Propaganda and PTSD

A large part of the War was the "Propaganda" (the organized dissemination of information to  influence thoughts, beliefs, feelings, and actions) that was perpetuated (on all fronts). 

Things to think about when looking at propaganda:

• What is the overall message? 
• What emotions does it play on? 
• What effect would the poster most likely have on American citizens of the time? 
• What is pointed out that YOU can do directly to help the war effort? 
• How are the symbols, images, and words arranged to convey a message?

Link to WWI Propaganda

"Shell Shock" is a term that was used for the psychological trauma that many soldiers came home with...This has since been coined "Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder." We'll discuss this, but here's a great clip of George Carlin talking about it.

World War I

Disillusionment (n); a freeing or a being freed from illusion or conviction; disenchantment.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY

In this unit, we will be reading two short stories by Ernest Hemingway, who is an American literary giant. Check out a biography of Hemingway here.

In Another Country 

World War I was the largest, international conflict people had ever seen, and it caused people to change their view of the world. People became full of despair, delusional, horrified that everything would fall apart, and it made them lose faith. In Hemingway’s "In Another Country," there is one character in the story who is known as Major. He is a smaller part of the story, but a perfect example of the kind of “loss of faith” that people were beginning to experience because of the war. Here are some questions for this story.

Soldier's Home 

This story is very ironic in its title and storyline. Hemingway doesn’t bother to tell people why Krebs is the last to return home or what happened in the meantime, but Harold simply comes back late and cannot find his place when everyone else is already settled. It is a great tale that speaks to “fitting in” as well as being “left behind.”

Here are some questions for this story.

A central part of understanding the characters of Hemingway’s stories about World War I is understanding what is meant by the Lost Generation.

• World War I was supposedly fought to save Western Civilization, but the terrible human costs of The Great War and the materialism of the 1920s caused much disillusionment among writers, artists and people at large.
• One result of the war was a pervasive feeling of doubt and cynicism in all that once was valued by society. It was this that caused fellow writer Gertrude Stein to comment to Hemingway that those who survived the war were, “a Lost Generation.”
• In A Farewell to Arms(1929) Frederic Henry says in Hemingway’s novel, “I was always embarrassed by the words sacred, glorious, and sacrifice and the expression in vain. We had heard them…and read them…and I had seen nothing sacred, and the things that were glorious had no glory and the sacrifices were like the stockyards in Chicago if nothing was done with the meat except to bury it.”
• The following fictional letter from the novel Company K, by William March of Alabama also captures the feelings of the Lost Generation. “Dear Madam”, it begins, “your son, Francis died needlessly in Belleau Wood,” and “at the time of his death he was crawling with vermin,” his “feet stank,” and he was living “like a frightened animal, cold and hungry,” until “a piece of shrapnel hit him and he died in agony, slowly,” suffering for “three full hours screaming and cursing by turns,” with “nothing to hold on to,” since he had already learned that everything you “taught him to believe…under the meaningless names of honor, courage and patriotism, were all lies.”
• To understand the characters of these stories you must understand that the war had made these people without an ethical and/or moral foundation that still had meaning. Did Christmas change for you when you found out there was no Santa? Imagine if all of the values you believed in were like Santa. How would your motivations and purposes in life change?

Progressive Movement

After exploring many of the ills of society in The Gilded Age, we move on to how to remedy them. The Progressive Movement focuses on the many social reforms put in place to "progress" the country forward.

Among the numerous people/concepts we will cover, is Upton Sinclair's influential novel The Jungle, about the meat packing industry in Chicago. The story focuses on an immigrant family from Lithuania that is desperately trying to achieve that elusive "American Dream." What they find, however, is the American Nightmare. Some of the issues we will discuss as we read excerpts from the novel include the immigrant experience, industrialization, environmental issues, unsafe labor practices, food safety, consumerism, and capitalism. Here are some pre-reading discussion questions.

We will read the following chapters:

• Chapter 2 (and questions)
• Chapter 3
• Chapter 5 (and questions)
• Chapter 14

Gilded Age Speeches

You have done your research. You have edited your paper. Now, using this paper as a source of information and inspiration, write a speech where you take on a character that represents that topic. Remember, this character has a point of view, and is passionate about this topic.

Here are some resources for you:

• Character list
• Speech writing tips
• 10 Keys to Writing a Speech from Forbes Magazine
• Nine Rhetorical Devices for Your Next Speech by Brad Phillips
• Becoming more articulate in your speech from Quora (via Slate)
• Getting over stage fright with charisma: converting those nerves into a magnetic stage presence (video from a TED Talk featuring Deborah Frances-White)
• Speech Grading Sheet

Profile in Courage Essay Contest

Profile in Courage Essay Contest

First-place winner receives $10,000!

Second-place winner receives $1,000.

Up to five finalists receive $500 each.

The Profile in Courage Essay Contest invites United States high school students to consider the concept of political courage by writing an essay on a U.S. elected official who has chosen to do what is right, rather than what is expedient. A “Profile in Courage” essay is a carefully researched recounting of a story: the story of how an elected official risked his or her career to take a stand based on the dictates of the public good, rather than the dictates of polls, interest groups or even constituents.

THIS YEAR'S TOPIC:
Describe and analyze an act of political courage by a United States elected official that took place during or after 1956. Include an analysis of the obstacles, risks, and consequences associated with the act. The essay may concern an issue at the local, state, national, or international level.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, including tips, resources, exemplar past-winning essays, etc., go TO THE WEBSITE.

Deadline is January 6, 2016; if you would like any feedback on any drafts of this essay, please feel free to ask! We would be happy to help in any way.

Kate Chopin

From "American Passages: A Literary Survey"

Kate Chopin introduced American readers to a new fictional setting with her evocations of the diverse culture of Cajun and Creole Louisiana. But while much of Chopin's work falls into the category of regionalism, her stories and especially her novel, The Awakening, are also notable for their introduction of controversial subjects like women's sexuality, divorce, extramarital sex, and miscegenation.

Kate Chopin was born in St. Louis, Missouri, to a socially prominent, financially secure family...At the age of nineteen she married Oscar Chopin, a French Creole from a Louisiana planter family. After a glamorous European honeymoon, the couple settled in New Orleans, where Oscar went into business as a cotton broker and Kate became active in the city's social life. Her fluency in French and southern sympathies ensured that she fit easily into New Orleans society.

When the cotton brokerage business failed in 1879, the Chopins relocated to Natchitoches Parish in rural Louisiana, where they intended to operate one of Oscar's father's cotton plantations. But by 1883 Oscar Chopin had died of swamp fever, leaving Kate Chopin a thirty-two-year-old widow with six children to support and limited financial resources. After running the plantation on her own for a year, Chopin returned to St. Louis, where she moved into her mother's house and began writing poetry and short stories. Drawing on her experiences in New Orleans and Natchitoches, Chopin created realistic depictions of the distinctive customs of the region and captured the cadences and diction of Louisiana speech in her dialogue. By 1893, she had published her first novel, At Fault, and placed stories in such prestigious venues as the Atlantic Monthly, Vogue, and Century. In 1894 she published an extremely successful collection of short stories, Bayou Folk, and followed it up with another volume of stories about Louisiana entitled A Night in Acadie.

We will read three short stories by Chopin, and do some ground work for an eventual literary analysis. Here are some choice quotes and notes from the stories.

The Gilded Age

Literary Developments of the 1870s-1915

Regionalism, Realism, and Naturalism

• Reading/Overview
• Notes

Huck Finn

• Notes/Discussion

Native American Experience Assessment

Your assessment of understanding the Native American Experience is a thesis-driven essay. We have explored what it means to be a Native American through excerpts, videos, short stories, articles, and primary texts. Using these sources, compose an essay of at least five paragraphs that essentially answers this question:

• What is the Native American experience and how has it been shaped and defined (given their history and authors’ exploration of the topic)?

Reminders:

• Thesis: Specific, provable
• Voice/Word Choice: Formal, academic
• Fluency: Smooth transitions and natural integration of quotes
• Variety of Sources: You have many resources at your disposal...Use them and be specific!
• Citation: MLA with a Works Cited page

In addition, Ms. Hopkins has put together a libguide with some additional resources: articles about the topic, websites, etc. Please look through this guide and scan some articles to aid in your essay.

Monday and Tuesday we will have technology...immediately share a Google Doc with BOTH Mrs. Mireault and Mr. Bujold. We will be providing constant feedback as you write.

Critical Views on History

Who is Howard Zinn?

Here is a quote from him, from his bestselling book A People's History of the United States:

I don’t want to invent victories for people’s movements. But to think that history-writing must aim simply to recapitulate the failures that dominate the past is to make historians collaborators in an endless cycle of defeat. If history is to be creative, to anticipate a possible future without denying the past, it should, I believe, emphasize new possibilities by disclosing those hidden episodes of the past, when, even if in brief flashes, people showed their ability to resist, to join together, occasionally to win. I am supposing, or perhaps only hoping, that our future may be found in the past’s fugitive moments of compassion rather than in its solid centuries of warfare. That, being as blunt as I can, is my approach to the history of the United States. The reader may as well know the before going on.

• What does he seem to value and why? 
• What does he seem to think the purpose and function of history is? 
• How does this approach seem similar to and different from how you have studied history in school?

To supplement our reading of Sherman Alexie, we are going to look at a chapter from Zinn's famous book: "As Long As Grass Grows Or Water Runs." There are also some questions that go along with the reading.

Also, in keeping in-line with critically looking at history, here is a great article about how Lincoln ordered the mass execution of 38 Sioux. Sherman Alexie even wrote a poem about it.

Don't forget to keep reading...

Native American Experience

The goal for this unit is to explore what it means to be a Native American through excerpts, videos, short stories, articles, and primary texts. Using these sources, we will essentially answer this question:

• What is the Native American experience and how has it been shaped and defined (given their history and authors’ exploration of the topic)?

Some themes and guided topics we will explore:

• The Traditional vs. The Contemporary: How do contemporary Native Americans wrestle with their pasts, both personal and in a larger historical context?
• Spirituality: What is spirituality? What role does it play?
• Pride: How important is pride? How has the concept changed over time?
• Warrior: What does it mean to be a warrior? Why is it important?
• Storytelling: What role does storytelling have in the Native American culture?
• Resistance: How have Native Americans and their leaders resisted assimilation? How have they been assimilated?
• Migration: How were Native Americans forcibly relocated? How did this affect their existence?
• Reservation Life-Alcoholism, poverty, and poor health: Why have so many Native Americans fallen victims to alcoholism, live in poverty, and have poor health?

After our initial discussion, we will watch the fantastic 20/20 special "Children of the Plains," and take notes. From there we will dive into some of Sherman Alexie's work, namely his book The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven. This book is a series of connected short stories that explore contemporary reservation life. We will read four short stories: "Every Little Hurricane," "A Drug Called Tradition," "The Only Traffic Signal on the Reservation Doesn't Flash Red Anymore," and "Indian Education."

Gettysburg

The bloodiest battle in American history-Let's dissect it, specifically the Gettysburg Address.

• Here's the address itself
• Here are some questions
• Here is a fascinating article from US News & World Report

Some Writing Issues...

As we give back your essays on Pre-Civil War America, let's have a quick breakdown of what worked and what didn't. Some broad problems:

• Specific Thesis
• Organization
• Citations
• Context
• Word Choice/Voice

As we move forward, let's try to hone our skills!

Civil War Research/Letter Writing

To immerse ourselves in learning about the Civil War, you are to write two letters based on the viewpoint of a character which you have researched thoroughly. Steps to achieving this goal:

• Decide on a character. Use the character bio sheet to help.
• Research: Use the "Research Source Organizer" to analyze five primary sources. Use the libguide Ms. Hopkins made for us. Make sure to look at the exemplars of primary source analysis.
• Product: Look at the requirements and rubric!

Walt Whitman and the Civil War

Walt Whitman is considered by many to be America's first great poet. Why? He changed the game, and displayed a unique American voice. Often called "The Good Gray Poet" or "The Bard of Democracy," he essentially created free verse poetry. Here is some information on him.

What is free verse? It is an open form of poetry that does not use consistent meter patterns or rhyme. However, by repeating phrases and using commas, a poet can create both a rhythm and structure. Internal pattern of sounds, choice of exact words, and effect of associations give free verse its beauty.

Let's look at Whitman's "I Hear America Singing" as an example.

To open our unit on the Civil War (here's our schedule), you will look at some of Whitman's writing, as well as some Civil War photography, and make some connections. The ultimate goal is to create three original pieces—a piece of prose, a piece of poetry, and a photograph/illustration—interpreting what you have been given. Here is your project. We will eventually evaluate each other's work in a gallery-setting.

Also, on the agenda for today, is to watch part of Ken Burns' documentary on the Civil War, and answer some questions.

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

"I want to add my testimony to that of abler pens to convince the people of the Free States what slavery really is. Only by experience can any one realize how deep, and dark, and foul is that pit of abominations."

Today we examine Harriet Jacobs' slave narrative, and we will read a few excerpts from that novel. Some information about her from the great website harrietjacobs.org:

After nearly seven years hiding in a tiny garret above her grandmother’s home, Harriet Ann Jacobs took a step other slaves dared to dream in 1842; she secretly boarded a boat in Edenton, N.C., bound for Philadelphia, New York and, eventually, freedom. The young slave woman’s flight, and the events leading up to it, are documented in heart-wrenching detail in her autobiography, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Written by Herself, self-published in 1861 under the pseudonym Linda Brent.
A significant personal history by an African American woman, Harriet Jacobs’ story is as remarkable as the writer who tells it. During a time when it was unusual for slaves to read and write, self-publishing a first-hand account of slavery’s atrocities was extraordinary. That it was written by a woman, unprecedented.

Here are guiding questions as we read this book! Remember to always point to specifics when answering questions. Pull quotes!

In addition, you are responsible for the readings about the Fugitive Slave Law (and the questions that go along with them).

Frederick Douglass

"Frederick Douglass" circa 1860s - Public Domain

Today we look at the one and only Frederick Douglass. We'll watch parts of When the Lion Wrote History and answer some questions. We'll also read a  couple things: Excerpt of "My Bondage, My Freedom" as well as a speech from Douglass titled "The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro."

Abolitionist Movement

Background of the Civil War: Events, Trends, and Important People

Our next unit looks at our country as we headed towards The Civil War. Check out our schedule, as well as a PowerPoint on the Abolitionist Movement.

We'll also tackle some primary source readings ("The Abolitionist Crusade") and answer some questions.

Make sure to read chapter 19 in Pageant, and take notes...quiz on Tuesday.

Art and Literature of the 19th Century

After a week hiatus, the blog is BACK! Here are some things to think about:

• Notes on Nathaniel Hawthorne and "Anti-Transcendentalism"
• "Minister's Black Veil"- Story and Questions

As we wrap-up this first unit consider this: How has the literature we have read thus far help define the American Character? What qualities of the Deerslayer, the philosophy of Emerson and Thoreau, and Hawthorne's dark tale make up that elusive "American Identity"?

We will end this unit on a group project. Remember going over How to Analyze Art and How to Analyze Poetry? That was the pre-cursor to the "Art and Literature of the 19th Century Small Group Project." Here is a list of artists and writers.

American Hero and Transcendentalism

Agenda:

• Discussion of "A Rescue"
• How does the Deerslayer set the stage for the concept of the American Hero? Check out the heroic qualities in action in the trailer for the film adaptation of Cooper's Last of the Mohicans..
• History themes
• Transcendentalism
• Accessing prior knowledge/Connections: Discussion
• What is Transcendentalism? Notes.
• Read: "Self Reliance" and "Nature" Take a stab at the questions for the two pieces--but don't freak out if you cannot answer them all--just try. Trust your gut.

Is American Literature Possible?

Finish up Summer Reading presentations; what do we get from the reading?

Review of history terms, as well as literary terms (tools for analyzing literature).

Discussion: Is American Literature possible? Could literature and art thrive in this new nation? Were literature and art possible in the special political, social and economic conditions Americans created? How could the language and literary models of England be naturalized to the conditions of America?

This is what we will explore today, as we read some introductory notes on American Romanticism, and dive into some James Fenimore Cooper with an excerpt from The Deerslayer. To set up this excerpt: As this scene opens, Natty Bumppo -- known as Deerslayer to his Native American friends -- has been taken captive by the Hurons, allies of the French and sworn enemies of Deerslayer’s (and England’s) friends, the Delawares. Hist, a Delaware female who just happens to be in love with Deerslayer’s buddy, Chingachgook, has also been taken captive, as have two white women, Judith and her sister Hetty.

Welcome

Welcome to Honors Comprehensive American Studies II!

This blog was created by Mrs. Mireault and Mr. Bujold to help communicate more effectively with students and parents this year in Honors Comprehensive American Studies II. We will be blogging daily with the class agenda, links to assignments, and links to interesting and informative topics that we see on the internet.

You will notice there are two additional tabs: "Unit Handouts" and "Resources." These will provide ample support as we journey through the year.

We are very excited to begin this year! Click on the following for pertinent information:

• Class Expectations
• Here is our agenda for  the first unit
• The online version of The American Pageant 12th edition
• Our class discussion on American Identity

After some introductory material, let's open up a discussion:

What does it mean to be an "American"?

The answer to this question is not simple, and has many layers. This is our "Essential Question" for the entire year.

What makes up the American Identity? What defines American? What do Americans want? What words, thoughts, opinions, or even images that come to mind when we think of the “American Identity”?