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| Students reenact the signing of the Constitution. |
The concept and organization of the second book (I haven’t read the first one) is formulaic. Organized first by state and then by the signers in that state, the authors provide a brief biography of each of the 39 men. The biographies are short (4–5 pages each) and include interesting facts presented in a well-written way. For example, George Clymer of
By: Abigail Johnson,
on 11/8/2010
Blog: Amsco Extra! (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: History, Economics, Comics, Blogs, Political Science, Culture, American History, Social Studies, AP US History, Government, Internet Resources, Add a tag
History has always intrigued me. I hear a legend of Alexander the Great, and I want to go find a book on ancient Greece and Macedon in the 300s B.C. My university offers a class on the great thinkers of the 1960s? Sign me up! A woman writes a blog about the history of candy? Awesome, put it on my RSS feed.I think history intrigues me for two reasons: both what happened, and what people decipher as what happened. I want to understand the significant, and why it was deemed so.
Often the concepts of social memory and cultural reality are left out in basic history studies; there are just too many years to squeeze into a lesson for this sort of discussion to fit.
What am I talking about? Here is an example: For me, it happened while I was an undergraduate in economics. I took this offbeat history course, called “History of the Marriage Crisis in Egypt,” in order to fulfill a strange liberal arts requirement. It was a class that looked at Egyptian history through the eyes of those in the time period.
It seems that modern Egypt has suffered a marriage crisis on and off for the last century; as the press, books, and the population would attest to. But the marriage and divorce rates had stayed almost constant throughout this time period. So where was this “crisis” coming from? As my professor taught the course, it became apparent that the marriage crisis would erupt during times of economic hardship and political upheaval. It was common in all forms of social discussion. The book my professor wrote argued that the marriage crisis was a lens, a form of communication, how people could view and voice their concerns through a different medium than, say, politics or poverty.
That was one class I took. But it spurred an interes
By: Perry Morse,
on 8/19/2009
Blog: Amsco Extra! (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: History, Social Studies, Test Preparation, AP US History, Add a tag
The latest edition (2010 Revision) of United States History: Preparing for the Advanced Placement Examination, by John J. Newman and John M. Schmalbach, will be published tomorrow, August 20. That means the book will be in our warehouses about a week later. This will be good news for the many customers who have already ordered the book, and for whomever was thinking about ordering this title. If you have not ordered it or have not even been thinking about it, read on.
What Is It? To those who have not had the opportunity to become familiar with United States History: Preparing for the Advanced Placement Examination, here is the scoop: It is designed for a one-semester or one-year United States history course for students preparing to take the AP U.S. History Exam. Teachers can assign the book as the course textbook or as a supplement to a college-level textbook. The book presents the history of the United States from pre-Columbian times to the Obama administration. It follows the curriculum put out by the College Board for this course of study. Some teachers have even assigned the book as summer reading for students enrolled in AP U.S. History for the following fall semester.
What Is New? Let’s see how the 2010 Revision differs from the earlier version of the book.
- A more detailed Table of Contents to highlight the text’s many features.
- New coverage of Bush’s second term.
- Coverage of the 2008 presidential elections.
- Coverage of the first 100 days of the Obama administration.
- Two additional editorial cartoons. (Two laughs to make your day.)
- Two additional multiple-choice questions in the last chapter.
- A new, expanded Index. The Index for the previous revision was concise due to space restrictions. The new Index is longer and more detailed.
The Realities of Updating a Textbook. How up-to-date is United States History: Preparing for the Advanced Placement Examination? The short answer is that it covers the first 100 days of the Obama administration. You might point out that Obama recently celebrated his second 100 days in office. Well, true. But we cannot update the text to cover that and still be published tomorrow. The book publishing process takes time.
You might also point out that trade publishers (as opposed to textbook publishers) fast-track some of their more time-sensitive books. Yes, they do. But that is expensive. We would not be able to offer United States History: Preparing for the Advanced Placement Examination for only $17, as we are now doing.
Another reality of Amsco’s publishing process is that we are publishing many new and revised titles every year. In the Social Studies Department alone, six titles are coming out this fall. The editors and production staff have to devote their attention to many books, not just one. We think that we have done a good job with the 2010 Revision of United States History: Preparing for the Advanced Placement Examination. Take a look at it and tell us what you think.
By: MandM,
on 7/13/2009
Blog: Amsco Extra! (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: History, Social Studies, AP US History, Add a tag
Initially intended to express anger at the draft, the protests degraded into “a virtual racial pogrom, with uncounted numbers of blacks murdered on the streets.” The conditions in the city were such that Major General John E. Wool stated on July 16, “Martial law ought to be proclaimed, but I have not a sufficient force to enforce it.” The military suppressed the mob using artillery and fixed bayonets, but not before numerous buildings were ransacked or destroyed, including many homes and an orphanage for black children.
The drafts began on July 11, but hostilities did not break out until July 13. The real issue was the fact that men could buy their way out of service by paying $300 to the federal government. Thus, the poor of New York City found the draft and the war itself to be a “rich man’s war, fought by the poor.”
By: Linda Silvestri,
on 2/25/2008
Blog: Sugar Frosted Goodness (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: octopus, multitasking, mollusk, Add a tag
I did this drawing for the Illustration Friday theme this week, which is "Multiple."
In light of this theme, I think most folks would agree that the ability to multitask is pretty much manditory these days. Other than wearing roller-skates all day long or having your self cloned, eight arms might come in very handy.
Perhaps with these extra appendages or tentacles (for the pedantic,) you could, while designing that logo for your client, also wash the dishes, balance your checkbook and make yourself some lunch. You might even consider picking up a some dumbbells with your suckers and work those flabby biceps.
While your at it, you really have to watch this. Make sure to watch it to the end, because that's where you will see how amazing octopus really are.
Sketched Out
By: DAC,
on 2/6/2008
Blog: Amsco Extra! (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Test Preparation, Social Studies, Government, Test Preparation, AP US History, Government, AP US History, Add a tag
The ad says it all:
By: David Elzey,
on 10/10/2007
Blog: The Excelsior File (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: picture book, cowboy, smith, viking, octopus, scieszka, Add a tag
by Jon Scieszka illustrated by Lane Smith Viking 2007 Cowboy and Octopus are friends. Cowboy is a paper doll cut from a book. His clothing tabs occasionally show. Octopus was cut from a comic book. His bold colors and zip-a-tone dots give him a party dress appearance. "Do you like our book?" asks Cowboy. "Do you like our book?" asks Octopus. "Yes, I do. I like it very much," I say. "Do
By: Sevensheaven.nl,
on 4/27/2007
Blog: Sugar Frosted Goodness (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: illustration, metin seven, sevensheaven, octopus, kpn, illustratie, Add a tag
Stylized 3D illustration for an article about the expansion drive of the Dutch KPN telecom company.
More imagery at Sevensheaven.nl
By: Needlesville, N.Y.,
on 4/15/2007
Blog: Sugar Frosted Goodness (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Monster, Tim Needles, octopus, Skull, fear, Add a tag
Here's a sketchbook drawing of an emotional monster I did. I'll add a monster specifically in the closet as well later.
Tim
By: Onno Knuvers,
on 3/26/2007
Blog: Sugar Frosted Goodness (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Illustration Friday, post something monday, Onno knuvers, Post Somethin' Monday, octopus, Add a tag
I spy with my little eye something beginning with O.
Well here is my post something Monday
Onno
check out my site www.onnoknuvers.com
or visit me on Flickr
I can see that a selection of short, engaging content-area readings would be very useful in the classroom. What is the reading-level?