I spent most of the mod reviewing each multiple-choice question individually and called on students to explain why the chose the answers they did. There were 3 questions that 40% or fewer students chose the correct answer. 2 of those 3 were from the same document about Reconstruction. After talking with the students most said they did not understand the document and guessed the answers. The 3^rd question surprised me that so many students missed; I thought it was straightforward.

We had about 10 minutes left at the end of class so I reviewed an essay topic with the students on the 14-15 amendments. (14 and 15 thesis statement)In addition to their homework due tomorrow, they will turn in an index card with a thesis statement for the essay topic on one side and their contextualization argument on the other.

HW for tomorrow: Native Americans in the Late-19^th Century Analysis Sheet.

Have a good night!

Since Monday, I’ve been grading the Spanish and English Colonization essays. I’ve graded about half of them and I’ve notice that many students are not receiving credit for thesis statements. Most of the students that did not receive credit for their theses simply restated the essay prompt. In my eyes, this should be a guaranteed point for them.

Using the PowerPoint, APUSH Review- The Thesis Statement, I explained the structure I want them to use for their intro paragraphs and thesis. I like the idea of using 2-3 background sentences in the intro paragraph, which if done correctly, could count for Contextualization points. When I was done showing them what a good thesis statement looks like for their essay, I had them try one on their own with a new topic. I called on a few brave souls that were willing to share their writing with the class and gave them feedback.

I wanted to give my students more practice with multiple-choice so I took seven questions (based off of two documents) from the APUSH Practice Exam. I spent extra time on two of the questions that students struggled with. At the beginning of every year I’m reminded that students struggle with the new format of multiple-choice questions since they have not had exposure to them until now.

I plan on having tomorrow be a review day in class for the Periods 1 & 2 test. I gave students a flashcard and told them to write down at least two terms/people/events/etc. that they would like me to review tomorrow. Usually when I do this, I see a lot of the same terms on the flashcards. I will makeg a PowerPoint tonight based on these terms.

HW for Friday: Periods 1 & 2 Review Sheets, Test

Have a good day!

I HATE passing work back. It’s easy for work to gather on my desk and before I know it, I have several days (i.e. weeks) worth of old work to give back. For my first APUSH class of the day I have the work on the students’ desks when they come in, but for my other classes I can’t because I have classes before them. Maybe this should make me transition to a paperless classroom.

At the beginning of class, I went over the Enlightenment Video with the students and instead of having them write their answers to the Enlightenment Quick Assessment, we discussed the answers as a class. They have learned about the Enlightenment in both Global I and Global II and were able to explain the impact of various thinkers.

I was able to pass back work during class because the students were working on one of my favorite activities: creating Mindmaps/Sketchnotes of topics. I remind the students that a good way to commit information to long-term memory is to create something with the information. In this case, they will create visuals.

My artwork will never be mistaken for a Michelangelo or Picasso. In fact, stick figures can be a challenge to me. But I can still draw a visual representation of a topic, and if need be, supplement it with words. After explaining to the students the assignment, European Exploration,Colonial America Mindmap, I turned them lose to demonstrate their knowledge of the material. While passing the old work back I was able to answer questions students had and provide suggestions when necessary. I did NOT give artistic advice since that would be like Henry Clay refusing to compromise. I don’t create artistic masterpieces and he cannot help but compromise.

Homework for tomorrow: Chapter 3 Video Guide, European Exploration/Colonial America Mindmap

Have a good day!

I’m always looking to share and learn about lesson ideas for APUSH. HERE is a list with descriptions of some of my favorite lessons I do throughout the year. I will be updating this page on a regular basis with my ideas and ideas from other teachers. If you would like to contribute (with full credit, of course) please send an email to Adam@APUSHReview.com. I hope the ideas are helpful and generate other beneficial ideas. Good luck this year!