"I Have a Dream" Analysis

Here are the instructions for the "I Have a Dream" Analysis assignment that will be due on 05/08/15.

• Watch Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. A transcript of the speech can be found here if you would like to read along.

• Answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper:
• 1. How did Martin Luther King’s presentation change when he started talking about his dream?
• 2. Find a quote in the speech that shows that Martin Luther King believed in non-violence.  Write the quote.
• 3. In your own words, what does Martin Luther King want the people listening to do?
• 4. What is your dream for the future?

Granite Flats

Check out this great TV show about the Cold War. Careful, though, you might get hooked.

You can watch all of the episodes from Seasons 1-3 here.

Minorities After the Civil War Writing Prompt

Here is the writing prompt for the Minorities After the Civil War paragraphs:

Based on your knowledge of history after the Civil War, describe how minority groups were treated by whites through the late 1800s.  Discuss the problems they faced, their solutions, and the effects of their actions generally and provide specific examples to support your claims. 

Remember the writing process:

1. Brainstorm
2. Organize
3. Write
4. Revise

And TEE paragraphs:

• Topic Sentence
• Evidence
• Elaboration

Type your paragraphs and share them with me via Google Drive at gstoddard@apamail.org.  Your document title should be P.[Period #] [Last name], [First name] Minorities After the Civil War.  The font should be 12 pt. Times New Roman, and the paragraphs must be double spaced.

Welcome to 8th Grade U.S. History

Welcome to the 8th grade U.S. history section of my website.  Here you will find important tools and resources that will help you be successful in this class, including the course calendar, and an online repository of any handouts or assignments that I give to you throughout the year.

In this course, you will continue studying U.S. history where you left off in 7th grade.  The course will begin by exploring post-Civil War reconstruction and will survey U.S. History through the Cold War and the Civil Rights Movement to the present. The main focus for our study of history will be about learning the important life skills of reading, effective writing, critical thinking, and the development of analytical skills.  We will explore some of the repeated themes throughout our nation's history and hopefully you will begin to see and understand the various causes and effects of events and how change occurs over time.  U.S. history is fascinating, and I am thrilled to be your teacher this year.

Feel free to explore the links on the right, my Twitter feed, and/or other pages on my website.  If you have any suggestions regarding how I can improve this site, please email me.  I'd love to hear from you!