mrjwhs - Recently Updated Pages

Links

Mr.J — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 11:19:02 CDT

If you see a really cool link, or something that you think may help others in the class, by all means, send it in. I will be happy to post it.

Wissahickon High School Homepage: The homepage to our wonderful school. Parents can keep track of their child's grades by signing up for the Sapphire Parent Portal by clicking on the Parent Portal link.

Wissahickon High School Virtual Library: Search the library's collections, see the MLA style guide, see helpful links compiled by the library staff and gain access to thousands of online magazines and journals!

Here is a nice little article about how to succeed at school. Oh, how true it is.

Geography Links
European Geography Map Games - This is a great site to practice / test your knowledge of European countries, rivers regions etc - and have fun doing it!
Maps.com Online Map Games - Try the Europe Map Game. It's fun!
Geonet Games - There are a few fun Jeopardy type of geography games here. Check it out and test your skills.

Links to Castles
Castles on the Web
Castles of the World Database
Castles of Britain
Medieval Life and the Hundred Years War
A HUGE page of links to pretty much everything you ever wanted to know
Castle Siegecraft
Castles of Wales Page - well done
An AWESOME page about castles! Thanks Channel 4.

Links to Absolute Monarchs
This is a page of links devoted to absolute monarchs of Europe. It was sent in by one of your classmates.

Napoleon Links
A great page to research Napoleon
Thinkquest Napoleon Site
PBS Napoleon Page - PBS has an outstanding page on Napoleon. Read about his life. Play the Waterloo Interactive Game, watch the video clip and much much more!

Assignment Calendar

Mr.J — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 15:04:13 CDT

September 2008

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
1	2 First Day of School Welcome Back Review Class Polocies and Procedures	3 Issue textbooks Lesson 1 - How to Write in High School	4 Hand out Study guides Lesson 2 - The Five Themes of Geography HW1: Create your own map of Europe Link to Map	5 Lesson- 3 European Geography Discuss H W2: Using the Five Themes of Geography, chose a landing site on your new planet and explain your reasoning Here is the map of your new home planet	6	7
8 Quick Geog Challenge The Tower Exercise HW3: Fill in a map of Europe (due Friday) Blank Map of Europe	9 Lecture / Presentation: Patterns of Civilization HW: Rd p 12-15	10 Finish Patterns of Civilization presentation. Civilization Activity: Begin Create Your Own City-State HW: Rd p101-105	11 Geography Competition HW: Finish Filling in Maps of Europe - Review for Quiz	12 Geography Quiz Extra Credit Assignment: Fix the mismatched map of Europe	13	14
15	16	17 Present Your City States to the Class	18	19 Geography and Civilizations Test	20	21
22	23	24	25	26	27	28
29	30

Psych Calendar

Mr.J — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:29:02 CDT

To be published in the Spring Semester

War and Peace Links

Mr.J — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:28:37 CDT

When I come across pages which seem to be helpful or just interesting I will add a link to them on this page. If you come across any that you would like to see added, please let me know and I will put it in.
Mr. J

War and Peace Global Simulaiton Wiki - we will be creating this wiki to help aid the class discussion concerning our Modern Day Global Simulation. It is also a good opportunity to practice before we do our big wiki project dealing with the costs of war.

Costs of War Wiki - This is a project conducted by our War and Peace class. It is about the various costs of war throughout history. It will incorporate pictures, statistics, primary sources, poems and literary devices, cartoons, editorials and maybe some home grown videos. We will also be presenting our findings and our portion of the wiki in class.

Murphy's Laws of Combat - you have heard of Murphy's Law about how if something can go wrong, it will. Well, lets face it, in war there is plenty to go wrong. You might find this humorous - though there is also an awful lot of truth in it. :-)

Sonshi.com - A great page dedicated to reading and discussing Sun Tzu's work. Highly recommended.

The Great War Society - A nice page dedicated to the study of World War One and those who served in it. Good for research.

War and Peace Calendar

Mr.J — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:26:54 CDT

September 2008

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
1	2 1st Day of School Intro to course. Expectations	3 Lesson 1: Hand out Sun Tzu books Discussion: War - what is it good for? Justifications of war - group work Link to Homework Assignment #1	4 Lesson 2: Justification of war. Begin personal statements	5 Lesson 3: Discuss HW reading Continue Day 2 activity in class Clike here for HW:	6	7
8 Lesson 4: Present Justification for War projects In class: Discuss Sun Tzu's Five Fundamental Factors assigned on Day 3	9 Lesson 5: Continue Justification Presentations Discus US Army's Nine Principles of War HW: Read Chapter 2 (Waging War) and Answer Questions on handout. (Due Friday)	10 Day 7: Discuss Sun Tzu Chap 2 HW: Read Chap 3 and answer questions on handout. Due Monday	11 Day 8 Plan a Napoleonic Battle (TacOps After school Challenge begins)	12 Day 9 Finish Planning a Napoleonic Battle Discuss battle plans	13	14
15	16	17	18	19	20	21
22	23	24	25	26	27	28
29	30

War and Peace Day 3 Personal Statement Assignment

Mr.J — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:24:18 CDT

Discuss hwk assigned on day two. Activity: Justifications for War-personal statements.
Students may choose to do any of the following:

Belief Statement- 1-2 page essay. 1 student.
Poem/Song- 16-24 lines w/rhyme scheme. 1-2 students
Cartoon- must use humor or sarcasm. 1-2 students.
Artwork-judged on artistic/emotional impact. 1-2 students.

Students will have two class days to work on the project.

Home

Mr.J — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 09:11:25 CDT

Welcome to Mr. J's Classroom Homepage.

Allow me to be the first to welcome all of you back for another exciting school year. For those returning to WHS, you may now consider yourself veterans of the high school experience. You have learned how to navigate the infamous "Knuckle." You have learned that five to seven page papers are really not that hard to do. You have discovered that the shortest distance to any point in WHS is not necessarily a straight line; and you have discovered the value of getting your library books turned in on time, (among other things). :-)

For those entering WHS for the first time, you will find that there is much to be discovered. Mysteries await for you to solve. Victories (and yes, defeats) stand ready for the taking. Excitement and awe may often be found where you least expect. I hope the next four years hold a wealth of facination for you.

For those new to this site, the intention of this page is to help keep all of the students and parents informed as to what is going on in Mr. J's classes. Within these pages you will find links to all of Mr. J's courses. Just look over on the left and find your course. There you will discover a calendar containing the lessons we will cover in class as well as the homework assignments. You will also find links to handouts and notes so you can always download a new copy if you should lose yours (not that I expect that will happen of course) or if you miss a day of school. You will also find links to pages and documents which may help with your reading and writing skills - both of which are VERY important in Social Studies. There are also links to some classroom pictures, examples of previous student work, as well as some other odds and ends. Please take advantage of this site. Former students of Mr. J's reported that regular use of this page helped them out quite a bit.

For parents: I hope this page will help you out as well. Teenagers being teenagers, sometimes they do not like to communicate with mom and dad as much as they once did. With this site, you too can keep track of what your son or daughter should be doing in class. I have found that this greatly helps parents in their ability to "nudge" their kids to keep on top of their homework. :-)

Additionally, the new "Sapphire" online grading system is now available. You can sign up for it by visiting the WHS homepage and clicking on the Parent Portal link. It is a good system and will help keep you better informed as to how your kids are doing. PLEASE take advantage of this. It is well worth the ten minutes it takes to sign up.

So, if you want to get started just click on one of the blue links on the left and we will begin.

See you in the classroom,
Mr. J

mrjwhs

Handouts

Mr.J — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 12:35:37 CDT

Western Civilizations (Academic)

Mr.J — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 12:29:55 CDT

Welcome back, and welcome to the dawn of your High School years! Though this year will be filled with new and unexpected turns, I am sure it will also be full of pleasure and enjoyment. During the course of this year we will be exploring the history of Western culture, from the fall of the Roman Empire to the fall of the Berlin Wall. Along the way we will learn about Europe and its relationships with the Middle East, Africa, Asia and the New World. We will look at how Europe impacted and was itself influenced by the people and culture of those lands. We will discuss politics, religion, economics, sociology, art and architecture, literature, music, science and a host of other aspects that make up the great stream of history. It is sure to be a fun and exciting adventure. So, let's jump in and start swimming!

And now for the standard boilerplate.

Welcome to Mr. J's Western Civ. Class Webpage. On the left, you will find links to classwork / homework, notes, handouts, examples of student work, pictures and whatever else we decide to put on here. The Assignment calendar has all of your the class assignments for the next couple of weeks as well as links to handouts and other useful items. Go ahead, surf around and check it out. If you have any suggestions, please let me know.
Thanks,
Mr. J

Grading System

Mr.J — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 11:09:56 CDT

Grading System: The grading system is based on percentages. Marking periods are generally broken down as follows.

Tests = 20%
Quizzes = 20%
Homework = 20%
Projects = 20%
Journals / Class work / Current events = 10%
Participation = 10%

You will generally have a test after every unit. You can expect quizzes almost daily. They will be based on the readings from the night before. It is your responsibility to make-up any work, test or quiz you miss on your time - see the section on Absences for details.

A comprehensive final exam will be administered at the end of the semester. The final will cover material from the entire semester.

Students may see their grade as well as any assignments they have missed at any time by checking the Sapphire website. Class time is not the proper time to discuss your grade - see me before or after, not during.

Projects - Students are required to complete various projects during the course of the semester. Details on these will be forthcoming.

Participation - Each quarter the student will receive a grade based upon their positive participation in this class. (10 percent of grade) You may note that those Three Rules for Getting Good Grades we mentioned tend to pop up here.

Positive participation

Student brings materials to class. (this includes pencils, notebooks, homework, assignments stapled ahead of time, etc)

Student actively participates in classroom activities regardless of whether the assignment is worth points or not.
Student participation is positive and constructive in nature.
Student raises hand before speaking.
Student displays pride in maintaining the classroom environment (follows procedures concerning food, trash, grooming etc)

Negative participation

Student does not bring materials to class.
Student makes fun of or criticizes others.
Student makes no attempt to participate.
Student carries on private conversations, pays no attention to the activities in class.
Student attempts to disrupt the learning environment.
Student shows disrespect towards the teacher or other students. Student does not demonstrate pride in maintaining the classroom environment (does not follow procedures concerning food, drink, trash, grooming etc)

Participation Grading Rubric

90-100% Student demonstrates all positive aspects on a consistent basis.
80-89% Student demonstrates all positive aspects on a less consistent basis.
60-79% Student occasionally demonstrates negative aspects and / or student must be reprimanded once or twice a week
50-59% Student often demonstrates negative aspects and/ or student must be reprimanded nearly every period.
0-40% Student causes a constant disruption to classroom activities.

Extra Credit I do not give extra credit assignments. However, students who turn in work that is, in the eyes of the instructor, exceptionally well done, may receive a few extra points added to their score as a reward for a job well done. Therefore, it is theoretically possible to receive extra credit on every single assignment you do in this class.

If you are having any difficulty with the work, please speak with me as soon as possible. Do not wait until it is too late.

Absences

Mr.J — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 11:07:20 CDT

As we all remember, this is High School. Part of our purpose here is to get you ready for the real world. I realize you will occasionally be absent due to a variety of reasons. This is not a problem. Just remember to make up your work as soon as you get back. To wit:

Absences – As per the school policy, students have a maximum of three days to make up work - including tests, for an excused absence. After that the work automatically reverts to a zero. If there are any questions about this I will simply refer you to the student handbook that you and your parents signed during the first week of school. Students must have a yellow Excused Absence card to be eligible to make up work. They get these cards from the attendance office after showing Mr. Cairnes a valid excuse from a parent or doctor.
Students may not make up work in a class that was cut. (See your agenda book for details) All absent work should be turned in with the word “ABSENT” along with the reason and the date you were out on the top of the page. It is the student's responsibility to schedule a time to make up tests and find out what homework was missed. Use this webpage as a resource for all assignments. That is why it is here.

Making up Homework - Homework is posted on the board for the entire week and is posted on the class web page under the Calendar section. In the worst case scenario, you can always rely on that tried and true communication device, the telephone. Note, I will not chase you down, but if you do not submit the work or take the test within the time period allowed, (three days) it will result in a zero. Again, it is YOUR responsibility.
If you miss my class but you were in school for any part of the day (sports, ASB, drama, sick at the nurse, guidance, etc.) you must turn in any assignments that were due that day before you leave. Slip it under my door or drop it off at the main office before you go if that is what you need to do, but TURN IT IN.

If a student is in class the day a test is given they are expected to take the test that day. (Of course, if you missed a number of days immediately prior to taking the test I can give you some leeway, we can work that out - just get with me ahead of time, even if it is through email). If you are going to be absent from the test due to sports, drama etc you need to take the test before you go. You can take it the day before if you wish, just see me in advance to schedule it. It is YOUR responsibility to get with me to schedule a time.

Long term projects - Here is a little piece of good advice: always plan to have your long term projects turned in at least one day before they are due. TRUST ME ON THIS ONE. If you do not do this, you will just be INVITING Mr. Murphy (creator of the infamous "Murphy's Law) and his whole family to show up and cause all kinds of problems. Long term projects are due on the assigned date at the beginning of the period regardless of whether you can come to class that day. If you are not sure what is considered a "long term project" and what is not it would be in your best interest to turn the assignment in question in on the day it is due or earlier. FIRES, FLOODS, "THE PRINTER DIDN'T WORK," "MY DOG ATE IT," "MY BROTHER ATE IT," "I WAS ATTACKED BY WILD ZOMBIES AND HAD TO ABANDON IT" whatever - I really don't want to hear it. Turn it in on the due date or receive no credit. It is as simple as that.

Again, welcome to High School. This is pretty much the standard you will be held to for the rest of your life, so let's practice it now. As always, if you are having any difficulty, please speak with me as soon as possible. Do not wait until it is too late.

Expectations

Mr.J — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 10:59:32 CDT

OK folks, here is the gist of it. Society has certain rules we all must follow. The rules we follow in class are based on those you will find in the real world. You will be living with the following rules for the rest of your life so we might as well practice them now, right?

1. You are expected to attend class daily (unless absence is excused). Cuts get a zero for any work done that day. You can not make up any work without first showing me your yellow absence card which proves your absence was excused by the school.

2. You are expected to be in class, in your seat, on time (when the bell rings). Students showing up late will have a detention with yours truly. The teacher dismisses the class, not the bell. I will tell you when it is OK to get up and leave. One second late is still late.

3. You are expected to come to class prepared to participate. You will have read assigned readings and completed assigned homework. Assignments are to arrive in class complete - to include stapling.

4. You are expected to come to class prepared with: a 3 ring binder to be used exclusively for Western Civ. pen or pencil, notebook, agenda book. I suggest making a thumb drive and a travel pack of tissues a standard part of your school supplies. They will come in handy.

5. Keep the classroom clean. There is a trashcan in the room for a reason. No food or drink is allowed in the classroom. That is what we have our beautiful cafeteria for. Paper and cardboard goes in the blue recycling bin.

6. You are expected to respect yourself and your classmates. Cursing, swearing, ridiculing or teasing will not be tolerated here or when you get out in the real world - so please get used to it.

7. This is a classroom, not a fashion show. Hats, headphones, sunglasses, and inappropriate clothing are prohibited in school. Just because someone wears (or bares) something on MTV, does NOT mean it is appropriate to do so in school. If you are not sure what is inappropriate, refer to your agenda book. It is all covered in there.

No personal grooming during class time. Leave the gels, lotions, perfumes and cosmetics, cell phones, PSPs etc somewhere else but do not bring them into the classroom.

8. Pay attention and follow directions the first time they are given. I can not stress the importance of this enough.

9. You can expect me, and all of your other teachers, to abide by these same rules.

10. I am here to help If you have problems or questions I am here to help. See me before school ( I am in school every day at 6:45 A.M.). I am also available during Period__1__, and sometimes Period __4_ and after school. (I stay for at least a half-hour and usually considerably longer). This also applies if you have any concerns about the way I am conducting class. If you are unhappy with me I want to hear about it from you. If you feel that it is something that would make you uncomfortable write me an anonymous note and put it in my box in the main office.

End of Semester Project

Mr.J — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 10:53:12 CDT

Thanks to Bill Watterson for his wonderful cartoon, "Calvin and Hobbes"

Mr. J's "How to Write" Page: This is a link to take you to the How to Write page on the left side of your screen.

A Sample Term Paper: This is a copy of a term paper that was turned in a couple of years ago. It is not perfect, but it is "pretty doggone good." It can give you a good idea of how an "A" paper should look and read.

Oral Presentation Directions: I will post this as soon as I edit it.

Oral Presentation Rubric: This is the standard WHS Social Studies Department Oral Presentation Rubric. I will use it to grade the oral presentations in January. I will get you more information on this part of the project as we go.

Napoleonic Battle Simulation

Mr.J — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 09:54:37 CDT

I will post updates of our Napoleonic Battle Simulation on this page when we get to it.

Honors Calendar

Mr.J — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 10:33:14 CDT

January 2008

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
	1 No School	2 Begin French Revolution HW: Rd p 508-511 Study Guide	3 French Revolution Negotiation Simulation HW: Rd p 512-516	4 Notes and Discussion of the Events leading to the French Revolution HW: Work on Term Papers	5	6
7 Pick Presentation Times French Rev. Discussion - The Bastille and Radicals vs Moderates HW: Rd. P517-522	8 The Terror - Robiespierre et al Discuss modern revolutions	9 The End of the Revolution Debate: Jacobins vs Girdondists	10 TBD	11 French Revolution Quiz	12	13
14 TBD ( I will attempt to get the library for any last minute prep of presentations )	15 Presentations	16 Presentations Here is the Review Sheet for the Midterm.	17 Presentations	18 Presentations	19 No School	20
21 MLK Jr. Day No School	22 Presentations	23 Presentations	24 Presentaions	25 Final Review - Bring your questions! Answer Key to Crossword Puzzle.	26	27
28 Fall Semester Exam Begin Napoleon	29 Napoleon's Rise	30 Napoleon's Rise	31 Napoleon's Fall

FEBRUARY 2008

				1 Current Events Mr.J will be out today	2	3
4 Napoleonic Warfare - Principles of War	5 Finish Principles of war - begin planning battle HW: Plan your battle - due Thursday Here is the map for planning your battle	6 Watch and analyze selected scenes from "Waterloo"	7 Finish selected scenes from "Waterloo"	8 Napoleon Quiz (Essay Quiz)	9	10
11 Congress of Vienna Sim HW: Rd p 529-533	12 Congress of Vienna notes (abridged version) Begin France 1815-1850 HW: Read p 615-620	13 Finish Post Napoleonic France Begin Unification of Italy HW: Rd p 632-636	14 Unification of Germany & Problems in Austria HW: Rd p 637-642	15 No School - Teacher in-service day	16	17
18 No School	19 Congress of Vienna and Post Napoleonic France Quiz (includes political ideology - left wingers vs right wingers) Mr. J will see you when he gets back helping Uncle Sam!	20	21	22	23	24
25	26	27	28	29

MARCH 2008

APRIL

MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY	SATURDAY	SUNDAY
	1 Finish Imperialism Notes	2 Term Paper Topics Due Go over Trial Directions	3 Early Dismissal Begin Trial Research	4 Early Dismissal Trial Research	5	6
7 Trial Prep	8 Trial Day 1: Prosecution presents its case. Defense "rebuttals"	9 Trial Day 2 Defense presents its case. Prosecution "rebuttals" HW: Judges prepare verdict. Lawyers answer HW questions given out in class.	10 Imperialism Wrap up Judges issue verdict. Discuss impact of imperialism on history and the world today.	11 Imperialism Test	12	13
14 World War I Notes HW: HW: Rd p 698-703.	15 In Library HW: Rd. p 704-710 answer the following 1. How did new technology chage the nature of this war? 2. What events led to the U.S. entering the war?	16 Quick Quiz on HW readings HW: TBA	17 Finish WWI Notes: Russia drops out, US drops in. (Read some Trench Poetry if we have time)	18 All WHS Social Studies Classes will be going to the Health Fair. Report to E12 as usual and then we will go down to see the exhibits HW: Rd p711-723 and answer the following: 1. What were the terms imposed on Germany at the end of WWI? 2. How did the map of Europe change? Explain.	19	20
21 WWI Movie: We will watch and discuss various aspects of WWI depicted in the movie HW: WWI Movie Review Essay (Thursday)	22 NO SCHOOL: Election Day	23 WWI Movie HW: Review on your own	24 Finish Movie HW: Essay on movie	25 WWI Quiz -	26	27
28 The interwar years - rise of dictators HW: Rd 743-748	29 11th Period meets twice today So what is this "Soviet Union" thing anyway? "Animal Farm" selected scenes	30 20 Facts due for term paper "Triumph of the Will" scenes HW: What was the purpose of the video you saw? Does the film achieve that purpose? How? What symbolism is shown in the film to help get its point across? 3rd Period in Library ILL to work on Term Papers

MAY

MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY	SATURDAY	SUNDAY
			1 11th Period in Library ILL to work on Term Papers	2 The Battle of France. HW: WORK ON TERM PAPERS. You will have homework next week so you will not have time for last minute cram sessions on your term papers!	3	4
5 The Battle of France HW: Rd -782-709 Note: I reserve the right to give a quiz at any time this week	6 In class: Blitzkrieg plans. Finish them for homework HW: Rd p 7911-795	7 In Class: The Battle of Britain and beginning of Barbarossa HW: Rd 796-803	8 Operation Barbarossa to Pearl Harbor Go here for WWII notes (Barbarossa thu VE Day) HW: If you have not completed your rough draft - now would be a good time.	9 Term Paper Rough Drafts Due Peer Editing	10	11
12 Continue Barbarossa to Pearl Harbor Note: I reserve the right to give a quiz on the reading assignments at any time this week	13 Pearl Harbor to D-Day Turning Points in the war.	14 Term Paper Final Drafts Due D-Day to VE Day We will cover the war in the Pacific separately	15 The War in the Pacific - Pearl Harbor to August 1945	16 The Atomic Bomb and the WW2 Map Quiz	17	18
19	20 The Surprise WW2 Video - what will it be???	21 Continue video and discuss how it portays what we have studied	22 Continue video WWII Test HW: Rd 820-830	23 Begin Cold War Today's Topic: What happened at the end of World War II that helped cause the Cold War? What happened to Berlin, Germany, and Eastern Europe after the war? HW: Rd 830-840	24	25
26 NO SCHOOL Memorial Day	27 Continue Cold War Today's Topic What events during the Cold War increased the tension between the US and the USSR? HW: Rd 948-955	28 Continue Cold War HW: Rd p956-959	29 Continue Cold War HW: 960-963	30 End Cold War. Look at the Wolrd Today	31

JUNE 2008

SUNDAY	MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDSNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY	SATURDAY
1	2	3	4 Begin presentations	5 Presentations	6 Presentations	7
8	9 Presentations Final Exam Review Guide	10 Presentations	11 Presentations	12 Review: Bring your own questions to review.	13 Final Exams Day One: Math and Science	14
15	16 Final Exams Day Two: English and Social Studies	17 Last Day of School	18 Have a Great Summer Sophomores!!! - Mr J.	19	20	21
22	23	34	35	26	27	28
29	30

Photos

Mr.J — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 07:47:04 CDT

Photos of Previous Student Work

Photos of Castle Models from 06

World War I and WWII - Trench Poetry, Road to War Timelines and Blitzkieg Plans

End of Semester Project (Honors)

Mr.J — Tue, 13 May 2008 20:07:46 CDT

Thanks to Bill Watterson for his wonderful carton "Calvin and Hobbes."

The links below contain the information you need to write your term paper and prepare your oral presentation.

Term Paper Topics Spring 08. Here is a list of topics I brainstormed. Open it up and click the tabs at the bottom to change from WWI, WWII or the Cold War. I am sorry the font is so small. If you know how to fix it, please be my guest. I am stumped.

Term Paper Directions Spring 08 Here are teh directions for the term paper.

Term Paper Rubric: Here is the rubric upon which your paper will be graded

Mr. J's "How to Write" Page: This is a link to take you to the How to Write page on the left side of your screen.

A Sample Term Paper: This is a copy of a term paper that was turned in a couple of years ago. It is not perfect, but it is "pretty doggone good." It can give you a good idea of how an "A" paper should look and read.

Oral Presentation Rubric: This is the standard WHS Social Studies Department Oral Presentation Rubric. I will use it to grade the oral presentations in January.

Links To Resources
U.S. Army Center for Military History, WWII page: If it happened in WWII you will find it on this page. Contains VOLUMES of works which make up the official US Army History of WWII.
The Second World War.com: This site contains a host of links to all aspects of World War II. Just make sure to verify the authenticity of anything you find.
Journal of Military History: A quarterly magazine that draws input from experts in the field of military history. Use the search function to narrow down your field and then check out the articles.
JSTOR: A massive collection of online magazines that draw input from scholarly experts in all types of fields. Use the search function to narrow down you field and then check out the articles.
US Navy Online Historical Resources: WOW! The navy has links to reference materials on just about every subject you can imagine. Check this place out!
USMC Online Reference Sources: Magazine and journal entries as well as biographies and a host of other material gathered together on the official US Marine Corps Historical Division Website.

Lone Sentry: A page of links to unit histories, official US military documents and primary sources from WWII. Nice Site! Definitely worth checking out

How To Write

Mr.J — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 09:44:15 CDT

Reading and writing does not stop when you walk out of English class. You may find that you actually do more reading and writing in Social Studies than in any other course you take this year. Historically we see that students who take the time to write well get better grades.

Here are a few links to help improve your writing skills. I will be using the concepts found in these links when grading your assignments this year. IT IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED THAT YOU REFER TO THEM WHENEVER YOU DO A WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT. I would recommend stapling the document entitled "How to Write in High School" into the first page of your notebook where it will serve as a handy reference guide.

How to Write in High School

Evaluate Your Writing Style - This is a little compare and contrast worksheet. See how your writing style stacks up against the standard. Is your writing style a level one, two or three?

MLA Style Sheet - This may also be found on the WHS Library Web Page. Use it when writing your Works Cited pages.

How to Cite Sources - this link will take you to a page explaining how to do in text citations. CHECK OUT THE ENTIRE WEBSITE. It will walk you through everthing from how to conduct research, how to do in text citations, when to cite things, how to do a Works Cited page and many other invaluable lessons. USE THIS SITE WHEN WRITING RESEARCH PAPERS.

Things an Essay Should Include - a handy dandy little guide to keep you on the right track.

The Dangers of Wikkipedia - a little article that helps explain why we do not use Wikkipedia as a valid research tool in this class.

"How to Lower Your Grade In Humanities" - For those who thought Mr. J made up all of these rules on his own, take a look at this little gem. It was written by a college professor who tells it like it is.

A Sample of Good Writing - This was a paper, written by one of the members of the ninth grade academic level Western Civilizations class. It is not perfect, but it is pretty darned good. Compare your work to this work and see how it stacks up.

An example of how NOT to answer. Note how the answers on this worksheet are not even written in complete sentences. How can you correctly answer something if it is not written in a clear, understandable, grammatically correct format?

Tips for presenting using PowerPoint - O.K. I realize that this does not specifically deal with writing, but it is worth checking out anyway.

Advise from you classmates- Here are some bits of advise from your fellow students at WHS. Does any of this sound familiar?

MON	TUES	WED	THURS	FRI	SAT	SUN
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24 Mr. J returns Begin Imperialism notes Chap 25 HW: None assigned	25 Notes on Causes of Imperialism HW: Read the poem White Man's Burden. On the back, interpret the poem. Explain any of the symbolism and the meaning. What is it telling the reader. What is the tone of the poem? Be thorough. USE the poem to explain your thoughts.	26 Continue notes on Imperialism. Give reviews of White Man's Burden. Opinions? Discuss it. HW: Look over Term Paper topic sheets. Open the file. Click the tabs to see WWI, WWII and Cold War Topics available.	27 Continue notes on Imperialism. HW: TBD	28 "Gunga Din" Continue Imperialism notes HW: TBD	29	30
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