Instructions:

View a documentary (not a clip) about our time period of American history, 1492 – 1877. Consider one from the list below or choose another if you like. If you are unsure if it is acceptable, email me and I will let you know.

• • Henry VIII’s Reformation https://www.pbs.org/video/henry-viiis-reformation-qw5srg/ (Links to an external site.)
  • A Biography of America, #1-11 https://www.learner.org/series/a-biography-of-america/ (Links to an external site.)
  • America: The Story of Us, #1-5 https://watch.historyvault.com/shows/america-the-story-of-us-2?cmpid=HV_ATSOU_Site_Promo_Tile (Links to an external site.)
• Write a review of the documentary that should include:
  • Title of Documentary
  • Citation, including production and date (PBS, History Channel, etc.)
  • A general overview of the film (150 word minimum).
• Each entry must be unique, therefore, students are not permitted to review a documentary that another student has submitted. Check to make sure that no one has already posted about the same documentary.

GRADING POLICY:

Discussion posts are graded within one week of the due date posted. Discussion Posts must be submitted in the proper format (see instructions above). For each post, students are expected to craft a well-written entry that fulfills the assignment requirements. Discussion posts allow the student to explore an aspect of history that is of interest to them and share that topic with the class. As such, the information provided must be from credible resources (see instructions).

MY EXAMPLE:

“Dolley Madison” (PBS, 2010)

This documentary highlights the interesting life of Dolley Madison. Before she became known as our first First Lady, Dolley Payne was born into a large family of Quakers who found themselves greatly in debt. Her early life was a series of tragedies, losing both an infant son and her first husband to yellow fever in 1793. She will be introduced to her future husband, James Madison. by Aaron Burr. Her life then becomes centered on the politics of her husband as he rises from U.S. Representative to President. She will be known for saving the portrait of George Washington and other important historical papers in the President’s Mansion during the War of 1812. Dolley greatly spiced up the formal dinner parties, always serving her favorite dessert of oyster ice cream. In her later years, her son’s debts forced her to sell her estate, Montpelier. Dolley Madison died in 1849 and would later be laid to rest in the Madison Family Cemetery.