Jim Crow Voting Laws

Explore the PBS website: The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow and explore how African Americans were denied the right to vote during the Jim Crow era. By following the steps on the website, examine what African Americans had to do in order to vote. Then write a summary paragraph on the blog that explains what African Americans had to do in order to vote and why many did not vote. Then, predict what effect this had on the laws that governed southern states.

Trends toward Democratization

After studying one of the seven "trends toward democratization," write a one paragraph summary of the information detailed in your case study.

Progressive Era

After reading your section on the Progressive era, write a one paragraph summary detailing the major elements of your story.

Berlin Wall - A Powerful Symbol of the Cold War

The Berlin Wall was a powerful symbol of the the Cold War and the struggle of Communism vs. Capitalist Democracies. Write an analytical paragraph answering the question:

Why was the Berlin Wall symbolic of the struggles in the Cold War.


Use the TEA format: Topic Sentence, Evidence, Analysis

In your analysis section of your paragraph be sure to explain how the specific aspects of the the Berlin Wall are similar to the tensions between Communism and Democracies during the Cold War.

Terrorism and Chaos in Somalia

Listen to the stories that were recently featured on NPR about Somalia and their fight with rising terrorism. Then, post a comment describing what your future would do about this problem (if anything) and why.

Radio stories can be heard: HERE

Freshwater... or the lack thereof.

As the world's population continues to increase and many areas of the world are facing sustained droughts, the world is facing an unprecedented water crisis. Explore these National Geographic websites and leave a response on the blog to each page:

1. The Signs and Solutions page has an interactive map. Read the description of the U.S.' water issues and compare the issues faced in the U.S. to the issues faced by another country. Also generalize what is happening to water resources over time by clicking on the different years (1960, 2006, 2050).

2. The Freshwater page features several videos on water issues around the world. Watch at least two of the videos and comment on anything that may have surprised you in the videos.

Where our stuff comes from...

When we buy something at the store, whether it's a pair of shoes, a CD, an iPod, or a cheeseburger, we rarely consider how it got there. Today, the world is more interconnected than ever before. That means, when you buy a shirt, it most likely went through a long chain of steps before making its way into your closet.

Patagonia is a clothing and outdoor apparel company. Go to their site, The Footprint Chronicles, and track the steps of several products. Try to gain some insight into just what exactly goes into the many steps of making a shirt, pair of shoes, or even a piece of luggage. On the site they not only tell you where the steps happened, but they also describe some of the environmental impacts of the steps.

Respond to one or more of the following questions:

- What surprised you or shocked you?

- Does it change your perspective about your clothes and the things you buy?

- Does it change your perspective on the world? Does it change your perspective on an individual place in the world?

- How does it relate to globalization?

Also, respond to one or more of your classmates' posts.