Bio

Hi! I’m Kathy Vandevoorde aka Mrs. V. I was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. I have a BA in Political Science and Economics from Michigan State University and an MA in history from Purdue University. This is my first year at Athlos, but I previously taught introductory history classes at Purdue and the University of Minnesota. My favorite topics to study are revolutionary America, the history of medicine, and reconstruction. This year we will learn about how historians examine evidence while reinforcing reading and language skills. We will also learn about the principles and structure of U.S. government.

I am a mom to a freshman at Wayzata High School and four(!) dogs. In the summers I enjoy gardening, usually while listening to a good podcast. I love to read, especially literary and fantasy fiction. My favorite pastime is playing boardgames with my husband, and we are cut-throat scrabble players. More than anything, I love learning and I enjoy it even more when I can share the experience with students.

Posts

Weekly Update - October 20

Greetings Spartans!

This week in social studies, students are working on their first research project. Students looked up three events that led to the American Revolution and found the locations, dates, responsible parties, and other details about what occurred. Students will turn this research into an argument for or against the revolutionary cause. They will choose between creating a slideshow presentation or a poster (broadside) to convince their fellow colonists.

This assignment is intended to prepare students to write research papers later in the year. Students are learning how historians work with evidence to support claims about the past. In this assignment, it is most important that students focus on supporting their argument with their research, because there is no one right answer to the question.

A note on grades:

Because many students turn in assignments a little late, I started adding a placeholder grade that reflects the points they will receive if they do not finish their outstanding work. This is intended to motivate students to catch up more quickly and show them what will happen to their trimester grades if they do not submit their missing work.

If you see that your student’s grade dropped, ask them about missing assignments. I still accept late work, but I want students to see an immediate consequence for procrastinating, so that they don’t lose sight of their missing assignments.

Important dates:

Friday, October 23: Project 1 (Rebel or Loyalist) due.

Thursday-Friday - substitute teacher

Monday, October 26: Test 3 and note check (lessons 2.6, 3.2, and 3.4)

Weekly Update - October 11, 2026

For this short week of school, we will focus on the Revolutionary War. Students will have time to work on their first project for social studies, which will be worth ~25% of students’ trimester grades thus far.

For the project, students pick three events leading to the Revolutionary war and research those events. Students will receive 5 points to their formative grades for each research card (15 points total). Then, students will choose which side they think is right (loyalists or revolutionaries) and make a poster or prepare a presentation to convince their fellow colonists. Details of the assignment are on google classroom and students received physical copies on Wednesday. You can also find an electronic version of the research card that you can print or fill in on your computer.

If you are helping your student with this assignment, I recommend starting with the Britannica online site: Timeline of the American Revolution | Dates, Events, People, & Facts | Britannica

Students will also work on guided notes for textbook lessons on the Revolutionary War. For the next test students are responsible for lessons 2.6, 3.2, and 3.4. They should keep their completed guided notes sheets in their social studies folders until the note check and test.

Important dates:

Wednesday, 10/14:
Research cards due (5 points each)
Wednesday, 10/21:
Project 1 due (10 points)
Note Check: Lessons 2.6, 3.2, 3.4 (2 points each)
Thursday, 10/22:
Test #3 (10 points)

Weekly Update - October 4, 2026

Greetings Spartans!

This week we will examine the causes of the Revolutionary War. We will consider not just the philosophical justifications used by the founders, but also the economic, cultural, and social motivations for the war. We will apply what we learn to our first project for the year, which will have students take a side in the Revolution and make their own propaganda for their cause.

We will also review the test we took last week on colonial America. Most students did well on the test, but students who did not complete their notes struggled. Students are allowed to use their notes on the tests during the first trimester, and almost every question on the test could be answered with the guided notes.

Nevertheless, some students received grades for this test that will lower their trimester grades significantly. Because my primary goal is for students to master the content, this week I will introduce some ways for students to earn back points if they did poorly on the test.

This is the point in the school year where students who complete assigned work and stay focused in class will be able to maintain a high average while those who do not submit homework or participate in class fall behind. It is very important that students submit missing work. I am accepting late work from the colonization unit until Thursday this week.

Highlights:

Document Based Question (DBQ) #3 – Jefferson’s First Draft – Due Wed, Oct. 7.
Students received a translation of Jefferson’s words into modern English if they need a version that is easier to read. It is also on google classroom.
Late Homework for our first two units is due Thursday, Oct.8.
After this date, missing work will receive a zero.
DBQ#2 is very challenging. If your scholar has trouble, we did a close reading of the text in class and supporting materials are on google classroom.
Students will get their test grades on Monday, Oct. 5
Student who were unprepared and received a poor grade can earn back points by demonstrating mastery of the material through take-home assignments.

Weekly Update - Tuesday, September 29

Greetings Spartans!

Yesterday we had our second test, and it was more challenging than the first one. Each test will get progressively harder and include more writing. Because of this, some students did not finish. However, I am allowing students to retrieve their tests and continue working or check their answers on Friday. For those who forgot their notes or missed a section, this means there is time to get their notes up to date.

One thing that made this test more challenging is that I changed the wording from what is in the textbook. Many students find tests a little easier if the exact wording is repeated in the test, but as we get closer to high school, I want students to begin looking for the main idea of a text instead of specific words. Stating ideas in their own words is one of the best ways for students to remember information, so we will work on paraphrasing texts and reading for meaning. Students will notice that more of their notes and test questions are phrased differently from the textbook as we move through the year.

This week, students will receive a leveled version of parts of the Declaration of Independence. This will include excerpts from Thomas Jefferson’s first draft and a “plain English” version of the text. I also added alternate wording in the original text next to difficult words and phrases. Alternate wording appears in brackets. Ex: [alternate word]. My goal is to show students that complicated texts have meanings they can understand and the ideas in the document are not actually that complex. The section that Jefferson left out is about America’s “peculiar institution” of slavery, and its omission from the final version of our founding document teaches historians a lot about the conflicts between slavery and the ideals stated in the Declaration. We will explore these contradictions and how we think about our democratic values when we know that our “first draft” of democracy excluded so many people and allowed a crime against humanity to persist.

Students will get their grades for the second document-based question assignment this week. Because the older language in the document was really hard, I am looking for effort and finding clues in the text, rather than understanding every word. Even historians have a hard time with such old documents 😊

Summary:
Monday, September 28 – test #2 on lessons 2.1, 2.2, and 2.3.
Wednesday, September 30 – Document Based Question #3 distributed, due in 1 week.
Friday, October 2 – test retakes and additional time to finish for those who need it.
DBQ#2 and notebook grades will be entered this week into infinite campus. Test #2 grades will be ready Monday next week.

Weekly update - week of 9/14

This is a busy week in social studies. Students are turning in their first document-based question homework and taking their first test. We will then begin studying the colonization of the new world, looking at New Spain, New France, and New England.

As students receive their first grades, I want to share a little more about my philosophy around grading. First, tests should not be traps filled with trick questions. I write all my own tests so that I can be sure I am asking straight-forward questions that directly relate to what we have covered and what students have read. I also believe in testing early and often. I would rather conduct more frequent and smaller quizzes and tests when the knowledge is fresh. This gives me a better sense of how students are doing and further reinforces the important material that I want students to remember. Learning is a process, and my door is always open for any student who is worried about their grades.

When we start the next unit, we will begin discussing some weightier topics. As an educator, I believe students are capable of understanding the complexity of American history, and some of history’s darker chapters also teach us what it means to be human. When we begin talking about some of the darker aspects of colonization and slavery, I will not cold call any student to discuss topics that are uncomfortable and will allow students time to process their feelings if something is especially challenging for them. While these topics are hard, the bravery of historical figures who challenged our country to become more fair, just, and compassionate are worth celebrating. When we learn about hard topics, we will focus on those who fought for freedom for themselves and others. The sacrifices people made to create a better world for all Americans are what inspire me most in U.S. history! If you have any concerns about any of the content we cover in the coming weeks, please feel free to reach out.

This week:

Test 1: the pre-contact world (before the Columbian exchange)
DBQ (document-based questions) 2 will be distributed Wednesday (9/16) and due the following Wednesday (9/23)

Hello Spartans!

I hope everybody had an amazing Labor Day weekend! This week we will be continuing to learn about first nations people in the Americas and begin learning about the civilizations in Europe, Asia, and Africa with a focus on how the cultures and economies of these civilizations gave rise to the age of discovery.

We will also revise the documents-based assignment and prepare for our first test. Students will have a practice quiz on Thursday. The test will be on Monday, 9/14.

Homework:

DBQ assignment corrections for final submission
Reading and notes that are not finished in class will go home as homework. Students should have the following in their notebooks by Monday, September 14.
- Notes on the following civilizations at the dawn of the Age of discovery:
  - Maya
  - Aztec
  - Inca
  - Early North American societies
  - Northwest Coastal societies
  - Iroquois
  - Africa
  - Asia
  - Europe
  - Middle East
- Students will complete entries for vocabulary words that include:
  - Breakdown of selected words into prefixes, roots, and suffixes (morphemes)
  - Definitions

Important dates:

Practice test – Thursday 9/10
DBQ assignment corrections – Friday, 9/11
Notebook check – Monday, 9/14
Test (lessons 1.1-1.3) – Monday, 9/14

Syllabus_7SS_26-27

The syllabus is subject to change. Major changes will be communicated in class and posted on the website.

Syllabus and first practice assignment

Hi Athlos students and families!

We had an excellent start to the semester. This week we learned about classroom rules and procedures and started to unpack why we study history and how historians do their work. This includes thinking about what events we teach in U.S. history and whose perspectives are reflected. Students shared what they already know about U.S. history by identifying major historical events they have heard of and placing them on their own timelines of U.S. history.

Going into next week, we will start working with the textbook and learning the material that will be covered in quizzes, tests, and projects. On Thursday, I will send home copies of the syllabus, which include descriptions of the assignments that will count toward trimester grades. Please review the syllabus together this weekend.

Students will also receive a practice document-based question assignment on Thursday. I intend for these readings to be challenging, and students will surely encounter new vocabulary words. We will review the source extensively in class next week, and students will have time to review and correct their practice assignments.

Summary:

Students will take home a syllabus on Thursday.
Students will take home a practice assignment on Thursday.
The assignments they receive in my room will be challenging, but students will have a chance to revise and improve their first drafts during class.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out. Our work this year will be ambitious, but I know all my students are capable, and they will be well supported with plenty of practice and opportunities to improve their assignments throughout the trimester.