Executive Branch, Day 5 - 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: "If You're Out There" by John Legend. Selected for today because it was a song that President Obama used to campaign, and we are in the Executive Branch unit. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 4/30/18:
News Brief – Brookelyn
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: Syd.

News Brief: Brookelyn had the news brief today, but forgot, so I filled in and selected an article about this story to talk about: CNN.com - The mystery of the missing White House tree has been solved. We discussed this story for a bit, including ongoing tensions in the country regarding sanctuary cities and what the United States might be trying to do.

Syd was selected to do the next news brief.

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

Cabinet Simulation: 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? What responsibilities does it have?
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?

This is the note taking guide that I passed out to students:

Google Drive - Cabinet Project Student Notes

I realize this took a long time to do (almost all of class), so thank you for your patience and understanding that it is important each student have a voice in the process.

Please turn in your papers (if not written by hand) into Google Classroom. I would love your paper copies of the notes in the packet, as well. Thanks!

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

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 4 - Class Recap

The American Cemetery in Normandy, France. A reminder that with great power comes great responsibility.

Hi everybody,

Today was the final 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: "God Moving Over the Face of the Waters" by Moby. Selected for today because it was the same as my soundtrack for Global Studies, where they are learning about religion, and because the President is not all powerful. This was an instrumental song with no lyrics. Listen to it again if you want here.

AGENDA 4/26/18:
News Brief - Brianna/Cameron
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: Brookelyn.

News Brief: Brianna had the news brief today and talked about this article: OregonLive.com - Ben Carson proposes raising rent for low-income Americans receiving federal housing subsidies. Obviously, this relates to the Cabinet Project we are working on in class.

Cameron also shared his news article, which is here: WashingtonPost.com - Michael Cohen to invoke Fifth Amendment right in Stormy Daniels case. We discussed this case for a bit, as well as our knowledge about "pleading the fifth" from earlier this semester.

Brookelyn was assigned to do the next news brief.

We also checked in about the weekend and what everyone was up to. Always nice to hear about what people are doing outside of class!

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:

State: Alice and Sofia
Agriculture: Oviya and Parsa
Commerce: Patrick and Jackson K.
Defense: Syd and Ataliah
Education: Francesca and Faith
Energy: Carlos and Lucas
Health and Human Services: Abby K. and Crystal
Housing and Urban Development: Brooke and Emily W.
Interior: Brooklyn and Nick
Justice: Dom and Brady
Labor: Terra and Brianna
Transportation: David and Cameron
Treasury: Logan and Julian // Mauricio (just choose one part to do)
Veteran’s Affairs: James and Jackson J.
Homeland Security: Abby V. and Noah

Environmental Protection Agency: Emily and Abdu
US Mission to the United Nations: Jose and Joshua

If you missed class, please see where you are on the list and who your partner is!

Work Time: 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 Monday!

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 1: I can communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
Research LT 1: I can effectively conduct and apply research.

Soundtrack: "Beach Chair" by Jay Z. Selected for today because of the nice weather outside, and because we were learning that the presidential cabinet is not a piece of furniture. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 4/24/17:
News Brief - Cameron
The Presidency
Cabinet Project
Work Time

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 Cabinet project. Next news brief: Brianna.

News Brief: Cameron had the news brief today, but was out of class, so I filled in and selected this article to talk about with the class: CNN.com - Trump on embattled VA nominee: 'It's totally his decision'. We talked briefly about this article, as it totally relates to what we are doing in class today! The Veteran's Administration cabinet position is responsible for a huge amount of money, and is obviously very important. We will see what happens next!

Brianna was assigned to do the next news brief.

The Presidency: We finished going through The Presidency reading and questions:

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 worked on in class today:

Google Drive - Presidential Cabinet Project Assignment

As a heads up, obamawhitehouse.gov might be better than whitehouse.gov currently for this assignment, since President Obama's had 8 years of content and development, while President Trump only has had one year (if you can find stuff, please go ahead and use the current president's website)!

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

State: Alice and Sofia
Agriculture: Oviya and Parsa
Commerce: Patrick and Jackson K.
Defense: Syd and Ataliah
Education: Francesca and Faith
Energy: Carlos and Lucas
Health and Human Services: Abby K. and Crystal
Housing and Urban Development: Brooke and Emily W.
Interior: Brooklyn and Nick
Justice: Dom and Brady
Labor: Terra and Brianna
Transportation: David and Cameron
Treasury: Logan and Julian // Mauricio (just choose one part to do)
Veteran’s Affairs: James and Jackson J.
Homeland Security: Abby V. and Noah

Environmental Protection Agency: Emily and Abdu
US Mission to the United Nations: Jose and Joshua

If you missed class, please see where you are on the list and who your partner is!

Work Time: We spent the second half of class working on Chromebooks on this assignment. We will also spend much of next class doing this, and the cabinet project assignment will be due next Monday.

See you next class!

Executive Branch, Day 2 - Class Recap

Another photo of the White House, in Washington, D.C. Photo taken in 2011.

Dear class,

We continued our Executive Branch unit today in class. Here's what happened:

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: "Congratulations (Clean)" by Post Malone. Selected for today because you made it to the end of the week!

AGENDA 4/20/18:
News Brief – Logan
CRLE Forms
Review Legislative Test
Executive Overview
The Presidency

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

News Brief: Logan had the news brief today and selected an article about this story to talk about in class: FOXNews.com - Arizona teachers vote for statewide walkout. We talked about this story for a bit and other strikes by teachers across the United States recently. Cameron was selected to do the next news brief.

We also checked in about the weekend and what people are up to.

CRLE Forms: As a part of the guest speaker coming in last class, students should fill out a Career Related Learning Experience form (I believe you need to have 4 of these completed as a graduation requirement). This year, this need to be completed online, so please follow the links to do this. I gave a few minutes in class to do this.

Review Legislative Test: I passed back these scored tests from earlier this week, along with the Town Hall Review grades. We reviewed the test together and I talked about retakes (the best time would be during first or second period, first lunch, 7th period, or after school).

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 2016 Presidential Election was decided by the Electoral College, not the popular vote (Clinton 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! Thanks for your hard work - see you next week!

Executive Branch, Day 1 - 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: "Party in the USA" by Miley Cyrus. Selected for today because we are continuing to learn about American government! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 4/18/18:
News Brief – Abdu and Dom
Deputy Haley
CRLE Forms
Review Legislative Test

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

News Brief: Abdu and Dom had the news brief today and selected these stories to talk about in class:

BBC.com - Trump hails CIA chief Mike Pompeo's secret trip to N Korea

Reuters.com - Four U.S. senators seek details on unusual cellular surveillance in D.C. area

Due to our guest speaker, we did not dive into this too much in class, but they are definitely interesting stories!

We selected Logan 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! This is the video that I introduced him with:

CRLE Forms: As a part of the guest speaker coming in, students should fill out a Career Related Learning Experience form (I believe you need to have 4 of these completed as a graduation requirement). This year, this need to be completed online, so please follow the links to do this. Thanks!

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!

Legislative Branch, Day 6 - 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. 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 was sort of a pump up song for the test! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 4/16/18:
News Brief – Abdu Mr. Fritz
Legislative Test
Town Hall
Executive Branch Overview
The Presidency
Questions for Deputy Haley

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

News Brief: Abdu 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 - The 70 must-see lines in James Comey's ABC interview. The former FBI director had a lot of harsh words for President Trump last night and in his book, so we talked about that for a bit. Abdu was selected to do the next news brief.

We also checked in about the weekend and what people were up to.

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).

Town Hall: I really liked this! We had three candidates in front of the class (Jackson J, Abby K, and Lucas), 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.

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

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: "Born in the USA" by Bruce Springsteen. Selected for today because the song relates to the United States government in many ways. We talked about the lyrics in class.

AGENDA 4/11/18:
News Brief – Crystal
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).

Finally, there will be a mandatory retake for the Bill of Rights, in terms of knowing which Amendment describes a scenario I will give. Refresh yourselves on them, please!

Next news brief: Abdu.

News Brief: Crystal had the news brief today and selected an article about this story to talk about: NYTimes.com - Escapes, Riots and Beatings. But States Can’t Seem to Ditch Private Prisons.. A very interesting story, especially as it relates to the government, which enforces various different laws related to this situation. Thanks, Crystal!

Abdu was assigned to do 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 Trump and Congress.

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 class!

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: "Edge of the Ocean" by Ivy. Selected for today because I imagine that at least a few students visited a beach over Spring Break and due to the nice day today! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 4/9/18:
News Brief – Alice
Review Congress Work
Legislative Simulation
Washington's Gridlock

Homework: Read the blog. Turn in any late/missing/revised work/tests by Friday for this Progress Report! Next news brief: Crystal.

News Brief: Alice had the news brief today and chose an article about this story to talk about: CNN.com - Trump says US 'cannot allow' Syrian chemical weapons attacks. We talked about possible air strikes by the United States government against Syria. A lot going on, for sure!

Crystal volunteered for the next news brief.

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, one bill passed Congress. Here it is!

Acting as President of the simulation, I signed the 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.

See you next class!

Legislative Branch, Day 3 - Class Recap

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

Hi everyone,

We continued looking into the Legislative Branch today and what it looks like as far as representatives. 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 it is like the stages for how a bill becomes a law: A) Committee, B) Full House/Senate, C) President signs. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 4/5/18:
News Brief – Mr. Fritz
Review Oregon Reps
Create Bills
115th Congress

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

News Brief: I had the news brief today due to the long break and selected an article about this story to talk about: NYTimes.com - Trump v. California: The Biggest Legal Clashes. We talked about this article for a bit and the implications of federal government vs state governments, before moving on.

Alice was selected for the next news brief.

Review Oregon Reps: Last class (a long time ago, I know!), we started working on this assignment, which is about knowing who represents Oregon at the federal level in Congress. We went through the assignment together, noting who your congressional representative is and where they are on the political spectrum.

Create a Bill: This was in preparation for next class, when we will be doing a simulation of Congress and the legislative process. Here were the questions I wanted you to answer in your bill proposals:

1. What are you proposing to happen?
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 if you did not turn them in today, please!

115th Congress: The last 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:

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

I hope this helps!

For the rest of the class, we were in class with Chromebooks, 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!

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