1. Dear Incoming American Studies 2 Students:
Unlike American Studies 1, you will find American Studies 2 to be a laid back and immensely enjoyable course. In American Studies 2, we watched ten or so movies and wrote papers about most of them, in addition to quotes projects. Quotes projects were some of my favorite activities that we id this year. To do a quotes project, you must pick one or several quotes from a list taken from the movie, and using said quote[s], make a creative little something, usually a poster or three dimensional model, though I have been known to write poems as quotes projects. The papers that needed to be written were not as scary as they initially seemed. The papers were only approximately five hundred words in length, and they were not formal, which made writing them far easier than it originally seemed.
Current events remain a strong, fixed point of American Studies. A large bulk of what I learned from American Studies was from current events. Countless times, we would embark on long debates on various subjects, such as the Rules of War and the possibility of a war with North Korea. These debates would very often turn into a pitched battle of wills between me and everyone else, with the occasional ally here and there. These arguments greatly helped me strengthen my skills in debating, and they taught me many concepts about many subjects, and generally broadened my body of knowledge.
Tests were few and far between, a nice, relaxing change. On the rare occasions we did have tests, they would usually be glaringly obvious or about subject matter discussed just a day prior, making them very easy and nothing to worry about on a day-to-day basis.
Lectures were also rare, and when they were given, they were easy to follow and absorb. Also, Mr. Moriarty would welcome questions and discussion during his lectures, allowing for a full and rich benefit from them.
On Monday mornings, we would be given our grades and any work that had been graded, and a complaint session would be offered. I found this to be extremely helpful. Very few teachers will provide their students with so much opportunity for feedback.
On the whole, this class was kept very interesting and engaging through the use of variety. When learning about a subject, we would watch movies, read comics, get lectures, debate, and do a number of other things to try and get a well-rounded view on the subject, a style of teaching I found to be extremely effective. I feel that I learned more from Mr. Moriarty’s class than any other class this year. American Studies 2 teaches not only facts and concepts, but also various ways of approaching and thinking about a problem.
If I could offer any advice to next year’s class, it would be this: always come to class with a current event or two, be wary of bringing food to the classroom, DO YOUR HOMEWORK, never use the words “always” or “never” in your arguments (he will find an exception!), remember that the capital of Ireland is Dublin, and, most importantly, the fastest way to get to Boston is by bike because a vest has no sleeves.
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2. American Studies 2 is a very good class, some of the movies watched are grphic and boring, but some are worth the time. Mr. Mort is a tough guy to work with, keeping your grade up is not always easy. Hes very picky about the way things must be done, I found that the graphs are the hardest for me. Some of the things I liked learing about were the wars and the holocost. My favorite movie I got to watch was Shinlers list, movies about black vs whites and forest gump. This is an artistic class. You have alot of fun projects to do. Transfering from Brattleboro to here was a big change with the learning I did alot of book work there and we do alot more hands on. I enjoyed taking Mr, Morts class. Somethings I would love to change is the web page for the home work I dont like having to look it all up. I loved doing the interviews with a Soldier and then the one with the parents. We also had to do quot projects for movies we saw. The quizes are tricky but if you actually watch the movie with the class you may get a good grade. To be successful in this class you must give your full attetion and NOT HAVE YOUR CELL PHONE OUT!! he will take it away. Taking notes could also be a plus if you want to pass his class. If you give attitude he will give it right back...and if you dont try hes not going to try either, In conclusion Mr. Mort is a good teacher, and to get respect you must give respect. Its not a hard class its fairly easy to pass.
P.S Stay on his good side :
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3. Dear Incoming American Studies 2 Students:
Unlike American Studies 1, you will find American Studies 2 much easier. There are many movies you watch. Most of them are good, and some of them could possibly put you to sleep. There are many quotes assignments, but don’t worry because they aren’t as hard as Mr. Mort says they are. I believe that this class was much easier than ones before because we spend more time on subjects and get a better undersetand. It is also much easier to argue about subjects with Mr. Mort than before.The classes are different because this one is just easier. With less assignments and easier lessons and lectures. It is very easy to pay attention and listen to things in the class. Such as Mr. Mort or the movies. The one suggestion that I would give future victims of American Studies 2, is to pay good attention to Mr. Mort. Although it may not seem like it, he actually does know what he’s talking about, most of the time.
So, overall, just pay attention and do your best. Although it’s not to hard to watch a good movie. Also, don’t let Mr. Mort scare you. He doesn’t mean to tower over you and make you feel small and weak. So enjoy this year while you can and try to learn as much as you can because the information you receive from this class could possibly be useful in the future.
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4. Dear Incoming American Studies 2 Students:
Even though I haven’t taken American Studies 1, I have taken American History and they are kind of alike because in American History I learned about the wars America has been in, some of the struggles America have gone through, and there were movies that I watched in that class that showed the things we learned about. In American Studies 2 we learned about the wars that America was involved in, some of the difficulties Americans went through, and there were also movies to show us what things looked like during those times.
American History and American Studies 2 are also different because in American History I didn’t have to do quote projects and reaction papers; in American Studies 2, I had to do them for every movie we watched. Also, in American Studies 2 we started out every class with current events and there are some pretty interesting topics that come up for current events; you get time to have discussions about the topics of current events and it’s pretty cool.
In American Studies 2 we watched a different movie almost every week until we got towards the end of the year. Some of the movies we watched were Dances with Wolves, Stagecoach, The Sting, Schindler’s List, and Forrest Gump. We usually started the movies on a Monday and had our quote projects and reaction papers due on Wednesday and Thursday. I think the movies helped teach us a lot about the different subjects we were learning about at that time.
Some of the subjects we learned about were the Vietnam War, WW II, The Depression, The Civil Rights Movement, and the Holocaust. I suggest that if you’re a really sensitive person or you don’t have a strong stomach that you not watch Schindler’s List when you start learning about The Holocaust because there is some very gruesome things in that movie. The rest of the movies are pretty good and funny sometimes.
All in all, it was a fun class. Sometimes the work can be difficult but if you stay on top of it you will do just fine. Mr. Mort is an awesome teacher, especially for a boring subject like American Studies 2. He makes the class interesting and fun. Mr. Mort can teach you a lot if you pay attention in his class. So I wish you all good luck in American Studies 2 next year and I hope you have fun like I did.
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5. Dear Incoming American Studies 2 Students:
Now that you have passed American Studies 1, you will now take American Studies 2 your junior year, as I did this year. I did not take American Studies 1 at this school so it would be very hard to compare the two classes. I will, however, tell you about my experiences in this class.
First, I found Mr. Moriarty to be a great teacher. I really enjoyed his teaching style. Mr. Moriarty did not lecture us very often: personally, I find lectures to be very boring. Instead, we watched a lot of movies in order to teach us the lessons. I find movies to be so much more enjoyable than being lectured all class. I would definitely have to say that Mr. Moriarty is one of the better teachers I have had and is one of my favorite teachers too.
Every class starts off with Current Events. I really enjoyed current events. During current events, every student has the chance to say something that happened to them or that is happening in the world. I found current events to be a very good way to start off the class. I was able to hear about what was going on in the world. Without current events I would be very clueless about the news since I never actually sit down and watch the news.
Mr. Moriarty assigns man easy assignments in which you can get very creative. These assignments are very easy and if you actually do the assignment you will get a good grade. In this class, you do a lot of these creative assignments. I actually didn’t mind doing these projects.
There were only a handful of assignments that I did not enjoy too much. These assignments were the interview assignments. We had two assignments where we had to interview a parent and somebody who was around during the Vietnam War. The assignment itself was not all too bad. The only part I did not enjoy was when we had to stand in front of the class and give a oral presentation about your interview. This assignment, I thought, was a very good one since it taught me that I have to really work on my public speaking. Other than not being very good at public speaking, I found this assignment very helpful and interesting. It gives you an entire new perspective after hearing a point of view from somebody who actually experienced this event.
Overall I found this class to be one of my favorite classes. This class was never boring and always kept my attention. I think that if you are anything like me, you will enjoy this class and be very successful.
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6. Dear Incoming American Studies 2 Students:
American Studies 2 is a very entertaining and helpful class that everyone should take during their high school years. American Studies 2 is very different from previous history classes you may have taken. When I first started American Studies 2 I thought it was going to be very similar to American studies 1 but after about a week I realized this class was going to be very different from any other class I have ever taken. There are a few things that you should know about the class before you jump into American studies 2.
Just like American studies 1 Mr. Moriarty will start the class rolling with current events and its always good to have a current event ready at all times. That is the one thing that I would say stays the same during the American Studies 2 experience. During this class you will be watching many classic movies including The Sting and Casablanca. It is important to pay attention during these movies even if some are old and maybe even a little boring. After almost every movie you are given a reaction paper, which is a question or statement given to you by Mr. Moriarty. Each reaction paper need to have at least 500 words and it needs to get your point across to the reader. Sometimes you are also given a more creative project after a movie, which is called the quotes project. Mr. Moriarty will hand a sheet of famous quotes from the movie you have just watched and your job is to do something creative with them. This project is like nothing I have ever experienced. The first time we were given it, we really had no idea what to do. By the end of the year we were all pros at taking a set of quotes and doing something crazy or creative with them. One of the things to really pay attention to is the website. If you try the excuse “I didn’t know we had homework” you will be answered with a sarcastic remark and also something along the lines of “Did you look at the website?” To pass this class you really have to keep up with your work and do the best that you can do. Proofread all your papers because you don’t want points off for small mistakes. The two assignments that I didn’t like were the Vietnam and parents interviews. The Vietnam assignment was to interview someone who lived during the Vietnam War and ask them a set of questions. Then you had to do a 3-5 minute oral report to the class. I personally hated both the interview assignments because I don’t do well in front of groups of people. The actually interview part I enjoyed because I learned a lot about the subject and who I was interviewing.
For the most part I really enjoyed American studies 2 and I’m going to miss current events and Mr. Moriarty amusing sense of humor. The way Mr. Moriarty teaches is definitely not like many teachers I have come across but it has made the last two years of American Studies fly by. At the beginning of the year you will probably hate American studies 2 and maybe even Mr. Moriarty but by the end you will be wishing for an American Studies 3.
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7. Dear Incoming American Studies 2 Students,
In order to be successful in Mr. Mort’s class, I want to tell you a few
things. One of the first things I want to tell you is that you should put
your full name on every paper that you hand in. You should also put the
date and the title of the assignment. If you expect to get any kind of
grade, this is very important to do and to know. Once Mr. Mort knows who
you are and what to expect from you, you should then find out who Mr.
Mort is and what to expect from him.
Mr. Mort is a man who means business. Every thing he saise he means and
he doesn’t like to say it more than once. He doesn’t treat us like
babies. For instance, the rule for going to the bathroom is to always
sign out first. If you don’t, you may not be able to go at all. Another
rule is to be on time for class. If you are late two times then you owe
him your break. If you miss the break, you owe him a lunch. Mr. Mort is
structured. He is nice, but don’t take that as him being easy.
Even though he isn’t easy, his actual class isn’t that hard. If you keep
up with class work and the homework you should be fine. He does give a
lot of writing assignments, but he gives you enough time to “git-r-done.”
Be on time though, because he marks down for work that is handed in late.
Even though your work might have earned an A, you will not get it if it
is late.
One last thing that you need to know to succeed in Mr. Mort’s class is to
give it your best. By trying your hardest and showing Mr. Mort that extra
effort, it will please him very much. In addition, sharing your snacks
with him pleases him very much too. If you follow this advice, you should
be successful in American Studies 2.
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8. Dear Incoming American Studies 2 Students:
Just like American Studies 1, you will find American Studies 2 to be a very interesting experience. You will learn many new things in American studies 2 weather you like it or not. Some things may be enjoyable, and others, not so much.
First, you will get to watch many exciting and sometimes overwhelming films. After watching the movies you will have to make something called a quotes assignment where you are suppose to make an attempt at being creative. However, you shouldn’t feel too much pressure as far as being creative goes. You are being judged by an artist who is let’s just say, less than talented. Next, you will sometimes be asked to write a reaction paper. There will be a subject that you will have to respond to in a 500 word paper. This is where you will want to pay close attention to detail in your writing, much like American Studies 1, or suffer the consequences.
Next, there will be small assignments along the way that you will be asked to complete. When given one of these assignments you may think you can slack off a little but I assure you that’s not the case. Mr. Mort takes these assignments very seriously and will grade you accordingly so always try to do your best even when it seems ridiculous and outrageous. (Geography assignment)
Lastly, there are still current events to pay attention to. This is usually suppose to be a 10 minute activity, however, you can make it take up at least half the class! If everyone helps out a little you can make current events really work to your advantage.
In conclusion, American Studies 2 can be your favorite class or your worst enemy. Take full advantage of everything you learn and remember to never bring food in class. When it comes to baked goods, Mr. Mort can easily be considered a blood hound. You will learn a lot of new things in American Studies 2 so enjoy and be careful of the baldy in the tie!
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9. Dear Incoming American Studies 2 Students:
American Studies 2 is a fun class. Mr. Mort is a wonderful teacher, but he takes some getting used to. He comes off initially as a very intimidating, mean old man. However, it is just a strategy of teaching that you will eventually realize is very effective. He likes people to share their opinions and participate in discussion. Mr. Mort likes people who come in with current events every day.
You will learn about the Holocaust and all of World War II. You will not only learn about American History, but also about what role the U.S. has played in the history of other countries such as Germany. To make his students better understand this war and its history, he shows many movies about it. We usually write a short reaction paper after watching each movie and then we make a Quotes Project. A Quotes Project is a project where you use a quotation from the movie and do something creative with it. Mr. Mort also has us interview someone who lived during the Vietnam War and present what we have learned to the class. We also present a project on an interview with our parents. These two assignments really improve your public speaking skills.
Mr. Mort does not grade things very harshly. As long as you follow what the directions say, you will usually get a 100%. The one thing you need to be careful about is putting your name on every assignment. Ten percent is automatically deducted from your grade if you forget to put your name on the assignment. Sometimes I take things a bit more seriously than he intended me to. As the year progresses, you will get a feel for the assignments that should not take up a lot of time and those you should put a little more effort into.
Overall, Mr. Mort is a wonderful teacher who wants you to be able to voice your opinion and support it. Although his class is called American Studies 2 and you do learn about American history, I think he feels as though speaking your mind and participating in discussion is just as important as learning the history. There is much more to his class than just learning about war, and that is why I enjoyed it so much. I gained skills that I will use for the rest of my life and I am very grateful to have had him as a teacher.
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10. Dear Incoming American Studies 2 Students:
Unlike American Studies 1, you will find American Studies 2 is much more fun in many different ways. First, American Studies 2 is better because you watch a lot of great movies. Not only are these movies interesting and funny but they also teach you a lot about what happened in history. The movies give you a really good sense of what really happened and what the environment was like during a certain time period in the past. This method, to most kids, is a lot more effective and fun than listening to a teacher lecture for 85 minutes.
Another reason this class is a lot more fun than American Studies 1 is because there are a lot of exciting and fun projects. Most of these projects are an extension of whatever movie the class has just finished. For these projects Mr. Mort passes out a packet of memorable quotes that were said in the movie and the students can make anything creative relating to any or all of the quotes. These projects can be anything from a picture to a 3-D model, (for the better grade I suggest the 3-D model). The other types of fun projects include posters about a given subject, interviews and cartoon strips. There are more, but those can be surprises!
Throughout American Studies 2 there are definitely not as many tests or quizzes as there were in American Studies 1. In American Studies 1 the students take big tests and quizzes like the Constitution Test and the Citizenship Quiz, whereas in American Studies 2, there are only a couple of little quizzes that he forewarns you about. Not having a lot of tests and quizzes makes students very happy!
Lastly, American Studies 2 is much more fun because you’ve already had a year to get to know Mr. Mort. With that experience and familiarity, you can do anything from almost winning a debate against him to making current events last all class! American Studies 2 is a great class taught by a great teacher and I guarantee that you will learn a lot and have a lot of fun!
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11. Dear incoming American Studies Two students,
American Studies Two is a class to look forward to if you like creative ways to learn. Phil Moriarty teaches his class a bit differently than other teachers. Rather than the teacher rambling on boring lectures, which he can do, the students teach each other with the support of the knowledgeable teacher. What makes Mr. Moriarty an outstanding teacher is a combination of what he is always working to accomplish, and what he does to successfully accomplish that goal.
Mr. Mort demonstrates a clear understanding of how to teach students. A simple answer to what a teacher does is… to teach the students. What Mr. Mort does is makes students work on their real life skills. What skills Mr. Mort works on is interpretation, drawing, presentations, and getting the news.
What makes American Studies Two unique is that you will lean a lot, and it will be fun. Most of the classes are spent watching movies. The topic of the movies is always relevant, and after the movie, you are asked to interpret the acting, directing, production, or write your reaction to the movie. Another fun part of American Studies Two is starting every class with current events. Doing this not only takes up most of the class sometimes, but it is very informative. Everybody knows something that others don’t and this is when that information is shared. By doing both of these activities, there is no teacher required. While making outlines and rubrics, Mr. Mort being here also improves the exercises because he is smart enough to answer most questions, and knows different topics to prompt further discussion. Mr. Mort always goes last in current events, and even if nobody has any current events, the current events can still take half the period.
Mr. Mort’s American Studies Two is helpful when we work on real life skills. We do a few presentations on various interviews. These help presentation skills. We also do a bit of drawing, which is ironic because Mr. Mort does not compliment his own drawings very often.
American Studies Two is important because it is the class with the highest ratio between things learned and fun had. Students improve creative skills with interpretation, drawing, presentations, and getting the news. Students also teach each other, making American Studies Two a very fun and interesting class.
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12. Dear Incoming American Studies 2 Students:
American Studies 2 is an easy class. All you really need to do is pay attention and do your work on time. The X Guidelines are essential to successfully passing this class. Here are some tips and tricks to help you through this pris- uh… I mean class.
The movies are generally entertaining. However, there are movies that will bore the heck out of you. Just watch them. It will be over before you know it.
You will usually do the same thing for each movie. A “Quotes assignment” is one of the things you will do. It’s really easy. All you need to do is take a quote from the movie and do something “creative” with it such as a drawing, a poster, or maybe even a movie. Just be, well, creative. Another thing you may have to do is a reaction paper. He will give you a topic that pertains to the movie and you will have to do a 500 (+/-) word paper. Just follow your rubric for writing papers in English class and you will do just fine.
You will have lectures. God forbid there’s no lectures. But just listen and take notes. There aren’t really hard tests on his lectures when there are tests, so you don’t have to take really complicated notes.
Like usual, the beginning of class is the infamous section of current events. Just be respectful to the person who is speaking and that will go just fine. Or if you really don’t feel like listening to other people, just interrupt people and be loud and obnoxious. However, I encourage you to ignore that last comment and deal with listening to the other people. If you want to succeed, you’ll have to learn to listen and respect your peers sooner or later, so why not start now.
And as for Mr. Mort, here’s a warning, he’s cranky, old, and crazy. I would evaluate on the extent of these qualities of Mr. Mort, but I don’t have time to write a book. Just butter him up with food and presents, show respect and annoy him to no end. Just kidding. You only need to annoy him, but it’s not a bad idea to butter him up after you annoy him.
The class is very easy. Remember to do your work and pay attention. It’s the most important step towards passing this class. Just follow The X Guidelines and you’ll be fine.