This assignment included a four-page packet and four stations around the room.

Each station is recreated virtually below.  If you are making up the assignment, you can borrow an atlas or use internet resources to complete Station 2’s map.

Ancient Americans: The Maya packet (PDF, 244 kb)

Station 1:  Interactive website | Daily life among the Maya (link)

Station 2:  Map activity

• Map of holy Mayan cities (link)

Station 3:  Mayan logosyllabic alphabet translation

• Mayan alphabet translation guide (link)
• Phrases to translate (link)

Station 4: Video  |  The Rise of the Maya

]]> http://www.mrtripodi.org/students/?feed=rss2&p=1562 http://www.mrtripodi.org/students/?p=66 http://www.mrtripodi.org/students/?p=66#comments Fri, 03 Sep 2010 11:36:14 +0000 Mr. Tripodi http://www.mrtripodi.org/students/?p=66 A picture tells a thousand lies (PDF, 102 kb)

Above you can download a PDF file of today’s slideshow. We examined a photograph of Americans witnessing a tragedy, and the many different interpretations that their photograph inspired.

Key concept: The imperfections in historical analysis, and the difference between “facts” and “truth”.

We’ll refer to this photo — and the concepts discussed surrounding it — throughout the year.

Supplemental materials:

• Frank Rich: “Whatever Happened to the America of 9/12?”
  (link | nytimes.com)
• David Plotz: “Frank Rich is wrong about that 9/11 photograph”
  (link | slate.com)
• Thomas Hoepker: “I took that 9/11 photo Frank Rich wrote about”
  (link | slate.com)
• Walter Sipser: “It’s me in that 9/11 photo”
  (link | slate.com)
• More about Walter Sipser is here, including information about how journalists got to the bottom of this controversial photograph.
• In this podcast, Andy Bowers interviews David Plotz about the photo and the ensuing story.  It’s about 10 minutes long.

On October 31, 2001, Thomas Hoepker (and other 9/11 photographers) were interviewed on Charlie Rose.  The photo we covered wasn’t mentioned, but it’s a unique and informative interview.  (Warning: There are some graphic images, but nothing you wouldn’t see in school.)

Photographers are interviewed around the 10:00 mark:

I have opened comments on this post in case anyone wants to discuss it over the long weekend.

Access the survey by clicking the link above. It shouldn’t take you more than 10 minutes to complete it, and it’s the easiest 15 points you’ll get this year.

This is a mandatory assignment. It’s due next Friday, but you may complete it at any point this week.

Welcome to 8th grade U.S. History.

On this site, you’ll find everything you need to succeed in my class. Every announcement, assignment, lecture, and study guide will be posted.

I’ll also use this site to supplement our classwork — if we don’t have time to talk about it in class, we’ll talk about it on mrtripodi.org.

All files are Adobe portable document files (PDFs), which are readable on all computer operating systems. The free software to read these files can be downloaded here.

To reach me outside of school hours, students and parents are encouraged to e-mail me at tripodij@bsd.k12.pa.us.

I also post supplemental (and often interesting) materials on Twitter and Facebook, both of which are accessible at right — but not on the school network.

Let’s have a great year!

-Mr. Tripodi

Two warnings:

1. It’s a very large file (nearly 14 megabytes). This will take a long time on dial-up.
2. It’s a very long presentation (125 slides). If you print it, it’ll be 125 pages.

Civil War presentation (PDF, 13.9 mb)

Below you’ll find a copy of the speech, plus an MP3 of Johnny Cash performing this significant — yet surprisingly brief — public address.

Gettysburg Address assignment (PDF, 17 KB)
Johnny Cash - Gettysburg Address (MP3, 2.5 MB)