• Assessment Menu- Pick one of the following assessments from the menu that fits for the topic being covered in class and the focus question being asked.  Fill out the form that follows the menu and use that to discuss the plans for your assessment with Mr. Kelly.  If you have an idea for an assessment that you would like to explore and do not see it on Mr. Kelly’s menu, write up a proposal to pitch to him.  It may even become part of this list!

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      • Create a classified advertisement that shows jobs offered for people work on the Panama Canal. Include a title written in bold letters and at least three job listings.  For each job, include a catchy heading, a two-sentence description of the job, and an appropriate visual,
      • Create a page from a travel book that travelers might use to find information about one of America’s possessions after the Spanish-American War. The page should contain a title, brief descriptions of three differences from American culture, colorful visuals, and other creative touches.
      • Design a real estate advertisement that would encourage people to move to for Florida during the land boom of the 1920s.
    • Caricature- represent the main characteristics of a group, or to convey how an individual group is or was perceived by another group.
      • Draw a caricature of a European immigrant coming to America in the 1920s. Label the immigrants clothes, possessions, and body parts to show what a typical immigrant might have felt or been prepared for upon arrival in America.
      • Draw a caricature of a white collar or blue collar worker in the 1950s. Label the clothes the person would wear and the tools that they would use on the job during this time period.
    • Commemorative Marker- design and create a plaque or historical marker using the computer or 3D materials such as clay, silly puddy, wood, etc. to commemorate and summarize the significance of an important place or event
      • Create a historical marker for D Day landing in World War II. The marker should include a drawing of a scene, a succinct summary of the events that happened on June 6, 1944, and a brief explanation of D Day’s significance in the history of World War II.
      • Create a historical marker to commemorate the birthplace of Martin Luther King Jr. The marker should include a picture of Kings from some stage in his life, and an explanation of the importance of his life to the Civil Rights movement.
    • Eulogy- extol the virtues of a prominent historical figure or group that no longer exists
      • Write a Eulogy for Theodore Roosevelt that includes an appropriate inscription for his tombstone
      • Write a Eulogy for the American Doughboys of World War I that summarizes their accomplishments and describe how those accomplishments changed the world today.
    • Facial Expressions- Draw heads with pertinent facial expressions and related thought bubbles that summarize the feelings of groups who have different perspectives on a single topic.
      • Draw heads and show facial expressions to represent the feelings of hawks, doves, military leaders, and protestors had about the Vietnam War in 1969. Make thought bubbles above the heads to show what each group might be thinking.
      • Draw the heads and show the facial expressions of the negotiators from each country represented at the Paris Peace Conference at the end of World War I. Make thought bubbles above the heads to show what each group might be thinking.
    • Flow Chart- Draw representations of casual relationships or showing the steps in a sequence.
      • Show the causes leading to America’s involvement in World War II
      • Show how the Civil Rights movement evolved during the 1950s and 1960s.
    • Poetry- a specified type or format (haiku) or free form that describes a person, place, event, or feeling of a moment
      • Using the word depression, write an acrostic poem that describes the impact of the Great Depression.
    • Illustrated Dictionary Entry- Explain key terms in a chapter by making your own illustrated dictionary entries. Define the term in your own words, provide a synonym and an antonym, and draw an illustration representing the term.
      • Create an illustrated dictionary entry for all the key terms in chapter 22
    • Illustrated Proverb- choose a familiar proverb that helps explain complex concepts, and then illustrate the proverb to show how it pertains to the situation you are studying.
      • Complete the statement: “American involvement in the Cuban Missile Crisis is best represented by the proverb…” Pick one of the following or provide your own- Don’t get too close to the fire if you don’t want to get burnt.  Don’t cut off your nose to spite your face.
    • Invitation- design an invitation that highlights the main goals and salient facts of important events.
      • Design an invitation to the participants of the Yalta Conference held to determine the outcome of World War II. The invitation should include the dates the conference will be held, who will be participating, where it will be held, and what will be accomplished. It should include a bold title, an eye-catching visual, and other creative touches common in a formal invitation.
    • Journal- assuming the role of a key figure, write journal entries that recount that person’s feelings and experiences, using the language of the era.
      • Pretend you are a member of the Freedom Riders. Write a journal of your experiences during your ride.
    • Simile Representation- illustrate analogies that explain difficult or abstract concepts.
      • Complete this statement: “America’s foreign policy in Cuba after 1898 was like…” Use one of the following analogies or one of your own: a policeman patrolling his beat, a concerned parent caring for a child, a bully on the school playground. Make a simple drawing of your analogy and label the historical comparisons
    • Mosaic- synthesize information from a broad historical era. Within the overall design, combine visuals and words on individual “tiles” to represent similarities, differences, and important concepts.
      • Create a mosaic on keep beliefs of communist or capitalist society. The mosaic should include an appropriate title, at least five colors, “tiles” containing visuals demonstrating beliefs of the specific system, key words or phrases that describe each visual, and graphics that show imagination and creativity.
    • Perspective Piece- make drawings or write newspaper articles to represent different perspectives on controversial figures, events, and concepts.
      • Create a Janus figure- a drawing based on the Roman god portrayed with two opposite faces- to represent a president’s foreign policy from the perspective of an interventionist and isolationist. Label each part of the figure and explain its symbolism.
    • Political Cartoon/Comic Strip/Meme- Create a political cartoon, comic strip, or meme that provide social or political commentary on important events.
      • Create a political cartoon that comments on the relationship between the U.S. and U.S.S.R. during the Cuban Missile Crisis. As symbols for the two countries, you may use two fighters squaring off, rival gang leaders, two opposing politicians, or images of your own.
    • Postcard- Design and write messages on postcards to summarize information about places or events.
      • Assume you are a person in West Berlin during the Berlin Blockade. Write a postcard to a friend in America describing life during the blockade.  Describe the results of the blockade and the Berlin Airlift.  Create an image for the reverse side of the postcard that includes drawings, maps, or other visuals that highlight interesting aspects of Berlin at that time.
    • Poster- Draw a poster to emphasize key points about political ideas, a key figure’s point of view, or the reason behind important evets.
      • Create a campaign poster that might have been used during the election of 1960. The poster should list John F. Kennedy/ Richard Nixon’s qualifications for the presidency, include a memorable campaign slogan, and employ colorful visuals.  At the bottom of the poster, include graffiti that opponents of the candidate might have scrawled on such a poster.
      • Design a Wanted poster for Japanese Emperor Hirohito. The poster should list grievances America has against him.
    • Report Card- Assess the policies of a leader or government through a graded evaluation.
      • Evaluate the Allies response during World War II. Give a letter grade (A, A-, B+, B, etc.) and a corresponding written explanation on each of these topics: policy toward Germany before 1939, effectiveness of military actions, response to the Holocaust, and concern for enemy civilians given wartime conditions.
      • Evaluate Theodore Roosevelt as president. Give a letter grade (A, A-, B+, B, etc.) and a corresponding written explanation on each of these topics: Progressive domestic policies, foreign relations, expanding the role of the Presidency, choice of a successor.
    • Sensory Figure- Make a simple drawing of a prominent figure and label it with descriptions of what that person might be seeing, hearing, saying, feeling, and doing- to convey the thoughts, feelings, and experiences.
      • Create a sensory figure from the Birmingham Bus Boycott.
      • Create a sensory figure of an American POW and a citizen of Japan that expresses their feelings about the dropping of the atomic bomb.
    • Spectrum- Place information along a spectrum to show your understanding of multiple perspectives on a topic or express an opinion about an issue.
      • Draw a spectrum ranging from Favors Capitalism to Favors Socialism. Place along this spectrum the major political and industrial figures from 1890 to 1940 that you have studied: Eugene Debs, Henry Ford, Emma Goldman, Herbert Hoover, John D. Rockefeller, Franklin Roosevelt, Teddy Roosevelt, and Booker T. Washington.  Than write a one-sentence response to support your opinions.