22 & 23 April

Today's starter was a lead-in to our discussion on Reforms and Reformers.  How do people today try to make life better for others?  What motivates these people who try to help others?

We watched a short video clip on a slave auction.  The video showed slaves being examined by potential buyers.  We watched as a young mother was taken from her two young children as the three were auctioned off to different buyers.  After watching the clip, we discussed what we saw: including feelings, thoughts and observations.

We then spoke briefly of religious revivals that occurred during the Second Great Awakening, and how the religious feelings that were sweeping the nation led to the reforms of the 1800s.

We corrected, and handed in, The North and the South and the Vitor comic.

We spent the rest of the time working on the Spirit of Reforms assignment.  This is not yet homework.

18 & 19 April

Today's starter was: You and I know that slavery is wrong - so, explain how people in the South could justify owning another human-

After discussing the starter we handed in this set. There were ten possible, but I counted them out of 8.  So, for full points, you needed to hand in at least 8.

We also graded and handed in: "Comparing Farm and Factory," and "Industry in the North."

We watched a short video clip on slavery from Ken Burns' Civil War series and then we spent some time discussing slavery and the South.

We finished today by finishing "The North and The South" and the "Strangers on a Train" comic book ending - these will both be due next time.

16 & 17 April

Today's starter was: List the 3 worst things that you think are going on in the world today.  If you could fix one wrong thing going on in the world today, what would it be?  Why did you choose that one?

We watched a short video review/preview or where we have gone in history and where we plan to go.

We read a passage from our collection of historical graphic novel segments titled "Strangers on a Train."  This passage compares the north to the south as seen through the eyes of a Portuguese visitor named Vitor. 

We then worked on The North and The South assignment.  Once done with that, we wrote a possible ending to "Strangers on a Train."

12 & 15 April

Today's starter was: What was the North relying on for money?  How about the South?

After discussing the starter we compared commercials of today to advertisements of the 1800s.  We then created an advertisement for one of the new northern inventions from  the 1800s.  This advertisement is due next time.

10 & 11 April

Today's starter was: In your opinion, what makes a good advertisement or commercial?

We "dissected" a cotton boll today.  We discussed the structure of the plant and then we took the seeds out to get a little bit of a feel for what slaves were doing in the South.  We then attempted to spin thread out of the cotton ball that we pulled from the boll.  This gave us a small glimpse of what the Northern factories were doing to create cloth.

We worked on "Comparing Farm and Factory."  These are due next time.

We began looking at modern advertising techniques.  We are going to compare these to techniques used in the 1800s and then create our own 1800s advertisement.

8 & 9 April

Today's starter - What do you think is the greatest invention in all of human history?

After discussing the starter we corrected and handed in the "Texas and the War With Mexico" assignment.

We finished watching Mill Times and then corrected and handed in the video questions, as well.  We then looked at some photos from inside mills in the late 1800s.  We finished the day by working a little more on our 'Comparing Farm and Factory" assignment.

28 & 29 March

Today's starter: If working in the factories was so dangerous and difficult, why do you think that parents allowed their daughters to work there?

After discussing the starter we read an Encyclopedia Brown mystery.

We continued to watch Mill Times and answer the questions that go along with it.

We then spent some time making up missing work.