National History Day and American Studies

I have been thinking a lot about how to integrate National History Day into our American Studies course. So far, we have devoted Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays to American Studies curriculum and Thursdays and Fridays to National History Day. As we move forward this will need to change. We will begin studying the Antebellum period after our winter break. This will include reading Fredrick Douglas' Narrative of the Life of a Slave. I also believe it is important to develop our research and writing skills, especially as students' work independently on their NHD projects. I think we will need to devote Friday's and Humanities classes to NHD, while our class time focuses on American Studies. This is an exciting experiment and with hard work before, during, and after school - we will succeed!

Constitutional Crisis

Today, a landmark case in the history of Constitution High School was heard by the Teacher Student Court. This case involved a challenge to the recent Student Presidential election. Todd Latimore's status as a candidate was called into question because it was discovered that he did not meet the qualifications to be president. After giving an amazing speech at the National Constitution Center, I was a believer in the Todd Latimore campaign. However, my support was based on the fact that I believed Todd was eligible for election. During the court trial, Andrew Howard represented Todd. Andrew gave a very strong argument by using a Supreme Court case involving a judge from Texas. The sense of history in the making was very palpable in the room as Andrew spoke. Also, I was really impressed with the Judges. Inkiera and Felicia asked probing questions to get to the bottom of this case. The issue was not whether Todd or Dr. Davidson had made mistakes, but rather would the judges uphold the letter of the law in our school's constitution.

If I had to make a decision today, I would have ruled in favor of our school's Constitution. The Constitution clearly states what the qualifications are for office. It's pretty cut and dry. If you don't meet the qualifications, you aren't eligible to hold office. Unfortunately, this might mean Todd can't serve in the student government this year. After his amazing performance at the National Constitution Center, I think he could be a great leader. Hopefully, he'll get his chance next year. These are my own thoughts? I would love to hear what you think?

Debating the American Revolution

In today's class, students are debating the question: Were the colonists justified in rebelling against British rule? Students are divided into 6 groups: Patriots (2), Moderates (2), Loyalists (1), and King George and the British Parliament (1). I enjoyed the debates because students seem engaged and entertained. The format is very structured: Group introductions and slogans, Opening comment, Presentation of Arguments, and then a General Discussion. Students in American History 3 are very energetic and loquacious. During the debate they were respectful of one another. The Patriots, led by Charniece Huff offered very strong arguments. During American History 2, Juliene Jimenez and Felicia Green became entangled in controversy over whether or not the British government had provided anything to the colonists. Juliene made a strong argument by asking Felicia, "Who provided the chair you sit on?" Felicia had to answer the School District of Philadelphia, which Juliene pointed put was a public institution supported by the United States of America. However, Felicia countered that during colonial times, Great Britain was the government that supported the colonies. It was an entertaining exchange. The most powerful arguments were often in the students' own words and then supported by a short quote as evidence. Overall, I think this has been a productive debate. It has given me incentive to create more lessons in which students can voice their opinions.

2011 Blogs

http://conhigh2011.blogspot.com

First Annual Amending Convention

On Friday, we held our First Annual Amending Convention. In our mentor groups, we walked over to the National Constitution Center to hear the State of the School address. My mentor group arrived in a timely fashion and followed directions. I was very pleased with their performance. Soon, the entire auditorium was filled to capacity. I can' believe that with only two classes, we already have out grown the National Constitution Center's auditorium. Dr. Davidson, Mr. Brasof, and Dorien Jackson all delivered great speeches. I especially enjoyed Mr. Brasof's position that our school is not about struggle between the classes but cooperation. This is achieved through deliberation. We returned to school to discuss the proposed Amendments. Our mentor groups were mixed with Freshmen and Sophmores. It was a sight to see, students working together. Overall, that day was a complete success!

Preparing for the Constitutional Amending Convention

Today in class we discussed the strengths and weaknesses of our School Constitution. Section 1 was energized and proposed some significant ideas as Amendments. Section 2, led by Charles and Felicia showed some interest, but did not produce any concrete proposals. Finally, Section 3 let me have it. I lost control of the class as students berated one another over whether or not the Constitution gave any power to the students. There were individuals who had real issues with the Constitution. Unfotrunately, we were unable to focus our thoughts and attention to solving the problems. On Friday, we will hold our First State of the School Address and our first Amending Convention. This is an opportunity for freshmen and sophmores to come together to make improvements in our school's government. After today, I think there will be those who will utilize the system and work for change within the government, those who will be apathetic and allow the process to go on without their voice being heard, and then there will be those who yell and scream about the issues without taking the time to listen and work with others. Will this government succeed. I sure hope so!

Milestone Document Essays

I handed back the Milestone Document Essays that students wrote for the first week of school. In grading the essays, I read them very carefully and provided feedback for students. Overall, I was very pleased with the completed essays. Students shared a lot of personal information. They took their time and put a lot of effort into this first project. Some of the most vocal students expressed disappointment with the grade they received. I know that sometimes it is disappointing when you work really hard and still fall short of earning that "A". However, if we consider the fact that the graded essay is still only a draft, there is an opportunity to improve. Students who would like to earn more points for their product grade can take the feedback I have provided into account and write another draft. There's always room for improvement!

First Day of School Reflection

The first day of school is always exciting. It is a time to reaquaint ourselves with students and teachers, new and old. I began class today by asking students to examine an aerial photograph of missiles in Cuba from 1962. This document is one of the National Archives 100 Milestone Documents in American History. Students interacted with the Promethean board for the first time as we tried to pull evidence from the photograph, make interpretations, and draw a conclusion. Overall, I think the activity was beneficial because it allowed students to practice analytical skills. It was a little chaotic as some students shouted out answers and others held side conversations. To improve the activity, I think I would have students work in pairs / groups to analyze the documents. Then I would ask each group to report out one thing they discovered. This would give everyone an opportunity to participate in the activity.

The most profound moment in class occured when I shared my personal milestone document. Students listened attentively and this made me feel really great. Tomorrow students will work on writing their milestone document essay and Wednesday they will present them. I look forward to learning more about my students as they grapple with forming their own identities.

The question of the day: Who are you?

- Mr. Ackerman

E Pluribus Unum

As we begin our second year at Constitution High School, we will experience great change. The school population will double in size, the largest percentage change we will ever experience. I anticipate a year of endless possibilities in which our school community defines itself. We have an amazing opportunity to determine the qualities and characteristics of the Constitution High School community. We will answer the question: What does it mean to be a member of Constitution High School?

In American Studies, we will examine how Americans defined themselves. We will continuously try to answer the questions: Who is American? How have Americans identified themselves over time? What does it mean to be an American?

Remember the question posed by Freedom Rising at the National Constitution Center: Who are "We the People"?

IDENTITY

This is one of the major themes for our course, along with CONFLICT and COMPROMISE.

How do you define yourself? Who are you?

As a Freshman at Boston College, I will always remember an important point stressed by Father Casey in his Introduction to Philosophy course. He asked us to answer the question: Who are you? As I sat there repeatedly asking myself "who am I?", he then stressed, "You are not what you think you are. You are not what you say you are. You are not what others say about you. You are ... only what you do. Your actions define who you are. So think about what you have done. Do your actions match your thoughts?"

This simple exercise has had a profound affect on my perception of who I am and how I define myself to this day.

The most powerful learning experiences are those that connect directly to our lives. As we study American History and Literature, it is vitally important that we connect our lives to the lives of people in the past. A strong link is in identity. We all bring our unique personalities and experiences to class (E Pluribus). Together, we will create not only a powerful learning experience but also a strong, vibrant learning community as we define Constitution High School (Unum).

We will use the E Pluribus Unum Project at a resource for defining what it means to be American. Check out the link to the project. Explore the resources. Read evidence of the changing ways in which Americans have identified themselves. Throughout, ask yourself, "Who am I?"

Welcome to American Studies!

Dear Students,

This blog page will be dedicated to our class. Throughout the year, I will post weekly reflections about my experiences as the teacher of our American Studies class. It is my goal to create an atmosphere in which students are rigorously challenged, actively engaged, and continuously excited about their learning.

As this is my first year teaching this course, I think it is very important to regularly reflect about my teaching. To do this I will post a reflection at the end of each week and include questions, comments, and concerns about the upcoming week. This blog will be available to students, parents, and other faculty. Together we can make this an incredible learning experience.

- Mr. Ackerman