Judicial Branch, Day 6 - Class Recap

The exterior of the Colosseum in Rome. At the end of gladiator fights, the loser would famously be judged by the emperor. Photo taken summer 2014.

Dear class,

It is always great to see you in the morning! It helps brighten my day immensely. Here's what happened today in class:

Learning Targets Addressed:

Knowledge LT 2: I can demonstrate an understanding of the role of governments in current issues.
Knowledge LT 5: I can demonstrate an understanding of the principles, structures, and functions of different levels of U.S. government.

Soundtrack: "Money" by Pink Floyd. Selected for today because trials and lawyers cost a lot of money to run.

AGENDA 12/12/16:
News Brief – Michael
Review
Judicial Branch Test
12 Angry Men

Homework: Read the blog. Turn in any late/incomplete work. Next news brief: Tristen W.

News Brief: Michael had the news brief today and talked about this story: CBSNews.com - Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet crashes off Japan. This was a great tie in with the Executive Branch unit, as we continue to monitor involvement of US forces around the world. Thanks, Michael! We also talked about last weekend, before moving on.

Ryan was assigned to do the next news brief.

Review: This was a time for review of the study guide for the Judicial Branch test, since it had been so unexpectedly long since last class.

Judicial Branch Test: As promised, 40 questions, multiple choice. It is a busy end to the week, and I will hope to get these grades get entered ASAP.

12 Angry Men: After the test, we started watching one of the most critically acclaimed movies ever: 12 Angry Men (1957). This is a great way to wrap up the judicial branch unit, as we learn more about the jury process through watching this film. I know it is old and black and white, and I was glad to see that students were paying close attention. Here is the film note-taking assignment, if you missed class or lost your copy:

Google Drive: 12 Angry Men Film Questions

We will finish watching this next class! See you then.

Judicial Branch, Day 5 - Class Recap

Snowy Denver in 2007. Will we get some snow soon? Possibly!
Dear class,

It was a mostly a review and study day in class, for the upcoming judicial branch test. Here's what happened today in class:

Learning Targets Addressed:

Knowledge LT 2: I can demonstrate an understanding of the role of governments in current issues.
Knowledge LT 5: I can demonstrate an understanding of the principles, structures, and functions of different levels of U.S. government.

Soundtrack: "Rockin' in the Free World" by Neil Young. Selected for today because the laws of our country are supposed to ensure freedom. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 12/6/16:
News Brief – Jose
Mock Trials
The National Judiciary
Study Guide

Homework: Read the blog. Study for judicial branch test next class. Next news brief: Michael.

News Brief: Jose had the news brief today but was not in class, so we skipped this for today.

Michael was assigned to do the next news brief.

Mock Trials: We finished up this activity from last class, and had a debate in class today about the final case:

Oyez.org - Elk Grove United School District v. Newdow

I was pleased to hear so many well thought out opinions on this case, which involves saying the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools.

The National Judiciary: To help with understanding the process for how the Supreme Court takes and decides cases, here are two videos (we did not watch these in class, due to time):

These videos are pretty cheesy (and older), but do a good job of explaining what happens!

We went through this in detail today - thoroughly reviewing the main concepts of the unit:

Google Drive: The National Judiciary Readings and Questions

Juries/Study Guide: Most of class was spent going over many questions about the judicial branch. I also passed out this study guide (the juries reading was on the back side) for preparation:

Google Drive: Judicial Branch Test Study Guide

Google Drive: Reading on Juries for Judicial Branch Test

One of the questions on the test will be (thanks for checking the blog!): In this case the U.S. Supreme Court declared that no one accused of a crime has to stand trial in any court in the land without benefit of counsel unless he or she specifically refuses it.
A. Dred Scott v Sanford C. Gideon v Wainwright
B. Plessy v Ferguson D. Brown v Board of Education

If you aren't sure, guess in the comments and I will tell you what the answer is!

See you next class, for the test! Then we will close before break by watching a movie about the judicial process. :-)

Judicial Branch, Day 4 - Class Recap

The flag of the United States, before the Holiday Bowl football game in 2008. Next week, we will have an interesting mock trial on saying the Pledge of Allegiance in class.

Hi everyone,

I really enjoyed the discussions and debates the mock trials brought up today, and I had the sense that most students did, too. Here's what happened today in class:

Learning Targets Addressed:

Knowledge LT 2: I can demonstrate an understanding of the role of governments in current issues.
Knowledge LT 5: I can demonstrate an understanding of the principles, structures, and functions of different levels of U.S. government.

Soundtrack: "My Generation" by The Who. Selected for today because the mock trial cases had to do with your generation. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 12/2/16:
News Brief – Matthew
Finish Mock Trial Prep
Mock Trials
Debrief

Homework: Read the blog. Turn in any missing work! Next news brief: Jose.

News Brief: Matthew had the news brief today and talked about this story: NYTimes.com - James Mattis, Outspoken Retired Marine, Is Trump’s Choice as Defense Secretary. This continues with our look at how President-elect Trump is making decisions about his cabinet department, and what the people likely to be in charge are like.

Jose was assigned to do the next news brief.

Mock Trials: The majority of class was taken up by doing the mock trials for the three cases we had time for. We had a really excellent discussion on the issues: student speech, school segregation, and drug searches at school. Please complete the rest of your mock trial packet, if you did not in class! Here are the actual results of the cases, with audio of the arguments, if you are interested:

Case #1: Oyez.org - Morse v. Frederick

Case #2: Oyez.org - Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1

Case #3: Oyez.org - Safford Unified School District v. Redding

We just barely finished with the first three cases within the class! Thank you for participating in this - I thought it was a pretty cool activity and I was glad to see students engaged in trying to answer these important legal questions.

Next class, we will finish case four and start wrapping up the Judicial Branch unit with an overview, then begin studying for the test. Have a great weekend!

Judicial Branch, Day 3 - Class Recap

Looking down the National Mall, from the top of the Washington Monument. The United States Supreme Court building is behind and to the left of the Capitol Building. Photo taken in 2010.

Dear class,

We finished looking at the Supreme Court landmark cases today, then I passed out Mock Trial prep materials. Here's what happened today in class:

Learning Targets Addressed:

Knowledge LT 5: I can demonstrate an understanding of the principles, structures, and functions of different levels of U.S. government.

Soundtrack: "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana. Selected for today because of the teen spirit evident in a few of the cases we have been talking about in class. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 11/30/16:
News Brief – Jurnee
Finish Landmark Cases
Mock Trial Prep
Work Time

Homework: Read the blog. Look at your grade and improve it, if possible! Next news brief: Matthew.

News Brief: Jurnee had the news brief today and selected this article to talk about: NYTimes.com - Trump Calls for Revoking Flag Burners’ Citizenship. Court Rulings Forbid It.. We had a good in class discussion about this story and what will happen next with the election. I enjoyed all the student comments and questions here - thanks everyone!

Matthew was assigned to do the next news brief.

Landmark Case Reading: We finished going through these today:

Google Drive: Landmark Supreme Court Decisions Handout

The assignment that went along with the reading is here:

Google Drive: Landmark SCOTUS Cases Assignment Sheet

Please make sure you have your completed notes for these very important cases! It was interesting to get to talk about stuff like Japanese internment camps in the United States during World War II!

Mock Trial Prep: The rest of the class was devoted to preparing for mock trials, which we will do next class. This was a very complicated process to explain, but students in class got it, I think! If you missed class, you are going to need to come see me in person to get your case forms and the assignment sheet.

Be prepared to finish these at the start of next class, and then do the four mock trials! Have a great weekend! :-)

Judicial Branch, Day 2 - Class Recap

Alcatraz Island, San Francisco Bay, which was a prison for federal criminals. Photo taken in 2011.

Dear class,

Today was another deep dive into various different Supreme Court cases, to see how the Judicial Branch of the U.S. Government impacts our day to day lives. Here's what happened today in class:

Learning Targets Addressed:

Knowledge LT 2: I can demonstrate an understanding of the role of governments in current issues.
Knowledge LT 5: I can demonstrate an understanding of the principles, structures, and functions of different branches of U.S. government.

Soundtrack: "Confessions, Pt. 2" by Usher. Selected for today because a confession could be a part of a criminal investigation, which involves the judicial branch. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 11/22/16:
News Brief – Alessandra
Review Executive Test
Cases Teens Should Know
Landmark Cases

Homework: Read the blog. Look at your grade and improve it, if possible! Happy Thanksgiving! Next news brief: Jurnee.

News Brief: Alessandra had the news brief today and selected an article about this story to talk about: LATimes.com - Stockton mother faces jail time for selling homemade ceviche through Facebook. As Alessandra stated in class, this article has to do with food safety, which is regulated at the federal level by the Department of Agriculture, which we just learned about!

We also checked in about the upcoming Thanksgiving weekend and what was going on outside of class.

Jurnee was assigned to do the next news brief.

Review Executive Test: I think generally, this went well for students. We went through the correct answers in class and talked about the test overall. There will be more opportunities for this learning target in the future, for sure!

Cases Teens Should Know: Before we moved on, we watched this video, explaining a bit more about how the Judicial Branch works:

The reading was from last class - we finished and then went over the answers:

NYTimes Upfront - 10 Supreme Court Cases Every Teen Should Know

The assignment was to, on a separate sheet of paper, read and write the answers to the following questions for a minimum of five out of the ten cases.

1) What was the issue?
2) Describe the judge’s decision and explain their reasons why.
3) Do you agree or disagree with the judge’s decision? Explain your reasons why or why not.

As part of going through these cases, I showed this article about all of the states that currently allow corporal punishment at schools (like hitting students with paddles for misbehaving): BusinessInsider.com - These Are The 19 States That Still Let Public Schools Hit Kids. Eye opening for many students, I think!

Also, here is a recent article related to after school clubs featuring a certain religion: KATU.com - After School Satan Club holds first open house in Portland.

Landmark Case Reading: This was definitely a reading and work heavy day. That's kind of what the Supreme Court is all about, though - lots of legal papers and decisions to look at, in order to understand the law. Here was the reading (I gave each student one case to analyze, and we will go through them next class):

Google Drive: Landmark Supreme Court Decisions Handout

The assignment that went along with the reading is here:

Google Drive: Landmark SCOTUS Cases Assignment Sheet

That was it for the day! Thank you so much for your focus and hard work! Next class, we will finish up the Supreme Court landmark cases. :-)

Judicial Branch, Day 1 - Class Recap

The United States Supreme Court building, in Washington, D.C. Photo taken in 2010.

Hi everyone,

Thanks for your effort on the test and with the in class work today! Here's what happened today in class:

Learning Targets Addressed:

Knowledge LT 5: I can demonstrate an understanding of the principles, structures, and functions of different levels of U.S. government.

Soundtrack: "Princess of China" by Coldplay. Selected for today because a princess is a monarch, which is a form of government. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 11/18/16:
News Brief – Katelyn
Executive Branch Test
Judicial Branch Overview
Cases Every Teen Should Know

Homework: Read the blog. Turn in any missing work ASAP! Next news brief: Alessandra.

News Brief: Katelyn had the news brief today and selected this article to talk about: CNN.com - Officer charged with manslaughter in Philando Castile killing. We discussed this story and the ongoing uproar over police brutality in the United States, before moving on to talk about the upcoming weekend.

Alessandra was selected to do the next news brief.

Executive Branch Test: I hope that you studied and did well on this! I will try to have the grades entered in later today. Thirty questions, multiple choice. Not too bad, I hope! Thanks, as always for your effort on this! It seemed like most students felt okay about how it went.

Judicial Branch: To start, I led students through a fill in the blank overview of the judicial branch. Here it is again, if you want to go over it to study for the test later on in the unit (probably after Thanksgiving):

Google Drive: Judicial Branch Overview

10 Supreme Court Cases: After going over the introduction to the unit, I passed out this reading (which was copied incorrectly, so we were only able to do a few of the cases - I will pass out the full reading next class):

NYTimes Upfront - 10 Supreme Court Cases Every Teen Should Know

The rest of class was devoted to reading the cases, and following these directions: On a separate sheet of paper, read and write the answers to the following questions for a minimum of five out of the ten cases.

1) What was the issue?
2) Describe the judge’s decision and explain their reasons why.
3) Do you agree or disagree with the judge’s decision? Explain your reasons why or why not.

Next class, we will finish this, discuss, then move on to some more case studies.

Thanks! See you next time! :-)

Executive Branch, Day 6 - Class Recap

The Washington Monument, in Washington, D.C. Named after our first President, George Washington! Photo taken in 2010.

Hi everyone,

I enjoyed playing the role of the President today and hearing all of the various different policy proposals for the federal government! Next class, we will finish up with the unit and take the Executive Branch test. Here's what happened today in class:

Learning Targets Addressed:
Knowledge LT 2: I can demonstrate an understanding of the role of governments in current issues.
Knowledge LT 5: I can demonstrate an understanding of the principles, structures, and functions of different branches of U.S. government.
Critical Thinking and Reasoning LT 3: I can apply understanding of ideas and concepts to a new context or problem.
Communication LT 5: I can communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
Research LT 5: I can effectively conduct and apply research.

Soundtrack: "Paris, Tokyo" by Lupe Fiasco. Selected for today because it's a really good song, and also, the Department of State has to talk with countries all around the world. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 11/16/16:
News Brief – Nathan
Cabinet Simulation
Study Guide
Executive Review

Homework: 1) Read the blog. Congratulations for doing this!

2) Study for the executive branch test:

Review the key terms and readings on the Study Guide. For instance, The Presidency reading will help. Also, study the cabinet descriptions reading. You might want to download the pdf and then rotate the page (because it is in landscape format). Or, just turn your head, I guess)!

A test question you will see (thanks for checking the blog!) is: All of the following are duties of the President EXCEPT:

A) Receive Ambassadors. B) Judge the Supreme Court. C) Give a State of the Union Address. D) Ensure that laws are faithfully executed.

If you want to, guess in the comments and I will tell you if you are right!

Next news brief: Katelyn.

News Brief: Nathan had the news brief today and selected an article about this story to talk about: FoxNews.com - Minnesota woman blames drunken driving crash on the election. We talked in class for a bit about this, and how obviously there is never a good excuse for drunk driving. Thanks, Nathan.

Katelyn was selected to do the next news brief.

Cabinet Simulations: I really enjoyed listening to everyone talk about their departments, problems, and possible solutions! Although it appears many students did not have their packets or papers done (please turn them in to me as soon as possible), I was pleased to hear some knowledge and response to my questions as the President! Here are the questions students were answering as a part of this activity:

1) What is your department?
2) What is a problem your department is facing?
3) What are your possible solutions to the problem?
4) How much money will it cost?

It was great to have this discussion in class, and I'm sure everyone is better prepared for the test as a result of going through the various different departments.

Study Guide/Executive Review: Here is the study guide for the test, which will be 30 multiple choice questions (for LT5). Ignore the Political Spectrum section at the bottom.

Please make sure to ask me if you are at all confused about anything! Thank you so much for your hard work!

Executive Branch, Day 5 - Class Recap

The American Cemetery in Normandy, France. Selected for today because Veterans Day was last week.

Hi everybody,

Today was the sole work day in class for the Cabinet Project. Here's what happened today in class:

Learning Targets Addressed:
Knowledge LT 2: I can demonstrate an understanding of the role of governments in current issues.
Knowledge LT 5: I can demonstrate an understanding of the principles, structures, and functions of different branches of U.S. government.
Critical Thinking and Reasoning LT 3: I can apply understanding of ideas and concepts to a new context or problem.
Communication LT 5: I can communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
Research LT 5: I can effectively conduct and apply research.

Soundtrack: "If You're Out There" by John Legend. Selected for today because it was a theme song of President Obama's in 2008. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 11/14/16:
News Brief - Elizbeth
Election Review
Cabinet Project

Homework: Read the blog. Complete the Cabinet project assignment and be ready to present with your partner in a classroom cabinet meeting next class. Next news brief: Nathan.

News Brief: Elizabeth had the news brief today and we discussed the huge news in the country with Donald Trump being elected the next President of the United States. See below for more details.

Nathan has the next news brief.

Election Review: So clearly, there was a lot to talk about with the election. We looked at the Electoral College results, which gave Donald Trump the victory (as I was saying all semester long, it is not about who wins the most votes across the country, which Hillary Clinton is all but assured of doing by around a million votes). We talked about the five states that FiveThirtyEight.com got wrong in their final predictions, as well as why that might have been (Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania coming as the biggest upsets). We also discussed the other branches of government, with the Republicans also taking control of the House and Senate, and President-elect Trump getting to appoint the next Supreme Court justice, as well. Finally, we checked in about Oregon's elections and the consequences of the votes here. I also took questions from the class about what comes next for the government.

Cabinet Project: Here's a link to the cabinet project (advising the President) that we worked on in class today:

Google Drive - Presidential Cabinet Assignment Handout

Here are the sign ups for each of the cabinet positions:

Agriculture: Jayden and Suong
Commerce: Kayleigh and Saja
Defense: Kenneth and Michael
Education: Matthew and Willie // Victoria
Energy: Katelyn and Jurnee
Health and Human Services: Samantha and Jade
Housing and Urban Development: Shayne and Elizabeth
Interior: Lili and Maddy
Justice: Roman and Alessandra
Labor: Kenny and Tyler
Transportation: Halle and Shaelin
Treasury: Kira and Sarah Beth
Veteran’s Affairs: Ryan
Homeland Security: Rylan and Marco
Environmental Protection Agency: Jose and Chloe
State: Max and Nathan
US Mission to the United Nations: Kaden

If you missed class, please see where you are on the list and what you are doing! Remember that I am mostly concerned with your 1-2 page paper for Team Member A or B that is near the end of the packet, along with the presentation.

This is due to be presented next class, so I hope you worked hard and do not have much homework (if any) left to complete. If you do, and are confused or need help, please let me know and I will try to get back to you ASAP! See you on Wednesday!

Executive Branch, Day 4 - Class Recap

On the roof of the Bundestag building in Berlin, Germany. This is where the government of Germany meets. Photo taken in 2013.

Hi everyone,

Welcome to a shortened week, with Veterans Day on Friday and a staff development day on Thursday! I really enjoyed the discussion and festive atmosphere in class. I'm sure it was a nice change from all of the writing students have had to do in the last few days for the class! Here's what happened in class:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 2: I can demonstrate an understanding of the role of governments in current issues.
Knowledge LT 5: I can demonstrate an understanding of the principles, structures, and functions of different branches of U.S. government.

Soundtrack: "The Final Countdown" by Europe. Selected for today because it is the final countdown (of hours!) until the end of the 2016 Presidential Election! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 11/8/16:
News Brief – Marco
The Election
Advertisements
Cabinet Project

Homework: Read the blog. Watch the election night coverage tonight! Next news brief: Elizabeth.

News Brief: Marco had the news brief today and selected an article about this story: NYTimes.com - What Time Will the Polls Close? (And When Will We Know Who Won?). This was a great transition to talking about what is going on today!

Elizabeth was selected to do the next news brief.

I also asked about the weekend and what people were up to.

The Election: Because today is the presidential election, I made sure to go through what is happening and when to expect results. We went through a few websites for this:

1) The FiveThirtyEight.com election forecast. I have been showing this all semester in class, and it appears that the polls have recently tightened a bit, though Hillary Clinton is still favored to win a majority of the time. As a reminder: it is not who wins the most votes in the country, it is who wins the amount of states that add up to at least 270 electoral votes that wins.

2) A map of poll closing times for each state, when results begin to be announced. Yay for geography and maps! I pointed out some keys in the early states to look for in terms of who might be ahead. Virginia and Georgia at 4:00 PM are two examples of important indicators. At 8:00 PM on the West Coast, polls close, and it is likely that within the next couple of hours after that, we will know who will be the next President of the United States.

3) A map of how long it took to determine who won each state in 2012. Helpful to know how long things might take!

Along with this, I had students go to 270towin.com and try to construct the Electoral College map they thought would happen tonight, then screenshot it and send it to me on Google Classroom. So cool! Thanks, everyone!

Advertisements: This was another Google Classroom assignment, in analyzing campaign mail that I have been sent over the past few weeks. Hopefully you found this interesting, as well!

Cabinet Project: We will start this next class!

See you on next Monday, when we will surely have lots to talk about! :-)

Executive Branch, Day 3 - Class Recap

Then Senator Barack Obama when he visited Portland near the start of his Presidential campaign in 2007.

Dear class,

Today, we started the Cabinet Project. The Presidential Cabinet is a very important part of how the Executive Branch functions. Here's what happened today in class:

Learning Targets Addressed:
Knowledge LT 2: I can demonstrate an understanding of the role of governments in current issues.
Knowledge LT 5: I can demonstrate an understanding of the principles, structures, and functions of different branches of U.S. government.
Critical Thinking and Reasoning LT 3: I can apply understanding of ideas and concepts to a new context or problem.
Communication LT 5: I can communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
Research LT 5: I can effectively conduct and apply research.

Soundtrack: "Get Ready for This" by 2 Unlimited. Intended as a pump up song for Friday, the Cabinet Project, and the playoff football game tonight! Here's a link to the version I played in class, from ESPN's "Jock Jams" CD.

AGENDA 11/4/16:
News Brief - Rylan
Election Update
The Presidency
Cabinet Project

Homework: Read the blog. Bring in supplies for the Election Party! Study the cabinet descriptions reading. You might want to download the pdf and then rotate the page (because it is in landscape format). Or, just turn your head, I guess)! Think about what you want to select for the Cabinet project. Next news brief: David.

News Brief: Rylan had the news brief today, and selected this article to talk about with the class: WashingtonPost.com - Jury acquits Ammon Bundy, six others for standoff at Oregon wildlife refuge. Rylan talked about this story and some of the details of the case (and also the upcoming case against the Bundy brothers in Nevada), before moving on.

Marco has the next news brief.

Election Update: There are only 4 more days until the election! We checked in with the latest Electoral College map on FiveThirtyEight.com and noted that Donald Trump has been gaining lately in the polls. We will do a LOT with the election next class, which I am really looking forward to! My first time being a Government teacher during a Presidential election!

The Presidency: We finished going through The Presidency reading and questions today in class:

Google Drive - The Presidency Reading

These are the questions that go along with the reading:

Google Drive - The Presidency Questions

Cabinet Departments: For this section, we went over what the various different presidential cabinet departments are responsible for. We also watched this video, so everyone could see what it looks like in real life:

We will be doing a similar sort of activity in class, with me playing the role of the President and the class taking on the various department heads!

Cabinet Project: Here's a link to the cabinet project (advising the President) that we looked at in class today:

Google Drive - Presidential Cabinet Assignment Handout

We will sign up for these next class. See you next week - on Election Day!

Executive Branch, Day 2 - Class Recap

Inside the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C. Photo taken in 2010.

Hi everyone,

Today, we heard from Deputy Scott Haley, our Student Support Officer here at Westview, and also went through more introduction to the Executive Branch. Here's what happened today in class:

Learning Targets Addressed:
Knowledge LT 1: I can demonstrate an understanding of the interplay between citizens and their governments.
Knowledge LT 3: I can demonstrate an understanding of how individuals and non-governmental institutions interact with each other and the government in shaping politics.
Knowledge LT 5: I can demonstrate an understanding of the principles, structures, and functions of different levels of U.S. government.

Soundtrack: "Born in the U.S.A" by Bruce Springsteen. Selected for today because the song is typically seen as representing patriotic themes, but a closer look at the lyrics (as we did in class) show that the song is really about a deep dissatisfaction with American culture and government.

AGENDA 11/2/16:
News Brief – Anthony
Deputy Haley
CRLE Forms
Review Legislative Test

Homework: Read the blog. Next news brief: Rylan.

News Brief: Anthony had the news brief today and selected an article about Measure 97 to talk about. This was an interesting story, and I wish we could have discussed this more in class, but since Deputy Haley was coming, I made it somewhat short, before showing the latest update on FiveThirtyEight.com

Rylan was selected to do the next news brief.

Deputy Haley: Much of the rest of class was devoted to Scott Haley, who is the officer here at Westview. Scott talked about his experience with being the Student Support Officer here this year. Hopefully, you enjoyed hearing him talk with the class, because I definitely did!

CRLE Forms: As a part of the guest speaker coming in, students filled out a Career Related Learning Experience form (I believe you need to have 4 of these completed as a graduation requirement). I did turn all of these into the counseling office for anyone that did it. I will try to have my mom come in near the end of the semester for a second opportunity, as well.

Review Legislative Test: We did not have time to get to this today, but your grades are in StudentVUE, and we will come back to this next class.

Thanks, everyone!

Executive Branch, Day 1 - Class Recap

The White House, in Washington, D.C., where the President (the head of the Executive Branch of the United States government) lives. Photo taken in 2011.

Hi everyone,

Today was the Legislative Branch test in class, as well as the start of our unit on the Executive Branch. Here's what happened today in class:

Learning Targets Addressed:
Knowledge LT 1: I can demonstrate an understanding of the interplay between citizens and their governments.
Knowledge LT 3: I can demonstrate an understanding of how individuals and non-governmental institutions interact with each other and the government in shaping politics.
Knowledge LT 5: I can demonstrate an understanding of the principles, structures, and functions of different levels of U.S. government.

Soundtrack: "Thriller" by Michael Jackson. Selected for today because today is Halloween! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 10/31/16:
News Brief – Chloe
Legislative Test
Executive Branch Overview
The Presidency
Questions for Deputy Haley

Homework: Read the blog. Next news brief: Anthony.

News Brief: Danielle had the news brief today and selected an article about this story to talk about in class: NYTimes.com -  Justice Dept. Strongly Discouraged Comey on Move in Clinton Email Case. We discussed this story and the impact it might have on the presidential race, which ends next Tuesday, and checked in on the latest polls. Thanks, Chloe! Anthony was drawn as the next news brief.

We also checked in about the weekend and what people were up to. I have to say, my freshmen are much more eager to share than your class. I wonder why? :-)

Legislative Test: I was generous in the lead up to this, as I went over basically the exact questions from the test and gave some study time before I passed it out. I should have grades for it available by next class (fingers crossed).

Executive Branch Overview: The next part of class was learning about the Executive Branch. Here are the answers to the sheet I passed out to start the unit:

Google Drive - Executive Branch Overview Notes

As part of going through this, I explained that the 2000 Presidential Election was decided by the Electoral College, not the popular vote (Gore got the most votes in the country, but still lost the election). We will look more into this soon.

The Presidency: Here is the reading that we ended class with. It is not homework to complete (unless you missed class), but be familiar with the basics, as a future test will be based on it!

Google Drive - The Presidency Reading

These are the questions that go along with the reading:

Google Drive - The Presidency Questions

I am fully aware that this was not the most interesting class as far as new content goes. I think it will be more engaging soon!

Questions for Deputy Haley: At the end of class, we made some questions for Scott Haley, who is the officer here at Westview. Next class, Scott will come in and answer your questions, and talk about his experience with being the Student Support Officer here. In the past, this has been an awesome experience in learning more about law enforcement (directly related to the Executive Branch) and filling out a Career Related Learning Experience form (I believe you need to have 4 of these completed as a graduation requirement). I am looking forward to it! See you next class.

Legislative Branch, Day 5 - Class Recap

Today's town hall had various students running for office. Here's a very real candidate: my mom, running for Portland City Council in 2012!

Dear class,

Another interesting day, especially with the town hall meeting, which I really enjoyed! Here's what happened today in class:

Learning Targets Addressed:
Knowledge LT 1: I can demonstrate an understanding of the interplay between citizens and their governments.
Knowledge LT 3: I can demonstrate an understanding of how individuals and non-governmental institutions interact with each other and the government in shaping politics.

Knowledge LT 5: I can demonstrate an understanding of the principles, structures, and functions of different levels of U.S. government.

Soundtrack: "Party in the USA" by Miley Cyrus. Selected for today because we are studying US government, and also, because it is Halloween soon. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 10/27/16:
News Brief – Shaelin
Washington's Gridlock
Town Hall
Review for Test

Homework: Read the blog. Review for Legislative test, which is next class. Here are some resources to help you with this:

The second page of this handout, charting how a bill becomes a law, will be on the test. You will need to fill in the blanks with what happens on each side of Congress, then what happens when it gets to the President.

You will need to know: the political spectrum (from left to right: radical, liberal, moderate, conservative, reactionary). the number of representatives in each branch of Congress, and the eligibility requirements for them. The leaders in both the Senate (Vice President) and the House (Speaker of the House).

Next news brief: Chloe.

News Brief: Shaelin had the news brief today and selected an article about this story to talk about: OregonLive.com - Logan Kitzhaber, son of former governor, briefly jailed in Portland. We discussed this story as well as the resignation of Governor John Kitzhaber due to alleged improper double dealing by his fiance while he was in office. Thanks, Shaelin!

Chloe has the next news brief. We also checked in about the weekend before moving on.

Washington's Gridlock: I think this is an important story to learn about, with why many people are very frustrated with the United States government, in that not much of consequence seems to get done. Here is the reading we did in class:

Google Drive - New York Times Upfront: Washington's Gridlock

Here is the assignment that went with the reading:

Google Drive - Washington's Gridlock Assignment

As part of the article, I talked about redistricting and gerrymandering contributing to inaction in Congress. Here's an interesting article about the most gerrymandered congressional districts in America. Also, I showed part of this hilarious video of Patton Oswalt on Parks and Recreation, using the filibuster as a tactic to stop the local city council from voting on an issue:

Furthermore, I showed this real life example of Senator Paul Ryan (KY) using the filibuster tactic in the Senate:

We also took a look at the approval ratings over time for President Obama and Congress.

Town Hall: I really liked this! We had three candidates (Max, Kenneth S., and Victoria) in front of the class, representing their own views. Everyone else in the class was responsible for writing questions for the candidates in class, representing different non-governmental organizations and advocacy groups for some important issues in the country - education, jobs and the economy, immigration, the environment, healthcare. This hits LT3: I can demonstrate an understanding of how individuals and non-governmental institutions interact with each other and the government in shaping politics.

The three candidates talked about their own views on the issues, and then tried to think on their feet to answer questions from the various groups around the class.

Here was the assessment I used for LT3, after the Town Hall:

Google Drive - Town Hall Review Questions

If you missed class today, please do your best to try and complete these questions using your own opinions and thoughts. Some students were not able to finish in class, so please get this in to me as soon as possible.

Review for Test: Please study for the legislative branch test (some multiple choice, some fill in the blank, some short answer) and let me know if you have any questions I can answer about it. Look above in the homework section for links that will help, along with this study guide:

Google Drive - Legislative Branch Test Study Guide

Thanks! See you next week!

Legislative Branch, Day 4 - Class Recap

As part of the Legislative simulation today in class, I played the role of the President of the United States. Here I am in front of the White House, where the President lives in Washington, D.C. in 2010 (when I had a beard!).

Dear class,

I enjoyed the bill simulation today! As usual, there was also a lot of work in going through information about the Legislative Branch. Thank you for your focus and effort! Here's the recap for today:

Learning Targets Addressed:
Knowledge LT 2: I can demonstrate an understanding of the role of governments in current issues.
Knowledge LT 5: I can demonstrate an understanding of the principles, structures, and functions of different levels of U.S. government.

Soundtrack: "Rhapsody in Blue" by Leonard Bernstein. Selected for today because the legislative process is long, like this song. No lyrics, but listen here.

AGENDA 10/25/16:
News Brief – Roman
Review Congress Work
Legislative Simulation
Washington's Gridlock

Homework: Read the blog. Continue working on the Washington's Gridlock article and related questions. Next news brief: Shaelin.

News Brief: Roman had the news brief today and selected this story to talk about: QZ.com - Salma Hayek is the latest woman to complain about Trump’s advances. Roman's theory was that this would not really impact the race, since Trump's supporters seem very committed at this point. We checked in about the presidential race and latest odds. I also showed my official 2016 ballot, which I will fill out after showing my classes. Hopefully you enjoyed checking it out!

Shaelin was randomly selected for the next news brief. We also checked in about the weekend and anything interesting happening (I am still tired from the weekend in the Bay Area!) before moving on.

Review Congress Work: The past two classes, we have been working on these handouts. First, Oregon reps in Congress:

Google Drive - Oregon Representatives in Congress Assignment

We also looked at the demographics of the current representatives in congress:

Google Drive - 114th Congress Profile Assignment

Here is a link to the website/pdf document that has the answers:

FAS.org - Membership of the 114th Congress: A Profile

We went through most of the answers as a class, then I told students to keep them to prepare for the upcoming Legislative Branch test.

Legislative Simulation: Again, I really liked this. I split up the class into the House of Representatives and Senate (which had less students in it, because that's how it really works), then again into different committees. I then passed out all the ideas for bills that students gave me at the end of last class, to debate. The committees debated the ideas for bills, then chose what they thought was the best one to propose to their chamber of Congress, by answering these questions:

What are you proposing?
Who will it impact?
When will it begin or end?
Where (which states) will be impacted?
Why should this bill pass?
How much will it cost?

After the full House and full Senate debated the two bills that were put forward by the committees, they chose one bill each to vote on and send over to the other part of Congress. This ended up being a bill on raising the minimum wage and one lowering the amount of time that someone with a new driver's license cannot have a friend in the car.

Both sections of Congress debated the bills, changed them, then voted on them, sending them back to the other side (this would now be the conference committee). Eventually, we had a few bills pass into law! So good!

Acting as President of the simulation, I signed the bill into law, with the pen that Governor Kate Brown used to sign the highway safety legislation that was enacted after my dad was killed in 2014.

Washington's Gridlock: I think this is an important story to learn about, with why many people are very frustrated with the United States government, in that not much of consequence seems to get done. Here is the reading we did in class:

Google Drive - New York Times Upfront: Washington's Gridlock 

Here are the questions that go along with the article:

Google Drive - Washington's Gridlock Questions

As part of the article, we will talk about redistricting and gerrymandering contributing to inaction in Congress. Here's an interesting article about the most gerrymandered congressional districts in America.

We will finish this up next class. Thank you very much!

Legislative Branch, Day 3 - Class Recap

The office of Speaker of the House, which is currently controlled by Republicans, and Representative Paul Ryan from Wisconsin. Photo taken in 2010.

Hi everyone,

It was basically another work/prep day for our legislative branch unit today in class! Here's the recap for today:

Learning Targets Addressed:
Knowledge LT 2: I can demonstrate an understanding of the role of governments in current issues.
Knowledge LT 5: I can demonstrate an understanding of the principles, structures, and functions of different levels of U.S. government.

Soundtrack: "Represent" by Weezer. Selected for today because we were continuing to look at Oregon's Representatives in Congress. Get it? Lyrics here.

AGENDA 10/21/16:
News Brief/Debate Recap – Shanye
Finish Oregon Reps
114th Congress
Create Bills

Homework: Read the blog. Create a bill if you did not in class. Finish the Oregon representatives handout and the 114th Congress profile. Next news brief: Roman.

News Brief: Shayne had the news brief today and we talked about the last presidential debate on Wednesday. Here's the overview clip I showed in class: CNN.com - Trump calls Clinton 'a nasty woman'. We discussed what happened as well as previewed the last 18 days of the presidential campaign. Not long now! Next class, I will bring in my uncompleted ballot to show everyone! There were some good perspectives here. Thanks, Shayne!

Roman was randomly selected for the next news brief.

Finish Oregon Reps: At the start of the class, we were working on the Oregon representatives handout, as well as the 114th Congress paper and creating bills. Here is the handout that I passed out last class:

Google Drive - Oregon Representatives in Congress Handout

The main point here is to know who our representatives are and what they believe. It is important that we know who represents us in Congress, and what their ideas are!

114th Congress: The next new piece from today was this handout, looking at the demographics of the current representatives in congress:

Google Drive - 114th Congress Profile Assignment

Here is a link to the website/pdf document that has the answers:

FAS.org - Membership of the 114th Congress: A Profile

I hope this helps! We will go through the answers to these questions next class.

Create a Bill: This was in preparation for next class, when we will be doing a simulation of Congress. To start this off, I showed this recently released look behind the scenes as the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) was passed in 2010:

Here were the questions I wanted you to answer in your personal bill proposals:

1. What are you proposing?
2. Who will it impact?
3. When will it begin or end?
4. Where (which states) will be impacted?
5. Why should this bill pass?
6. How much will it cost?

Bring these in next class, please! Thanks for your work on this! See you next class, when we will simulating the legislative process!

Legislative Branch, Day 2 - Class Recap

This image of the US Capitol Building is actually the background for this blog! Photo taken in 2010.

Dear class,

Today, we talked your Bill of Rights Quiz scores! We also started up with looking at the Oregon congressional delegation. Here's the recap for today:

Learning Targets Addressed:
Knowledge LT 2: I can demonstrate an understanding of the role of governments in current issues.
Knowledge LT 5: I can demonstrate an understanding of the principles, structures, and functions of different levels of U.S. government.

Soundtrack: "Abc" by The Jackson 5. Selected for today because counting 1-2-3 of the Amendments in the Bill of Rights would have helped last class on the quiz! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 10/19/16:
News Brief – Maddy
Review Quiz
Oregon Reps in Congress
Work Time

Homework: Read the blog. Continue working on the Oregon representatives handout (we will have a bit of time next class to finish/review). Watch the last Presidential debate tonight at 6 PM. Next news brief: Shayne.

News Brief: Maddy had the news brief today and selected this article to talk about: NPR.org - Refugee Resettlement Evokes Fear, Debate In Montana. We talked about this article and the issue of refugees in the United States, as well as the reaction from different areas of our government when President Obama said we would take in more Syrian refugees. An important story to highlight! Thanks, Maddy.

We also checked in about the debate tonight and I showed the updated Election Forecast from FiveThirtyEight.com in discussing what the possible impacts of the debate tonight could be.

Shayne was randomly selected for the next news brief.

Review Quiz: After the news, we talked about the Bill of Rights test from last class. We went through the answers together. If you need to retake this (or any other quiz/test), let's figure out a time outside of class to do this. Updated grades are posted online on StudentVUE.

Oregon Representatives: Next, it was time to learn more about who serves Oregon as representatives in Congress at the federal level. Here is the handout that I passed out in class/was on Google Classroom for students to edit using Kami:

Google Drive - Oregon Representatives in Congress Handout

The main point here is to know who our representatives are and what they believe. It is important that we know who represents us in Congress, and what their ideas are!

Work Time: For the rest of the class, we were working with the Chromebooks in class on the Oregon representatives handout.

Thanks for your work on this! See you next class, when we will be creating legislation of our own!

Bill of Rights Test and Legislative Branch Overview - Class Recap

The United States Capitol Building, which is where Congress (the Legislative Branch of the US) meets. Photo taken in 2011.

Hi everyone,

Another quiz today! I hope it went well for everyone. Thanks again for your hard work! We also got started with a unit on the legislative branch. Here's what happened today:

Learning Targets Addressed:
Knowledge LT 1: I can demonstrate an understanding of the interplay between citizens and their governments.
Knowledge LT 2: I can demonstrate an understanding of the role of governments in current issues.
Knowledge LT 5: I can demonstrate an understanding of the principles, structures, and functions of different levels of U.S. government.

Soundtrack: "At the Beginning" from Anastasia. Selected for today because we are the start of a new unit: the Legislative Branch. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 10/17/16:
News Brief - Lili
Bill of Rights Quiz
Legislative Branch Overview
Work Time

Homework: Read the blog. Study how a bill becomes a law handout! Next news brief: Maddy.

News Brief: Lili had the news brief today and selected an article about this story: TheNation.com - Amy Goodman Is Facing Jail Time for Reporting on the Dakota Access Pipeline. That Should Scare Us All. We checked in about this story, and some of the specifics as to what is happening with the protests in North Dakota against the oil pipeline, as well as the important issues surrounding freedom of the press in this case.

Thanks, Lili! Maddy has the next news brief.

We also checked in about the long weekend and what people were up to, before moving on.

Bill of Rights Quiz: We prepared for this the past few classes, as well as a bit during class today, before the quiz. Thank you for giving your best effort on this! We will go over the results together next class.

Legislative Branch Overview/Work Time: This was a handout that went through some of through some of the specifics of the legislative process, like what the legislative branch does and who makes it up. Please review the flow chart on page two, specifically. You will eventually be tested on that and we are going to work through that process together in a simulation later this week:

Google Drive - How a Bill Becomes a Law Handout

Before we did some review, I showed this old Schoolhouse Rock classic:

I also showed a Washington, D.C. license plate and talked about "taxation without representation."

We kept going with the handout until we stopped at trustee and delegate styles of legislators. Please make sure to review this handout! Thank you!

Bill of Rights Review - Class Recap

The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial in Washington, D.C. FDR was named as one of the Presidents in Final Jeopardy today!

Dear class,

I had a lot of fun reviewing the Bill of Rights with you today! Please be studying the content for the quiz next class, along with the structure of the U.S. government. Here's the recap for the day:

Learning Targets Addressed:
Knowledge LT 2: I can demonstrate an understanding of the role of governments in current issues.
Knowledge LT 5: I can demonstrate an understanding of the principles, structures, and functions of different branches of U.S. government.

Soundtrack: “American Pie" by Don McLean. Selected for today because we were talking more about American government, and this song famously contains lots of references to American culture. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 10/12/16:
News Brief - Tyler
Jeopardy Review
Crash Course Rights
Study Time

Homework: Read the blog! Keep reviewing the Bill of Rights for the quiz next class (be able to write down what each Amendment in the Bill of Rights is, and an example, as well as checks/balances/powers of the federal government). Next news brief: Lili.

News Brief: Tyler had the news brief today and needs to send me his article/video, which was about a YouTuber saying he was going to vote for Clinton. I also talked about the latest presidential election forecast from FiveThirtyEight.com again. Interesting times, for sure! Lili was selected for the next news brief.

Jeopardy Review: I always really enjoy this, and today was no exception. I split the class into three groups, and then we played this version of PowerPoint Jeopardy to review the material we have learned so far in class:

Google Drive - Constitution/Bill of Rights Jeopardy Review

This probably will be difficult to replicate on Google Drive, but you can at least see the questions to study from. Our big winners today were Group 1. We will do this later in the year, too!

Crash Course Rights: To finish up with reviewing in class for the Bill of Rights test, I showed this Crash Course video (with captions on - I know that the narrator talks very quickly):

Some good information here (and familiar Supreme Court cases)!

Study Time: The rest of class was used for studying and/or retakes of tests or quizzes. I think this was used productively in class, so we may continue to do this. I also put this link to see where you stand in regards to major issues that Clinton and Trump have taken a stand on:

TheEconomist.com - US Political Majority Builder

Thanks for your focus today!  One question from the quiz, for checking the blog, is: What is one power of the judicial branch listed in the Constitution? 

Have a great weekend and be ready for the quiz next class, please!

Rights of the Accused and the Rest of the Bill of Rights - Class Recap

Rays of the sun streaming through the flag of the United States, over the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Picture taken in 2011.

Hi everyone,

Welcome back from your weekend! Lots of grading and work for me to do, but I am still looking forward to it, of course. Here's the recap for the day:

Learning Targets Addressed:
Knowledge LT 2: I can demonstrate an understanding of the role of governments in current issues.
Knowledge LT 5: I can demonstrate an understanding of the principles, structures, and functions of different branches of U.S. government.

Soundtrack: “99 Problems (Clean)" by Jay Z. Selected for today because it discusses the various protections that the Bill of Rights offers. Lyrics (which are decidedly NOT clean, but Rap Genius does offer some interesting interpretations of what they mean) here.

AGENDA 10/10/16:
News Brief - Victoria
Fourth Amendment
Pleading the Fifth
Bill of Rights Review

Homework: Read the blog! Keep reviewing the Bill of Rights for upcoming quiz (next week). Take the Political Spectrum test if you want. Next news brief: Tyler.

News Brief: Victoria had the news brief today and selected this story to talk about: NYTimes.com - Presidential Debate: Here’s What You Missed. I think Victoria did a great job of summarizing what went on over the weekend, along with adding her personal commentary, as well. Thanks, Victoria!

Tyler was assigned to do the next news brief.

We also talked about the weekend, including what happened with the second presidential debate last night. Wow, was there a lot to try and go over with this weekend. I showed this debate recap in class:

CNN.com - The scorched-earth debate in two minutes

What a time to teach and learn about government! :-)

Fourth Amendment: Because I want to get done with the Bill of Rights, today we looked through the details of the 4th, 5th, 6th, and 8th Amendments. We continued going through a packet of individual U.S. Supreme Court cases that helped set the scope of the Fourth Amendment. That packet is here:

Google Drive - Fourth Amendment Protections Handout

We finished the case on the last page today, which basically said that police can have time to get a search warrant while a suspect is waiting.

Pleading The Fifth: I showed this clip to introduce the Fifth Amendment:

This led to another handout, going through the rights of the accused in the United States. I know it was a heavy day of handouts and readings, so I appreciate your focus and effort in looking at these together!

Google Drive - Rights of the Accused Handout

We went over the case studies and had some more good discussion about various student questions.

Bill of Rights Review: At the end of class, I gave some time for students to review the Bill of Rights and put them in their own words on the Understanding the Constitution worksheet in Google Classroom. See you next class! We will have some fun with Jeopardy!

The Second Amendment - Class Recap

Inside the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C. Photo taken in 2010.

Dear class,

Thanks for checking in on the blog! We continued looking at the Bill of Rights together today, and diving into what the main ones mean.

Here's what happened:

Learning Targets Addressed:

Knowledge LT 2: I can demonstrate an understanding of the role of governments in current issues.
Knowledge LT 5: I can demonstrate an understanding of the principles, structures, and functions of different branches of U.S. government.

Soundtrack: "Viva la Vida" by Coldplay. Selected for today for the philosophy of government because the song talks about a king. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 10/6/16:
News Brief - Kenneth S.
Review Constitution Test
Gun Nation
Rights of the Accused

Homework: Read the blog! Watch the Second Presidential Debate on Sunday at 6! Next news brief: Victoria.
--
News Brief: Kenneth S. had the news brief today and selected this story to talk about with the class: ABCNews.go.com - Los Angeles Chief Defends 2 Fatal Weekend Shootings. We discussed this story, as well as the continuing issues with people being killed by police (justifiable or not). I also pointed out that Portland is in the process of approving a new police contract, which is a point of contention in our own community.

I also mentioned that this Sunday is the next presidential debate: CNN.com - Next debate prep: Clinton's light schedule, Trump stays on trail. With this, we talked about how, before the last debate, polls were showing Trump and Clinton as pretty much even, but since then, polls have shifted towards Clinton. Perhaps this second debate will be another important turning point?

We also talked a bit about the upcoming weekend, before moving on.

Victoria volunteered for the next news brief.

Review Constitution Test: This was from last class, and we also had students who missed last class complete this while the documentary was ongoing. I passed back the scantrons, which had the grades marked on the side, and we went through the whole test together. If this test went poorly, never fear, because there will be a retake in a few classes on the Bill of Rights and the branches of government. Please make sure to review the material!

Gun Nation: This was the "Gun Nation" episode of the "30 Days" documentary series. I asked students to note Pro and Con arguments for gun rights, as well as what students thought should happen now with gun rights in America. I think this episode does a really good job of looking at both sides of the debate, and is pretty powerful. I enjoyed our conversation afterwards. Thanks for your participation with this, everyone!

Rights of the Accused: To end class, we started looking at the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution. I then passed out this packet (or students accessed it on Google Classroom), which was about various different cases regarding privacy and rights:

Google Drive - Fourth Amendment Protections Packet

Before the end of class, we tried to finish the 8 cases, then read over the case on the last page (we didn't get to the questions at the end, or have time to talk about the cases in detail). We ended there for the week, and will pick back up next time there. Thanks, everyone. :-)