Bill of Rights Quiz and Legislative Overview - Class Recap

Please note: there will be no class recap posted for the day of March 21, as most juniors in class will be taking Smarter Balanced assessments. As such, the rest of class was more of a study hall. We will get back to regular class on Friday, March 23.

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 3/19/18:
News Brief - Abby K.
Bill of Rights Quiz
Legislative Branch Overview
Work Time

Homework: Read the blog. Study how a bill becomes a law handout! SBAC testing next class (Wednesday). Next news brief (Friday): Noah.

News Brief: Abby K. had the news brief today and selected an article about this story: NYTimes.com - Andrew McCabe’s Firing: Here’s What You Need to Know. We talked about this story for a bit at the start of class, including why it is that McCabe would be fired two days before he retired.

Thanks, Abby K. The next news brief will be done on Friday, as most students in the class have Smarter Balanced testing on Wednesday.

We also checked in about the 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 3/15/18:
News Brief - Oviya
Summarize Rights
Jeopardy Review
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: Abby K.

News Brief: Oviya selected this article to talk about for his news brief today: CNN.com - A generation raised on gun violence sends a loud message to adults: Enough. We talked about this article for a while, and how it relates to our government and the student protest yesterday. We also talked about what we were up to outside of class.

Abby K. was assigned to do the next news brief. Thank you!

Summarize Rights: We went through and summarized the first 10 Amendments to the Constitution for the upcoming Bill of Rights quiz.

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. We will do this later in the year, too!

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. 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? 

Be ready for the quiz next class, please! See you then!

The Rest of the Bill of Rights - Class Recap

Jay Z's song "99 Problems" is in part about the Fourth Amendment protections that we talked about today in class.

Hi everyone,

Welcome back from your weekend! We had a good time going through the rest of the Bill of Rights today in class. 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 3/13/18:
News Brief - Jackson K.
Fourth Amendment
Pleading the Fifth
Bill of Rights Review

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

News Brief: Jackson K. had the news brief today and selected an article about this story to talk about: WashingtonPost.com - Trump ousts Tillerson, will replace him as secretary of state with CIA chief Pompeo. We talked about this story for a while at the start of class, going through what the latest shakeup in the executive branch means.

Oviya was assigned to do the next news brief.

Fourth Amendment: Because I want to get done with the Bill of Rights, today we looked through the details of Amendments 4-10 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 (Illinois v. McArthur), which basically said that police can have time to get a search warrant while a suspect is waiting. Lots of good questions and thoughts here, too!

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 showed the TIME overview videos for Amendment 3, since we were wrapping up rights of the accused today in class. During this time, I had students write down the Amendments in their own words, for future use in class. Here's a link to the Fourth Amendment one:

Time.com - Your Fourth Amendment Right to Privacy

I thought these did a nice job of explaining the history of each amendment, as well as how they are relevant today. Watch the other ones, if you want to go over them all again! See you next class!

Rights of the Accused - 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 3/9/18:
News Brief - Joshua
Review Constitution Test
Gun Nation
Rights of the Accused

Homework: Read the blog! Next news brief: Jackson K.
--
News Brief: Joshua had the news brief today, but was not in class, so I filled in and selected an article about this story to talk about with the class: CNN.com - Trump and Kim: Where will they meet and what will they say?. We discussed this story and the potential impacts. I also fielded some questions about the possible meeting.

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

Jackson K. was selected for the next news brief.

Review Constitution Test: This was from last class. I passed back the tests, which had the grades marked on the top of each side. 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, which was about various different cases regarding privacy and rights:

Google Drive - Fourth Amendment Protections Packet

Before the end of class, we started the 8 cases. We ended there for the week, and will pick back up next time there. Thanks, everyone. :-)

Bill of Rights Quiz and Legislative 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 10/13/17:
News Brief - David
Bill of Rights Quiz
Legislative Branch Overview
Work Time

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

News Brief: David had the news brief today and selected an article about this story: CNN.com - Trump: We cannot aid Puerto Rico 'forever'. We checked in about this story, and some of the specifics as to what is happening with the response to the recent hurricanes.

Thanks, David! Kayla has the next news brief.

We also checked in about the 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 10/11/17:
News Brief - Alexis/Seraiah
Bill of Rights
Jeopardy Review
Crash Course

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: David.

News Brief: Alexis and Seraiah both had the news brief today. Seraiah selected an article about this story to talk about: CNN.com - Bodycam footage shows Utah police shoot man as he runs away. We talked in class about ongoing questions of police brutality and also the use of video cameras to document events like this. I highly recommend reading the article to learn more about the actual case.

Alexis brought in an article about this story to talk about: CNBC.com - Trump's approval ratings drop in every state. With this, I showed a trendline from FiveThirtyEight.com about President Trump's approval/disapproval rating since the election. I talked about how polarized it seems like America is in terms of really liking or disliking the president, with not a lot of people in the middle.

David was selected for the next news brief.

Bill of Rights: To review the Bill of Rights (and in some cases, learn about for the first time, since we ran out of time last class), I had students write the summaries of the amendment titles from this website, as I then gave examples of how the amendments could be used today. You will need to do exactly this for next class!

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 3. We will do this later in the year, too!

Crash Course Rights: We did not get to this in class, so I might start next class with it for review before the quiz. See you then!

Rights of the Accused - 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! I am still looking forward to the week, 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 10/9/17:
News Brief - Seraiah
Review Constitution Quiz
Gun Nation Debrief
Rights of the Accused

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

News Brief: Seraiah had the news brief today, but was not in class at the start, so I filled in and selected this story to talk about: CNN.com - The price tag for Pence's trip to Indianapolis. A very interesting story involving the anthem protests and taxpayer funded travel for government officials, as well!

Alexis was assigned to do the next news brief.

I also discussed Oregon's declaration of today as Indigenous People's Day. The slideshow I went through can be found here:

Google Drive - Indigenous People's Day in Oregon

Hopefully this was informative and interesting to you!

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 (starting at 5:10 in to the video):

CC.com - Chappelle's Show: Pleading the Fifth

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. See you next class! We will have some fun with Jeopardy!

The Constitution, Day 2 - Class Recap

Fireworks over Niagara Falls, in 2009. 

Hi everyone,

Thanks for continuing to work on getting to know the Constitution better! I know it may not be the most fun part of class, but it is so important for knowing the foundations of how our government works! Here's what we did 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: "Runnin' Down a Dream" by Tom Petty. Selected for today because of Mr. Petty passing away yesterday at the age of 66. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 10/3/17:
News Brief - Gibelli
Bill of Rights
The First Amendment
Tinker v. Des Moines

Homework: Read the blog! Prepare for Constitution test next class by studying the handout answers! Next news brief: Yovanka.

News Brief: Today's article was brought in by Gibelli, who selected this story: OregonLive.com - Oregon's new distracted driving law takes effect Oct. 1: what you need to know. We discussed this recent story in terms of what is allowed and why the Oregon state government would make this law. Thanks Gibelli! We also checked in about the last weekend and Yovanka volunteered to do the next news brief.

The Bill of Rights/First Amendment: The first ten amendments to the Constitution are called the Bill of Rights. To start this part of class, I showed this clip from The Daily Show, looking at what some people working for FOX News had to say in regards to the Bill of Rights and the Boston Marathon bomber.

We continued looking at the Constitution packet we started working on through Google Classroom and Kami last class, which had the Bill of Rights as a part of the last couple of pages.

Please make sure to study the entire packet for the test next class. If you missed class the last two times, here it is to download and fill out by reading the Constitution:

Google Drive: Understanding the Constitution Handout

As I said, here's the reward for checking the blog: a (tough, because I did not specifically ask you this in class) question from the Constitution test:

All of the following are included in the Preamble to the Constitution EXCEPT _____________.
a. establish justice c. the pursuit of happiness
b. provide for the common defense d.  promote the general welfare

Tinker v. Des Moines: This was about the First Amendment protections, and I had students take notes on their Chromebooks as I went through this PowerPoint on some interesting cases that relate to student rights:

Google Drive - First Amendment Case Studies

We looked at some specifics of the cases, including the speech in the Bethel case and an article about the reaction from 2009 when the Westview Prowl student newspaper published an article about sex on campus.

After going through the PowerPoint, I asked students to open this document on Google Classroom and work on the answers using Kami:

Google Drive - Tinker v. Des Moines and Texas v. Johnson Cases

We went through these interesting cases and answers as a class - know them for future reference, please! See you next class!

Bill of Rights Test and Legislative Branch Overview - Class Recap

Please note: there will be no class recaps posted for the week of March 20-24, as most juniors in class will be taking Smarter Balanced assessments. As such, the rest of class was more of a study hall. Have a great Spring Break, everyone! See you after!

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 3/17/17:
News Brief - Colleen
Bill of Rights Quiz
Legislative Branch Overview
Work Time

Homework: Read the blog. Study how a bill becomes a law handout! SBAC testing next week. Next news brief: nobody.

News Brief: Colleen had the news brief today and selected an article about this story: CNN.com - Trump admin to appeal travel ban rulings 'soon'. We talked about this story for a bit at the start of class, including why it is that a judge in Hawaii is able to issue a ruling that impacts the entire country.

Thanks, Colleen. Nobody has the next news brief, as it is SBAC testing next week for the vast majority of students in class.

We also checked in about the 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 (after Spring Break - wow!).

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! Have a wonderful Spring Break and I will see you after!

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 3/15/17:
News Brief - Ja'Quay
Crash Course Rights
Jeopardy Review
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: Colleen.

News Brief: Ja'Quay selected this article to talk about for his news brief today: HuffingtonPost.com - Unemployment Drug Testing Resolution Awaits Trump’s Signature. We talked about this article for a while, and how it relates to our government. We also talked about what we were up to outside of class.

Colleen was assigned to do the next news brief. Thank you!

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)!

Jeopardy Review: I always really enjoy this, and today was no exception. I split the class into two 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. We will do this later in the year, too!

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. 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? 

Be ready for the quiz next class, please! See you then!

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! We had a good time going through the rest of the Bill of Rights today in class. 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 3/13/17:
News Brief - Isaiah
Fourth Amendment
Pleading the Fifth
Bill of Rights Review

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

News Brief: Tanner had the news brief today and selected an article about this story to talk about: CNN.com - What's inside the Republican health care bill?. We talked about this story for a while at the start of class, going through what the latest healthcare proposal entails. This was a good conversation - thanks!

Jaquay was assigned to do the next news brief.

Fourth Amendment: Because I want to get done with the Bill of Rights, today we looked through the details of Amendments 4-10 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 (Illinois v. McArthur), which basically said that police can have time to get a search warrant while a suspect is waiting. Lots of good questions and thoughts here, too!

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

This led to a more in depth look at the Amendments,

Bill of Rights Review: At the end of class, I showed the TIME overview videos for Amendments 5-10, since we were wrapping up rights of the accused today in class. During this time, I had students write down the Amendments in their own words, for future use in class. Here's a link to the Fourth Amendment one:

Time.com - Your Fourth Amendment Right to Privacy

I thought these did a nice job of explaining the history of each amendment, as well as how they are relevant today. Watch the other ones, if you want to go over them all again! See you next class!

Rights of the Accused - 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 3/8/17:
News Brief - Jason
Review Constitution Test
Gun Nation
Rights of the Accused

Homework: Read the blog! Next news brief: Isaiah.
--
News Brief: Jason had the news brief today and selected an article about this story to talk about with the class: CNN.com - Obama irked and exasperated in response to Trump's wiretapping claims, sources say. We discussed this story and the process for wiretapping. I also fielded some questions about the new healthcare plan offered by the Republicans in the House of Representatives.

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

Isaiah was selected for the next news brief.

Review Constitution Test: This was from last class. I passed back the tests, which had the grades marked on the top of each side. 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 finished the 8 cases. We ended there for the week, and will pick back up next time there. Thanks, everyone. :-)

The Constitution, Day 2 - Class Recap

Fireworks over Niagara Falls, in 2009. 

Hi everyone,

Thanks for continuing to work on getting to know the Constitution better! I know it may not be the most fun part of class, but it is so important for knowing the foundations of how our government works! Here's what we did 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: "Don't Speak" by No Doubt. Selected for today because we were talking about the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, which is partially about freedom of speech. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 3/2/17:
News Brief - Taylor
Review Constitution
Bill of Rights
The First Amendment

Homework: Read the blog! Prepare for Constitution test on Monday by studying the handout answers (as well as reviewing the philosophers and European influences)! Next news brief: Genevieve.

News Brief: Taylor started us off with this today, and shared about this story: NYTimes.com - Trump to Seek $54 Billion Increase in Military Spending. We discussed this for a while in class and also watched this 90 second recap of President Trump's address to Congress on Tuesday: CNN.com - Trump's Speech to Congress in 90 Seconds.

We also checked in for a bit about the upcoming weekend, before moving on.

Genevieve was selected for the next news brief.

Review Constitution: We continued looking at the Constitution packet I passed out last class, which had the Bill of Rights as a part of the last couple of pages. Please make sure to study the Constitution portion done for the test on Monday. If you missed class the last two times, here it is to download and fill out by reading the Constitution:

Google Drive: Understanding the Constitution Handout

As I said, here's the reward for checking the blog: a (tough, because I did not specifically ask you this in class) question from the Constitution test:

All of the following are included in the Preamble to the Constitution EXCEPT _____________.
a. establish justice c. the pursuit of happiness
b. provide for the common defense d.  promote the general welfare

The answer would be C.

Bill of Rights: As far as the Bill of Rights, I showed this clip from The Daily Show, looking at what some people working for FOX News had to say in regards to the Bill of Rights and the Boston Marathon bomber:

The Daily Show
Daily Show Full Episodes,More Daily Show Videos,Comedy Central Full Episodes

Clearly, this is a more liberal perspective on the Bill of Rights. I think the video does a good job of going through many of the first 10 Amendments to the Constitution!

The First Amendment: We ended by looking at how the First Amendment impacts students at school. With that, we went through this PowerPoint, as we discussed each case:

Google Drive - First Amendment Case Study PowerPoint

We looked at some specific examples of cases where students had questions about how far their rights go. We ended by looking at the famous "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" case, which we will continue to discuss next class. Thanks, everyone!

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. :-)

The Constitution, Day 2 - Class Recap

Fireworks over Niagara Falls, in 2009. 

Hi everyone,

Thanks for continuing to work on getting to know the Constitution better! I know it may not be the most fun part of class, but it is so important for knowing the foundations of how our government works! Here's what we did 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: "Don't Speak" by No Doubt. Selected for today because we were talking about the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, which is partially about freedom of speech. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 9/30/16:
News Brief - Kira
The Constitution
The Bill of Rights
The First Amendment

Homework: Read the blog! Prepare for Constitution test next class by studying the handout answers! Next news brief: Sarah Beth.

News Brief: Today's article was brought in by Kira, who selected this story: CNN.com - Hoboken train crash: 1 dead, more than 100 injured. We discussed this recent story and how the United States government is related to investigating the causes of what happened. Thanks Kira! We also checked in about the upcoming weekend and Sarah Beth volunteered to do the next news brief.

The Constitution: We continued looking at the Constitution packet we started working on through Google Classroom and Kami last class, which had the Bill of Rights as a part of the last couple of pages (we will work on that section more next week - just focus on knowing the answers to the first two pages).

Please make sure to study the entire packet for the test next class. If you missed class the last two times, here it is to download and fill out by reading the Constitution:

Google Drive: Understanding the Constitution Handout

As I said, here's the reward for checking the blog: a (tough, because I did not specifically ask you this in class) question from the Constitution test:

All of the following are included in the Preamble to the Constitution EXCEPT _____________.
a. establish justice c. the pursuit of happiness
b. provide for the common defense d.  promote the general welfare

The Bill of Rights: The first ten amendments to the Constitution are called the Bill of Rights. To start this part of class, I showed this clip from The Daily Show, looking at what some people working for FOX News had to say in regards to the Bill of Rights and the Boston Marathon bomber.

We ran out of time after this, so we will come back to looking in depth at the Bill of Rights next class. See you then!

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 3/10/16:
News Brief - Nicole
Bill of Rights Quiz
Legislative Branch Overview
Work Time

Homework: Read the blog. Study how a bill becomes a law handout - be prepared to write your own bill next class! Next news brief: Jay.

News Brief: Nicole had the news brief today and selected this article: FOXNews.com - Judge allows California high-speed rail project to proceed. Looking into the story a bit more, it appears that some landowners and representatives of a county in California sued to stop the train line from going in (probably because they think it will negatively impact them). The judge ruled that it was okay to go ahead - another good example of how the judicial branch can impact government!

Thanks, Nicole! Jay has the next news brief.

We also checked in about the 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 finished going over the handout, including trustee and delegate styles of legislators. Please make sure to review this handout! Thank you! Have a great long weekend!

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 3/8/16:
News Brief - Amsilley
Crash Course Rights
Jeopardy Review
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: Nicole.

News Brief: Amsilley selected this article to talk about for his news brief today: CNN.com - Political Prediction Market: Donald Trump's nomination odds sink as Ted Cruz surges. We talked in class about the "Super Saturday" voting held over the weekend, and what the race for the Republican nomination for president looks like. More states are voting today, so be sure to follow! The odds site that I showed in class is PredictWise.com.

We talked about this past weekend, as well.

Nicole volunteered to do the next news brief. Thank you!

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)!

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. We will do this later in the year, too!

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. 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? 

Be ready for the quiz next class, please! See you then!