Citizenship, Day 2 - Class Recap

Inside Ellis Island, where many immigrants came to the United States for the first time. Photo taken in 2011.

Dear class,

Welcome to your Winter Break! We ended 2017 by finishing up a mini-unit on citizenship. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets Addressed:

Knowledge LT 1: I can demonstrate an understanding of the interplay between citizens and their governments.

Soundtrack: "Reelin' In The Years" by Steely Dan. Selected for today because the next time I see everyone will be in 2018! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 12/19/17:
News Brief – Trinity
Citizen USA
Citizenship Paper
Break!

Homework: Read the blog. Turn in your citizenship paper if you did not in class on Google Classroom! Next news brief: Mr. Fritz.

News Brief: Trinity had the news brief today and talked about this recent story: OregonLive.com - Jeff Merkley says someone impersonated him to weigh in against net neutrality. Obviously, students are really interested in this story, which I am glad to see. Thanks for your comments here! I will have the next news brief, as it is quite the wait until the next one.

Citizen USA: This was a short documentary (available streaming on HBO GO - if you do not have it, do not worry, as I will only put a grade in for students that are able to watch it). Here are the questions I had students answer as we watched the documentary:

Google Drive: Citizen USA Questions

This is another opportunity with LT 1 in class. Here is a list of dates for citizenship/naturalization ceremonies in Portland, if you are interested in attending one, after having seen them in the documentary! There is one this Thursday, the day that break starts!

USCourts.gov - Oregon Naturalization Ceremonies

Citizenship Paper: At the end of class, I gave a few more minutes for students to send me their citizenship paper on Google Classroom. Here's the assignment (which is due as homework if you did not finish in class):

Google Drive: Citizenship Paper Assignment

That was it for the day! Have a wonderful Winter Break and see you in 2018! :-)

Citizenship Paper - Class Recap

Last night, I was at the Jay-Z concert here in Portland. Imagine my delight when he performed "99 Problems" with lyrics on the screens? I definitely had to take a picture for my Government class!

Hello again, everyone!

It was really great to see you all today in class. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets Addressed:

Knowledge LT 1: I can demonstrate an understanding of the interplay between citizens and their governments.
Knowledge LT 5: I can demonstrate an understanding of the principles, structures, and functions of different levels of U.S. government.
Research LT 5: I can effectively conduct and apply research. 

Soundtrack: "We Belong Together" by Mariah Carey. Selected for today because of the aspects of citizenship that bring us together. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 12/15/17:
News Brief – CJ
Review Class Feedback
Citizenship Paper

Homework: Read the blog. Turn in your citizenship paper if you did not in class on Google Classroom! Next news brief: Trinity.

News Brief: CJ had the news brief today, but was absent from class, so I filled in and talked about this recent story: NYTimes.com - F.C.C. Repeals Net Neutrality Rules. Thanks for the comments, insight, and questions here! We then had a check in about what we were up to outside of class. I am off to St. Louis this weekend!

Class Feedback: I always enjoy asking my classes about how things are going, both with the class and with my teaching. Here is the PowerPoint with the results of the feedback from last class:

Google Drive - Government Period 6 Class Feedback

Thank you for your input here! It is good to see what is going well and what perhaps could be improved on with about a month of classes left in the semester.

Citizenship Paper: This is meant as a short assignment, just so be able to demonstrate proficiency again with LT 1. Here's the assignment (which is due as homework if you did not finish in class):

Google Drive: Citizenship Paper Assignment

Again, I am just looking to see that you can identify and explain the basics of rights and responsibilities as a United States citizen. See you next week! Thank you!

Judicial Branch, Day 9 - Class Recap

We are about to begin our State and Local Government unit - my mom is a local elected leader in Portland!

Hello everyone!

It was great to see you all today in class. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets Addressed:

Knowledge LT 1: I can demonstrate an understanding of the interplay between citizens and their governments.
Knowledge LT 5: I can demonstrate an understanding of the principles, structures, and functions of different levels of U.S. government.
Research LT 5: I can effectively conduct and apply research. 

Soundtrack: "Walk on Water" by 30 Seconds to Mars. Selected for today because of the music video (which I played in class) having a lot to do with American government.

AGENDA 12/13/17:
News Brief – Vinh
Review Judicial Quiz
12 Angry Men
Class Feedback
Citizenship Paper

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

News Brief: Vinh had the news brief today and talked about this recent story: Mashable.com -  What the 2017 net neutrality vote actually means for you. We talked about tomorrow's Net Neutrality vote and what the possible impacts could be. We also talked about what people were up to outside of class. Thanks, everyone!

Review Judicial Quiz: Last class, we took the Judicial Branch quiz, so today, we reviewed it as students who had not taken it were taking it outside of the class. Grades have been updated on StudentVUE!

12 Angry Men: We finished this movie today (there was only about 10 minutes left in class). I hope you enjoyed this classic!

Class Feedback: I always enjoy asking my classes about how things are going, both with the class and with my teaching. I will review the anonymous feedback you gave and go over it with the class soon.

Citizenship Paper: We did not have time today in class (due to the shortened Wednesday schedule) to get to this today, so we will start it next class. Thanks, everyone!

Judicial Branch, Day 8 - Class Recap

Inside a subway station in Washington, DC, where the three branches of our federal government are based. Photo taken in 2010.

Dear class,

We finished the judicial branch today in class, with wrapping up the movie and taking the 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: "Money" by Pink Floyd. Selected for today because trials and lawyers cost a lot of money to run.

AGENDA 12/11/17:
News Brief – CJ
Review
Judicial Branch Test
12 Angry Men

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

News Brief: CJ had the news brief today, but was absent from class, so I filled in and talked about this story: CNN.com - Roy Moore in 2011: Getting rid of amendments after 10th would 'eliminate many problems'. This is especially important considering we did not talk much in class about many of the incredibly important amendments to the Constitution after the Bill of Rights, and the election fro Alabama's new senator is tomorrow (Tuesday). We also talked about last weekend, before moving on.

Vinh was assigned to do the next news brief.

Review/Judicial Branch Test: As promised, 40 questions, multiple choice. I will hope to get these grades get entered ASAP. Thank you for your effort on this!

12 Angry Men: After the test, we continued 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 this next class and start our last unit on State and Local government soon. See you then!

Judicial Branch, Day 7 - 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! I enjoyed watching the first part of 12 Angry Men today. 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: "Happy" by Pharrell Williams. Selected for today because we are getting close to Winter Break, and student were probably happy to watch a movie today in class. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 12/7/17:
News Brief – Paul
National Judiciary
Juries/Study Guide
12 Angry Men

Homework: Read the blog. Study for the Judicial Branch test next class! Turn in any late/incomplete work - know your grade and how to improve it. Next news brief: CJ.

News Brief: Paul had the news brief today and talked about this story: WWeek.com - Some of Portland’s Best Mexican Food Is Gone, Apparently After Chef’s Immigration Issue. We discussed this story and talked about various different immigrant groups and visa issues with the Trump administration. We also checked in about the weekend and what people were up to.

CJ was assigned to do the next news brief.

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

Google Drive: The National Judiciary Readings and Questions

Hopefully everything is making sense as far as the judicial branch!

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!

12 Angry Men: To finish class, 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 take the Judicial Branch test next class, then watch the rest of 12 Angry Men! See you then.

Judicial Branch, Day 6 - Class Recap

An umpire in baseball is supposed to be an impartial judge, calling balls and strikes. Photo taken in 2011.

Hi everyone,

I really enjoyed the discussions and debates the 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 5: I can demonstrate an understanding of the principles, structures, and functions of different levels of U.S. government.

Soundtrack: "Differences" by Ginuwine. Selected for today because there were differences of opinion in terms of the mock trial outcomes.

AGENDA 12/5/17:
News Brief – Hunter/Jun
Mock Trials
The National Judiciary
Work Time

Homework: Read the blog. Get any late work in ASAP to improve your grade. Next news brief: Paul.

News Brief: Hunter had the news brief today and talked about this story: BBC.com - John Conyers announces retirement amid sex harassment claims. This is an important story which continues the look at how sexual harassment charges are having a dramatic impact in all areas of our society right now.

Jun also had a news brief, which was from this article: TIME.com - Supreme Court Allows Full Enforcement of President Trump's Travel Ban. We discussed this latest news and why it is not actually a full decision from the Supreme Court yet, as the travel ban has not been decided.

Paul was assigned to do the next news brief.

Mock Trials: We had a really excellent discussion on the issues: school segregation, drug searches at school, and saying the Pledge of Allegiance in class. 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

Case #4: Oyez.org - Elk Grove United School District v. Newdow

We finished all the 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.

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

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

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

Google Drive: The National Judiciary Readings and Questions

Please keep working on this! Sound good? Let me know if you have any questions I can answer! Thanks again for an enjoyable class this afternoon! :-)

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 12/1/17:
News Brief – Jun
Finish Prep
Mock Trials

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

News Brief: Jun had the news brief today, but it slipped his mind, so I filled in and talked about former Vice President Joe Biden's visit to Portland yesterday. Here is the photo from my Instagram that I showed in class!

Hunter was assigned to do the next news brief.

Mock Trials: The majority of class was taken up by doing the mock trials for the cases we had time for (#1 and #2, listed below - we will finish with #3 and #4, next class) We had a really excellent discussion on the issues: student speech and school segregation. 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

I was pleased to hear so many well thought out opinions on these cases! Thanks, everyone!

Judicial Branch, Day 4 - Class Recap

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

Hi everyone,

Since it was a shorter day today (being Wednesday), we mostly treated it as a work day to prepare for the Mock Trials next class. 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 11/29/17:
News Brief – Lucas
Mock Trial Prep
Mock Trials
Debrief

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

News Brief: Lucas had the news brief today and talked about this story: OregonLive.com - Former Bank of Oswego CEO, CFO convicted of conspiracy. We talked for a bit about this in class (an interesting local story!) before moving on to discuss what is happening with us and in the government (especially as it relates to North Korea and what to do with the latest missile test there.

Jun was assigned to do the next news brief.

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! See you then!

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 11/27/17:
News Brief – James
Cases Teens Should Know
Landmark Cases
Mock Trial Prep

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

News Brief: James had the news brief today and selected this article to talk about: NYTimes.com - Congress Returns to Intense Pressure to End Secrecy Over Sex Harassment. I talked briefly in class about all of the items on the agenda list to do for Congress, before moving on.

Lucas was assigned to do the next news brief.

Cases Teens Should Know: This was a continuation from last week, where we looked at some interesting cases from the Supreme Court:

Google Drive - 10 Supreme Court Cases Every Teen Should Know

The directions were: 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.

We finished going through these cases and talked about each one. A particularly interesting link I shared with students was this one:

KATU.com - After School Satan Club holds first open house in Portland

Thanks for your effort here! Keep this overview for the future!

Landmark Case Reading: We also went through these today, as I assigned one case to each student, then we went through them together in 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

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: We barely had the chance to start this today, so we will continue with it next class! Thanks, everyone!

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 a fun pre-Thanksgiving class day, spent reviewing the Executive Branch and watching an episode of the TV show "The West Wing" to get ready for the break. 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 11/20/17:
News Brief – Grace
Review Executive Test
Shibboleth
Cases Teens Should Know

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

News Brief: Grace had the news brief today and selected an article about this story to talk about: CNN.com - US threatens to close Palestinian office in Washington. An interesting article, for sure! Thanks, Grace!

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

James 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!

Shibboleth: To end class, we watched an episode of the TV series "The West Wing" on Netflix, which had to do with Thanksgiving, illegal immigration, school prayer, direct democracy, and representative democracy. There were no notes or any other requirement - it was just a relaxing way to end the class and go out to Thanksgiving Break. Here's the funniest scene of the episode, in my opinion:

I remain quite thankful for all of you!

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!

That was it for the day! Thank you so much for your focus and hard work! Next class, we will finish up the cases. Have a great Thanksgiving Break! :-)

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 branches 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 11/16/17:
News Brief – Ava
Executive Branch Test
Judicial Branch Overview
Cases Every Teen Should Know

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

News Brief: Ava had the news brief today and selected this article to talk about: CNN.com - How a school custodian saved students from the California shooter. We discussed this story and the ongoing uproar over gun violence in the United States, before moving on to talk about the upcoming weekend.

Grace 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 before the weekend. 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:

Google Drive - 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 11/14/17:
News Brief – Harrison
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: Ava.

News Brief: Harrison had the news brief today and selected an article about this story to talk about: Newsweek.com - BERNIE SANDERS CALLS ON TRUMP TO HELP IRAN AFTER DEADLIEST EARTHQUAKE OF 2017. We talked in class for a bit about this, and how obviously it is a horrific story. Thanks, Harrison.

Ava 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 is this week.

Hi everybody,

Today was the last 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 1: I can communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
Research LT 1: 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 11/9/17:
News Brief - Zoe
Election Review
Cabinet Project
Work Time

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: Harrison.

News Brief: Zoe had the news brief today and selected an article about this story to bring in: OregonLive.com - US makes it more difficult to travel to Cuba, blacklists many large military-run businesses. We talked for a bit in class about this story and why Cuba travel has been opened and then restricted again in the past couple of years. We also checked in about the weekend before moving on.

Harrison has the next news brief.

Election Review: I went over the results from the 2017 election briefly at the start of class. Here are the links that I showed:

CNN.com - 2017 Election Results

OregonVotes.gov - PCC Bond Results

Twitter.com - @Taniel 2017 Election Results

For a bit of summary, Democrats in general did very well. It is usually the case that the political party out of power (in this year and next, it is the Democrats, as the Republicans control all aspects of the Federal Government) wins a lot, as Americans seek balance in government. Also, nothing motivates people to vote like feeling they need to in order to have a say. Next year, many of the students in the class will be able to vote! I hope that you do so!

Cabinet Project/Work Time: 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: Gibelli and Alexis
Commerce: Trinity and Marie
Defense: Calvin and Zoe
Education: Elena and Emma
Energy: Lucas
Health and Human Services: Tyler and Paul
Housing and Urban Development: Marian and Srey
Interior: Hunter and Harrison // Grace
Justice: Seraiah and Nina
Labor: James and Ernesto
Transportation: Bara and Nic
Treasury: Edgar and Christian
Veteran’s Affairs: Olivia and Jacqueline
Homeland Security: Vinh and CJ
Environmental Protection Agency: David and Sarah
US Mission to the United Nations: Yovanka and Erick
State: Avery and Jun

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 Tuesday!

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! 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 2017 election tonight! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 11/7/17:
News Brief – Elena
Election Night
Grade Updates
Cabinet Project

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

News Brief: Elena had the news brief today and selected an article about this story: NYTimes.com - U.S. Report Says Humans Cause Climate Change, Contradicting Top Trump Officials. This was a super important release of data and conclusions about the role humans are having on the environment. Thank you for highlighting this, Elena!

Zoe was selected to do the next news brief.

Election Night: Because today is election day for 2017, I made sure to go through what is happening and when to expect results. We went through a few websites for this:

1) The PCC bond measure, which was the only vote on the ballot in the Portland area:

OregonLive.com - PCC's $185 million bond measure for job training centers heads to mailboxes

2) What is going on nationally, with various votes for Governor and representatives:

NBCNews.com - Election Day 2017: What You Need to Know

3) Finally, here is an even more detailed look at some races that might have a big impact in various different states:

Twitter.com - @Taniel Election Night 2017

Lots going on, for sure! We will check back in on the results on Thursday.

We also talked about the recent mass shooting at a church in Texas - I showed this article with some interesting facts and graphs:

NYTimes.com - How to Reduce Shootings

Grade Updates: I passed back the grades I had for all work that has been turned in to me so far. I encourage students to revise their work or retake tests if needed to improve their grades! Come see me if you are confused, so I can walk you through what you need to do.

Cabinet Project: This was continued from last class. We will also work on this on Thursday, before the actual Cabinet Simulation on Tuesday of next week. Here's a link to the cabinet project (advising the President) that we looked at in class today:

Google Drive - Presidential Cabinet Assignment Handout

Here are the selection students made:

Agriculture: Gibelli and Alexis
Commerce: Trinity and Marie
Defense: Calvin and Zoe
Education: Elena and Emma
Energy: Lucas
Health and Human Services: Tyler and Paul
Housing and Urban Development: Marian and Srey
Interior: Hunter and Harrison // Grace
Justice: Seraiah and Nina
Labor: James and Ernesto
Transportation: Bara and Nic
Treasury: Edgar and Christian
Veteran’s Affairs: Olivia and Jacqueline
Homeland Security: Vinh and CJ
Environmental Protection Agency: David and Sarah
US Mission to the United Nations: Yovanka and Erick
State: Avery and Jun

Continue to work on this, please! See you on Thursday! :-)

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 the long weekend and the Cabinet Project! Here's a link to the version I played in class, from ESPN's "Jock Jams" CD.

AGENDA 11/2/17:
News Brief - Srey
Review Legislative Quiz
The Presidency
Cabinet Project

Homework: Read the blog. 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! Continue working on the Cabinet project. Next news brief: Elena.

News Brief: Srey had the news brief today, and selected this article to talk about with the class: NYTimes.com - Terror Attack Kills 8 and Injures 11 in Manhattan. Srey talked about this story and some of the details of what happened in this horrific story, as we discussed what happened and President Trump's reaction. We also checked in about the upcoming long weekend, before moving on.

Elena has the next news brief.

Review Legislative Quiz: Because we did not have time to do this last class (due to Deputy Haley visiting), we reviewed the quiz and went over the answers (as students that had not taken it yet were doing so out of the room). There will be plenty more opportunities to improve your quiz scores in the future!

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

Here are the selection students made at the end of class:

Agriculture: Gibelli and Alexis
Commerce: Trinity and Marie
Defense: Calvin and Zoe
Education: Elena and Emma
Energy: Lucas
Health and Human Services: Tyler and Paul
Housing and Urban Development: Marian and Srey
Interior: Hunter and Harrison
Justice: Seraiah and Nina
Labor: James and Ernesto
Transportation: Bara and Nic
Treasury: Edgar and Christian
Veteran’s Affairs: Olivia and Jacqueline
Homeland Security: Vinh and CJ
Environmental Protection Agency: David and Sarah
US Mission to the United Nations: Yovanka and Erick
State: Avery and Jun

We will continue working on this next week! Thanks for your hard work! :-)

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 10/31/17:
News Brief – Christian
Deputy Haley
CRLE Forms
Review Legislative Test

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

News Brief: Christian had the news brief today and selected an article about this story: CNN.com -  What you need to know about the Manafort, Gates indictment.

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.

Srey 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.

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 it will soon be Halloween! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 10/27/17:
News Brief – Ernesto
Legislative Test
Executive Branch Overview
The Presidency
Questions for Deputy Haley

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

News Brief: Ernesto had the news brief today, but was not in class, so I filled in and selected an article about this story to talk about in class: CNN.com - Republican tax plan faces big hurdles ahead of 2018. We discussed this story for a bit and the challenges regarding tax reform. Christian was drawn as the next news brief.

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

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 and 2016 Presidential Election was decided by the Electoral College, not the popular vote. 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

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 10/25/17:
News Brief – Avery
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: Ernesto.

News Brief: Avery had the news brief today and selected an article about this story to talk about: TheHill.com - Senate Republicans push Trump to join ObamaCare talks. We discussed this story as well as the continued fight over what to do with the Obamacare insurance markets, which start "open enrollment" next month. Thanks, Avery!

Ernesto has the next news brief. We also checked in about what students were up to outside of class 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 - Washington's Gridlock Presentation

Here is the assignment that went with the reading:

Google Drive - Washington's Gridlock Assignment

As part of the assignment, 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 Trump and Congress.

Town Hall: I really liked this! We had three candidates (Bara, Tyler, and Grace) 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 on Friday!

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 10/23/17:
News Brief – Emma
Review Congress Work
Legislative Simulation
Washington's Gridlock

Homework: Read the blog. Continue looking at the Washington's Gridlock presentation and related questions. Next news brief: Avery.

News Brief: Emma had the news brief today and selected this story to talk about: OregonLive.com - Drenching rain floods Tillamook. There was a record amount of rain on Saturday, so we talked about how the government might help in terms of clean up and rescue efforts.

Avery was randomly selected for the next news brief. We also checked in about the weekend and anything interesting happening 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 - 115th Congress Profile Assignment

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

FAS.org - Membership of the 115th 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.

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! Here was one example from class:

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 presentation I started in class:

Google Drive - Washington's Gridlock Presentation 

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 10/19/17:
News Brief – Nic
Finish Oregon Reps
115th Congress
Create Bills

Homework: Read the blog. Create a bill if you did not in class. Finish the Oregon representatives handout and the 115th Congress profile. Next news brief: Emma.

News Brief: Nic had the news brief today and talked about this story: CNN.com - What we know and don't know about the deadly Niger attack. We discussed what happened as a part of the reaction to these deaths and President Trump's phone calls with relatives.

Emma volunteered for the next news brief. We also checked in briefly about the weekend, before moving on.

Finish Oregon Reps: At the start of the class, we were working on the Oregon representatives handout, as well as the 115th 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!

115th Congress: The next new piece from today was this handout, looking at the demographics of the current representatives in congress:

Google Drive - 115th Congress Profile Assignment

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

FAS.org - Membership of the 115th Congress: A Profile

I hope this helps! We went through the answers to these questions in 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!