CURRENT COURSE · 2026–2027
Examine America’s founding promises and contradictions—and the people who tested them.
The course combines print reading, student-led seminars, historical simulations, and analytical writing. Students compare interpretations, attend to voices often pushed aside, and take responsibility for their growth.
BOOKS & PRIMARY SOURCES
The current book list, with early units already posted and later units still being developed. Students use print copies; audiobooks may support their reading.
Assigned opening selections frame Native history and historical memory.
Read alongside Hamilton to compare biography with the musical’s interpretation.
A firsthand account at the center of the planned seminars and essay.
On the course book list; daily assignments will be added as the unit develops.
On the course book list; daily assignments will be added as the unit develops.
Titles identify the readings; books are not reproduced here. See the assignment sheets for specific chapters and excerpts.
Eyeballs over screens: These activities reinforce prior learning. My approach →
I designed these activities with ChatGPT’s help. How I build them and explain their sources →
OPEN AN INTERACTIVE LESSON
A simulation of choices on the road to revolution.
Open on ChatGPT Sites ↗Use with your notes after learning the topic. Works offline; separate from the interactive activity.
Explore the Articles of Confederation through classroom decisions.
Open on ChatGPT Sites ↗Use with your notes after learning the topic. Works offline; separate from the interactive activity.
Debate constitutional design and ratification.
Open on ChatGPT Sites ↗Use with your notes after learning the topic. Works offline; separate from the interactive activity.
Develop historical arguments through source-based writing practice.
Open on ChatGPT Sites ↗Use with your notes after learning the topic. Works offline; separate from the interactive activity.
WHAT WE STUDY · WHAT STUDENTS DO
Students read beyond a single textbook, test interpretations against evidence, and bring their own questions to discussion. The daily sheets below separate shared classroom work from independent preparation.
David Treuer’s The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee introduces Native perspectives. Martha Brockenbrough’s Alexander Hamilton, Revolutionary becomes a source for evaluating how the musical tells history. Simulations explore revolutionary and constitutional choices.
Students produce: reading annotations, seminar contributions and reflections, and an in-class historical argument.
Read the Unit 2 daily sheet ↓The planned Harriet Jacobs unit asks how people acted within the constraints of enslavement. Students connect close reading to historical context, compare sources, and build an argument through writing checkpoints.
Students produce: prepared seminar questions, source analysis, and a sustained essay with Chicago footnotes and self-evaluation.
Read the Unit 3 daily sheet ↓Unit 1 establishes the course’s goals and classroom protocols. The available dated sheets cover Unit 2 and the planned Unit 3.
UNIT 1 · COURSE DOCUMENTS & POLICIES
Curiosity, a stronger voice, and the ability to support an argument with evidence.
Encounter unfamiliar perspectives, practice empathy, work with others, and defend a position respectfully with facts.
Build responsibility and organization through practice, revision, and self-assessment. Students set goals and identify what they need to improve.
Put sources in context, compare interpretations, examine perspective, and connect evidence to an explanation.
Use discussion, written arguments, and student-driven work to communicate understanding. The point is to develop judgment and a voice of one’s own.
Adapted from Unit 1, “In this course, Mr. Cutler hopes that students will…” and the course welcome page.
THE PHILOSOPHY IN PRACTICE
Bring the required print books, complete the assigned preparation, and use the assignment sheet after an absence. The book policy allows audiobooks as support while students follow along in print.
Phones and connected watches are put away, with medical needs and agreed exceptions accommodated. AI-assisted production of student work requires explicit permission; unauthorized use earns a zero under the course policy.
Seminars are followed by self-reflection. Students examine their contributions, what they learned from others, and their next improvement. I retain responsibility for grading and follow-up conversations.
For eligible in-class writing, students first meet with me and write a reflection within one week of the original grade. Revisions are due within two weeks and may earn additional credit. This is not a full-credit retake policy.
I aim to return work within a week, explain when more time is needed, and invites students to discuss comments. Feedback should identify strengths and a practical path forward.
U.S. History uses total points. Late work can earn partial credit within the policy’s three-day window. Students communicate proactively about absences, extensions, and make-up work.
These protocols establish expectations for the course. Individual arrangements and policy updates are discussed directly with me.
CLASSWORK & HOMEWORK · UNIT 2
Students read David Treuer and Martha Brockenbrough, explore the Road to Revolution, and compare Hamilton with historical biography. The unit leads to an in-class essay about history and popular memory, followed by self-evaluation and a conference.
A linked simulation used across two class meetings to explore choices and consequences.
Open on ChatGPT Sites ↗Use with your notes after learning the topic. Works offline; separate from the interactive activity.
An Articles of Confederation activity that students work through across class meetings.
Open on ChatGPT Sites ↗Use with your notes after learning the topic. Works offline; separate from the interactive activity.
Read each day below: In class shows the work students do together; Homework / preparation shows what they complete outside class and when it is due. Use the search or dropdown to find a lesson.
Showing 32 of 32 dated entries · Unit 2
Sections 1, 2, and 3
Introductions and a getting-to-know-you Kahoot. Special schedule: morning meeting, advisory, homeroom, and short class meetings.
Read the "Prologue" and "Fatal Encounters: 10,000 BCE-1890," through p. 51, in The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee by David Treuer. Prepare for a Mr. Cutler-led seminar. Sections 2-3: due Wednesday, September 9. Section 1: due Thursday, September 10.
Sections 2 and 3 only
Review class pacing, coverage, themes, and expectations.
No new homework. Continue the Treuer reading for your September 9 seminar.
Sections 2 and 3 only
Use class time to read and prepare for tomorrow's Treuer seminar.
Due Wednesday, September 9, by 8:00 a.m.: Submit Assignments 1.13 and 1.14. Finish the Treuer reading through p. 51 before your seminar.
Sections 1, 2, and 3
Sections 2-3: Assignments 1.13 and 1.14 by 8:00 a.m.; Treuer reading through p. 51 completed before the seminar.
Section 1: Review class pacing, coverage, themes, and expectations.Sections 2-3: Mr. Cutler-led seminar on the "Prologue" and "Fatal Encounters," through p. 51, in The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee by David Treuer.
Section 1: Finish the Treuer reading for tomorrow's seminar. Sections 2-3: No new homework. Your Treuer seminar self-reflection is due Tuesday, September 15, by 3:25 p.m..
Section 1 only
Section 1: Treuer reading through p. 51 completed before the seminar.
Mr. Cutler-led seminar on the "Prologue" and "Fatal Encounters," through p. 51, in The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee by David Treuer.
Due Tuesday, September 15, by 3:25 p.m.: Complete your Treuer seminar self-reflection. This deadline applies even though Section 1 does not meet Tuesday.
Sections 1, 2, and 3
No-homework weekend: You are not expected to work September 11-13. Nothing is due Monday, September 14, and there will be no assessments that day.
Begin the Road to Revolution simulation.
Due Friday, September 18, before class: Read the Foreword and Chapters 1-3, through p. 73, in Alexander Hamilton, Revolutionary by Martha Brockenbrough. Prepare for the first Hamilton seminar. Plan to complete this reading during the school week.
Connect the French and Indian War to the tensions that led toward the American Revolution.
Use with your notes after learning the topic. Works offline; separate from the interactive activity.
Sections 1, 2, and 3
Nothing is due and no assessments occur today. This is the first class after the Rosh Hashanah no-homework weekend.
Continue the Road to Revolution simulation, connecting the French and Indian War to the road to revolution.
Due Tuesday, September 15, by 3:25 p.m.: Submit your Treuer seminar self-reflection. Continue the Hamilton reading - Foreword and Chapters 1-3, through p. 73 - for Friday.
Use with your notes after learning the topic. Works offline; separate from the interactive activity.
Sections 2 and 3 only
ALL SECTIONS: Treuer seminar self-reflection by 3:25 p.m.. Section 1 submits even though it does not meet today.
Introduce the in-class essay and complete the opening activity in the Hamilton viewing and essay guide. Watch the first 35 minutes of Hamilton: The Musical and discuss. Keep brief movie notes using the guide's four-part format. Open song notes to print or download a Word copy.
No new homework. Continue the Foreword and Chapters 1-3, through p. 73, for Friday's seminar.
Begin noticing how a written biography and a musical present the same historical figure.
Sections 1, 2, and 3
Section 1: Introduce the essay and complete the opening activity in the Hamilton viewing and essay guide; watch the first 35 minutes of Hamilton: The Musical and discuss.Sections 2-3: Discuss the opening segment, review your movie notes, and compare a scene with a passage from Chapters 1-3. The second segment is scheduled for September 22.All sections: Keep brief movie notes. When you reach the matching biography passage, record its page and explain what the film and book present the same way or differently. Open song notes to print or download a Word copy.
For Friday, September 18: Finish the Foreword and Chapters 1-3, through p. 73, and prepare for the seminar.
Section 1 only
Review the opening segment of Hamilton: The Musical and discuss. Use the Hamilton viewing and essay guide to compare a scene with a passage from Chapters 1-3. Record its page and explain a similarity or difference. The second segment is scheduled for September 24. Open song notes to print or download a Word copy.
For tomorrow's seminar: Finish the Foreword and Chapters 1-3, through p. 73.
Sections 1, 2, and 3
All sections: Foreword and Chapters 1-3, through p. 73, completed before the seminar.
Adjusted reflection deadline: September 25 replaces September 23 to allow two class periods after Yom Kippur. The holiday begins at sundown Sunday, September 20; no school Monday, September 21.
Seminar on the Foreword and Chapters 1-3, through p. 73, in Alexander Hamilton, Revolutionary by Martha Brockenbrough. At the end of the seminar, choose a scene your class has watched about early life, writing, Seabury, or joining Washington's staff. Find the biography's account of the same event and record its exact page. Explain a similarity or difference and what a viewer would understand or misunderstand because of it. Use the Hamilton seminar checkpoints.
Due Friday, September 25, before class: Read Chapters 4-6, through p. 161, for the next seminar. Due Friday, September 25, by 3:25 p.m.: Submit the self-reflection for today's seminar.
Sections 2 and 3 only
No work is due today. This is the first class after Yom Kippur for Sections 2 and 3.
Use the full 50 minutes for viewing session 2 of Hamilton: The Musical, continuing from your class's actual stopping point. Jot brief observations while watching. Use the Hamilton viewing and essay guide to develop your film-and-book comparisons during the already scheduled reading, seminar, and preparation activities. Open song notes to print or download a Word copy.
No new homework. Use the available school-week time to prepare Chapters 4-6, through p. 161, for Friday. The September 18 seminar reflection is also due Friday at 3:25 p.m.
Sections 1, 2, and 3
The reflection is not due today. This is Section 1's first class after Yom Kippur and the second for Sections 2 and 3.
Read, prepare for Friday's seminar, and check in with Mr. Cutler. As you read Chapters 4-6, revisit notes on scenes your class has already watched. Compare one scene with a specific book passage, record the page, and explain a similarity or difference. For scenes you have not yet watched, turn a passage about courtship, dueling, Washington, or Yorktown into a question to watch for. Weekly reading and viewing map.
For Friday, September 25: Finish Chapters 4-6, through p. 161. Submit the September 18 seminar reflection by 3:25 p.m. Friday.
Section 1 only
This is Section 1's second class after Yom Kippur. No assignment is due today.
Use the full 50 minutes for viewing session 2 of Hamilton: The Musical, continuing from your class's actual stopping point. Jot brief observations while watching. Use the Hamilton viewing and essay guide to develop your film-and-book comparisons during the already scheduled reading, seminar, and preparation activities. Open song notes to print or download a Word copy.
For tomorrow: Finish Chapters 4-6, through p. 161, before the seminar. Submit your September 18 seminar reflection by 3:25 p.m. Friday.
Sections 1, 2, and 3
Before class: Chapters 4-6, through p. 161, completed.By 3:25 p.m.: Submit the reflection for the September 18 seminar. Today's seminar has a separate reflection due September 29.
Sukkot begins at sundown. Observing students may arrange make-up times privately with Mr. Cutler, without loss of credit.
Seminar on Chapters 4-6, through p. 161, in Alexander Hamilton, Revolutionary by Martha Brockenbrough. At the end of the seminar, choose a scene your class has watched about courtship, dueling, the break with Washington, or Yorktown. Find the biography's account of the same event and record its exact page. Explain a similarity or difference and what a viewer would understand or misunderstand because of it. Use the Hamilton seminar checkpoints.
Due Tuesday, September 29, by 3:25 p.m.: Complete the self-reflection for today's Chapters 4-6 seminar.
Sections 1, 2, and 3
Simulation activity on the Articles of Confederation (Part 1).
Due Monday, October 5, before class: Read Chapters 7-9, through p. 233, in Alexander Hamilton, Revolutionary by Martha Brockenbrough.Reminder: Your September 25 seminar reflection is due tomorrow, September 29, by 3:25 p.m..
Use with your notes after learning the topic. Works offline; separate from the interactive activity.
Sections 2 and 3 only
ALL SECTIONS: September 25 seminar self-reflection by 3:25 p.m..
Use the full 50 minutes for viewing session 3 of Hamilton: The Musical, continuing from your class's actual stopping point. Record your class's stopping point; all sections will finish and discuss the musical on Friday, October 9. Jot brief observations while watching. Use the Hamilton viewing and essay guide to develop your film-and-book comparisons during the already scheduled reading, seminar, and preparation activities. Open song notes to print or download a Word copy.
No new homework. Continue Chapters 7-9, through p. 233, for Monday, October 5.
Sections 1, 2, and 3
Simulation activity on the Articles of Confederation (Part 2). * Change of plans. As Friday is now a reading period, we will delve into the first part of the Constitutional Convention (Part 1) simulation, and cut our work short on the Articles.
No new homework. Continue Chapters 7-9, through p. 233, for Monday, October 5.
Consider how the structure of the Confederation affected the new nation's ability to govern.
Use with your notes after learning the topic. Works offline; separate from the interactive activity.
Section 1 only
Use the full 50 minutes for viewing session 3 of Hamilton: The Musical, continuing from your class's actual stopping point. Record your class's stopping point; all sections will finish and discuss the musical on Friday, October 9. Jot brief observations while watching. Use the Hamilton viewing and essay guide to develop your film-and-book comparisons during the already scheduled reading, seminar, and preparation activities. Open song notes to print or download a Word copy.
No new homework. Finish Chapters 7-9, through p. 233, before Monday, October 5. Follow the ribbon-cutting schedule tomorrow; the seminar takes place Monday.
Follow the school's special schedule; this note applies to all sections
Sukkot ends today. Observing students may still need private arrangements for this week's work.
No regular lesson listed. Follow the section and school-calendar notes.
Complete the previously assigned Chapters 7-9, through p. 233, before Monday, October 5. Bring your book, passage references, and discussion questions.
Sections 1, 2, and 3
All sections: Chapters 7-9, through p. 233, completed before the seminar.
Seminar on Chapters 7-9, through p. 233, in Alexander Hamilton, Revolutionary by Martha Brockenbrough. At the end of the seminar, choose a scene your class has watched about slavery and compromise, The Federalist, public debt, or the capital bargain. Find the biography's account of the same event and record its exact page. Explain a similarity or difference and what a viewer would understand or misunderstand because of it. Use the Hamilton seminar checkpoints.
Submit today's seminar self-reflection by Friday, October 9, at 3:25 p.m. Read Chapters 10-12 and the Epilogue, through p. 317, in Alexander Hamilton, Revolutionary. Sections 2-3: Wednesday, October 14, before class. Section 1: Thursday, October 15, before class.
Sections 2 and 3 only
Complete the Constitutional Amendment Activity begun last week. Resume from your section's stopping point, finish the remaining work, and discuss your responses.
Continue Chapters 10-12 and the Epilogue, through p. 317, for your final seminar: October 14 for Sections 2-3; October 15 for Section 1. The October 5 seminar reflection is due Friday, October 9, by 3:25 p.m.. Bring your biography and movie notes Friday to finish and discuss the film.
Explain how amendments change the Constitution and evaluate the ideas raised in the activity.
NO CLASS / ALL SECTIONS
Nothing. The October 5 seminar reflection is due Friday, October 9, by 3:25 p.m..
No regular lesson listed. Follow the section and school-calendar notes.
No new homework assigned today. Follow the reading and reflection deadlines above.
Section 1 only
Complete the Constitutional Amendment Activity begun last week. Resume from your section's stopping point, finish the remaining work, and discuss your responses.
Continue Chapters 10-12 and the Epilogue, through p. 317, for Thursday, October 15, before class. Bring your biography and movie notes tomorrow to finish and discuss the film. All sections: Submit the October 5 seminar reflection by tomorrow, Friday, October 9, at 3:25 p.m..
Explain how amendments change the Constitution and evaluate the ideas raised in the activity.
Sections 1, 2, and 3
ALL SECTIONS: October 5 seminar self-reflection by 3:25 p.m..
Finish Hamilton: The Musical, continuing from your class's recorded stopping point. Take brief viewing notes. After the film, discuss its portrayal of Hamilton and begin reviewing the in-class essay prompt: consider the musical's value as history, identify one accuracy and one meaningful change or omission, and discuss how specific book evidence supports an argument. Bring questions about the prompt and expectations.
Continue Chapters 10-12 and the Epilogue, through p. 317, and prepare for your final seminar: Wednesday, October 14, for Sections 2-3; Thursday, October 15, for Section 1. Bring your biography and movie notes to your next class for reading and further essay preparation. All sections write the essay on Monday, October 19, and Wednesday, October 21.
Connect the musical's ending to the biography and consider how its portrayal shapes viewers' understanding of Hamilton.
Sections 2 and 3 only
Continue the film discussion and essay-prompt review; finish any remaining viewing first. Read Chapters 10-12 and the Epilogue and prepare for tomorrow's final seminar. Review the essay expectations and self-assessment rubric. Practice identifying a claim, film detail, specific book evidence, and explanation in the writing models. Discuss what a viewer learns or misunderstands. Use the essay-review guide and ask questions about evidence, permitted materials, and DigiExam. Keep preparation notes; all essay drafting and revision take place during the assigned essay periods.
Finish Chapters 10-12 and the Epilogue, through p. 317, before tomorrow, Wednesday, October 14. Bring passage references and questions for the final seminar. Bring your biography and movie notes for Friday's essay review. Before the first essay period on Monday, October 19, update DigiExam and organize your materials.
Build an evidence-based argument about the musical's value as history and distinguish analysis from plot summary.
Sections 1, 2, and 3
Sections 2-3: Chapters 10-12 and the Epilogue, through p. 317, completed before the seminar.
No regular lesson listed. Follow the section and school-calendar notes.
No separate homework entry in this dated block. Follow the unit reading deadlines.
Section 1 only
Section 1: Chapters 10-12 and the Epilogue, through p. 317, completed before the seminar.
Seminar on Chapters 10-12 and the Epilogue, through p. 317, in Alexander Hamilton, Revolutionary. At the end of the seminar, choose a scene about neutrality, the scandal, the election, the final duel, or Eliza's legacy. Find the biography's account of the same event and record its exact page. Explain a similarity or difference and what a viewer would understand or misunderstand because of it. Use the Hamilton seminar checkpoints. Then choose your strongest essay evidence: one accuracy and one meaningful difference, with a clear explanation of what each shows.
Submit today's seminar self-reflection by Monday, October 19, at 3:25 p.m.. Bring your biography and movie notes for tomorrow's essay review, Friday, October 16. All sections begin the essay Monday, October 19, and finish Wednesday, October 21. Before Monday, update DigiExam and charge your computer.
Sections 1, 2, and 3
No regular lesson listed. Follow the section and school-calendar notes.
Prepare for essay period 1 on Monday, October 19. Update DigiExam and bring a charged computer, your own movie notes, and Brockenbrough's biography. The final seminar self-reflection is due Monday, October 19, by 3:25 p.m.. All sections finish the essay on Wednesday, October 21.
Develop an argument supported by specific evidence and explain why each comparison matters, rather than simply summarizing the book or film.
Sections 1, 2, and 3
All sections: Essay period 1 of 2. Bring a charged computer with DigiExam updated, your movie notes, and Brockenbrough's biography. By 3:25 p.m.: Submit your final seminar self-reflection, for the October 14 seminar in Sections 2-3 or the October 15 seminar in Section 1.
Begin the in-class essay in DigiExam. You may use your own movie notes and the biography; have both ready for Mr. Cutler to check. All essay drafting and revision take place during the two assigned writing periods in DigiExam.
All sections continue and complete the essay on Wednesday, October 21. Between writing periods, you may reread the biography and review your movie notes. Bring your charged computer, movie notes, and biography Wednesday.
Sections 2 and 3 only
Participate in a Hamilton-to-today activity. Explore how questions raised by Hamilton's life and the musical connect to public life today, including political rivalry, the role of the federal government, public debt, and the ways people shape their reputations. Choose one connection and ground it in a specific event from the biography or a scene from the musical. Discuss one meaningful similarity and one important difference between the historical situation and the present-day example.
Prepare to complete the essay tomorrow, Wednesday, October 21. Bring your charged computer, movie notes, and biography. Between writing periods, you may reread the biography and review your notes; all essay drafting and revision take place during the assigned writing periods.
Use historical evidence to make a thoughtful comparison while recognizing differences in context.
Sections 1, 2, and 3
All sections: Complete and submit your essay in DigiExam during today's second writing period. Bring a charged computer with DigiExam updated, your movie notes, and Brockenbrough's biography.
Continue and complete the in-class essay in DigiExam, period 2 of 2. You may use your own movie notes and the biography; have both ready for Mr. Cutler to check. All essay drafting and revision take place during the assigned writing periods. Unit 2 ends today for all sections.
Reread your completed essay and complete the Self-Assessment Rubric at the end of this page. Submit your essay self-evaluation by Friday, October 23, at 3:25 p.m. Support your evaluation with specific examples from your essay and identify questions for your one-on-one conference with Mr. Cutler.
PLANNED MATERIALS · UNIT 3
The planned unit centers Harriet Jacobs’s Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. Students examine choices under coercion, compare sources, and develop a sustained essay with staged checkpoints, Chicago footnotes, and self-evaluation.
Seminar guides, classroom handouts, source readings, and essay directions that support the daily plan below.
Open on ChatGPT Sites ↗Read each day below: In class shows the work students do together; Homework / preparation shows what they complete outside class and when it is due. Use the search or dropdown to find a lesson.
Showing 36 of 36 dated entries · Unit 3 · planned
Read the supplied Jacobs passage in Agency Handout, page 1. In pairs, underline an action and circle a limit. Discuss Jacobs’s father, then write a 3–4-sentence response on the handout or in your notebook.
Begin or continue the opening materials and Chapters I–X for October 30.
Use Westward Expansion Handouts, pages 1–2. Calculate Senate totals in pairs, read the Missouri clause together, and discuss Eliza’s supplied passage. Connect territorial expansion, forced labor, family separation, and political representation.
Continue the opening materials and Chapters I–X for October 30.
Open the Wright Family Reading Guide or use the printed two-page reading. Read page 1 together and begin Question 1 in your notebook, using 2–3 sentences. We will continue Friday.
Continue Jacobs for October 30. No additional Wright-family homework.
Complete the same Westward Expansion lesson, pages 1–2, assigned to Sections 2 and 3 on October 20. Use the Senate model and supplied passages to connect expansion to regional conflict.
Continue the opening materials and Chapters I–X for October 30.
Continue the Wright-family reading. Read page 2 together, discuss Source B, and answer Questions 2–3 in 2–3 sentences each. Explain the limits of the family’s victory and compare one action in Jacobs with the family’s legal strategy. Additional completion time is available Monday.
Continue Jacobs for October 30. Finish Wright responses with class support today or Monday.
Submit your shared Word essay link by 3:25 p.m. Finish the three Wright responses in your notebook during class.
Use the first 10 minutes to finish Wright responses. Then read both pages of the California Law Handout. Identify who controlled custody, earnings, and hiring. Write two sentences: one explaining a power the law authorized, and one identifying a question the law cannot answer about an individual’s resistance.
Continue the opening materials and Chapters I–X for October 30.
Spend 25 minutes on Douglass Handouts, pages 2–3. Read the supplied literacy and resistance excerpts in pairs and write the brief comparison. Use the final 15 minutes to read Jacobs.
Continue Jacobs for October 30. No full Douglass chapter is assigned.
Use Westward Expansion Handouts, page 3. Read the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo excerpt and compare three proposals for slavery in western territories. Build a shared explanation on the board and complete the short causal response. Revisit Eliza’s passage on page 2.
Continue the opening materials and Chapters I–X for October 30.
Complete the Douglass lesson, pages 2–3, followed by 15 minutes of Jacobs reading.
Finish the opening materials and Chapters I–X for tomorrow’s seminar.
Complete the brief paper reading quiz, then participate in Seminar 1. Discuss the Preface’s intended audience, family strategies, Benjamin’s resistance, and limits on marriage and bodily autonomy. Use the Seminar 1 Guide.
Read Chapters XI–XXI for November 9. Submit the Seminar 1 reflection by November 2 at 3:25 p.m.
Seminar 1 reflection by 3:25 p.m.
Read pages 1–2 of Northup Excerpts and Reading Guide. Discuss the page 3 questions in pairs and as a class. Write one 3–4-sentence notebook response using two details. Consider why an unsuccessful strategy can still reveal agency.
Continue Chapters XI–XXI for November 9. No full Northup chapter is required.
Use “The Compromise Reached the North,” page 4. Read the overview and supplied Jacobs preview. Explain a causal link between territorial politics and the risks faced by freedom seekers. Write the 2–3-sentence exit response.
Continue Chapters XI–XXI for November 9.
Read your Dover copy for 30 minutes. Use the final 10 minutes and the Seminar 2 Guide to clarify characters, annotate a supplied passage, and ask questions.
Continue Chapters XI–XXI for November 9. No additional written assignment.
Complete the Compromise of 1850 lesson using Westward Expansion Handouts, page 4. Explain how a settlement over western territory changed risks in the North.
Continue Chapters XI–XXI for November 9.
Use Road to Civil War Handouts, page 1. Read the Kansas–Nebraska and Dred Scott selections. Connect changes in territorial rules, elections, violence, party politics, and federal power. Compare the Scotts’ legal action with the Wright family’s case.
Finish Chapters XI–XXI for Monday’s seminar.
Complete the paper reading quiz, then participate in Seminar 2. Discuss motherhood, Uncle Fred’s pursuit of literacy, flight, and hiding. Evaluate the garret as both a strategy and a place of severe physical deprivation. Use the Seminar 2 Guide.
Read Chapters XXII–XXXI for November 20. Submit the Seminar 2 reflection by November 13 at 3:25 p.m. No work is due November 10–12.
Early dismissal. If the special timetable includes history, use the shortened period for reading or questions. There is no new assessed content.
Continue Chapters XXII–XXXI for November 20.
No regular lesson listed. Follow the section and school-calendar notes.
No separate homework entry in this dated block. Follow the unit reading deadlines.
No regular lesson listed. Follow the section and school-calendar notes.
No separate homework entry in this dated block. Follow the unit reading deadlines.
Seminar 2 reflection by 3:25 p.m.
Read Jacobs for 30 minutes. Use the final 10 minutes and the Seminar 3 Guide to trace family members, helpers, and the letter strategy.
Continue Chapters XXII–XXXI for November 20.
Use Road to Civil War Handouts, pages 2–3. Discuss Harriet Newby’s appeal, the Republican platform, and secessionists’ claims. In small groups, order the paper event cards and explain two causal links. Finish with the 4–5-sentence turning-point response.
Continue Chapters XXII–XXXI for November 20.
Read Jacobs for 25 minutes. Use the final 15 minutes to identify a promising comparison and check a citation using the essay planning directions below. You may begin planning in the shared Word file; no separate planning submission is due today.
Continue Chapters XXII–XXXI for November 20.
For 20 minutes, compare the supplied letter passage in the Seminar 3 Guide, the Wright excerpts, and one marked detail from your Northup or Douglass handout. Discuss an action, a constraint, and a source limitation. Read Jacobs for the final 20 minutes.
Continue Chapters XXII–XXXI for November 20.
Read Jacobs for 25 minutes. Spend 15 minutes on a possible comparison and citation using the essay planning directions. No separate planning submission is due today.
Finish Chapters XXII–XXXI for tomorrow’s seminar.
Complete the paper reading quiz, then participate in Seminar 3. Discuss misleading letters, William’s escape, Aunt Nancy, and the journey to Philadelphia. Use the Seminar 3 Guide. Reserve the final five minutes to jot notes for your reflection.
The Seminar 3 reflection is due November 30 at 3:25 p.m. You will have class time to finish it after the break. No required unit work over Thanksgiving break.
No regular lesson listed. Follow the section and school-calendar notes.
No separate homework entry in this dated block. Follow the unit reading deadlines.
Seminar 3 reflection by 3:25 p.m.
Use the first 10 minutes to revisit your seminar notes, finish the reflection, and submit it. Read Chapters XXXII–XLI for the next 30 minutes. Use the Seminar 4 Guide. No advance holiday reading or reflection work is expected.
Continue Chapters XXXII–XLI for December 4.
Read Jacobs for 25 minutes, then discuss a passage connecting northern life to the Compromise of 1850. Clarify names and terms and keep brief annotations in your book or notebook.
Continue Chapters XXXII–XLI for December 4.
Read Jacobs for 30 minutes. Use the final 10 minutes and the Seminar 4 Guide to choose passages and clarify questions. No additional worksheet or source reading is assigned.
Continue Chapters XXXII–XLI for December 4.
Read Jacobs for 25 minutes, then discuss a passage connecting northern life to the fugitive law. Clarify unfamiliar names and terms.
Finish Chapters XXXII–XLI for tomorrow’s seminar.
Complete the paper reading quiz, then participate in Seminar 4. Discuss family reunification, northern racism, the fugitive law, authorship, and “Free at Last.” Use the Seminar 4 Guide. Revisit the essay prompt.
Prepare your thesis and opening paragraph in Word for December 7 at 3:25 p.m. The Seminar 4 reflection is also due then.
Thesis and opening paragraph in Word; Seminar 4 reflection. Both are due by 3:25 p.m.
Use the first 10–15 minutes to draft and confer about your argument. The rest of class begins the next unit.
Prepare the body-paragraph plan for December 9.
Topic sentences, research points, proposed footnotes, and analysis plan by 3:25 p.m.
Use the first 10 minutes to review the plan and begin turning one part into prose. The rest of class follows the next unit.
Complete the full draft for December 11.
Complete 4–5-page draft with footnotes and bibliography by 3:25 p.m.
Use the first 5–10 minutes to check the draft against the requirements. Complete any remaining work before the deadline.
Bring the complete draft ready for December 14 peer review. Read it using the single 100-point rubric below.
Four-category self-evaluation and revision priorities in Word by 3:25 p.m.
Spend the first 25 minutes on structured peer review. Exchange drafts, leave three specific comments, discuss a strength and a revision, and choose two priorities. The rest of class follows the next unit.
Revise the essay and update your self-evaluation for December 16.
Final essay, footnotes, bibliography, and updated self-evaluation by 3:25 p.m.
Use the first 10 minutes for final revision, quotation checks, proofreading, and sharing verification. Mr. Cutler will review the document’s available version history.
No separate homework entry in this dated block. Follow the unit reading deadlines.
AI-ASSISTED DESIGN · HUMAN PURPOSE
I use ChatGPT to help develop review activities, printable notes, and writing support. I set the teaching goals and review the work. Students use screen-based activities to practice with content they have already learned, then bring their own arguments back to discussion.
Read the AI and course-design explanation →READ · PRINT · REVIEW
Find classroom handouts, primary sources, readings, and review activities. Each resource shows where it belongs and what it helps students practice. Source labels distinguish my AI-assisted materials from archive documents and outside readings. Open “Source & reuse permission” for each item. Other websites may have their own access requirements.
63 resources
Course archive · see document attribution
Course archive · see document attribution
Course archive · see document attribution
My course materials · developed with ChatGPT
Use with your notes after learning the topic. Works offline; separate from the interactive activity.
My course materials · developed with ChatGPT
My course materials · developed with ChatGPT
Use with your notes after learning the topic. Works offline; separate from the interactive activity.
My course materials · developed with ChatGPT
My course materials · developed with ChatGPT
External source · static1.squarespace.com
External source · broadwaydirect.com
My course materials · developed with ChatGPT
My course materials · developed with ChatGPT
All assigned songs in one place. Use them to revisit the early republic and compare the musical’s storytelling with the history you have studied.
Open the complete Hamilton original Broadway cast album ↗
External source · open.spotify.com
External source · open.spotify.com
External source · open.spotify.com
External source · open.spotify.com
External source · open.spotify.com
External source · open.spotify.com
External source · open.spotify.com
External source · open.spotify.com
External source · open.spotify.com
External source · open.spotify.com
External source · open.spotify.com
External source · open.spotify.com
External source · open.spotify.com
External source · open.spotify.com
External source · open.spotify.com
External source · open.spotify.com
External source · open.spotify.com
External source · open.spotify.com
External source · open.spotify.com
External source · open.spotify.com
External source · open.spotify.com
My course materials · developed with ChatGPT
My course materials · developed with ChatGPT
My course materials · developed with ChatGPT
My course materials · developed with ChatGPT
My course materials · developed with ChatGPT
My course materials · developed with ChatGPT
External source · gutenberg.org
My course materials · developed with ChatGPT
My course materials · developed with ChatGPT
My course materials · developed with ChatGPT
My course materials · developed with ChatGPT
My course materials · developed with ChatGPT
My course materials · developed with ChatGPT
My course materials · developed with ChatGPT
My course materials · developed with ChatGPT
External source · wythepedia.wm.edu
External source · wythepedia.wm.edu
External source · gutenberg.org
External source · gutenberg.org
External source · archives.gov
External source · archives.gov
External source · archives.gov
External source · archives.gov
External source · archives.gov
External source · nps.gov
External source · presidency.ucsb.edu
External source · archives.gov
External source · avalon.law.yale.edu
External source · clerk.assembly.ca.gov
My course materials · developed with ChatGPT