Help with American Revolution

[staceyanne1]

I've started revolutions and we are doing the american revolution first.

My teacher is terrible and we have no plan of what we learn in class (we haven't started being taught) and I don't know how to organise my notes.


Does anybody have any dot points or a list of key events (concepts, topics etc...) that we need to know for the entire american revolution course as VCAA don't have dotpoints on their study design. Due to a bad teacher I want to teach myself but I don't have any idea on what exactly i should be teaching myself.


Please help!!!


Thanks

[Cort]

Right. I'll make it clear: I've only done the French and Russian Revolution, so obviously, the content is different.

How you organise your notes:
Organising your notes is important (to a degree, depends if you learn from them), and often it should be updated. However, depending on your type, you can make it complex ( I rather not, takes too much time - waste of time), or make it simple (great for revisions, understanding and clarifying sections).

Lolly asked a good question back. Revsteacher responded even better. Perhaps separate it into these large topics, then each event you'll expand on it within.
How to organise notes for French revolution

Osgood also answers your question:
Armed Political Takeovers 101: A Guide to History Revolutions

However, on my own plate that I'll serve you, this is how I would normally do it:

NAME: (of the Event, group, person)
WHEN: (Did it happen. Give date/months + year. In the exam you don't need to know the exact date for everything, but you can reference the month+year)
WHY: (Did it Happen. Everything has a why it occurred. sometimes textbook answers are not enough and you need to do extra research.)
WHAT ( Actually Happened. DOT POINT HERE, MAIN POINTS OF WHAT HAPPENED. NO STORIES PLEASE.)
WHO: (Actually said what. If you encounter any historians, write them down here. In quotations or paraphrase them. If you have any PRIMARY sources, aka actual people saying what,write it down. Make sure secondary (historians) and primary (real dudes) are separated.)

I'm afraid that this is the most I can help you with. If you want to learn yourself, it's often a chapter a week.

I'm sorry I cannot help you any further,
Cort.

[revsteacher]

Hi staceyanne1,

American Revolution is not my speciality, however if you are using a textbook specifically written for VCE, like the HTAV one, then I'd suggest you use that as a model. The Leading Edge exam guide also, if you can find a copy of that. And Alpha History's website also. Anything written by a VCE History teacher is going to follow the appropriate sequence.

I'm sorry to hear your teacher is struggling. Perhaps you could find a tutor, like another teacher or past student?

Good luck.

R.