1st Assignment

Aside from your summer reading, the assignment you are working on in class will be your first major grade. As is such, you should plan to use class time and time at home to complete the presentation you will be giving on Thursday. Remember to include primary source documents in your presentation that can either be put on an overhead, displayed on a poster, or handed out to the class (the more legitimate and relevant primary source documents, the better off the class will be!). Find some documents here. Other useful sites on your period can be found here. These types of assignments put a focus on teaching each other in the class. So put your best foot forward in creating a good presentation. You should come up with an activity for the class to partake in with your presentation, whether it be analyzing your primary sources or role playing a key theme. Remember to be creative, the point of this class is to get you thinking historically.

Things to keep in mind while creating to presentations and observing them:

1. What themes does it hit upon (of the 14)
2. What are the key events? Who are the key players?
3. Can this time frame be interpreted in more than one way (ie: Are there two sides to the story? ALWAYS give both sides. For instance, what was the reaction of Native Americans to the 'glorious' discovery of the "New World" once they saw how they would be treated? One person's encomienda is another's tragic past)


Helpful ideas to fuel your brainstorming... questions drive the lesson. For example:

When given the major pre-Columbian trade off between Native Americans and Europeans (crops, diseases, technology, etc...), ask yourself,

"What affect did the meeting of these two cultures have on one another?"

You've just created a good jump start to your presentation's basis. It could also be a possible AP essay question. Well done!