Seniors,
I have uploaded the guidelines for submitting the first draft of the IA on the IB History of the Americas course webpage.
Please note that the window for turning the draft in on time will open this coming Tuesday, 4 September. It will close Friday 14 September, and the late deduction from the completion grade will be severe. We will be discussing IAs in class today.
Filed under IB History of the Americas
I have uploaded rubrics to the webpages for all of my courses. The first homework assignment is now uploaded to the IB Twentieth Century and History of the Americas pages.
Filed under IB History Course, IB History of the Americas
AP and IB History students,
Some students have been having trouble getting to the course website in order to complete the Course Rules and Procedures assignment. The URL for the course web site is https://sites.google.com/site/mrharringtonsclassroom/. The Rules and Procedures document is available on the page titled “Classroom Rules and Procedures.” The website can also be accessed through the Rickards High School Social Studies page: http://www.rickards.leon.k12.fl.us/html/social_studies.html.
Dear Juniors and Seniors,
The reading test on The Guns of August will be administered to all IB history classes on Thursday, 23 August. The test will consist of your choice of six identification short essays (IDs) and one essay question. You will be able to choose six out of ten IDs, and one out of two essay questions. All test items will be based upon the guided reading questions provided on the class blog.
There will be a brief review at the beginning of class tomorrow. I will distribute sample IDs, and we will discuss major themes of the book. Study thoughtfully what you have read this summer, as this will be the first serious assessment for the IB history courses.
Filed under IB History Course, IB History of the Americas
Barbara Tuchman wraps up her narrative prior to the “Miracle of the Marne.” She takes the story from the origins of General von Kluck’s ill-timed turn in the face of the French army through General Gallieni’s brilliant organization of the defense of Paris. Be thinking about Tuchman’s overall thesis, and why she finds the first two months of the First World War, as the fighting was only beginning, to be the most crucial in explaining the course and outcome of the conflict.
Chapter 21
How much discretion did German commanders have to make their own decisions in the field? What impact did this doctrine have on the German approach to Paris?
What impact did new aviation technology have upon the course of the war on the Western Front in 1914?
Chapter 22
What were the long term effects of Joffre’s relief of seemingly ineffective generals?
How were the French able to coordinate a defense of Paris?
Afterword
How does Tuchman explain the “Miracle of the Marne?”
How did the failure of the war plans of both sides effect the course of the First World War?
Why does Barbara Tuchman say that the battles of August 1914 laid a “trap from which there was, and has been, no exit?” Is she implying that the First World War is still with us? If so, how might this be true.
Filed under IB History Course, IB History of the Americas
Juniors and Seniors,
I wanted to let you know about three new opportunities for meaningful CAS projects.
1. Mr. Edwards would like the IB students to initiate, plan, and implement a project to identify, catalog, and label all of the flags hanging in the media center and cafeteria, as well as making arrangements to respectfully retire flags that are obsolete either because it has changed or the nation no longer exists. I already have one volunteer to take the lead on this project, so please see me if you would like to participate. This activity could be considered service or creativity, and you could earn at least three of the learning outcomes.
2. Mr. Distefano still needs volunteers to help paint murals for the Boys and Girls Club of the Big Bend. This is a wonderful chance to work on creativity for students weak in this area. It could also be a service project for a good cause, and possibly action (if the weather is hot enough.) I can’t recommend CAS projects through our school’s art club highly enough; they do great work.
3. Teen Court is starting up again for the year. This can be a great project for service or creativity. Their web site URL is http://2ndcircuit.leoncountyfl.gov/teenCourt/.
Filed under CAS
Juniors,
Good evening. Some students and parents have asked me preliminary questions about the CAS program. I am currently revising the James S. Rickards High School CAS Handbook, and Mrs. Kraft and I will have it online by the second week of school. I will also be addressing the junior class that week with a comprehensive introduction to the CAS program. Your CAS plans will then be due the Tuesday following Labor Day, 4 September. Instructions for the CAS plan will be included in the new CAS handbook. You will need to start CAS no later than September.
In the meantime, be considering what athletic, creative, and service activities you would enjoy. CAS is no longer focused on hour-counting. Instead, CAS is to consist of at least 18 months of meaningful projects, and completion depends upon achievement of eight learning outcomes. I will be discussing these next week.
Filed under CAS
Dear Seniors,
IBO regulations stipulate that schools retain any student CAS materials for a period of six months after exams. Thus, your CAS books will be available for retrieval beginning in December. Any CAS portfolios not picked up by the beginning of August 2013 will be discarded.
Again, congratulations on an excellent job on your exams.
Filed under CAS
This section covers the retreat of Allied forces toward Paris, and the civil-military debate over the feasibility of defending the French capital. Be careful not to get bogged down in the Roman numerals of army corps and generals’ names. Look instead at overall themes, such as civil versus military command of France’s armed forces, and the purely strategic versus cultural and political concerns wrapped up in the question of defending Paris. As the French and British fall back, note the further deviations the Germans make from the original Schlieffen Plan. At the same time, pay attention to the roles played by two very important French commanders, General Joseph-Simon Gallieni and General Joseph Joffre.
Chapter 19
What challenges did General Gallieni face when tasked with the defense of Paris?
What were Sir John French’s strategic priorities at this stage of the fighting? How did these affect the BEF’s cooperation with its French allies?
Chapter 20
What was General Gallieni’s plan to defend Paris? How did he implement it?
What were General Joffre’s strengths in leading the French Army during the retreat from the German offensive?
What debate existed, and among whom, over the decision to defend Paris?
Filed under IB History Course, IB History of the Americas
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