The US Since 1945

Good news! The tables and chairs are coming back – we should have them for Wed’s class, and if not, we have permission to use the classroom next door – so either way, plan on being able to spread out materials on tables for Wed’s exam.

Speaking of the exam, thanks to all for a dedicated Sweet 16 bracket-setting class session today. Here are the final results – (click to enlarge)

Update:
Roe v. Wade v. Stagflation = winner was Roe v. Wade
Energy crisis v. Watergate = tied!
Fall of Saigon v. Iran hostage crisis = winner was Iran hostage crisis
Gay liberation movement v. Moon landing = winner was moon landing

Final Four matchups: Energy crisis beat Roe v. Wade; Moon landing beat Iran hostage crisis

Ultimate winner: 1970s energy crisis

On the exam, you should be able to place ANY of these eight events/terms on a timeline or organize them chronologically, define them, explain their historical context, and argue for the importance of 4 of them when placed in Final 8 match-ups on the exam. As before, you may bring a 3×5 notecard, and the HOT documents book.

And the exam questions ended up like this (yes, all will appear on the exam):

What effect did Watergate have on American culture and politics?
Were Americans metaphorically “taken hostage” in the 1970s; why or why not?
How did the Cold War change in the 1960s and 1970s?
What were the new conservatives seeking to “conserve”? How were the ideas of the new conservatives expressed during Reagan’s terms in office?
Identify some key cultural shifts from the late 1960s to the early 1980s, and discuss their origins and/or consequences.
How were women’s lives changing during this period? Construct an answer that draws on multiple perspectives.

In the week after the exam, our focus turns to the Research Paper:

Fri 4/4 Peer Review Day – Bring your Research Paper Draft to class
*Update* – the “Test Your Thesis” slide is now posted under the Research Paper tab above

Mon 4/7 Right, Left, Liberal, Conservative. Reading and activities = Investigate the 2011 Pew Political Typology study by reading the report (focus on Section 1 pages 1-26), taking the quiz, and watching the brief overview video (below). Be ready to talk about the political spectrum and how it’s evolved since the 1980s (and know where you, personally, fit into it).

See also: The American Presidency Project at UCSB

Wed 4/9 Film Day: We will screen the documentary The Eyes of Tammy Faye in class. Research Paper Due.

Fri 4/11 No class (I am presenting at a history conference) *BUT* Congress groups should meet on their own for a work session – you can use our classroom for this or meet in a different location, but please update your Congress wiki page on this date so I know you met together. I will post the instructions on the “Day7” page of the Congress wiki on the morning of the 11th.