Class Update: 1/30 & 1/31

Over the past two days we have been focusing on Reconstruction. Yesterday, we completed a chart about the different plans for Reconstruction: Lincoln's Ten-Percent Plan, Johnson's Presidential Plan, and the plans of the Radical Republicans. Lincoln planned to let the South rejoin the Union with at least the support of 10% of voters. Johnson was lenient in pardoning the South, but set specific standards for rejoining the Union. The Radical Republicans set their plans into motion by harshly punishing the South. They required the South to be divided into military districts led by Union generals. We then colored a map in to show the five military districts. I agree most with Johnson's plan. It allows the country to move on from the war without angering the South and causing greater conflicts.

Today, we read Andrew Johnson's obituary from The New York Times. I was impressed by all of the govermental positions Johnson held among other achievements. It was surprising that he never went to a formal school. Maybe that explains why he worked well with Lincoln, because he also came from a poor background. I think Johnson seems too controlling as president. He worked to keep his allies in political positions and to veto any laws that did not benefit his presidency. That led to his impeachment. Though Johnson may have had some flaws, he left a lasting positive impression on the United States.

Class Update: 1/28 & 1/29

Yesterday, we went to the computer lab during class to learn about the South after the Civil War. First, we looked at pictures of the South after the war. The destruction was incredible - it is amazing how much the South has been rebuilt since that time. Next, we researched different statistics for Southern states. I was assigned South Carolina. I was not surprised that 50% of South Carolina's population was African Americans. South Carolina was a major slave state, so they would have had a great number of freed African American slaves following the war. It was surprising that the worth of farmland decreased after the war. Maybe Sherman's scorched earth policy destroyed any usable land. Then, we brainstormed legal and illegal ways that white Southerners could gain control again. I think illegal methods would be more effective because they would return life to the way it was before the war. Then, we learned about the black codes, which were laws that illegally reduced freed slaves to basically slaves again. The South seems like a horrible place to be following the Civil War.

Today, we learned about the 14th amendment to the Constitution. It focused on citizenship (US and state) and on equal rights. It stated that people born in the US or naturalized into the US would be given equal natural rights and equality before the law. They would also be protected by Congress through laws that could prevent state legislature from depriving citizens of rights. This amendment encouraged African Americans to do things like going to school and opening businesses. I think the amendment was mainly created so Congress could punish the Southern states with laws. Congress had more power and could prevent the South from making laws that compromised the rights of freed slaves. At the end of class, we made magazine covers about the amendment.

Class Update: 1/24 & 1/25

The past two days in class, we have been discussing Reconstruction. Yesterday, we discussed the difference between Reconstruction and Restoration. Reconstruction was the plan of the radical Republicans and included granting African Americans social equality and punishing the South for the Civil War. Restoration was Lincoln's plan, and did not call for restructuring the country, only ridding the country of slavery. I agree with Lincoln's plan because both sides contributed to the war, not only the South.

Today, we learned about the assassination of President Lincoln. I think John Booth's plan to assassinate government officials was unrealistic because it would only create chaos as other leaders struggled to gain power afterwards. It is lucky for our country that Booth was hindered by his broken ankle, or else our government could have received many more attacks and maybe even been altered permanently. Then, we listened to some music by Aaron Copland commemorating the great American hero that Lincoln became.

Winnie the Pooh Character Quiz

Today, we were asked to determine which “Winnie the Pooh” character we are most like. After reading the descriptions of the “Winnie the Pooh” characters, I think I am most like Piglet. I am often quiet and a little shy, especially in new situations. I also believe that I am good at problem solving like Piglet. If I encounter a problem, I usually try to think of multiple solutions to the issue and choose the most logical one.

 

I took a quiz to determine which “Winnie the Pooh” character I am most like. My results are below:

 

You are Winnie the Pooh. Oh, bother. You are sweet, simple, and popular for your honesty and goodwill. Though you may be the biggest personality in the woods, you sometimes need the help of others in the brains department!

 

I believe that the quiz determined me to be more like Pooh than Piglet because my decisions were interpreted differently than I intended them to be. For example, one of the questions asked what I would do if I were served a type of soup that I do not like by a friend. I chose that I would eat the soup. I believe the quiz interpreted this response to mean that I was acting in hopes of being viewed as “sweet” and “popular”. It also may have reasoned that I was not acting in a very smart way because I did not stand up for myself by refusing the soup. When I responded to the question, I chose that answer because I value my friendship more than offending a good friend over a dislike. I would interpret my actions as choosing the best solution to honor my friendship, even if it meant that I had to eat soup that I did not like. The quiz interpreted some of my answers differently than I meant them to be.

 

The two results were also different because of the nature of the questions in the quiz. I found some of the questions difficult to answer because they did not apply to my life or personality. One question referred to throwing a big party when my parents were not home. I would not throw a party in the first place, so this made the question hard to answer. I would also not cancel a party at the last minute because it would be rude to the guests who were planning to attend. Though I would rather babysit as the question offered, I would not cancel a party on short notice because it is not proper etiquette. Some of the questions in the quiz did not offer answers that I would realistically choose, changing my results.

 

Though I do not agree that Winnie the Pooh and I are exactly matched, I can understand why the quiz determined us to be similar. It is an interesting concept to imagine being a character from the well-known story.

Class Update: 1/16 & 1/17

It is a day 3 today, but we have not had classes the past two days due to midterms. We have the history midterm tomorrow.

Class Update: 1/14 &1/15

The past two days in class, we have been reviewing for the midterm exam. We received a study guide. After covering any questions about the format of the exam, we reviewed independently. The exam will be on Friday, and we will not have regular classes again until next week.

Class Update: 1/9 & 1/10

Yesterday, we took a test on the Civil War.

Today, our Commitment to a Cause projects were due. We presented them in the library during D and C periods. It was interesting to see what our classmates are passionate about. Almost everyone who watched our video enjoyed it and took a flyer as well. The only problem was that the computer froze during our video and it was difficult to hear the audio in the noisy library. I thought this project was a fun way to connect English and History to real life.

In class today, we began studying for the midterm. We received review sheets and asked questions about the format of the test. We will be reviewing for the midterm over the next week.

Class Update: 1/7 & 1/8

Yesterday, we took a quiz on memorizing a section of the Gettysburg Address. After that, we took notes on the Anaconda Plan, and how the Union was using that to slowly take control of the Confederacy again. General Sherman marched Union troops to Georgia, using a policy of "total war" along the way, which meant that his army destroyed all resources that could be of help to the Confederacy. I do not agree with the policy of total war because the Union destroyed the part of the country that they were hoping to take back. I don't think this would make the Confederacy eager to join the Union again.

Today, we took notes on the end of the war. Confederate General Lee surrendered to Union General Grant at the Appomattox Court House, returning the Confederate states to the Union. This meant that the country would now have to figure out how to rebuild itself, especially in the South. The US may have experienced irreversible losses, but ultimately gained "Liberty to all," as was Lincoln's goal.

Class Update: 1/3 &1/4

Yesterday, we discussed the Emancipation Proclamation. Since it only freed slaves in border states in hopes of strengthening the Union army, some believe that it is not truly an important document. We also read a blog post about this idea, in which the author discussed the different views. I agree that the document was not as important as some think, because it only freed some slaves. We also read the Gettysburg Address, which called soldiers to continue fighting for rights for all, even though the battle was difficult. Both documents demonstrated President Lincoln's goal of "Liberty to all."

Today, we analyzed a sculpture of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment, which commemorated the first African-American only regiment in the Civil War. After the Emancipation Proclamation, 186,000 African-American soldiers enlisted over the remainder of the war, accounting for the numbers the Union needed. The 54th Regiment attempted to capture Fort Wagner in the Charleston Harbor under the leadership of General Shaw. Though they failed at the hand-to-hand combat, it brought a new view of African-American soldiers and encouraged other African-American soldiers to enlist. As can be seen by these two documents, both greatly affected the Civil War.