Vietnam War: Songs From The Era

One of the most interesting ways to get a feel for "what was really going on" during a specific era of American history is to examine the popular culture of that time. What were books, movies, television and music saying about the events of that time?

For this week's blog, use this website to read about a selection of pro- and anti- Vietnam War songs. Choose one from each list (so, one pro- and one anti-) and listed to it. You might even want to do some extra reading about the songs you choose.

For the comments section, write 100 words on each selection. What is the feel of the song? The message? How can you tell it is pro- or anti- the war?

Civil Rights: Are Things What They Seem?

This week's blog will deal with a very famous incident from the Civil Rights Era. In fact, have you seen this photograph before?

What about this statue?

At face value, this young African American teenager was being attacked by a police dog while marching for his rights during the famous Children's March of 1963.

But...is that really the whole story? Is there another perspective?

This week's blog is worth 100 points because it requires you to listen to a podcast. The title is "Foot soldier of Birmingham". Click here.

Please be sure to listen to the entire episode before posting on the blog.

For the comment section, answer these two questions (100 words each):

1) What information was surprising to you in the podcast?

2) Do you think it is wrong to alter history (for example, the photograph vs. the statue) in order to prove a larger point?

Camelot Comes To D.C.: The Presidency of JFK

JFK took the nation by storm in the late 1950s and early 60s.

He was a brand new type of president. Handsome, young, wealthy and glamorous (both he and his wife), Kennedy was the "president of America's youth".

This website is a remarkable resource for his time as president. Take some time to look through the interactive timeline. Click the events that seem interesting to learn more about the key details of his administration.

For the comment section, write 200 words regarding what you learned about JFK from this website.

***THIS BLOG IS DUE BY THURSDAY PM (11:59) BECAUSE THE QUARTER ENDS THIS WEEK***

1950s: Major Events

We will be discussing the impact of decades from now until May. Each decade in the 20th century is known for its political, social and cultural impact.

For this week's blog, independently research the decade of the 1950s.

Choose ONE 1950s political event (presidential, law, Supreme Court case, Cold War related event, Space Race event, war etc.) and ONE 1950s cultural event (movies, music, sports, comic books, tv, radio, books, plays etc.) that interests you.

Write 100 words for each choice. Explain what you learned about the 1950s from the two topics you chose.

Cold War Preparations: "Duck & Cover"

With the constant threat of nuclear war always around the corner during the Cold War, the United States needed a way to prepare the people in case of an attack.

Thus, the birth of the "nuclear attack drill"...better known as "duck & cover".

Rather than me trying to explain it, use these two resources to gain a better understanding of this Cold War tactic.

One: Article

Two: Video

After you have completed each resource, answer the following two questions (100 words each).

1) What was "duck and cover"?

2) It seems fairly clear that this method would not protect anyone, yet people bought into it. Schools ran these drills for years. Why?

The Forgotten War: Korea

Many people skip directly over Korea and move into Vietnam when they think of global conflicts after World War II. In fact, the Korean Conflict (so-called because America never officially declared war on North Korea) is often called the "Forgotten War".

For this week's blog, you are going to watch this video which gives the basic details of the Korean Conflict.

For the comment section, create a Top-10 List of the ten most important facts you learned about this global event.

Then, write a 100 word summary answering this question: If the Korean Conflict is so important to the history of the U.S., why is it a "forgotten" war? 

****THIS BLOG IS DUE WEDNESDAY 2/14 BY 11:59 PM******

Post-War Presidents: Truman vs. Eisenhower

As we close the book on World War Two, we look ahead to the two men who would lead us during the pivotal post-war years into the turbulent 1960s.

Truman had to deal with the decision to use nuclear weapons, plummeting approval ratings and the Korean War.

Eisenhower, in stark contrast, was the conquering hero of Europe. The leader of D-Day, he enjoyed a fairly popular and prosperous presidency.

Using this website, read up on both of these men. Use the tools the website provides to compare their two presidencies.

For the comments, write 200 words on which president you think had the more successful administration. Be sure to back up your thoughts with evidence.