Happy New Year! [and also you have a DBQ next week]

Hi everyone.  Hope you're all having a lovely break and preparing for a fun and safe New Year's Eve.  Just a quick reminder that you have a DBQ at the end of next week (Thursday, Jan. 7 for B-day and Friday, Jan. 8 for A-day).  In case you want to get in a little prep this weekend, the topic for your DBQ will be society, culture and politics in the 1920s.  I don't want to get much more specific than that, but if you're preparing, think about how those three topics intersect with each other and you'll probably have some productive study time.

Enjoy the rest of your break, and we'll see you next Tuesday!

- Flowers

Semester exam update

Our APUSH semester exam is just around the corner - Wednesday, December 9 for A-day and Thursday, December 10 for B-day.  Here's how the exam day will look -

Section 1 - 55 multiple choice [45 minutes]
Section 2 - 4 short answer questions [40 minutes]

In all classes (except 0A), we will sit the MC section first.  As always, the MC section is comprehensive - roughly 60% will be from the current six weeks, and roughly 40% from the first two six weeks.

This six weeks, due to time constraints, we will sit all four of our short answers on the exam day instead of sitting a long essay or DBQ.  Unlike earlier in the semester, this time around the short answers will also be comprehensive.  One short answer will come from material in the first six weeks, one will come from the second six weeks, and the last two will come from this six weeks. This set of four short answers will be combined to count as one grade in the essay category for the third six weeks (same as last six weeks).

Although we don't normally allow students to opt out of writing short answers, if you are satisfied with your grades from your two DBQs from this six weeks you may choose not to write the short answers on the exam day.  Remember, you should only choose to opt out if you have written both of the DBQs for this six weeks AND you are completely satisfied with your grades on those essays. Otherwise, you should prepare for and write the short answers as normal.

Please talk to (or email) me or Ms. Pettigrew if you have any questions at all about the semester exam or any of the information in this blog post.  Also, remember, we will have an after-school review on Tuesday, December 8 in a location to be determined (but most likely Mr. Journeay's room).

- Flowers

Woodrow Wilson in the news

Sometimes, as a teacher, you have that moment where you think - didn't I just say this in class today?

Woodrow Wilson, Princeton and race

Enjoy.

- Flowers

Next Week - DBQs!

So, we're going to devote next week to writing, and specifically to introducing the APUSH Document-Based Question.  On Monday and Tuesday, we will talk about the rubric, look at sample essays, and do some documents work.  Each student will receive a copy of the 2000 DBQ on organized labor, and we will work through the documents - summarizing, analyzing and identifying point of view.  On Thursday and Friday, all students will write their first DBQ in class.  The topic of the DQB will be organized labor, and the question and documents packet will be similar to (but not the same as) the one on which we practiced in class.

Calendar Updates!

B-day students, we have decided to push your exam back to Thursday, Oct. 29.  Also, we will be offering a review / essay writing clinic for Exam 2 on Tuesday afternoon in my room after school.

- Flowers

Grading update - Flowers

So, I'm grading things now.  I'm going to try and get everyone all their essays and short answers back by Tuesday, and I'm going to have terms lists back before the exam as well.  You may see some essay and short answer grades pop up in TEAMS by later tonight, but if not, certainly by tomorrow.  Please look in the 'graded work' slot for your class tomorrow and Tuesday and collect anything of yours that's there.

Exam week!

It's exam week in APUSH, and I know everyone is excited!  The test is written and all the versions are formatted and ready to copy.  I'll be putting the essays together later tonight.  Remember, you'll be taking both a multiple choice section and writing one long essay on exam day, so make sure you're preparing for both.

Also, remember that we'll be doing an exam review Monday afternoon as soon as last period ends.  We'll start in my room, but if we have enough people show up we'll switch over to the library.  Feel free to show up if you think it would be useful.  We'll do a general overview and then take questions.  We'll probably go until 4.15 or 4.30, depending on how many people show up and how long they want to stay.

Hope your studies are going well, and please feel free to email me (or Ms. Pettigrew) if you have any questions.

- Flowers