Judicial Branch, Day 7 - Class Recap

Please note: I was out of the building today, supporting the Westview boys tennis team at the state championships. This is a post about what I wanted to have happen in my absence. I also will be out on Tuesday (I have an unexpected training that I need to attend), so you will take the Judicial Branch quiz on Thursday.

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 preparing for the Judicial Branch quiz today, by wrapping up the movie ! 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: Silence - sorry!

AGENDA 5/18/18:
News Brief – David and Sofia
12 Angry Men
Study for Judicial Branch Quiz

Homework: Read the blog. Turn in any late/incomplete work. Judicial Branch quiz will be on THURSDAY (not Tuesday, as originally announced). Next news brief: Assigned in class.

News Brief: David and Sofia had the news brief today and hopefully shared interesting articles - make sure to email me or share the write ups with me!

David selected this article to talk about: NYTimes.com - Jerusalem Embassy Is a Victory for Trump, and a Complication for Middle East Peace.

Another student was assigned to do the next news brief.

12 Angry Men: After the news brief, 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

Study for Judicial Branch Quiz: Last class, I passed out this study guide (the juries reading was on the back side) for preparation:

Google Drive: Judicial Branch Test Study Guide

Google Drive: Reading on Juries for Judicial Branch Test

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

If you aren't sure, guess in the comments and I will tell you what the answer is! See you on Thursday, when we will take the quiz! On Tuesday, you will have a one day assignment to complete. Thanks, everyone!

Judicial Branch, Day 6 - Class Recap

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

Dear class,

It is always great to see you! 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 the end of the year, and student were probably happy to watch a movie today in class. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 5/16/18:
News Brief – Emily H.
Finish National Judiciary
Juries
Study Guide
12 Angry Men

Homework: Read the blog. Study for the Judicial Branch test next Tuesday! Be good for the guest teacher on Friday. Turn in any late/incomplete work - know your grade and how to improve it. Next news brief: David.

News Brief: Emily H. had the news brief today and selected an article about this story: CNN.com -  Appeals court judges question Trump move to end DACA. We talked for a bit in class about the ongoing DACA issue, before moving on.

David was assigned to do the next news brief.

The National Judiciary: Last class, I passed out this handout, so students could read and review them to prepare for the upcoming test. The test will be on this reading, as well as the Supreme Court cases that we have been studying.

Google Drive: The National Judiciary Readings and Questions

Juries/Study Guide: Next, 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

Next class, you will finish the movie with the guest teacher. We will then take the Judicial Branch test on Tuesday! See you then.

Judicial Branch, Day 5 - Class Recap

The flag of the United States, before the Holiday Bowl football game in 2008, which the Oregon Ducks won over the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Today, we had an interesting mock trial on saying the Pledge of Allegiance in class.

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: "Money" by Pink Floyd. Selected for today because the judicial system can cost a significant amount of money to participate in!

AGENDA 5/14/18:
News Brief – Sofia
Mock Trials
The National Judiciary
Work Time

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

News Brief: Sofia had the news brief today, but was not in class, so I filled in and talked about this story: CNN.com - Supreme Court lets states legalize sports gambling. This story obviously relates to our current unit, and could have a big impact on lots of sports!

Emily H. 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/Work Time: I passed out this handout, so students could read and review them to prepare for the upcoming test. I will see how it goes next class with going through these, but the test will be on this reading, as well as the Supreme Court cases that we have been studying.

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 today! :-)

Judicial Branch, Day 4 - Class Recap

Here's my mom, Portland City Commissioner Amanda Fritz, at a parade in 2011.

Hi everyone,

Welcome to your weekend! I enjoyed starting the mock trials today in class. Here's what happened today:

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: "Oye Como Va" by Carlos Santana. Selected for today because of last weekend being Cinco de Mayo (remembering a famous Mexican victory over the French) and because Carlos Santana is an amazing Mexican-American guitarist. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 5/10/18:
News Brief – Francesca
Mock Trial Prep
Present Cases
The National Judiciary

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

News Brief: Francesca had the news brief today and talked about this story: CNN.com - Unbridled Trump storms global stage. We talked about the recent diplomatic moves that President Trump has made and discussed their possible impacts.

If you are 16 and not already registered to vote, here's the online enrollment form:

Oregon Secretary of State: Voter Registration

Yay for participating in our democracy! :-)

Mock Trial Prep: I gave the class about 20-25 minutes to finish preparing to present the four cases in the mock trial. Again, I know this was somewhat complicated, but I think we got the hang of it eventually!

Present Cases: During class, we were only able to get to two cases. The first was Morse v. Frederick, involving the humorous (but serious Constitutional issue) of a student holding a "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" sign outside of a school in Alaska as an Olympic torch relay went by. In class, the judges found 4-1 for Frederick (the student) in being able to do this as protected free speech. In the actual case, the judges ruled for Morse. Here is the overview:

Oyez.org - Morse v. Frederick

Next, we did a mock trial for the Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1 case. This was looking at issues of racial diversity in schools, as well as students being able to attend their own neighborhood school. In class, the judges split 3-2 on this, with the parents winning the case against more diverse schools. Here's the actual case overview:

Oyez.org - Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1

That was it for the day! Next class, we will do the last two trials and then move on with the rest of the judicial branch unit. Remember to hang on to all of your mock trial materials and notes - you will be turning them in! See you Thursday!

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: "God's Plan (Clean)" by Drake. Selected for today because of the amount of planning it takes to run the Mock Trials! Lyrics (not clean) here.

AGENDA 4/8/18:
News Brief – Nick
Finish Landmark Cases
Mock Trial Prep
Work Time

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

News Brief: Nick selected this article to talk about: OregonLive.com - New York AG Eric Schneiderman resigns after 4 women accuse him of physical abuse. We discussed this article and the #MeToo movement when it comes to government, then talked about the weekend and what we were up to.

Francesca was assigned to do the next news brief.

Finish Landmark Cases: We finished going through these today:

Google Drive: Landmark Supreme Court Decisions Handout

The assignment that went along with the reading is here:

Google Drive: Landmark SCOTUS Cases Assignment Sheet

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

Mock Trial Prep: The rest of the class was devoted to preparing for mock trials, which we will start 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 and then do the four mock trials!

Judicial Branch, Day 2 - Class Recap

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

Dear class,

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

Learning Targets Addressed:

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

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

AGENDA 5/4/18:
News Brief – Ataliah (Syd)
Review Executive Test
Cases Teens Should Know
Landmark Cases

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

News Brief: Ataliah and Syd had the news brief today and selected an article about these stories to talk about:

NPR.org - Missouri Lawmakers Will Hold Special Session To Consider Impeaching Governor

CNN.com - Trump and Mueller are closing in on open war

We talked about these stories for a bit - there so much happening with our government, every day!

We also checked in about what was going on outside of class.

Nick was assigned to do the next news brief.

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

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

NYTimes Upfront - 10 Supreme Court Cases Every Teen Should Know

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

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

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

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

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

Google Drive: Landmark Supreme Court Decisions Handout

The assignment that went along with the reading is here:

Google Drive: Landmark SCOTUS Cases Assignment Sheet

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

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 focus today, as we took the Executive Branch test and then moved on to learning a bit about the Judicial Branch! 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: "Spirit in the Sky" by Norman Greenbaum. Selected for today because of the Executive Branch test, and the possibility you were hoping for some divine intervention in doing well on it. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 5/2/18:
News Brief – Syd
Executive Branch Test
Judicial Branch Overview
10 Cases

Homework: Read the blog. Work on improving your grade, if possible! Next news brief: Ataliah.

News Brief: Syd had the news brief today, but forgot, so I filled in and selected this story to bring in: CNN.com - Cobb out, Clinton impeachment lawyer in, as Trump shakes up legal team. We talked about this story and about the ongoing situation with President Trump.

Ataliah was assigned 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 soon. Thirty questions, multiple choice, then the political spectrum. Not too bad, I hope! Thanks, as always for your effort on this!

Judicial Branch: To start out our look at the judicial branch, I showed this video to the class:

I thought this was a good overview of the structure of the federal court system in the United States. Next, 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:

Google Drive: Judicial Branch Overview

10 Supreme Court Cases: After going over the introduction to the unit, I passed out this reading:

NYTimes Upfront - 10 Supreme Court Cases Every Teen Should Know

The rest of class was devoted to reading the cases, and following these directions: On a separate sheet of paper, read and write the answers to the following questions for a minimum of five out of the ten cases (I had one half of the room do the first five, and the other half do the second five).

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 start this (we barely had time to look at it today), discuss, then move on to some more case studies.

Thanks! See you next time!  :-)

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! :-)

Judicial Branch, Day 7 - Class Recap

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

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: "The Final Countdown" by Europe. Selected for today because it is very close to the end of the year!

AGENDA 5/17/17:
News Brief – Darius
Judicial Branch Test
12 Angry Men
Class Feedback

Homework: Read the blog. Turn in any late/incomplete work. Be good for the sub on Friday! Next news brief: Nathaniel H. (then Kendall on Tuesday).

News Brief: Darius had the news brief today and talked about this story: NYTimes.com - For Voting Rights Advocates, Court Decision Is ‘Temporary Victory’. This is an important ongoing news story that directly relates to what we have been talking about in class, with the judicial branch. Also, we talked about the election results last night and what is happening with the federal government right now. We also talked about what was going on outside of class, before moving on.

Nathaniel H. was assigned to do the next news brief (Kendall will have it on Tuesday).

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

12 Angry Men: After the test, we finished 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 have about 18 minutes left, which we will finish next week. We will start our last unit on State and Local government soon - next class, you will be working on a citizenship paper with a substitute as I am at the state tennis tournament. Thanks, everyone! See you next week!

Judicial Branch, Day 6 - Class Recap

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

Dear class,

It is always great to see you! 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 the end of the year, and student were probably happy to watch a movie today in class. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 5/15/17:
News Brief – Nicole
Finish Mock Trials/The 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: Darius.

News Brief: Nicole had the news brief today, but was not in class, and due to time constraints, I moved on without talking too much about the voluminous amounts of news.

Darius was assigned to do the next news brief.

Finish Mock Trials: We wrapped up the mock trials today by looking at Elk Grove v. Newdow - a case about the Pledge of Allegiance. Students turned in their mock trial materials for a behavior target grade at the end of this.

The National Judiciary: I passed out this handout, so students could read and review them to prepare for the upcoming test. The test will be on this reading, as well as the Supreme Court cases that we have been studying.

Google Drive: The National Judiciary Readings and Questions

Juries/Study Guide: Next, 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 and then finish watching 12 Angry Men! See you then.

Judicial Branch, Day 5 - Class Recap

The flag of the United States, before the Holiday Bowl football game in 2008, which the Oregon Ducks won over the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Today, we had an interesting mock trial on saying the Pledge of Allegiance in class.

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: "Money" by Pink Floyd. Selected for today because you frequently need a lot of money to participate in the judicial branch by hiring a lawyer.

AGENDA 5/11/17:
News Brief – Anakin
Mock Trials
The National Judiciary
Work Time

Homework: Read the blog. Get any late work in ASAP to improve your grade. Next news brief (no write up needed, just talk about it): Nicole.

News Brief: Anakin had the news brief today and talked about this story: CNN.com - Trump: I was going to fire Comey regardless of DOJ recommendation. We talked about what a huge story this is and why this was such a controversial decision, to fire the FBI director (which, as the head of the executive branch, the president can do). We also checked in about the upcoming weekend and I showed my ballot for the upcoming election. I registered Kendall to vote in class, as well! Here is the link if you are 17 or older and you are not registered yet.

Nicole 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

We finished 3 out of 4 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. We will finish this and then move on next class. Have a great weekend!

Judicial Branch, Day 4 - Class Recap

During today's class, we went down to the auditorium to hear George Nakata (Ethan's grandfather!) speak about his experience with being in a Japanese-American internment camp during World War II.

Hi everyone,

Welcome back from your weekend! I really enjoyed going to hear from Mr. Nakata today! Here's what happened today:

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: "Oye Como Va" by Carlos Santana. Selected for today because of last weekend being Cinco de Mayo (remembering a famous Mexican victory over the French) and because Carlos Santana is an amazing Mexican-American guitarist. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 5/9/17:
News Brief – James
Guest Speaker
Mock Trial Prep
Present Cases
The National Judiciary

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

News Brief: James had the news brief today and talked about this story: OregonLive.com - N.J. man accused of plotting to detonate bomb in NYC to help ISIS, authorities say. We talked about the ongoing war against ISIS and how President Trump might expand the war in Afghanistan soon, as well. The next news brief was assigned to Anakin.

If you are 17 and not already registered to vote, here's the online enrollment form:

Oregon Secretary of State: Voter Registration

Yay for participating in our democracy! :-)

Guest Speaker: After the news brief section, we talked for a bit about the landmark Supreme Court ruling of Korematsu v. United States, which basically legalized the government putting Japanese-Americans in internment camps during World War II. As I said in class, Korematsu has never been officially overturned, which leads to the question as to whether a president could do a similar thing now. I also showed students a map of the Japanese Exclusion Zone on the West Coast during World War II and the different internment camps.

After this quick start to class, we spent the rest of the day in the auditorium, listening to Mr. George Nakata. I hope you found this interesting! We will get back to our mock trials next class. Thanks!

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: "Duel of the Fates" from Star Wars. Selected for today because it was May the Fourth yesterday.

AGENDA 4/5/17:
News Brief – Ziggy/Tsering
Finish Landmark Cases
Mock Trial Prep
Work Time

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

News Brief: Ziggy and Tsering had the news brief today. Ziggy selected this article to talk about: NYTimes.com - Police Account Changes in Killing of Texas 15-Year-Old. Later in the day, it came out that the police officer was charged with murder.

Tsering chose an article about this story to talk about: NYTimes.com - The Trumpcare Disaster. I tried to give my analysis of what happened with the House of Representatives voting to approve the new healthcare bill, and my understanding of what is in it. Very interesting stuff! We will continue to monitor the progress of the bill as it next goes to the Senate.

James was assigned to do the next news brief.

Finish Landmark Cases: I skipped over this in the interest of time because I had to get to coaching tennis (my deep apologies for this). We will come back to it next class.

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 (though we are likely to go hear Ethan's grandfather speak during Period 8), and then do the four mock trials! Have a great weekend! :-)