'Twas a blustery day in the hundred acre woods

I really didn't feel like blogging today. Well, it is what it is. So today I'm writing a class in the life of Mr. Kannan post. Here it goes.

I knew it was going to be a bad class even before Sullivan gave me her paper. That child is no good. To think that I even read it still gives me the chills. First mistake of the period. I wrote "Need explanation, concerning the entire paper." After she explained it to me, I admitted that I was wrong. Second Mistake. If I get to ten these kids will be all over me. Then Snail tried to open her mouth. I just covered my ears and went back to Ian's paper. "PIPE DOWN AMTRAK!!" I shouted across the room as I grabbed my laptop from the projector. It wasn't meant for a specific student, but every individual in the room shuddered, thinking that it was aimed towards themselves. Izzy, Snail, and McCartney got in a heated argument over a stapler. And to think this happened in a 40 minute class period!

#2

"Discuss how and why you think the Americans won. What was the most compelling
reason for their victory? Do you see modern examples of this struggle? You can use
post- Revolution wars as an example or talk about current events where you see some of
the reasons for Colonial victory being played out in the modern setting."

I think that the Americans won because they had great leadership. General Washington, in my opinion, was the brains behind the American victory. Of course there was Sam Adams and Thomas Paine and Thomas Jefferson, but without Washington our military would have suffered greatly and we would all have British accents. I feel that Washington showed the characteristics of a great leader because he refused to let his new country fall to shambles. I would relate General Washington to FDR because they both had a vision of their country after their respective wars and they both wanted the citizens of America to support the war and all its efforts.

#3

I told Mr. Kannan to give me a number between 1 and 9. He picked 3:
"Who do you think was the most important person in the American victory? To whom
would you compare this person to in modern times? What did this person do which was
so vital to American victory? What qualities did they possess that represented
leadership? What type of breakfast cereal would they eat? What would their favorite
film be?" Why did he pick 3? Well, here it goes......

I think that George Washington was the  most important person in the American victory. I would compare him to Colin Powell because they both had extreme bravery and courage, and if it was available back then, I believe that Washington would have also received the Purple Heart Award for his actions. This person was so vital to the American victory because he basically led the American troops to victory in every battle. Washington possessed the qualities of bravery, courage, ingenuity, logic, and perseverance that made him a great leader. I think Washington's favorite type of breakfast cereal would either be bland Cheerios or Honey Clusters and Oats without the Honey Clusters. Although he seems very smart and powerful, he doesn't act like a Fruit Loops or Lucky Charms kind of guy - someone who would be extremely loud and creative. Washington strikes me as very ST. I think his favorite movie would be a documentary on the revolutionary war for two reasons. The first to show off his victories, and the second to argue over which details were inaccurate.

Howard Zinn

Howard Zinn, in my opinion, is utterly brilliant. The 8th graders laughed at me when I showed them the task, stating that I was officially doomed and that I would never bounce back. Now the jokes on them. Howard Zinn is a historian who recounts historic events through the point of view of those being afflicted. He takes very complex historic accounts and breaks them down in manner so comprehensible that even I understand them. He claims that our war in Iraq is "Terrorism to end Terrorism". I searched through the packet on Howard Zinn for hours searching for the exact quote where Zinn states that the American Revolution was "Half a revolution". Yes, I know, Very ST of me, but I seriously thought he said it. It turns out that the phrase is a general term that Zinn implied which basically means that Who held power changed after the revolution, but power itself did not. America now had their own government and they were technically free from British rule, but "America" back then was a synonym for "Free White Males". Women and African American slaves were still being oppressed by "America", and Howard Zinn explains this very well in his works. Here's a list of of links that will take you to what other people feel about Howard Zinn:
http://americancreation.blogspot.com/2009/03/howard-zinn-liar.html
http://www.newcriterion.com/articles.cfm/howard-zinns-fairy-tale-3751
http://kasamaproject.org/2010/01/03/michael-kazin-a-critique-of-zinns-history/
Yes, I know that most of them do criticize Zinn's works, but they do offer different responses.

Independent Dames

Sure, we've all sat through countless years of social studies to learn all about the American Revolution. We've all written papers about George Washington, Sam Adams, or Thomas Paine, but did we ever stop to think about about the women who literally kept this new nation from falling through the cracks? No. We never think about them because we never learn about them. Well, now you are. From the New York Times best selling author Laurie Halse Anderson and Illustrator Matt Faulkner comes Independent DAMES, a book dedicated to "What you never knew about the women and girls of the revolution."
Its starts out with a school play, where students are busily preparing to preform. The plot line opens when a group of girls jump onto stage. Soon we learn about Sybil Luddington (Who rode over 40 miles to alert nearly 400 minutemen of British attack. Take that Paul Revere!) and Deborah Champion (Who smuggled messages and money to George Washington. When she was caught by the British, she fooled them into thinking she was a man!). Each page offer funny and insightful drawing and summaries of famous women. I recommend it to any one who likes to know the real story. If you're not into this genre, that's OK because Laurie Halse Anderson has a young adult novel "Speak", about a teen holding a dangerous secret inside of her. Click HERE for the info on Independent Dames, or HERE for the info on "Speak"