Thursday, February 11, 2010

Quiz Tomorrow....


Tomorrow quiz will cover the following topics:
1)Economic problems at the start of the 1920's (Review Sect 1 Outline, txt 736)
2)The Red Scare and Limiting Immigration (Sect 1 Outline, text 739)
3)Flappers, fad and culture (Review notes from Tuesday, Text 742)
4)Prohibition in the United States 1920-1933 (Review Text 741-2)

Most of the questions should be easy if you have been paying attention in class, but i recommend reviewing the worksheets, notes and pages in the text

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Flappers, Fad and Jazz

Today we looked at 1920's culture. Flappers were discussed again the both their appearance and attitude were compared with women in the previous generations. Jazz music was also examined to see the differences in tha style of music and why young people liked it so much!

Monday, February 8, 2010

Return to Normalcy



Today we looked at the influenza outbreak of 1918 as well as American right after WW1ended. The Influenza Pandemic killed well over 25 million people worldwide including close to a million in the U.S.
We also looked at life in the U.S after WW1 which included a small recession, fears of Communism and racial tensions in the U.S. The Presidency of Warren G. Harding was examined including the many scandals that surrounded his presidency and untimely death in 1923.

Homework: Finish Reading in Text 736-740

Web Link: Influenza 1918 (Great Program!!!)

Wednesday, February 3, 2010


I enjoy a good war movie every now and then, and THE LOST BATTALION fits the bill. Made for the A&E cable network, it’s based on the true story of an American battalion that gets cut off from the rest of the American forces during an advance into the Argonne forest during World War I. Almost completely surrounded by the Germans, the Americans resolve to hold their position until help arrives, which takes days. Outnumbered, starving, without medical supplies, the odds are against any of them surviving.

In classic war movie fashion, THE LOST BATTALION introduces us to about a dozen of the soldiers, most of them from New York but some from Texas and Montana as well. Most of them are “citizen soldiers”, who were either drafted or enlisted to fight, not career military. Their commander, a lawyer in civilian life played by Rick Shroeder, fits into this category, too, and struggles to become a respected leader. You know going in (at least you do if you’ve ever watched many war movies) that not all of them are going to make it, but this grim, gritty film directed by Russell Mulcahy makes their life-and-death struggle very interesting.

With its unrelenting air of doom, I’m not sure I’d say that THE LOST BATTALION is an entertaining film, but it’s very well-done (other than some shaky camerawork I didn’t like) and I think it’s a movie that’s well worth watching.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010