$3.5 million for 30 seconds of your time!!!

Happy Thursday everyone!

As we look forward to the weekend many of us will watch the Superbowl to see whether the Giants or Patriots win.  Even if you hate football, there are some other reasons to watch the game…THE COMMERCIALS!!! Hundreds of millions of dollars will be spent on the air time (approximately $3.5 million per 30 sec. spot) and the fees for creation of the commercials to advertising agencies.

Remember, the economy and debt were huge issues after the Revolutionary War.  Daniel Shays led the violent rebellion that triggered the Constitutional Convention because of the farm foreclosures and the poor economic opportunities.  If our economy is really so bad TODAY, how can we support companies who spend so much on advertising?  Meanwhile, people TODAY are losing their homes to foreclosure at near record rates.  Hmmmmmmm?

Here are the links to the debt clock & the fun stuff too.

U.S. National Debt Clock : Real Time

United States public debt – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Super Bowl advertising – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Suzuki Sled Super Bowl Commercial 2012 – YouTube

Audi 2012 Game Day Commercial – Vampire Party – YouTube

“Transactions” Extended Version – 2012 Acura NSX Big Game Ad #JerrysNSX – YouTube

The Dog Strikes Back: 2012 Volkswagen Game Day Commercial – YouTube

The Force: Volkswagen Commercial – YouTube

Chevy Happy Grad | Chevy Super Bowl XLVI Ads | Chevrolet Commercial – YouTube

The Bark Side: 2012 Volkswagen Game Day Commercial Teaser – YouTube

YouTube – Doritos 2010 Superbowl Ads

“Love Hurts” Pepsi Max Commercial – YouTube

YouTube – Leaked super bowl commercial 2010

YouTube – The Best Super Bowl Commercial You’ll Never See

YouTube – Top Ten Super Bowl Ads 2008 – Commercials from Super Bowl 42

YouTube – Noxema with Farrah

YouTube – 1984 Apple’s Macintosh Commercial

YouTube – Original Budweiser Frogs Commercial

YouTube – Coca-Cola Classic ad: Mean Joe Green [Full Version] (1979)

YouTube – Larry Bird vs. Michael Jordan McDonalds commercial

YouTube – Tabasco “Mosquito” Super Bowl Spot (One of my favorites)

YouTube – Super Bowl Ad (99?) E*Trade – “Wasted $2 Million Bucks” (One of Mrs. Bumann’s favorites

Have a GREAT weekend everyone!!!

- Mr. J

Link to 9/11 lesson & post COMMENT HERE!

Hi everyone,

We’ve discussed today’s lesson and the links to various videos, animations, and timelines related to the 9/11 Terrorist attack on America.  ACCESS THEM BY CLICKING THIS MESSAGE OR THE PHOTO BELOW.

Please take time to learn, reflect, and build your prior knowledge as you read, listen, & watch.

Finally, please MAKE YOUR BLOG POSTING HERE, NOT ON THE “PAGES” page with all of the links.

- Mr. J

A photographic rendition of what the building will look like on the ground zero site.

Welcome to 8th grade U.S. History!!!

Visiting my grandparents old farm in North Dakota along the Missouri River.

I hope you’ve all had an exciting and restful summer!  It was great to meet both students and parents at the GMS “Opening Night” Monday.  Please take time to send a comment after you take time to view our blog site and remember the following when you send a comment to our class blog (thanks to Mrs. Schauland for publishing and sharing these rules on her blog!):

- First, for YOUR safety & security, do not use your first and last name when posting a comment.  Just use your FIRST NAME and LAST INITIAL.  You do need to use a current e-mail address (if you don’t have one, use mine djohnson@dist228.org). I will only publish pictures of students who’s parents have signed the agreement form and I will never publish anyone’s first and last name with a picture on my blog.

- Second, when you post a comment, it actually gets sent to the blog site and I have to log in, accept, and publish your comment, so only send your comment once.  As soon as I log on and publish your comments, they will show up.  This prevents any unacceptable or inappropriate comments from being viewed without my review.  PLEASE TAKE THIS AS YOUR WARNING - I guarantee that you WILL NOT enjoy the outcome if your comments are mean, rude, or inappropriate…I hope you get the idea.  If you wouldn’t voice your comment in person to your parents, me, or the principal, it’s probably not appropriate.  Life is hard enough without someone criticizing you online.  We all want to learn, communicate, and have fun with technology, but inappropriate use of our blog WON’T be tolerated.

- Third, feel free to comment as much as you like and encourage your parents to do the same!  However, if your parents need to contact me about a particular issue, e-mail is best.  This blog is for learning and sharing information about U.S. History in this class and is another way for you and I to communicate in & out of the classroom.

- Fourth, although the posts are the most viewed, I also have internet links to HISTORY TOPICS (INCLUDING HISTORY RELATED GAMES) on the “class links” tab and in previous posts.  The pages can be hard to see sometimes, but the first one is “About Mr. J” in case you want to read more about my background and family.  As the year goes on I will post info about topics we’re studying, current events, and an occasional fun question or comment.

Let’s have a GREAT year!

- Mr. J

Civil War research links

Hi students,

Today I’d like you to use the sites below to learn more about the Civil War and all of the events and people related to it.

The Best Sites For Learning About The American Civil War | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…

Civil War Preservation Trust: Battlefields

Civil War Weapons

Civil War Animated

Chronology Of The American Civil War

Get ya’ “GLOG” on!!!

Hi students,

Today & tomorrow you get to set up a GLOG (interactive online poster) and experiment with its possibilities.  You should be prepared to use a GLOG to present a battle or general of the Civil War next week.  We’ll be researching & working Monday – Wednesday, May 16-18.

Here is the link:

http://edu.glogster.com/

Happy “OREGON & CALIFORNIA” Trails!!!

From Jefferson to the War of 1812

Happy Friday Everyone!

Today you’ll be watching the HIPPOCAMPUS videos to review ALL Ch. 9 topics today.  If you’ve chosen to take notes during your reading, please have those notes out while you’re watching the review videos in case you’d like to add to your notes.

DURING YOUR REVIEW OR AFTER YOU FINISH, YOU MUST LEAVE BLOG POSTINGS ABOUT TWO OF THE TOPICS YOU REVIEW!!!  Each of your entries should be AT LEAST 2-4 sentences.

As usual, your BLOG entry should include your OPINION related to your thoughts, feelings, emotions, as you analyze one of the topics.  Please don’t just summarize what you watched, I actually want to know what you think (I know that’s scary, but it’s true).

Have a GREAT Friday and an awesome weekend!

- Mr. J

Ways the Constitution, laws, & citizenship impact you!!!

Thanks for the Photoshop lesson Mr. Hamilton!

Hi students!

Now that you’re done with the Constitution test and we’re just 2 days from Spring Break, let’s pause to look at how the Constitution that we’ve spent a month studying really impacts you!

Below are some sites related to laws in Illinois that do (or soon will) impact you as a teenager.  There is also a citizenship test similar in fashion to what you’d have to take to become a naturalized citizen.

Please take time to browse the following links and leave me AT LEAST ONE BLOG RESPONSE of 3 or more sentences reacting to the laws, links, Constitution, citizenship, or other related topics we’ve learned about during this unit.

- Mr. J

Almost 200 New Laws on the Books for 2011 in Illinois

Gov. Pat Quinn signs bill repealing Illinois death penalty – Beacon News

New Year, New Laws: Nearly 200 Laws Kick Off 2011 – Skokie, IL Patch

New Illinois law banning texting while driving may save teens, other distracted drivers from themselves

Illinois Curfew

State Laws | AAA Keys2Drive

Question about the illinois driving laws for teens.? – Yahoo! Answers

Illinois Parental Car Insurance Laws | eHow.com

Illinois Graduated Driver Licensing System

New Texas Laws Impact Teens, Parents | The Kid’s Doctor: Your Partner in Parenting

Citizenship Quiz — History.com Interactive Games, Maps and Timelines

Schools Urged To Teach Youth Digital Citizenship : NPR

Constitutional Topic: Citizenship – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net

Federalists & Anti-Federalists

Students,

In order to understand the viewpoints of groups of people prior to the development of the Constitution you’ve been learning about the Articles of Confederation and the new “ordinances” OR laws that were instituted during the time we needed a new constitution (written plan for government).

Now it’s time for you to learn about the division of the ideas people had for government.  The two main groups were the FEDERALISTS & the ANTI-FEDERALISTS.  Please write a definition for each in your notebook or on a piece of looseleaf paper to hand in to me tomorrow, Friday, January, 21, OR Monday, January 24th.

READ & USE INFO FROM the websites below to research the two groups and be as complete as possible giving ideas as to what each group believed and which important people were part of each group.

- Mr. J

A Cast of National Superstars [ushistory.org]

Antifederalists [ushistory.org]

Federalists [ushistory.org]

Federalists and Anti-Federalists

Constitutional Topic: The Federalists and Anti-Federalists – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net

He had a “DREAM”…do YOU?