Recently in Unit #6 Category

Q2 - Lessons #37 & #38 - Unit #6 "Two-Minute" Reviews

By
Mike Vergin
on January 7, 2009 8:00 AM |
Lesson #37
As I mentioned, we'll bypass much of our "last" lesson from Q1 due to time constraints. However, here are a couple of things that some of you might find interesting...

The Mexican Revolution: As you probably picked up from the reading for today, the events in Mexico leading up to, and including, the revolution are very complex. We'll try to make sense of this in two different ways after we take a quick look at some major events.

Timeline - The Road to Revolution:

1821 - Mexico gains independence from Spain
1833 - 1855 - Santa Anna serves four times as president
1835 - Texas settlers revolt against Mexico
1845 - United States annexes Texas
1848 - Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ends Mexican-American War
1861 - Benito Juarez becomes president following civil war
1862 - France sends army, holds power for five years
1876 - 1911 - Porfirio Diaz rules Mexico
1910 - Francisco Madero calls for revolution, Diaz steps down
1911 - Madero becomes president
1913 - General Huerta takes power, Madero assassinated
1915 - Huerta overthrown, Carranza takes power
1917 - Mexico adopts constitution
1919 - Carranza turns on revolutionary allies, ends war


"Campaigning for Power": This seemed particularly appropriate in an election year. The premise is this: It is early in 1910, and the country of Mexico is planning an election for President of Mexico. You are on the campaign staff for one of the figures below. You need to come up with a single sheet "poster" for your candidate. Obviously, it should make clear something about what he stands for, promises to do, or whatever seems appropriate. You can decide whether to use color, pictures, graphics, etc., but it should be in a form you can show on the projector and/or email to me.

  • Benito Juarez (He's dead by then, but he deserves a poster...)
  • Porfiro Diaz
  • Francisco Madero
  • Pancho Villa
  • Emiliano Zapata
  • Victoriano Huerta
  • Venustiano Carranza

Artists Look at the Revolution: We'll try something a little different here with these five artists. All of them were influenced by the events of the Mexican Revolution in one way or another. Your job is to find at least TWO works by "your" artist that you feel show us something meaningful about Mexico from the time that we are studying. Make sure you can readily access these at the projector. You decide what background information we need, etc.

In some cases, I've also listed a particular work by the artist. You don't NEED to make that one of your choices, but they were identified elsewhere as being influenced by the Mexican Revolution.

  • Jose Guadalupe Posada - Catrina Calavera
  • Diego Rivera
  • Frida Kahlo
  • David Alfaro Siqueiros - Echo of a Scream
  • Jose Clemente Orozco - Father Miguel Hidalgo

Lesson #38
We'll spend today doing our review activity. We'll get started right away so that we can get through this all. You can post comments on this blog entry if you'd like to share anything with others. 

UNIT 6: Industrialism and the Race for Empire (1790 - 1914) 

Chapter 25 - The Industrial Revolution (1700 - 1900) 
1 The Beginnings of Industrialization 
2 Industrialization 
3 Industrialization Spreads 
4 Reforming the Industrial World 

Chapter 26 - An Age of Democracy and Progress (1815 - 1914) 
1 Democratic Reform and Activism 
2 Self-Rule for British Colonies 
3 War and Expansionism in the United States 
4 Nineteenth-Century Progress 

Chapter 27- The Age of Imperialism (1850 -1914) 
1 The Scramble for Africa 
2 Imperialism 
3 Europeans Claim Muslim Lands 
4 British Imperialism in India 
5 Imperialism in Southeast Asia 

Chapter 28 - Transformations Around the Globe (1800 - 1914) 
1 China Resists Outside Influence 
2 Modernization in Japan 
3 U.S. Economic Imperialism 
4 Turmoil and Change in Mexico 


HOMEWORK for tomorrow - Thursday, January 8

Remember that both Current Events #2 and your China: Learning by Doing assignments should come in yet this week.

We'll have the Unit #6 Exam on Thursday and Friday. Thursday will be the Identifications, and you are allowed to bring ten words of notes for each. On Friday, we'll have the Objective Exam. That will consist of multiple choice questions and some document-based questions. Your essay should be printed out and turned in no later than your departure from class on Friday. You can find the essay questions and possible identifications here.

Q2 - Lesson #36 - The United States in Latin America

By
Mike Vergin
on January 6, 2009 8:00 AM |
We'll have our final "regular" lesson today. Wednesday will be our Unit #6 "Two-Minute Reviews," and we'll wrap up with the Unit #6 Exam on Thursday and Friday. (Thursday is the Identification Exam, and the Objective Exam is Friday. You need to turn in the Unit #6 Essay Exam no later than your departure from class on Friday.) More information below on this.


Unit #6 "Two-Minute Review": Our review activity will take place on Wednesday.
Current Events #2: Your final batch of Current Events for the quarter are due tomorrow as well.

The United States in Latin America: Even a casual reading of the assignment for today should make it clear that the United States has a long record of intervention in Latin America. I have not checked all examples on this site for accuracy or anything, but here is a long list of United States interventions in Latin America.

We'll have you look at some editorial cartoons on US foreign policy towards Latin America here as well.

Specifics of which you should be aware:

Discussion: United States Foreign Policy - Then and Now
We've talked, directly and indirectly, about a number of events in the history of American foreign policy over the last couple of weeks. Some of them were quite noble and well-intentioned, others were less so. Here's your chance to talk about events from both then and now.

First, let's focus on "then."
  • Was the United States being imperialistic when it issued the Monroe Doctrine? Why or why not?
  • Was "manifest destiny" justified? Why or why not?
  • Did the US act appropriately in the Mexican-American War? Why or why not?
  • Were US actions in Spanish-American War justified? Why or why not?
  • Were US actions in securing land for and building the Panama Canal appropriate? Why or why not?
  • Was the Roosevelt Corollary justified? Why or why not?

Second, let's turn to the "now."
  • What "limits" should there be on United States' foreign policy? What tools, tactics and strategies are appropriate? Which should not be considered?
  • What external factors should influence our foreign policy decisions? Why?
  • Are we imperialistic? Should we be?

  • What sort of relationship should we pursue with the nations of Latin America?
  • Is it time to end our economic embargo on Cuba?
  • Should we grant Puerto Rico independence? Statehood?
  • Were we correct to turn the Panama Canal Zone over to Panama's control in 1977?


Homework for tomorrow - Wednesday, January 7th:     

Finish your reading for the quarter in Chapter 28 with Section 4, "Turmoil and Change in Mexico." (pp. 822 - 827) The quiz format will be true/false.

Your Unit #6 "Two-Minute Review" will be due on Wednesday.

Your Current Events #2 are also due on Wednesday. You can find the template on earlier blog entries.

The Unit #6 Exam will take place on Thursday and Friday. On Thursday, you must complete the Identifications portion of the exam. On Friday, you must complete the Objective Exam. Your Unit #6 Essay is due (printed out and double-spaced) no later than your arrival to class on Friday. More information on the exam is available here.

Q2 - Lesson #35 - Japan Modernizes

By
Mike Vergin
on January 5, 2009 8:00 AM |
Welcome back. For today, you were asked to continue reading in Chapter 28 with Section 2, "Modernization in Japan." (pp. 810 - 813) The quiz format will be back to multiple choice. We'll begin this final week with a look at Japan's modernization of the 19th century. I've found some new resources that are very visual and pretty interesting. 


The "Red-Haired Barbarians" - Japanese woodblock prints
As you might remember, Japan was largely isolated (by choice) from the industrializing world. The Dutch were the only Europeans allowed access to Japan for trade, and that was restricted to the port of Nagasaki. Here's a collection of 40 Japanese woodblock prints depicting Dutch traders and the perceptions of the Japanese of foreigners.

Do this:  Take a few minutes and browse the collection, looking for interesting images. Following that, we can talk about what you've seen.


The West Arrives - Commodore Perry 
In 1853, a US naval fleet entered Japan's main harbor with a letter from US President Millard Fillmore for the Japanese emperor.


Do this: Read the President's letter. Put yourself in the position of Japan's emperor and/or the shogun and briefly outline your response. We'll talk about that a bit. After that, take a look at the Treaty of Kanagawa to see what was decided.

Browse around this very cool site from MIT's "Visualizing Cultures" project: Black Ships and Samurai. Be sure you look at the "Visual Narratives" and watch the "Black Ship Scroll" unfold.


The Meiji Restoration
In 1868, the Tokugawa Shogunate ended when Emperor Mutsuhito began his 45-year reign known as the Meiji era, or the Meiji Restoration.


Do this: Read through the Charter Oath of the Meiji. What role do citizens play in this new vision of government? Does this strike you as democratic?  Why or why not?

Now, skim through the Meiji Constitution of 1889. How well were the promises of the oath fulfilled? To what degree are these documents influenced by the Enlightenment? Are they democratic?  Why or why not?


MIT's "Visualizing Cultures" 
I'd never seen this site before, and I have to say that it is pretty cool. It aims to "wed images and scholarly commentary in innovative ways to illuminate social and cultural history." By coincidence, their first units focus on the time period in Japanese history that we are studying. This is the kind of resource that makes the laptop program worthwhile.

Do this: You'll work with a couple others to look more closely at one of the following "units" and give us a short recap of what you found most interesting. Definitely do the "visual narratives" section.


Homework for next session - Tuesday, January 6th:     

Continue your reading in Chapter 28 with Section 3, "U.S. Economic Imperialism." (pp. 816 - 821) The quiz format will be fill-in-the-blank.

Your Current Events #2 are due on Wednesday, January 7th. (Template)

Your China: Learning by Doing assignments are due by the end of Tuesday, January 6th.

If you are interested in taking advantage of the extra credit opportunity described on Lesson #33, you should post that to the Lesson #33 blog entry yet today.

Q2 - Unit #6 Exam - Identifications and Essay Questions

By
Mike Vergin
on December 19, 2008 8:00 AM |
Unit #6 Identifications: On Thursday, January 8th, you will write on your choice of 5 of the 8 identifications that appear on the Unit #6 exam chosen from the list below. You may bring 10 words of "notes" for each of the 15 possible identifications to the exam.  (Printed out, not on your computer.) You will need to turn in these notes, and I reserve the right to count symbols, acronyms, etc. as one or more words. Each of the five identifications is worth 5 points.  

A good identification is typically in the range of 4 to 6 sentences in length.  (You do need to write in complete sentences.)  You should demonstrate both an understanding of just who / what the ID "is" and place it in the appropriate historical context.  In addition, you need to explain the significance of the ID.  In other words, answer the "So what?" question.

Adam Smith
Karl Marx
Dreyfus Affair
manifest destiny
Emancipation Proclamation
Henry Ford
Thomas Edison 
Social Darwinism
Berlin Conference
Crimean War
Sepoy Mutiny
Opium War
Taiping Rebellion
Meiji era
Monroe Doctrine


Unit #6 Essay Exam - Questions and Format - You'll  write an essay as part of the Unit #6 Exam. This essay will be turned in by the beginning of class on Friday, January 9th.  (You will have the class period on Thursday AFTER you finish the identifications, but that is the only class time that will be alloted.) Below you can find both the questions from which you will choose and the format for the essay portion on the Unit #6 Exam. The essay will be evaluated on the usual 30 point scale.

Format: The actual essay will be written by hand or word-processed. You should prepare for a five-paragraph essay. That means that you should include an introduction (with a clear thesis statement), three body paragraphs, and a concluding paragraph. (Note that the questions lend themselves to such a format. That is on purpose.)  

Remember that the questions are not designed for you to tell us everything you have learned. Focus on what the question is requiring you to do.  

CHANGES for this one:
* You may write this outside of class time.
* I want them printed out (double spaced, please.) Printing double-sided is fine.


1. The Industrial Revolution was a time of great change. Identify and explain the significance of the THREE most important ways in which the Industrial Revolution impacted the world. Overall, was the Industrial Revolution a positive or negative stage in the history of the world? Why?

2. The Age of Imperialism had strong impacts on many areas of the world. Choose ONE of these areas and identify and explain the significance of the THREE most important ways in which imperialism impacted that area. Overall, was the Age of Imperialism a positive or negative stage in the history of the world? Why?

NOTE: For question #2, I would recommend choosing from one of these areas:
  • Africa
  • Middle East
  • India
  • East Asia and the Pacific

In your body paragraphs, do not mix and match from various areas. In that concluding paragraph, you are free to make references to imperialism on a more "global" level.

Q2 - Lesson #34 - China and the World

By
Mike Vergin
on December 19, 2008 8:00 AM |
Clearly, we're getting close to the end of the quarter. Today our focus will be on China, and the following class will focus on Japan. We'll do two more lessons on America's economic imperialism and the Mexican Revolution that next week. That's it for our quarter. 


China and the World - Introduction
We'll spend a few minutes together here at the top to make sure you have at least a basic understanding of some of the key events from China's history in the 19th century. Remember that they had largely chosen a path of isolation once the Age of European Exploration began.

At a minimum, you should be familiar with:

  • Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911)
  • Opium War (1839)
    • Treaty of Nanjing (1842)
    • Hong Kong
    • extraterritorial rights
  • Taiping Rebellion (1850 - 1864)
    • Hong Xioquan
  • Open Door Policy
  • Boxer Rebellion (1900)
    • Dowager Empress Cixi

19th Century China - Learning by Doing
Here's your chance to decide which way you want to go about learning some more about events from 19th century China. You have three choices that are described below. Because I believe they have varying degrees of difficulty and complexity, I am making them worth different numbers of points. 

It works like this. The assignment is worth 10 points. Here are the values for the different options.

  • China Crossword - 8 points for solid work that meets all expectations. You CAN receive up to 10 points for work that goes beyond the basic expectations. That is done at my discretion.
  • Opium War: Primary Sources - 9 points for solid work that meets all expectations. You CAN receive up to 11 points for work that goes beyond the basic expectations. That is done at my discretion.
  • Make-your-own-China-DBQ - 10 points for solid work that meets all expectations. You CAN receive up to 12 points for work that goes beyond the basic expectations. That is done at my discretion.
In all of these cases, you can work in a group of up to 3 people if you would like. I need all of these assignments turned in by the end of Tuesday to get full credit. Since I won't necessarily know who is working with whom, I need all names of group members to be on the completed assignment.

Here are the particulars for the given assignments:

China - Crossword:
Use any of the readily available crossword puzzle makers from the Internet. (Note: You do this at your own risk. I make no allowances for complaints like, "The website didn't work," or "We couldn't figure out how to print it.")

You need at least 15 clues and answers drawing from the material in Chapter 28, Section 1 and related topics. I should get both a "blank" puzzle with clues and a completed copy of the clues from you.

Opium War: Primary Sources:
This is just what it sounds like. You'll get a copy of documents from both the British and the Chinese related to the Opium War. You are responsible for submitting answers to the six "Questions" (pp. 290 - 291), as well as to at least one of the "For Further Discussion" questions (p. 291).

Make Your Own DBQ: 
This is your chance to create your own document based question on sources related to 19th century China. You can do either a general look at the period or a more specific focus on a particular period or event or person.

Here are the required elements:
  • There needs to be a "question." (It's the "big picture" under which the documents all fit, or it is the essay topic from the ones we've looked at in class.)
  • There should be a paragraph of relevant historical background information.
  • You need to provide excerpts from at least five relevant documents. Documents can include quotations, excerpts, maps, photographs, letters, laws and perhaps more. (Each should have a question to be answered, as do the ones we've used in class.)
  • All documents must be identified by author, title and date as necessary.
  • The DBQ should be reasonably free of spelling and grammar errors. 
You're free to use any appropriate sources, but here are two suggested places to do some looking...

  • China's Disaster: 1840 - 1949 - a portion of Paul Halsall's vast collection of on-line primary sources
  • Asia for Educators - This site from Columbia University has a lot of information in various places around the site. (Check China - 1750 to 1914 as a start.)


Homework for next session - Monday, January 5th

Continue your reading in Chapter 28 with Section 2, "Modernization in Japan." (pp. 810 - 813) The quiz format will be back to multiple choice.

Your Current Events #2 are due on Wednesday, January 7th. (Template)

Your China: Learning by Doing assignments are due by the end of Tuesday, January 6th.

If you are interested in taking advantage of the extra credit opportunity described on Lesson #33, you should post that to the Lesson #3 blog entry by Monday, January 5th.

Q2 - Lesson #33 - Imperialism in South and Southeast Asia

By
Mike Vergin
on December 18, 2008 8:00 AM | | Comments (4)
Our look at imperialism will conclude today with an examination of some events in South and Southeast Asia, including the United States' efforts in the Pacific.

Let's start by returning to the India debate...

** On balance, the era of British rule was beneficial for India. **

We'll put the "blue" sheets on one side and the "green" sheets on the other. You'll have five minutes to get your acts together.

Primary Sources on India: Here are a number of primary sources related to the British rule in India. Some might be particularly useful for our conversation, and others are simply provided for your information.


Current Events: You'll do a second batch for this quarter, again with the AP World History Themes as your guide. As with last time, you can download a Current Events template. You'll be expected to follow the format very closely. These are again worth a total of 20 points. Current Events #2 will be due at the start of class on Wednesday, January 7th.


Crucible of Empire - The Spanish-American War: This is another great PBS site that chronicles the beginning of the United States' dealing with their own supporters and opponents of imperialism. There are a number of things here that might interest you. Check out some of these:

1895 - Cuban War for Independence
August 1896 - Revolt in the Philippines
February 16, 1898 - Battleship U.S.S. Maine Explodes
April 25, 1898 - Congress Declares War
May 1, 1898 - Commodore Dewey's Victory in the Philippines
March 23, 1901 - Aguinaldo captured by U.S. troops

America in the Philippines: After acquiring the Philippines from Spain as a result of the war, The United States needed to consider the issue of imperialism. Led by President McKinley's call to "educate Filipinos, and uplift and Christianize them," the Americans stayed in the islands. Fierce resistance broke out among Filipino rebels, and a brutal three-year war followed. While over 4000 American soldiers died from fighting and disease, it is estimated that somewhere between 250,000 and 500,000 Filipinos died as a result of the fighting.

The Philippine History Site has a number of good resources on The Philippine-American War.

  • American Designs and the Benevolent Assimilation tells of the plans to bring the Philippines under American control while also containing some interesting information about how US textbooks do/don't cover this issue.
  • You don't have to read much of the American Campaign of Brutality to understand the parallels many have drawn to a conflict the United States found itself involved in much later, the Vietnam War.

The White Man's Burden In 1899, Rudyard Kipling wrote this poem to mark the annexation of the Philippines. Read through the entire poem and see what you think of it, particulary in terms of Kipling's view of imperialism. We'll talk about this one a bit.

"Kipling, the 'White Man's Burden,' and US Imperialism" (Monthly Review, November 2003) is a challenging, but very interesting article that looks at Kipling's poem in light of recent events in American history and foreign policy. It's really thought-provoking.


Extra Credit Blog-a-thon Option: We're going to end today by giving you some choices to earn a little extra credit. Basically, you're responsible for posting a blog comment on one of the topics by Monday, January 5th. Post it to THIS blog entry and earn up to five points extra credit.

Choose and post a good blog comment on one of these:

  • Read the article, "American imperialism? No need to run away from the label." (USATODAY.com, 5/5/2003) Comment on the article and the main issues it raises in your mind.
  • Read the essay, "Shooting an Elephant," by George Orwell. (He's probably best known as the author of 1984 and Animal Farm.) This essay draws on some of the ideas we've been talking about these last few days. Comment on the essay and how you think it is/is not relevant to the Age of Imperialism.
  • "Yellow Journalism" played a role in the imperial debate in the United States and elsewhere. Put yourself in the role of a "yellow journalist" and choose one of these scenarios from which to write a brief "story" for your readers.
- British journalist in India during Sepoy Mutiny of 1857
- British journalist in South Africa during the Boer War
- American observer in the Philippines in 1900 
- American journalist in Hawaii in 1893


HOMEWORK for next session - Friday, December 19th
 
Please begin your reading in the final chapter of the quarter. Read Chapter 28, Section 1, "China Resists Outside Influence." (pp. 805 - 809)

Your "Blog-a-thon" extra credit entry is due by the start of class on Monday, January 5th.

Your second and final batch of Current Events will be due on Wednesday, January 7th. It will be the same format as last time. You can download a template above.

Q2 - Lesson #32 - British Rule in India

By
Mike Vergin
on December 17, 2008 8:00 AM |
  We probably won't finish all of these activities today, but we'll see how far we get...
The Colonial Ledger: You were asked to brainstorm a list of effects of colonialism. Let's talk about what you came up with, and I can share some others from a source I've used before with this activity.

Cartoon Showcase: I'm assuming most of you have done this assignment and have them with you. It's time for show and tell... Share your work with the others sitting near you, and decide if there's one on industrialization and one on imperialism that you want to advance to show the "big group." Oh yeah, then we should turn them in. 


Next, we'll head over to India to look at the age of British rule and its effects, largely through a debate format.

British Imperialism in India - Brief Timeline

1707 - Mughal Empire is collapsing
1757 - East India Company troops win at Battle of Plassey
1857 - Sepoy Mutiny takes place
1858 - Raj begins as British take direct control of India
1877 - British viceroy rules India
1885 - Indian National Congress Forms
1905 - Partition of Bengal into Hindu and Muslim sections
1947 - India gains independence


The Sepoy Mutiny: Here's a website from Emory University that takes a look at the events of the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857. To better understand what this was all about, you might want to browse some of the following sections:

  • Introduction
  • Religion
  • Divide and Conquer
  • Expansionism
  • Torture and Oppression
  • The Rebellion
  • The Cawnpore Massacres
  • The Siege of Delhi
  • Conclusion

Debate: You'll be asked to represent one of the two sides in a brief debate on the resolution below. I'll provide you with an additional set of information for "your" side that should be helpful, and you will have some time to look at the resources below.

** On balance, the era of British rule was beneficial for India. **

Download a copy of the Imperialism in India flowsheet to help keep track of arguments. Keep in mind there is a distinction between facts, interpretations made about facts, and judgments made on the basis of an interpretation. All have a place in a discussion or debate, but be aware of the way in which they differ.

An example might be:
Fact: "We take daily reading quizzes in World History 10."
Interpretation: "Mr. Vergin thinks it is important that we read and understand the material."
Judgment: "Mr. Vergin is mean because I'd rather be playing in the yard than doing the reading."

We'll hold this informal, large-group debate during the last thirty minutes of class. (Or, if we get bogged down on the things above, we'll start here tomorrow...)


DBQ Activity - Imperialism in India: An Evaluation Spending a little time with both these document excerpts and the primary sources below will help you with our culminating activity, a brief debate on the impact of British rule on India.


Primary Sources on India: Here are a number of primary sources related to the British rule in India. Some might be particularly useful for our conversation, and others are simply provided for your information.


HOMEWORK for tomorrow - Thursday, December 18th
 
Please finish your reading in Chapter 27 with Section 5, "Imperialism in Southeast Asia." (pp. 796 - 799)


 

Q2 - Lesson #31 - The Colonial Era in Africa

By
Mike Vergin
on December 16, 2008 8:00 AM |
We introduced the topic of imperialism yesterday, largely through our look at the Scramble for Africa. Today, we'll continue along this general theme, taking more of a look at the colonial era that followed. Tomorrow, we'll turn our attention to India.


Let's make sure we have the basic language of imperialism down. There are four major forms of imperialism:
  • colony
  • protectorate
  • sphere of influence
  • economic imperialism
Make sure you've got a solid understanding of the two basic "styles" on imperial rule:
  • indirect control
  • direct control

Here are a couple of interesting graphs from the Statistics on the Extent of European Colonialism.

Let's spend about ten minutes with a DBQ activity that provides a solid overview of imperialism in Africa.


The Congo - Then and Now: We spent some time talking about events in the Democratic Republic of Congo from the past decade. Here's an update from a few months back. Basically, estimates are that as many as 5.4 million people have died due to "Africa's First World War" over the past decade. Congo's Death Rate Unchanged Since War Ended - The New York Times, January 23, 2008. If you want a more in-depth understanding of this very complicated event, check out Chaos in Congo: A Primer from The New York Times in 2000.


The Colonial Era: We touched upon a number of these issues yesterday, so I'll share with you a set of my old notes on the Colonial Era in Africa that might be useful in the activities that follow. In particular, let's look at the various ways in which people responded to colonialism.


The Colonial Ledger: This is simple. Click on the title to download a simple chart. A "ledger" is a book used in accounting and elsewhere to keep track of transactions. Here, you are asked work with two or three others to brainstorm a list of effects of colonialism. Some may be positive, while many are certainly negative. Try also to classify them as economic, political and social. You should have a total of at least 8 impacts, with some in each of the six categories.


Primary Sources on Imperialism: Here are a number of primary sources related to imperialism. Some are ones we will work with, and others are simply provided for your information.


Colonialism in 10 Minutes - Scramble for Africa - This is a YouTube clip from a recently released documentary film, Uganda Rising. I think it does a good job of giving you a quick overview of the Scramble for Africa, while it also links the past to the present in the country of Uganda very effectively.


HOMEWORK for tomorrow - Wednesday, December 17th
 
Please continue your reading in Chapter 27 with Section 4, "British Imperialism in India." (pp. 791 - 795)

Remember that the "Cartoons: Industrialization and Imperialism" assignments are due tomorrow. You can find the directions for that back on Lesson #24.




Q2 - Lesson #30 - Imperialism and the "Scramble for Africa"

By
Mike Vergin
on December 15, 2008 8:00 AM |
We'll begin our look at the "Age of Imperialism" today. After a quick introduction, we'll hold a quick simulation of the Berlin Conference. Tomorrow, we'll look at bit more at the theoretical basis for imperialism and the various responses to European colonialism.


Before we get too far, let's make sure that we've got an understanding of the term "imperialism," as well as the various factors that motivated Europe to pursue a strategy of imperialism in Europe.

The Berlin Conference: Assume we are meeting in 1885, even though some of your "characters" may already have made their impact by then. Each of you will represent a particular person or interest. Whatever perspective you are asked to represent, be sure you understand basic answers to these questions before we are finished:

  • What was the "Scramble for Africa?"
  • What factors led to the Scramble both during and after the Berlin Conference?
  • What are some examples of the Europeans "carving the magnificent African cake?"

After you receive your "person" or group, consider their perspective on the Scramble. If you are a specific, historical figure (marked by *), be sure to read the correct link on the "Individuals" section of the "Scramble for Africa" web page produced by Chico High School in California. (If you are not a particular person, you may still find useful information there.) Otherwise, consult our reading and the information from the BBC's The Story of Africa page on "Europe and Africa."

Download a copy of the matrix for The Scramble for Africa - Berlin Conference so that you have a place to jot down some notes regarding the motivations and actions of these people, both real and fictional.


The Colonial Ledger: This is simple. Click on the title to download a simple chart. A "ledger" is a book used in accounting and elsewhere to keep track of transactions. Here, you are asked to brainstorm a list of effects of colonialism. Some may be positive, while many are certainly negative. Try also to classify them as economic, political and social. You should have a total of at least 8 impacts, with some in each of the six categories for tomorrow.


HOMEWORK for tomorrow - Tuesday, December 16th
 
Please continue your reading in Chapter 27 with Section 3, "Europeans Claim Muslim Lands." (pp. 786 - 790)

Have the required number of entries made on your "Colonial Ledger" for discussion tomorrow.

Just a reminder that the "Cartoons: Industrialization and Imperialism" assignments are due on Wednesday. You can find the directions for that back on Lesson #24.

Q2 - Lesson #29 - 1889 Paris World Exposition

By
Mike Vergin
on December 11, 2008 8:00 AM |
Your WWED postings should be up sometime today. Put them on Lesson #27.

1889 Paris World Exposition - Your job is to pretend that we are all at the 1889 Paris World Exposition. We're focusing on the material from Chapter 26, Section 4, "Nineteenth-Century Progress." (Don't forget that we are playing fast and loose with time, as some of these developments came AFTER 1889...)

For each of the presentations, I'd like to see the following elements:
  • something visual (Powerpoint or video clip or whatever)
  • background on the development or invention
  • consideration of both the economic and social consequences of the idea/invention
  • mention of key developments/impacts since the original idea/invention
Here are the people and ideas/inventions about which we will learn:

  • Thomas Edison - phonograph and light bulb (others?)
  • Alexander Graham Bell - telephone
  • Guglielmo Marconi - radio
  • Henry Ford - automobile
  • Wright Brothers - human flight
  • Louis Pasteur - germ theory of disease
  • Joseph Lister - antiseptics
  • Charles Darwin - evolution
  • Gregor Mendel - genetics
  • Dmitri Mendeleev - periodic table of the elements
  • Marie and Pierre Curie - radioactivity
  • Sigmund Freud - psychology
  • Herbert Spencer - Social Darwinism
Here's information on the "real" 1889 World's Fair if you are curious.

If we should happen to finish early, we can pick your brains a bit about the recent news. Otherwise, we'll be starting our look at imperialism tomorrow.


HOMEWORK for next session - Monday, December 15th

Please read Chapter 27, Section 1, "The Scramble for Africa" (pp. 773 - 778). The quiz will be true / false.

Continue your reading in Chapter 27 with Section 2, "Imperialism - Case Study: Nigeria." (pp. 779 - 784) I'll give you this section's quiz, and you can take it at home this weekend. Bring it back on Monday.

Just a reminder that your Cartoons: Industrialization and Imperialism assignments are due on Wednesday. You can find the directions for that back on Lesson #24.
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