Presidency of George Washington

Hey everyone! I hope everyone's break is going well! This is a reminder that your homework is to read pp. 182-187 and answer the questions on p. 187 (#1-5). I hope you have a great rest of the break!

~Mr. Mazur

Rights of Criminal Defendants

Hey everyone. I apologize, but the correct reading for the homework is Lesson 32. Please read the section within your books and answer the Critical Thinking Exercise on p. 236 and the Reviewing and Using the Lesson questions on p. 240.

Today we learned about the restrictions of certain rights under the 1st Amendment (freedom of expression and freedom of religion). We applied what we learned to several court cases to determine if an individual's rights were infringed upon. Unfortunately, we did not get to do all of the cases and we did not get to the 4th-5th amendments. We will finish these ideas during next class. This is what next class will look like:

1.) Review by two more court cases involving freedom of speech and freedom of religion
2.) Court cases involving the 4th and 5th amendments
3.) Quick discussion on the homework (rights of criminal defendents)
4.) Practice of several topics during our unit (Federalists v. Anti Federalists, court case analysis)
5.) If time allows, we will have a game

Please remember to study for the test on Friday. DO NOT JUST COMPLETE THE STUDY GUIDE. You will need to study your worksheets and books for this test. The test will not be easy if you do not study.

Please email me with any questions or concerns. Have a great night!

~Mr. Mazur

Bill of Rights

Hey everyone! Today we debated the ideas of the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists. Please email me if you need help with any of the material. As we discussed in class, the Federalists were able to get all but two states to ratify the Constitution by 1788 (North Carolina and Rhode Island joined into the new government in 1789 and 1790 respectively).

For homework, you have two small assignments. They are:

1.) Read the fictional United Nations proposal about strengthening the powers of the organization. Answer the questions.

2.) Read the Bill of Rights and rank the 3 amendments that you believe are most important to you. Explain (in a written paragraph or so) why you believe these are the most important amendments.

We will go more in depth with the Bill of Rights and several controversies with it on Monday. As we decided last class, our test will be on Friday (a smaller test than usual). I will email you the study guide soon, but please start looking over your notes and the handouts I have been giving you.

Have a great night!

~Mr. Mazur

Federalists v. Anti-Federalists

Hey everyone! Yesterday we finished our discussions on the Constitution. We analyze the role of the Judicial Branch within our government framework. We also discussed how the Founders bypassed the unanimous approval of the states in order to amend the Articles of Confederation. According to the new Constitution, the Constitution only needed the approval of 9 states.

Therefore, the states became a battleground between people that supported the new Constitution (Federalists) and people that did not support it (Anti-Federalists). "Battleground" does not mean actual fighting, but these people used pseudonyms and attacked each other's opinions within newspaper articles and pamphlets.

For homework, we are reading several selections from each of these viewpoints. I gave each group a specific side (Federalist or Anti-Federalist). You are to do the following procedures:

1.) Read the quotes of the side that you have been given. You must read all of the quotes for your side. For example, if I gave you the Federalist quotes, you will be reading 18 different quotes. If I gave you the Anti-Federalist side, you will be reading 17 quotes.

2.) You must fill out 3-4 quote analysis sheets for 3-4 quotes of your choosing. Pick the ones that you believe is most relevant for your argument.

3.) Fill out the worksheet that has you choose what the 3 strongest arguments are and the 3 weakest ones for your side. Out of all 18 (or 17) quotes that you read, what are the strongest arguments and what are the weakest.

Obviously these quotes are very challenging and somewhat complicated. My advice is to focus on these quotes. You may have to read them slowly and repeat them a few times to understand them. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me. I will not tell you what they say, but I can guide you to understand it yourself.

Have a great day!

~Mr. Mazur

P.S.- Reminder that if all goes well, we have agreed that the test will be next Friday, December 23. Please begin to look over your notes. A lot of information has been presented within the past week.

3 Branches of Government

Hello everyone. This is a reminder that your homework is to read pp. 76-84 and answer the review questions on p. 84. We will pick up next class with continuing our discussion on representation and reviewing how the Founders compromised between the Virginia and New Jersey Plans. Have a great day!

~Mr. Mazur

Articles of Confederation

Hey everyone! This is just a reminder that we are beginning our unit on the U.S. Constitution. I have handed out the texbooks we are using. Please do not write or highlight in these textbooks. Any notes that you take should be on a separate sheet of paper.

Your homework (due on Wednesday) is to read Lesson 8 within the new textbook and answer the questions within the chapter. This includes the Articles of Confederation Activity on p. 62, the "What Do You Think?" questions on p. 65, and the Review questions on p. 66. Please take notes during these sections because the material we will be discussing will be very challenging and detailed. I will be giving quizzes throughout the unit to assess your understanding of the material.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me. Have a great day!

~Mr. Mazur

American Revolution Project

Hey everyone. This is a reminder to continue your research for your colonial newspapers. Please email me if you have any questions. I expect that everyone comes prepared on Monday with additional information since you will not have time to finish the whole project in class. We will continue working on the project on Monday. Have a great weekend!

~Mr. Mazur

Declaration of Independence

Hey everyone. I hope everyone is having a fantastic weekend! This is a reminder that for homework, you are to read the Declaration of Independence and answer the questions about the document. We will discuss in depth on Tuesday. Have a great rest of the weekend!

~Mr. Mazur

Common Sense

Hey everyone. Yesterday we discussed the impact of several events leading up to the Declaration of Independence. We discussed how many people still believed that the American colonies should not break with Great Britain. We also discussed the impact of such events such as the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the meetings of the Second Continental Congress, the Battle of Bunker Hill, and the Battles of Montreal and Quebec.

For homework, you are to finish reading the excerpts from "Common Sense" and the article by Charles Inglis. Please write down what arguments do both make for either breaking with Great Britain or reconciling with the mother country. Please email me if you have any questions or concerns. Have a great day!

~Mr. Mazur

Causes of the American Revolution Test

Hey everyone! This is a reminder that our test for the unit is this upcoming Thursday. Please begin to study and finish the study guide by the day of the test. I will collect the study guide before we begin.

On Tuesday we will review the unit. I will also finish the topic that I started today: more details on the midnight rides of Paul Revere, William Dawes, and Dr. Samuel Prescott. Have a great weekend!

~Mr. Mazur

Causes of the American Revolution

Hey everyone. Today we discussed the various laws and taxes that contributed to discontent between the American colonists and Great Britain. For homework you are to make a pamphlet arguing against or justifying one of the laws. This assignment will be worth 10 points. Please be creative!

Also, you will be having a test on Thursday, November 3. Please begin studying now. I will hand you the study guide during our next class on Friday.

Have a great day!

~Mr. Mazur

Freedom of Speech Discussion

Hey everyone. Yesterday we discussed the influence of the Enlightenment on the American colonies. We discussed how several ideas from the time period influenced a major court case in 1735, the John Peter Zenger case. Although the court case did not alter the colonies quickly, it became a rallying point once the colonists began to protest against the British.

At the end of class, we discussed the ideas of freedom of the press (as was shown in the Zenger case). I handed out a news article about a NJ teacher who is facing repercussions after she posted nasty comments on her Facebook wall about a school display that she disagreed with. Students of the school are currently planning a protest against the teacher.

The news article brings into question the idea of freedom of the press. With the creation of the Internet, many feel that freedom of the press is extended to blogs and social networks. With a profession such as teaching, however, many feel that some comments should not be said in public since teachers are public figures.

Your homework assignment is to read the news article about this teacher and I want you to develop your own opinion on the event. Should certain comments on social networks or blogs not be protected under the first amendment? To what extent should certain professions be limited in this type of publication? Please be ready to discuss in class tomorrow.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. Have a great day and happy thinking!

~Mr. Mazur

First Test

Hey everyone. This is a reminder that our first test is going to be this Friday. Please make sure you complete the study guide because I will collect it before the test. Also email me with any questions you may have.

After the test, we will finish our Salem Witch Trial presentations. Good luck studying!

~Mr. Mazur

Issues in Colonial Boston

Hey everyone! Today we discussed the Atlantic Slave Trade (capture of Africans, the Middle Passage, and the slave auctions). We also talked about the European views on Africans and how they treated them in the 13 colonies. I posed the question on whether slavery caused racism or if racism caused slavery. I received some really good answers. Continue to think about this concept because the topic of slavery will be prominent for the rest of the year.

We then discussed one of the most famous rebellions in colonial America, Bacon's Rebellion. We discussed the conflict between the wealthyy and poor planters in Virginia, as well as the Native American attacks on the colonists. These all combined to influence a huge rebellion that almost destroyed Jamestown.

For homework, you are going to be reading about another problem in colonial America (mainly in Massachusetts), the Navigation Acts and the smuggling of goods. You are to read Chapter 3 Section 1 in your textbook and fill out the guided reading worksheet. Please email me if you have any questions.

As I mentioned today, your test on the unit will be on Friday, October 14. You will be receiving a study guide for the test by the end of this week. Please start studying!

Have a great day!

~Mr. Mazur

Atlantic Slave Trade

Hey everyone. Today we discussed how slavery was not legal institution in the colonies until the mid-17th century. We learned that many Africans came here as indentured servants and were able to gain their freedom (just like other indentured servants). We also learned that as the need for labor increased, a distinction between indentured servitude and slavery emerged, with race being a central issue.

As I have stated in class, slavery did not happen all at once. Slavery within the colonies happened one person at a time, one state at a time, and one law at a time. We looked at some of these laws that established slavery as a legal institution within the English colonies.

For homework, you are going to be reading some primary source materials on the Atlantic slave trade. Please read the worksheet and write a one-paragraph response on the material. What do you find surprising about the article and why? Is there anything that you learned more about or did not know before reading the article?

Have a great weekend and I will see everyone on Monday!

~Mr. Mazur

Colonization and Settlement Quiz

Hey everyone. This is a reminder that tomorrow we will be having a quiz on everything that we have discussed from the beginning of the year. Make sure you study and email me with any questions. Have a great day! Study Study Study!

~Mr. Mazur

Middle Colonies

Hey everyone. Today we compared and contrasted the goals of the Jamestown, Plymouth, and Massachusetts Bay colonies. For homework, you are to read the texbook pages relating to the establishment of the Middle Colonies (pp. 55-59) and take notes. If you have any questions, please email me!

~Mr. Mazur

P.S- I wanted to remind you that you will be having a quiz on Wednesday. It includes everything we learned in the beginning of the year (except September 11) up to what we learn about on Monday (the establishment of the Middle Colonies).

Jamestown

Hey everyone! Today we discussed the myths and facts about the Jamestown settlement. We discussed why Jamestown was settled and why it was ultimately able to succeed. For homework, you have two choices.

First, you can write two journal entries based on our lesson. In these journal entries, you must take the role of a Jamestown settler and write about your experiences in the settlement. Please make sure you use historically accurate information on not mythical information based on the movie "Pocahontas." It may be a good idea to research a little more on the Jamestown settlement.

If you want a bigger challenge, you can partake in the second homework option. For this option, you can write a children's story or book based on the most important information on the Jamestown settlement. Please do addition research and make it as accurate as possible!

Have a great night!

~Mr. Mazur

Age of Exploration

Hey everyone! Today we analyzed Christopher Columbus's role in "discovering America" and debated whether the man should be celebrated by analyzing his effect on both Europe and the Americas.

For homework, if you have not already done so, please Read Chapter 1 Section 5 and outline the section. Next class we will discuss various colonies within North America. Have a great weekend!

~Mr. Mazur

P.S.- If you are interested, the annual Ramapough Pow Wow is this weekend at Sally's Field in Ringwood, NJ. There is also a pow wow for the Cherokee Nation from October 1-2 in Vernon, NJ.

Welcome

Hey everyone! Again, I want to say welcome to my U.S. History I class! This is also a reminder that your first assignment before next class is to cover your textbook and to have your parent/guardian sign your syllabus. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me! Have a great weekend!

~Mr. Mazur

Tent Cities Assignment

Hey everyone! Welcome back to the Current Event Blog!

This article directly correlates to what we discussed in class about how people are now living in tent cities all over the country due to massive unemployment and poverty. I also want you to research where else these tent cities are popping up around the United States.

This assignment is a little different from the previous assignments though. For this assignment, you only have to comment once. This is what I expect in your comment:

1.) Where else are these tent cities popping up?
2.) How do you feel about these tent cities and the fact that people have to live in them?
3.) Take an active stance. What are your ideas to fix this problem or to help these people out? What can you do personally to help out?

This assignment is going to be worth 10 points (3 points per question above). You get an automatic 1 point for doing the assignment. PLEASE REACT TO YOUR CLASSMATES' COMMENTS. This is an open discussion.

This assignment is due on Monday, March 7.

Here is the url:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-05-04-new-homeless_N.htm