America in 1900

     America was a much different place in 1900 then it is now. The average life expectancy was only 47.3 years compared to 78.4 currently. Disease, work conditions, and infant mortality significantly impacted the life span. Today, we are impacted by drug use, heart disease, and cancer to name a few.  Education was much different as well. Americans were beginning to show an interest in public education, rather then educating at home or not at all, which brought an increase in the number of public high schools. Before this time, most schools ended by 8th grade. You would have all been graduated by now! We also moved from a Classical Education approach to a pragmatic program. John Dewey introduced the nation to an education method that was based more on expedience and job preparation.
     As we entered this time of invention, new and "exciting" products were introduced. Things like the automobile, light bulb, cereal, coca-cola, and light bulb revolutionized our lives.

How different would life be today without these things? Along with these inventions came manufacturing plants that were often unsanitary and dirty. The meat industry was notorious for their dirty and rancid factories. Spoiled meat was often sold to families causing food poisoning, and no regulation existed yet to monitor it. Yuck! Who wants spoiled meat?

     This week we will be learning about the Great War! Oh yes, war is headed our way. The growing conflict in Europe is about to engulf our nation and bring people's attention to different lands. I can't wait to see the posters you come up with!

Homework:
1. read Unit 20
2. complete bible assignments
3. create a WWI poster to share with class
4. Don't forget to add to your Timeline. WWI should be on there!

Have a great week!

Who is listening to us?

     We are just beginning to learn about the Modern Age. As always, the political parties are continuing to battle for political predominance and create sweeping changes. Politics in the 1890's is not much different then politics now. We still have parties bickering, increasing tax prices, and election time drama. We also have witty people writing books or articles about what they observe in the nation. The Wizard of Oz gave us an interesting look at the election between Bryan and McKinley. Clearly L. Frank Baum was a supporter of Bryan and used his writing abilities to tell the story.
Segregation abounds everywhere in the late 1800's and early 1900's, as it still does now to some extent. As we discussed, Japan even has signs informing us that "whites" are not allowed to shop in certain stores. It is hard to escape the past.
     Mudcrackers loved writing about the issues facing Americans, just as news reporters love writing about it now. What would you write about?
     This week you will view the makings of the Progressive movement. Innovation and change is headed our way and Christendom is becoming more divided. Does that sound like our current society? Hmmm.... just wondering. I am positive that the early 1900's didn't face the possibility of being monitored through their electronic devices though. A screen with a pineapple phone case and kittens would surely not present themselves after discussing it. So things are a little different today. Is it a good thing or bad thing?

This week you will be reading Unit 19. Consider taking notes on a few ideas from the chapters to discuss. In fact, you will soon need to, as I have a "fun" surprise for you!

Homework:
-read Unit 19
-complete bible memory verse and all bible assignments
-choose 1 Unit Project to complete
-start working on WWI poster
-add to Timeline

Here is an idea of a WWI poster you could create:

It does not have to be as fancy as this or done with Photoshop. This is just an idea. It can be simple or elaborate. It is up to your creativity. Remember that it would be hanging in a store window, so include a "call to action". You are convincing the people of something they need or something they need to do. Put your marketing hats on and create!
   

The Business of America

The growth of big businesses in America changed our country as we approached the end of the nineteenth century. Businesses became larger and larger, while many workers struggled to pay the bills. Businesses also provided us with economic growth and brought new opportunities to society. Inventions, advances in technology, and the application of these to industries improved the way businesses operated. Inventions such as the typewriter, electric light, and sewing machine made it possible for companies to provide more services to the country. Many of the business giants of the early 1900's are still the wealthiest men today. They may not have invented the Apple iPhone X, but they brought about innovations that paved the way for future innovators.

Big business provided us with the first ever catalog, railroads, steamboats, and electricity to name a few.

A new era was ushered in and life was forever changed. This change brought prosperity and hardships. Men had a plethora of jobs to choose from, but they provided little wages and poor work conditions. A 12 hour work day brought them $.21 per hour to support their families. Still, our economy thrived and families found time to indulge in entertainment for the first time. Labor unions helped support workers and bring about fair wages and work conditions, and brought us to where we are now, which is in the land of i Phones and robots.

This week you will be entering the beginning of the Modern Era. What is in store for us next?

Homework for this week:
- read Unit 18
- choose one Unit project to complete
- complete bible assignments
- add to Timeline
- begin researching ideas for WWI poster. ( I kept saying World War II, but it is World War I) Oops!

Have a great week!!!

The Gilded Age

After a three week break, it was wonderful to see everyone again. I loved hearing how your Christmas break went and seeing your smiling faces again. I also love that even after three weeks apart, we can jump right back into discussing anything and everything. And we do discuss everything!

We are now starting the second volume of Exploring America. Wow! I can hardly believe we are on the last book! From here on out, we will be creeping closer and closer to our own arrival time in this country. Starting us off was the election of President Hayes, or "His Fraudulency". He was known for possessing a strong and honest character, but even the forces of corruption were too strong for him to avoid. He brought the period of Reconstruction to an end and worked towards bringing the nation together.
We also came across the second assassination of a U.S. President. Garfield was shot by a crazed office seeker, as he passed through a Washington train station. He was able to hang on for a bit, but eventually died from his wound.
An important topic in this Unit was the issue of money. Shocking, right?! Why is money always an issue? Before we latched on to paper money and coin, we simply traded goods for the items we needed. Should we go back to trading goats for a table, or a bushel of corn for a winter coat? It is interesting to think about. We all agreed that our society has become a bit materialistic, but in what way? Is it our desire to acquire more? Our need to keep up with our neighbors? Hmmm.... At what point does a desire for certain items become materialistic? Something to think about.

The "War of Wealth" is nothing new, and we will closely examine that in the coming weeks. I have a few fun ideas in mind to demonstrate this issue.

Ok, so on to the homework for this week:
-Read Unit 17
-Choose 1 Unit Project to complete
-Complete bible assignments ( 1 Peter 2:19-21), and all assignments at the end of each lesson.
-American Voices: hymns by Philip P. Bliss, "The Significance of the Frontier in American History", "The New Colossus", "Casey and the Bat", "O Master Let Me Walk With Thee".

One final note: please be sure to turn in all assignments, so you receive proper credit for them. I don't like giving out anything but "A's", and an easy way to get an "A" is to turn in assignments. I will send out grades for the first semester at the end of the week by email. Of course, your parent will issue you your final grade. Mine is a suggestion for completed work and participation in class.

Have a great week!