Influences in New York State

When the explorers went back and told their European countries of all the riches in the New World, many countries were anxious to have settlements here. The years between 1600 and 1776 found the present day NY area influenced by at least three different groups: the Dutch (New Netherlands), the French (France), and the British (Great Britain). Each different group of people brought with it new languages, sports, foods, building styles, possibly religions, and customs.

The Dutch were the first to establish a colony here. Henry Hudson had claimed the land for them in 1609. They wanted to control the fur trade with the Native Americans, but it was a very difficult life here. The first settlers had to clear the land for crops, build their own homes, and defend themselves against the Native Americans. But in 1624, the first colonists sailed for the New World, which they called New Netherlands. It included parts of New Jersey, Delaware, and New York. It was to be the only Dutch colony, surrounded by English and French colonies.

The first group included about 30 families. Since they were mainly coming to trade furs, most of them continued up the Hudson River to reach Fort Orange (present day Albany). It was the best trading spot in the area. Fewer families stopped to settle at the mouth of the Hudson River in a settlement called New Amsterdam (present day New York City).



But the Dutch needed more people to settle here, so they set up a group of businessmen called the Dutch West India Company to try to get more people to come. This is how it worked: they called on rich men, called patroons, to persuade people to move to the New World. The patroon was given large amounts of land (mostly along the Hudson River) in exchange for bringing 50 settlers here. Now the settlers would not be given the land here; they were allowed to farm it in return for giving the patroon part of their crops and livestock as rent. This didn't work well, and many patroons failed and then quit, so the rules were changed. More people were then allowed to own land, and therefore, more people came here.

With more Dutch people, came more Dutch influences. Because the Dutch mainly lived around the Albany and New York City Area, many of their customs, building styles, food recipes, and city and street names are still found in those areas. Everywhere in New York State we still enjoy Dutch food (waffles, donuts, etc.) and some sports (like bowling). Did you know that lettuce and tomatoes were both brought to the new world by the Dutch?

Between 1624 and 1664, about one half of the colonists were Dutch, but the second largest group was the English. They came for religious freedom, better farmland, or to trade because New Amsterdam was a rich trading city. By 1664, Great Britain decided it wanted control of this colony and sent powerful British warships into New Amsterdam. Most Dutch did not want to fight this powerful British navy, so they gave up the colony without a shot being fired!

The British King then renamed it New York, after James, Duke of York, and set up a goal to increase the population. He immediately changed the names of Albany and New York City (see chart above), but the British encouraged people from different cultures and countries to live here. At one time they say there were 18 different languages being spoken on the streets of New York City!



Of course the biggest British influence on New York is the fact that we speak English as our language! We have also adopted many of their customs. It is also thought that our Constitution was directly influenced by the British Magna Carta.


New arrivals kept coming to the New World. Included in those groups were the French Huguenots. They wanted to practice a Protestant belief and were forced from France for doing so. In New York, the Huguenots could practice their religion, so in 1678 they settled up the Hudson River Valley around the present day cities of New Paltz and New Rochelle. Their influences on the area were many. Many French names are still found there. The Huguenots were a very hard working people, and they showed and shared their new farming methods with other settlers. They also believed in men and women having equal opportunities for education. They also provided the area with many fine artisans and craftsmen, including lace makers, clock makers, and furniture makers. After about 50 years, the French language began to disappear because of the increased Dutch and English population.

All three nationalities greatly influenced who we are, where we live, what we do, and how we talk!



DEFINITIONS

settlements: the process of establishing a permanent home in a new region

British: of Great Britain

Dutch: of the Netherlands

colony: a group of people settled in another land who are ruled by the government of their native land

rules: a law of conduct created by an authority (e.g. parents, school, or government)

artisan: a skilled person who makes something with his/her hands

patroon: rich Dutchmen who were given money by the Dutch government in return for supplying "farmers" for New Netherlands in the new country.

QUESTIONS:

1. Who were the first Europeans to settle in present day New York?


2. What was the Dutch name for Albany?


3. New York City was first named _________ by the Dutch?


4. A rich man who was given a large amount of money in return for getting people to settle in the new country was called?


5. What was New Netherlands renamed when the English took control of it?


6. The process of establishing a permanent home in a new region is called making a(n) ______________.


7. An adjective to describe people or things from Great Britain is __________________.


8. A group of people settled in another land who are ruled by the government of their native land is a(n) _________________.


9. A skilled person who makes something with his/her hands is a(n) ________________.


10. Laws of conduct created by an authority (e.g. parents, school, government) are called _____________.

Thanksgiving Day Web Quest

Thanksgiving Day is a day set aside each year in the United States and Canada for giving thanks and remembering the blessings of life. People may celebrate the day with family gatherings, feasting, and prayer. For many people, Thanksgiving calls forth memories of tables crowded with food, happy reunions, football games, and religious contemplation.

For thousands of years, people in many parts of the world have held harvest festivals. The American Thanksgiving Day grew out of these harvest home celebrations. For this reason, the holiday takes place late in the fall, after the crops have been gathered.

More than any other American holiday, Thanksgiving Day is surrounded with tradition, myth, and legend…one legacy of thanksgiving that has endured and remains true to the historical record is the theme of generosity—for three days in the autumn of 1621, some of the native inhabitants of New England (American Indians) joined more recent arrivals from England (The Pilgrims) in sharing the gifts of the land with each other. Each November, American continue this tradition with family and friends.



American Indians have a long tradition of celebrations of thanks for the bounties of the earth. Europeans have also held autumn harvest festivals and feasts for centuries. In 1619, a group of 38 English settlers arrived at Berkeley Plantation, near what is now Charles City, Virginia, on December 4. The group’s charter required that the day of arrival be observed yearly as a day of thanksgiving to God.

Plymouth Colony. The Plymouth Colony was founded by English pilgrims in 1620 at the site of a deserted Wampanoag Indian village called Patuxet. The colonists’ first winter in Plymouth was harsh, and about half of them died. In the spring of 1621, however, a Patuxet Indian named Tisquantum—called Squanto by the English—showed them how to plant traditional Native American crops of corn and pumpkin in addition to their European peas, wheat, and barley. In early autumn of 1621, the governor of Plymouth, William Bradford, organized a festival to give thanks to God for the survival of the colony and for their first harvest.

The festival lasted three days. Tradition holds that the colonists invited Massasoit, the Wampanoag chief, although some versions of the story claim he came to negotiate a new land treaty. He arrived with about 90 of his people and contributed five deer to the feast. The women of the settlement supervised cooking over outdoor fires. Foods served probably included duck and turkey; a corn porridge called nasaump; and a pumpkin dish called pompion. The English and Wapanoags played games and engaged in contests of skill, and the English held a military review. The colonists held similar harvest celebrations for several years. The Wampanoags did not always participate. Good relations between the colonists and the Indians eventually ended because of disputes over land, religious beliefs, and cultural traditions.






Later Thanksgiving Days in the United States.

The custom of thanksgiving days spread from Plymouth to other New England colonies. During the American Revolution (1775-1783), the Americans observed eight special days of thanks for victories and for being saved from dangers. In 1789, President George Washington issued a general proclamation naming November 26 a national day of thanksgiving.

For many years, the country had no regular national Thanksgiving Day. But some states had a yearly thanksgiving holiday. By 1830, New York had an official state Thanksgiving Day, and other Northern states soon followed its example. In 1855, Virginia became the nation’s first Southern state to adopt the custom.

President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday in November 1863, as “a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father.” Each year afterward, the president formally proclaimed that Thanksgiving Day should be celebrated on the last Thursday of November. But in 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt set it one week earlier to help business by lengthening the shopping period before Christmas. Congress ruled that after 1941 the fourth Thursday of November would be observed as Thanksgiving Day and would be a legal federal holiday.

Thanksgiving Day in Canada is celebrated in much the same way as in the United States. The first Canadian thanksgiving was celebrated in Newfoundland in 1578. The English captain Martin Frobisher held a ceremony to give thanks for surviving the long sea journey from England. Thanksgiving Day in Canada was formerly celebrated on the last Monday in October. But in 1957, the Canadian government proclaimed the second Monday in October to be the holiday.

Andrews, Melodie. "Thanksgiving Day." World Book Student. World Book, 2009. Web. 10 Nov. 2009.

1. What is Thanksgiving Day?

2. How do people celebrate?

3. What other celebration did Thanksgiving grow out of?

4. In what year was Plymouth Colony founded?

5. Who founded it?

6. What was the first winter in Plymouth like?

7. Who was Squanto and what did he do?

8. Who was William Bradford and what did he do?

9. In what year was the first Thanksgiving celebration held?

10. How long did it last?

11. What food was served?

12. What games were played?

13. How did Americans celebrate Thanksgiving during the Revolutionary War?

14. What happened in 1941?

15. What other country celebrates Thanksgiving?

Veteran's Day Web Quest

DEFENITION - Veteran: a person who has served in a military force, especially one who has fought in a war

“TO HONOR VETERANS OF ALL WARS”

Raymond Weeks of Birmingham, Alabama, organized a Veterans Day parade for that city on November 11, 1947, to honor all of America's Veterans for their loyal service. Later, U.S. Representative Edward H. Rees of Kansas proposed legislation changing the name of Armistice Day to Veterans Day to honor all who have served in America’s Armed Forces.


In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a bill proclaiming November 11th as Veterans Day and called upon Americans everywhere to rededicate themselves to the cause of peace. He issued a Presidential Order directing the head of the Veterans Administration, now the Department of Veterans Affairs, to form a Veterans Day National Committee to organize and oversee the national observance of Veterans Day. In addition to fulfilling that mission, the committee oversees the annual production and distribution of the annual Veterans Day poster.



June 1, 1954: President Eisenhower signs HR7786, changing Armistice Day
to Veterans Day.


In 1968, Congress moved Veterans Day to the fourth Monday in October. However, it became apparent that the November 11th date was historically significant to a great many Americans. As a result, Congress formally returned the observance of Veterans Day to its traditional date in 1978.

The Veterans Day National Ceremony is held each year on November 11th at Arlington National Cemetery. At 11 a.m., a color guard, made up of members from each of the military services, renders honors to America's war dead during a tradition-rich ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns.

The President or his representative places a wreath at the Tomb and a bugler sounds “Taps.” The balance of the ceremony, including a "Parade of Flags" by numerous Veterans service organizations, takes place inside the Memorial Amphitheater, adjacent to the Tomb.

In addition to planning and coordinating the National Veterans Day Ceremony, the Veterans Day National Committee supports a number of Veterans Day Regional Sites. These sites conduct Veterans Day celebrations that provide excellent examples for other communities to follow. For a listing of these sites, please visit:
www.va.gov/opa/vetsday/regsites.asp.



PLEASE ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:


1. What is a veteran?

2. Who organized the first veteran’s parade and when was it held?

3. Who was Dwight D. Eisenhower and what did he do in 1954?

4. In 1968 Congress moved Veteran’s Day to what date?

5. What happened in 1978?

6. When and where is the Veterans Day National Ceremony is held each year?

7. What does the President do at the ceremony?

You Are There!

Hello Explorers:

Pretend that you are about to become one of the original inhabitants of our region.

Describe your journey.

Give details of your thoughts and feelings and interactions with other people.

Be sure to include details from your research.

USE YOUR OWN WORDS!

Break your story up into four paragraphs:

1) The first paragraph can be introducing the character and why they’re leaving on their journey.

2) The second paragraph can be about the actual journey, things they run into, things that occur.

3) The third paragraph can be once they arrive at their destination, what they find and plan to do while they’re there.

4) The fourth paragraph can be the conclusion, how you feel about being in your new home.

You will write your rough draft in your social studies notebook and publish your final draft in a WORD document. You need to fill at least two pages in your notebook, but feel free to write more.

The First Inhabitants of our Region

The first inhabitants of our region were Native Americans. It is thought that the first people in New York originally came from Asia (Siberia) by way of the Bering Strait about 11,500 years ago. They have been in North America for 40,000 years, but it took them a while to get as far as New York! The hunters and gatherers constantly walked south (away from the glaciers) in search of food.





One of the animals hunted were mammoths, a giant elephant-like animal



They probably followed them over the land bridge shown on the map above and eventually got to what is now New York State. They stopped in New York, perhaps because of the good geographic location. Lake Ontario and New York's rivers provided food, water, and a means of transportation for these early New Yorkers. The Spring and Summer season proved long enough to grow crops, allowing these early hunters and gatherers to become farmers. This permitted them to stay in one place, to form villages.
How do we know how long the Native Americans have been here? Archaeologists have done some digging and have come up with some very old artifacts that date the presence of Native Americans in present day New York State back 11,500 years! The people did not write anything down then, so the only clues we have are what the scientists find buried in the ground. They have found such things as stone axes, projectile points (arrowheads), pottery or stone bowls, and fire rings. With knowledge, an archaeologist can date these materials and tell when people lived where.
From the artifacts we now know for certain that the first inhabitants in New York State were Native Americans, and they have lived here for over 10,000 years.

DEFINITIONS:

Inhabitants- person who lives in an area

Bering Strait - a narrow body of water separating Asia and North America at Alaska

Native American - an American Indian

Archaeologists- a scientist who studies artifacts to learn about the past.

artifact - an object made by people who lived in the past.

Please answer the following questions:

1. Who were the first inhabitants of our region?

2. Where did the first people in New York originally come from?

3. How did they get here?

4. What is the Bering Strait?

5. Why did they walk south?

6. How long have these people been in North America?

7. What is a mammoth?

8. Why did they stop in New York?

9. What permitted them to stay in one place, to form villages?

10. How do we know how long the Native Americans have been here?

11. You have already defined the Bering Strait. How were the first inhabitants able to get across it?



Answer the questions in the comment section of the blog.

When you have finished answering the questions, choose the identity Anonymous and publish your comment.

Grade IV / Unit I / Lesson I

Hello Students:

In your class you have begun a study Native American tribes in New York. Today, we will explore how the tribes got here and the different ways they lived and survived.


1) Click here to watch a short movie about American Indians. You must first log-in (username: ps376 password: ps376).

2) Take the graded quiz and raise your hand when you have a score.

Student Interest Survey

Hello Students:

In order to get to know you a little better (and learn how to save your work online), I would like you to fill out the following Student Interest Survey. It will be fun and interesting to find out about you. I will complete the survey too and when we're finished, we'll see what everyone had to say.

Directions:

1) Open a new WORD document.

2) Write your name and class number at the top of the page.

3) Copy and paste the questions from the class blog into the WORD document.

4) Save the document using YOUR NAME to the desktop.

5) Close WORD and the class blog.

6) Drag your WORD document from the desktop to your class folder

7) Drag the WORD document on the desktop to the TRASH.

8) Open the copy of your WORD document in your class folder.

9) Answer the questions in the survey.

10) Save and close your document.





Please answer the following questions using full sentences and proper punctuation:

1) What is your favorite song?

2) What is your favorite food?

3) What is your favorite movie?

4) What is your favorite T.V. show?

5) Where is your favorite place to be alone?

6) Where is your favorite vacation spot?

7) What was your most embarrassing moment? Why?

8) Who is your most admired person?

9) What is your favorite subject in school?

10) What is your favorite season?

11) Who is your favorite author?

12) What do you want to be when you grow up? Why?


REMEMBER:

Check your Writing!

1) Did I proofread my writing for spelling errors?

2) Does the first letter of each new sentence, as well as each proper noun (the names of people, places and things) begin with a capital letter?

3) Is “I” always capitalized?

4) Does every sentence end in a period (.), question mark (?) or exclamation point (!)?

5) Did I put one space between each word and two spaces after each period and between all sentences?

Orientation 2010

http://ps376grade5socialstudies.blogspot.com/

Topic: Introduction to Social Studies/Technology


My mission is to promote teaching and learning as core human activities dependent on relationship, passion and vision--in service to creativity, personal growth and a sustainable world.

Instructor: Mr. Almaas

Hello Students:

A new year and a new room!

Welcome to our Social Studies/Technology class. You are living during a time when we are experiencing the largest increase in expressive capability in human history. It will be a function of this class to help you become effective communicators in the media of your time.

We will be meeting here online every week where we will cover the social studies curriculum using technology.

Today you will be assigned a seat here in our, we'll go over the rules and then jump right in to our first assignment.

The Rules Of Our Class:

1) Be respectful of yourself and others.
2) Raise your hand to speak during class.
3) Listen quietly while others are speaking.
4) Always do your best!

Behavior Rubric





Grading

Each week you will be given an assignment to complete in class. If completed satisfactorily, you will get a check in the grade book beside your name as per the rubric below.


Social Studies/Technology Rubric

Check Plus = Information is accurate and useful. The theme or main idea of the
assignment is clear and related to the purpose or theme of the project.


Check = Information is clear and correct. The theme or main idea of the assignment is more or less clear and related to the purpose or theme of the project.


Check Minus = Completed week's assignment approaching standard. Information is
incomplete or not correct. The completed assignment does not have a clear purpose
or central theme.

No Check = Assignment was not completed.


Final Grade Rubric

All check pluses for the projects and weekly assignments, along with good behavior, during a grading period will result in a final grade of:

4

A mixture of checks and check pluses for the projects and weekly assignments, along with good behavior, during a grading period will result in a final grade of:

3

Too many check minuses and/or questionable classroom behavior during a grading period will result in a final grade of:

2

Too many check minuses, unexcused absences from class and poor classroom behavior during a grading period will result in a final grade of:

1


TODAY'S ACTIVITY

Today we have gone over the rules and procedures of our class, you watched a PowerPoint presentation showing many interesting sights around the Catskill Mountains and you learned how to sign in and access the online activities for this class.

Now you will notice New York State's geographical location in the United States by completing an online activity where it's up to you to point out where the 50 states go on a map of the United States:

Click the hyperlink above and begin.

Good luck!

Memorial Day

Hello Students:

Today we will take a look at Memorial Day, a patriotic holiday in the United States of America, usually celebrated on the last Monday in May. Click here to read about Memorial Day. When you have finished, answer the following questions in your social studies notebooks.

1) What is Memorial Day?

2) Why was it originally celebrated?

3) Who does it honor now?

4) What city is is considered the birthplace of Memorial Day?

5) Who is Major General John A. Logan?

6) List four things people do to celebrate Memorial Day.

Slavery Ends

Hello Students:

Today you will be using an interactive timeline called the History of the United States. Before you visit this site, read the information below. Then click on the link below to begin.

* When the United States Timeline appears, drag your mouse to the right until you reach the year 1865.

* Click on the picture titled "Slavery Ends."

* There will be a red button at the bottom of the page that says, “read me.” Click it and read the paragraph that appears.

* This same paragraph will appear on each of the following pages, so you may review it whenever you click “read me.” You may hide the writing by clicking on the “hide me” button whenever you wish to view the whole picture.

* Look at all five of the photographs on slavery by clicking on the moving sprocket button in the bottom right-hand corner of each picture.

* When you are finished, return to this page by clicking on the “Back” button at the top, and answer the questions below in your social studies notebooks.

*You may go back and reread any time you wish.

If you are ready to begin, click here.

Can you answer these questions about slavery?

1. In what year was slavery outlawed in the United States?

2. What document ended slavery?

3. From what continent did most enslaved people come?

4. About how many enslaved people were shipped to the United States?

5. After slavery ended, Booker T. Washington founded Tuskegee. What is Tuskegee?

Slave Trade In The Colonies

Hello Students:

Today we will continue our study of the Slave Trade by going over some vocabulary terms.

Click here to play a matching game of Slave Trade vocabulary. When you have finished, write the terms down in your social studies notebook along with the definitions.

You will be using this information in the presentations you start working on next week.

The Colonial Slave Trade

Hello Students:

Today, we will continue our exploration of Slavery in New York City and New York State. Click here to read an advertisement offering a slave for sale. Copy down the questions below it in your social studies notebooks and answer the questions based on the information you glean from the advertisement.

The Slave Trade

Hello Students:

In your regular classes you have begun a study of the Immigration in the United States. Today, we will look at a group of people who did not come to this country voluntarily. We will begin an inquiry into the Slave Trade in the American Colonies and later the United States.



Click here to read a short article about slavery. When you have finished, answer the following questions in your social studies notebook:

1) European colonists were not the only people who made up the population of the American colonies. ___________ who had been captured, brought to America, and enslaved, also lived in the New England colonies.

2) Fewer than ________ slaves lived in the colonies of New England in the year 1700. By the end of the 18th century, the population of enslaved Africans had reportedly reached _________.

3) When the America declared its independence in 1776, ___________ had the second largest slave population in America.


4) Define the following terms:

a. slaves

b. 18th Century

c. population

d. colonists

e. cultures

f. enslaved

g. customs

h. colonized

Contributions of New Yorkers Lesson Part II

Hello Students:

Use the article in the post below to continue answering questions about the contributions of New Yorkers during theColonial and Revolutionary Period in NY .

QUESTIONS:

1. Once New York's constitution was written, a ________ was needed. _____________ was chosen. He was so popular that he was reelected to the governor's position for the next ___________.

2. During the war, people were forced to do some _________________ to protect the colonists from the British army. One person who helped the Patriot's cause was ____________. When the British were seen to be advancing north from New York City in 1777, someone needed to __________________ ahead of their path.

3. Why were women important during the Revolutionary War? What jobs did they do?

4. A a person chosen by a group to speak or vote or act for them is called a _____________.

5. A a formal meeting held for a special purpose is called a _______________.

Colonial and Revolutionary Period in NY

Contributions of New Yorkers Lesson Part I

There were many important accomplishments of individuals and groups living in our community and region before and during the Revolutionary War Period. The famous New Yorkers ( most were not born here, just lived here!) of that time period included Peter Stuyvesant, John Peter Zenger, John Jay, George Clinton, Alexander Hamilton, and Sybil Ludington.


While our colony was ruled by the Dutch, there were several governors. One was Peter Minuit, who "bought" Manhattan from the Lenni Lenape Native Americans with tools, beads, and clothing worth about $24. In 1647, Peter Stuyvesant arrived in New Amsterdam to be the governor of the colony. He is known, for among other things, making life here safer. He realized that fire was a great danger. He made laws to make sure the chimneys were built better and kept clean. He also started the "rattle watch". This name came from the wooden rattle that the watchmen shook to warn of any trouble, be it crime or fire. Also during his rule, cobblestone streets replaced dirt roads, and the first hospital opened. The city also built a protective wall where Wall Street now runs, and settlers began moving into outlying areas that eventually became part of New York City.





After the English took over the colony, the population grew. The first mail service was set up in 1673 between New York City and Boston. New York's first newspaper started in 1725. John Peter Zenger started publishing his newspaper, called the Weekly Journal, in 1733. He published cartoons making fun of the governor at the time, Gov. William Cosby. Cosby was not happy and threw Zenger in jail. At the trial, Zenger's lawyers fought that he had a right to publish the cartoons because they were the truth. People at the time thought the British government would side with Cosby, as British law said that people could not print things that found fault with the government. But the jury sided with Zenger, the people in the courtroom cheered, and the right of people to print or tell the news, called the freedom of the press, was first established in the New York colony.

As tensions with Great Britain were rising, the colonies required some very strong political leaders. In 1775 representatives met in Philadelphia to talk about how the colonies should deal with Great Britain. Three of New York's delegates to that convention, called the Continental Congress, were George Clinton, Robert Livingston, and John Jay. Jay was especially important as he was asked to write several important letters, including one to British government asking them to stop the fighting. With this duty, he started setting up the federal government.

Jay was also important in setting up a state government. In 1776 a group of representatives met first in New York City . Their purpose was to set up a new state government. This was during the Revolutionary War, so the meetings had to be kept secret. John Jay, Robert Livingston, and George Clinton were representatives to that convention. Their first job was to write a state constitution, a plan of government. John Jay was one of 14 members chosen to write the document. It was his idea that the Declaration of Independence be part of New York's constitution.



Once New York's constitution was written, a governor was needed. George Clinton was chosen. He was a lawyer and a general for the Patriots. He also had represented New York at the Continental Congress. He was so popular that he was reelected to the governor's position for the next 18 years.



When the 13 states first met in 1776, each state wanted to keep its own identity. In other words, each wanted to be an individual state first, and then part of the larger United States. No one state wanted to give up its own powers. After all, they were fighting a war to get rid of a "larger" power (England). But this caused problems right away. The federal government did not have the power to collect taxes, for instance, and it could not pay its bills. So when the war ended, many people, Alexander Hamilton being one of them, decided to make the federal government (and thus the United States) stronger. They did this by writing a Constitution, in which they made many decisions regarding the formation of a stronger federal government. They met in Philadelphia in 1787. New York sent three representatives, but the other two representatives ended up going back to New York early as they didn't agree with the new Constitution. (They thought the federal government was too strong). Alexander Hamilton was the only New Yorker to sign the United States Constitution.



During the war, people were forced to do some very heroic jobs to protect the colonists from the British army. One person who helped the Patriot's cause was Sybil Ludington, a young 16-year-old girl. When the British were seen to be advancing north from New York City in 1777, someone needed to warn the troops and farms ahead of their path. It was decided to send Sybil on her horse to warn of the British.



Yet Sybil Ludington wasn't the only woman in New York to do heroic deeds. Women in New York did a lot during the Revolutionary War. They usually weren't in the fighting units, but they still were important. Patriot women boycotted goods from England, and therefore had to supply more of their own goods. They had to make cloth (spinning and weaving) for not only themselves and their children but for clothing for the Patriot army. In fact, each Patriot woman had to knit a certain number of pairs of socks, and for each one she did not knit, she was fined $10!

With their husbands and fathers off fighting the war, the women had to pick up many jobs that the men had done before. They also served as nurses to the armies. After a battle, women would take the uniforms off wounded or dead soldiers, mend and wash them, and return them to the army for more use. It wasn't an easy life!



DEFINITIONS

representative: a person chosen by a group to speak or vote or act for them

convention: a formal meeting held for a special purpose

constitution: a plan of government; it explains how a government is set up. It also outlines the most important laws.


QUESTIONS:

1) Name two Dutch Governors of New Amsterdam.

2) What year did Peter Stuyvesant arrive in New Amsterdam? What, among other things, is he known for?

3) What year was the first mail service was set up in New York City?

4) Who was John Peter Zenger and why did he get thrown in jail?

5) For what reason did representatives of the colonies meet in Philadelphia in 1775?

6) What was that convention called?

7) Who were George Clinton, Robert Livingston, and John Jay?


Source: http://www.studyzone.org/testprep/ss5/c/contributionsl.cfm

Presidents Day

Hello Students:

Every year on the third Monday in February, we celebrate the holiday Presidents' Day honoring the birthdays of both George Washington and Abraham Lincoln,. Today we will watch a film and do an activity where we learn about these great men.

Click here (username: ps376 / password: ps376) and watch the film about George Washington or Abraham Lincoln. When you are finished, take the graded online quiz. When you are finished, raise your hand, I will come over and check your score and show you what to do next.

Early New York History Song

Students:

In you class you have been studying of how diverse cultures interact and affect each other. Today, we will continue our exploration of Dutch, English, and French influences in New York State with a song. Next week we will record the song and use it as a soundtrack for an iMovie each of you will be making.



"Early New York History Song" (to the tune of "Farmer in the Dell")

V1: First we were the Dutch,
First we were the Dutch,
Hi-ho, the derry-o
We didn't like them much.

V2: Here for forty years,
Here for forty years,
Hi-ho, the derry-o
They left, we shed no tears.

V3: The English had the might,
The English had the might,
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The Dutch would never fight.

V4: They renamed all the land,
They renamed all the land,
Hi-ho, the derry-o
To change us was their plan.

V5: The French were also here,
The French were also here,
Hi-ho, the derry-o
Their language disappeared.

V6: The King we didn't like,
The King we didn't like,
Hi-ho, the derry-o
Thus soon we all would fight.

Influences in New York State Part 3

Illustration: "The First Slave Auction at New Amsterdam in 1655," by Howard Pyle, courtesy of the Granger Collection, New York.

Directions: Answers these questions based on the picture above and your knowledge of social studies.

1. What is the name of this drawing?



2. Describe what is happening in this picture. What's happening:



3. Why are there no women in the crowd?



4. Look at the man with the red vest who is standing next to a store. What does this store sell?



source: http://www.studyzone.org/testprep/ss5/c/influencescrq.cfm

Martin Luther King Day

Hello Students:

In honor of Martin Luther King Day (Monday, January 18th), we are going to take a look at the life and work of this great civil rights leader.

Click here (username: ps376 password: ps376) to watch a movie about Martin Luther King. After you are finished, take the graded quiz. Raise your hand when you have a score. I will check your work and then you will go on to the Activity Page.