Modern World History - Common Core Assessment

World History

Common Core Final - Questions

Spring 2014

Directions:  Use the documents to answer TEN of the following fifteen questions.

Foundations of Democracy (Greeks and Romans) - Questions

1) Describe through quoting textual evidence, the principal difference between Athenian Democracy and the United States Democracy

2) Which version of democracy, Athenian or United States, would you consider to be more democratic?  Support your argument with quoted evidence from the text below (*Please note the error on your question sheet - it should say "Athenian or United States" not "American or United States)

Foundations of Democracy (Greeks and Romans) - Document

(Document A)

"Our democracy (United States) is representative - we choose politicians (who spend millions of dollars to become elected) through elections to rule for us. Athenian democracy was direct and in-your-face. To make it as participatory as possible, most officials and all jurymen were selected by lot (names drawn from a container, randomly). This was thought to be the democratic way, since election favored the rich, famous and powerful over the ordinary citizen. From the mid fifth century, office holders, jurymen, members of the city's main administrative Council of 500, and even Assembly attenders were paid a small sum from public funds to compensate them for time spent on political service away from field or workshop."

(Document B)

"The third key difference is eligibility. Only adult male citizens need apply for the privileges and duties of democratic government, and a birth criterion of double descent - from an Athenian mother as well as father - was strictly insisted upon. Women, even Athenian women, were totally excluded - this was a men's club. Foreigners, especially unfree slave foreigners, were excluded formally and rigorously. The citizen body was a closed political elite. In America, citizens (regardless of country of origin and both male and female) are eligible to vote at age 18."

The Roman Republic - Questions

3) Using the charts and the text, describe four specific influences of the Ancient Romans on the present-day United States federal government.          

4) Describe the principal difference between the Roman Republic and the United States government, in regards to the Senate.

The Roman Republic - Documents

(Document A)

"There were three major political components of the Republic. Two magistrates or consuls who served as the executive branch. They had supreme civil and military authority and held office for one year, then entered the Senate for life. Each consul could veto the action of the other. The Consuls were endowed with the ex-king's imperium. They led the army, served as judges, and had religious duties. Then came the Senate , a collection of citizens who served as the legislative branch of the government as well as an advisory body (senatus = "council of elders"). At its inception, the Roman Senate contained about 300 citizens. The ranks of the Senate were drawn from ex-consuls and other officers who served for life. By the reign of Julius Caesar, the ranks of the Senate had swollen to more than 800 members. The Assembly of Centuries (comitia centuriata), which conducted annual elections of consuls, was composed of all members of the army. In this assembly the wealthier citizen voted first and thereby had a profound influence on voting. Lastly, there was the Assembly of Tribes (comitia tributa), which contained all citizens. The Assembly approved or rejected laws and decided issues of war and peace. This is a form of government that we can call "mixed." That is, history – specifically Greek history – had shown the Romans that previous governments of the one, the few or the many just did not work. Instead, they mixed the three principal forms of government together to create a Republic. As such, their constitution was mixed as well: the executives serving as monarchical element, the Senate as the aristocratic and finally, the Assembly as the democratic element."

(Document B)

                             

Enlightenment/ American Revolution - Questions

5) Identify, through citing specific textual evidence, the influence of Clause 29 of the Magna Carta (1215) on the Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Bill of Rights (1791)

6) According to Montesquieu, an individual’s “liberty” is guaranteed when…

7) Describe, by citing two specific examples, of Montesquieu’s political theories (as outlined in the quotations below) in the chart which describes the structure of the U.S. Federal Government-Checks and Balances).

Enlightenment/ American Revolution - Documents

(Document A)                             

[29] No Freeman shall be taken, or imprisoned, or be disseised of his Freehold, or Liberties, or free Customs, or be outlawed, or exiled, or any otherwise destroyed; nor will we pass upon him, nor condemn him, but by lawful Judgment of his Peers, or by the Law of the Land. We will sell to no man, we will not deny or defer to any man either Justice or Right.

- Magna Carta (1215)

(Document B)

Sixth Amendment-In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.

- U.S. Bill of Rights (1791)

(Document C)

U.S Federal Government-Checks and Balances

(Document D)

“Again, there is no liberty, if the power of judging be not separated from the legislative and executive powers. Were it joined with the legislative, the life and liberty of the subject would be exposed to arbitrary control, for the judge would then be the legislator. Were it joined to the executive power, the judge might behave with all the violence of an oppressor.”

“There would be an end of everything were the same man, or the same body, whether of the nobles or of the people to exercise those three powers that of enacting laws, that of executing the public resolutions, and that of judging the crimes or differences of individuals.”

- Baron de Montesquieu

Industrial Revolution - Questions

8) Explain how the quote and pictures relate to each other.

Industrial Revolution - Documents

(Document A)

(Document B)

(Document C)

“It was a town of machinery and tall chimneys, out of which interminable serpents of smoke trailed themselves forever and ever… It had a black canal in it, and a river that ran purple with ill-smelling dye. [It was] inhabited by people… who all went in and out at the same hours, … to do the same work, and to whom every day was the same as yesterday and tomorrow, and every year the counterpart of the last and the next.” - Hard Times, Charles Dickens

Marxism - Questions

9) Describe, through citing specific textual evidence, how the ideas of Karl Marx directly influenced Vladimir Lenin during the Bolshevik Revolution, as evidenced in the political cartoon below.

Marxism - Documents      

(Document A)

               

(Document B)

"We want to achieve a new and better order of society: in this new and better society there must be neither rich nor poor; all will have to work. Not a handful of rich people, but all the working people must enjoy the fruits of their common labour. Machines and other improvements must serve to ease the work of all and not to enable a few to grow rich at the expense of millions and tens of millions of people. This new and better society is called socialist society" - Vladimir Lenin

(Document C)

"The theory of Communism may be summed up in the single sentence: Abolition of private property."   - Karl Marx

Imperialism in Africa - Questions

10) Discuss the connection between these four images in relation to European Imperialism of Africa

Imperialism in Africa - Documents

(Document A)

(Document B)

(Document C)

Bridgewater Factory in Liverpool, England

(Document D)

Germans settling Cameroon

WWI - Questions

11. Explain the connection of the WWI photos to the casualty rate among soldiers who fought in the war.

WWI - Documents

(Document A)

(Document B)

(Document C)

(Document D)

Rise of the Dictators - Questions

             

12.  Analyze the two quotes below by Hitler and Mussolini.  Describe (specifically) how they are similar

13.  In the section below entitled "Fascists,"  How do the quotes of both Mussolini and Hitler match a specific portion(s) of the paragraph?

                

Rise of the Dictators - Documents

(Document A)

“Let us have a dagger between our teeth, a bomb in our hands, and an infinite scorn in our hearts.”

- Benito Mussolini

(Document B)

“Strength lies not in defense but in attack.”

- Adolf Hitler

(Document C)

                                                                      Fascists

"Fascists sought to unify their nation through an authoritarian state that promoted the mass mobilization of the national community and were characterized by having leadership that initiated a revolutionary political movement aiming to reorganize the nation along principles according to fascist ideology. Fascist movements shared certain common features, including the veneration of the state, a devotion to a strong leader, and an emphasis on ultra-nationalism and militarism. Fascism views political violence, war, and imperialism as a means to achieve national rejuvenation and it asserts that stronger nations have the right to expand their territory by displacing weaker nations."

World War II - Questions

14.  Evaluate the policy of appeasement through citing textual evidence from the WWII documents below and discuss how the policy of appeasement contributed to the outbreak of World War II

World War II - Documents

(Document A)

(Document B) "We, the German Führer and Chancellor, and the British Prime Minister, have had a further meeting today and are agreed in recognizing that the question of Anglo-German relations is of the first importance for our two countries and for Europe.   We regard the agreement signed last night and the Anglo-German Naval Agreement as symbolic of the desire of our two peoples never to go to war with one another again. We are resolved that the method of consultation shall be the method adopted to deal with any other questions that may concern our two countries, and we are determined to continue our efforts to remove possible sources of difference, and thus to contribute to assure the peace of Europe... My good friends, for the second time in our history, a British Prime Minister has returned from Germany bringing peace with honour. I believe it is peace for our time... Go home and get a nice quiet sleep." - Chamberlain read the above statement in front of 10 Downing St. (1939)

(Document C) “An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.” - Winston Churchill in a speech to the House of Commons, January 1940

(Document D)

(Document E)

Present at the signing were:(from left to right) British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, French Prime Minister Edouard Daladier, Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, Italian dictator Benito Mussolini and his aide Galeazzo Ciano. No Czechoslovakians were invited to discuss the future of their own country.

(Document F)

Cold War - Questions

15) Contrast the United States method of supporting Democracy to the methods used by the Soviet Union to support and spread Communism during the Cold War.  Cite evidence from the following documents to demonstrate these differences.  

Cold War - Documents

(Document A)

“When Berlin falls, Western Germany will be next.  If we withdraw our position in Berlin, Europe is threatened... Communism will run rampant” - United States Commander in Berlin, General Clay (1948)

(Document B)

(Document C) “The material assistance and the moral encouragement provided by the Marshall Plan brought a powerful new impetus to the campaign for European unity. In fact, it can be said that the American policy of economic aid, coupled with the pressure of the Communist danger, created conditions in which, for the first time, the unification of Europe became a practical possibility. ” The Council of Europe, 1949

(Document D)

What do I value as a teacher?.

I value learning.  I value my students as people with opinions and experiences that are different than my own.  I value what I can learn from them as much, if not more, than what they can learn from me. (Poster on the back wall, "I won't give up on you" other posters in my classroom - "You can do it!", "Effective effort leads to achievement")






What do I believe as a teacher?
I believe every student is capable of success.  I believe it is my responsibility to help each student define success in their own terms while aligning those goals with the goals and standards set forth by the school and state to enable those students to be successful in future. (Picture: Students dressed up in relation to research done about career aspirations - here: Astronaut and clothing designer)



What assumptions do I make?
(you know what they say about when you assume something?  It makes an ass out u and me... I admit that the assumptions I make have done this, yet I make them anyway)  I assume if a student is in my classroom, they are there to learn.  If they are there for some other reason, I will find it out very quickly.  I assume my colleagues are in this "business" because they feel the same calling I do, that educating the next generation is an important endeavor.  I assume the administration I work with want the school and programs to be successful and want them to aid in the growth of our students. (Pictured here - (left) a colleague who worked with me promoting the annual Powder Puff game and fundraiser for the Senior class, (right) Assistant Principal with the ASB President working Saturday morning of Homecoming decorating the football field)


I have always found this analysis quite poignant as it pertains to my values, beliefs and assumptions as a teacher

The Creation of an E-learning Storyboard

Part 3 - Simulations and Games to Enhance Learning

Clark and Mayer assert that the use of games and simulations in e-learning activities absolutely increase enjoyment of the activity, that being said it is crucial that the design of the game promotes learning.  In other words, a user will not benefit from a game that is fun that merely relates to the subject matter at hand, however enhanced learning will result from the user who enjoys a game that has been designed in the pursuit of the objective.  As it applies to the "Using Maps" storyboard, a game akin to "Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?" would be an appropriate, and fun way to engage students in the practices.  This YouTube video  shows a demo of the original version of this game.

This game, or a game like it could easily be incorporated into "Using Maps" with, instead of giving the city or location, giving the coordinates, or it could also be incorporated into the ideas about how knowing and understanding latitude helps identify the characteristics of a location.  An "action-adventure" or "role playing game like this would help ensure learning because a lack of understanding of the concept ceases the progress of the game.  If the player does not go to the correct city, or does not identify the correct environment, he or she loses the "culprit" and the game is over.  A game like this also provides the opportunity for explanatory feedback.

Example: Lizard Lips Louis stole a painting from the Louvre, rumor has it he found the nearest country with an environment he could thrive in.  Where might he have gone?  Cassablanca, Morocco (33°35’ N, 7°36’ W), Winnepeg, Canada (49°53’ N, 97°8’ W), or Punta Arenas, Chile  (53°10’ S, 70°56’ W).

In this example, if the user does not answer the question correctly, there will be the opportunity to explain about where lizards are able to live.  Additionally, this example would promote a degree of self-explanation.  The user would have to ask himself "where would a lizard go and why?" it would also force the student to ask "where is the Louvre?  What is close to it?"

Obviously, the demo of "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego posted above is "primitive" in terms of graphic capabilities and would need to be updated to attract a gamer in the modern world, but embracing the general method would enhance the users learning opportunity.

Using Map - Storyboard

The Creation of an E-learning Storyboard

Part 2 - Evaluating applied research-based guidelines to use to the e-Learning storyboard and how they enhance learning

Learner Control - the "Using Maps" e-learning activity is semi-learner controlled.  There is an obvious (numbered) order to the lesson and navigation of the pages was created in order to allow the user SOME control over the lesson, however because the user is fairly novice (the audience being 4th graders) the limited control in the design ensures that the students will learn the proper processes in the correct order to be able to use the information correctly without the additional stress and extra cognitive efforts of making the decisions about what to do next.  The degree of learner control DOES allow and encourage the user to go at a pace that is comfortable to him or her ensuring comprehension of the material.

Adherence to the coherence principle - avoiding unnecessary graphics, stories, background music, or overly detailed text.  I made a distinct effort to keep the look of the storyboard and the activity as "clean" as possible.  The only, text, graphics, and sound (maybe with the exception of the "ding" or "whoops" with the feedback) directly relate to the learning objective.

Practices - The practices employed in the "Using Maps" e-Learning activity adhere to some key principles Clark and Mayer discuss.  The practices "mirror the job," and though the pedagogy behind this principle is written for the work place, it is applied to the "classroom" tasks the student would be asked of.  Different types of practices are employed throughout including some recall, but mostly the application of acquired knowledge as well as faded examples (principle 6 - gradual transition from example to practice)

Feedback - The use of explanatory feedback is woven throughout all of the practices.  It is important for the learner recognize that they understand, or don't understand, content but WHY.  I defied Clark and Mayer in the structure of my feedback.  While they claim that the "good jobs" and ego stroking involved depresses learning.  My experience is that a learner who feels appreciated for their efforts is more willing to go the extra mile, so the ego-based feedback provided in the "Using Maps" storyboard is paired with an explanatory element so the user will know WHY he or she got the question right (just in case it was a lucky guess) or WHY he or she got the question incorrect.

Using Maps - Storyboard

The Creation of an E-learning Storyboard

Part 1 - the e-learning principles included and how they promote critical thinking skills.

Segmenting - Segmenting content promotes comprehension of material by avoiding overwhelming the user with information.  In my lesson, the objective is broken down into the use of latitude, the use of longitude, and how knowing that information will help the user.  By ensuring comprehension of each of these elements separately the user then will be able to apply the information whenever looking at, evaluating, or trying to use a map.

Contiguity Principle - Integration of graphics and text - As Clark and Mayer pointed out, users spend more time looking at graphics than they do reading text.  Therefore is it important for those graphics to be meaningful and have a connection with the text.  In the Using Maps storyboard the vocabulary used is always connected with an image that demonstrates the definition of the term to address this need on behalf of the user

Effective Practices - Through the use of practices and faded examples used in the Using Maps storyboard users are required to use critical thinking skills in order to apply the information they were just taught.  These practices were specifically designed to go beyond basic recall of information.

Summary - though the learning principles used in this storyboard were not limited to segmenting, learner control, contiguity, and practices, these principles really require the user to implement the skills he or she has learned taking the learning into the high levels of learning.

Using Maps - Storyboard

The journey has taken us around the world! 
The Peace Pals organization promotes communications between students and teachers from different places, different cultures, ideas, and creeds.

Here is the presentation team B created after researching a couple different global learning service opportunities.
http://www.slideshare.net/ejadamek/global-learning-service

The Pursuit of Technology

As the journey continues it will take us into a world in which technology is everywhere at once.  It is on us to keep up!   This is a survey that asks teachers... what do you need in order to keep up!

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/56H2HSV