Week of October 2nd

We'll be concluding our introductory unit on twentieth-century European history this week. We have discussed a number of very complex issues that are deeply rooted in several centuries of European history that we have not yet worked our way through. Good job with that! I'm looking forward to going back to the Renaissance next week and then working our way to the present in a linear fashion.

Tuesday, Oct.4

• Read: Merriman 1160-1175
• Lecture: Decolonization
• Due: 3-part summary
1. timeline/outline of major developments discussed in reading
2. brief biographical sketch of 4 important figures from the period
3. reading question: Give three primary reasons that European powers lost control of their colonial holdings in the decades following WWII.

Thursday, Oct.6

• Read: none
• Homework: review sheet
• In class: exam review

**Looking Ahead**

Tuesday, Oct.11

• In class: Exam 1

Week of September 25

Cold War Week!!

I read your 3-part summaries over the weekend and was pretty pleased with how they turned out. I think these will be an excellent way to help you build a body of knowledge for your AP review in the spring. Let's do another one for this week's reading on the Cold War. Please turn it in as one assignment on Friday, but make it cover both days' reading. This time the three parts should include:

1. Separate timelines for the Fall of Soviet Union and Cold War periods (be sure to emphasize major trends rather than details)
2. Examples of leaders from each major period in Soviet history (do 7 total - at least 3 should be from outside Soviet Union - be sure to make explicit the trends they represent)
3. In one substantial paragraph, answer the following questions: How were the seeds of the Soviet Union's decline sown during the height of the Cold War? To what extent did it result from poor leadership within Soviet Russia, and to what extent were challenges from other nationalities to blame?

Tuesday Sept. 27

• 1188-1196; 1213-1218

Friday Sept 30

• 1147-1160

**Please remember that we will be hosting several guests on Friday to discuss the headscarf controversy. Bring your book to class on Tuesday so we can review some key points and I will ask you to prepare some questions ahead of time to bring on Friday. You will submit them for a homework grade.

Week of Sept. 18

We will only meet one time this week due to the senior class trip Wednesday through Friday. On Monday I will hand out our first DBQ exercise, we will discuss strategy as a class, and you will then submit it the following Tuesday.

Monday Sept. 19

• Read: Merriman 1176-1186
• DUE: 3-part summary, see below

Three-part summary

1. create a simple timeline of the political trends that swept Western and Southern Europe from 1968 to present (separate timelines for each region)
2. choose the one political leader for each of the following countries that you think is most important, and briefly state how they fit into the trends outlined above: Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain & Portugal
3. briefly compare the two regions, noting at least one similarity and one difference

Week 1 - Welcome & Introduction

Welcome to Modern European History. In the first week of school we will introduce the course and discuss its various elements, one of which is this blog. Please know that homework and reading assignments are posted here weekly. For this week they are:

• Thursday Sept. 15th
• Read: Merriman, 1219-1226
• DUE: Summer reading assignment

See you soon...