOC
2019 American History Released EOC
2021 American History Released EOC
REALLY HELPFUL STUDY GUIDES
Civil Rights Overview - Excellent Resource
Cold War - Very Good Presentation of Facts & Issues
Vietnam War - Be Sure to Read This One
The Causes & Consequences of World War I
Unit Concludes TBD
Essay Exam Prompt & Requirements
World War I set a new standard for human cruelty and waste of life. Sadly, WWI, most historians argue, actually caused WWII to be inevitable. In this unit we will first examine the primary causes of the war; then, we will examine its consequences, including the creation of the Soviet Union.
Essential Questions: How do "ISMS" play a central role in the outbreak of World War One? Specifically, how do Social Darwinism and Imperialism contribute? Why was World War War fought rather quickly to a stalemate that, in turn, lasted years, causing unprecedented numbers of casualties? What was the Bismarckian Alliance System? What is trench warfare? What is Shell Shock, and what do we now call it? Why do historians argue that World War I is simply the first part of a much greater war that reignites in Europe in the 1930s?
Special Reading Assignment for Tuesday, 02/27/24
Understanding World War One
Read This Article and Be Prepared for a Quiz on Wednesday, 02/28/24
Supplemental Materials
Main Presentation over Imperialism
Secondary Presentation over Imperialism
Overview of World War I & Trench Warfare Video
Results & Consequences of World WWI (Presentation Format)
The Gilded Age: The Emergence of the Modern Way of Life
DUAL CREDIT AMERICAN HISTORY
Breckenridge High School & Ranger College
Duration: Thursday, 03/03/22 thru Monday, 04/04/22
Spring Break: Monday, 03/14/22 thru Friday, 03/18/22
Essay Exam Prompt & Requirements - Issued Thursday, 03/03/22 - Due WEDNESDAY, 04/06/22, at the BEGINNING of CLASS
Unit Overview: What exactly is this era of history all about? The term "gilded" is taken from the title of Mark Twain's 1873 work "The Gilded Age: A Tale for Today," and it refers to an object that is covered in gold leaf rather than one that is solid gold. In other words, the object is made to look like it's pure gold on its surface but in reality is only an imitation. It's like a beautiful Christmas "gift" on display in December at Dillard's. It looks very attractive on the outside, but there is nothing inside the box. That's not a flattering description. During and after the American Civil War, a second, much more profitable industrial revolution occurred in the United States in large measure because the factory system was by then well established and businessmen were becoming cash-rich at unprecedented levels. There was now money available for investment and for expansion purposes. Also, new inventions were introduced and others refined, and this was increasingly made possible because steam power, followed in short order by the combustion engine, hugely improved manufacturing in terms of the power train system. This is the time when the word "monopoly" came into use alongside other loaded terms such as "captains of industry" and "industrial tycoons." Organized labor became a force, and Marxism along with many other ISMS or ideologies launched. Really, the age that you and I live in right now in terms of business marketing, finance, mass production, and competing ideologies is in many respects a result of this "gilded" era. It was also the time period when newfangled things like Coca-Cola, the telephone, the light bulb, controllable (and reliable) electricity, and early automobiles were invented -- an era when games such as baseball and amusement parks came into organized, profitable existence. This is the time when the overall scale of things shot way up along with literal skyscrapers. Let's look into this time period of history and see what we can learn.
NOTE: This unit is closely related to the next one that is called the Progressive Era. It will be a little blurry in terms of the handoff (or timeline) from one to the other, but we will deal with that when we get there with regard to testing. This material is also tested on the STAAR/EOC.
Learning Objectives Expressed through Instructional Questions: 1) Why use the term gilded to describe an entire era of history? 2) How does the increase in scale in things such as businesses, manufacturing, and government translate to the individual? 3) Does an increase in scale make things better, worse, or both? 4) How does a corporation actually work, and what is investment capital? 5) What are isms and ideologies? 6) Why did labor organize, was it needed, and what were the initial outcomes of the early labor movements? 7) What is urbanization, how is that related to immigration, and what effect did both have on the growth and culture of the United States? 8) What were the new, key inventions of the second half of the 19th Century, and how did they radically alter life in America? 9) What is discretionary income and leisure time, and how are those two topics related to the growth of varying forms of entertainment such as baseball and amusement parks? 10) What is Yellow Journalism, and how did it help to fuel division in the United States?
Daily Bell Ringers, Supplemental Reading Assignments, & Quiz Dates
Supplemental Reading #1 – The Expansion of Industry
https://www.ohio.k12.ky.us/userfiles/1164/Classes/8593/6.1.pdf
Friday, 03/04/22 Quiz over The Entire Article (It's Brief)
Supplemental Reading #2 – The Age of Railroads
https://www.ohio.k12.ky.us/userfiles/1164/Classes/8593/6.2.pdf
Monday, 03/07/22 Quiz over The Entire Article (It's Brief)
No Quiz on Tuesday, 03/08/22, Due to ACT Testing for Juniors.
Good Luck on the Test, Buckaroos!
Supplemental Reading #3 – Big Business & Labor
https://www.ohio.k12.ky.us/userfiles/1164/Classes/8593/6.3.pdf
Wednesday, 03/09/22 Quiz over Pages 241 thru Middle of 244
Thursday, 03/10/22 Quiz over Pages 244 (Middle) to the End on Page 249
Supplemental Reading #4 – The New Immigrants
https://www.ohio.k12.ky.us/userfiles/1164/Classes/8593/7.1.pdf
Monday, 03/21/22 Quiz over Pages 254-257
Tuesday, 03/22/22 Quiz over Pages 258-261
Supplemental Reading #5 – The Challenges of Urbanization
https://www.ohio.k12.ky.us/userfiles/1164/Classes/8593/7.2.pdf
Monday, 03/28/22 Quiz over The Entire Article (It's Brief)
Supplemental Reading #6 – Politics in the Gilded Age
https://www.ohio.k12.ky.us/userfiles/1164/Classes/8593/7.3.pdf
Tuesday, 03/29/22 Quiz over The Entire Article (It's Brief)
Additional Resources
Main Presentation Overview
Online Presentation over Socialism, Marxism, and Communism
Understanding Capitalism Online Slide Show
Social Darwinism & Robber Barrons - Excellent Video over This Topic
Social Darwinism & American Laissez-faire Capitalism
Secondary Presentation Additional Set Industrial Facts
Additional Supplemental Reading - Excellent EOC Study Guide
What Is a Corporation?
Video Link over How a Corporation Works
How Does the Stock Market Work?
Closure/Wrap Up: Check for understanding of daily and overall unit learning objectives and those related to the supplemental reading requirements and the final exam requirements.
Evaluation of Learning: Supplemental Reading Quizzes; Socratic Questioning & Discussion; Notes with Q&A; Essay Exam
Unit #5: A New Kind of US Government - The Vicissitudes of Astriction
Duration: 11/16/21-12/03/21
Thanksgiving Break: 11/22/21-11/26/21
Essay Exam Prompt & Requirements
Unit Description: The Americans, having defeated the strongest empire on earth, Great Britain, did not create for themselves a new system of government post-Revolution. Rather, the Continental Congress had already been utilizing what were generally called the Articles of Confederation throughout the War. To that end, there was no American president, no federal court system, no bicameral congress, no interstate trade standards, and no way to deal effectively with War-related debt or even with intrastate issues such as mini-rebellions or uprisings. Just after the War, those shortcomings had not yet become menacing or dangerous enough to cause political instability.
Post-revolution, the 13 Colonies had become the 13 "United" States with a great deal of territory still to be explored and settled, but the new "states" actually operated as independent nations much more than reciprocal, responsible satellites in a new, unified country. Eventually, significant troubles made themselves known, and a growing awareness of their systemic causes entered the minds of America's executive leaders (and many laymen). Something had to be done to make the US government more efficacious and resilient on a variety of demanding fronts, and that "something" was initially a convention at Liberty Hall in Philadelphia -- the same, famous location where the Continental Congress had previously conducted its work. We now respectfully refer to that assembly, which met from about May 25th to September 17th in 1787, as the Constitutional Convention where the modern US government was born. It's important to keep in mind that this confluence of people and events at the Convention showcased the long-running, unavoidable schism between states rights versus the nation's need for an effectively strong, federal government. That tension (or never-ending struggle) remains present to this day.
This unit will explore many of the issues and challenges associated with America's movement from the Articles of Confederation to the US Constitution and Bill of Rights, paying close attention to key concepts such as democracy, republicanism, representation, and natural rights.
We will utilize an excellent film called "A More Perfect Union" (1989). This film illustrates well the big issues and the much smaller nuances of the entire governmental crisis that led to the Constitutional Convention in 1787 and the subsequent, constitutional rebirth of the USA.
Student Learning Objectives: 1) Students will understand that post-Revolutionary America was not an era or time when modern governmental processes were in operation; 2) Students will understand that the young United States was in a condition of massive debt, composed of mainly poor farmers, and internationally powerless; 3) Students will understand that the young United States operated more as 13 independent mini-nations rather than as a unified whole and that England only paid face-value to having recognized the USA as an independent nation; the reality was much different from the ideal set in place via the Treaty of Paris of 1783; 4) Students will understand that executive leaders of the 13 states steadily began to realize that their new nation was likely to disintegrate into regional, independent nations rather than remain within the United States of America; 5) Students will understand that executive leaders launched a campaign to convene a special, nation-wide, legislative session to assess America’s main challenges and then to design legislative solutions for them; 6) Students will understand how that process came into being, how it unfolded in Philadelphia, and what the results were and how those solutions were ratified into Constitutional Law, establishing our modern form of government.
FYI: TEN REASONS WHY THE FIRST CONSTITUION FAILED
Reading Quiz, Pages XVII-XIX or First 3 Pages, Tuesday, 11/16/21 - Click HERE
Reading Quiz, Pages XX-XXI, Wednesday, 11/17/21 - Click HERE
Reading Quiz, Pages XXII-XXIII, Monday, 11/29/21 - Click HERE
Bill of Rights Assignment/Exam - Due Thursday, 12/09/21 - Click HERE - Answer on your own paper in writing. You do not, of course, need to write the questions.
Presentation & Additoinal Resources
Major Debates at the Constitutional Convention
Video Resources Concerning the US Bill of Rights
Monday, 12/06/21, We Will Begin This Section
An Axiomatic Understanding of Human Beings
1st Amendment Overview - Freedom of Speech
Freedom of Religion - Separation of Church & State
One More Interpretation of Freedom of Religion
2nd Amendment #1 overview of Gun Ownership
McDonald vs City of Chicago Fully Exaplined
McDonald vs City of Chicago Simplified
Plessy v. Ferguson - The Bill of Rights Weaponized
Plessy v. Ferguson in Greater Detail
Understanding Due Process - Habeas Corpus
Boumediene v. Bush - Case Summary
Hamdi v. Rumsfeld Case Brief Summary
Video Resources
Unit #4: The American Revolution - From Governmental & Cultural Incompatibility to Organized, Sustained Violence
Essay Exam Prompt & Requirements
Main Presentation for This Unit
Supplemental Reading - Major Battles of the American Revolution
Quiz #1, Thursday, 10/21/21 - Pages 1-2.5
Quiz #2, Friday, 10/22/21 - Pages 2.5-3
Quiz #3, Monday, 10/25/21 - ONLY PAGE 4
Quiz #4, Wednesday, 10/27/21 - Pages 5-6
NO QUIZ over This Material - Will Conclude
Presentation & Discussion on Friday, 10/29/21
Video Overview & Presentation on Colonial Literacy & Propaganda
Battle of Saratoga Supplemental Reading
NOTE: the original link to the article we had utilized in the past is now broken. I appreciate a student bringing that to my attention. I have selected another article that is now correctly linked just above. During class on Monday, 11/01/21, we will take a look at the article and determine what and when to quiz. No quiz, of course, on Monday, 11/01/21.
Quiz #1, Tuesday, 11/02/21 - Pages 1-4 up to Burgoyne's Campaign
NO QUIZ on WEDNESDAY
Quiz #2 - Thursday, 11/04/21 - Pages 4, from Burgoyne's Campaign to Page 8 up to The St. Leger Expedition but not through it. I showed you that information in class on Wednesday, 11/03/21.
Quiz #3 - Friday, 11/05/21 - Bottom of Page 8, from The St. Leger Expedition through page 12, stopping at the The Battle of September 19th. In other words, when you get to the beginning of The Battle of September 19th, stop and do not go into and through that section (unless you want to, of course).
No More Supplemental Reading Quizzes over The Battles of Saratoga after 11/05/21
Battle of Yorktown Supplemental Reading
Quiz #1, Wednesday, 11/10/21 - Top of Page 3 to Bottom of Page 7
Quiz #2, Monday, 11/14/21 - Top of Page 8 to End of Article - Special 20 Question Quiz w/ True/False Only Questions
Treaty of Paris, 1783 - Complete Document
Treaty of Paris - Just the Facts
The 1783 Treaty of Paris in a Nutshell - Excellent Video Overview
Just War Presentation & Just War Theory Supplemental Reading
Note: No Quiz Assignments Yet on Just War
Numbers of People Killed in Wars Interesting & Revealing Facts about Wars
Unit Overview: Thus far, we have examined carefully the lead-up to the American Revolution, grouping all of those indirect causes under the heading of "Salutary Neglect." Then, we went through (or will go through) what historians generally list as the specific causes such as the Coercive Acts, the Boston Tea Party and Massacre, and other clear, aggressive triggers, including the entire martial law condition of pre-revolutionary Boston.
In this unit, we turn our attention to the outbreak of violence at Lexington-Concord (just outside of Colonial Boston), but before we actually fight the first battle, we will briefly examine another important aspect of history: "The Idea of a Just War." We need to know a little more about what we think is acceptable or necessary concerning legitimate warfare with all of its bloodshed versus what we think is or is not morally acceptable. After we look at that topic, we will see illustrated in video form "The Shot Heard Round the World" and other key battles of The American Revolution, utilizing the excellent historical series called "The Revolution" (2006).
Your Specific Learning Objectives: 1) Students will understand that the outbreak of violence was not entirely unexpected since the British-North American Colonies were always more egalitarian than the mother country (and already functioned in many respects as an independent nation or as autonomous, mini-nations); 2) Students will understand that wars can arguably be "just," depending upon the circumstances and the levels of oppression or tyranny; 3) students will understand the specific details of the outbreak of violence at Lexington & Concord; 4) Students will understand the scope and results of key battles of the American Revolution; 5) Students will understand the End-Game concerning the Battle of Yorktown and the Post-War Outcomes such as the Treaty of Paris of 1783 and the immediate challenges facing the new "United" States of America.
Video Resources for Just War Theory & Associated Topics:
Video Resources for American Revolution:
Unit #3: Lead-Up to the American Revolution
Note: Due to ACT Teasting for juniors on Tuesday, 10/19/21, we are just a little behind with regard to completing the previous unit, so we will finish Unit #3 on Wednesday and also launch Unit #4.
Introduction: The American Revolution, also known in England as the War of Independence, was not an event nearly as much as it was an angry, violent, lengthy divorce because of irreconcilable differences between the British-North American Colonies and their mother country, Great Britain or England. There are several causes, of course, and in this unit we will explore them. One of the biggest factors, though, is known as Salutary Neglect. The idea here is that England did not really control the colonies in North America nearly as much as she beneficially traded with them for about 150 years, enjoying along the way (for the most part) a common cultural heritage and language. That condition, nevertheless, slowly changed in several respects, causing, ultimately, the outbreak of violence in areas in and around Boston in 1775.
Essential Questions: Why would the British-North American Colonies want to separate from England, their mother country, especially when the latter did not want that to happen and when to do so would cause considerable division, loss of life, and a general economic catastrophe in the colonies. What are the characteristics of the colonies in terms of geo-political arrangements, economics, and religion? How were the colonies different from England in terms of participatory government, local church rule, and general mindset?
Learning Objectives Progressively Added over the Course of this Unit: 1) Present overview of unit, including all quizzes and the new exam format mentioned above; 2) Make sure students understand the system for this unit and all due dates; 3) Students will learn what Salutary Neglect means and what role it plays in their lives right now and what role it played in the American Revolution; 4) Students will understand what an actual social or cultural revolution is and how that name might be accurately applied to this particular war; 5) Students will work through the Interactive Timeline; 6) Students will understand the overall characteristics of colonial life in terms of geo-political functioning, economics, and adherence to and departure from the European feudal system. This latter point is actually essential for understanding the break with England and connects directly to Salutary Neglect.
Unit Exam: You do not have a traditional exam over this unit such as the last two you've completed. In this unit, we are going to engage in an interactive, web-based assessement that I think you will like. It's a nice change. You will write shorter mini-essays based on a set of prompts that are part of an interactive timeline I made in a program called Visme. I will show you that on the first day of the unit. We will also utilize supplemental readings and videos for quizzes.
Unit #3 Presentation with Media Embedded
Quick Overview of the French & Indian War - Article & Video & Maps
Reading Quiz on Wednesday, 10/06/21 over This Web Article
Reading Quiz on Thursday, 10/07/21 over 13 Original, British-North American Colonies
Quiz over this essay on Tuesday, 10/12/21 - Page 1
Quiz over this essay on Wednesday, 10/13/21 - Pages 2-3
Quiz over the first video below, "Salutary Neglect" (with Michael "Just-Leave-Me-Alone-Jackson" YouTube Video) on Thursday, 10/14/21
Sideline, Associated Topic over the Salem Witch Trials
More Details Coming - We may work through this material after we complete this unit toward the end of this unit, depending upon our pace.
Resources: Website & Presentation & Supplemental Reading
Unit #10 -- The Gilded Age: The Emergence of the Modern Era
Unit Extended to Friday, 04/16/21
Essay Exam Prompt & Requirements
Note: Given that we are running out of time, I am going to extend this unit by adding a somewhat truncated version of "The Progressive Era." Incorporating that content into this unit of instruction will save us some time, allowing us to address the causes of World War I toward the latter part of this week: April 12th thru the 16th.
Overview: The Progressive Era naturally follows the Gilded Age in that it was a time when there were considerable successes in establishing trade unions alongside other anti-trust reforms. The words we might use now to describe the era would be "limited governmental regulation." We will examine how reform movements began to make in-roads into US policy making, the presidency and executive power of Teddy Roosevelt, the Suffragette Movement, and other key developments. We will save President Woodrow Wilson for the World War I unit that is next.
Main Presentation over Progressive Era
Video Resources Below
Gilded Age Introduction: What exactly is this era of history all about? The term "gilded" is taken from the title of Mark Twan's 1773 work "The Gilded Age: A Tale for Today," and it refers to an object that is covered in gold leaf rather than one that is solid gold. In other words, the object is made to look like it's pure gold on its surface but in reality is only an imitation. It's like a beautiful Christmas "gift" on display in December at Dillard's. It looks very attractive on the outside, but there is nothing iside the box. That's not a flattering description. During and after the American Civil War, a second, much more profitable industrial revolution occurred in the United States in large measure because the factory system was by then well established and businessmen were becoming cash-rich at unprecedented levels. There was money available for investment and for expansion purposes. Also, new inventions were introduced and others refined, and this was increasingly made possible because steam power, followed in short order by the combustion engine, hugely improved manufacturing in terms of the power train system. This is the time when the word "monopoly" came into use alongside other loaded terms such as "captains of industry" and "industrial tycoons." Organized labor became a force, and Marxism along with many other ISMS or ideologies launched. Really, the age that you and I live in right now in terms of business marketing, finance, mass production, and competing ideologies is in many respects a result of this "gilded" era. It was also the time period when newfangled things like Coca-Cola, the telephone, the light bulb, controllable (and reliable) electricity, and early automobiles were invented -- an era when games such as baseball and amuzement parks came into organized existence. This is the time when the overall scale of things shot way up along with literal skyscrappers. Let's look into this time period of history and see what we can learn.
NOTE: This unit is closely related to the next one that is called the Progressive Era. It will be a little blury in terms of the handoff (or timeline) from one to the other, but we will deal with that when we get there with regard to testing. This material is also tested on the STAAR/EOC.
Learning Objectives Expressed through Instructional Questions: 1) Why use the term gilded to describe an entire era of history? 2) How does the increase in scale in things such as businesses, manufacturing, and government translate to the individual? 3) Does an increase in scale make things better, worse, or both? 4) How does a corporation actually work, and what is investmental capital? 5) What are isms and ideologies? 6) Why did labor organize, was it needed, and what were the initial outcomes of the early labor movements? 7) What is urbanization, how is that related to immigration, and what effect did both have on the growth and culture of the United States? 8) What were the new, key inventions of the second half of the 19th Century, and how did they radically alter life in America? 9) What is discretionary income and leisure time, and how are those two topics related to the growth of varying forms of entertainment such as baseball and amuzement parks? 10) What is Yellow Journalism, and how did it help to fuel division in the United States?
Essay Exam Prompt & Requirements - I am going to re-think utilizing an essay exam since we are short on time concerning the upcoming STAAR/EOC in US History, which will happen on Thursday, May 6th.
Supplemental Reading Assignments & Quiz Dates
Supplemental Reading #1 – The Expansion of Industry
https://www.ohio.k12.ky.us/userfiles/1164/Classes/8593/6.1.pdf
Tuesday, 03/23/21 Quiz over The Entire Article (It's Brief)
Supplemental Reading #2 – The Age of Railroads
https://www.ohio.k12.ky.us/userfiles/1164/Classes/8593/6.2.pdf
Wednesday, 03/24/21 Quiz over The Entire Article (It's Brief)
Supplemental Reading #3 – Big Business & Labor
https://www.ohio.k12.ky.us/userfiles/1164/Classes/8593/6.3.pdf
Thursday, 03/25/21 Quiz over Pages 241 thru Middle of 243
Monday, 03/26/21 Quiz over from Middle of 243 to the End on Page 245
Tuesday, 03/30/21 Quiz over Remaining Pages
Supplemental Reading #4 – The New Immigrants
https://www.ohio.k12.ky.us/userfiles/1164/Classes/8593/7.1.pdf
Wednesday, 03/31/21 Quiz over Pages 254-257
Tuesday, 04/06/21 Quiz over Pages 258-261
Supplemental Reading #5 – The Challenges of Urbanization
https://www.ohio.k12.ky.us/userfiles/1164/Classes/8593/7.2.pdf
Wednesday, 04/07/21 Quiz over The Entire Article (It's Brief)
Supplemental Reading #6 – Politics in the Gilded Age
https://www.ohio.k12.ky.us/userfiles/1164/Classes/8593/7.3.pdf
Friday, 04/08/21 Quiz over The Entire Article (It's Brief)
Additional Resources
Main Presentation Overview
Online Presentation over Socialism, Marxism, and Communism
Understanding Capitalism Online Slide Show
Social Darwinism & Robber Barrons
Social Darwinism & American Laissez-faire Capitalism
Secondary Presentation Additional Set Industrial Facts
Additional Information with Graphs
Unit #8: The Assassination of President Lincoln
With School Closed for a Week Due to Severe Winter Weather,
This Unit Will Conclude on Tuesday, 02/23/21.
Friday, 02/12/21 - Student Holiday - Teacher/Staff Workday
Monday, 02/15/21 - School Holiday for Presidents' Day
Since President Abraham Lincoln was the architect of the Civil War, which, itself, was an extension of his belief that a state's membership in the Union was perpetual, his assassination robbed the entire nation of a post-war plan of reconciliation that would have unfolded very differently from what happened under President Andrew Johnson. In this mini-unit, we will examine the assassination, itself, utilizing a brief introductory presentation followed by the well-made and insightful documentary called "The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln" (PBS/The American Experience, 2009).
Essential Questions: 1) What were President Lincoln's security measures? 2) Had there been significant concerns prior to 1865 about President Lincoln's safety, especially with regard to potential assassination attempts? 3) Why was a famous actor plotting to kill the president? 4) What were Booth's primary concerns with the Lincoln presidency in context to the Civil War? 5) What was Booth's state of mental health as April 1865 approached? 6) Who were the conspirators, what were their specific responsibilities on the night of the assassination, and what was their fate once captured? 7) How did people respond to Lincoln's assassination?
Essay Exam Prompt & Requirements
John Wilkes Booth Escape Route
Overview of the Assassination - Supplemental Reading
Reading Link Fixed - Please See New Dates Below
Quiz #1 - Wednesday, 02/10/21 - Page 1
Quiz #2 - Thursday, 02/11/21 - Pages 2-4
Quiz #3 - Tuesday, 02/23/21 - Pages 5 thru the End
Unit #7: Major Battles of the American Civil War
Duration: 01/25/21-02/05/21
ESSAY EXAM Prompt & Requirements
A student of history could spend months or even years studying the many battles of the Civil War, and there are an incredible number of books available to that end. We must march quickly, however, through this territory so that we can reach Gulf War II by the time of the State STAAR/EOC. Therefore, we will focus on key battles and then move swiftly into the Assassination of President Abraham Lincoln and Reconstruction. The latter is complicated and exceedingly important in terms of showing how the American South won Reconstruction in spite of the fact it lost the War.
Supplemental Reading for Quizzes #1
Wednesday, 01/27/21 - Pages 481-483 (Up to Strengths & Weaknesses)
Thursday, 01/28/21 - Pages 483 (from S&W) thru 485
Friday, 01/29/21 - Pages 488-497
(We will look at this last quiz reading in class and break it down. We lost a day because of the PSAT, so we will need to see how we can manage this material in terms of what we will quiz over versus what we will skip over.)
Supplemental Reading for Quizzes #2
Tuesday, 02/02/21 - Pages 503-505 (Up to African-American Soldiers)
Wednesday, 02/03/21 - No Quiz - Special EOC Preview
Thursday, 02/02/21 - Pages 505 (from AAS) to the Top pf 509 (Economic Effect of the War)
Friday, 02/05/21 - Pages 509 thru the End of the Article/Chapter
Civil War Overview Presentation
Unit #3: Understanding the Origins of Free Speech in Colonial North America
Duration of Unit: Monday, 09/30/19-Monday, 10/07/18
Unit Assessment: Open-Note, Take-Home Format Essay Prompt & Requirements
In this unit of study, we will first examine 1st Amendment concerning Freedom of Speech and the Press. We will see what we think that means with discussion and examples from modern life, including so-called “free speech zones” at modern university campuses. Then, we will take a look at what is arguably a landmark court case: The Trial of John Peter Zenger. That famous case in British-American New York Colony of 1735 set in motion a new understanding of freedom of speech in print materials, and we will examine that to see how its findings shape our current situation. This case is actually very interesting and insightful!
Supplemental Materials
Roots of Free Speech Laws (Quiz - 10/01/19 over Entire, Short Article)
Understanding Seditious-Libel (Quiz - 10/03/19 over Entire, Short Article)
The USA in the Middle East
Duration: Thursday, 05/09/19 thru the End of the Year
Unit #9: The Cold War
As if scripted for a theatrical production, the USSR and the USA, following World War II, began a decades-long spy versus spy game of geo-political chess. It's the stuff of legends, truth be told. We will take a fast but good look at this classic example of 20th Century Conflict Dualism.
Unit #8: World War II
Unit Duration: Friday, 04/26/19 thru Wednesday, 05/01/19
Please see the below supplemental resources.
Unit #7: The Great Depression: Causes, Interventions, & Results
Duration: Tuesday, 04/16/19 thru Thursday, 04/25/19
We will work through the 2018 Released EOC (see above area) on Tuesday, 04/23/19 & Wednesday, 04/24/19; then, we will return to the Great Depression, which we should complete on Thursday, 04/25/19.
Unit #6: The Roaring 20s & The Jazz Age
Main Supplemental Reading Article
There will be a test over this entire article on Monday, 04/15/19. Please be ready.
Our modern era of leisure time, discretionary income, professional sports, and varying types of entertainment began in earnest during this famous decade known so well for its birth of jazz, radio, mass-advertising, Model-T production, pop culture, traveling circuses, and, ironically, prohibition. Let's investigate the 1920's and see what we can learn. Arguably, this is the time period when chic and cool become goals in and of themselves and when literature in particular became much more realistic. I will also argue that this is the time when urban "thinkers"and academic elites began to "design" ideological systems of belief that were negotiable or perhaps preferable over and above what a man or woman knew to be true from childhood.
About Mr. Charles Calvin Best
BISD Webmaster and BHS Teacher of Dual Credit American History, Dual Credit General Psychology & Dual Credit Developmental Psychology, Journalism & Web Media, & Rocket Science & Spaceflight History
Hi, I'm Calvin Best, and the 2019-2020 school year will be my 28th year in education. I've been a teacher, an administrator, and am now a teacher again and a web master. I really love working with students; it's what I do best, and I am excited about the new school year. I'm also excited that my wife, Kimberly Ann Best, is teaching at the High School this year!
Email: calvin.best@breckenridgeisd.org
Website: www.breckenridgeisd.org
Location: 10914 County Road 307, Abilene, TX, USA
Phone: 254-212-4730 (1102)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BISD-Journalism-Web-Media-748437215267132/?ref=bookmarks