Website Spotlight: Constitutional Convention

Website URL: http://www.teachingamericanhistory.org/convention/
 
Introductory Note:

Welcome to one in a series of posts which spotlight quality websites that I use with my U.S. History survey course students at Azusa Pacific University to enrich the regular material in our learning modules.

In this post, I limit myself to those specific aspects of the website which I find fit particularly well within our face-to-face class sessions (each student is required to bring a laptop to class) or as the basis for the students' regularly-assigned written reactions.

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I ask the students to work through the following links from this superb website developed by Gordon Lloyd:

1. Biographical sketches of Framers
http://www.teachingamericanhistory.org/convention/delegates/alpha.html

2. Age of Framers 
http://www.teachingamericanhistory.org/convention/delegates/age.html

3. Educational Backgrounds of Framers
http://www.teachingamericanhistory.org/convention/delegates/education.html

4. Continental Experiences of Framers
http://www.teachingamericanhistory.org/convention/delegates/experience.html

5. Christy's Portrait: Interactive Scene at the Signing of the Constitution
http://www.teachingamericanhistory.org/convention/christy/
http://www.teachingamericanhistory.org/convention/christy-about.html

6. Interactive Map of Philadelphia
http://www.teachingamericanhistory.org/convention/map/

Click on each location to learn about the Founding Fathers in Historic Philadelphia.

Here are some of the ones you might especially enjoy reading about:

Start at top right, move left on each horizontal street.

Mrs. Dailey's Boarding House
John Dunlap's Print Shop. [Notice that items were printed in German.]
Indian Queen Tavern
Mary House's Boarding House
Robert Morris's Town Home
Graff House. Thomas Jefferson
City Tavern
Mrs. Marshall's Boarding House.
Independence Hall
Philadelphia Debtors' Prison. Robert Morris [see his Town Home above]

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Concluding Note:

I hope you will use this blog post in conjunction with both the modules on my Learning Professor wiki and the numerous other posts in my Website Spotlight series.

1. The website spotlighted in this post fits within the following U.S. History survey course module on the wiki:
http://thelearningprofessor.wikispaces.com/Constitution

2. The other blog posts in my Website Spotlight series--chronologically displayed by U.S. History survey course module-- can be found on this wiki page:
http://thelearningprofessor.wikispaces.com/WEBSITE+SPOTLIGHT 

Website Spotlight: Benjamin Franklin (PBS)

 

Website URL: http://www.pbs.org/benfranklin/ 

Introductory Note:

Welcome to one in a series of posts which spotlight quality websites that I use with my U.S. History survey course students at Azusa Pacific University to enrich the regular material in our learning modules.

In this post, I limit myself to those specific aspects of the website which I find fit particularly well within our face-to-face class sessions (each student is required to bring a laptop to class) or as the basis for the students' regularly-assigned written reactions.

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Begin with this:

~Ben A to Z (Ben's Interests and Achievements)
http://www.pbs.org/benfranklin/az.html

Then work through each of the following links:

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CITIZEN BEN:
http://www.pbs.org/benfranklin/l2_citizen.html

1. Networker
http://www.pbs.org/benfranklin/l3_citizen_networker.html

2. Firefighter
http://www.pbs.org/benfranklin/l3_citizen_firefighter.html

3. Founding Father
http://www.pbs.org/benfranklin/l3_citizen_founding.html

4. Abolitionist
http://www.pbs.org/benfranklin/l3_citizen_abolitionist.html

5. Insurance Ben-efactor
http://www.pbs.org/benfranklin/l3_citizen_insurance.html

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WIT AND WISDOM:
http://www.pbs.org/benfranklin/l2_wit.html

1. Name That Ben: [be sure to click on "Silence Dogood" and read Ben's first Silence Dogood letter]
http://www.pbs.org/benfranklin/l3_wit_name.html

2. Read All About It [click on "Apology for Printers"]
http://www.pbs.org/benfranklin/l3_wit_read.html

3. Master Marketer
http://www.pbs.org/benfranklin/l3_wit_master.html

4. Franklin Funnies
http://www.pbs.org/benfranklin/l3_wit_franklin.html

5. Self-Improvement
http://www.pbs.org/benfranklin/l3_wit_self.html

~Take Ben's Virtue Quiz
http://www.pbs.org/benfranklin/exp_virtue.html

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INQUIRING MIND:
http://www.pbs.org/benfranklin/l2_inquiringmind.html

1. Glass Armonica [click on "Hear a Mozart composition"]
http://www.pbs.org/benfranklin/l3_inquiring_glass.html

2. Health
http://www.pbs.org/benfranklin/l3_inquiring_medical.html

3. Weather Wise
http://www.pbs.org/benfranklin/l3_inquiring_weather.html

4. It's The Little Things [Ben's Various Inventions]
http://www.pbs.org/benfranklin/l3_inquiring_little.html

5. Mesmer
http://www.pbs.org/benfranklin/l3_inquiring_mesmer.html

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WORLD OF INFLUENCE:
http://www.pbs.org/benfranklin/l2_world.html

1. Celebrity
http://www.pbs.org/benfranklin/l3_world_celebrity.html

2. Agriculture
http://www.pbs.org/benfranklin/l3_world_agriculture.html

3. Man of Letters
http://www.pbs.org/benfranklin/l3_world_letters.html

4. France
http://www.pbs.org/benfranklin/l3_world_france.html

5. Spies
http://www.pbs.org/benfranklin/l3_world_spies.html

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Concluding Note:

I hope you will use this blog post in conjunction with both the modules on my Learning Professor wiki and the numerous other posts in my Website Spotlight series.

1. The website spotlighted in this post fits within the following U.S. History survey course modules on the wiki:
http://thelearningprofessor.wikispaces.com/Colonial+Era
http://thelearningprofessor.wikispaces.com/Road+to+Revolution
http://thelearningprofessor.wikispaces.com/Revolution
http://thelearningprofessor.wikispaces.com/Constitution

2. The other blog posts in my Website Spotlight series--chronologically displayed by U.S. History survey course module-- can be found on this wiki page:
http://thelearningprofessor.wikispaces.com/WEBSITE+SPOTLIGHT 

Website Spotlight: James Madison

Website URL: http://millercenter.org/president/madison

Introductory Note:

Welcome to one in a series of posts which spotlight quality websites that I use with my U.S. History survey course students at Azusa Pacific University to enrich the regular material in our learning modules.

Among the many worthwhile aspects of the Miller Center (University of Virginia) site, I ask the students to concentrate on the following four essays:

Life Before the Presidency
http://millercenter.org/president/madison/essays/biography/2
Campaigns and Elections
http://millercenter.org/president/madison/essays/biography/3
Domestic Affairs
http://millercenter.org/president/madison/essays/biography/4
Foreign Affairs
http://millercenter.org/president/madison/essays/biography/5

For a review of the Miller Center website:

TeachingHistory.org (National History Education Clearinghouse)
http://teachinghistory.org/history-content/website-reviews/14722

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Concluding Note:

I hope you will use this blog post in conjunction with both the modules on my Learning Professor wiki and the numerous other posts in my Website Spotlight series.

1. The website spotlighted in this post fits within the following U.S. History survey course module on the wiki:
http://thelearningprofessor.wikispaces.com/Constitution

2. Other blog posts in my Website Spotlight series--chronologically displayed by U.S. History survey course module-- can be found on this wiki page:
http://thelearningprofessor.wikispaces.com/WEBSITE+SPOTLIGHT

Website Spotlight: A Day in the Life of Thomas Jefferson

Website URL: http://www.monticello.org/site/jefferson/day-life-thomas-jefferson

Procedural Note: In each section below, there will be little black boxes to click on for other neat items: Dig Deeper, At-Home Activity, Fun Fact, Personality Profile, Design and Decor, and Modern Monticello.

Here are the sections:

A. I Rise with the Sun

http://www.monticello.org/site/jefferson/i-rise-sun

Jefferson's alcove bed
Record-keeping
Morning preparations
Mechanical inventions

B. Drudging at the Writing Table

http://www.monticello.org/site/jefferson/drudging-writing-table

A modern office
    Jefferson's copying machine
A full and genuine journal
Stepping away from the table

C. Our Breakfast Table

http://www.monticello.org/site/jefferson/our-breakfast-table

Fresh from the oven
Seated around the table
Jefferson the grandfather

D. To Labour For Another

http://www.monticello.org/site/jefferson/to-labour-another

Mulberry Row
Humming with Activity
Jefferson and Slavery

E. Attending To My Farm

http://www.monticello.org/site/jefferson/attending-to-my-farm

Touring the farm on horseback (be sure to read this section)

F. Museum...in the Entrance to the House

http://www.monticello.org/site/jefferson/museum-entrance-house

Arts and politics (be sure to read this section)

G. Dinner is Served

http://www.monticello.org/site/jefferson/dinner-served

Dined at the Presidents
Half-Virginian, half-French style
Vines and wines
Vegetables...constitute my principal diet

Self-service

H. When the Flowers were in Bloom

http://www.monticello.org/site/jefferson/when-flowers-were-bloom

(Read the parts that interest you)

I. A Delightful Recreation

http://www.monticello.org/site/jefferson/delightful-recreation

Music and games
Little circle of readers
A room for celebration

J. Sanctum Sanctorum

http://www.monticello.org/site/jefferson/sanctum-sanctorum

Architecture
Science
Accounting
Reading (don't miss this section)

K. All My Wishes End...at Monticello

http://www.monticello.org/site/jefferson/all-my-wishes-end-monticello

"I wish most to be remembered" (read this part for sure)

Website Spotlight: Benjamin Franklin

Website URL: http://www.benfranklin300.org/exhibition/_html/0_0/index.htm

Chapter One: Character Matters (1706-1723)

a. A Voracious Reader
b. Silence Dogood

Chapter Two: B. Franklin, Printer (1723-1748)

a. Way to Wealth
b. At Home in Philadelphia

Chapter Three: Civic Visions (1731-1751)

a. Improving the Self and Community

"As a lifelong learner, Franklin taught himself to read French, German, Italian, and Spanish, on top of the Latin he learned as a child."

b. Protecting the Citizens

Chapter Four: Useful Knowledge (1747-1785)

a. A Society of "Ingenious Men"
b. Shipboard Amusements [see "Swimming by Kite"]
c. Electrical Fire

Chapter Five: World Stage (1744-1787)

a. Forging Unification
[Albany Congress!!]
[Glass Armonica]
b. Declaring Independence
c. Forming Alliances
d. Mastering Diplomacy
e. Creating a Constitution

Chapter Six: Seeing Franklin (1787-Today)
His unfinished Autobiography