Aug 19, 2021

US History Unit 1 The Nation's Beginnings Extra Credit


Remember - turn in all extra credit to me personally when you finish - don't just leave it in your spiral!!  Note - This "E.C" is for the US history class, not World. For world, click on the World "E.C." link to the right]


Columbus and the New World...
 
Extra Credit: 1492, The Columbian Exchange - 1492 is the most significant year in modern world history. In that year, the "Old" and "New" worlds collided and not only did the collision bring the Old and New Worlds together, it also initiated a set of changes that would transform the world forever. This 'Columbian Exchange' led to the vast movement of people, animals, food, plants, diseases, and ultimately the transatlantic slave trade. The following parts of the documentary '1492- The Columbian Exchange' enters the period before Columbus and takes you through the hundreds of years of colonization by European that followed. For extra credit, watch the documentary below and write a minimum 1 page summary about what you learned, relating it to what we discussed in class. 







Extra Credit: 500 Nations, Early Contact - 500 Nations is an eight part documentary on the Native Americans of North and Central America. It documents from pre-Columbian to the end of the 19th century. Much of the information comes from text, eyewitnesses, pictorials, and computer graphics. Watch the following clip which discusses the arrival of Christopher Columbus to the "New World" and what happens consequently. For extra credit, watch the following clip and write a minimum 1 page summary about what you learned, relating it to what was discussed in class.




Extra Credit: "The People Speak", by Howard Zinn - Watch the clip of actor Benjamin Bratt read an excerpt from historian Howard Zinn's book, The People Speak. The reading comes from the witness accounts of Bartolome de las Casas about the Spaniards'  treatment of the native Arawaks. For extra credit, watch the clip and write a minimum 1 page summary of your thoughts, relating it to what was discussed in class. Check out the links to the other related sights and watch more readings from other accounts by other actors.



http://www.history.com/shows/the-people-speak
http://www.history.com/shows/the-people-speak/articles/the-people-speak-story

Extra Credit: A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn,  Chapter 1: Columbus, The Indians, and Human Progress - Known for its lively, clear prose as well as its scholarly research, A People's History is the only volume to tell America's story from the point of view of -- and in the words of -- America's women, factory workers, African-Americans, Native Americans, the working poor, and immigrant laborers. As historian Howard Zinn shows, many of our country's greatest battles -- the fights for a fair wage, an eight-hour workday, child-labor laws, health and safety standards, universal suffrage, women's rights, racial equality -- were carried out at the grassroots level, against bloody resistance. Covering Christopher Columbus's arrival through President Clinton's first term, A People's History of the United States, which was nominated for the American Book Award in 1981, features insightful analysis of the most important events in our history. For extra credit, click on the link below to go to the on-line book. Read the first chapter on Columbus and the Native Americans and then write a minimum 1 page summary about what you learned, relating it to what was discussed in class. For more extra credit, read more chapters - 10 points per chapter summary. http://www.historyisaweapon.com/defcon1/zinncol1.html

Extra Credit: Christopher Columbus: Hero or Controversial or Both? As the classroom rhyme goes, Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492 and discovered America. But there is more to the story of the explorer we celebrate with a federal holiday on the second Monday of every October. For extra credit, watch the following clip and click on the link to learn more about Christopher Columbus. Write a minimum 1 page summary about what you learned, relating it to what was discussed in class. http://www.history.com/topics/columbus-controversy


Extra Credit: US Columbus Day marked with celebration and protest (October 2010) - For most Americans, there is no work or school. The second Monday of every October is Christopher Columbus Day, a federal holiday. A national holiday marked with celebrations, parades and shopping bargains; all of it to honor the conquest of the Americas by Christopher Columbus and his western development of the new world. In the US Columbus means America. But not for ReconsiderColumbusDay.org; “For way too long, Columbus created heinous crimes against the indigenous populations of the Caribbean and millions of Natives throughout the Americas. And Columbus set the stage for the slave trade in the New World.” For Indigenous people of the Western Hemisphere, the landing of Columbus in the new world has another meaning; one that welcomes protests every year. For Extra Credit, watch the following videos about the topic of Columbus Day and ultimate impact of his contact with the indigenous populations. Write a minimum 1 page summary about what you learned, relating it to what was discussed in class.


Extra Credit: The American Report - Watch the following short video that discusses the early colonial period of America and write a minimum 1 page summary about what you learned, relating it to what was discussed in class.


The Revolutionary Period

Extra Credit: Freedom, The Story of US: Independence - Explore this website for the PBS series "Freedom, The Story of US" which chronicles the promise of freedom that has attracted millions of people from all over the world to come to the US. Read why generations of men, women, and children have lived for, sacrificed for, and died for that freedom. This "webisode" of the series deals with the fight for Independence when the colonists in America decide to stake everything on an armed struggle for freedom and a chance to build a new kind of nation.  For extra credit, visit the link below that will take you to the webisode. Follow the link through the entire series on independence  and write a minimum 1 page summary of what you learned,  relating it to what was discussed in class.    http://www.pbs.org/wnet/historyofus/web01/index.html

Extra Credit: Consent to Be Governed - Watch the following "Mr Hughes" video below which discusses the reasons for colonial discontent and the American Revolution. Write a minimum 1 page summary about what you learned, relating it to what was discussed in class.


Extra Credit: Colonial Tensions through American Revolution - Watch the following videos that discuss American colonial tensions with the British that led to the American Revolution. For extra credit, write a minimum 1 page summary total about what you learned from all the videos, relating it to what was discussed in class.






Extra Credit: Liberty's Kids - Watch the following episodes of Liberty Kids related to what we discussed in class about the American Revolution and write a minimum 1 page summary about what you learned, relating it to what was discussed in class. 

The Hessians Are Coming, Part 1
The Hessians Are Coming, Part 2
Debra Sampson, Female Soldier, Part 1
Debra Sampson, Female Soldier, Part 2
Captain Molly ("Pitcher"), Part 1
Captain Molly ("Pitcher"), Part 2
The Great Galvez (Spanish soldiers in American Revolution), Part 1
The Great Galvez (Spanish soldiers in American Revolution), Part 2
Conflict in the South
 James Armistead (African American patriot spy), Part 1 
James Armistead (African American patriot spy), Part 2
Born Free and Equal (Declaration of Independence/Slavery), Part 1
Born Free and Equal  (Declaration of Independence/Slavery), Part 2

 Link to more episodes -
The Declaration of Independence
Watch the following videos that relate to the Declaration of Independence and write a minimum 1 page summary about what you learned, relating it to what was discussed in class.



The Constitution

Extra Credit: Why the Articles Failed and The Constitutional Convention - Watch the following two "Mr Hughes" videos that discuss the weaknesses of the US' first form of government, the Articles of Confederation and why it failed. Next watch the video that discusses the solution to problem of the Articles, to throw it out and create a new form of government. That is exactly what happened at the Constitutional Convention. After watching both videos, write a minimum 1 page summary about what you learned, relating it to what was discussed in class.



Extra Credit: Principles of the Constitution - Watch the following videos about principles and ideas found in the US Constitution. For extra credit, watch all of the videos and write a minimum 1 page summary total about what you learned from all of the videos. 

Federalism and Federal vs State Power
Federalism and Branches 
3 Branches
Federalism, Freedom, and the Constitution
The Electoral College 
Checks and Balances 
Constitutional Flexibility 
The Bill of Rights 
Other Amendments
Judicial Review
How a Bill Becomes A Law
and the "I'm Just A Bill" parody  all you cynics...(don't count this one as factually accurate!!)
Extra Credit: The Constitution, A Delicate Balance - Constitutional issues are discussed in this thirteen part series on the US Constitution. Numerous topics related to the 
Constitution are discussed in order to deepen understanding of the power of the Constitution and its impact on not only history, but our lives. For extra credit, click on the following link and choose from any of the videos provided to watch. To watch the videos, scroll down to the numbered videos and click on the "VOD" button on the right for the video you choose. Write a minimum 1 page summary about what you learned, relating it to what was discussed in class. You may choose up to five of the thirteen videos to watch, writing a 1 page summary for each.http://www.learner.org/resources/series72.html

Extra Credit: Democracy in America - Topics regarding the US's democratic republic are discussed in this fifteen part series on democracy in America. Numerous topics related to democracy in the US are discussed. For extra credit, click on the following link and choose from any of the videos provided to watch. To watch the videos, scroll down to the numbered videos and click on the "VOD" button on the right for the video you choose. Write a minimum 1 page summary about what you learned, relating it to what was discussed in class. You may choose up to five of the fifteen videos to watch, writing a 1 page summary for each. http://www.learner.org/resources/series173.html

Extra Credit: Overview of American History, Jamestown - Civil War - Watch the following video about the beginnings of the US - the Civil War. For extra credit, write a minimum 1 page summary about what you learned, relating it to what was discussed in class.


The Civil War 

Extra Credit: The Civil War - A Nation Divided - Although the Civil War is viewed today through the lens of the Union’s ultimate victory, for much of the war, that victory was far from certain. By examining the lives of the common soldier, as well as civilians, we see the uncertainty and horrible destruction that occurs as a result of the war between the states. For extra credit, follow the link below to the website and watch the streaming movie, "A Nation Divided". If it does not take you directly to the movie, scroll down to #9 and click the "VOD" button on the right. Watch the movie and write a minimum 1 page summary about what you learned, relating it to what was discussed in class.

Extra Credit: Sectionalism and the Civil War - Watch the following video about how and why sectional differences between the North and the South help led to the Civil War. Write a minimum 1 page summary about what you learned from each of them together.


Extra Credit: Overview of the Civil War - Watch the following videos about the Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation, write a minimum 1 page summary about what you learned from each of them together.




Extra Credit: The Significance of the Civil War - Watch the following video which discusses the significance of the Civil War and its effects on the nation - both North and South.


Extra Credit: The New York City Draft Riots -The New York Draft Riots were a culmination of the mounting economic, political, and social tensions that existed among New York’s "melting pot" of cultures. The Civil War and the Conscription Act were sparks that ignited the fuse. An injustice of the Act was that for $300 dollars, someone drafted could wave their draft and have someone else go in their place. The reason why that was an injustice is because at the time, only the wealthy could afford to pay that amount of money. As a result, the poor and immigrants overwhelmingly were drafted in the war with no legal way to get out of it. Another cause of the riots lies in New York’s social and political history. The masses of immigrants—mostly Irish—who came to the United States with the promise of leading a good and better life, found that promise to be false. Instead of finding the “American Dream” they found misery and overcrowded slums. For these immigrants and working class, the riots were a violent protest against the rich and elite’s exploitation of the poor. For extra credit watch the following videos and click on the links below which discuss the causes and effects of the New York city draft riots and write a minimum 1 page summary about what you learned, relating it to what was discussed in class. http://www.vny.cuny.edu/draftriots/Intro/draft_riot_intro_set.html


 Extra Credit: Race and the Power of an Illusion - Choose any of the resources below that are related to the documentary series by the same name. For whichever resources you use for the extra credit, write a minimum 1 page summary about what you learned, relating it to what was discussed in class. You can do as many as you like.

Background on the documentary series - What if we suddenly discovered that our most basic assumption about race - for instance, that the world's people can be divided biologically along racial lines - was false? And if race is a biological "myth," where did the idea come from? How do our institutions give race social meaning? These are just a few of the questions raised by Race - The Power of an Illusion, California Newsreel's provocative new PBS series produced in association with ITVS. It is the first documentary series to scrutinize the very idea of race through the distinct lenses of science, history and our social institutions. The series is narrated by CCH Pounder (The Shield). By asking, "What is this thing called 'race'?" a question so basic it is rarely raised, Race - The Power of an Illusion challenges some of our most deeply held beliefs. Ethnic cleansing, affirmative action battles, immigration restrictions - all place race at center stage in contemporary life. Race is so fundamental to discussions of poverty, education, crime, music, and sports that, whether we are racist or anti-racist, we rarely question its reality. Yet recent scientific evidence suggests that the idea of race is a biological myth, as outdated as the widely held medieval belief that the sun revolved around the earth. Anthropologists, biologists and geneticists have increasingly found that, biologically speaking; there is no such thing as "race." Modern science is decoding the genetic puzzle of DNA and human variation - and finding that skin color really is only skin deep. However invalid race is biologically, it has been deeply woven into the fabric of American life. Race - The Power of an Illusion examines why and how in three one-hour installments. Episode 1: "The Difference Between Us," surveys the scientific findings - including genetics - that suggest that the concept of race has no biological basis. Episode 2: "The Story We Tell, " provides the historical context for race in North America, including when and how the idea got started and why it took such a hold over our minds. Episode 3: "The House We Live In," spotlights how our social institutions "make" race by providing different groups vastly different life chances even today, 40 years after the Civil Rights Act.
  • Episode 1: "The Difference Between Us," surveys the scientific findings - including genetics - that suggest that the concept of race has no biological basis.
  • Episode 2: "The Story We Tell, " provides the historical context for race in North America, including when and how the idea got started and why it took such a hold over our minds.

RACE: THE STORY WE TELL from Yarimar Bonilla on Vimeo.
  • Episode 3: "The House We Live In," (parts of episode 3)

RACE – THE POWER OF AN ILLUSION: The Genesis of Discriminatory Housing Policies from California Newsreel on Vimeo.


  • Race and the Power of an Illusion - Resources to learn more - How valid are your beliefs about the human species? http://www.pbs.org/race/000_General/000_00-Home.htm
  • What is Race? We all know that people look different. Anyone can tell a Czech from a Chinese. But are these differences racial? What does race mean? Find the answers to these and other questions by exploring different interactivities within this site. There's less - and more - to race than meets the eye.
http://www.pbs.org/race/001_WhatIsRace/001_00-home.htm

Extra Credit: Glory - The film Glory was based on a book written about the letters of Col. Robert Gould
Shaw, the real-life character played n the film by Matthew Broderick. Based on a true events, the plot of the movie revolves around the heroes from the all African American members of the 54th Regiment of the Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, headed by Col. Robert Gould Shaw. The African American soldiers are denied virtually every privilege and amenity that is matter of course for their white counterparts; as in armies past and future, they are given the most menial and demeaning of tasks. Still, none of the soldiers quit the regiment when given the chance. The unofficial leaders of the group are gravedigger John Rawlins (Morgan Freeman) and fugitive slave Trip (Denzel Washington). The movie nears its culmination when the 54th valiantly charge at Fort Wagner, SC, a fortification manned by some 1,000 Confederates. Knowingly, these brave men risked and gave their lives for a mission they knew most would not survive.  The film won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for co-star Denzel Washington. For extra credit, click on the links below and watch the full length version of the film on Youtube. Write a minimum 1 page summary of the film and how it relates to what was discussed in class. It is posted in 8 segments so be sure to watch them all  by clicking on the next one in the column to the right.
Glory (1989) - Hollywood film link - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j66i6Ey_IAQ
Glory Movie Trailer 

Storming of Fort Wagner Scene

Links to documentaries about the real 54th Massachusetts Regiment: You can also watch the following documentaries for additional extra credit.
Extra Credit: Debating Slavery - This video segment adapted from Africans in America explores the division among the state delegates to the Constitutional Convention about the issue of slavery. Although some states had already begun to abolish slavery, other states held that the right to own slaves should remain protected by the federal government. What resulted was a debate about the right to personal liberty and the right to own property, which for many included slaves. For extra credit, click on the following link http://www.teachersdomain.org/asset/midlit10_vid_splslaveryb/ and watch the brief video. Then click on this link http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/adlit08.ush.rev.slavery/ and read the "Background Essay" and "Discussion Questions". Answer the 3 Discussion Questions and write a minimum 1 page summary about what you learned from both the video clip and the background essay.

Extra Credit: Slavery and the Constitution - Click on the link below for this self-paced online lesson where you will learn about the debate over slavery at the Constitutional Convention in 1787. You will explore the changing perception of slavery in the new United States and the ways in which the debate over slavery affected the content of the Constitution. During this process, you will read informational text, learn and practice vocabulary words, and explore content through videos and interactive activities. When you are finished, choose  one of the writing assignments at the end of the lesson to write about and turn it in to me OR write a minimum 1 page summary overview about what you learned from the lesson.
http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/midlit10.soc.splslavery/

Extra Credit: War to End Slavery? This "webisode" of the PBS series "Freedom: A Story of US" deals with the issue of the civil war. It was the worst war in American history. It was called the Civil War, or the War Between the States, and sometimes brother fought brother and father fought son. More than 620,000 Americans died. Cities were destroyed, farms burned, homes leveled. On one bloody day at a place called Antietam, more men were killed than on any other day in all US history. Whether you see it as a war to end slavery, a war to defend states' rights, or a war to preserve the Union, the webisode explores the question of for what purpose did Americans fight and over six hundred thousand die between 1861 and 1865? For extra credit, visit the link below that will take you to the webisode. Follow the link through the entire series and write a minimum 1 page summary of what you learned,  relating it to what was discussed in class.

Extra Credit: Slavery - A Fatal Contradiction? [Part I] The United States was born with a promise - and with a problem. The problem was slavery. By 1860 there are four million black slaves in America. Watch the following movie from the PBS series "Freedom: A Story of US". This episode deals with the issue and contradiction of slavery in America. For extra credit, watch the movie and write a minimum 1 page summary of what you learned, relating it to what was discussed in class. For futher extra credit, do the one listed below [Part II] that has a link to the PBS "webisode" where you can explore detailed information.


Extra Credit: Slavery - A Fatal Contradiction? [Part II] -Click on the link below to learn more about the issue of slavery and how it was a "Fatal Contadiction" for the US. For extra credit, visit the link below from the PBS website "Freedom: History of US" that will take you to the webisode. Follow the link through the entire series on independence  and write a minimum 1 page summary of what you learned,  relating it to what was discussed in class. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/historyofus/web05/index.html
Extra Credit: Slavery and the Making of America - Watch the following clips and videos related to the topic of slavery and America. For extra credit, write a minimum 1 page summary of what you learned about the topic/s, relating it to what was discussed in class. Please note that some of the images may be graphic and/or disturbing if you are not familiar with them.

Capture
The Middle Passage
Slavery and the Abolitionists' Cause
History of Slavery in America



Extra Credit: Black in Latin America - History professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. uncovers Latin America's African roots in this four-part series. "Black in Latin America" is a quest to discover how Africa and Europe combined to create the vibrant cultures of Latin America, with a rich legacy of thoughtful, articulate subjects whose stories are astonishingly moving and irresistibly compelling. For extra credit, click on the link and watch a full length film on-line. Write a minimum 1 page summary about what you learned, relating it to what was discussed in class. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/black-in-latin-america/
For more, visit: http://video.pbs.org/program/black-in-latin-america/

The Reconstruction Period

Extra Credit: Reconstruction - The era of Reconstruction began directly following the Civil War in 1865 and lasted until 1877. Reconstruction was the process of integrating the former Confederate states back into the rest of the Union. This era caused political conflicts in both the North and South, but also led to rapid economic, social, and demographic changes. For newly freed, previously enslaved African Americans, emancipation was only the beginning of a long road to equality for former slaves, as they improved their lives in the face of strong and determined opposition. For extra credit, click on the following link to watch the video, then write a minimum 1 page summary about what you learned, relating it to what was discussed in class. http://www.learner.org/vod/vod_window.html?pid=2258.
For more extra credit, click on the link below to the video's unit and read up on the era of Reconstruction. Write a minimum 1 page summary about what you learned, relating it to what was discussed in class. http://www.learner.org/courses/amerhistory/units/10/
Extra Credit: Animated Reconstruction - Watch the following animated videos which give a brief summary of the period of Reconstruction. Write a minimum 1 page summary about what you learned, relating to what was discussed in class.



Extra Credit: A Biography of America, Reconstruction - Watch the following video that discusses Reconstruction from the side of the Reconstruction period Amendments to the Constitution that were passed. For extra credit, click on the following link to watch the video, then write a minimum 1 page summary about what you learned, relating it to what was discussed in class. http://www.learner.org/vod/vod_window.html?pid=1389
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